When Creativity is a Struggle

This past year has not been a very productive one for me, as far as producing books goes. At this time last year, I’d hoped to have the second book in The Light-Whisperers of Kalevala trilogy published, or at the very least in the final stages of editing and formatting. As it stands now, I’m still wading through the first draft. 

Book writing, and creativity in general, has been a challenge for me this year. The day after Christmas last year, my family moved my elderly father into a nursing home. His Alzheimer’s made it unsafe – for him and my mom – to care for him at home. While dealing with that transition, several other members of my family had various unrelated health challenges during the first part of the year. Then in the summer I put my house up for sale. Autumn brought more changes as my father passed away and I moved into a new place that, while safe and comfortable, wasn’t quite move-in ready and thus required some time-consuming work. Other smaller things also happened this year that were surprising drains on mental energy. 

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Giving Thanks for Books

While it’s good to practice thankfulness all the time, every day, during the month of November many people think of gratitude in a special way. It’s great to take time to focus on specific things you’re thankful for.

I have a lot to be thankful for. And in particular I’m very thankful for books.

Thankful for Books

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#BookNerdProblems – Again

About eight and a half years ago, I wrote a blog post titled #BookNerdProblems, in which I briefly mused about the challenges of moving when you have a ton of books. Well, eight years later, I’m moving again, and this time I have even more books.

I’m moving only a few miles away this time, instead of across the country. I love my small town and the rural area where I live, and I’m moving out of my house in town to live on my family’s acreage. I’m looking forward to it, except for the actual moving part of it. I’m also moving to a smaller house, so downsizing is a must.

Downsizing my collection of books is of course not acceptable, so getting rid of furniture, clothing, knick-knacks, and other stuff is what I’m working on right now. Writing on my current manuscript has unfortunately taken a back seat, as well, but I’m still plugging away at it.

Stay tuned to this blog and my social media for more updates about my (slowly progressing manuscript) and the new home for all my books!

Like what you’re reading? Buy me a lemonade!

Book Selling

Writing books may be the hardest part of being an author, but actually selling books is even harder. I have links to all my books right here on my website, and other places online. Earlier this month, some friends and I got together to try selling our books in person at a live event. 

My sci-fi and fantasy books on display, next to my friend’s cozy historical mysteries.

Some months ago my critique group (me and three other women who have been meeting regularly for over eight years now) decided to formalize our group with a name and a theme. We’ve always supported each other in our writing, brainstorming, and editing processes, and we decided to expand that support to the marketing side of things. None of us are marketers (we’re authors, gosh darn it, not sales people), but we went with the idea that four are better than one. 

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I May Never Be a Popular Author, But…

Lately I’ve been coming to better understand myself as a writer, and I’m coming to terms with the likely probability that I will never be a “popular” author, or even a “best-selling” author. Yes, part of that is because I dislike marketing, but without marketing it’s hard for the public to know about you or your books. (All of that is a topic for a different blog post, but anyway…) 

The biggest part of why I’ll probably never be considered a “popular” author is because I don’t follow trends. I never have, actually. I was always “uncool” in school because my clothes, and favorite books, shows, and music, were never what was popular or trendy at the time. Sometimes I’m just late to the party with trendy things (like finally watching a popular TV show eight years after it ended). But most of the time, whatever is popular and trendy just never interests me. 

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