The month of April means spring for most people around the country, waiting for snow to melt and flowers to bloom. Here in the desert of Phoenix, where we only have two seasons—hot and not very cold—we’ve had a very mild winter and am already hitting the mid-ninties. Yeah, I’m sure you can feel my excitement.
For writers, April also means it’s Camo Nano! It’s our chance for redemption if we weren’t able to complete the original NaNoWriMo back in November. For those of you who don’t know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month where authors of all genres attempt to write a complete novel, typically around 50,000 words. Some people are able to meet that goal and go on to publish those works, others like myself, use it as a excuse to socialize. I know, very lame but hey, who doesn’t like to make friends?
Last last November my critique partner and I set goals for ourselves and of course made a wager to see who could beat the other. Because we’re not competitive at all. Nope, not us. Of course I got my butt handed to me but it was fun to try. The point was we made each other accountable for the goals we set.
Goals are extremely important when you want to achieve something. Whether it be writing, or losing weight ( raises hand ), a home project ( raises other hand ) or something as simple as laundry ( raises a foot, wobbles and falls over ), a goal can help you focus on one step at a time and not getting overwhelmed. That’s my biggest problem, getting overwhelmed when I look at everything all at once. For instance, I have edits for my upcoming release sitting in my inbox, I’ve got a recently completed short story that needs editing and polishing, I’ve got half of a book written and another short story to write all in the next couple of months. When I think of those projects and the messy house and 18 craft projects in my garage, all I want to do is sit down and read.
Of course, I can’t do that. So I decided to use CampNaNo as a way set small goals. So far I have met one of the three goals set, and as a reward I am watching Once Upon a Time. I may have had some Thin Mints we do don’t talk about those.
What about you guys? Do you think goals are important? Do you use a reward system also? Let me know, I’d love to hear from you.
My next release, Moon Over the Bay, the second book in the Moonlit Nights series, has a cover and blurb reveal May 3rd with a release date at the end of May.
In the meantime you can pick up the first book in the series, Talk to the Moon on Amazon and then available at all online retailers May 22nd!
When Kyle Chase was eighteen, he had his life all mapped out: a business degree and a long, happy life with his childhood sweetheart. Seven years later, Kyle is still haunted by the girl who declared her undying love to him before disappearing without a word as soon as he left for college. With the realization that the memories are stopping him from living his life, Kyle posts an ad in hopes of making contact with the woman who broke his heart.
Sadie Long has finally found her niche in the world as an artist, years after leaving the South and her trailer-trash parents. Every month, her muse drives Sadie to create another artwork featuring a vivid full moon and the boy she left behind, and it’s driving her crazy. When she comes across an ad in Craigslist’s “Missed Connections,” she knows it’s from him, and even though she’s terrified of how he might feel about what she did when they were teenagers, she has no choice but to respond to the ad.
When the truth comes out, will Kyle be able to forgive Sadie and move forward, or will they always be stuck in the past?
Talk to the Moon on Amazon
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Morgan
“Don’t force success. People can’t tell you how to do it. You’ve got to do it by yourself and if they judge you and the process you’ve chosen… let it be.”
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I agree that setting goals are extremely important. I have done that for years. When I had my own business doing sewing and alterations I had to keep a running list to not miss a deadline. I am the type of person that becomes overwhelmed with projects and then nothing gets done, so writing down what to do and putting the most important at the top of the list and working down it and getting to cross something off does me the most good. I love to read and have taken on reading ARC for authors. I have to keep me a list of dates for them to be completed by so I don’t miss a deadline. My reward, I get to start a new book. I am an avid reader.
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Exactly! When I used to work in an office I’d start my day with a list and work top to bottom. If I completed my list I’d reward myself with Starbucks.
Thanks for commenting! 😀