time management Archives

Publish Don’t Perish – Tip #13: Gather Your Resources

As writers, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the process of getting that story from your head to “paper.” However, in the publishing environment we find ourselves in today, it’s important to gather your resources. Authors need to know how to edit their work, set up a business, get that book published (traditionally or independently), and market their book, among other things.

The purpose of this article is to present you with a resource page that will provide you with additional tools to make your journey easier. You’ll find experienced authors and professionals who can coach you, assist you with your writing, editing, technology, and business as well as marketing tips.

The Author Toolbox — Candee Fick

writers, authors, resources, toolbox, encouragement, fun, romantic suspense, journey, writer’s journey, adventure, tips, direction, research, joy, funny, inspiration, thyme, time, Focus on Love — Author Candee Fick

Author Candee Fick accumulated over 100 of her favorite tools for authors and shared them in The Author Toolbox. She also provides mentoring, hands-on advice, and personal coaching in person for those in the northern Colorado area, or via Skype, or phone for those further away. Candee is also the acquisitions and content editor for a Christian press.

Watch your grammar – Amanda Cabot

Since the mechanics of writing is critical, it’s essential to watch your grammar. Amanda Cabot’s R & R: Raves and Rants provides you with that essential tool that will help you avoid those inevitable mistakes. In my article, Publish Don’t Perish – Tip #12: Watch Your Grammar, I provide a brief description and link to each of Amanda’s invaluable articles which can be found on L.A. Sartor’s blog, An Indie Adventure — another invaluable resource.

Pageant Wagon Publishing — Kathryn Ross

clove, lemon oil, cinnamon, garden, harvestwriters, spice, fall recipes, editors, healing, manuscript — Kathryn Ross

If you’re interested in a Christian writing mentor or an independent publisher who can help you develop your book idea into a print publication, you may want to reach out to Kathryn Ross, Author, Book Shepherd, Independent Publisher, Pageant Wagon Publishing, 856-205-9334.

Time management & the multifaceted solution to getting to the end -apods

Amanda Cabot’s APODS Series is an incredible must read for not only authors, but EVERYONE. In Publish Don’t Perish – Tip #5: Apply APODS to Your Life, hI provide a one stop post that provides a link with a summary of each of Amanda’s articles for your convenience. You won’t want to miss it.

legal advice for your business

If you live in Colorado or Florida and need assistance with your business, intellectual property concerns, or estate planning, see what Karen VDH Fischer LLC has to offer or email me at kvdhfischer@gmail.com.

If you have any recommendations for our fellow writers, please feel free to share!

PUBLISH DON’T PERISH — TIP #5: Apply APODS to Your Life

This incredible APODS Series, written by Amanda Cabot is a must read for not only writers, but EVERYONE and I recommend you apply APODS to your life. I am a writer and a practicing attorney, and I found it extremely useful in mine. This post will take you through a summary of each article and a link where you can find more. Even if you’ve been following along, I highly recommend reviewing this Series again. Thank you Amanda for sharing your invaluable expertise!

GETTING TO THE END WITH AMANDA CABOT

This article is the first in the series on time management and getting to the end. Although time management is only one part in the multifaceted solution to getting to the end, it’s an introduction to a system that goes by the acronym APODS — Analysis, Priorities, Organization, Discipline and Support. Get a quick peak at each of these five areas.

APODS — ANALYSIS: ANSWERING THE TOUGH QUESTIONS

The analysis phase is the focus of this article. Every author should answer these 3 tough questions:

Why do you write?
Why is this the book of your dreams?
What is keeping you from finishing the book?

Explore what Amanda offers and think about why writing and this book in particular are important to you.

APODS — Analysis: The Three Ps

The analysis phase of APODS includes three Ps:

Personality Type
Productive Times
Present Use of Time

This article takes a closer look at the first — personality type.

APODS – Analysis: The Three Ps, Part Two

Conclude the analysis phase by looking at time. Before you can manage time, you need to understand how you are using it.

Amanda Cabot, time, writing, books, publishing — Time Management

APODS — Priorities: Getting Started

To address priorities, you need to first establish those priorities, understand the opportunity costs of those priorities, and accept the fact that we cannot do everything.

Learn how to make writing your #1 priority.

APODS — Priorities: The Four Ps (Part One)

The Four Ps include: Purpose, Picture, Plan, and Part.

Take an in depth look at the first, purpose.

APODS — Priorities: The Four Ps (Part Two — SMART Goals)

SMART is an acronym to obtain meaningful goals:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-Bound.

SMART goals, William Bridges, specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound, Amanda Cabot, time management, APODS — APODS – Priorities: The Four Ps (Part Two – SMART Goals)

Explore what it means, why they are important, and how they serve as guideposts. See how to reach for success!

APODS — Priorities: The Four Ps (Part Three — Plan and Part)

Create the Plan and organize it into a logical sequence. It can be done if you break everything down into small tasks. Check out these tips!

APODS — Priorities: The Opportunity Cost

Are you familiar with opportunity cost? Explore the opportunity cost of writing. Remember, “Time to write is not free.”

Amanda Cabot, APODS, time management, calendar, analysis, productive, timer, personality type, use of time, getting to the end, goal, Cimarron Creek Trilogy, priorities, successful people — Priorities

APODS — Organization: Advice from the Experts

This article focuses on ideas gleamed from Marilyn Paul’s book, It’s Hard to Make a Difference When You Can’t Find Your Keys. Amanda discusses 4 of her points she found particularly useful.

APODS — Organization: Part Two

The discussion of Organization is wrapped up with advice from two experts.

APODS — Discipline

Eight particularly useful suggestions are provided to help you get to “The End.”

APODS — Support

Support is the final step in the APODS Series. You will not want to miss this article!

This Series has been an invaluable resource for so many, especially me. What did you find most helpful?

Amanda Cabot is no stranger to getting to “The End.” She juggled a sixty-hour a week job with nonnegotiable deadlines and building a house long-distance at the same time that she wrote two books a year. Whether or not she kept her sanity during that time is debatable. Amanda is the best-selling author of over thirty novels, eight novellas, four non-fiction books, and what she describes as enough technical articles to cure insomnia in a medium-sized city.

Out of the Embers, the first of the Mesquite Springs trilogy, has an official release date of March 3, but it’s currently available for preorder at all the major online retailers. If you prefer brick and mortar stores, your local bookseller should be able to order a copy for you.

You can find Amanda at:www.AmandaCabot.com https://www.facebook.com/amanda.j.cabot
https://twitter

APODS – Priorities: The Four Ps (Part Three – Plan and Part) by Amanda Cabot

This month we’re going to conclude our discussion of William Bridges’s Four Ps (Purpose, Picture, Plan, and Part) by outlining the way to develop a successful Plan. The final step will be to identify the Parts everyone will play.

In prior months, you developed a Picture of what it is you want to accomplish. Now it’s time to create the Plan. I might have called it the schedule, but that would destroy the symmetry of the Four Ps, so Plan it is. This is where you determine everything that you need to do to reach “The End” and organize it into a logical sequence. That may sound daunting, but it becomes doable if you break everything into small tasks.

Step 1: List everything that needs to be done

Depending on where you already are in the process, creating the task list may be as simple as listing the chapters you need to write. But, if you’re at the very beginning of a story, you may also need to develop your characters’ background stories and research the location or other key elements of the story. And if you’re like me and write multiple drafts, your list of steps will include those multiple drafts as well as a final review.

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 — Thyme to Write – Make a List

Step 2: Arrange those tasks in logical sequence

After all, you can’t write the second draft until the first one is finished.

Step 3: Estimate how long each of those tasks will require

In this step, we’re talking the amount of effort involved, not the elapsed time. Does it take you sixty hours to write a chapter and thirty hours to complete the second draft? Of course, it varies, but do your best to estimate how much effort is involved in each of the tasks.

Step 4: Divide each task that exceeds 40 hours into sub-tasks of no more than 40 hours

Please note that the forty-hour limit assumes that you devote forty hours each week to writing. If your writing time is longer or shorter, adjust your sub-task effort limit accordingly. Having tasks that require no more than a week to complete is important because it allows you to measure your progress and take corrective actions, if needed, before too much time has elapsed.

schedule, priorities, realistic — Establish a realistic schedule

Step 5: Establish a realistic schedule for completing those tasks

What do I mean by realistic? One that has a high probability of success. That means factoring in life. Even if your normal work week is forty hours, there will be times when you can’t actually work a full forty hours. Recognize that up front and give yourself slack time, ideally on a weekly basis. Remember that your goal is to succeed, not to discourage yourself by falling behind because you developed a schedule that’s impossible to meet.

Once the plan is complete, it’s time to assign Parts. While writing is primarily a solitary occupation, and the majority of the responsibility for getting to “The End” falls on you, others play roles as well. It’s important to recognize those other contributors at the very beginning of the project and to get their buy-in to the schedule so that they’ll be ready to play their parts when needed.

And there you have it: William Bridges’s Four Ps as applied to writers. I hope you’ll come back next month for a discussion of opportunity cost.

Her most recent release is A Tender Hope, the third in the Cimarron Creek trilogy.

Amanda Cabot, Cimarron Creek Trilogy — A Tender Hope, by Amanda Cabot

You can find Amanda at:

www.amandacabot.com
https://www.facebook.com/amanda.j.cabot
https://twitter.com/AmandaJoyCabot/
http://amandajoycabot.blogspot.com/

APODS – Priorities: The Four Ps (Part Two – SMART Goals) by Amanda Cabot

Welcome back. As I promised last month, we’re continuing our discussion of picture, the second of William Bridges’ Four Ps (Purpose, Picture, Plan, and Part), with an explanation of how to make your goals SMART.

SMART, as you undoubtedly guessed, is an acronym. It stands for:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-Bound.

You need all five characteristics to have meaningful goals. We’ll discuss the reasons why SMART goals are important later, but first let’s look at two examples.

A Not-so-Smart Goal
“One of my books will appear on the New York Times bestseller list.” I suspect this is a goal many of you share with me. It’s wonderful to aspire to bestsellerdom, but on closer examination, as a goal, it’s lacking several of the SMART characteristics.

Is it specific? Not really. Since I’ve phrased the goal as “one of my books,” it could apply to a book I’ve already written or one that I’ll write twenty years from now.

Is it measurable? Yes. It’s simple to determine whether my name appears on the NYT list.

Is it attainable? Possibly, but since I have very little control over whether my book reaches enough of the right readers at the right time to catapult it to stardom, I would suggest that it’s not truly attainable.

Is it relevant? Absolutely. Since reaching the NYT list would be an important step in my career, this is definitely relevant.

Is it time-bound? By that I mean, have I specified the time within which I will reach the goal? No. The goal says nothing about timeframe. As a result, it’s difficult if not virtually impossible to establish a plan to reach it.

While it’s a valid aspiration, this is not a good goal.

A SMARTer One
“I will write two chapters a week so that I can finish the first draft of Amanda’s Great Adventure no later than November 1, 2019.”

Is it specific? Yes. I’ve identified the manuscript by title and have given myself implicit interim deadlines by specifying “two chapters a week.”

Is it measurable? Again, yes. Each week I can determine whether or not I’ve met my short-term goals, and on November 1, I’ll know whether I’ve completed the first draft.

Is it attainable? For me, yes. I can typically write two chapters a week. However, if this were my first manuscript, it might not be.

Is it relevant? Since finishing this particular manuscript is important to me, this is a relevant goal.

Is it time-bound? By including the interim target dates as well as the final one, I have made this time-bound.

This goal met all five SMART criteria. That means that I can use it when I develop the plan, which is the next step in the Four Ps.

Now, let’s talk about why SMART goals are important. The reason is that they serve as guideposts, helping us reach success and keeping us from setting ourselves up for failure or frustration.

Using my SMARTer goal example, if I’d set a goal of writing four chapters a week when I knew that that wasn’t attainable, why would I even try? The objective of a SMART goal is to help define the picture, which – as we discussed last month – is one of the critical Four Ps, and to prepare us for the plan.

We’ll conclude our discussion of the Four Ps next month by developing the plan and identifying the parts. In the meantime, I wish you a joyous end to 2018 and a happy, productive beginning to 2019.

We’re looking at picture, the second of William Bridges’ Four Ps (Purpose, Picture, Plan, and Part), with an explanation of how to make your goals SMART.

Her most recent release is A Borrowed Dream, the second in the Cimarron Creek trilogy.

Amanda Cabot, Cimarron Creek, A Stolen Heart — A Borrowed Dream by Amanda Cabot Cimarron Creek Trilogy

You can find Amanda at:

www.amandacabot.com
https://www.facebook.com/amanda.j.cabot
https://twitter.com/AmandaJoyCabot/
http://amandajoycabot.blogspot.com/

APODS – Priorities: Getting Started by Amanda Cabot

Are you ready to address priorities? They’re the second step in the APODS process and one of the most important, so let’s get started.

In his best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, Stephen Covey advises us to “organize and execute around priorities.” While that may sound simple, many of us find it difficult. Why? In order to follow Covey’s advice we need to:

Establish those priorities
Understand the opportunity cost
Accept the fact that we cannot do everything.

Over the next few months, we’ll address each of those points. Today let’s talk about establishing priorities.

Brian Tracy, author of Time Power, points out that behaviors are a matter of choice. What a profound thought! If it’s truly important to us, whenever there’s a choice of how to spend our time, we can choose to write. And if we make that choice consistently over a long enough period, it will become a habit.

But, and this is a big but, choice means change, and change is difficult. The good news is, change can be managed. The key to getting to “The End” is to make writing your #1 priority. The question is, how do you do that?

Last month I encouraged you to track your current use of time and then categorize it. Were you surprised by your analysis? What were your biggest time sinks? Which can you eliminate or at least minimize?

If you discovered that you spent a lot of time running errands every day, can you consolidate errands into a single day, freeing up time for writing on the other days?

Did you discover that your writing time was fragmented by phone calls or text messaging? If so, consider establishing office hours when you turn off your phone. Yes, I know that sounds like heresy, but each interruption costs you not only the time you spend on the interruption but also the time it takes to get back to work on your manuscript.

Did you find that social media took more time than you thought? While I’m not suggesting you ignore your friends, the reality is that time you spend posting your status and laughing at cute cat videos is time you are not writing. Remember, behaviors are a matter of choice. We all need to choose wisely.

What we also need is to create what I call a “culture of writing.” What that means is that reminders of writing are never far away, so each time you have the opportunity to make a choice between writing and not writing, you choose writing.

cover, reminder, priorities, Amanda Cabot, APODS — Place your cover everywhere.

One way to reinforce the importance of your book is to create a cover for it. It doesn’t have to be an artistic wonder. It could be nothing more than the title and your name. (If you don’t have a title, My #1 New York Times Bestseller might motivate you.) Print out a dozen or so copies and then post them throughout your house and on anything connected to your biggest time sinks. That way, when you go to the refrigerator for a break and a pint of ice cream, you’ll see your cover and be reminded that instead of eating, you ought to be writing. Similarly, if your cover is propped up in front of your TV or taped to the back of your phone, when you’re tempted to watch a show, check messages for the thousandth time today, or search for another funny video, you’ll be reminded that you have a choice.

The key is to remain focused on writing. The reality is, if you don’t make it a very, very, very high priority, you’ll spend your time on other things and will never reach “The End.” You don’t want that, do you?

Her most recent release is A Borrowed Dream, the second in the Cimarron Creek trilogy.

You can find Amanda at:

www.amandacabot.com
https://www.facebook.com/amanda.j.cabot
https://twitter.com/AmandaJoyCabot/
http://amandajoycabot.blogspot.com/

APODS – Analysis: The Three Ps, Part Two by Amanda Cabot

Last month we began our discussion of the three Ps

Personality Type
Present Use of Time
Productive Times

and talked about personality types. This month we’re going to conclude the analysis phase of APODS by looking at time. You’re probably saying, “It’s about time – pun intended,” since one aspect of APODS is time management. But before you can manage time, you need to understand how you’re currently using time and when you’re most productive, which is what we’re going to do this month.

APODS, Amanda Cabot, 3 Ps — Collect Data Using a Calendar

While you may think you know the answer to both questions, I challenge you to spend a week collecting data that will either confirm or refute your opinions. All you need is a simple calendar. You’ll note that this one is divided into half-hour increments and that it covers only the normal working day. You may want to extend this so that it covers all waking time.

Here’s the process:

Set a timer and at the end of each half hour, make a note of what you did for the previous thirty minutes. If you’re tempted to skip this step and simply record your activities at the end of the day, I urge you not to yield to temptation. As someone who used to have to bill her time by half hours, I learned that it’s important – make that essential – to record your time at the end of each half hour. You may think you’ll remember everything you’ve done during the day, but – trust me – you won’t.

If you felt particularly productive during a half hour, highlight it.
At the end of the week, categorize how you spent your time. Suggested categories include but are not limited to writing, work (if you have an outside job), recreation/personal, family, friends, cooking/cleaning/other housework, TV, social media. This becomes key input to our next phase: priorities.

After you’ve characterized your time, note the times that you highlighted as being most productive. Is there a clear pattern?

Do you think you’ll be surprised? You won’t know until you’ve tried it.

And if you’re wondering why we’re doing this, it’s because our goal is to identify the best time to write and ultimately to find a way to write during that time. While it’s easy to say, “I’m a morning person” or “I’m a night person,” the answer is more complex. You need to consider the entire week, since some days may be better for you than others.

We’ve reached the end of the Analysis phase. If we’ve done this well, each of us has a better understanding of who we are, when we’re most likely to do our best writing, and what other activities are keeping us from doing that writing.

Next month we’ll start prioritizing.

Her most recent release is A Borrowed Dream, the second in the Cimarron Creek trilogy.

You can find Amanda at:

www.amandacabot.com
https://www.facebook.com/amanda.j.cabot
https://twitter.com/AmandaJoyCabot/
http://amandajoycabot.blogspot.com/

APODS – Analysis: Answering the Tough Questions

Welcome back to APODS, one technique for reaching the elusive “The End.” Today we’re going to start our discussion of the analysis phase. As the title line says, this means answering the tough questions. Since I want to keep this relatively simple, I’ve limited myself to three questions that I think every author should answer. The first two help us identify what is special about us and our books; the last identifies barriers to reaching “The End.”

First Question

Why do you write? This first question may sound simple, but answering it may not be. Each of us has a different reason for writing. Some of us write because we need to pay the bills, others because characters have invaded our brains and won’t leave until we tell their stories. Others hear a snippet of conversation and start asking, “What happened next?” There’s no right answer and no wrong one. The key is to identify the reason you write.

Amanda Cabot, time management, writing, publishing, books, articles, A Borrowed Dream, Cimarron Creek trilogy, fiction, non-fiction, deadlines, why write, dreams, fear, success, rejection, priorities — Why do you write?

A corollary to this question is, “Do you want to write, or do you need to write?” This is a variation on the “Is writing what you do or who you are?” question that Francine Mathews posed to attendees at the 2004 Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers conference. The difference is fundamental. Again, there are no right answers, but I will tell you that if you need to write, if writing is who you are, you’ll find it easier to reach “The End.” Simply put, if you cannot not write, if not writing leaves an empty place inside you, you’ll be more likely to persist even when it’s difficult.

Second Question

On to the next question. Why is this the book of your dreams? Don’t just let the answers bounce through your brain. Take a minute to record them. What makes this book special? What makes you want – or need – to tell this particular story? Why will your life be incomplete if you don’t finish it?

If you can’t answer the question or if your first response doesn’t ring true, I suspect you’ll have trouble finishing the book. Writing is hard work. Don’t ever doubt that. But if this truly is the book of your dreams, you’ll be able to persevere through the difficult times.

Once you’ve answered this question, save your answer. You did put it in writing, didn’t you? If you keyed it into a document, print it out and put it in a place where you’ll be able to retrieve it easily. Why? If you’re like most authors, you’ll find stumbling blocks along the road to “The End.” There will be times when you hate the book or are convinced it’s the worst prose in the English language. (For me, that happens regularly when I reach the middle of the first draft.) This is the time to pull out your answer and remind yourself why this book is special. Trust me, that little piece of paper helps.

Third Question

Our final question is, What is keeping you from finishing the book? When I’ve asked writers why they have so many unfinished manuscripts, the answers have fallen into four categories:

Not enough time
Conflicting priorities
Fear of rejection
Fear of success

Starting next month, we’ll focus on the first two. Your assignment in the meantime is to reflect on these three questions. Think – really think – about why writing and this particular book are so important to you. The answers may surprise you.

Amanda Cabot, time management, writing, publishing, books, articles, A Borrowed Dream, Cimarron Creek trilogy, fiction, non-fiction, deadlines — Amanda Cabot

Connect with Amanda:
www.amandacabot.com
https://www.facebook.com/amanda.j.cabot
https://twitter.com/AmandaJoyCabot/
http://amandajoycabot.blogspot.com/

Writers Beware of the Legal Pitfalls

Unfortunately we live in a very litigious society, which is why it’s important to be made aware of the legal pitfalls. This series will give you a heads up on what to watch for and can also provide an understanding as to why publishers may have certain provisions in their contracts or take a stance with respect to some aspects of the work, for example, whether an author wants to use real places and historical figures.

writing, perseverance, journey, publishing, author, mistakes, writers conferences, fiction, nonfiction, craft of writing, traditional publisher, indy publishing — The Contract

General Resource

Please note, Writers Beware of the Legal Pitfalls is a series that is intended to be used as a general resource only and is NOT legal advice. You CANNOT rely on it as a substitute for legal counsel from your attorney.

Who Can File A Lawsuit?

writing, publishing, books, business, time management, writing tips, tips, legal issues, GDPR, trademark, copyright, business law, inspiration, encouragement, writing resource, litigation, litigious society, frivolous lawsuits — Litigious Society

First of all, anyone can file a lawsuit about anything. Once filed, the defendant has to defend him or herself which can get quite expensive. Although frivolous lawsuits are supposed to be dismissed, that is not necessarily the case.

I’d like to open with a few examples of lawsuits that thankfully were dismissed just to give you some perspective.

Off the Wall

A convicted serial killer sued an author for $60 million. Even though the felon was found guilty and waited on death row, he claimed innocence in the 16 murders. His claim was based on the writer’s characterization of him as a serial killer, which he believed was misleading, false, and “defamed his good name.” He also claimed that he would be “shunned by society and unable to find decent employment” once he was able to return to life outside jail. Needless to say, the judge threw out the case in just 46 seconds, but it still cost the writer’s publisher $30,000 in legal fees.

Silence

Can you be sued for silence? Mike Batt, a musician, was sued for plagiarism after including on his album a silent song. Yes, silence. There were no vocals or music. The late John Cage’s publishers sued this musician for silence claiming it “ripped off Cage’s” album which contained no vocals or music. We don’t know what the outcome is of copyrighting silence because Batt agreed to a six-figure out of court settlement.

The Sleeping Student

When a teacher slammed her palm on the desk of a sleeping student in an effort to wake him up, she was hit with a law suit. Yes, he claimed she damaged his hearing. Really??

Batman

I am not sure how many of you are Batman fans, but did you know there is a city in Turkey with the name Batman? The mayor sued Warner Brothers as well as Christopher Nolan, the Dark Knight director, for using the name Batman without their permission. Did they just realize the existence of this superhero after 70 years or did they want to take advantage of the movie’s billion-dollar income? It’s up to you.

Suing Yourself?

Nothing ceases to amaze me. An inmate sued himself in Chesapeake, VA. He was arrested for breaking & entering as well as grand larceny. He was upset with himself so he decided to sue himself for $5 million dollars for a civil rights offense — his own religious beliefs were violated by himself. Because he didn’t have the $5 million to pay himself, he requested that the state pay. Needless to say, his suit fortunately was thrown out.

There are many more off the wall lawsuits, but the fact is, they are a reality we need to be made aware of. Next month we’ll take a look at copyright basics.

What off the wall lawsuits have you heard of?

Getting to “The End” with Amanda Cabot

Welcome Amanda Cabot back to Thyme for Writers with the first in her series on time management and getting to “The End!” Amanda is no stranger to getting to “The End.” She juggled a sixty-hour a week job with nonnegotiable deadlines and building a house long-distance at the same time that she wrote two books a year. Whether or not she kept her sanity during that time is debatable. Amanda is the best-selling author of over thirty novels, eight novellas, four non-fiction books, and what she describes as enough technical articles to cure insomnia in a medium-sized city. Her most recent release is A Borrowed Dream, the second in the Cimarron Creek trilogy.

Getting to “The End”

Have you ever started a book, filled with enthusiasm and certain that this will become the next #1 New York Times bestseller, but somehow you never finished it?

Have you ever said, “If only I had more time, I’d write a book”?

Have you ever wondered how some writers manage to complete multiple books in a year when you still haven’t finished the book of your heart?

If you’ve answered “yes” to any of those questions, I’m here to tell you that you’re not alone. While these can hardly be classified as the great mysteries of the universe, they are questions that plague many writers.

The good news is that there are solutions to the problem of not reaching the elusive “The End.” The bad news is that the solutions are multi-faceted. While you might believe that a course in time management will solve your problem, it’s only one aspect of the solution and not even the first one to be addressed.

APODS

Over the next five months (maybe more, if I become too long-winded on any of the posts), we’re going to talk about a system I’ve given the acronym APODS. This not-so-catchy name stands for Analysis, Priorities, Organization, Discipline, and Support. (See what I mean about time management being only part of the solution?)

Let’s take a quick look at each of the five subjects.

You can’t solve a problem unless you can identify it. Remember the adage about the person whose only tool is a hammer seeing every problem as a nail? You don’t want to be caught in that trap. That’s where Analysis comes into play. It helps you determine why you haven’t finished that book.

Establishing Priorities ensures that you’re working on the right things and that you understand the implications, what some call the opportunity cost, of each decision you make.

Proper Organization helps you make the most of the time you have by using some hints from industry experts.

Discipline could be nicknamed “just do it,” but we’ll talk about techniques that will make just doing it easier.

And finally, you can’t succeed without Support. While you may think of all support as coming from the people around you, we’ll also discuss the internal support process, which is equally critical.

There it is in a nutshell: the APODS technique for finishing your manuscript and living to tell another story.

Have I intrigued you? I hope so, because I’m looking forward to your comments and questions as we journey from those initial moments of wild enthusiasm along the long and sometimes difficult road to “The End.”

You can find Amanda at:

www.amandacabot.com
https://www.facebook.com/amanda.j.cabot
https://twitter.com/AmandaJoyCabot/
http://amandajoycabot.blogspot.com/

Writing – A Multifaceted Business

If writing that book and getting it published were only that easy … . If it was just a matter of putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys) …, but it’s not. In today’s fast-paced technological society, writing is a multifaceted business.

Thyme for Writers

Since writing is a long, difficult, and solitary road for the most part,

Thyme for Writers is meant to lighten your load for each facet of writing. It’s purpose is to be:

a source of inspiration to writers and readers alike with words of encouragement and uplifting stories that bring a smile to your face; and
a go-to resource with helpful hints, tools, and knowledge.

Technology

To help you through the technology behind it all, Candee Fick shared her Author Toolbox. A tool everyone should have on their “shelf.” If you haven’t checked it out yet, it may be “thyme.”

Kathryn Ross, cinnamon, writers, spice, fall recipes, editors, healing, manuscript, When Cinnamon Bark, clove, peppermint, Christmas, Thanksgiving, spice, words, peppermint oil, The Gatekeeper's Key, lemon oil — The Write Spice: Writing Tips for Flavorful Words
by Kathryn Ross

Writing Tips

Kathryn Ross is back with her monthly, The Write Spice – Writing Tips for Flavorful Words. If you haven’t seen her posts yet, wait no further. Each article is just a click away:

When Cinnamon Bark Editors Bite

The Clove Principle: Puncture Your Writing with Warmth

Peppermint Bits — Words Spun, Broken and Sweet

Lemon Oil – Clearing Out for a Clean Start

Chocolate: Are You A Cacao or Cocoa Writer?

Preparing Your Writer’s Garden to Grow: 6 Steps to a Fruitful Manuscript

Balancing Written Words to Taste for Flavorful Influence

Sage Advice When There’s No Thyme to Write

Time Management

One of the largest stumbling blocks for most people, especially writers, is time management. I am excited to have Amanda Cabot as a monthly guest, the fourth Thursday of each month for her series on time management. She not only teaches workshops on this subject, but her life is a reflection of how well it works as a multi-published author who juggled a sixty-hour a week job with nonnegotiable deadlines while building a house long-distance at the same time that she wrote two books a year.

Legal Pitfalls

writing, publishing, legal iissues, — Writers Beware of the Legal Pitfalls

As a writer, reader, or someone who may have your own website, you are probably following some of the legal issues that hit the news lately — GDPR compliance and trademark issues to name just a couple. To provide some insight on what may be lurking, I will start a monthly series the third Thursday of the month as an educational resource — Writers Beware of the Legal Pitfalls. As with the workshops and university Business Law courses I teach, this series is meant for educational purposes as a general resource ONLY and NOT to provide legal advice. For any legal issues you may have, you will need to speak to your attorney.

I’ll continue to feature other guests on Thyme for Writers… . I hope you enjoy what’s to come!

Is there a particular topic you’d find helpful?

The Author Toolbox — Candee Fick

Watch your grammar – Amanda Cabot

Pageant Wagon Publishing — Kathryn Ross

Time management & the multifaceted solution to getting to the end -apods

legal advice for your business

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Step 1: List everything that needs to be done

Step 2: Arrange those tasks in logical sequence

Step 3: Estimate how long each of those tasks will require

Step 4: Divide each task that exceeds 40 hours into sub-tasks of no more than 40 hours

Step 5: Establish a realistic schedule for completing those tasks

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First Question

Second Question

Third Question

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General Resource

Who Can File A Lawsuit?

Off the Wall

Silence

The Sleeping Student

Batman

Suing Yourself?

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Getting to “The End”

APODS

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Thyme for Writers

Technology

Writing Tips

Time Management

Legal Pitfalls

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