When Writing Looks Like Housework

I'm over at Stiletto Gang this week with a post called "An Hour in the Life of a Writer," a humorous look at how I've spent many a writing hour doing everything except writing. In fact, by the progress I sometimes make, or lack of it, you'd think I was an amateur. My creative wheels can spin relentlessly, powered by real desire to tell a story, yet I can stay stuck deep in the Sands of Dearth. It's easier to go do the laundry or play with the cat or nuke my coffee for the tenth time.

I write and edit all day long at the Day J.O.B. and in the evening and weekends on my novels. I know well the discipline and effort required to complete projects fast and on time. My paycheck depends on it. To write business articles, it's often just deciding on a topic and diving in. It's equivalent to readying on the start line, staring into the screen, and hearing the gunshot to GO! It's coaxing your brain to work through your fingers to craft a salient, succint article within 30 minutes so you can get on to the next one. You just do it.

But know-how doesn't, on its own, fill the creative tank from which fiction is fueled. When your logical left brain and your creative right brain are exhausted from tag-teaming eight hours of a data onslaught, the creative brain suffers a bit of a breakdown. You're walking around doing mundane or routine tasks in your off-time, while your creative brain has called in sick. She's been running the 100-mile marathon in Whitecollarville, and that bitch is not getting out of bed until she's good and recovered.

Yeah, information overload is a real thing, and sometimes your brain just needs a break from everything technology related. It's why they tell you to get off your keister and go walk, get fresh air, connect up with people, do fun things--exercise, for god's sake (I know, I didn't mean to bring that up). But the brain needs a vacation, too, despite all the "results by deadlines" that you demand of it.

So, what do you do to regenerate and refresh your brain so that it runs in peak condition when you need it to? I could use some ideas, because I'm fresh out, and laundry is looking more exciting by the minute.

#Writing #WritersCraft

Feisty After 45

Hey, guess what! I'm in a new anthology that just came out called Feisty After 45. Edited by Elaine Ambrose, this collection features essays from 45 accomplished women thriving in midlife. It's doing really well on Amazon already, and I'm excited to see my writing nestled among so many other talented bloggers.

I wanted to contribute a piece to the anthology that epitomized the real me, so naturally I submitted "I Wanna Be Sedated."

Here's the short synopsis:

These humorous and inspirational blog posts from 45 of the best midlife bloggers offer proof that tumbling over the far side of 45 is worth the journey. These feisty females will encourage you to keep your chins up and your reading glasses handy!

And sedation, while middle-aged, wearing a thong. They forgot to mention that part. Wanna check it out? Go here.

#Promotion #Amazon #LaunchingNewBook #FeistyAfter45 #NewRelease #Books

Great Review of Take My Husband, Please!

The Self-Publishing Review recently reviewed Take My Husband, Please, and the reader really loved it. You can see it here, but following is the quickie summary:

"A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy. Will and Sophie are wonderfully flawed characters who find themselves in one absurd situation after another that'll have you in stitches. In addition, the quirky supporting cast really brings this novel to life, and the author was able to throw in several hilarious and suspenseful twists and turns. Hopefully Kimberly Jayne intends to continue Will and Sophie's story because readers will want to know what happens next."

~ Self-Publishing Review

Here's the weird thing. They gave the book 5 stars for the story, 5 stars for the editing, and only 3 stars for the cover. They didn't care for the professional cover I paid a whole lotta money for. So as a result, they downgraded the story overall to 4 stars. I don't know anybody else that reviews the cover as part of the book review, so I think that's weird. It's a five-star story. Period, and thank you.

Don't get me wrong. I'm super grateful for the review--it was wonderfully done--and thrilled they liked it so well. But that rating system to include the cover is for the birds.

#Writing #Reviews #TakeMyHusbandPlease