Tag: writing

Perhaps a Controversial Move

I’m still not doing well with keeping up with blogging, but I do have some good news!

I just laid out a project in Scrivener. A new Christmas novel to be written in November for Novel November. Novel November is likely to be controversial because ProWritingAid essentially took over NaNoWriMo (it used to be a sponsor of such) and some associate them with the statement NaNo made accepting AI written projects.

I am joining it anyhow because I use ProWritingAid as an editing tool, not a composition tool. I do not see this support as endorsing generative AI. I would never endorse that, because it degrades writing and critical thinking. ProWritingAid does not appear to support using the program to write.

I believe Novel November will help me through my writing slump. It has already, as I have outlined the novel already and I am excited about writing again. Wish me luck!

Ten Thousand Views

According to JetPack this morning, my blog has gotten 10,000 views. That’s incredible! I know there are blogs that have gotten a lot more than this, but I didn’t expect my blog to have gotten this many!

I’ve made a lot of posts, maybe 2000 or so. That means my average post has gotten maybe five views. But they add up, and five per post is not bad for a humble little blog that is just my meanderings.

I should plug my books at this time, because my books are where this blog started. You can find my magical realism (?) and Christmas romances at this link: https://us.amazon.com/stores/Lauren-Leach-Steffens/author/B08KHCNJ3W?ref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Thank you for reading!

Not Doing So Well With This Little Audacious Goal

I set up the little audacious goal to write on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and have not done too well with it. I have the time; that’s not the problem. The problem is that I have forgotten about the goal and suffer from a degree of inertia on those days.

Photo by Bich Tran on Pexels.com

Once one quits writing, it’s hard to go back to that place. I have run into the same thing with my novel writing. The negative self-talk has taken over, and I don’t feel like I have too much to contribute to the world with writing. It’s keeping me from writing. I don’t like the current book, which is too much of a downer. I’m not sure if I’m going to get through it.

What I need is an attitude change. The little audacious goal is something I have to want to do. Right now I don’t know if I want to write. I think I need a message from the Universe (which I certainly believe can happen) to help me get back on track.

Or at least I need to follow my little audacious goal in the meantime.

little audacious goal?

I have lost track of writing this blog.

Photo by Alan Cabello on Pexels.com

I lost my daily habit, and those pauses in days have become pauses in weeks, and then nearly a month. This is what happens when one loses a habit.

I feel like I have nothing to say, because I haven’t been using the daily prompts, because they were a means to an end and not necessarily what I wanted to say.

I now have to make a decision — what do I want to use this blog for? I want to talk about things of interest, and the daily prompts accomplish this. I want to stay away from politics because I don’t know if I have anything constructive to say. Social issues — I can talk about those occasionally because I do think I have something to say there. My books — I have always wanted to talk about my books, which includes my frustration in not writing lately.

I guess I need a little audacious goal to write again. It needs to be SMART — I will write three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (with some flexibility). I will use prompts as needed and some self-driven content. I will write about writing at least once a week as I originally intended. I will check weekly to make sure I’ve written my three days.

Hold me accountable.

A Little Late Today

I normally write this blog at 6 AM, before I start my day. On days when I’m doing Moulage (casualty simulation) at an exercise, I’m elbow-deep in nose and scar wax at that point. So I have to wait to blog until after I’ve finished and scrubbed my hands of all the fake blood.

One intense day done, and I’m in the middle of intense day #2. I am so tired. I’m getting 5 hours of sleep a night, and I can tell. I’m dreaming of sleeping in tomorrow.

No pictures from the event, because all mine are gory.