The Recap – February 2023
February’s come and gone in a flurry of snow days and frozen cul-de-sacs. I spent the dreariest of months consuming television and movies, reading an insane amount of all kinds of books, and writing. An actually decent amount of writing. But don’t just take my introduction as proof! Let’s look at the stats! Last Month Write at least 3x/week Read 4 books Keep on schedule How’d I Do? Write at least 3x/week Nope. I wrote two times a week, every week in February though! Read 4 books Yep! Actually, I doubled it – I read EIGHT books in February! Keep on schedule Yes? Aside from not writing the three times I week I wanted to, having a set schedule for writing, blogging, and marketing has been critical to my consistent output this month. Total Word Count: 11,787 In true February fashion, the month went by in a blur of snow…
Goals Summary 2023 – Wk #8
There’s still snow on the ground, more stubborn than I expected it to be. It’s hanging in there, winter’s death rattle as spring lurks just a few short weeks away. Not that I’m counting down or anything… Last Week Write 3x this week Organize/Tidy up the office Keep reading Prep Newsletter How’d I Do? Write 3x this week Nope. Managed two times though! Organize/Tidy up the office Nope. Keep reading Yes! Prep Newsletter Nope. Weekly Word Count: 2,470 Okay. I know this looks bad. Let me tell you all the reasons it isn’t. The biggest reason I’m not more stressed about this collection of bullet points is that I’m really happy with my word count this week, and how the writing felt when I sat down to do the work. Taking a brief pause to do a little more research helped ground me in the book and gave me firmer…
Goals Summary 2023 – Wk #7
The morning started out bright and clear, but by now it’s clouding over in an unassuming, pale gray. No threat of snow or rain lurks in the bellies of these clouds, just a little barrier between us and the sun. I’d be mad at it if it weren’t still February. I can hardly ask for better at this time of year. And yet I find myself counting down the days ’til spring, my heart clamoring for sunshine and warmth. This is the hardest part of the year, y’all. When so much of the country starts to awaken from its winter slumber and spring unfurls, we get last minute snowfall and freezes, spring delayed until mid-May. We’re entering the homestretch, though. I can feel it. Which means I’m running out of time… Last Week Write <3x this week Organize/Tidy up the office Keep reading How’d I Do? Write <3x this week…
Goals Summary 2023 – Wk #5
How are we already five weeks into 2023? That doesn’t feel real! I’m already seeing daffodil and tulip shoots peeking their heads out for some sunshine. It’s going to be spring before we know it, which means I need to get serious about some goal setting! Last Week Write at least 3x this week (~3,500 words) Read a book Keep up on blog posts How’d I Do? Write at least 3x this week (~3,500 words) Nope. Only two writing sessions this week. Read a book No? I have three books I’m actively reading at the time of this writing, all of them very close to being done. I’ll probably have three books done this coming week. Keep up on blog posts Yep! There was a lot happening on the blog this week, as usual for the first week of the month, but they all posted and were shared in a…
Top Shelf Librarians January Episode – OUT NOW!
Welcome to Season 3, Dear Listener, where things are as unhinged and unplanned as ever! Heather has her bi-monthly existential crisis, this time over some required reading. Brittany acknowledges that she has a superpower, Heather struggles with the British accent, and we give thanks to Scientists. We explore the Four Corners of Fiction, Heather takes medical advice from TikTok, and Brittany desperately wants to be BFFs with Erin Morgenstern. Just a typical evening with the Library Pros™. LISTEN HERE
The Recap – January 2023
Well, a little late is better than never. Let’s get right to it, folks! Last Month Write 2x/week Social Media Routine Return of Outings! post series Get submissions/queries back on track How’d I Do? Write 2x/week Yes! Sometimes even more! Social Media Routine Yes? I’ll admit that this goal wasn’t super clear to me when I set it. Did I mean a posting schedule? Automated sharing? I’m not certain what I meant, but I know that I’ve built a little routine that seems to be working? So, a win! Return of Outings! post series Oh, yeah, babeyyyy! You can find them all here. Get submissions/queries back on track Yes! It took a pretty healthy chunk of time at the start of the month, but things are rocking steady now. Monthly Word Count: 12,043 Y’all… I’m good with this. Just like so many of the weeks, January felt good. Consistent. Like I was just chugging…
Goals Summary 2023 – Wk #4
It is a frigid 37º outside right now, and with the wind it feels like 29º. But the sun is shining and the skies are a crisp, bright blue. Not a cloud in sight. On our drive home from our walk this morning we saw Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens, which always feels like a special treat. What a lovely way to start the week! But before we can start looking forward, we gotta take a minute and look back on where we started… Last Week Write 3x this week Prep Newsletter Record Podcast Read a book How’d I Do? Write 3x this week Yes! I sat down to work on the novel exactly three times this week! Prep Newsletter Yep! There’s just a couple of finishing touches, but it will be out by Sunday afternoon, yesterday as of this reading – check your inbox! Record Podcast Yep! It’s…
Goals Summary 2023 – Wk #3
I haven’t had any ADHD meds since Thursday and I am in full-blown inattentive mode, so let’s get to this while I can still (sorta) focus! Last Week Write 3x this week Edit and post podcast episode Read a book Queries How’d I Do? Write 3x this week No, but I did write twice. Which is nice. Edit and post podcast episode Yes! The new episode is out now, have you listened in yet? Read a book Yes. Actually I read three books this week… Queries Yep! I had submitted to some agents with quick turnaround times, so I had some housekeeping to keep up on this week. Weekly Word Count: 2,034 Looking at these bullet points, I’d say this was a productive week. I did a LOT of reading, finishing Tombstone: The Earp Brothers, Doc Holliday, and the Vendetta Ride from Hell, and then starting (and finishing) both The…
You Wrote a Book… Now What?
Step 1: Celebrate that ish! You just did a thing SO. MANY. people dream about. How many times have we heard some version of, “I’d love to write a book someday”? Probably more than we can count. It takes remarkable committment and effort to work on the same project for months (maybe even years!) and actually finish it. Congratulations! Celebrate in whatever way is fulfilling for you — drinks, a special meal, a night out, or maybe just a little extra ice cream, as a treat. Now for the disclaimer: This is all merely suggestion. Try these various methods/ideas. Combine them, mix-and-match them. Experiment, until you find some variation that works for you. (This post also assumes that you’ve written a book length work with the intent to publish. If not, then just congratulate yourself and bask in the afterglow of creation, my friend.) Step 2: Put it away. No,…
Top Shelf Librarians December Episode – OUT NOW!
This month the Top Shelf Librarians say sayonara to 2022 and gear up for what’s looking like… an interesting 2023. Things are getting wild in the Top Shelf Librarians recording studio, gang. Heather’s got 99 problems, and Bluetooth’s one. Brittany’s chock-a-block full of advice, from recommended social media (hint: it’s tumblr) to the best foods to eat when you know you’re just gonna barf it back up in fifteen minutes. We say goodbye to the Goodreads Challenge, discuss our 2022 faves, and Heather vows to Betty Crocker This Shit in the Cooking Corner Formerly Known as Matt’s. By now you know that things usually get weird on the show, but in 2023, we’re choosing violence. Buckle up. Listen Here!