J. H. Authors

One Woman. Three Names. Many Books.

Writing

Moving Forward

by

Moving Forward Post

For a long time I kept up with my blog. Then I stopped, focussing on my Wicked Authors posts, and those I did for Killer Characters. But in 2021, I want to get back to sharing my thoughts with all of you. In this space, I’ll be sharing updates on my writing journey. The books, the ideas, the research, the promotion. I hope this is interesting to readers of my books, and helpful for writers on their own paths.

December 2020 Updates

During November’s NaNoWriMo, I wrote the first draft of Garden Squad #5, tentatively titled The Plot Thickets. The book is due in May. I’m thrilled to have gotten so many words written, and think a large part of that was due to the community of writers supporting each other.

I’ve also been noodling some new ideas, getting ready for a cover reveal of Book #4, and working on this website.

In my coaching/teaching life, I’m starting a monthly subscription called the Writing Journey. Monthly group coaching calls, write-ins, and goal setting exercises. I’m looking forward to launching it in January.

My friend Carolyn Wilkins and I also created a course called Inspiration Awakening that I’m excited for folks to learn more about. This course is about the mindset writers need to do their work.

I look forward to connecting more in 2021.

Time

by

I went to a great workshop at Grub Street on Saturday. The leader was Hillary Rettig, and the topics were procrastination and time management. Her approach on these topics is very different. And inspiring. Inspiring for new ideas. But requiring some reframing, and some plain old hard work.

Hard work? Harder than writing? Way harder, in so many ways. You see, Hillary explains that in the course of a given week, you have 112 hours to work with (provided you sleep 8 hours a night, which you should). That needs to include working, commuting, shopping, cooking, cleaning, working out, writing (or whatever your passion/avocation is), relationships, entertainment, etc.  How you spend those 112 hours is a choice. Granted, working isn’t a choice for many of us. But decisions around working may be (ie telecommunting, flex time, etc.)

She suggests 15 minute scheduling blocks, outsourcing where possible and some tough, mindful choices. In theory, all possible. In fact? I am finding there are three layers of effort involved.

The first is the list of things that need to be included in the 112 hours. I am trying to be complete in this and doing a complete brain dump. That said, I know some things will need to be modified, or dumped off the list. I am still in this phase, and a little stuck.

The second is the schedule itself. For me, two sub layers are involved here. The actual scheduling, and then tracking it. I was/am a Franklin Covey and Planner Pad girl, but am not loving the paper right now. Need to find a schedule/task softward for androids. Suggestions welcome.

The third is assessing. What happens if I don’t get the five hours of working out I scheduled actually done? What happens if I get on an Angry Bird jag? There are no repercussions, except to myself.

And that is the point. No one is forcing me to do this. I want to do this. And so I have to crack these three layers. And do the work.

I will report back on my success.

 

Level Best Books and Regina

by

This weekend I am going to Crime Bake. During the weekend I will be on a signing panel for THIN ICE, the new anthology by Level Best Books. “Tag, You’re Dead” is the first story I’ve ever had published. Here’s the blog post that featured me as an author. I am thrilled to be part of this collection. For a lot of reasons.

I missed the first Crime Bake, but have been to every one since. My friend Regina went with me that first year, 2003, the year  Level Best Books first anthology was released. Regina bought it, and walked around asking everyone to sign their stories.

“Wouldn’t it be cool to be in it some year?” she asked me.

Maybe next year I said.

But next year Regina wasn’t able to make it to Crime Bake. She had been diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer in May, and was in the hospital.  The next year she was gone.

Regina was a force. I didn’t know her long (we’d met in a mystery writing class),  but I do think of her every year around Crime Bake.  This year another friend of ours is also in THIN ICE. When I sent Mary a congratulatory email, she wrote back.

“Wouldn’t Regina be proud?” she said.

Regina would be very proud. As am I.

Prioritizing

by

And so it begins. I work in academia, but year round. I spend the summer getting ready for the beginning of the school year. And yet. Nothing gets me ready. I am keeping a running list of what I didn’t get done. It’s a long list.

And that’s work. Personally I got things done, but not everything. I should have my query packet ready to rock. Not yet. Cancelled plans for the weekend, and going to try and get that part of my life on track.

And then’s there’s the physical me. Summer time early gym appointments and tri training aren’t easy, but they are doable. Now it is more challenging. No more tris, but a couple of “races” this fall. I am grateful for those goals, and for the long term contract I signed at the gym. Really grateful. Because I would let it slip otherwise.

And I’m considering taking French lessons.

So what this means is that I have to prioritize. I need to create space for my life in my life. Create space for blogging, and writing, and querying, and working. And running. And getting better at swimming. And even French. But there are seven days a week. Twenty four hours a day.

I’ll figure it out. And let you know how it goes.

The Summer of Kicking it Up

by

This AM I went for a 70 minute bike ride and 10 minute run with my Boston Fit peeps. Add a 1/2 mile swim in front, and quadruple the run, add three weeks and ta dah. Cranberry Sprint on the 28th. The swim still freaks me out a bit (though a swim clinic put on by Max Performance helped A LOT). I may be last. It may not be pretty. But I’m going to get this done.

That isn’t the only stretch of the summer. I am joining a blog on Monday–the New Hampshire Writers’ Network blog. Their motto is “Live to Write–Write to Live”. I admire the work of the blog, and am really thrilled to be a part of it.

And theatrically, all of my subscriptions are in. And last week I had some inspiring moments–meeting Doug Elkins (whose piece, FRAULEIN MARIA, will be at the Paramount in September), seeing a dress rehearsal of THE SUN ALSO RISES and then OTHELLO. All in the same day. I haven’t seen as much theatre as I would like to this summer, but I am starting to flex my muscles a bit. This looks to be a very exciting season in Boston theatre. You will be hearing much more about it.

And talk about stretching…despite injuries galore, the Red Sox beat the Yankees last night.

Life is good. Life is great.