Wednesday, January 2, 2019

IWSG - January and 2019 One Word Resolutions

If you're not familiar with 
So hey, guess what? Yeah, I was surprised too. It's the first Wednesday of the month already. I have an excuse though, I'm living in the brain haze of a cold someone gifted me at Christmas. This is why I stay safe in my writing cave, other people can't pass their germs to me. On the plus side, I'm catching up on my one word for this year. SLEEP.

Sleep and I used to be the best of friends. We'd spend long nights together, weekend mornings, we looked forward to spending time together. Now we're like long suffering spouses. We have to hang out but we don't talk. We spend the minimum amount of time together to get by. We meet in bed, the couch, and in my comfy chair for a few hours here and there. So this year, I'm hoping to get back on better terms with my old sleep pal, which may also help me in other areas. One can only hope.

This post marks my annual visit on past one word resolutions.  Let's tour them now, shall we?


2012 was the year of Less. This helped me overcome my habit of over obligation.
2013 was the year of Me. In which I focused a little more on myself.

2014 was the year when I said I would Write. Shit happened. Goal denied.
2015 Time. Making time to do the thing I wanted to do: write. 
2016 was the year of Relax.  That went pretty well and started my morning routine of time in my comfy chair.
2017 I tried to Enjoy. I'd give it a solid meh. I made an effort, but life, work, and finances often got in the way.
2018 was Speak. I did panels at a couple events. I organized events. I had a good time and met people.

Now back the whole first Wednesday thing... It's time for this month's Insecure Writer's Support
Group post! This month's question is:
What are your favorite and least favorite questions people ask you about your writing?

My least favorite question, and it comes up at least once at every author event I do, is: Oh, you wrote this book? Now let's just think about that for a second. I'm standing at a table with my books, telling you about my books, usually surrounded by other authors also at tables with their books. Do you think we're just random people championing someone else's books? While that's an interesting concept, it's probably not the case. Now, if you'd like to volunteer to go stand at a table for a few hours wherever you happen to live and sell my books for me, that would be super cool. I'll let you know where you can mail the check.

My favorite question is anyone asking about details of my books, or what inspired them. I do have a hard time not going off on tangents, because that's how my brain works, but authors do generally love talking about their books beyond what the back blurb says. So go ahead and ask!

Yes, I know the question is a plural thing, but I'm sick and I'm tired and so I'm keeping it short. Look at me not tangenting off and stuff. I may even go attempt this sleep thing. Cold meds are helpful to that cause.

8 comments:

  1. My significant other is occasionally my helper at book events, and whenever I wander off to talk to other authors (which I admit I have a tendency to do), he's always left telling everyone that comes by that he is not the author. :)

    I'm hoping to repair my relationship with sleep this year, too. It's not going well so far, but the year is young. There's still time.

    Feel better soon!

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    1. Thanks! I'm finally starting too.

      That's awesome that you have a helpful SO. I'm usually on my own at these things or sharing a table with another author so we can take a break now and then.

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  2. Can we get volunteers to sell books at signings? That would be awesome.
    I remember sleep. I got a lot of it when I was younger. Now the older I get, the less I seem to find it...

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    1. It would be awesome, wouldn't it?

      Same here on the sleep thing.

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  3. That seems such a bizarre thing to say to an author, but I wonder if a part of it is getting over the amazement at the fact that the person in front of them looks and sounds like an ordinary human being. Like, ya know, authors are some reclusive, wild-haired, bug-eyed species and are somehow different from real people :)

    The one-word resolution is a neat idea, and fascinating to look back on your history like that. One that stands out for me is "enjoy". I think it's important to enjoy your writing. If you don't enjoy writing it, what are the chances someone else will enjoy reading it?

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    1. Maybe that's it. I try to keep my alternate species identity under wraps when I'm out in public. :)

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  4. Good luck on getting back in touch with sleep. We haven't been on speaking terms in awhile. It's probably my fault, I never returned their calls or texts, and never appreciated them when they were around. You really don't know what you've got until it's gone.

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  5. Since I've been with you on some of those occasions, I can say those questions blow me away. "I don't think I've ever heard of her." (meaning the author of my book LOL) Yep, she just hired me to stand here and sell her books. Not. Oh, well. Hope you're going to get more sleep this year. 2019 is going to be great!

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