Being Thankful, No Matter the Situation

Camping at Lowburn reminded me of some of our camps around Australia.

I’m so thankful for this lifestyle.

“Use your smile to change the world. Don’t let the world change your smile.” – Unknown

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Being an Author is all about creating a story, right?

And editing, before sending to a professional.

There’s books to prepare for the accountant.

Advertising…Website, so many things you could flend up feeling like a one arm paper hanger.

The good news is Blackwolf Editorial Services’s Judy L Mohr has created a course to help.

When you have finished the course, you will have created an automated email sequence, so there are less jobs to worry about. If only we could do that with a hundred and one other things!

This is the ideal set it and forget it, freeing up some of your precious time.

And even better, there’s a launch special you can take advantage of.

But get in quick because this offer ends in March.

Its not normal for me to recommend a product, but Judy has put in a lot of work to bring this to authors.

Enjoy.

Small Steps, Incremental Changes, Tipping Point

In Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point he looks behind the big changes to find they began with many small steps. Some by quite a few people who meet at a certain point to create something amazing.

This year, with pandemic uncertainty, how can we possibly plan for the year?

I decided to set big dreams aside, and focus on small steps that walk towards dreams. The dreams are big, but in reality they might not happen this year, but they will happen.

In the meantime, I’ll walk towards them. My word for this year is two “Small Steps”.

How’s your goal setting going?

Books I’ve read in January towards my 52 Books in 2022 Goal (I just need to work on which category they come under):

Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone – Diana Gabaldon (began in December, completed January)
The Relaxed Author – Joanna Penn
Treasure Island – Robert Louis Stevenson
Breath, The new Science Of A Lost Art – James Nestor
Financial Freedom – Grant Sabatier
Home Truths – Susan Lewis
Educated – Tara Westover (I’m not going to do well in the 52 books challenge if I keep repeating the same one!).

I have my listening speed set anywhere from 1.25x to 1.40x the normal speed. Yes, the books I read are audio. I listen when driving, doing housework, gardening and walking. My eyes aren’t what they were and by the time I’ve written for two to three hours, they’ve done their dash on printed word.

Holiday Ends and Friendship Beginnings Continue

Chilled out and relaxed. Stretched and challenged. Books read. Days sitting in the sun. Tanned and burnt bodies. Sand between the toes. And one little dog with separation anxiety.

The excitement and thrill of going away on holiday is beginning to fade as thoughts of returning home begin to surface.

I’m luckier than most. I take my home on holiday with me because I live in my motorhome. But for two weeks I’ve been able to travel and explore with new friends Sharon and Adrienne. Two years ago we didn’t know each other.

What we have in common is a love of travel, and travel in motorhomes in particular. We each have our own motorhome and fix our own meals (or go out). We plan our tomorrow over a few wines.

We’ve had lots of laughs and a few honest tears. And in two days time we will go our separate ways again. But we’ll meet up again at the end of January. It turns out we’re all going to the same festival.

It’s so cool when begin a new friendship and find out what you have in common.

Writing
I took a break for a couple of days from writing, but the new year has begun with a new book.
I rolled over in that half sleep, half wake state, to hold my I hubby’s hand as we used to do in the night when we lay and listened to the surf.
He’d passed away in July 2020. And I realised a small book needed to be written.

Background Photo
The end of State Highway 67 is at the Kohaihai DOC Camp. The start/end of the Heaphy Track. Home of a pretty lagoon and beach with rolling sea.

Keep Going. Never Quit. You’ve Got This

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” — Richard Bach

Nanowrimo is done and dusted for another year. How did you go?

This year is the first time I didn’t complete my goal and I’ve been feeling a bit down and cross with myself.

Then I looked at what I had accomplished. A manuscript that needs work. Thirty thousand plus words. But thirty thousand words more than if I hadn’t worked on the script when I could.

Life happens.

I’m looking at what I do have and what I can do with it. So I continue to write. Showing up each planned writing day to write 500 plus words (Fast 500).

Build on the habit you began with Nanowrimo. Write each day, in whatever time you have.

If your in the same boat, you’re not alone. Work on consistently adding words, until there is a manuscript to edit.

Be an amateur who doesn’t quit. You’ve got this, my writing friend. Have a fabulous day.

Background photo is one of the beautiful sunsets we had while the Motorhome Babes gathered near Oxford, New Zealand.

Picked up the Key To The Door

Moved into my new home on wheels and I am Loving it. Thank you Karon and the team at RV Supercenter, Christchurch

Its been a stressful week getting it sorted and I keep reminding myself how fortunate I am. It will seem so easy when viewd in a tear from now.

I haven’t been getting many words written, and keep going off on a tangent. My mind wouldn’t settle. It was most likely stress. Or, was I allowing myself an excuse to procrastinate?

Homeless

My dear friends Gerard and Femmy, I’m so grateful for your hospitality while I was homeless. Even havong to share your company with an Irishman turned out to be fun. He happened to be on his way from a MMM project in the top of the south to Karitane near the bottom of the south.

MMM

MMM refurbish and help maintain Christian churches, camps and schools. Check them out on mmm dot org if your interested in volunteering your skills, or seeking their help.

Road Trip

A group of motorhome Babes are getting together tomorrow to plan a North Island tour. How awesome is that? Yep, I’m going. We’re departing the South Island the last weekend in January ’22.

Writing

And finally, we’re down to the truth. I’m settling in to the daily routine in a different way. Cracked my daily goal of 1500 words but didn’t reach my catch up goal of 5k. I’ll keep chipping away at it. There’s two sides to every story. I realised I needed to include the other side. It’s been an interesting insight.

Sleep deprivation and PTSD have both made very interesting research.

Don’t Plan to Write – Write!

“Don’t just plan to write — write. It is only by writing, not dreaming about it, that we develop our own style.” — PD James

Nanowrimo:
Day 10
Writing, writing, writing. Time to revise goals? Yes. Thank you Black Wolf Editor for your wise insight.
I write six days a week. Its been my habit for four years. But this year’s Nanowrimo I’ve put unnecessary pressure on myself. Not helpful.
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
If its not working, find out why.
Then write.
Don’t just plan to write — write.

Quietly, in the background there’s been something very special happening, that I’ve been privileged to be a (small) part of.
Obstacles have been overcome and just maybe in time for Christmas…

The background photo – is part of the very special project.

Nanowrimo Day 6

Quote for Today (From Nano 2015)

“Begin each day from the last sentence you wrote the preceding day. This prevents those cringing feelings, and means that you have a substantial body of work before you get down to the real work which is all in editing.” — Will Self

Nanowrimo:
Day 6
Keeping the momentum going. And today there’s a bonus. A wedding. A real live, real life one. And it was beautiful and heartfelt and joyful. Ah, the romantic in me sighs.

The background photo – a pretty rhododendron while on our walk.

Nanowrimo Day 1

Quote for Today (From Nano 2015)
“There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.” — W. Somerset Maugham

Nanowrimo – Pre Writing party’s have been underway. Day 1 writing madly but haven’t made my goal, but did make my 1667 words for the day.

The background photo – New litter of kittens born under the boys bed.

The Shelfie – Nanowrimo Instagram Challenge

The Shelfie is an author and reader thing. My current book shelf is on Audible, Kindle and in my basket is my notebooks, Motorhomes, Caravans and Destinations Magazine, and writing craft books, Fast Feast Repeat, by Gin Stephens, and a spiritual book for digging deep.

Quote for Today
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” – Saint Augustine

Writing
Even the possible threat of a COVID outbreak lockdown sent everyone in Christchurch into a spin and my intentions to write at the beach went out the window – I did visit the beach.

Nanowrimo – three days to go!. Look out for a celebration launch in your area (you can find your local people – even though Nano have said no physical meetings).
Christchurch writers can check out the ChristchurchNZwriters dot org for events in their area (because we’re online, anyone can join in).

The background photo is of my current bookshelf because I live in my campervan. When I move into my motorhome in a few weeks, I get a bookshelf again.