#Tishspiration Tuesday: What’s New?

#Tishspiration Tuesday: What’s New?

About a month ago, this website was relaunched for the third time. Why is it such a big deal for me? This can be a daunting task when you are new to building websites and maintaining them. Therefore, I am still learning, and working on this new website design when I get time. It is going to need more work in terms of housekeeping and keeping things fresh. If something is left alone long enough to go stale, it gets thrown out. I hope to keep injecting enough excitement here to create a buzz, and to excite you enough to keep coming back. If you do enjoy the blog or other parts of the website, don’t be shy! Tell people about it. Share it for your friends to see. If you like it, maybe they will like it too!

There is a new chapter coming with #Tishspiration. All the cool kids are sending out newsletters, and as an author, I have been struggling with what to use for content in a newsletter. Sure, you can expect to see recent blog posts, some cool graphics, and a surprise. The surprise might be something I write, or a picture you haven’t seen anywhere else. When I am feeling braver, more downloadable content might be what the surprise will be. I do plan to write a continuation of the first place winning short story from November. The link is in the previous blog post in this category and will be in the first newsletter.

Since I am going to be working hard on this, I am going to make as much as possible exclusive to the newsletter. So if you liked the first place winning story, and you want to read more, I will be happy to work on the continuation of it.

If you want to sign up for the newsletter, scroll to the bottom of the page.

Really easy to do. I will be publishing it once a month, and it will arrive in your inbox. There are so many newsletters and blogs in my own inbox, I know I have to work hard to make sure you want to open mine. I will do my best, and it will be only once a month. Once a month was picked for the newsletter because I don’t want to overwhelm myself, or your email inboxes.

Today, I am cleaning my desk.

Although I know the value of being organized, it is exhausting. It takes so much time! I think that is why I fall behind. I am, as I wrote more than once, an all or nothing person. Once I slack off, I start to lose all willpower when it comes to things like being organized. I am again working on it and trying to overcome the clutter. It is a lengthy process when you are so far behind it is overwhelming. This is why I have to really want to make the effort before starting.

This is not a Weekend Warrior post. Why am I writing about cleaning and organizing? If you are a regular reader of my blog, first of all, thank you. Secondly, I do have a point. I have been wanting to really dig in and write my second book. It has been on my mind, frequently. I need to get it written if I am going to keep my deadline.

Guess what I found today? The whole reason I wanted to work on my desk organization was to find my one page, rough draft for my second book. There will be more to add to it in the second draft. There are things I need to write about which had not been on my mind when I made the one page, rough draft. This is good because I want to have a book that has a bit of depth to it. In addition, it will add more substance to my story. See, there was a point there, it was related to my #Tishspiration book.

I have been working on myself, lately.

I am working on a better sleep schedule. This helps me to have more productive days. More productive days mean I do have some time to relax in the evenings, which has been a nice bonus. Appointments are being made and they are for my health, and to help with a job search. I want to be my own boss all of the time, however, I understand that I need to earn an income. Meanwhile, I have faith that things will work out, no matter how scary they might be at times.

Since I am working on myself, I enrolled in a Lisa Nichols course. It was free, for 5 days. She had different options for paid coaching at the end. I am interested, but not at this time, because I have a more important task right now. Freelance writing is something I need to spend a lot more time figuring out. It might will be my answer to replacing a traditional full time job.

On the other hand, I have to look for work in traditional jobs too, because I need to explore all of my options. Today, I printed out some jobs to prepare for an appointment with the same office where I got help with my resume last year. At the time I saw them, I was working, and looking for a way to find a different job. I don’t want a traditional job, but I can’t afford to not look at all of the possibilities.

Most importantly…

Between freelance writing, job searching and working on myself, I will also be writing my second book. #Tishspiration: The Art of Surprising Yourself has so much potential. It is going to be an important book for me to write, because of the concept it will explore. I found the rough draft, that excuse is no longer a valid reason to put it off any longer. I am happy that I was able to find it in a day, I knew it was here, somewhere. As a result of finding my rough draft, I can continue writing #Tishspiration: The Art of Surprising Yourself. In my heart, I know someone is waiting for this book. Therefore, it is time to get serious about writing it.

What makes you open a newsletter when it arrives in your inbox? I want to make sure it is something you look forward to reading every month! Your comments will help me identify what to include and consequently what to avoid. Please let me know.

Sun Kissed and Salt Licked

Sun Kissed and Salt Licked

 

If you have been to my About page, you will recognize this picture.  It is from one of my favourite places in the world, in Chimney Corner, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada.  It is a bench made from driftwood that overlooks a private beach.  You will not find it easily, it is not open to the public.  Not even very many locals have been here.  It is a gem in the home of my heart, and a place I think of often.

The ocean seems to find its way into my words when I write, whether it is song lyrics or into my fantasy trilogy.  That’s right, I am planning to write a fantasy trilogy based in the home of my heart.  It won’t be about my life, exactly, it will be straight from my imagination.  There may be familiar issues or mannerisms found in some of the characters, but I am not basing any of it on real people.  After meeting Kelly Armstrong a few weeks ago, I realized that for my first trilogy, it will be enough to write it without creating a new world for it to happen in.  I asked her during the Q&A session at the local library if she would ever write in a world that she created, and she answered that she didn’t plan to create any other worlds for her writing.  She said that she felt that there are people that are better suited to world building, and she isn’t one of those people.  I am reading some of her books now, and have read some before the event at the Library.  I am not sure if I will write more than a trilogy based in Cape Breton, or if I will connect all of my books there somehow.  However,  I do think it is a logical place for me to start.

I also got some books signed after the Q&A had finished.  I told her that I am writing my first trilogy and that I am a little nervous about writing book 2.  I am scared that I might get lost and stuck in there.  She told me I was looking at it from the wrong perspective.  She shared that book two is not where I should get lost, but where I should plan to have fun.  I am going to try and remember that.

Meeting Kelley Armstrong

Matty, Kelley Armstrong, and me at the local library.

I am writing this post to tie it into my upcoming Guest Post on another Blogger’s page. He is a friend I have met online since I started my blogging adventure, and he asked me to write a story for his Around The World category.  I wrote to him about my upcoming vacation in Cape Breton Island, and this became the topic I decided to write about.

The Atlantic Ocean, kissing the Cape Breton Coastline

The Atlantic Ocean, kissing the Cape Breton Coastline

The sun setting beside Margaree Island, seen from the shore of Cape Breton Island

The sun setting beside Margaree Island, seen from the shore of Cape Breton Island

What a Beach day! Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

What a Beach day! Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

Thanks to my friends and family members for the beautiful pics I blended together in this project, with permission.  I came back from my week in Cape Breton feeling relaxed and refreshed.  I did go swimming twice, and that is where I got the title for this story.  Salt water therapy on the shorelines of Cape Breton Island is the best kind and one money can’t buy.

I was honoured to be invited to share my story on Mohamad Al Karbi’s Blog.  I hope you take the time to visit and read the story of my vacation.  It is written to share MY Cape Breton with the world.  While you are there, if you have some time, there are many other posts in this and other categories.  I have enjoyed reading about different places in his blog, and I suspect if you want to read more about other places in the world, this is a way for me to help you discover the world through other people’s eyes, with their own stories.

You can read my Guest Blog # 2, Homesick for the Home of my Heart, here.

I hope you enjoy both stories for this project.  As always, I have enjoyed writing them.  Always Thinking…