Pausing The Extras / Happenings In The Outhouse 25-Nov-2022

In the past two weeks, I have written close to 10,000 words in my new YA/Middle Grade novel.  It is close to 30,000 words long so far.

One thing I have realized lately the reason for my writing so much are two reasons: goals and pausing the extras.

Pausing the extras is basically putting a pause on some recreational activities that I do on a near daily basis, like listening to podcasts or playing certain games on my phone.  I may still play the games and listen to the podcasts, but not until I have written my daily goal.

What are your extras?

Can you pause these extras so you can achieve your goals?

New Daily and Weekly Goals / Happenings In The Outhouse 18-Nov-2022

The first two weekends in November are practically a statewide Minnesota holiday.  Probably more so when I was younger than now, but, for me, when I see an event scheduled during the first two weekends in November, I cringe.  I wonder why.

Why in the world would you schedule that when you know people are out deer hunting?

The reason I say more so when I was younger may just be my own perception.  Fewer people seem to be hunting now (although I have no stats to back this up), yet the businesses that are centered around hunting still seem to thrive.

Anyway, I love to go out hunting, to be out in the woods, out in nature.  My mind has the freedom to think.

So, while I was out the past two weekends, I pondered my current work-in-progress.

And I came up with some new daily/weekly goals.

I also sketched out the next part of the story.

Life is good, ladies and gentlemen.  Life is definitely good.

Legends / Happenings In The Outhouse 11-Nov-2022

A few weeks ago, I went to a Carrie Underwood concert.  Full transparency here: I was not an avid fan of her's but she put on one heck of a show.  One of her encore songs was the iconic Guns N Roses's song Welcome To The Jungle.  It was absolutely incredible!

On the way home, we discussed Carrie Underwood being a music legend, along with the band Guns N Roses.  Other names popped up from the country music genre: Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Randy Travis.  Rock bands also made the list, from KISS and Van Halen to Led Zepplin and the Beatles.  Others would be: Prince, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson.

A few words define a legend: longevity, perseverance.  Maybe not the artists themselves, but the art at least.

Who is on your list of legends?

Back From Sidetracked / Happenings In The Outhouse 04-Nov-2022

A few weeks ago, an idea for a short story sparked in me.  This wasn't unusual.  I get ideas often.  This time, though, I decided to put my current work-in-progress on hold and start writing it.  I truly thought I could juggle between the two projects.  Besides, one was short and the other long, so what's wrong with that, huh?

I got a decent start.  Then, after a short vacation with the family down to the Twin Cities, I made the decision to dive right back into the WIP once again.  Because, I hate to admit, I had done absolutely nothing on it while I wrote a few thousand words on the short story.

Good multi-tasking, to be honest, is a myth.  No one really does multi-tasking well.  You may do a series of small tasks that look like multi-tasking, but that's it.  Especially if it involves a creative endeavor.  Some authors will work on one project in the morning and another in the evening, but that's a rare event.  And they probably have measures in place to ease the transition between the two.

Anyway, it's good to be back to my YA/middle grade novel.