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I was ready to pull out my hair and throw my notebook out the window. But reality set in, told me I was being to dramatic. I took a deep breath and took a moment to look at the messages coming in on the BB (it had been beeping for the past 45 minutes but I was trying to ignore it to get in a creative zone), only to stumble across an email from a young follower of mine. It really touched me. As writers, it is easy to get ladled down in the hustle and bustle of creating. Crafting words, editing, linking thoughts together, wordplay, sweating over deadlines and striving to “one up” our writing styles that in the haze of trying to say something…we forget that we already say it. Our words become the insight or encouragement to other individuals that graze our blogs, books, essays and tweets…and I only became aware of this after I read the email. For me, I write to remove the cluster of images that clog the mind. Its not about being deep or attempting to claim the title of master griot; I write to later sort out who I could potentially become. Who knew, that while searching for the words to embody ones true essence, that I would have the words that someone else was in need of. Wow, it feels really good to help someone with my craft. Aiding someone with my words was always something I hoped would happen down the line in my writing career but it came sooner than expected. It is truly eye-opening. Any other writers have a similar experience? Please feel free to share!

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Sunday is Valentine’s Day, and we want your love. Share with us your best love scene, or how you met your sweetheart.

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Sarah is writer looking for an agent. She is currently working on novel # 4, editing novels 2 and 3, and querying novel # 1. For more insight to her work, visit: http://legendoftheprotectors.wordpress.com/ or http://legendoftheprotectors.blogspot.com/

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I have been browsing writer-friendly sites and articles, and I thought I could share some of them with the girls.

1. Useful links to terrific articles and pointers from agents etc.

2. An Agent’s Wish List

3. Fab Writing Tips

4. Checkpoints when writing scenes

5. Brainstorming Techniques

Some of the links contain links to more useful writer’s resources.

Happy Reading, Girls!

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For an extended period of time, I have been influenced by Audre Lorde and her essays. Unsure if it is because of all the new writing deadlines that are emerging compiled with balancing “real world” demands but she has been circling my thought process. Will she ever land and assist me in sorting out all these thoughts? Its as though I have writers block with a tea kettle full of thoughts and nothing is taking true form. What a conundrum! As writers, is the ability to write/express be a luxury with the words and sounds we do not have yet?

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There are a lot of blog/articles about the Writer’s Life: How to break in, how to organize, a glimpse into, and my favorite how to balance the Writer’s life. But is this really possible? Can you really balance the creative person who lives in her own fantasy world with the professional decision maker, who has to be present and interact with real people?

I personally struggle with this and have most of my life. When I am in my writing world everything goes to pot. Case in point, it took me over two weeks on semi-vacation to dig my house out. But this is a new year and of course, a time for new beginnings. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my life long search has actually produced some viable tips. But make no mistake, searching for the ever elusive balance will be my lifelong pursuit, though I do feel like I’m getting closer.

In an effort to keep myself from sounding to self-neurotic I will put this in a three part blog, because no one wants to read my ramblings for more than ten minutes. So here is tip number one and in my mind the most important.

Set a schedule.

You’ve heard this before. Heck, I heard it at least hundred times at the RWA nationals alone, but why? Because simply put, it works. Now, I’ve tried this at least a dozen times and failed all attempts. Previously, I tried to make other writers’ schedules work for me, but I’m not them and they don’t live my life. Then I found the key to sticking with my program—flexibility.           Every day of the week is different for me, and at times my schedule changes from week to week. What I’ve done is to look ahead and set realistic goals. I put due dates on them and have a program on my phone that allows me to “check” them off as I go. (Sounds a tad compulsive, similar to the character Monica on Friends, but she was super organized and successful, right?)

Some writers have a word count they try to reach every day, but that never worked for me. There were some days when I knew I wouldn’t be able to open my computer, much less reach a word count. Plus, what about when you’re in the revision process? There were days I worked for hours and ended with a negative word count. Talk about demoralizing.

I make my goals small, but attainable. For example: Have the rough draft of chapter 3 written, and have a polished chapter 2 ready for crit group on Wednesday. I do this for housework also: One load of laundry, folded and put away by Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and one bathroom cleaned on Tuesday and Thursday.

When I plan out my week then sometimes…most times, something wonderful happens. I get ahead of schedule. This might not seem such amazing feat to some, but for the person who is always behind, five minutes late, and making the deadlines by forgoing sleep, this is a beautiful thing. I have actually found myself working on projects, blogs, chapters, ahead of my scheduled plan.

I will be posting other things that have worked for me. Now it’s your turn to share, tell me what works for you. How do you balance your life with the paying job, kids, husbands, and other obligations? I’m always excited to implement new tips into my daily life.

I've wanted to be a writer ever since I read my first book by Judy Blume, Super Fudge. Since then I've been writing bad poetry and even worse prose. I finally got serious when about two years ago, after a nervous breakdown in my kitchen, I cried to my husband "I'm not happy!" "Well, get happy," he said.Simple enough, and so I started writing and have completed my first novel. I'm now in the process of polishing and sending "my baby" out into the big bad world. :)

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A Writer's New Year

Nature does not know New Year. It is we that have set up divisions between time, so we can mark the changes that happen to us, record our histories, close our books, make new beginnings.

So New Year is an entirely “unnatural” way of seeing things, but a great one nonetheless. It gives us a moment of pause when we sit back and introspect on what has passed by, and what is still to come.

It is an especially important time for writers. They ruminate over what they’ve achieved over the year, the stumbling blocks they have encountered, and how they’ve coped with it all.

Queries sent out, books under edit, a book begun, a book that’s hit a writer’s block, each writer has something to think about and resolutions to make.

I’ve seen a few awesome New Year posts this time, one of them is here. It has made me think of my role as a writer, things I ought to do, or have undertaken.

I have spoken about my New Year thoughts here. What about you? What was running through your head at the turn of the decade? What resolutions did you make, what work did you feel proud of, what do you look forward to as a writer in the New Year?