L. J. Sellers | Taking the Plunge

At the end of last year, I decided that 2008 would be different. I had several goals:

1) start a new novel

2) work on my novel first thing every day, even if I had to get up an hour earlier

3) find or create paying work that I enjoyed more than what I was currently doing to earn a living

4) sell my detective series to another publisher

By March 1, I had accomplished the three things I had control over—although not the way I expected to. January first, I began to outline my new Detective Jackson novel with working title, SECRETS TO DIE FOR. I began getting up at five o’clock to write for an hour before I went to work. At the time, I worked as an editor for an educational publisher, a demanding job that left me too mentally exhausted at the end of the day to feel creative enough to fill blank page after blank page (which is how a novel comes into existence).

Next, I started sending out letters to agents, publishers, and writers, announcing my services as a fiction editor. And I contacted some corporate clients and magazines about nonfiction editing as well. Then I took the biggest step: I asked my employer to let me cut back on my hours at work, thinking it would be long slow transition to self-employment. They promptly laid me off.

Thank you very much.

Terrified, but joyously liberated, I plunged into a new routine: Write for three or four hours exclusively on my novel first thing every morning, break for an hour of exercise, then freelance edit for others. And the work poured in—enough to pay the bills. Now in the evenings, instead of trying to squeeze in a little bit of uninspired writing, I have time to network and market my novel that's currently in print, THE SEX CLUB. Most days I’m at my desk from six in the morning until ten at night, but very little of it feels like work.

I love my new life! My bathroom is perpetually untidy, dinner is often an unimaginative freezer-to-oven meal, and there's laundry backed up everywhere. But yesterday, I passed page 150 on my novel, so who cares? My husband says he's never seen me so happy. It's the first time in my life that I've put my personal writing first. Making a living, raising kids, taking care of extended family, and keeping the house together were always a priority. These things are still important, but they are no longer most important. (Don't call child services; my kids are adults now.)

My goal is keep it going for as long as possible—because I finally feel like my real self. I know that not every writer is in a position to make this kind of change, but I heartily recommend it if you can.

L. J. Sellers

http://thesexclub.net/

Laura Drewry | Self Discipline

Last year, I set three goals.

1. Sell more books
2. Lose weight
3. Learn self discipline

Well, to quote the always quotable Meatloaf, two outta three ain't bad. I sold two more books and I lost the weight. So this year I've decided to tackle the whole self discipline thing. How hard can it be? It's simply a matter of retraining my brain, right? (snicker chuckle snort)

In order to lose the weight, I had to learn a bit of self discipline. And although I still believe Reeces Peanutbutter Cups and buttered popcorn deserve to have their own section on the food group pyramid, I no longer believe I'll die if I don't eat both of them every day. So, with the basic principal of "I've sort of done it before, so surely I can expand on it further", I've set out to define the areas in which I need to increase my self discipline:

1. I write in fits and spurts, instead of every day. That has to change.

2. I have convinced myself that plotting is the curse of death and that winging it is the only way I can write. That has to change.

3. I tend to let my 'office' (for lack of a better word) turn into a dumping ground, leaving me feeling overwhelmed and claustrophobic. That definitely has to change.

And

4. I've never exercised regularly. That probably won't change, but never say never, right? :-) After reading Maggie's post from the other day, I'm definitely more inclined, I just need to find the self discipline. Funny how this all comes around full circle, eh?

Every writer has his/her own way of doing things, and they don't always make sense to anyone else. The funny thing is that my way of writing doesn't always make sense to me, and I'm the one doing it! I love writing and I love that every single writer has a different process of getting from blank page to the finished work. What I don't love is knowing that no matter how organized and anal I might be in the rest of my life, I haven't been able to duplicate that methodology into my writing life.

It'll happen, though. I mean, honestly, if I can retrain my brain to believe I can get by without the almighty Reeces, surely I can retrain it to plan and plot a little, right? Right?!?

Laura Drewry

Tawny Weber | Spontaneous Goal Setting

Before the confetti settles, the champagne bottles are tossed into the recycling bin and the sound of fireworks dies away, talk turns to that time-honored New Years tradition... Resolutions.

Or, as I prefer, setting goals. I love goal setting. I’m big on writing lists and color-coding is definitely my friend. There’s something so satisfying about making a plan, setting a goal, and then working through the steps to see it become a reality. Call me a control freak, but it’s the only way I feel like I have much say in this crazy roller coaster that is life.

Isabel Santos, the heroine in my January Blaze, DOES SHE DARE? is exactly the same. She’s all about success and has not only a yearly goal list, but a five year, ten year and life goal list. Wow, even *I’m* not that obsessive. Then again, as goal focused as I am, even I wouldn’t write a Man Plan. But Isabel did. She based her plan on the hottest guy she’d ever known, listed her ultimate sexual fantasies, and created a set of rules to let her maintain control.

This got me to thinking. My planning and goal setting bleeds into every aspect of my life. When I travel, I make a packing list. I write menus for the week so I know what to get at the grocery store. As a writer, I have a career plan and am a die-hard plotter. I can’t imagine doing it any other way. And while this works great for me, I’m a little envious of those totally spontaneous people out there who decide on Saturday morning to take a trip and toss a few things in a tote before running out the door to destination unknown. The pantzers who write with the assured faith that the story they are writing is going to unfold beautifully for them as they go along.

For me, as there was for Isabel in DOES SHE DARE?, goal setting is vital. But that total focus on the goal has some definite pitfalls (as Isabel finds out!). And then there are those spontaneous types who simply live for the moment. Like Isabel’s hero, Dante Luciano. People like Dante have an awareness of opportunity that many goal setters don’t. It’s like a special sense that lets them grab onto a random happening and turn it into a huge success. They don’t need goals or resolutions, they simply make the most of whatever comes their way. And boy does he make the most of what comes HIS way!

Hmmm, ya think that created a few sparks when a total goal setter finds out the object of her Ultimate Man Plan is so spontaneous he travels with just what he can fit in his Harley’s saddlebags. Definitely!! What’s even more fun than watching Dante rearrange Isabel’s plans is watching the two of them fall in love.

My plan for the New Year is to embrace it all – goal setting AND to be more open to opportunities. It’s going to be all about flexibility –which is what both Dante and Isabel had to learn (and no, I don’t just mean to have the wild love scene on the Harley like they did *g* although flexibility did come in mighty handy then, now that I think about it).

How about you? Are you a planner or totally spontaneous? Or maybe like I’d like to be –somewhere in between? Do you make New Year’s Resolutions or set goals? Or do you simply take it as it comes, with that extra awareness of opportunities?

Tawny Weber’s latest Blaze, DOES SHE DARE? is in stores now. Tawny’s so into goal setting, she and her awesome CP, Beth Andrew’s even giving a workshop on it for From the Heart Romance Writers, http://www.fthrw.com/ starting early January. She’s also hosting a chat on http://www.eharlequin.com/ to discuss the Ultimate Man Plan and how to create your fantasy guy. And you can check out more goal setting tips at www.TawnyWeber.com/goals

Tawny