It was exactly two years ago today that I started writing romance after reading an article about Eloisa James. The same afternoon, I went to the library and checked out Potent Pleasures, and I was hooked. Two years later, I'm writing Victorian noir smut, not frothy Regency, but my passion for reading and creating smart romance continues unabated.
I shudder to think of my first attempts, and my blithe "this will be easy" attitude. It's not easy for me. But the pain is worth it. I've seen my writing progress and become more saleable. But my biggest problem is establishing a consistent writing schedule. For now I've settled into a routine that seems to be working. I start around ten o'clock at night and write until the computer screen is just a blur. Then I get up late, do my yoga, and go to my graduate assistantship in the afternoon. But graduate classes start in a month, and then I'll be writing papers, instead of romance. So I want to make September as productive as possible. And I need some kind of accountability. Therefore, I'm pledging to update this blog almost every day for the next month in a desperate attempt to force myself to be productive. I hope it works!
In other news, I'm so thrilled for all my online writing friends who are achieving their dreams. The new releases, contest finals, and agent signings are too numerous to list (and I promise to do a better job of giving shout-outs as they happen), but they have shown me the tangible benefits of believing in yourself enough to send your work out into the world. Thanks for inspiring me, ladies.
TODAY'S GOAL:
Finish Chapter One of The Night Side.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Good luck on your goal! When I'm really pushing, too, I offer myself a little reward for reaching the goal, or going over -- like that book I've been eyeing, or a cookie, or whatever.
ReplyDeleteThe schedule was the hardest thing for me to fall into, too -- and partially because I'm more of a sit-down-and-write-as-long-as-I-can writer, but real life (4 year old girl) intrudes on that way, way too much. Now, I've learned to write in shorter spurts (that sounds kind of dirty) ... but I'm still looking forward to when she's in school full-time *grin*
Hey, Meljean! It's so great to hear from you. I'll have to run over and leave you a comment. As I was thinking about my cringe-worthy beginnings, I felt truly sorry for you and your time spent reading my initial attempts. I'll never forget how nice you were about it.
ReplyDelete