Monday 4 March 2013

Such a Slacker

My apologies for not posting sooner and more often. It is amazing how caught up in life we get. I haven't been slacking in my writing however, although you would think otherwise by the lack of posts on this blog in recent months.

I wrote and self-published Writeful Advice in early mid-September, then we had a family tragedy so the rest of September and a good portion of October were taken up just trying to get through each day. As I was aimlessly clicking on articles and links, I came across the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) site and registered to write a 50,000+ word novel in 30 days. The strangest part was I had no plot in mind, no characters and no direction. I was beginning to think I had completely lost my mind, but that all changed the morning after I registered. I woke up with an idea in mind, and quickly wrote out the basic outline (it was all I was allowed to do until November 1).

Between helping my Dad and Uncle on the farm and taking care of my own livestock, I didn't have much time for writing. Of the 50,000+ words I finished with, about one quarter of them were written the last three days. For anyone who says it cannot be done, I am proof that it can - along with several thousand others.

The most unusual part about writing The Hidden Estate was I am a nonfiction writer. Taking the plunge and diving in head first showed me that I do have what it takes as a writer, no matter the genre. I do prefer nonfiction, as I like to teach others the many things I know (the reason behind The Homemaker Helper Series). I do have to admit, incorporating some of my knowledge has made for an interesting fiction title. The  neatest part for me is I also came up with an idea for a sequel, which I will be writing in between games at the Tim Horton's Brier this week.

I have also done some work on Cooking 101, the next book in The Homemaker Helper Series. I am almost happy with how it looks now, so if all goes well it will be released later this year. Instead of just putting together an assortment or recipes, I have included lists of things every kitchen should have, as well as the gadgets and appliances which make our lives easier.

The third book in the series has also been started, which includes (but is not limited to) storage, cleaning and decorating. I also have the outlines almost finished for each book in the series (which will be at least 12 by the time I am done).

After my week away, I will be refreshed and ready to get back to my writing projects at hand. I do have a few in different stages of progress and am working on setting personal deadlines so I can release one every two or three months. I will post again when I return from the Brier. Have a great week everyone!