Sahmara and September IWSG

I'm happy to say that August was a productive month. After ten years, I can finally say that Sahmara, my first fantasy novel, is done. I will be publishing the ebook soon and print copies shortly after to take to upcoming author events I'm attending.

Many prosperous decades of peace have made the people of Revochek apathetic toward their gods. Without fervent worship, the twin gods Mother and Hasi have grown weak. Unable to protect their worldly territory their cruel uncle, Ephius, and his devoted followers run rampant. Towns are plundered and the stench of death taints the air. Those that weren't killed or hiding are slaves. Without warriors to channel their powers, the Mother and Hasi are defenseless. If all of Revochek falls, the balance of the gods will be broken, paving the way for Ephius to plunge the entire world into war.

 Deep in the enemy country of Atheria, one young woman escapes her captors only to find herself alone, unarmed, and starving. Torn from her life of privilege and the arms of her ma’hasi lover, Sahmara is unfit for life on the run, and running is the only thing she knows to do in order to get home. The well-being of her family is unknown, and if Zane hadn’t been killed, he is a slave. No one is coming to save her.

Desperate, Sahmara prays for help. She does not expect her prayer to be answered by an ancient woman with a thirst for blood or that her single desperate plea might be the one that rescues them all.

More about Sahmara soon, but for now, its time for the monthly Insecure Writer's Group post.

This month's question: How do you find the time to write in your busy day?

I find it's easiest to write first thing in the morning before my mind is overwhelmed with the tasks I have to accomplish. I'm not ready to talk to real people, and it's a calm way to ease into my day while doing something productive.

This is also the time of day I do things I don't like to do when I'm fully awake, like clean toilets and shower drains. I can open up a document and not be bothered by sentences or entire paragraphs that might be as bad as that rotting hair glob slimy with weeks of conditioner and body wash. I can edit through my wordy glob of suck or I can simply overlook it and plow onward depending on where I am in the process. Mornings are a time for getting things done without dwelling on them.

If I had one of those magical plot breakthrough thoughts before I went to sleep or during the night, I can get that written while the words are fresh. I'd rather be writing than getting ready for work. It's the only time of day that I actually procrastinate by writing.

If the planets are aligned and the juices are flowing, I can usually get a thousand words or so down in the sixty to ninety minutes I have in the morning. On those days, if the ideas are still churning or I have the next scene to ponder, I can sneak back to my document on breaks and get those down in few minutes before getting back to work.

When I'm in major writing mode, I'll also take an hour before bed to crank out a little more, but for the most part, I'm a morning writer. Unless I'm cleaning toilets.