First I want to thank all the participants in advance for joining our MEME BLOG HOP!
Here are a few I came up with...
(All you need to make a meme is a picture and a few words of lightness or encouragement - put them together in Paint or I used Powerpoint. There's also a meme app.)
Stop by my most awesome co-hostesses - Christine Rains, C. Lee McKenzie - and those on the list below for some further wonderful wittiness!
I also hope these memes are encouraging for IWSG day! Here's my contribution...Some say "Life's not a sprint, it's a marathon."
I say, "Life's a never-ending obstacle course!"
Does anyone else feel pressure to show others that writing isn't just a hobby? Lately I've been submitting short stories, hoping to prove my writing is "worth" something and help pay bills... But these bits and pieces take time away from my novels, which I feel I need to continue to put out there, too!
I'm also scheduling more appearances to drum up business - marketing is an incredible time drain. I've got so many different projects going on at the same time, it's hard to prioritize and can get very stressful (and makes me grouchy) Sometimes I just feel lost.
I guess the key is to concentrate on one thing at a time. I hate to break it to you, but science has proven that multi-tasking is FICTION. Our brains can only truly concentrate on one thing at a time. Though it may seem like multi-tasking, it's just doing successive things quickly.
Another way I help myself is to make deadlines. I like deadlines, they're just more concrete goals. I prioritize my stuff and set soft dates to try and get them done by.
>>Try to work on WIP 1 hour a day (finish the dang thing so I can start editing!)
>>Blog posts have their own deadlines, so I do them. And try to visit!
>>Submissions have deadlines too - but if I don't finish those, there are plenty more, so I'm working on building up a file of ready-to-submit stories.
How do you keep your head above water??
And lastly -
JOLISSA IS AVAILABLE TODAY!!
with ongoing video storybook
A trouble-making maiden, a clumsy out-of-work squire, a loyal puppy, and a talking goat go on a quest - What could go wrong?
I didn't plan a big launch day or tour or anything, but I want to say a huge THANKS to Susan Gourley-Kelley and MJ Fifield for volunteering to help spread the word! We'll see how this self-publishing goes. And the next story in my Unconventional Princesses series (of course it's a series), TWO PRINCESSES, is somewhere on my extensive TO DO LIST...
Have a positive and productive week!
29 comments:
Congratulations, Tara!
I know, there are so many things we need to be doing and not enough time to do them all.
Love those memes! And yay for Jolissa! :) I also feel a lot of stress with everything that needs to be doing. I always feel like I'm never doing enough. I try to schedule myself, but I'm not very good at sticking to it.
Ahh yes, those waves of doubt... I certainly did enough body surfing so I should know how to ride the waves. :)
Congratulations and good luck on your series!
Hi Tara - love the cat reaching for the stars ... so go girl go ... Jolissa looks such fun ... cheers Hilary
My meme isn't quite professional grade, but I was lucky enough to find a winter themed picture from my stash. I feel a bit overwhelmed with my to do list and the A to Z blog challenge coming up, but I think you are right: take one thing at a time. And I would add to that: stop binge-watching Netflix shows!
"I'm a writer. What mess?"
I say this to my significant other every time he looks in my office. It appears messy to him, but it's organized to me.
And I create a list of goals every Sunday that I attempt to finish by the following Sunday. Some weeks go better than others, but I just try to do my best every time and let the rest take care of itself. (which also goes better some weeks than others...)
Enjoy the bloghop. It looks like a fun one!
Congrats on the release!
"Waves of doubt" are rough - we just need to ride them out. :)
An obstacle course indeed!!
I think you are a marvel at getting things done. But I feel your pain. There are so many parts to writing success, it can be very overwhelming.
I will happily add a shout out for Jolissa. Don't worry, I'll steal what I want from around the web :)
Thanks for the encouraging memes Tara. My own extensive to do list includes keeping the LGBT community that has magically latched unto my twitter informed. February has been a trans-formative month including me opening up and dropping the pseudonym for my YA LGBT work. Seems me opening up has indeed expanded my fan base. Which does hold true to the "Be Yourself" saying. Now this straight lady just has to write about a gay merman fleeing on land from an arranged marriage, meeting and falling for a bi-sexual human who writes about a pansexual superhero with his own issues. So it's a story within a story. And I'm bringing back a wip I want to finish for March Madness tomorrow. No matter what though I have determined that March will be amazing.
Congrats on your latest book Tara and entering self publishing. I have my fingers crossed on getting an Amazon Gift Card soon. Your book is on my list.
I've learned that with my writing I do have to focus on one thing at a time. Otherwise, I get overwhelmed and get nothing done.
"Life is an obstacle course." That is the best way to describe it. I hate doing things that take away from writing my novels though I'm tempted to dive into the short story market too. Good luck with your new book.
Wow, you're good at this meme thing. Loved them.
Juneta @ Writer's Gambit
Awesome memes! I love the writer one and the one with the cat. Cute!
If I didn't make deadlines for myself, I'd get nothing done. ;)
Great memes! This has been fun going to the blogs to see what memes people are posting.
Congrats on the book. You're always welcome to share the excitement of any book news at The Write Game.
Congrats on the release!!
I need to learn how to make these memes. *sigh*
"...waves of doubt..." Now that one resonates.
I can relate to this post so well. It's become harder and harder for me to balance everything, and marketing's been exhausting, too. If only multitasking really were possible!
Also, congrats on Jolissa! This sounds like such a fun story, and the art is so cute, too. Adding it to my wishlist! :)
Congratulations on Jolissa! I hope the release is a big success for you. Love the memes I'm seeing today. :)
That writer's desk on your meme looks like my desk!
YAY for getting Jolissa out there.
I like the waves! Nice meme.
Yvonne
Great memes! I even pinned one. :)
Well done, Tara! Congratulations!
Tara!
Thanks for having such a fun blog hop!
I need to make more MEMEs!!!
Best of luck with Jolissa!
You're doing great work no matter what! Keep up the awesomeness!
Heather
Woohoo! Love it!
Congratulations, Tara!!! I'm excited to see where this project goes, along with the other ones, too. :) I'm glad I'm not the only crazy author who juggles projects.
It is an obstacle course. Every time I think I have a handle on things, something else pops up, crashing my world.
Ha! Love those memes, especially the drowning one. I so frequently have to step back and remind myself that I'm in control. Really. I am. ;)
Congrats on the new release - and your first foray into self-pubbing!!
The memes are encouraging, just like you. :)
Congratulations on your latest release! How exciting!
Love the memes! The one with the star is adorable and inspiring. Thanks for sharing. :)
~Jess
Hey, I just wanted to say that I listened to your chapter one of the Princess book on YouTube. Nicely done! What a cool idea to create a YouTube video of you reading the book.
Multi-tasking is impossible scientifically. But we keep trying!
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