If I Don't Need It, It's Out

This week it's all about getting the clutter out of the way. I know I probably missed the spring cleaning bandwagon, but this clutter-clearing session is more about moving than it is about cleaning in general. I need to get rid of anything that's not important and that I couldn't see taking with me (good advice for revising your writing, too). Problem is, I find a lot of things important. I get sentimental about scraps of paper or little mementos that look like trash to everyone else. I seem to be the only one who knows the stories behind them, so... yeah. Lots of things that I have to sort through.

The one thing I'm not sentimental about are the books I have. I mean yes, some of them I love dearly. But it really is time to part with a good percentage of my library so I don't have to think about it anymore. I tried selling a few on Half.com, but because that's a very slow way of selling, I'm just going to go and donate them all. My local Goodwill is getting a huge literary haul at the end of the week. Your welcome.

But don't worry, the writing isn't suffering through all this chaos. After almost two weeks of not being able to log into Biosgraphy, I was finally able to put up another piece about my short stint experimenting with the Law of Attraction which you can read here. I'm also still knee-deep in book #3 of the trilogy, and I've begun an outline for a crime thriller that I may hold off for NaNoWriMo in November. Or I may get too excited about it and start writing it tomorrow--you never know. ;-)

It's Not Over #CampNaNoWriMo

I met my goal for Camp NaNoWriMo this weekend! It's a good thing, too because I woke up this morning in one of those moods that's not particularly good for getting a lot of writing done.

Anyway, it was a goal of 25k which is really only half a novel. And I technically ended up with a whole novel because that's where the draft came to a natural end. Book #2 of the trilogy has a drastically short first draft, but that's just the way I tend to write. Most writers suffer from overwriting. I suffer from underwriting. Oh well... it's nothing I can't fix during the revision process.

And I'm not done yet. Since April isn't over and I still have a third book to write, I started right in on it yesterday. This one has a much longer, more detailed outline so I should be able to get a full-length draft out of it.

Oh, and don't forget to help support NaNoWriMo and all the great things it does for writers by visiting my donation page. You still have plenty of time to contribute!

Taking on Camp like a Champ

I'm just a few hundred words from hitting 10k on my Camp NaNoWriMo project for April. Short of making a Vine doing a happy dance, I can't begin to express how thrilled I am about this. I won't just say that it is all hard work--honestly, when I get on a roll, thousands of words pour out in just an hour. There are two major factors to this new-found success at just simply writing: I'm working on a project I am absolutely passionate about, and I have a new mindset. I'm not letting negative vibes into my life anymore. There's just no room for them.

My camp project is book #2 in my trilogy series (titled For Another Day, if you were interested), but writing the first draft of it is just a very small part of all of the effort that's going into the series. I'm writing by day, revising book #1 by night. And after these revisions are done, I'm going to need some beta readers, so if you are interested let me know. I'm still wrestling with how to categorize it, but the one that fits best right now is suspense. I plan to have the revisions done by the end of the month--that would put me on a schedule of a late summer release.

Oooh.. can't you just feel the excitement in the air?!


**SHAMELESS PROMOTION TIME**

I'm still raising money for NaNoWriMo this month so that they can keep doing these great writing programs and more! Just head on over to my donation page and check it out.

Oh, and spring cleaning has arrived. So why not help me clear out my bookshelves by picking up a great book from my Half.com store?

I know you want some new reading material, and spring is a great time for haiku! Pick up your copy of Unfolding Life today--also available at Amazon.

Camping with a Purpose This Year

So many of us just go through the day fulfilling our own wants and needs. And when we don't get those things, the world can turn pretty dark. That's when it becomes a great time to help someone else and support things that work to give to others.

I'm doing something a little different for Camp NaNoWriMo this year. I've created a sponsor donation page to help support the cause because NaNoWriMo and the camps in April and July have been a lifesaver to me. Without these yearly events, I may never get as much writing done as I would like to. Goals are important, and these events help me meet and surpass my writing goals, even if I think I can't write another word.

I have a relatively small fundraising goal of $500, but I know that even this much can help with getting the opportunity for stories and creativity into the hands of children and adults that can do amazing things. This fundraising will also keep me on track by encouraging me to reach or exceed my goal of 25,000 words for this session of camp. This partial novel will end up being part 2 of my trilogy, which can only bring me closer to getting all three parts completed.

I whine too much about my own shortcomings and what I think I want out of life. So, it's time for me to put all of that focus onto something good for someone else for a change. If you can contribute, please do. If you can't right now, please spread the word or just drop by the page to leave a message of encouragement. 

Donation Debate

My blog seems a bit like an endless ramble that no one could possibly be interested in. But surprisingly, I have a better readership that I ever thought I would. This is why recently in discussions between a friend and me, the idea of a donation button has been brought up. Since I am a full time freelance writer, she says that a donation button is an obvious choice since my blog is technically part of my job. I thought about it hard, but decided not to do this. My reasons for this are simple: A) would this in any way affect my taxes? (I hate figuring out taxes!) and B) I already have plenty of sponsored links that people can click if they want to help out.

I actually found an article that says pretty much the same thing, only in a more articulate way: Donation Buttons on Blogs? The reasons in the article mirror the same the way I feel about it, but I certainly don’t want others to be discouraged about using them. In fact, I have run across many blogs that don’t use it for just straight income. Many blogs use this as an opportunity to donate and support specific charities. Of course donors should give at their own risk, because there are liars in this world.

My only question to those that use donation buttons: does it work? It seems unless you have thousands of readers, there would be little chance for donations.