It's been over a year since I published a blog. It has been a year of change, reflection, apprehension, and excitement.
I published three books this year: book six of the Wizard Hall Chronicles, and books one and two of the Nikki Page Mysteries. I learned that anything is possible with a lot of hard work and a whole lot of luck. While I wait for the luck to kick in, I've been busy writing, putting together a merchandise shop, coming up with new ideas, and places to sell books.
I've also learned a lot about myself. Personally, there's been a shift in how I look at myself, how I talk to myself, and how I interact with others. It's like decluttering myself, shedding the bad to expose the new.
Professionally, I understand where I've worked harder not smarter, where I could have done better, where I've missed opportunities. And I've learned most of all, that I'm a pantser, not a plotter.
I've talked about that before. There are two writing camps. One in which the writer creates outlines full of the plot, the side plots, and the character development. The other side is the pantser, the one who sorta knows what the book is about, what the beginning of the book is, and what the end of the book will be.
Over the last two years, I have worked with a writing partner. We sat down and created these brilliant outlines and I discovered that I can write 2500 words in an hour with a good outline. I decided to try that with book six of the Wizard Hall Chronicles and both books of The Nikki Page Mysteries.
It didn't go as expected.
I was off of the outline in chapter two of Magic's End in chapter two and I screwed up Sports Page and almost wasn't going to publish it because the story was out of order and messed up and not fitting together the way it had before I mixed it all up.
When I worked on book three of Nikki Page called Page Three Girls, I started with an outline that I thought was good. But it went off the rails quickly. As much as I tried to keep to the outline, I couldn't. It felt as though I was writing with my hands tied behind my back, and I felt stifled like all my creativity was corked.
I managed to finish Page Three Girls and Continued on Page Four... I again realized, that the outline I had started, was no good to me. Rather than tying my hands, I finally ignored the outline and wrote the way I write the best.
When I was stuck, I put the book away and came back to it with a clear head. When I needed more help, I wrote basic outlines to help me order the book so the action made sense. When I allowed myself to only write 500 words a day, I wrote more. By honoring who I am as a writer, I was able to write and rediscover the joy I feel when I write. And I finally wrote the best words in a book "The End."
In my year of discovery, I've learned to honor, like, and forgive myself. And now all I need is a dose of luck.
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