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It’s Better With a Streak
Photo by Michele Venne I'm on week four, and my streak is still going! A daily writing habit has been on my goal list for 2026, and ten months in, it's finally happening. Because I write by hand in spiral notebooks, seeing how many notebooks I've filled gives me an...
Changing Seasons
Photo by Michele Venne Some parts of the country are lucky and experience four seasons. Where I live, we get warm and scorching. In recent years, we have had hurricane spinoffs that have snapped the heat and humidity. We had one last week... next week we're back into...
Better Questions Get Better Answers
Photo by Michele Venne We're closing in on the last lecture in the class I'm taking from Better-Faster Academy. I'm finding I don't have many questions regarding the information presented in the lectures. I still write an answer to the questions posed by the teacher....
Moving Forward, Even If It’s Not Fast
Photo by Michele Venne I feel good that I've written in my WIP every day this week. Some days I filled several pages. Some days I wrote just one page. Not because I couldn't think of what to write. Not because I didn't have time during the day to write. But because I...
Paths to the Manuscript
Photo by Michele Venne I've been listening a lot to the Quitcast, the podcast with Becca Syme. I've been searching for three years for answers, and I finally found a place that gives me hope I'll find them. The 50 or 60 episodes I've listened to so far aren't about...
The End of Romantic Suspense
Photo by Michele Venne Romantic suspense has been my favorite subgenre since I discovered it forty years ago. It's also the main subgenre I write in. Even when my stories have paranormal aspects, I still consider them suspense. I've mentioned before that I write...
The Search For an Answer
Photo by Michele Venne Many have spoken this truth: we search outside ourselves for what can only be found within. Over the last several weeks, I've come across books on art and creativity recommended by people who write the blogs/newsletters/books I read. Most of...
Holding Attention
Photo by Michele Venne I did something this week that I haven't done in a long time. I deleted titles from my ereader. I do this when I finish a book and post a review and/or a star rating on Goodreads. But the ones I got rid of this week were books I didn't finish....
Missing Out
Photo by Michele Venne I didn't think I was one who would fear missing out on something, but there is one place where I'm straddling being involved and not doing anything. I wrote and published my first book in 2008. In the fall of 2009, I took the leap to join social...
Creativity is Individual
Photo by Michele Venne So much of art is subjective. What one person likes, another might dislike for a variety of reasons. I've seen this with books, movies, TV shows, music, and artwork at a museum. Sometimes a lively discussion can be had over a piece of art. If...
Story Vs. Fluff
Photo by Michele Venne I've read a couple of stories recently that made me consider how long the book would be if all the fluff was removed. Perhaps the authors needed to meet a word count criteria. If they struggled with the characters and the conflict, that might...
Character Traits
Photo by Michele Venne An author's experience with other humans gives them a bank of traits to draw from when they develop their characters. People we encounter when at work or school, while running errands, and even our family confirms that everyone is different. The...
The Many Ways to Get There
Photo by Michele Venne I read the slides of a webinar replay on marketing. It corrected my thinking that there's nothing new under the sun. Or, more accurately, a different twist on what has been around for a while. The slides said the suggestions were available to...
Priming the Process
Photo by Michele Venne I'm happy to say I wrote some this week in my current WIP, The Syndicate, Book 3 of the Waldman Investigations. I've had flashes on the movie screen in my head, but I've not gotten to the flow that I've enjoyed while writing my previous books. A...
Creating in Layers
Photo by Michele Venne This week I've been reading Melissa Dinwiddie's The Creative Sandbox Way. I've had this book for about fifteen years, and I'm just now getting around to cracking the cover. Much like the photo above of a sunset at Lake Powell, I'm enjoying this...
Balancing Words
Photo by Michele Venne This week was all about words. I noticed a lot about the words people said and what authors wrote, and about the words I read and those I wrote. After checking with a friend who works in a book store about seeing books with non-traditional...
Revisiting Comparison
Photo by Michele Venne Unlike many authors, my writing journey didn't begin when I was a child, but as an adult when I finished a book and, disappointed in the ending, thought, "I could have done better." In my innocence regarding what it takes to write a novel and...
A Return to Writing
Photo by Michele Venne I'm pleased with my writing streak: four out of five days this week spent with one spiral notebook. I've had to look back at my series notes for details like hair and eye color and last names for the two main characters. Three crimes have been...
Keeping a Sense of Humor
Photo by Michele Venne Sometimes the universe makes a choice obvious. Even when I'm not looking in that direction or when I have plans to do something else. Even if I think it's going to be really hard, I brace myself and plow forward. This is what I've done the past...
The Freedom in Writing Fiction
Photo by Michele Venne I believe freedom can be experienced in any creative endeavor. That goes for painting, composing music, dancing, throwing pots, cooking... and in figuring out how to fix something, how to repurpose something, or inventing something that makes a...
Follow the Excitement
Photo by Michele Venne Lots of reasons surfaced this week for setting aside a writing project. The most important occurred today. I scrolled through the document where I had copied/pasted half of the education blog posts. Grouped kind of together based on the content...
When Passion for Writing Disappears
Photo by Michele Venne I'm referring to a specific project, not writing in general. However, if a decision isn't made, I can see where the lack of enthusiasm for one project can bleed over to another... and maybe if nothing is done to change direction, it becomes a...
Gathering Inspiration
Photo by Michele Venne I took a friend to a local attraction for her birthday. Though I've lived here for fifty years, I've not taken the time, or had the interest, to visit the attraction. I enjoyed the self-guided audio tour. I learned a bit about the history of the...
At the Intersection of Achievement and Joy
Photo by Michele Venne Some things in life are cyclical. Seasons, for example. Holly shedding her winter coat, then growing her fuzz. Stocking the fridge after a run to the store to replenish what was consumed. Writing the first draft of a book, completing the steps...
Shifting Focus
Photo by Michele Venne Too many events this week to keep my attention on one thing. An upcoming (hopefully) problem fixed (though my anxiety isn't convinced), health concerns, book marketing, and navigating all the rabbit holes of information have taken time away from...
Standing Still While Things Change
Photo by Michele Venne I'm not one who feels the need to be in the know, the first to try something, jump on a trend, or be a trailblazer. Unless that trailblazing means not doing what many others claim to be the next biggest and best. My FOMO meter barely moves from...
An Unexpected Mindset Shift
Photo by Michele Venne Sometimes I find that I alter how I do something on the fly, making an immediate decision and going with it. These changes are usually small and probably insignificant in the big picture of life. Most of the time I wonder why it took me so long...
Where to Find the Words
Photo by Michele Venne I sent out my monthly newsletter this week. I wrote about how so much is not what it appears to be. I gave some examples, then narrowed it down to my writing project. Stepping back into writing a book, I thought starting with a project where...
More Than What I Thought
Photo by Michele Venne Have you ever had a craving for, say, chocolate chip cookies, thinking it would be pretty easy to make a batch, only to find that there isn't enough flour, the eggs in the carton are past their expiration date, and the pantry is void of...
Getting Back to Creating Books
Photo by Michele Venne In my early days of writing and publishing, I might have looked at this week's writing time and thought it lacked passion and serious progress. But I've learned over the years to step back from feelings of not doing enough and accepting the...
Three Steps to Moving Forward
Photo by Michele Venne For someone who (mostly) easily switches thought processes and tasks, I've found myself in a reflection—search—grounding pattern this past week. A friend said, "You just finished a major project. Give yourself some time to enjoy your...
A Two Trick Pony
Photo by Michele Venne I've often though of myself as a one trick pony, especially when I look at friends who paint, take fantastic pictures, knit, create graphics, pottery, sew, and make amazing meals. Me? I can write a story. Oh, I've tried photography. I don't...
Turning the Page
Photo by Michele Venne It's the end of February. It's the end of another trip around the sun for me. It's the end of the last project of my classroom materials. It's the beginning of my return to just writing, of accepting my schedule change (and what led to it), and...
Arbitrary Start Dates
Photo by Michele Venne Some tasks require a deadline, like paying bills, handing in an assignment at school, or presenting a project at work. However, some people stick to those deadlines and others create wiggle room. I think start dates might be the same. Some are...
Still Learning
Photo by Michele Venne Yesterday, I finished a 5-week course with someone known in the industry due to her presence on a podcast for 3 years and her work as a coach. When I received the fourth or fifth email advertising her course, I decided to give it a try. It...
The Simplicity of Storytelling
Photo by Michele Venne I've read in several places that the human brain is wired for story. Thousands of years ago, storytelling was how knowledge and news were shared. Spiritual texts often include stories as a way to spread teachings. In modern day, teachers (of...
On Creativity
Photo by Michele Venne What does finishing a project look like? It looks like achievement, freedom, intentions realized. It sounds like a satisfied sigh. It feels light, spacious, like the relief of a great weight. It smells like victory over procrastination, tech...
A Long Pause
Photo by Michele Venne I learned a long time ago that I write plans on my calendar but that doesn't guarantee those plans will happen as I envisioned or at all. After finishing all the math projects, I planned to wrap up the other few pieces this week and be done with...
Focused Determination to Completion
Photo by Michele Venne Today is the day! Seventeen days beyond my hard deadline, and I don't regret it. This afternoon, I finished the final digitized document for my class materials. I wrote details on a list of projects for my graphic designer to do. I checked the...
Coasting on Intentions
Photo by Michele Venne The first full week of 2026 is done, and for me, it still feels like that in-between time, that pause I wrote about last week. Maybe it's because I've extended my hard deadline on completing the huge project with my class materials. Perhaps it's...
The Start of a New Year
Photo by Michele Venne Like a sunrise, a new year can be full of positive promise. (This is a picture of the last sunrise of 2025.) I spent time reflecting on the previous year. What I accomplished, what I want to bring with me into the new year, what I want to leave...
In The Pause
Photo by Michele Venne This is the last blog post of 2025. Only a handful of days and the next calendar will be pulled into use. I've been adding notes to mine. Some of my routines don't need to be written down, but some tasks do. I'm fond of writing lists and making...
Slowing Down for Reflection
Photo by Michele Venne By the time I sat down to continue working on digitizing my class materials, it was late afternoon. I opened the file folder and sighed. Most of the enthusiasm for this project has been used up. I spent time last night making notes on what each...
Hard Deadlines
Photo by Michele Venne My hard deadline of December 31, 2025, means I have the choice to make progress or not, accept how things are or not, and being okay with letting go of perfection. The days on the calendar are pulling me along! If I keep up my current pace, I...
Closing in on the End
Photo by Michele Venne This week, I sent out my last email newsletter for 2025. It gave me the chance to review the year and look at what I've accomplished instead of how far I still have to go. A subscriber commented that she thought this was a way of having more...
I Am Grateful For…
Photo by Michele Venne This is how I start every entry in my gratitude journal. I find truth in what they say, that if I acknowledge what I'm grateful for, it lifts my mood. By focusing on the positive, my mind can't dwell in its negativity bias. At least for long....
Wrapping Up
Photo by Michele Venne This week brought a couple of projects to the end. I've had fun doing the ICAD challenge (daisyyellow.com). Today is day 61, the last prompt. The other two participants shared some cool depictions of the prompts. They used paint, pencil,...
What’s Behind Me
Photo by Michele Venne Most times, I know more about what's behind me than what's in front of me. Past experience tends to inform me about what worked and what didn't, what I'm in control of and all the things that are out of my control, and since the past is already...
A Walk on the Beach
Photo by Michele Venne I understand why people refer to something easy as a walk in the park. Since I've walked in both (a park and a beach), I can say that a walk on the beach requires one to be a bit more physical (walking in sand is harder than walking on a cement...
A Treat!
It took a year, but the anthology is finally here! Three writers and I wrote from prompts related to the four seasons of the year. Some of the stories, like mine, start in winter and end in fall. Other stories are standalone. If you enjoy science fiction, fantasy,...
Miracles Happen Every Day
Photo by Michele Venne Miracles are all around us. Sometimes we don't notice the every-day occurrences of beauty, joy, compassion, or peace. It might be even rarer to acknowledge the hand of fate/the universe/the divine in a situation. I thought of this blog title...
Hurricane Spinoff
Photo by Michele Venne It happened four years ago, and it happened again just last week. Though this summer in Arizona has been less brutal than the last few years, I still couldn't wait for it to be over. I remember four years ago, a hurricane off the coast of Mexico...
It Makes Me Think
Photo by Michele Venne An interesting week in a string of weird weeks that make me think time is turning a page all on its own. For a few months, I haven't been escaping into fiction. Instead, I've been reading books on writing. Marking interesting sentences with a...
Delayed Gratification Versus Change
Photo by Michele Venne I joke with myself that my superpower is delayed gratification. I would be the one kid who, fifty years later, still has both marshmallows (read about the marshmallow experiment). I'm so used to delayed (or no) gratification that when it does...
Creativity Challenge
Photo by Michele Venne For the first time in years, I'm participating in a creativity challenge. The best part is that I'm having fun 🙂 We have a prompt that we use to create something that fits on a 2x3 inch index card (this is from daisyyellow.com). My drawing...
Life Like Abstract Art
Photo by Michele Venne I can't say what happened this week, other than unscheduled time off from my creative projects. I look at my schedule and see that tasks were done each day, I met with clients, rode Holly, and ran errands. Anyone looking at that as a piece of...
Head on a Swivel
Photo by Michele Venne I've read this phrase in novels that include characters who are military or former military. It means, I think, to be aware, to pay attention. I've had things this week that have caught my attention. I've had some momentum, finally, and have...
Perception of Time
Photo by Michele Venne Time passes independently of our wants. On most nights this week, when I sat down to journal out my day (not really a diary, but a place to put thoughts and reflections), I could list what I did, but not account for what seemed like hours of the...
From Storage to a Second Life
Photo by Michele Venne I've had tubs in the garage from my days in the classroom. For my entire career, I've created my own materials. When I had English classes, and we read novels, there were packets of vocabulary and comprehension questions. Grammar meant parts of...
When All the Pieces Come Together
Photo by Michele Venne In the last few of days, I've been staring wide-eyed at the computer. Writer 4 came through, submitting all his stories and the extras needed for all the parts of the anthology. I finished the edits, put all the stories together in one document,...
A Different View
Photo by Michele Venne I spent time this week shuffling file folders and stories. With the research I've done the last three weeks for a couple of clients, my jotted notes had my attention turning toward a training I completed 27 years ago. It's interesting that not...
The Little Things
Photo by Michele Venne Sometimes we don't pay attention to the details until something big happens. Or if our attention is drawn elsewhere. Or if we have our gaze on the end goal and not on the journey. This week, I've found many instances where the details matter...
Getting Clear of the Weeds
Photo by Michele Venne No new release to announce this week. Today, the first of August, marks a transition. It's the official end of the summer client schedule. I have tomorrow off, then Sunday begins the fall schedule. It's a ramp up to a full schedule. I'm...
It’s Here!
I made my July deadline for releasing The Lost Gift, my newest holiday romantic suspense novella! The story bloomed from a prompt in a writing group I attended years ago. I'm happy that Sterling and Abby get a second chance at love. Here's the book description: "When...
Chipping Away in the Word Mine
Photo by Michele Venne Last week I announced the release of Building Fluency: Math Vocabulary. This week I have an update on the other two projects. The cover designers came through with a great cover for The Lost Gift. I asked for one change. I'm waiting for the new...
New Release!
Great news! My newest math workbook, Building Fluency: Math Vocabulary, is live! Like all my projects, it turned out very different than what I thought. But I'm really pleased with the end result. I included 15 lessons focusing on math concepts. Each lesson starts...
Focused Attention
Photo by Michele Venne Sometimes I think my ability to focus for hours at a time on something is not a strength. However, this week my focus allowed me to finish the math workbook, Building Fluency: Math Vocabulary. It turned out much bigger than I planned. I should...
Making Progress
Photo by Michele Venne After a week of work, I can say that progress has been made on all three projects. While at the writer's retreat last weekend, I spent a few hours editing a couple of the stories from one of the writers in the anthology. I read, critiqued, and...
A Bit of Reflection
Photo by Michele Venne I'm excited for this weekend! It's the second time I'll attend a writer's retreat for the group I belong to with the retreat ten minutes from the house. The presenters will center their talks around AI. I'm AI neutral. I don't use it, except...
Just on the Other Side
Photo by Michele Venne Just through this hole in the hedge lay the unknown. Perhaps a set of croquet balls and white wire wickets. Or a litter of puppies rolling in the grass. Maybe a cliff overlooking a placid blue sea with gulls riding the thermals. This is the way...
Cycles
Photo by Michele Venne Sometimes it's not so much the ebb and flow, but the cyclical way of things. Around this time last year, I was granted the privilege of once again teaching Language Arts. Though I had donated and recycled most of my teaching materials since I...
A Changing Perspective
Photo by Michele Venne I mentioned before that it took over two years for me to change my mind set about my author career going forward. I don't regret the time and introspection it took to arrive where I am now. I feel a freedom I didn't have the first 15 years of my...
On to the Next
Photo by Michele Venne In this month's newsletter to my subscribers, I wrote about May being a time of transition. As the days march to the end of this particular month, other little transitions are happening. The big one I mentioned in my newsletter was the shift...
Editing
Photo by Michele Venne This is the stage I'm on with The Lost Gift. Editing, rewriting, tweaking all point to adjusting my words on the page to make the story better. I've read recently that the first draft is for the writer. All the editing makes the manuscript ready...
The Why of Creative Acts
Photo by Michele Venne It's important for artists have a why. Why do they create? This answer—it can more than one and it often changes over time—acts as a compass to guide the creator. My own why has changed. And for a time when I was floundering with my writing, it...
The Next Step
Photo by Michele Venne I finished The Lost Gift! As the story wound down on Wednesday, I kept writing. The main characters, after surviving a plane crash and a kidnapping, needed to be at their family's home for Christmas. I kept writing. The hero needed to propose to...
Changes
Photo by Michele Venne Last week, I stretched my 3-day writing streak to 5 days. Same with this week. What is a 2-week streak called? Since my words with this holiday novella flowed, if in a meandering way, I just kept writing. Two days ago, I decided that if I didn't...
Habits
Photo by Michele Venne Counting today, I finally have a writing streak longer than 3 days! Yay! Because I hand write my first drafts, I'm unsure of my word count. I already know I'll need to do some rewriting during the editing phase. Focusing on the relationship...
Grateful for the Easy
Photo by Michele Venne We've all had times where one or more parts of life aren't going how we hoped or planned. If we pay attention, it makes the days when things turn out positively a time to be grateful. A yoga teacher told me, "Nothing is revealed, except in...
Part of the Process
Photo by Michele Venne I've been thinking about my writing process this week. After working on my mind set the last couple of years, I've come to a place where I enjoy my creative process again. I intend to write each day. When I do, whether it's a page or several, I...
Consistency
Photo by Michele Venne If we want to create a habit or make an improvement, consistency is important. This isn't a groundbreaking idea. It is something that is subject to interference, such as distraction and procrastination. What makes something consistent? How many...
A touchstone
Photo by Michele Venne One of the first suggestions a veteran writer may offer to a new writer is to find their why. Even if the writer only wants to jot a story about Grandma's trip across the country to meet Grandpa, or to pen a short book to give away to potential...
Facts in Fiction
Photo by Michele Venne Last week I mentioned that I finished the anthology story. This week, I thought I might need to start again. An old piece of writing advice is, "Write what you know." Some still believe writers should stick to this, meaning having a character...
Finishing Energy
Photo by Michele Venne Joanna Penn, a successful indie author, coined the term "finishing energy" to describe how she feels as she closes in on completing a project. I've noticed I feel the same. Though I've often mentioned that the finish line moves, there is an...
Time
Photo by Michele Venne "You never step into the same river twice." A saying that at first seems illogical, until someone explains that the water is always flowing, so it's never the same from moment to moment. The same could be said about time. Once a moment has...
Attention
Photo by Michele Venne The saying "where attention goes, energy flows" can be used to help or hinder our days. For example, if we focus on things out of our control, negative thoughts, and worst-case scenarios, we end up seeing/having more of that in our lives. The...
A Light Heart
Photo by Michele Venne It seems that the heavy fog of January has lifted. Holly's ankle is just about back to normal. I received positive news about a troubling issue. And my clients have returned to usual, stable behavior. Some tech struggles have been resolved. I've...
Still Sliding
Photo by Michele Venne Sometimes the next week smooths out after a rough one. And sometimes week two is a continuation of "rough". I prefer to solve one problem at a time and have the ordeal be done. Like my car. I noticed a shimmy in the steering wheel. I texted my...
Holding Together
Photo by Michele Venne I thought it was just me that felt this week, maybe the last 2 weeks, have been weird. It's not a full moon. Maybe a bunch of planets were aligned? I'm not sure, but these last days have been... strange. Several of my clients were off. I thought...
Small Wins
Photo by Michele Venne I finally finished the second part of the anthology story 🙂 I knew I would be over my 5K word limit we loosely agreed on for each part, totaling 20K words. I'm over by 2K. I need to fix a few plot threads, so that will add words. I'm sure the...
Unicorns
Photo by Michele Venne In the publishing industry, when an author makes it big with their first book, especially if they haven't done any marketing, we call them a "unicorn." We know what they are. We may doubt they exist until we become one or know first hand of one...
Simple Words
Photo by Michele Venne After two years, I couldn't come up with how to think about my current writing life. When I started back in 2000, I didn't know that I would write and publish books. There was just a story swirling in my head. The scene and characters wouldn't...
And We’re Off!
Photo by Michele Venne I hope your 2025 has started with hope, optimism, good health, and happiness in your corner of the universe. I've enjoyed some quiet days alone to fill in my calendar and consider my intentions for this year. Nothing wild, just continued forward...
It’s a Wrap!
Photo by Michele Venne With four days left in 2024, I'm squinting at what I've accomplished and what still needs to be done, and I think if I tilt my head and stand on one foot, they're balanced. I had the idea that perhaps this year would end with all items crossed...
Winding Down, or So I Thought
Photo by Michele Venne With the holidays and gatherings and school getting out, it's usually a time to wind down, at least for me. I look forward to a week or so enjoying quiet time alone in the house. I have few, if any, appointments, no scheduled work, and often...
To-Do Lists
Photo by Michele Venne Many people have them. Some can't live without them, while others live better not having them. I've had one for most of my life. For me, it started when I was in high school. I had a calendar and wrote down my assignments and my schedule for...
Winter Days
Photo by Michele Venne In figuring out why time seems to pass by quickly, I reviewed my days and realized it's the season. In the summer, I need to be up at 4:30am so I can get to the barn early. Too late, and the temps are already over a hundred degrees. In the...
A Little Bit at a Time
Photo by Michele Venne It's kind of like making mashed potatoes. Once the potatoes are cooked, recipes ask for a little bit of butter, then a little bit of milk to make the consistency desired. I decided to make twice-baked potatoes for my Gratitude Day dinner. Since...
Corraling
Photo by Michele Venne I've said it before... for me, the story has a life of its own. If I try to corral it, the results aren't pleasant. The story I'm working on for the anthology is falling right in with everything else I've written. We agreed on prompts. I decided...
Moving Forward
Photo by Michele Venne There was room for only so many thoughts. When I reached my capacity, my mind refused to take a different track. That's my explanation for missing last week's blog post. I know that when circumstances in my life get a bit wonky, when I lose...
The Way Through
Photo by Michele Venne I currently have five projects I'm working on. I'm pretty sure that goes against organizational and progress research. We're supposed to work on one project at a time in order to see results, right? But maybe artists don't play by those rules....
Turning on a Faucet
Photo by Michele Venne Looking back on the past 5 days, I see that I've spent time with two projects. As it happened before, when I have a nonfiction project and a fiction project, I gravitate to the nonfiction. This type of nonfiction especially: math workbook. I...
Old Perspective
Photo by Michele Venne When I look at my list of titles in the series I've started or have planned, it gets a bit overwhelming. I can easily "see" myself working on each project. The characters, setting, and plot events appear in flashes. For me, stories develop as I...
One Last Spark
Photo by Michele Venne The last of the rolling changes has arrived. The college class that has consumed much of my attention the last 8 weeks (and the classes I've taken since April) is done. I took the oral final yesterday morning. This afternoon is a short...
The Cusp of Change
Photo by Michele Venne It's like loading the last box into a moving truck. It's like standing in the driveway for the last time looking at where you spent part of your life. It's both the excitement of what's next and saying goodbye to a comfortable routine. This is...
The Promise of Progress
Photo by Michele Venne If progress on a project seems to have stalled, I've discovered that the promise of progress is enough to get me through. It's not writer's block or procrastination. It is a lack of available time. I'm two weeks out from the next transition....
Daydreaming
Photo by Michele Venne While driving, I think about stories. Some may say it's not productive, but it beats worrying about things I can't control. In the car, I'm a captive audience. I can focus on the vehicles around me, and I need to since I drive in the 5th largest...
Learning
Photo by Michele Venne I didn't know there was such a thing as "summit season." The end of September through October is a time where digital conferences reign. I received my first email inviting me to 3 free summits before the end of the month. As they say, nothing is...
Taking a Break
Photo by Michele Venne Transitions. A second month of August weather. Thirty homework assignments a week in this final class for recertification. A vet appointment for Holly. Work. Some moving pieces, some parts stalled out, others waiting for attention. Yep,...
The Stream
Photo by Michele Venne The flow has started. It's a trickle, but before long, it will deepen. and the depth over rocks and debris will expand. This is how I think of my writing. Grateful I was able to log in with other writers for three days this week, I've made a...
Transition
Photo by Michele Venne I remember a time when I didn't have a horse. I filled my life with starting my career, finding fulfilling relationships, and figuring out how to be an independent adult. When I found a horse, it was as if my tilted world righted itself. There...
Getting Closer
Photo by Michele Venne This week marks the end of the summer sessions and the beginning of the fall sessions. It's been a lot of hours in front of the computer! Next week is part two of the rolling transitions. I'll be on a community college campus as I begin the...
The Scent of Transition
Photo by Michele Venne With this week behind me, I can eye my calendar and know I'm five days closer to the transition that will flip my schedule. In two weeks, I'll be straddling another transition. After three weeks, the first transition will be complete. That will...
Published!
It's finally here! My Voice: A Flash Fiction Compilation, Volume 2 is published (click the link to download for free). Completing the last three pieces wasn't difficult. It doesn't matter that I decided to leave out the last piece because it doesn't detract from the...
A Pause for Breath
Photo by Michele Venne I like where this fella is standing. I miss being in and near water. I used to go to lakes often. Now, I'm away from water, and I don't think I'm any better for it. Especially this time of year, which is my least favorite, I miss everything that...
Let Things Rest
Photo by Michele Venne I've learned that sometimes it's best to let things rest. An idea, a completed manuscript, myself. As a high achiever, this concept of rest goes against the grain for me. I feel compelled to push through, to try the new idea, to start editing a...
One Day
Photo by Michele Venne Too cliche to add the rest of the words to the title: at a time. This morning, I was thinking, as I always do this time of year, how fantastic it would be to live in a place where there are seasons and green grass and trees and rain and less...
Writing Focus
Photo by Michele Venne I've finished 3 of my 8 required college credits for my recertification. I'm almost half-way through the next class (online), working ahead in the hopes that I'll finish early and be able to have a couple of weeks before the next and last class,...
Fitting Into a Box
Photo by Michele Venne There are parts of our lives that can easily fit into a box. Maybe our commute to a day job, family dinner on Sundays, or time at the gym four days a week. Some of the things we do fit inside our expectations. If we wanted to shake up our...
Energy
Photo by Michele Venne The day has a flavor of full moon energy. I felt it in the wind blowing around smoke and dust. I saw it in my clients who weren't prepared and had a hard time paying attention. I recognize it in my own focus. It took me a few minutes to start a...
Moments
Photo by Michele Venne This week I've been thinking about moments. I'm not sure if it's the season of life I'm in, the changing of seasons where I live, or if my paid work is catching up to me. I find myself falling further and further behind on my to-do list. I...
Finishing Energy
Photo by Michele Venne Joanna Penn, a successful indie author from the UK talks about beginning energy and finishing energy. She does a ton of research before she writes her thriller novels. All that builds up to support her writing the story. When she gets her...
A Break
Photo by Michele Venne For the first time in 5 months, I get a workday off! Actually, it's mostly 3 days. And, of course, I promptly filled the time. Today, I splurged on some self-care. Tomorrow, I'll connect with people I haven't seen for a while. Two of them are...
Being in the Moment
Photo by Michele Venne I got an opportunity this week to do something I haven't done in years. I was excited to pull out materials stored in the garage, flip through the pages, and reacquaint myself with one of the loves of my first career: teaching language arts. I'm...
A Moving Finish Line
Photo by Michele Venne In my last newsletter, I wrote about seasons. The times of the year when more things are happening and when there is room to relax. I see the space for, if not relaxation, at least for catching up. Part of that getting caught up is with my...
Allowing
Photo by Michele Venne Just as the rocks allow the plants to grow and the water allows the rocks to contain it, life may go a little smoother if we allow (certain) changes. I agreed to change my work schedule. That means I need to allow priorities to shift. Who I help...
Filling the Well
Photo by Michele Venne What's better than a writing conference with people you like? Having it be ten minutes from your house. Last weekend, I attended the regular monthly meeting and mini-retreat of the writer's group I joined last year. An informal networking...
One or Many?
Photo by Michele Venne Yesterday, I had chunks of time to devote to my writing projects. I spent a little time on the note card workbook, a little time on the vocabulary workbook, a little time on MV2. Then I realized what so many already know: to make significant...
Corralling Creativity
Photo by Michele Venne I realized this week that I have more projects started than I planned. With The Found Gift published, I thought I could move on to completing the 10 flash fiction stories for MV2, get that out by the end of April, then continue with the first...
New Release
The Found Gift is published and available on my website! Right to the end, this title had dips and curves on its path into the wild. I'm pleased with the story, even if I missed my deadline by three and a half months. Here's the description: What happens when a...
When an Experiment Fails
Publishing a book can be many things: joyful, stressful, a lifelong dream, disappointment, exciting, wonderful, confusing, etc. I've sent enough titles out into the world to feel just about everything. After publishing 43 titles, I decided to try a preorder on my...
Cover Reveal
This is the part of publishing books that builds my excitement and pushes me to finish everything so I can hit the "publish" button. I love revealing the cover to readers. No matter what we think, we really do judge a book by its cover! A couple holding hands points...
New Release Coming Soon!
Photo by Michele Venne Every book project has a life of its own. The Found Gift has its own "coming into being" story. No, this photo isn't the cover, but it reminds me of the different layers, colors, and depths that each project has. I wrote the first draft, then...
The Wins
Photo by Michele Venne I mentioned to a friend that because the day job has taken a tic up, I haven't gotten as much written as I planned. I explained that I finished a college class I was taking as part of my CEUs, wrote and sent out my monthly newsletter, wrote the...
Choices
Photo by Michele Venne Some wise person pointed out the obvious when they said, "When you say yes to one thing, you say no to countless other things." I said yes to more clients. That automatically put a giant "no" on other things I could do with my time. I'm not...
Finally Finished?
Photo by Michele Venne Today is the day I finished The Found Gift. At least this round of edits and rewrites. I thought I might be done at around 14K words, then more of the story came to me. It now sits at 20K. And, yes, I know a couple of sentences I still need to...
The Words
Photo by Michele Venne There are times, as a writer, when words are my friend. Other times, I can't fish the one I want from my brain that will make the sentence or paragraph or scene what I want it to be. I also know that sometimes a slight interruption breaks the...
So Many Hats
Photo by Michele Venne Sometimes I know why I'm tired at the end of the day. If I went for a long trail ride, had lots of clients, squeezed in errands or life tasks, by ten o'clock I'm done. But sometimes it doesn't seem like I've got that many to-dos on my calendar....
Knowing When It’s Too Much
Photo by Michele Venne Years ago, when my mom moved from her home in AZ to CO, she cleaned out all the boxes she kept in the garage. I visited one day, and she showed me calendars from when I was in high school. Every weekend was a horse show. One night a week was...
It All Comes Back
Photo by Michele Venne For two weeks, I've been joining a local writer's group in their Zoom write ins. The first day, the treasurer of the group, who leads the write in, asked me what I was working on. I said, "A holiday short story that was supposed to be published...
Finding Joy
Photo by Michele Venne My yoga teacher often said, "Nothing is revealed, except in contrast." How do we know when it's dark outside? The sun is absent. How do we know if we've healed from an illness or injury? The absence of discomfort or pain. In yoga terms, how do...
A Two-Day Streak
Photo by Michele Venne To begin a habit, or to break it, it starts with one. One day to walk around the block, or to read a chapter from a book, or to put the phone in the drawer during dinner, or to compliment someone instead of complain. For some people, that first...
Happy New Year!
Photo by Michele Venne Made it to the other side! Welcome 2024! It seems like I've been planning for the new year for a while. I ordered two dot journals, which arrived on Jan. 3, to try a different way to organize and keep track of the habits I want to create this...
Ready, Set… Breathe
Photo by Michele Venne I bought my 2024 calendar in September. Since May 2022, I've been grappling for balance in my work and writing life. For the last six months, I've read books and articles about mindset. I've journaled thousands of words. I've searched for a way...
Don’t Ask
Photo by Michele Venne Years ago, a friend told me, "Don't ask if you don't want to know the answer." I've returned to this advice more than once, especially when I ask someone their opinion on a project or performance, or agree when someone asks if they can give me...
Enough Time
Photo by Michele Venne Every day this week I thought about when would be the best time to send out the reminder email to my subscribers about the survey. I hinted that I might include a gift for them, but after ten days, I'm not any closer to delivering on that hint....
Pendulum
Photo by Michele Venne Maybe it's the time of year, or maybe because I've been journaling a lot, but my thoughts represent a pendulum. I look forward to 2024 and think about what projects I want to publish, what goals I want to make, and how I might handle the...
Condensing for Clarity
Photo by Michele Venne I'm an analog girl. Information gets lost on my computer. When a file or a document sits for a while on my desktop, it's like I no longer "see" it. Because I take handwritten notes from articles and newsletters that I read online (I know, a bit...
A Shift Is Coming
Photo by Michele Venne Every industry changes. Sometimes that change is caused by a new school of thought or groundbreaking research. Other times, it's an advance in technology. For the publishing industry, the last big shift was the introduction of the Kindle. Not...
A Light Mind
Photo by Michele Venne I've always felt better once I've made a decision. Since I did so last week, this week has been smooth. The major decision about goals and dreams and plans and how to make it all work sat like a two-ton weight on my mind and in my heart. With...
Recovery Time
Photo by Michele Venne Feeling like I'm functioning at about 75% capacity, I continue to take things slowly. Now is a good time to sit and breathe, to be, to let my thoughts come and go and not get hung up on any particular one. Actually, that's good advice for every...
A flat Tire
A flat tire. A dead battery. We've all had them. Regardless of who we call for help or how much we didn't plan on the inconvenience or expense, it still happens. There is maintenance that can prolong the tire, the battery, or whatever. But when it happens, we're...
Focus on Priorities
Photo by Michele Venne I've heard that authors make a gazillion decisions every time they sit down to write. I think at least one decision is made that gets them in the chair: they choose to write in that moment. We think we have a list of priorities, maybe narrowed...
Celebrating the Wins
Photo by Michele Venne I planned to have it published in August, but I'm used to my plans changing. I aimed to announce the new release in my October newsletter, but just couldn't quite pull it off. In this month's newsletter, I promised my subscribers I would send...
The Moments In Between
Photo by Michele Venne When I look at my calendar and task list, there doesn't appear to be any "moments in between." It's a list of actions to take. And because not all the actions happen on the day to which I've assigned them, arrows are drawn to the next day, and...
Countdown
Photo by Michele Venne It took four different stores, by I finally found a 2024 calendar with the options I like. It's the same size I've used the past several years, as there's comfort in the familiar, 7 X 8 1/2 inches. It has the months with small squares for each...
Reflecting Before the End
Photo by Michele Venne It's almost the fourth quarter of 2023. Not one to be rushed at the last minute, I start reflecting on the current year, and planning for the next, long before midnight on New Year's Eve. Maybe I'm thrilled that I've survived another summer in...
Organized Flow
Photo by Michele Venne Perhaps the title of this post is an oxymoron. Everything ebbs and flows. Energy. Motivation. Creativity. If we figure out how to wait when whatever it is ebbs, we can focus on other aspects of our life. And when whatever it is flows, if we've...
The Next Thing
Photo by Michele Venne I realize I do this to myself. I have a little available time... my inbox is down to 5 emails I'm hanging onto for various reasons... and I sign up for six webinars, download a bundle of a dozen ebooks, agree to give my email address in exchange...
Finally
Photo by Michele Venne Finally, it rained in Phoenix! Last year, the monsoons began at the end of May and continued through October. This year, they've been absent until last night. Some parts of Arizona have seen rain. Not a lot, and not often enough. Most of the day...
Making a Plan
Photo by Michele Venne About this time, for the past few years, I've started thinking about the next calendar year. Maybe it's because my first career as a teacher meant my "year" began in August, so planning was on my mind. Or maybe I felt I needed a jump start on...
Balls in the Air
Photo by Michele Venne It's good to have a to-do list. For me, it gets items out of my head and onto paper (yes, I'm old school) so I don't forget and so I have more mental space. I've found I sleep better (less tossing and turning, which is saying something), and it...
Another Obstacle
Photo by Michele Venne About 4 months ago, I bought an author bundle. It included ebooks, discount services, master classes, and pre-recorded webinars. I downloaded all the books, read them, took notes if they held nuggets of information, then deleted the files from...
It’s in the Pivot
Photo by Michele Venne Just as I settle into a routine, something gets snagged or shifted, and I have to pivot my time and energy. This is usually the time of year when my day job amps up. As I finish the summer sessions, I see gaps in my schedule. I know it will take...
Retreats in Two Styles
Photo by Michele Venne A week after the in-person writer's retreat, and I've noticed a few things. First, I'm still just as resistant to write when I have other tasks to do as I was before the retreat. Second, the comparisonitis has faded. Mostly. On Sunday morning, I...
Writer’s Conference
Photo by Michele Venne Even before the pandemic, it had been a while since I attended a writing conference. Once all of my writing peers quit writing and the pandemic ended, I struggled with continuing the journey on my own. I've since found others to help with the...
Time Out
Photo by Michele Venne When do we notice that something mechanical doesn't work? Usually when we need it. When is the worst time for an air conditioning unit to quit working in Phoenix? As the temps reach 116 with 35% humidity and a dew point of 65 degrees. As the...
Surreal
Photo by Michele Venne Surreal: something that is a bizarre mix of elements; jarring; seemingly nonsensical. This is how I would describe the space I'm in. I completed all my admin tasks (something I didn't think would ever happen). I met my publishing deadline with...
Moving Forward
Photo by Michele Venne When I plan my year, making (extremely) optimistic notes about book production and admin tasks, I don't think about how I'll feel when it all gets done. I'm driven more by offering stuff to readers and crossing off daily tasks than I am by...
Time Crunch
Photo by Michele Venne Sometimes wishes come true! I wished for more clients, and I got a lot of hours this week! I wished for Holly's leg to heal, and after ten days, she's doing really well! I wished for the beta reader to return my manuscript early, and she did! I...
Chasing Details
Photo by Michele Venne Ever had one of those days where something isn't quite right, you can't find answers on the Internet or the help page of the thing that's a little wonky, so you send a message to customer service? And after a couple of days, they get back to...
Ready, Set…
Photo by Michele Venne Beginnings and endings roll after each other like waves on the ocean. I worked more on adding details to SG today. I did some research, which usually entails me losing a few hours chasing down specific facts. Names of roads, national forests,...
New Release Coming Soon
Photo by Michele Venne It has been about ten months since my last fiction book was released. I have a publication date set for July 2023, for this novella. When I'm in the editing stage (where I'm at now), I vacillate between surprise at some really well-written...
It’s Often Not What I Think It Is
Photo by Michele Venne I just finished typing The Secret Gift. While writing, I'm so immersed in the story that I'm rarely a good judge for what is showing up on the page. My myopic view of the story, one scene or one description or one dialogue conversation at a...
Rediscovered Joy
Photo by Michele Venne When I started writing, I was awed by the feeling of joy at being in the flow as the words spilled easily onto the page. Forty titles later, I can say that each project had its ups and downs. No two were the same. And at times, I didn't feel the...
Knowing Your Process
Photo by Michele Venne How long do we do a thing before we know our process? Running a meeting, training a dog, planting/harvesting a garden, making a pie, writing a book? This isn't to say that once we know our process, we stop learning or trying something new. But...
A Myopic View
Photo by Michele Venne Every artist creates differently. I wonder how many writers feel as if they can't see the forest for the trees. Maybe that is something that plaques discovery writers more than plotters. For those writers who plot out their story, have notes for...
Another Title!
As long as I feel excitement when a title is published, I'll keep doing it! I started on this in October. It wasn't on my production list until January. Once I started, I kept going. For me, working on a nonfiction title such as this math workbook allowed me to make...
Change is One Thing We Can Count On
Photo by Michele Venne Sometimes I think I'm from an earlier generation. I started my career in one school district and happily stayed for 21 years. I then was asked to come back and do Homebound. I did and found another place that I loved. It took over 3 years, but...
Project Completion
Photo by Michele Venne After six months, I finally finished Building Fluency: Math Practice! I used about half the problems in the book from sheets of paper I kept from when I was in the classroom. The rest I created to fulfill my purpose for the book (lots of...
Progress Relies on Perspective
Photo by Michele Venne Two hundred words a day may not seem like much, but it adds up over time. The same can be said for the steps we take toward our 10K steps a day, or the twenty-five dollars a paycheck we add to the piggy bank, or the extra ten...
Be Like Those Famous Shoes
Photo by Michele Venne Just like a "breakout novel" or a "blockbuster movie," marketing slogans that hit it big and stick around are rare. I wonder if Nike knew their tagline of "Just Do It" would become an icon. Or that so many would steal those three little words...
Control
Photo by Michele Venne Some people believe that we're not in control of anything in this world. Others believe that we control everything. Maybe I missed the memo about "how" to control everything, but I don't think there's much I can do about the phases of the moon,...
So, I’m doing it Wrong
Photo by Michele Venne After 14 years, I would think that I've got things down. I understand my process. I know what trips me up. And I know how to get back to what I want to do. And yet... since I'm part of the publishing industry, it's my responsibility to keep tabs...
New Ideas
Photo by Michele Venne I heard a few things this week that tweaked my ears. Listening to one of my favorite podcasts, the host interviewed an author that used to have her own podcast. They talked about writing and if anything will change in 2023. The author didn't...
All the Words
Photo by Michele Venne It takes about 3 days (10 hours) to write my monthly newsletter. I see several clients a day and find myself speaking a gazillion words. When I'm with Holly, I chat to her about how wonderful she is and how much she's loved. With spreading...
A different Flow
Photo by Michele Venne Glancing at my calendar pages for this week, I see a lot of tasks left undone. It's easy to get bogged down in disappointment, to feel bad because I haven't lived up to my own expectations. In the future, I see goals unattained because I haven't...
Sometimes It’s Best Not to Question
Photo by Michele Venne It's always tempting for me to figure how or why things are the way they are. Was it something I or someone else said or did, or didn't say or do? Was it luck? Some random universal energy? What about karma? Part of me thinks that if I knew the...
Comfort Zone
Photo by Michele Venne For all her life, Holly, my horse, has gotten her winter coat starting in September and sheds beginning in January. Vets express their concern because her internal clock seems to be a little off. But not really. She waits until after the...
Ebb and Flow
Photo by Michele Venne My life is more content when I accept the ebb and flow of energy and time and opportunities. The last month has seen an increase in paid hours. Certainly something to celebrate! I've also helped a friend by taking care of their horse while they...
Course Correction
Photo by Michele Venne Because nothing is static, I prefer to think of life balance as a constant tilting this way, then making a choice to shift that way, then another decision tips me in yet a different direction. I planned to lean towards my writing projects this...
Near the Edge
Photo by Michele Venne Completing one project means I'm a step away from beginning the next in the (thankfully) never-ending queue. I've been working on a list of character names I've used in my stories, so I don't duplicate. Too late! If I had thought of this years...
Looking or Not
Photo by Michele Venne It's only the second week of this new year and I've noticed changes, whether I'm looking directly at the change or not. Practicing my habit of setting an alarm so I don't stay too long on one project never stuck. I forget to set the alarm. Or I...
Hello 2023!
Photo by Michele Venne Happy 2023! I hope sparks of joy and good health have already showered your life. With my renewed clarity, I greeted the new year with open arms. The fact that I'm already behind on my writing projects isn't a surprise. Haha! I've scheduled two...
Finally. Clarity.
Photo by Michele Venne After months of knowing something wasn't right... then weeks of thinking about it, and days of reading and journaling, I finally have clarity. My new why shines like a light in the darkness where I wandered for far too long. And since not much...
Winding In
Photo by Michele Venne I've been "winding down" since September. With the purchase of a 2023 calendar and reviewing 2022, I've already made intentions for next year. For the past 3 weeks, I should have been "winding up" in order to finish the projects I wanted to...
Just a Little Experiment
Photo by Michele Venne I've done more investigating into my writing process this year than I have since I began this adventure. Last week was one more experiment. I mentioned that to get myself to stop spending so much time on an "easy" project and spread my attention...
Time Limits
Photo by Michele Venne More days than not, I've put a check in front of projects listed in my calendar. I've logged a lot of time with the next math book. Not much creative thought involved with that at this time. I'm just transferring a few years' worth of warm up...
Multiple Choice Projects
Photo by Michele Venne Seven days ago I stared at the beginning of the next short story for Patreon and the muse revealed the tale. In the last seven days, I've dabbled with SG, and I started a project I tentatively had in the wings for 2023. This other project is...
Throwing Jax
Photo by Michele Venne When I was in elementary school, we played Jax during recess. We all carried a little rubber ball and some metal game pieces that were like 3-D X's with an extra leg. After tossing a handful of jax onto the sidewalk, we would bounce the ball....
New Ideas
Photo by Michele Venne Rolling with the wave of inspiration, I worked on clearing out my paper calendars from the last 6 years. I write quotes, names of books and authors, ideas about marketing, page numbers of manuscripts I'm editing, phone numbers, promotions,...
Little Breaks
Photo by Michele Venne Some part of me knows something my conscious mind doesn't: when a project is done (or I'm waiting to hear from beta readers or my cover designer), I take a break. I don't plan them. They're not in my calendar. What I believe I (can/should) do on...
Momentum
Photo by Michele Venne With The Bookie and Building Fluency: Advanced Number Sense published and available on all platforms, and my third audiobook (Of Objects and Obsessions, Book Three of the Tanner Trilogy) completed and distributed, I moved on to the next project,...
Another Check Mark in A Box
Know thy self, know thy artist. After my 4-month plan loaded with experiments, I returned to writing my manuscripts in a spiral notebook. I finally finished Desert Zydeco! I won't list the many steps from handwritten draft to published file, but it amazes me every...
Transition
Photo by Michele Venne Maybe it comes from understanding how life is, because when things are rolling along smoothly (and I recognize most moments when this is true), a part of me quivers, waiting for the next crisis, the next big decision, the not-so-smooth time that...
I Shouldn’t Be Surprised
Photo by Michele Venne I know it's not just in my experience that several issues/tasks/things come up/together/are due at about the same time. A couple of weeks ago, I finished two books right around the time I was dealing with a few personal changes. And it seems...
Coasting
Photo by Michele Venne This week was a blur. Having finished those two HUGE projects, I was still in the flow. My monthly newsletter turned out to be heavy, so I decided to split it into two parts. A large section of my personal life needed a transition, so that took...
Enjoying the Accomplishments
Cover designed by Lilly Skye I met my deadline! Both HUGE projects are published by the end of September! First, Building Fluency: Advanced Number Sense is a math workbook I've dreamed of doing for years. I'm grateful I have a new computer. Equation Editor and Word...
Too Close to Call
Photo by Michele Venne The second audiobook, Of Hoof Prints and Heartbeats, is done! It has been approved and uploaded and is ready for purchase on all retailers (as soon as the retailers approve it), including my website (already approved!). One more to go in the...
The Finish Line
Photo by Michele Venne This is the exact moment when the front runner's chest connects with the ribbon strung across the finish line! It isn't broken. Yet. The race isn't done. Yet. I've met my deadlines, but the projects are ready for publication. Yet. I've finished...
Desire
Photo by Michele Venne Epiphanies are like a sample from a bakery. They give you a taste but leave you searching for more. I had one this week. Quick context, I'm in a yoga collective where we study something different each month, learn about some yoga techniques, and...
Taking a Breath
Photo by Michele Venne I mentioned three months ago that I would be conducting some experiments. I've completed most of them. For a few, I wonder if I'll gain any usable data, or if there's a way to even find a beginning and know when it's done. For the rest, I've...
Two Steps to the Left
Photo by Michele Venne A couple of days ago, I let my graphic designer know that I had 12 pages left in the nonfiction. I figured I would finish it by Sunday and get it to beta readers early next week. I also told her that by the middle of next week, I would be...
Finish Energy
Photo by Michele Venne Joanna Penn, a fairly famous indie author in the UK whom I've followed since she began offering stuff for indie writers back in 2008, talks about "beginning energy" when she starts a project and "finish energy" as she nears the end of a project....
Next STeps
Photo by Michele Venne My beta reader finished The Bookie. I've been working this week on her suggestions/edits. I should finish those this weekend. I have a list of what to check, what to research, what to change. No major rewrites needed, just a tightening up of the...
Month 3 of 3
Photo by Michele Venne In this third month of my 3-month plan, I can say I've learned from my experiments. What I've learned that I didn't plan for is that life happens regardless of what my calendar says, and that some things are bigger than my determination. I guess...
The Next Experiment
Photo by Michele Venne Last Friday, after working for eight hours and staying up until 10 PM, I finished the first draft for The Bookie. I gave some hours on Saturday to making a couple of corrections, scrolling through and filling out my timeline, listing some...
Nearly There
Photo by Michele Venne Having been stuck in the weeds for so long with this manuscript, I'm kind of surprised that I'm looking at the climax of the story. A quick take down of a criminal, the tying up of a few plot threads, and one scene to lead into book 3, and I'm...
Moving Finish Line
Photo by Michele Venne I'm super excited that my first audiobook is done! Narrated, edited, processed, and is out for distribution to 48 online retailers. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out one thing, then was told that it's a no-thing. I don't need to do what...
Shifting
Photo by Michele Venne I received the audio files from the narrator! I've spent hours every day this week listening and making notes on what she needs to edit. I still have 10 chapters to go, and the deadline is Sunday. After hearing someone else read my story, I...
One Month Done
Photo by Michele Venne Big news #1: I received an email that the narrator finished reading Of Art and Air, and I have ten days to review and approve the recording. I started today, since I have a deadline. I'm reading the pdf I sent the narrator as I'm listening to...
Rain
Photo by Michele Venne It appears it's possible for time to pass quickly and slowly simultaneously. The days tick by, but my time spent writing speeds through. And when I look at what I've written, I'm not content with my progress. At 2K words/day on my main project,...
The Heat is On
Photo by Michele Venne The heat is on, and so is the self-imposed pressure! I vowed I would stick as close to my schedule as possible this week. As a result, I made progress on all my projects, but still did not accomplish everything. And this give me the opportunity...
Insight
Photo by Michele Venne With years of schedule making under my belt, I thought I had this 3-month plan ready to go. What I didn't account for? Life. Ha! Every day, I've had a meeting or errands or an appointment. Or course, my schedule is now off. I need to decide how...
Ideas
Photo by Michele Venne This week started my 3-month plan. Mostly. Each day I had a project to do that wasn't on my schedule. Tomorrow will be the same. My plan might already have gone awry because I forgot to include "life" in my schedule. Ha! But I've still managed...
Three-Month Plan
Photo by Michele Venne I spent a couple of productive hours with my writing friend today. She brainstormed with me about titles and tiers and the future. I came prepared with a list! I read off my thoughts on serials for Patreon. She gave me ideas regarding not...
A Tease
Photo by Michele Venne I've been jotting notes about a 3-month plan. This includes shuffling file folders, story starters within those folders, writing sticky notes about groups of stories that could be serials or novellas or another novel series, eyeing 3 nonfiction...
Holding Pattern
Photo by Michele Venne This is kind of what my mind is like, and my calendar, and my soon-to-be-added-to to-do list. My paid gig is closing down, just another 7 days. Lots will be happening around August, none of which I'm in control of, but I can make decisions once...
Mindset
Photo by Michele Venne If we pay attention, I think we're given opportunities to look inside ourselves. Creativity is an example. I've been struggling with this current story. Studying myself, I wonder if it's because I'm composing on the computer instead of a spiral,...
Standing on the Road Between Here and There
Photo by Michele Venne The narrator has started on Of Art and Air. I don't think I'll hear from her or Findaway until she's done. Then I think I need to edit it. After that, they package it and distribute. I'll be asking for a copy so I can put it on my website as...
Moving Forward
Photo by Michele Venne I met with my writing friend today. I feel like I need to record our meetings so I can replay them and catch the tidbits! We talked instead of worked, but sometimes that's what's needed. We shared ideas about our projects, where we are, where we...
Creative Space
Photo by Michele Venne This is the final day of 5 promos I had for Of Gifts and the Goddess. Though the book is on sale for all of April, and it's available in another promo that runs the entire month, I'm a little anxious to see what the sales numbers look like. As...
So Many Stories
Photo by Michele Venne In this month's newsletter, I mentioned that I'm working on a Patreon account. Instead of writing short stories and publishing them in My Voice, Volume 2, I decided to make some of them available to subscribers on Patreon. I haven't finished...
April Fool’s Day
Photo by Michele Venne It's the first of April! That means the first quarter of 2022 is officially done. We've had 3 months to observe how much of 2021 would influence the new year, to try out new intentions, to continue to make a new "normal," to make new habits or...
Wrapping Up
Photo by Michele Venne It seems like many of the tasks I do, don't get done with one go. I often have to come back to verify that the upload happened, that the error was fixed, that customer service received and responded to my request. This week has been a similar...
The End of spring Break
Photo by Michele Venne Tucson Festival of Books is back! Fewer attendees, but people came and bought books. I discovered that these readers prefer print to ebooks, even if they weigh a lot; they came to see authors they'd found in 2019; fantasy, science fiction, and...
New and Old
Photo by Michele Venne Tucson Festival of Books is happening this weekend! I've been preparing for months. Updating my books. Getting the short story ready to give away. Deciding how to sell ebooks at a live event. And realizing that none of the authors whose company...
Birthday Week
Photo by Michele Venne A few cool events happened this week in my life. First, my new computer arrived! My 10-year-old laptop could no longer update the operating system, so my apps didn't work optimally or at all. Do you know how tough it is to type on a keyboard...
Smelling The Flowers
Six days. That is how long I had the house to myself, and how many days in a row I did zero writing. Oh, I thought about my projects. I looked up the word count on MV2 to judge how close I might be to a novel-length manuscript. I also thought about where I left off in...
Going Around in Circles
I remember being on the ASU campus several years ago for a writing conference. During lunch, I went outside and saw this dog (his owner was there, just not in the picture) swimming laps in the fountain. It wasn't a particularly hot day, but the dog was a Lab, and they...
Holiday Story for a Holiday Weekend
Photo by Michele Venne Since life circumstances have settled some, I was able to finish the edits and formatting on The Hidden Gift. I'm waiting to hear from my web designer that everything is in place so I can notify my subscribers. One of the perks of signing up for...
Show Some Love
Photo by Michele Venne Happy first Friday in February! I hope this month for all of us is like the road above, shaded, smooth, beneath blue skies, and edged by green grass. In a time where good news is sometimes hard to come by, one friend got engaged (and shared the...
spinning plates
Photo by Michele Venne A writer friend jokes that I likely have four or six projects going at one time. Back in 2017, I did write FIVE different manuscripts! It took me another three years to edit and publish them. Now, in 2022, after creating a production schedule...
Dueling projects
Photo by Michele Venne Last week I finished The Hidden Gift and sent it to my beta reader. I also emailed information to my cover designer. I commented to a friend of mine, "This short story became a novella, and I'm okay with that. Now I think it has morphed into a...
Getting back to it
Photo by Michele Venne I had the pleasure of meeting with two other writers today. We all look forward to sharing a creative space, even if "work" didn't get done. As one friend said, "There's just something a little different about the energy of artistic people."...
so much gratitude
Photo by Michele Venne´ It feels more like the holiday season if the air has changed where you are. Here in Phoenix, we're enjoying wonderfully cool weather. In the desert, that means sweatshirts in the early morning and probably sneakers instead of sandals. I noticed...
Got balance?
Photo by Michele Venne It's official today, at least in Phoenix, Arizona. The Autumnal Equinox happened on September 22 (in the northern hemisphere), but a few longitudinal degrees north of the equator and we're looking at sunrise at 6:14 AM and sunset at 6:14 PM. Not...
so much new stuff
Photo by Michele Venne Here we are, the end of August, and dogs days or not, I've got a lot to share with you! Glad you're here 🙂 First up, this newsletter! You may not notice a difference and that's fine. After a while with one email provider, it was time to...
Midsummer update
Photo by Michele Venne Some of this, a sprinkle of that, a dash for excitement, and freeze overnight...sounds like just the thing to cool a body down. July has passed at the same rate as an ice lasts on the sidewalk in Phoenix at noon. I've been crossing items off my...
Popsicles in the shade
Photo by MIchele Venne It's summertime, and with the heat cranked up in the Southwest desert, we're all trying to live easy! It's the end of June and halfway through 2021. I've been spending more time than usual inside, and when I look back at my production schedule...
Spring flowers
Photo by Michele Venne Not that we've received much rain in the desert this winter or spring, but some of the desert plants are blooming! The ironwoods have been dotting the brown landscape with pale lavender blooms. The creosote shifted quickly from yellow petals to...
Choose your own adventure
Photo by Michele Venne I hinted at this back in the fall, so time to follow up on my idea! The Internet and online retailers have changed how people shop. Personally, I don't order much online. Sometimes I get stuff from the feed store, and sometimes I order through a...
Spring in flux
It's hot, it's cold, there's rain, there's snow, the power is out, the power is back on, a green holiday celebration, maybe vacation, jeans and a sweatshirt then a T-shirt and flip-flops, on and on it goes. I look out the office window and watch as storm clouds race...
Share Some Love
In celebration of the month of love, I'm sharing some. I know the concept of self-love and self-care have been around for a while. After reading about it and applying a few ideas to see what worked for me, I thought I had a good understanding of self-care. I created...
A New Calendar
Many of us purchase a new calendar around the end of the year. It could be with hope that the next year will be filled with lots of positive experiences or an attempt to organize ourselves. This past December I purchased two calendars: 1) a 5 x 7 daily and monthly...
