Mah Goals – wc 07/10

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Ileandra Young

This weekend was rammed with things I’ve not done before. Things like directing a photo shoot and clipping my boys into front facing car seats. ^_^ All very exciting and things that we’re even included on my list.

200 followers notificationOh and the blog hit 200 followers on Friday! Thank you all, so much (!!!) everyone who has followed in recent days/weeks and those of you who have been with me from early on. The fact that you’re sticking around means a great deal.

Sooo… how did I do last week?

Check competitions in WM and WF and pick most suitable
Done. I’ve even started drafting my entry for November. Woohooo! Got some pretty good helpful feedback from the guys at the Phoenix too.

Finish catch up with last SORB critique and outline plan for November (NaNoWriMo) and beyond
Yep, done but for the plan. I changed my mind right at the last moment and decided that I’m going to press on with Slippers & Chains in November and save SORB for next year. I feel much happier with that clear in my mind actually. ^_^

Finish those bloody transcripts and start the next set
Erm… I did one. That’s good, right?
*face palm*
The other deadlines are out of the way now so I can give real focus to this. I need to, to be honest, since I have lots of things to pay for. That means I need to do things that I know will earn me money. *sigh*

Get the next Meeting Each Other story to my beta(s)
Done.

Okay. Looking at that there are some very clear holes in the work I’ve been doing. This week I’m going to fix that.

  • Complete at least three transcripts and invoice for them
  • Send out copies of Vicki & Lara to competition winners (on Saturday)
  • Finish first draft of the new AI story (for the competition)

There. That’s it. That’s all I want to do.
Focus on those transcripts. I think part of the problem for me is that the client has expressed no desire to have these documents quickly, meaning that I can take my mine. But… I should still do them. It’s about balance. I’ll feel happier in myself knowing that more of them are done anyway. That means I’ll have time and space to write ‘fun things’ utterly guilt free in later months. And that’s the point, right? 🙂

I hope you’re all well, people.
I have been doing the ‘blog run’ in ten minute blasts over the past couple of weeks. I enjoy checking in and seeing what you’re up to. If I’ve not made it to you yet I do apologise; I think there may be something wrong with my reader. And my emails for that matter. *sigh*

I’m going out now; taking the boys to the park to enjoy the grey skies and slightly chilly wind. :p Catch you later in the week!
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#GoodThingsJar2013 September Update

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Ileandra Young

My good things jar (2013) up to SeptemberI feel like it’s been ages since I last did one of these. o.O I’m sure it hasn’t been. I must have done one last month.

Anyway…. September.

Not as many little slips of paper in the jar, but that’s mainly because I was lazy about filling them in. I couldn’t even do this post on the first of the month like I usually do (you got this instead) so methinks September was about getting lots of things done, some of which were unexpected.

I Gots Paid, Yo!
I’m not in this business for the money (who would be, you don’t make any!), but getting paid for my writing is a wonderful experience. One that I would like to repeat often enough to pay a bill or two. My last few projects have taken care of the last three rounds of gas and electricity bills and though I don’t think I can do this one, I love the fact that I’m able to say that even outside of full time 9-5 work, I’m still paying my way.

Now, I know many of you might think that raising twin boys is more than ‘paying my way’ but I still want to contribute in a monetary sense. Even in a small way. So, in terms of earning, September has been a wonderful, morale boosting month.

A Break
While watching a film may not seem like an event worthy of The Jar, for me, it really is. I watched the whole of the Dark Knight trilogy over two days. Not only was it freaking amazing! (just like I remembered), but it represented a fantastic break. A chance to kick back, relax, have a drink, eat crappy food and not worry about deadlines or editing, or articles. I’d actually forgotten how wonderful it can be to just sit. Eat. Watch.

Next time… cinema, if I can wrangle a sitter. There is actually a film I want to see and getting to that would just be a perfect reward for all the work I’ve done this month.

Weighing In
I’ve not lost any more weight. But I’ve not put any on either. And considering that I took nearly three weeks off my fasting regime and I’ve been eating like a particularly unhealthy pig, that’s something to be proud of.

Get this; the second morning of my LARP my breakfast was an entire mango and a burger. A freakin’ burger! For breakfast?!

LARP
Oh yeah, and I LARPed too! A weekend away, without the kids. My very first nights away from them since they were born. That’s like… 16 months. Meeps! Now there was a big deal (that should be written in big, glittery silver letters, but I don’t have the strength to go and find my .gif maker right now) if I ever saw one. And the fact that I know now that I can do it, I’m ready to go back to LARPing in a more serious way. Money permitting. Of course. 😉

clip art donkey from OpenClipArt (http://openclipart.org/detail/167393/drawn-donkey-by-frankes)So. September. Smells like awesome.
And…! With the release of ‘Vicki & Lara’ coming up October is going to kick donkey-balls. ^_^

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COOKIES!

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Ileandra Young

So… instead of writing about my Good Things Jar I made these:

plate o cookies

Yey me.

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Mah Goals – wc 30/09 and September Roundup

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Ileandra Young

I didn’t have so much of an ‘aim for September’ but there were some things that I wanted done by now, most of which I have managed. This month I’m going to be still more organised about it and use that to keep taking me forward.

Last week?

Organise my books and finalise Excel sheet to separate the three income streams
Done. Not the fancy, pretty way, but the practical, will do for now sort of way. At least I can see what is what. which helps.

Make final decision on ‘Vicki & Lara’ cover
Done. Just setting a date for the shoot now. Should be late this week.

Lay out a plan for November and if I’ll be completing NaNoWriMo with a new novel, or an existing one that needs modifying – let’s try that again, eh?
Kinda. I was going to return to SORB and give it a beating and then realised that the last critique I got on the synopsis has gone walk about. I got a resend (thankfully!!!) but it did slow me down somewhat

Complete the two incomplete transcripts for The Write Feeling
Nope. I did fun stuff instead. *shrug*

Tidy my work space… the better to work, my dear
Done. And I can feel productivity improving as a result.

GET BETTER!
I’m better than I was. Still not 100%… despite sleeping until 11am on Saturday and missing half of my writing group meeting. *face palm*

October, the month of Halloween and NaNo prep should be a fun one. These are things I want to be sure are done.

  • Be prepared for NaNoWriMo
  • Have Vicki & Lara available for purchase
  • Have the next Meeting Each Other story sent off to my editor
  • Enter (at least) one competition in WM or WF
  • Write (at least) one letter to WM or WF
  • Earn (at least) £100 through writing activities
  • Complete my tax information for the IRS – never thought I’d see the day!

Which gives me a clearer idea of what to do each week.

So… this week:

  • Check competitions in WM and WF and pick most suitable
  • Finish catch up with last SORB critique and outline plan for November (NaNoWriMo) and beyond
  • Finish those bloody transcripts and start the next set
  • Get the next Meeting Each Other story to my beta(s)

That has to be it for this week. Yes, it may be a smaller list than usual, but it will yield the best results.

How have you found your September? Got lots done? Just enjoyed the changing of the season?

I went for a walk yesterday and it was beautiful. Just around town and beyond with Dave and the boys (we’re looking for new beds and car seats), but all the pretty colours of the leaves and the faint chill in the air just made it that little bit nicer than it would have been in Summer or Spring. Watching the leaves turn is one of my favourite things about this time of year. And seeing the various fruit trees in the area go nuts.

Our fig tree is about to give up some of the juiciest figs ever, and next door’s apple tree has gone berserk! The pear tree at the end of the road also looks pretty good and my baby lemon tree is desperately trying to product probably more lemons than it can handle. 🙂 Looks like I’m not the only one that likes to stretch myself. ^_^

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Competition Close! ^_^

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Ileandra Young

I think this is the first time I’ve run a competition here with something tangible to give away. Wheeeeeee!

Yes, that’s right, the competition closed yesterday and today is the day that I reveal which of you receives free copies of the upcoming ebook Vicki & Lara, first story in the Meeting Each Other Series.

set of drums, in blueDrum roll pleeeeeeeeeease…!

Naomi Baltuck
Maria Smith
iemerged
4amWriter

Well done guys, and thank you for commenting. 🙂

Look out in your email accounts later today for a message from me. I’ll be needing to know your preferred file type (.mobi, .epub or .pdf in special circumstances) and I’ll be sending your copy out to you one full week before the official release date of 20 October 2013.

For the rest of you, thank you for sticking with me, commenting and interacting. The story will be available through Amazon and Smashwords (and everywhere else I can manage!) on 20 October 2013.

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