Two years ago, several of my author friends were
announcing multi-book contracts. I was thrilled for them, but my inner
voice mocked. "You'll never get one of those. You can't plot."
Sure, I'd managed to crank out five romances, but I’d
written all of them in advance, and Pelican Book Group individually
contracted and published them. That meant writing the entire story, submitting
it, and then waiting, praying and hoping for a contract. I dreamed of
snagging a contract for a series that I hadn't written yet...to know that the
story I was laboring over would have a home when I finished. But, in order for
that to happen, I needed to force myself to learn how to plot, so that I could
submit a proposal based on a synopsis for three stories not yet written.
My neighbors probably heard me ranting and thrashing about
my office, banging my head against my desk and threatening to toss my laptop
out the window. But, I was determined to stick with it.
Change...it's never easy, is it?
You can read my tips on how I made the transition here
and how I organized myself here.
Trust me when I say there was plenty of weeping and pulling hair involved,
especially when I plunged into simultaneously plotting out five books, two
independents and three for a series.
I dug my heels in and refused to surrender. Eighteen months later, I had five completed books…all contracted on proposal!
Want the secret? I'll share.
Motivation. I wanted it. Big time. There's nothing more motivating to me than thinking I can't do something. Anybody else feel that way? So, unless you find a reason to change, you will keep doing things the same way. Have you noticed how that harbors discontent, sparks envy?
Take the first step. Change isn't even remotely possible until you take the first step. What's holding you back? Fear? Doubt? Why? You're a writer, aren't you? Every day I write I face my fears. Whether that's public speaking, writing curriculum for an online class, navigating the murky world of social media...whatever. God's got your back. Move forward in boldness. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. ~Phil 4:13, NKJV
Be willing to adjust your course. Just as a ship adjusts its course for winds/storms/tide, I had to make some modifications along the way. I found that by the time I'd reached the fifth book, my skeletal plot needed a few tweaks, but that's OK because the original story line was strong. Multitaskers probably wouldn't have a problem with tackling five books, but for my single track mind, three is the max. Also, sometimes hubby would throw in traveling to a conference that wasn't planned or I'd be called upon to pick up a sick grandchild, so rather than continually adjust my completion date, I set a daily word count goal that took this into consideration.
Pray without ceasing. A no-brainer. :)
Change is never easy...but it's possible. With a little faith and a good bit of persistence, you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish.
Want the secret? I'll share.
Motivation. I wanted it. Big time. There's nothing more motivating to me than thinking I can't do something. Anybody else feel that way? So, unless you find a reason to change, you will keep doing things the same way. Have you noticed how that harbors discontent, sparks envy?
Take the first step. Change isn't even remotely possible until you take the first step. What's holding you back? Fear? Doubt? Why? You're a writer, aren't you? Every day I write I face my fears. Whether that's public speaking, writing curriculum for an online class, navigating the murky world of social media...whatever. God's got your back. Move forward in boldness. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. ~Phil 4:13, NKJV
Be willing to adjust your course. Just as a ship adjusts its course for winds/storms/tide, I had to make some modifications along the way. I found that by the time I'd reached the fifth book, my skeletal plot needed a few tweaks, but that's OK because the original story line was strong. Multitaskers probably wouldn't have a problem with tackling five books, but for my single track mind, three is the max. Also, sometimes hubby would throw in traveling to a conference that wasn't planned or I'd be called upon to pick up a sick grandchild, so rather than continually adjust my completion date, I set a daily word count goal that took this into consideration.
Pray without ceasing. A no-brainer. :)
Change is never easy...but it's possible. With a little faith and a good bit of persistence, you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish.
“If
you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten.” ~Anthony
Robbins
Do you embrace change or despise it?
What aspect of your writing style would you change?
What aspect of your writing style would you change?
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A
Routine Audit? Hardly.
Red flags—including
some goon who's following her—raise McKinley Frasier's suspicions that numbers
don't add up at the insurance firm. When someone tries to snatch McKinley's
daughter from school, she turns to police officer and ex-fiance, Renner
Crossman—the cop who walked out on her a month before their wedding. But
Renner's not the same guy who broke her heart ten years ago. He calls himself a
"new man." She trusts the new Renner with her daughter's safety...but
what about her heart?
