Do You Use the Excuse of Writer’s Block?

06 Nov 2014 Leave a comment

by Perle Champion in Blogher NaBlo, e-book, Get Published, Journaling, NaNoWriMo, Poetry Tags: , , ,

I’ve often wondered about those folks who use the excuse of writer’s block for not writing.  Yesdesk 1, I think it is an excuse akin to a certain in-law of mine who opines, I can’t cook.  My response to her is if you can read and follow instructions, you can cook.  My response to writers or wanna be writers. If you can put pen to page, fingers to keys, have a thought in your head, you can write.

I write everyday in my journal – that’s a start, and then there’s the Blog challenges, NanoWriMo, and poetry contests, etc.  They all have deadlines, so I make the commitment and on top of my daily journal, I write.

It’s day 6 of the BlogHer Blog-a-Day for November (note: they throw that gauntlet down every month), and I’m on track.

And

I’m still plodding away on my NanoNovel and have 17,545 words to-date, so I’m on track to get my 50,000 words done by and hopefully before November 30.  I plan to do heavy edit by/before December 15, sodesk martini 3 I can take advantage of Amazon’s offer to NanoWriMo winners (anyone who reaches 50,000 words) to publish 2 free hard copies of their novels.  I planned on uploading my finished novel to their Kindle platform anyway, but oh, to see the actual book in print (every author’s dream).

I’m encouraged by the sales of my non-fiction e-book published on Amazon in late 2012 – How to Journal and How to Publish from Your Journal.  While not a best seller it is selling and yay!  It’s making money.  I opened my P.O. box this morning and amid the bills, 1 rejected manuscript and the detritus called junk mail, was the check – a royalty check from Amazon.com on my book.  It was not large, but oh it’s such a nice feeling to get paid for doing something you enjoy.  As I have not promoted the book except for a few Blog posts and an Amazon affiliate link on my Blogs, I’m rather amazed and more than a little pleased.

I like the Amazon affiliate link, as it allows me to link all to the books I review and even those I just like and think everyone should read, and in return I make a few cents commission for having done so.  It adds up over time.

A little work, a little play

03 May 2013 Leave a comment

by Perle Champion in changing course, e-book

I’m free of the work-a-day Dilbert Word for just over a month now.  I’d like to say I’ve gotten a whole lot done, but I can’t lie that large.  I’ve been playing alot. There’s so much to do in Birmingham in April, the art shows, Saturday market at PepperPlace, Sunday patio parties at Daniel Day Gallery, Magic City Art Connection and Corks n Chefs at Linn Park, etc.  May won’t be much better with the Crawfish Boil, Do Dah Days, more art openings, Sloss Brewfest and more…

However

  1. The e-book on Journaling, newly titled after checking Google Adwords, is in its final edits.  The ebook software to which I have free upgrades for life just got updated to be more msword friendly with spellcheck and has cover templates and more.  So the timing is perfect. Hoping to upload to Amazon July 15, 2013.
  2. Paintings number about 7 in various stages from wash to 3 layers.paintings in progress 1
  3. Freelance writing is slow.  Still no decision from Victoria Magazine, but the want it just don’t know what issue (pays on publication).  Meanwhile Mridu Khullar Relph, long-time freelance writer has thrown down the gauntlet to anyone that wants to join her in sending out at least 1 query per day for the 30 days of May.  I’ve taken the challenge – I need something to keep me accountable for my vision of a successful 2013.
More Later.

Writing is easy, editing is a pain

31 Jan 2013 1 Comment

by Perle Champion in Blog 365 Challenge, e-book, Journaling

Took a sick day to keep from spreading my cold cooties around the workplace.  Worked on the the Journaling e-book some this morning, but it’s slow going since I’ve begun the editing process.IMG_2009[1]

Writing it was easy, but this going back and editing, formatting, expanding the thin parts, adding explanations where needed, compiling examples, zeroing in on helpful links and books for the recommended reading is tedious and seemingly endless.

I always like to hear how others do something I love to do.  I’m not just telling how I have published and been paid for stories I got from the pages of my personal journal, but showing what famous authors have to say about the value of a journal.

I think best with a pen in my hand, so I write alot on the pages of my journal for this ebook.  The handwritten pages become the first draft, because as I transcribe them into word, I edit, add, change, expand.  It’s a way to edit that is more palatable that sitting over a manuscript with a red pen.

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