Overwhelmed? No Worries – You Got This!
For something different today. You’ve survived the holidays but now deadlines are stalking you and you feel overwhelmed once more. Last week I read a statement that really stuck with me and decided to share it and my thoughts with you on this reflective Wednesday morning.
“The wonderful thing about writing is that there is always a blank page waiting. The terrifying thing about writing is that there is always a blank page waiting.” J.K. Rowling (One smart and creative lady) I admit it, I’m a huge fan!
Not a writer? It’s okay, you can apply this to life in general. Consider every day is a bright, shiny, new blank page. What fantastic endeavor will you take on to fill it?
Some days that statement is truly wonderful and other days it’s truly terrifying. It is the root of all that makes me exhilarated and overwhelmed— sometimes at the same time. LOL
Are you feeling overwhelmed? Do you have a work or school project deadline approaching at light speed? Even mocking your ability to get it done? Is the stress and anxiety building to the point you may explode?
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Before you blow up and make a god awful mess, take a deep breath. You got this. Don’t look at the project as a whole, break it down in palatable pieces. Each completed piece or chapter brings you closer to your goal or deadline. Take a moment for a quick well done to you and move on. Before you know it the project is done and the deadline met. Confidence returned and you’re ready to tackle the next exciting chapter on your 
road to success.
One last hint, take control and keep your goals attainable!
Have a great rest of your week!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Blank Page, J.K. Rowling, life, Life Path, Overwhelmed, Stress, writing by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
The Good, Bad and Ugly – Reflections of 2018
This time of year, I always look back to see what my successes were and what I could have done better. 2018 was my least favorite year of all time. Beaten only by the year my mother passed away twenty years ago. Now there were some shining moments too; which I clung to tight just to get me through this year.
Let’s start with the good:
I met all my goals for 2018. Yeah! <Fist pump>
Book four, AN ANGEL’S UNINTENTIONAL ENTANGLEMENT, and five, A MAGIC REDEMPTION, in A DEMON’S WITCH SERIES were published in August and December. Exciting times but promo was crazy.
My third book, A Witch’s Journey became Amazon’s #2 best seller in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Yep I was stoked. What happened to the United States ranking, I’ve no idea.
I was featured twice August and December in HEA column of USA Today the latest being an exclusive excerpt from A MAGIC REDEMPTION in December. As a writer, that is a dream come true.
Hubby and I enjoyed a few fantastic camping trips over the summer and early fall. During the next to last camping trip we learned the company my husband worked for had been sold and he would have to find another job. Yeah it kinda ruined the trip to our favorite spot Rocky Mountain National Park. But there’s always next year. However, same day he was offered a job with another company but dealing with the six month non-compete sucks. Which leads me to…
The bad:
My father-in-law passed away in January 2018 after a long battle with cancer. Settling the estate long distance was difficult to begin with, not to mention the interference from relatives.
Due to Alzheimer’s, my mother-in-law is in a nice memory care facility but it’s located 2500 miles from our home. Because of her deteriorating condition, she can’t be moved.
A favorite aunt passed away mid-December.
Though my books usually get stellar reviews, there were a couple reviews that were not and those bother me even though I read them only once. Yes I know publishing is a tough industry and writing is subjective… but still…
The Ugly:
Right now the world around us is scary and very dark. Kindness is in short supply, negativity is everywhere, and it’s always someone else’s fault. I can remember when you owned your mistakes and stepped up to correct them. I’m hopeful 2019 will bring about changes that will put our country and world on a better path.
So I’m going to put aside the bad and ugly and start 2019 with a renewed enthusiasm for accomplishing my New Year’s goals.
- Hopefully receive a couple new book contracts.
- Meet my writing goal of 5,000 words written each week.
- Set aside more quality time with friends, family, and my dog, parrot and turtle.
- Relax and enjoy many camping trips.
- Exercise regularly. This is always a tough one for me. I tend to let deadlines and obligations control my schedule.
- Take control of my schedule and stick to it, barring emergencies.
How about sharing some of your New Year’s goals? Did you make your 2018 goals? Wishing you and yours Love, Laughter and Happy New Year! See you next year. I love saying that. LOL
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged 2018, 2019, A Magic Redemption, An Angel's Unintentional Entanglement, New Year, Paranormal Romance, Reflections of 2018, Rocky Mountain National Park, Tena Stetler, USA Today, writing by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Where Are the Heart-Felt Words?
I’m a writer. That’s what I do, I write. I’ve spun tales since I was old enough to read and put Crayola to paper. With my vivid over active imagination, I’m never at
a loss for a magical story. The tricky part is keeping it interesting and flowing from beginning to end. Over the past couple of months, there’s been family crisis in my world requiring trips to California. See https://www.tenastetler.com/death-clean-warning/
While I’d never had real life disrupt my writing, it did this time – big time. The words didn’t come as easily. Now this wasn’t “writer’s block”, the ideas were still there, but the continuity was not — making my current work in progress difficult to finish.
I barely made my weekly word count, but my heart just wasn’t in the words. Self-doubt danced around the edges of my mind. Was it the recent chaos in my life or was the well running dry?
The family drama has settled down, the loose ends are still running amuck, but we’ll get them tamed. The coughing crud I brought back with me from California is getting better. I’m getting rested up and feeling more me. Scary thought, huh? Wow what a difference that makes.
Literature Symbol. Old inkstand near scroll on canvas background
Yesterday the words were back in abundance. Yippee! My story is back on track and racing toward the finish line. I’ll make that dead line. I hope.
I put these words to paper—Or I guess actually it’s to screen so others will know there is always a light at the end of that dark tunnel. Sometimes you just have to wait for the ray of light, but it’s there lurking. That’s tough for me
as I’m the impatient sort. Well, it’s time to delve back into my next book in the awarding winning Demon’s Witch Series before the characters take off in the wrong direction…again. Have a delightful and productive week.
Next week we’ll discuss — not sure yet but it will be fascinating, I guarantee it! Until then, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do… that leaves a plethora of things open for discovery. <outrageous grin>
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Posted in My Say What Blog and tagged author, Demon's Witch Series, magic, Romance, writing by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
New Year’s Resolutions – Make Them or Not?
Happy New Year!! New Year Resolutions?
Now there’s a dilemma. In 2017 I made what I thought was attainable resolutions, as I normally do. However, toward the end of the year due to a family member’s unexpected ongoing illness, making those goals was tough. I barely made my 50,000 words in November for Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo. I did muddle through making my word counts, deadlines and projects as planned, but it was tough.
I guess I’ve been lucky in that I am a planner and the plans I set in stone happen as expected. Toward the end of 2017, for the first time, I learned that setting long term plans and goals can be fraught with problems. Life throws curve balls that you cannot imagine until it happens.
Ever the optimist, I did make reservations for 2018 camping trips, with the knowledge that cancelling them is a possibility. The alternative of no camping reservations is unthinkable.
I have discovered that I don’t work well with the unknown. I like to have it nailed down and know where I’m going and how I’m going to get there. Which is probably why I’ve usually created my new year’s resolutions with an eye to my plans for the entire new year. Yeah, going to back that off a bit.
So here it goes. My 2018 resolutions:
Write 5,000 to 7,000 words each week.
Finish the edits for fourth book in A Demon’s Witch Series in time for a springtime release.
Finish the fifth book in A Demon’s Witch Series and the complete the sequel to Charm Me.
Finish a rough draft of my romantic suspense – book one. There will be three books in this series.
Take more time for myself and my companion animals. I did pretty good on that goal last year, but going to do better this year.
Read and enjoy more books than last year.
Think before I blurt out statements that are better left unsaid, making me a kinder, gentler person.
Clean out the closets and give away the clothes we don’t wear anymore. It’s time. LOL
Spend more time actually talking to people rather than letting my fingers do the talking. (More verbal communication and less electronic) LOL
Exercise more! This is a tough one for me that’s why I’m not setting a specific goal trying for 3 times a week.
How about you? What resolutions will you make for 2018? Did you make your 2017 goals? Or if you don’t make resolutions, why not. Leave your answers in the comments, please. Welcome to 2018, what I wild ride it may be!
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Posted in My Say What Blog and tagged 2018 goals, Authors, Long Term Goals, New Year, Resolutions, Word Count, writing by Tena Stetler with 4 comments.
