Prince of Granola Archives

Retire? What Are You Talking About? with L.A. Sartor

L.A. Sartor, Christmas, Best-Selling Author, job, goal, burnout, Prince of Granola, The Chunky Method Handbook, Thyme for Writers — L.A. Sartor

Last week I posted L.A.’s article, My Journey As A Lesson/Inspiration/Gift. What I didn’t mention, was that last week’s article was written as the bio for this article, Retire? What are you talking about? When I read it, I felt that her journey needed to stand alone, to provide a lesson, inspiration, and gift to us all. If you missed that article, it’s worth checking out.

Retire? What Are You Talking About?

A few weeks ago, I was talking to a neighbor and telling him about my latest book when he interrupted me.

“You retired from one job, when are you going to retire from this one?”

I was absolutely flabbergasted and speechless – which is a rare occasion for me. Thinking for a minute as I was trying to decide if he was telling me something like I should consider retiring because I wasn’t getting rich from this, or gulp, that I was getting older.

Finally, I asked him what he meant.

“Why are you working so hard at this point in your life?”

“Because I love it and frankly hope to write until I can’t think of another story,” I replied without hesitation.

journey, inspiration, writer, author, published, career, jewelry, retired, teacher, novel, publishing, indie, contests, mistakes, mailing list, gifts, Plantation of White Treasure, Prince of Granola, Be Mine this Christmas Night, Viking Gold, Dare to Believe, Forever Yours this New Year’s Night, Believe in Me this Christmas Morn, retired — Retired

We chit-chatted a few more minutes and he went back to his yard, probably not giving another moment’s thought to the conversation. While I, on the other hand, thought about it for days. Then I recalled a conversation we’d had a few years ago when he mentioned that once he’d retired, he wasn’t using his brain much and his body seemed to be falling apart.

It dawned on me that I was doing what I loved, and he was bored out of his mind. Was he jealous? Maybe. Not of my income certainly, as he was wealthy already, but that I was engaged, constantly learning new things since I indie publish, and wear all the hats associated with creating and publishing a book.

And most of all I have something to look forward to every morning.
So there is a lesson in this conversation that stays with me. Find something to do that you love. Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do it and when you’re done with that love, find another.

journey, inspiration, writer, author, published, career, retired, teacher, novel, publishing, indie, Plantation of White Treasure, Prince of Granola, Be Mine this Christmas Night, Viking Gold, Dare to Believe, Forever Yours this New Year’s Night, Believe in Me this Christmas Morn, retired — Prince of Granola by L.A. Sartor

Prince Of Granola is my 7th book, and I have so many ideas and series that I want to write, I can’t imagine retiring.

I have a favorite saying, it’s not mine, but it summarizes my thinking perfectly.

To Be Happy You Need Three Things
Someone To Love
Something To Do
And Something To Look Forward To

And I truly believe in what it says.

L.A. Sartor is a bestselling, award-winning author. She began telling stories around the age of 4 when her mother, at L.A.’s insistence, wrote them down and L.A. illustrated them. As an adult, she writes suspense and action-adventure novels with a dash of romance, and screenplays—she’s had a contracted adaptation! She lives in Colorado with her husband whom she met on a blind date. L.A. loves to travel and thinks life is an adventure and we should embrace the journey. She has a blog and a mailing list.

Buy Links:

Amazon
iBooks
Nook
Kobo

Social Links:
Website
Facebook
Facebook Author Page
Twitter
Goodreads
Pinterest

My Journey As A Lesson/Inspiration/Gift by L.A. Sartor

We welcome back L.A. Sartor to Thyme for Writers! When I learned about L.A.’s journey in becoming a successful author, I asked that she share it for our readers, especially since her latest novel, Prince of Granola was just released. Thank you L.A. for your lessons, inspiration, and gifts!

I started writing as a child, really. A few things happened on the way to becoming a published author … a junior high school teacher who told me I couldn’t write because I didn’t want to study … urk … grammar. I went to college, moved a few times, came home and found the love of my life (that is another novel worthy story, but for later), and got married.

We were super busy with our respective careers, mine a custom jewelry business with my mom, who was also teaching metalsmithing at the time, and my husband a crazy law career. We had two fur babies, Fudge (and briefly her brother Smudge, but sadly he didn’t live very long) and Two. Our cats would sleep with us and when they’d stretch out to their full length, we’d end up sleeping on the edge of the mattress.

I have always been a voracious reader and one night after throwing a particularly bad book at the wall (even putting a small ding in said wall), I realized that I could do better. I told my husband, and he said go for it. I called Mom and she revealed the junior high teacher story and she told I’d been writing all the time up to that point.

That blew me away. I didn’t remember any of it. But I started writing again, nearly the next day, pen and paper, learning, making mistakes, winning contests, nearly getting an agent, becoming disenchanted with the publishing industry and moving away from novel writing to screenwriting, getting a contract for a script and doing really well in screenwriting contests.

But none of that was making me much money. After numerous scary robbery drills I wanted to move away from my bank job (yes, this is many years later and a lot of stuff in between) and write full time for the green stuff.

My husband told me repeatedly that independent publishing was becoming a valid way to publish a novel and people were making big dollars. I didn’t believe him even after he showed me several Wall Street Journal articles. I thought indie meant vanity press.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

I started pursuing this direction seriously, retired from the bank and hit the keyboard, learned a litany of new things and published my first novel. My second book became a bestseller, and while I’m not rolling in dough, I’m absolutely on the right course in my life.

So if you have a dream, pursue it as hard as you can. Life can get in the way, but never give up.

Please come visit me at www.lasartor.com, see my books, some pictures, some screenplays and sign up for my mailing list. I have a gift I’ve specifically created for my new email subscribers. And remember, you can email me at Leslie@LeslieSartor.com

Links:
Website http://www.lasartor.com
Blog http://www.anindieadventure.blogspot.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Leslie.Ann.Sartor
Facebook author https://www.facebook.com/LASartor.Author
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/@lesannsartor
Amazon Author Page http://amzn.to/1e10fkd

Bookbub http://bit.ly/2kdhjkM

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6535151.L_A_Sartor

Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/lesann415/boards/

Burnout? with L.A. Sartor

Welcome L.A. Sartor as our guest today on Thyme for Writers! L.A. Sartor is a bestselling, award-winning author. She began telling stories around the age of 4 when her mother, at L.A.’s insistence, wrote them down and L.A. illustrated them. As an adult, she writes suspense and action-adventure novels with a dash of romance, and screenplays—she’s had a contracted adaptation! She lives in Colorado with her husband whom she met on a blind date. L.A. loves to travel and thinks life is an adventure and we should embrace the journey. She has a blog and a mailing list.

Burnout?

Karen, thank you so much for having me as your guest. You’ve had a great line up of writers so far, I hope I keep the trend going. ?

I thought burnout was for everyone else but me. I was on a tidal wave of producing books. Then something hit me while I was writing my seventh manuscript, Prince of Granola.

Nothing about writing intrigued me. Nothing. Not my blog, not my book. Nada.

Why? I still loved the story and my characters. I was super proud of what I’d accomplished with my writing so far.

My reaction: panic. I didn’t want to sit near my laptop, didn’t even open it for days. And when I did, I forced the writing. We all know that’s not a solution.

So, I basically ignored the dread of writing and fear of not writing, pretty sure other stress factors in my life were the cause. I couldn’t have burnout, writing was my ideal job.

Hmmm, job. More on that later.

Nevertheless, I avidly read articles on burnout or writer’s block as they appeared on my horizon; how to cope, how to push it aside, what it was. And I came to the conclusion that nope, I didn’t have burnout. I had something else. I think the word for that reasoning is denial.

L.A. Sartor, Christmas, Best-Selling Author, job, goal, burnout, Prince of Granola, The Chunky Method Handbook, Thyme for Writers, writers block — Burnout? by L.A. Sartor

Months later, I faced it head on. I was experiencing burnout. And oddly acknowledging, even saying the word out loud to myself, then close friends and outward from there, made it seem fixable.

Fast forward a couple more months. Still not writing much and whining yet again to my buddy, Audra Harders, about how long it was taking me to get this blasted first draft done, she gently interrupted me and mentioned a concept. A very cool concept.

Writing in chunks.

The concept immediately hit me as right. You all know the feeling. It’s almost euphoric. Moments later my email dinged and I was gifted by her The Chunky Method Handbook by Allie Pleiter.

Immediately after opening the book—well, after I emailed a thank you to her—my anxiety began to dissipate.

And then I realized a few things. I had been writing as though it were a job. I’d retired a few years earlier and hadn’t fit in well with the retirement scheme of no schedules. So, I wrote as if it were a job instead of a gift and a joy.

I pushed through hours of computer time, knowing I had a goal and had to make it. Doing that served me well until it didn’t. I sold a lot of books, made it to #1 on Amazon, both on free and paid books and felt on top of the world…until I didn’t.

L.A. Sartor, Christmas, Best-Selling Author, job, goal, burnout, Prince of Granola, The Chunky Method Handbook, Thyme for Writers, Burnout, writers block — Reach Your Goals!

I knew instinctively that setting limits to my goals wasn’t me. I’m a goal oriented person. But changing my perception of goals, in this case allowing myself to write 400 words in a chunk (you learn what your chunks are), and meeting that chunk (goal) really changed me. It set me free. I was successful again when I hit my chunks and I could write as many chunks a day as I wanted. And if I didn’t, I wouldn’t beat myself up, because I knew I would another day, or even the next hour.

I started being productive, and again loving what I was doing. The concept allowed me to be … me.

Back to the job issue. I also realized is that writing isn’t a job for me. And no, I’m not a full-time writer. I don’t want to be, nor frankly, do I have to be. I am a writer who believes in her story and her characters one chunk at a time.

And believe me, the chunks add up quickly, far faster than I could have dreamed. I don’t force it, I let it flow good or bad from my fingers.
Because we all know, if it’s not written down, you can’t fix it and make it better.

Prince of Granola will be out in the spring.

LA Sartor
Love the Romance ~ Live the Adventure
Bestselling Author and Winner of the International Digital Award

Believe In Me This Christmas Morn

Amazon
http://amzn.to/1Ui8Y6t (shortened)
iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/believe-in-me-this-christmas/id1147295728?ls=1&mt=11 (full)

Titles published:
Dare to Believe (2012)
Stone of Heaven ( 2013) Carswell Adventure Series Book One
Be Mine This Christmas Night (Holiday 2013) Star light ~ Star Bright Series Book One
Forever Yours This New Year’s Night (Holiday 2014) Star light ~ Star Bright Series Book Two
Viking Gold (July 2015) Carswell Adventure Series Book Two
Believe in Me This Christmas Morn (Holiday 2015) Star Light ~ Star Bright Series Book Three
The Prince of Granola (Coming 2018)

Social Links
Website
Facebook
Facebook Author Page
Twitter
Goodreads
Pinterest

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Burnout?

Writing in chunks.

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