Sticking To A Schedule

I’m the type of person who will write out a schedule, accounting for every second of my life. Every moment I’m awake, I’m accomplishing something . . . or so the plan says. But, once the schedule is typed out and beautifully in place in my planner, I immediately find ways to sabotage it. Yes, I know it says that I need to get up at 5am and exercise, but I stayed up late writing and I’d rather sleep in a little long. I can exercise later in the day. I’ll just switch things around. It’ll be okay. The next day, more of the same. If I’m supposed to write from 10am to noon, I’ll find that I actually need to walk the dog, paint my walls, take the kids to get haircuts, or clean out the down stairs closet during that time. I just can’t stick to the schedule!

To make myself feel better, I tell myself that I’m too creative to be tied to a schedule. Or that I wasn’t realistic when I planed out how my week should progress. Or that life is just too unpredictable and schedules just don’t work.

But the truth is, for some reason, I don’t want the schedule to work. I’m sure there are some deep issues that I could invest millions of dollars and countless hours with a therapist to find out what my problem is. Why can’t I do what I’m supposed to do? But I decided that instead I was going to figure out how to stick to a schedule and just do it. I read a few books. Books hold all the answers after all. But, I’m sad to report that this is what I’ve learned.

In order to stick to my schedule, I have to:

1) Keep my plan in sight.

2) Read it everyday (thrilling)

3) Eliminate my limiting beliefs (I guess these are the issues that keep me from following through)

4) Remind myself daily that this schedule will help me reach the goals that matter most to me.

That’s it! I have to say that I was pretty disappointed with my findings. But after giving this some extended thought, I’ve come to understand what the experts are saying. Sticking to anything (whether a schedule, a diet, a relationship) takes only two things: discipline and focus. Focusing on the end result and the discipline to do it. There’s no magic.

So as we begin a new year, I will again draw up a schedule and discipline myself to stick to it. Short of buying myself one of those dog collars that zap you with an electric jolt when you are naughty (in my case, straying from the schedule), all I can do is try again. Unless, of course, one of you have some sticking-to-it success tips you’d like to share?

It’s all About the Balance

My grandma used to want me to put a book on top of my head and see if I could walk across the room without it falling. “Balance is so important,” she would preach. I was six and pretty sure she was senile, I mean . . . fifty was ancient, right? Now that I’m four years away from that half-a-century mark, and I see how right she was. Maybe not so much about balancing a book on my head, but about balancing life. And since this is the time of year to think about goals, and resolutions, I thought balancing life might be a good topic.

I’m not an expert on balancing, but thanks to a couple of books, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and The Artist’s Way, I’ve gained some insights that I’ll share.

According to the experts, to be at our best, our highest goal-achieving potential, we need to sustain a balance of four basic needs: the physical, the spiritual, the mental, and the social/emotional. When was the last time you took a brisk walk, prayed/meditated or spent some time alone listening to nature? When did you last challenge yourself intellectually? When is the last time you spent an evening with a friend, spent one-on-one time with your children, a date with your spouse? By becoming a more well-rounded person, we will become more creative and goal-achieving writers.

Write a Mission Statement. This is where you really look at what’s important in your life. And I’m talking about life, not just your career. Really analyze your values. Dr. Covey, author of Seven Habits…., suggests you write your own eulogy. What do you want your friends and family to say about you when you’re gone? Trying to write a set of goals without knowing your personal mission or value system is like studying a map before knowing your destination.

Write goals for every role in your life. What do you want to accomplish as a parent, as a marriage partner? What do you want to achieve in your career? Don’t forget the personal goals. And include long term, as well as, short term goals. By including every role in your life, you are more likely to set goals that suit you the whole person, instead of “you”, the wanna-be Nora.

Be realistic. The reason for goal setting is to encourage yourself to make positive steps forward. Goals should be challenging, not daunting. Goals should be written in increments, starting with tiny baby steps and leading into giant leaps that no longer feel like leaps. Meeting goals increases your self-confidence. Self-confidence increases your abilities. These two components automatically strengthen your staying power. (Self-confidence + Ability + Staying Power = Success) Make sure your goals are in your circle of influence, i.e., instead of listing your goal as: I will get on the NY Times Best Sellers List, state, I will write a book worthy to be on THE List.

Every goal met should end with a celebration. In general, we writers are very critical of ourselves. We forget that we, too, need a little TLC. So be good to yourself and make sure you are meeting the needs of the whole person and not just the writer.

And who knows…when we get our lives balanced, we might even be able to walk across the room with a book on our heads. I’ll admit every now and then, I still try it. So…do any of you have a few balancing life tips? I’d love to hear them.

Living the Dream

I don’t have any kind of major book deal or other big news to be thankful for this Thankful Thursday. I’m just thankful in general because I’m getting to live my dream. I had a particularly vivid reminder of this recently when I was getting a head start on my annual resolution to clean my office (a gallon of gasoline and a match may be my only hope at this point). I ran across one of those “values and goals” pages from my day planner that I filled out more than ten years ago, and what seemed like a far-fetched dream to me then is exactly what I’m doing today.

I remember quite clearly the day I filled out that page. We had one of those ice storms that coated the entire city in ice, so that the authorities were telling people to stay off the roads unless it was absolutely necessary to go out. My boss had informed us the day before that he considered coming to work to be absolutely necessary, and there would be no snow day for us. I’d planned ahead, and as soon as I saw the forecast earlier in the week, I’d started coughing, sniffling and rasping my way around the office (I really did have a bit of a cough and the sniffles, but I did elaborate somewhat). When the storm turned out to be as bad as they’d forecast, I was able to get away with calling in sick. I spent the day writing and drinking hot tea with honey and lemon, and it was pretty much my perfect day, except for the sore throat. I knew then that this was exactly the way I wanted to spend my life.

I’d already had four books published then, so it wasn’t an unrealistic dream, but I was nowhere near being able to just quit my job. I found the blank page for goal setting in the planner that I’d just used to keep track of client meetings and started to fill it out. I knew I’d have to write a certain amount and save up enough money to have a financial cushion to tide me over during any publishing dry spells. I pinned that page to my bulletin board as a constant reminder of what I wanted to achieve. I wanted to work for myself instead of for a boss who cared more about keeping the doors of a public relations agency open than he cared about the safety of his employees (one of my co-workers got into a bad wreck that day on a freeway ramp when he demanded that she come to work even after she told him that the roads were impassible in her area). I wanted to do work that made people happy instead of having the kind of job where I actually made people’s days better by not going to work (I’m sure there were a lot of reporters who enjoyed my snow day as much as I did). I wanted to spend my days writing instead of dealing with office politics and doing a job I generally hated.

And now, ten years later, I’m living the life I planned that day. I’m not rich by any means, but I am making a living as a novelist. I even made a profit this year, earning significantly more money than I spent on everything, including living expenses. I’m making people happy with my work, according to all the e-mails I get from my readers. Instead of harassing reporters about useless products, I’m helping people get through hard times and giving them something to look forward to after a bad day at work. The one downside is that I still don’t get snow days, since I work at home and have no excuse for not getting to work, but I feel more creative on snowy days, so that works out okay. For all of this, I’m incredibly thankful.

We don’t need no stinkin’ resolutions

The week between Christmas and New Years Day has always seemed to be a time when we all hit the pause button. Even when I worked in “real” jobs that required me to be back in an office on December 26th, things were unusually quiet, as if everyone was merely marking time (and recuperating from Christmas shopping, parties, and eating) until January 2, when the hustle and bustle of our hectic lives would start up all over again.

I’ve never been one for making New Years resolutions, because they’re so redundant. And boring. And destined to fail. Eat Less. Exercise More. Make time — hahahaha –for a life that has nothing to do with writing.

However, two years ago, having watched the fervor with which some writers appeared to be tackling career issues, I made the grand announcement, over a New Years Eve family dinner, that I was going to become more high maintenance in my own career. My adult son, who’s known me all of his life and a large percentage of mine, seemed to sum up the collectively skeptical mood at the table when he said, “Good luck with that, Mom.”

Well, it wasn’t easy and although there were many times when I so wanted to just concentrate on THE WORK, as I’m always advising writer friends to do, I managed to stick with that decision all year. And you know what? Not only was it exhausting and time consuming, I’m not sure it made any difference, other than to give me more reasons to fret for twelve long months about things that were totally out of my control.

So, that was one resolution I was more than willing to put behind me. But it got me wondering exactly how far back this resolution thing goes, so I did some Googling and discovered that New Years was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4,000 years ago. (Which represents a lot of broken resolutions under the bridge!) The Babylonian celebration lasted eleven days, which makes us look like pikers, with our midnight champagne toast and horn blowing. Those horns, btw, were meant to drive away bad spirits who might be lurking around hoping to spoil the new year.

The Babylonians were also the ones to begin this resolution thing, though, unlike our modern vows to “turn over a new leaf,” the ancient tradition was to pay up one’s debts, which was why the most popular resolution in 2,000 B.C. was to return borrowed farm equipment.

So, assuming that you’re not harboring your neighbor’s plow, what resolutions will you be making for 2007? Or, if you’re joining me at the “We don’t need no stinkin’ resolutions” table, why are you foregoing this annual tradition?

Oh, and because I do have a goal — not a resolution! lol — to get rid of some of those boxes of author copies cluttering up our attic, I’m giving away a hardcover copy of IMPULSE and a NO SAFE PLACE chocolate bar to one respondent chosen at random. Hopefully someone who hasn’t made a resolution to cut back on chocolate in the New Year!

Open Letter to Santa

Since Tuesdays are for what we’re reading, after a long and exhausting trip, Santa is probably relaxing before a fire, sipping hot chocolate, and hopefully, catching up on his mail.

Dear Santa:
Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes it seems that you just don’t get it. Sure, all those flannel jammies, DVDs, iPods, sweaters, Wii’s, Game Boys, Bratz dolls, bikes, jewelry, power tools and everything else you brought us were great. You’re tops at making those kinds of wishes come true. But with all due respect sir, might I suggest a crash course in Gifts That Really Matter? You know, the ones that keep giving. After all, jammies wear out, toys break, Wii’s fly off wrists. Well, you get the picture. Call me crazy, but would a little world peace be too much to ask for? And what about hunger? With so much of that going around, you’d think the elves would have spent the past year cooking their little butts off for all the hungry mouths around the world. And what about homes for the homeless? If Habitat For Humanity can do it, so can you. And forever families for all the orphans and foster kids, and the pups and kitties in shelters? And let’s not forget love. There’s just so much we romance writers can do. You gotta help us out here.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m immensely grateful for what you brought me. I am, after all, shamelessly materialistic. Yeah, you’ve got my number, all right. But come on, big guy. Why not surprise us all next year with something REALLY BIG? Something that will make the front page of every newspaper around the world. Something that will change lives forever. Something that will make this weary world a better place in which to live. I dare you, no I double dare you, to do it. You’re a jolly old guy, and you work very hard what with driving those headstrong reindeer all over the place every year and all those slippery roofs and too-narrow chimneys, but we all know who’s really calling the shots, so do I have to plead my case to Mrs. Clause?T

hanks for everything. And if you can’t manage all of the above, then go for the love. If there’s enough of that going around, everything else should follow.

Best regards, Nancy

So, there it is, my letter to Mr. Bowl Full of Jelly, which brings me to the subject of letter writing. Have you written or read any letters lately? I’m not talking about e-mail. I’m talking about honest-to-goodness, old fashioned, hand written letters. In this day of cell phones, roll-over minutes and e-mail, letter writing seems to have become a lost art. I don’t know about you but I, for one, miss it. I used to write letters to friends and relatives all over the world, and I still have all their letters they wrote back to me. Maybe the only person who’s receiving letters these days is Santa, from all those little kids around the world, and big kids like me. I guess we know what he’ll be reading this year. As for Mrs. Clause, I packed up a few good romances and sent them north.
__

Merry Christmas!

I picked today to blog because it’s almost my birthday. Shortly after signing up, I realized it’s Christmas and bemoaning my birthday on Christ’s birthday didn’t seem right. So, I attempted to come up with a topic befitting the day.

The madness is over. The malls and shopping centers are quiet for a day. The last minute shoppers have finished. The trip for Santa and his reindeers is at an end. Presents have been exchanged and opened. We can breathe and take time to enjoy family and good food.

This is the second Christmas without my mother. The memories will live on forever. She and my aunt always alternated Thanksgiving and Christmas lunch, but you could always count on me and my husband and my brothers and family being at my mother’s on Christmas Eve. She put out food no one ate. I received gifts I didn’t want and I’m sure, gave gifts they didn’t want, but we were together. That was what was important. Everyone will be at my aunt’s for lunch today, but there will be a hole left by my mother’s absence.

Tomorrow the madness will start over again as people exchange presents and hit the after Christmas sales. I’m sure some stores don’t even wait until after Christmas day. Living in the middle of the Bible belt, most of our stores will be closed. I can’t even buy alcohol legally in my county. I’ll leave the shopping for others. I’ll be home back to my old routine or trying to start a new routine so I can lose weight.

What’s your favorite Christmas memory?

Here’s wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May all your dreams come true in the new year.

Was That a Sleigh I Just Saw?

Okay, so maybe it’s a tad too early for Santa to arrive here on the East Coast, but it’s not too early to pull out the hot chocolate and spend some quality time with the wonderful folks at NORAD as they track Santa’s progress.

Since the 1950’s, the men and women of NORAD (and CONAD, before them) have been working tirelessly to provide the children of the US and Canada with information on Santa’s trek around the world on Christmas Eve. This year is no different.

So, pour that hot chocolate, check out Santa’s progress at http://www.noradsanta.org/index.php, and have a joyous and magical Christmas.

Faye

Firsts

Friday is supposed to be about firsts–hear the news here first! Well, it’s Friday before Christmas and the publishing world is a little . . . um . . . slow right now. There’s not a lot of announcements, though my SVRWA pal Kimberly Van Meter announced another two book sale to Superromance (yeah Kim!)

So I thought it might be fun to look and see how some of the bestselling authors started their firsts . . . novels that is.

Of course, Nora Roberts is at the top of that list! From her website:

Roberts started writing during a blizzard in 1979 when her two sons were home from school and she was on the verge of going stir crazy. She picked up a number two pencil and notepad and started writing story ideas.

Trivia question: What’s the title of Nora’s first published novel AND in what year?

From John Grisham’s website:

Grisham began writing as a hobby while he worked as a lawyer after hearing the testimony of a 12-year-old rape victim. Her words inspired Grisham to write A Time to Kill, which was published in 1988 and experienced only modest success.

Trivia question: What was the title of Grisham’s first NYT bestselling novel?

When I heard Debbie Macomber speak for the first time at RWA in Reno, I was moved. I was so happy when she agreed to be our first Reader’s Luncheon speaker (go Roses!) which was a huge success. Her publishing story is so inspirational, because it shows how powerful dreams are that you can overcome any obstacles if you believe in yourself.

From her website:

I started out with a rented typewriter set up on my kitchen table and a burning desire to write. I wrote when my husband was at work and the kids were either at school or napping. For meals and homework assignments the typewriter was moved away. I wrote eight books on that typewriter until the “S” broke, and then we bought a computer. I wrote four books in five years before I sold my first novel.

Trivia Question: What was the name of Debbie’s first published book? In what year?

For me, I love my computer I wrote at night after the kids went to bed because I had a full-time day job in the California State Legislature as a consultant. I couldn’t write long hand if I tried . . . but I still remember when I was a kid, about 11 or 12, when my mom brought home an IBM Selectric. It was red. Her office was getting (gasp!) computers and the secretaries didn’t need the typewriters anymore. My mom knew I loved writing (she found paper all over the house with partially written stories) so thought I’d like the typewriter. I had it until I went to college.

Do you have a favorite “first” story? If you’re a reader, maybe the first book you read by one of your favorite authors . . . I also hope some of the To Be Read authors will share their “first” story . . . Pencil and paper in a snow storm? Moved by something you experienced? Typing on a broken typewriter?

Twice a Virgin!

Thought that would get everyone’s attention, lol!

Ask any published author and they can tell you about their first time…first time getting The Call, that is.

They will remember exactly where they were, what the weather was like, who was there. They’ll tell you about that giddy feeling when their editor (or agent) said those magic words: we want to buy your book.

My Call came in 2004. I experienced all the usual spectrum of emotions: elation, terror, skepticism—this must be a joke, right? Or some horrible mistake? Followed by the glow of accomplishment.

Ahh…the bliss. Of course, then comes the waiting, then the hurrying with copy edits, then more waiting, then more rushing around trying to update websites, design bookmarks, start a blog, explaining to Great Aunt Martha that yes, your book will be published for real, NYC publisher, and yes, she will be able to buy it at a real life bookstore….

I did all that and more. But no book. C’est la vie. Cover art difficulties stranded it in publishing limbo and it may never get published. Sigh…try explaining that to Great Aunt Martha.

Discouraging, yes. But hey, if you’re going to dream, you have to dream big. So I kept on going, found a wonderful new agent, and with her help and the encouragement and support of so many friends, I continued to write.

Then something wonderful happened.

An editor called my agent. Would I consider creating a new medical suspense series for them? Think Grey’s Anatomy meets ER.

Yes, The Call!! Let me tell you, it’s just as sweet the second time around! Happy little snoopy dances that sent the cat scrambling under the nearest chair, screams of delight as soon as I hung up the phone, that giddy feeling of your stomach turning cartwheels—all back again!

So…drumroll, please…I’m happy and most excited to report that I’ll now be writing for Berkley. The first book will be released early 2008.

The series will feature the lives and loves of five women who work at Angels of Mercy Medical Center. Like all my work, in addition to the romances, the books will be filled with gritty medical details and edgy suspense. I hope to have more details posted on my website (http://www.cjlyons.net) next month.

And me? I’m still smiling, blushing, and dancing happy jigs every time I talk with my editor (who is amazing!) or when I sit down to work on the project, so I don’t expect this honeymoon to be over any time soon! I’m looking forward to many years of wedding bliss with my new partners over at Berkley.

Thanks for sharing my celebration!
CJ

Is Reading Faster Better?

I came up with the title about reading faster back when I signed up to blog today. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I’m a fast reader and I have a friend who is, as she says, a thorough reader.

I’ve read a lot more books. She’s immersed herself in the details of the ones she’s read for longer.

Truth is, I have no brain power today to explore this issue. Our family has to ready the house for the house sitter and prepare for a fun-filled day…or two…in the car to converge upon my sister’s home and join the extended family gathering for the holidays.

I will enjoy the visiting. The car? Not so much.

So, what I really wonder on this, Wondering Wednesday, is: why haven’t the scientists caught up to the science fiction writers and given us transporters like in Star Trek? How lovely would it be to step into the family transporter and say, “Beam me there, Scotty.” Yeah. I’m tired. Two books in seven weeks, work, work, and more work. Kids. Illness. So what’s new? Nothing, except I’m seriously considering stepping into the shower, saying “Beam me there, Scotty,” and refusing to leave until it happens. I’m immersing myself in that wonderful image. Yum.

For anyone wondering if I’d really do it? My hot water heater wouldn’t hold out long enough…I really hate cold showers.

Scientists…are you listening? It’s me, Kelly, dreading the next big family trip.