The Organized Writer by Jennifer Hallmark

I don't know about you, but when it comes to keeping all my writing-related "things" in their proper places, I have moments of organization and moments of total chaos. Below are author Jennifer Hallmark's tips for keeping that chaos to a minimum. -- Sandy

Jennifer: Congratulations! The magazine article you worked so hard on finally sold. And they need a 100-word bio. You pull up folder after folder in your computer. Where is it?

You once had a great story idea about a basset hound, vanilla scented candles, and a high school reunion. What file did I place it in? You spend hours rummaging through paper folders crammed in a desk drawer with no luck.

Does this sound like you? I’ve struggled in the past to find many files, folders, and ideas. Though I still occasionally misplace items, over the years, I’ve developed a system. Maybe it will help you. But first, I want to show you some products that are out there for print or computer.

Paper systems

Freedom Filer-This system is versatile and you can add as much or as little as you need. And the prices are reasonable. There are also many testimonials by bloggers who like this system.

The Paper Tiger-This system is powered by Google Docs and can help you with paper or digital filing or a combination of both.

Digital systems

When it comes to filing your research for a specific book, I found this article on the ten best software systems for 2016 helpful. You can then choose which is right for you.

Here is another article again mentioning twenty-five writing software programs that might help you. Some are even free.

What do I use to organize my writing? I’ll be honest. There is so much out there, it will boggle the mind. With paper, I prefer the idea of buying certain pieces that are right for me. My desk has a hanging file drawer in it that I use for receipts and such and is very practical. I also buy clear cover binders so I can make my own cover like Marketing Tips I Like or Publishers I Want to Research. Below are some pieces I found during the research for this article that are now on my wish list. J

Vertical Desktop Sorter

Vertical Desktop Organizer

12 Slot Organizers

Mobile Filing Cabinet

I do most of my organization now digitally. One quick word of advice here. Make sure everything is backed up. I invested in Carbonite about a year ago and I cannot tell you how much it eased my mind from the fear of losing important material. At only $5 a month, it’s been well worth my investment.

The bulk of my work is stored in My Documents on my computer. I keep a separate file for each of my blogs, each book compilation I’m involved in, and each book I have written or a book idea well-established enough to have its own file. I have a book idea file and an article idea file. I have one file entitled Good Articles on Writing by Other Writers, filled with invaluable advice I can pull up quickly.

Other important files for me are: Short Stories, Published Articles, My Newsletter, and My Book Info (which contains bios, pitches, one sheets, blurbs, etc.) I try once a year to purge files also. Get rid of files or documents no longer relevant and reorganize as needed.

For example: If you open My Newsletter, you’ll see another file for main articles. Each month, I write a new main article. By filing it, I don’t repeat ideas. I also have separate documents for My Master Email Subscriber List, a PDF sheet for physical signups at live events, monthly recipes, Constant Contact hints (that’s who I use to create my newsletter) and a recipe booklet I created to send to new subscribers. Everything about my newsletter in one place.

What is most important to becoming an organized writer is finding the perfect fit for you. Whether in paper files or digital or a mixture of both, life can be much easier for the writer when time is taken to put things in order.

Now where did I put the name of the blogger who wanted this article? J

Do you have a special system you use and will share when it comes to keeping your writing files and accounting in good order?

~~~~~~

Jennifer Hallmark is a writer by nature, artist at heart, and daughter of God by His grace. She’s published over 200 articles and interviews on the internet, short stories in several magazines, and been part of four book compilations: A Dozen Apologies, Sweet Freedom A La Mode, Unlikely Merger, and Not Alone: A Literary and Spiritual Companion for Those Confronted with Infertility and Miscarriage. She is currently shopping her contemporary southern fiction novel, When Wedding and Weather Collide.

http://www.jenniferhallmark.com

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Not Alone: A Literary and Spiritual Companion for Those Confronted with Infertility and Miscarriage

Our society understands how terrible the loss of a child is when that child is out of the womb, but

what about when a child dies before birth? Or what about the emptiness that comes when a very-much-wanted child is never even conceived?

These quiet, private losses are hard for those who have not experienced them to understand. And these losses leave those who have suffered them feeling alone in their grief.

Not Alone: A Literary and Spiritual Companion for Those Confronted with Infertility and Miscarriage is a resource both for those who have suffered through these experiences and for their friends and relatives, who want to understand what their loved ones are going through.

This collection contains true stories that are:

·         sensitive, and yet honest

·         angry and raw, but not despairing

·         unique, and yet relatable

The contributors to this book are male and female, old and young, some who eventually had children and some who never did, and yet despite their differences, they share a common grief and a common faith.

No experience of miscarriage, infant loss, or infertility is like any other, yet by reading these painful and hope-filled stories, you’ll be comforted by knowing there are others who understand the journey you’re on, the loss you’ve suffered, and you will find that even though your loss is uniquely yours, you are not alone.

If the world ends tomorrow…what memories have I made? by Michele Chynoweth

This is a time of year famous for reflecting back on the year(s) past. Perhaps, it is more poignant today with tomorrow’s predicted “End of the World” according to the Mayan calendar. Now I don’t really believe that’s going to happen. Of course, I have no idea – only God knows for sure. But if it did…

I would be grateful for the following:

- Having my two novels, The Faithful One and The Peace Maker, published by a Christian publisher. More than that, for having found my true purpose in life, in being led by my Creator to write inspirational fiction;

- Marrying my best friend Bill Chynoweth in October, 2010 and raising our “blended” family –my children Will (22), Mike (20) and Kendra (16) and his children Morgan (16) and Bobby (14). Now four of the five live with us (!) Stressful and challenging? Yes. Rewarding? Definitely, when I allow myself to see it;

- My wonderful readers – and all of the new friends I’ve made on my writing journey;

- And I would even be grateful for all of the hardships and painful times in my life: a childhood abuse by my Catholic school teacher, depression and the effects of the family disease of alcoholism, a failed marriage and divorce, a miscarriage, a business I had to close after 20 years due to the recession…because all of these have given me something to write about, something to share with readers to give them some hope and extend how faith really works if you believe.

This past weekend I watched the Connecticut school tragedy on the news and the movie, “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World,” with Steve Carrell and Keira Knightley. They both made me think that the world and what happens in it often don’t make sense. Like Job (and Seth Jacobs in my novel, The Faithful One, we can often find ourselves questioning God: “Why me?” or “Why do bad things happen to good people?” And, as God answers, most often it is beyond our mere human comprehension, and we can only comfort ourselves by realizing we have to turn our will and lives over to His care and just have faith in His plan.

Both shows made me also realize that we have to count each day as precious and really be present to those around us, because it is these special times – often unexpected, when you’re open to them – that become fond memories. (For example, when two of my teenage kids actually had fun for a few hours finding and decorating the Christmas tree two weeks ago.)

This past weekend, however, I found myself so busy in the “trappings” of Christmas (cards, shopping, wrapping), that I couldn’t concentrate on what was really important (God, family, friends). That made me wake up sad Monday morning. I realized I had spent hardly any time with my husband and children. So I think I’ll go home tonight and hug them all and tell them I love them – and hopefully spend some quality time with them – because you just never know how much time we have left.

Chessa's husband, Darren Richards, is a behind-the-scenes narcissistic abusive alcoholic. None of that changes when he becomes the leading candidate for President of the United States. Chessa’s worries about her husband reach a fevered pitch as he closes in on winning the nation’s highest office. How can she support his candidacy, even if it will mean becoming First Lady?

Meanwhile, Darren’s opponent, Leif Mitchell, is selected from his humble life as a stable hand and country rock singer to run for political office. His charm and leadership pave the way for him to become a national hero and a real threat as the leading Republican presidential candidate. A powerful Darren will stop at nothing to bring Leif down, causing Leif to reconsider his “high road” approach to politics.

When Chessa finds out Leif is preparing to seek revenge on Darren in an attack that will not only destroy her husband’s candidacy, but will probably cost other innocent lives as well, she is suddenly faced with a decision: Should she preserve peace at all costs, protecting those who would become collateral damage as a result of the ensuing battle – and in default, her husband—in turn sacrificing her freedom and risking her own life? Should she try to stop Leif, which may ruin his chances but save his soul?

Purchase Link for The Peace Maker 

Meet Michele Chynoweth

Michele Chynoweth has worked in journalism, advertising and marketing prior to becoming a published author. She has won several awards for her work including first place in the drama category of the Maryland Writers Association Fiction Contest.  She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, is recently remarried, has five children and lives in her native Maryland.

Michele believes that the stories in the Bible - and more importantly, the people captured in them - are compelling, but because they were written so long ago, readers today have difficulty relating to or comprehending them. She therefore would like to continue writing novels that "re-imagine" them through modern-day versions that grip today's readers and still get God's messages across.

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