Blog Chain - Priorities

I've got a stack of boxes and a roll of bubble tape ready and waiting :D But am very thankful for the opportunity to procrasinate packing a little longer in order to do this round's blog chain. And it is such a great topic for my life right now :)

The awesome Amanda would like to know:

How do you prioritize? How do you balance paying attention to your writing, critiquing for friends, spending time with your family and earning a living?

Well, to be honest, sometimes I don't - the balance goes out the window and everything is a huge mess (like now). :D

But mostly, my priorities are simple - family first, everything else next, sleep - last.

I do try to schedule my time so I can make the most of what spare time I have. I am lucky enough that I don't work on top of being a mom. Frankly, I have no flippin' clue how people who have families and work full time do it. 

For the most part, I try to write when my kids are in school or asleep and my husband is at work or asleep (or veging out in front of the tv or otherwise occupied). Sometimes I attempt to do it all at once. I'll bring the kids downstairs (where most of their toys, the tv and the Wii are) and try to write while keeping an eye on them. I generally critique during the same quiet moments, or I'll print pages out and read while I eat or cook or keep an eye on the kids

This is also where writing by hand comes in handy (I'd use a laptop if I had one - it's on my list. I've been a good girl this year so hopefully Santa will be nice) :D For some reason, it doesn't bother my kids to see me sitting on the couch scribbling away. They ignore me and go on about their business. If I'm on the computer, no such luck. Suddenly their lives are in chaos and I'm the only one who can fix it.

One thing that has me very excited about our impending move is that kindergarten in PA is all day (it's half day in Utah). Which means, come September, both of my little ones will be in school all day :D Part of me is sad about that, which was a huge surprise. But the rest of me envisions long, quiet days...just me and my computer...the printer spitting out novel after novel after novel *happy sigh*

Yes, I know things aren't going to turn out quite so perfect :) But it will be nice to have a solid couple hours in a row to write instead of snatching moments here and there wherever I can :)

In any case, sorry about the huge long ramble to a very simple question :) I think, bottom line, if you want to do something badly enough, you'll find the time, find a way. You might have to sacrifice things like hygiene and sleep, but hey, it's worth it. Right?

:D  Be sure to stop by Sarah's blog and see what she had to say, and check out Shaun's repsonse tomorrow!!

Friday Funnies

(packing or not, I've got to post the Friday Funnies :D Enjoy!)

"A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people." -Thomas Mann

"A writer should have another lifetime to see if he's appreciated."

-Jorge Luis Borges

I Need a Few Spare Hours In The Day :)

Well, as much as I've tried to avoid doing this, I may have to take a bit of a hiatus. I'll still post as often as I can, but trying to house hunt from 2000 miles away, get my house packed up and juggle my children on my own, and still keep up with everything else life likes to throw at me, has left me a bit on the frazzled side. I usually remember somewhere around midnight that I haven't posted anything yet :)

So - I will try and post at least once a week, but for the next several weeks, it might be a bit of a hit and miss or a few short and sweet Hi How Are Ya's :D While I am busy fiddling with boxes and tape, I hope you are all out there busily writing, editing, and querying away!!! Drop me a comment and let me know how you are doing. I'll try to do the same :)

Happy Writing!

I'm a Little Late But I'm Still Thankful.....

Real life is rearing it's head all over the place lately :) Yours truly is getting ready to move. I will try to keep up over here, but I may have to take a few weeks off as we get ready to move across the country. Well, "we" isn't really correct LOL My poor husband is off in PA already working and trying to find us a house while I am back in Utah packing up the house and trying desperately to let the kids "help" while preventing them from doing too much damage. :D

In any case, today on the thankful list - something I couldn't do without and wouldn't have gotten as far as I have without...writer's forums, groups, and websites. Most especially, Querytracker.net and RallyStorm.com.

Every close writer friend I have, including all my critique buddies, I have met through one of these sites. I tried a lot of writer's sites and forums - many had a lot of good information. Many had nice people who were glad to help a new writer learn the ropes. But the writers I met on Querytracker, and then Rallystorm, were beyond supportive. They took me under their wing and have become another family. They share my successes and failures with me. They cheer for me and support me. They shred my work and help me rebuild it.

I don't know what I would do without them. This is always the one piece of advice I give new writers. Find some writer friends. They know what you are going through. They understand the journey and the wonderful madness. I am so grateful for each and every one of my writer friends, and without wonderful sites like QT and RS, I never would have met them. (In a weird twist of fate, my closest real life writer friends, the ones who live just down the street...I also met them through QT :) We didn't even know we lived in the same town until we got to chatting on the QT forum one day :D What a crazy, awesome thing to happen) :D

Not only can you meet amazing people on these sites, but there is a ton of really good information. Help for query letters, critiques on a few pages, info on agents, agencies, and publishers, help on research, and answers to just about any question about writing and publishing that you can think of. If you are a writer, no matter where you are in your journey, just starting out or publishing your 50th book, I highly suggest finding a good writer group, forum, or website.

How about everyone else? Do you have any favorite writer sites? Where did you meet your writer friends?

Friday Funnies

"After being turned down by numerous publishers, he had decided to write for posterity." -George Ade

"The ill and unfit choice of words wonderfully obstructs the understanding."

-Francis Bacon

 (being an OCD picture straightener myself, the following picture had me rolling on the floor)

"Stories have a beginning, a midlle and an end. But not necessarily in that order."

-Robert Silverberg

Wanna Win a Kindle?

The fabulous Lisa and Laura are giving one away!! Head on over to their blog HERE and check out the deets. The contest ends tomorrow, so hurry and enter! Good Luck!!

Happy Veteran's Day

Today I am thankful for our veterans. I know that doesn't really have anything to do with writing, but as it is Veteran's Day, I think I'd be horribly remiss if I failed to thank these incredible men and women for keeping our country and way of life safe.

I have a comic-a-day calendar with that crusty old Shoebox lady :) Today's comic said "You're free to thank a veteran today. And for that, you should thank a veteran today."

So I'd like to send out a sincere and heartfelt THANK YOU to all our veterans and active duty soldiers. Because of them, I have the freedom to sit at my computer and write whatever I want about whoever or whatever I want, be it boring, offending, or (hopefully) entertaining. :)

The spouses and families of our veterans and sevicemen and women also deserve a huge thanks for the numerous sacrifices they make so that their loved ones may serve our country. To those who hold down the fort at home - THANK YOU! (and thank you to Cole for reminding me how awesome these people truly are) :)

Happy Veteran's Day everyone :)