Author: Betsy Horvath

The Next Generation

Previously on Betsy’s blog –

Betsy, as you may know, is on a Quest to become a successful independent author. Harry, as you may also know, is her Guide on this Quest. He is a white gerbil with hopes of one day upgrading to a more traditional Quest Guide form. Maybe a white rabbit, or even a white stag.

Harry hasn’t had a heck of a lot to do lately, mostly because Betsy’s been in a bit of a funk. They actually haven’t spoken all that much, which is kind of concerning, considering the fact that Harry lives in Betsy’s brain. But today, things seem different. Harry is bustling around his office, and Betsy is acting…happy. What in the world is going on?

Let’s see….

*Betsy enters her brain* *Walks through neural pathways* *Whistles* *Playfully taps a ganglia* *Opens a door, and walks into Harry’s office* *Stops short*

What’s going on in here?

*Harry is sitting on top of his gerbil habitat in a starship captain’s chair* *Swivels to face Betsy*

Hey, doll. We’re about to take off for a new adventure right?

*Betsy squints* You redecorated. It looks like the Starship Enterprise in here. And you’re wearing red spandex.

*Harry snaps his suit* It brings out the color of my eyes. Besides, I’m outta the Captain Kirk outfit. We’re in Next Generation territory now.

*Betsy walks further into the office and settles on an uncomfortable chair behind a sleek modern desk*

We are?

We are. This is the next generation of your Quest. So, goodbye old-school gold captain’s uniform, hello dangerous red. We’re taking chances. We are making it so. Kicking ass and taking names. We are engaging. Booyah! *Harry does a seated karate chop*

I thought I was just writing.

*Harry points a paw at her* Exactly, Number One. You are making it so.

Because I have another book that’s almost finished and it’s going to come out soon? (Attention reader – see what I did there? I injected some marketing. And this? This is breaking the fourth wall. Hey, I saw Deadpool too.)

*Harry frowns at her* I saw what you did there. You injected some marketing.

*Betsy blinks* Why? Because I mentioned that I have another book almost finished and it’s going to come out soon?

Yes.

Well, it’s hardly marketing. I didn’t tell people that there will be a cover reveal coming soon, did I? Or that they should stay tuned because I’ll be revealing it and the first chapter here on the blog?

No, but—

And I didn’t mention that I’ll let everyone know when it’s available for pre-order, did I?

No, but—

And I didn’t say that I’ll post sales links as soon as they’re available, did I?

Would you shut up? *Harry snaps at Betsy* People don’t want to hear about marketing all the time. Don’t you have any deep thoughts this week? Any layers you want to strip off your soul to bare it before the world?

*Betsy shrugs* Not really. I’m actually feeling pretty okay these days.

*Harry sighs* *Pinches bridge of nose* God, you make me tired sometimes. Okay, fine. Tell everyone about the book.

Oh, oh. *Betsy sits straighter* Well, the book is titled Believing It, and it’s the prequel to Handling It. It stars June and Calvin, who were pretty big characters in that book. If anybody read it and remembers.

*Harry snorts* Prequel. Just like Star Wars.

No, no! Well, yes, but no. See, I would have released the books in order, but I didn’t know I needed to write Believing it until Handling It was finished. Hopefully it will fill in some additional information, and you’ll get to know June and Calvin better. I’m hoping to spin them off into a series of short novels falling in between the other books in the series. But I’m not going to have a prequel trilogy or anything.

Okay.

And I’ll have a cover reveal and first chapter here on the blog soon. I got the manuscript back from my editor, but then life got busy, and I haven’t finished the editing yet. So, when I have it available for pre-order, I’ll post all of that stuff. But my newsletter that comes out tomorrow, March 7, will have a special early cover reveal and the description. Did you remember I have a newsletter (see link in sidebar)?

*Harry sniffs* You’ve never given me the privilege of appearing in your newsletter. So no. I didn’t remember it.

Don’t sulk. Every month I tell people the news—

If you have any.

—and there’s an excerpt from The Hardy Falls Gazette, which is the online newspaper edited by Ms. Gregory, the Hardy Falls librarian.

Great.

But don’t worry. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can subscribe now and get the links for all of the old newsletters! All of them!

Uh huh. *Harry folds paws on stomach* And how many newsletters are there again?

*Betsy’s eyes slide left* So, this will be, like, the third one.

Since you started the thing six months ago, I see we’re going gangbusters over there.

Hey, I’m getting better! And the newsletter will come out regularly and the blog will come out regularly and the books will come out regularly and maybe short stories will come out regularly, too!

You sound very regular.

I am!

*Harry settles back in chair* Okay, so let me recap the point of this post, since we seem to have lost the theme somewhere along the way.

Okay.

We’re starting the next generation of your Quest.

Which is why you’re wearing the Picard uniform instead of the Kirk uniform.

Exactly. And you have a book you’re finishing up and it will come out soon.

Soon!

And when it’s available for pre-order, you’ll post information here. But for now if somebody wants to see the cover and read the full description—and honestly, who’s going to be that excited about it except you?—they can subscribe to your newsletter (see link in sidebar) and it will be in the newsletter coming out on March 7th. That about cover it?

*Betsy claps hands* Yes!

Okay. *Harry arches an eyebrow* Mind if we get started on the next generation of your Quest now? Mind if we get this starship going so we can promote your regularity?

*Betsy bounces in chair* Yes! Yes! Let’s go, let’s go! Make it so!

*Harry sighs*

Say it! *Betsy squeals* Say it!

God. Okay, yes. Make it so Number One.

Aye aye, Captain. *Betsy salutes and runs out of the post*

I really need a drink.

To be continued….

March 6, 2016
Everything Changes

Nothing is certain. Nothing is forever. Nothing is written in stone.

You think you’ve got it under control, so you let things coast along a little bit. Nothing wrong with that. You have the right to watch some damned television, don’t you? You have the right to play a freaking video game if you want to.

And you get up and go to work. You come home. You eat, sleep, go out to dinner, go to the movies, fall into a routine.

But something is bound to happen to shake up that safe little life. Because life is not static. It never is. Life always changes. We’re just not always ready for the changes it brings.

Nothing drastic has happened in my life—yet. And even if the things I see on the horizon actually happen, they won’t be life or death. They’ll just be different. A major adjustment or two, maybe, but doable.

The problem is, I’m comfortable. I don’t want to change. I don’t want “different.” I don’t want to adjust. I want to keep talking like I’m GOING to change, but not really HAVE to change. But I can see the smoke of a train in the distance and I know there’s a good chance it’s heading my way. And I’m tied to my own comfortable railroad tracks.

This is a blessing. So often a major change or uncertainty comes along and we have been blind to all of the little things leading up to it, or it happens just out of the blue with no warning, like a gust of wind.

When you see the train in the distance, you have two choices. You can lie there, tied to the tracks, and be surprised when you get run over, or you can untie yourself, stand up, and move. If the train hits you, you’re going to move anyway—it just might not be where it’s best to go.

Note – I said “untie yourself”. Don’t count on somebody else to wander over and untie you. Generally speaking, they’re all tied to their own comfortable railroad tracks.

For me, the trains I see coming—there are two of them–are far enough away that I can lie on the tracks and think for a moment.

This is also a blessing. You don’t always have the time to think when change smacks you upside the head. Sometimes you only have time to react.

But I have time to think. More, I have time to dream about what my life could be like when/if I get off the track. I can get up and move to the left, or I can get up and move to the right. Either way has a path, another set of tracks, if you will. Both paths are equally valid, both have pitfalls.

Then there’s the fact that the changes I think I see coming are still potential changes. They may not happen at all. They may not happen the way I think they will. Something entirely different may happen. But seeing the smoke in the distance is a valuable wake-up call to the reality that there will be change, somehow, someway, somewhere. In a lot of ways, life IS change. Change IS reality. The only question is—how will I respond?

When you are lying on the tracks trying to decide which way you want to move—or if you want to just let the train(s) run over you—you have to think about what’s really important. What matters? When it comes down to it, what can you live with? Where are you committed? Where are you just giving lip service because it makes you sound good? What are the actual responsibilities you have, and what are responsibilities you think you have because that’s what you’re supposed to have?

What is the truth?

This truth has to be something you feel inside, not what other people tell you is best. You may feel the calling to do something that nobody else understands. Maybe you don’t understand it, either. Maybe it terrifies you, just a little bit. Or maybe it terrifies you a lot.

A train is coming, whether or not it’s the train you expect.

I’m going to tell you a true thing – there is always a train.

I think when you’re faced with a crossroads, one of the roads is always rational. Sometimes the rational way is the way you should go. Sometimes its not. Sometimes you should roll to the left. Sometimes you should roll to the right. Sometimes the best decision is not to move at all and let yourself be swept away. That’s wonderful – as long as it was a conscious decision.

But if you stand at a crossroads staring blankly at the street signs, you mustn’t be surprised if a car runs you over because you didn’t realize you wanted to get out of it’s way. You can’t be on the tracks and be surprised when the train comes.

There is always a train. You don’t have a choice about that. But you can choose how you’ll respond to it.

February 28, 2016
Start Again

Uh oh. We haven’t heard from Betsy in quite a while. That can’t be good. What in the world has been going on with her? Has she fallen down a rabbit hole again?

Let’s see….

*Betsy sits alone in an empty room* *A Dark Voice echoes against the walls*

Food…spend…eat…you know you want to…

No. *Betsy shakes head to clear it*

One more time. Trust me. You’ll start again tomorrow. You’ll be better tomorrow. Play video games today.

No. *Betsy sounds less certain* I gave in yesterday, and the day before that, and, okay, maybe the day before that, but I won’t give in today. I want to write. I want to live.

Please. You haven’t done anything for months. But that’s okay. You deserve a break. You deserve to take it easy. You’ve got a lot on your plate. Besides, you already screwed up today. There’s no point in even trying to start something until tomorrow.

Well…

One more day. One more dollar. One more pastry. What does it matter? You work hard. Aren’t you entitled to enjoy yourself?

Well…

And you WILL move forward. You’re just going to start tomorrow. What’s wrong with that? Take it easy. Relax.

*Betsy frowns* That sounds wrong for some reason.

*The Voice laughs, silky and smooth* You’re being too hard on yourself. Besides, you need to be in the right frame of mind to start a project, don’t you? You’re just setting yourself up to fail otherwise, aren’t you?

But…

Cut yourself a break. There’s a lot going on right now.

Well, yeah, but I haven’t written anything in weeks, not even a newsletter or a blog post.

You’re just taking a well deserved rest. You finished your book and got it to the editor AND you have the next book plotted out and ready to go. That’s fast for you. You’re being too hard on yourself.

Maybe. *Betsy chews lip* It’s just that I haven’t been getting home early enough to do any work because I’ve been out running around. And then because I’ve been eating stupid at night, I don’t wake up early enough to work. And even if I did wake up early enough, I can’t think or be creative because my brain and body are swimming in sugar and my head doesn’t work right. That seems wrong.

But then by the afternoon you know food and eating and spending make you feel better and warm and fuzzy. You feel in control of yourself and your destiny.

But it’s a lie! *Betsy throws arms wide* I’m not in control. You’re in control.

*Silence*

You’re in control, *Betsy repeats* Not me

Really? Who do you think I am? *The Voice sneers* Where do you think I come from? I AM you, idiot. I’m your reality. I’m what you know to be a fact. You know you’re just lying to yourself when you say you’ll move towards your goals. You’ll never do it. Never have. Never will. You’ll always fall back. You’ll never change. You’re just fooling yourself. Everyone will laugh at you. In fact, they’re laughing now.

*Betsy stares out at the gathering darkness* I’m afraid.

Of course you’re afraid. *The Voice laughs* Might as well eat cake because who the hell cares?

But I care. *Betsy murmurs* Harry cares. Skipper cares. The Muse cares.

Yeah? *The Voice sound smug* You really think the Muse cares? Haven’t heard her singing lately, have you?

Yes, I have. *Betsy speaks slowly* Just now, in fact. As I’ve been writing this blog post.

You’re writing a blog–

It’s like she’s been waiting for me to listen. And as soon as I gave her an opening, she was there.

You don’t–

You’re not my reality. *Betsy grimaces* Or not my only reality. The Muse lives inside me. Harry and Skipper do, too. I’m not alone with you. You are not everything I am.

That doesn’t mean anything. *The Voice sounds sulky* You listen to me more than you listen to any of them.

But they’re in me too. And all of my stories are in me, the ones I’ve written and the ones I haven’t. Maybe they’re not always good stories, but they’re mine and they’re inside me. And all of the people I write about are in me. All of the characters.

I don’t see what this has to do with anything.

There’s so much more to me than just you, Voice. *Betsy sits straighter* I’ve chosen to listen to you. But I don’t have to.

Oh come on. *Voice sounds seductive* Forget about this and have a danish. You know you want to. We can deal with all of this tomorrow. Just do what you want to do today. You deserve it. Tomorrow you can start with a clean slate.

*Betsy stares at the walls of the room* *Pictures start to appear* *Colors* I don’t have to be a victim. Not of other people’s expectations. Not of my own insecurity. I don’t have to listen to you, Voice. I can make other decisions.

Seriously. Lets go to the store and you can get a new toy or a book or something. And we’ll get a sandwich. No biggee. You can start all of this improvement stuff tomorrow. Take time to get your head together first.

I can choose to be different. I don’t have to be the way I have been. I have the tools. I have the talent. I can be better than I was. Better. Stronger. Faster.

Ahhhhhhh!

*Betsy draws in a breath*

I just have to be brave enough to be who I am.

Finally. That took you long enough.

Muse?

Who else? Come on. We’ve got a lot of work to do. It’s a nice day to start again.

To be continued…

January 31, 2016
Trust and Rewriting

*Betsy sits at her desk* *Taps fingers on keyboard* *Chews lip* *Looks around room* *Opens computer file*

Whatcha doing?

*Betsy jumps* *Straightens in her chair* Muse? Is that you?

Who else? *Muse pets cats* *Cats do not claw, but purr and roll over to allow Muse to pet their bellies* *Muse walks over to Betsy* *Props hip against desk* So? What are you doing?

*Betsy runs finger along front edge of desk* Thinking.

Oh, Jeeze. Don’t do that. You’ll hurt yourself. *Muse strolls over to recliner* *Sits and props feet up* You know I can’t help but notice you’re not as happy as I thought you’d be at this stage of the game.

I’m happy! *Betsy chews lip some more*

Could have fooled me. What’s going on? I mean, the book is basically finished, right? Just one more polish read-through and then off to the editor, assuming you don’t find anything major. Booyah! *Muse pumps her fist*

Yeah, but–

*Muse gets up and walks back to Betsy* This is what you’ve been working for. It’s finished! Well, mostly finished. And even though you didn’t set any records writing the thing, it’s a new personal best, especially since you freaked out and had the mess of getting Handling It published right in the middle there. It’s a good start on–

It sucks.

–your…. *Muse blinks* Excuse me?

I think it sucks and I want to rewrite it.

Uh, huh. *Muse crosses her arms and studies Betsy* Sooooo…..why do you think it sucks?

Because it does! *Betsy throws hands in the air* *Gets up* *Starts to pace around living room* I can just feel that it does. It’s terrible and I’m terrible and I’m a total and complete failure and everyone will laugh at me. I have to rewrite it! No, I have to rip it all apart and start again!

*Muse grabs Betsy’s arm and pulls her to a stop* Now, hold on there little trooper. Just calm down.

I HAVE TO REWRITE! *Betsy shouts*

Have you even read it? I mean, from start to finish, all the way through. Have you looked at the whole thing now that it’s basically finished?

*Betsy scuffs foot on carpet* No, but–

So how can you judge it? *Muse sighs* You have to believe in yourself. You have no idea if it’s good or not at this point.

But–

*Muse shakes Betsy a little* And you have to trust me, trust the path we laid out at the beginning.

But–

*Muse shakes Betsy a little harder* AND if you rewrite this story, if you start over again, you lose THIS story. You’ll have a new story after you’ve rewritten it.

*Betsy pouts* That’s kind of the point.

*Muse throws up her hands and paces away* *Paces back* But what if this story is actually good? You’ll lose it, and you’ll lose the year it took you to write it. That’s just stupid.

*Betsy scowls* But what if its not good?

You have to trust the story. *Muse sighs* *Rubs the bridge of her nose* Look. You’re right. It might not be the best thing you’ll ever write, but it’s probably not that bad. And if you spend all of your time rewriting to try to be perfect–which you never will, by the way–you won’t be writing one of the other stories you have in your head.

*Betsy scowls* *Folds arms across chest* But I have to make it the best it can be.

Oh, absolutely. But that doesn’t mean rewriting the same darned story over and over again. At some point you have to let it go and move on. Fly free, little bird.

*Betsy’s scowl deepens* And just….trust. You know I’m bad at that.

*Muse sighs* You have to trust the creative impulse. It led you to where you ended up. You have to trust yourself and your own desire to bring the story out the best that you can. It might be that you’re not talented enough or good enough or experienced enough to bring it out perfectly. That’s only to be expected. But it will be the best we can possibly make it at this point in time. And when it is finished, we’ll start the next one. And the next one will be whatever it will be.

Great. *Betsy considers* So, you’re saying…don’t start over?

*Muse rolls eyes* Yes! That’s what I’m saying! Revision is okay, to a certain extent, to polish things up, but you can’t let it get out of control. If you keep starting the same thing over and over again, you’ll never get anything accomplished. You can’t keep rewriting this book because you’re afraid, or you don’t think you can do it again with a new book. If you want to be a professional, you’ll need to let things be finished without being perfect. You’ll need to be able to move on, not get stuck running in the same wheel.

O….okay. If you think so. *Betsy sits back at desk* *Opens computer file* *Starts to read* Hmmm…well…maybe it’s not as bad as I thought it was?

*Muse sighs* Right. You’re going to find that it won’t be as bad as you thought. And you’re going to find that it won’t be as good as you’d like. But it will be one thing.

What’s that?

It will be finished.

To be continued…

November 1, 2015
Commitment

I was on vacation from the day job last week. When I scheduled the week off, I intended to spend it writing, except for two appointments I had scheduled for my elderly mother.

Ah, the best laid plans…

By the time the week–my blessed week–finally arrived, it had somehow transformed into nothing more than a fun-fest of appointments. I had two, sometimes three appointments a day, and they weren’t short ones, either. I was having some medical testing done (don’t worry – everything seems to be fine), so on a few of the days I had to be at the hospital or outpatient center for hours at a time. I still had to cart Mom around to where she needed to go. I had to take the cat to the vet. I even had to sit at the DMV to renew my license. Not exactly the stress free time off I had planned!

Now, I did this to myself. These were things I needed to do, so I scheduled them when I had the time to do them–during my vacation. I’m the one who piled them all on top of each other, because I wanted to fit everything in. But when I realized I wasn’t going to be home very much during the week, and that the writing time I had anticipated had basically been thrown out the window, I got pretty depressed.

My traditional response to a week like this is to come to a full stop and eat myself into a stupor whenever possible. In other words, I try to escape. But I knew that I didn’t want to do that this time. And, most importantly, I knew it BEFORE it happened–not after it was all over (which is when I usually realize I don’t want to do what I have just done).

See, I feel like I’m starting to move forward with my over-arching goal: to write. To really be a writer. And I knew if I let a week like this stop me, I would be setting myself back. Maybe even unwinding some of the good steps I’ve taken.

So I knew I wanted to keep writing in spite of the obstacles. I told myself that I was committed. F*** them all, I was going to just keep moving forward, no matter what happened! Darn it!

Fortunately, I was at a point in the manuscript where I was writing some new scenes, not trying to revise (which would have been harder to do on the road). I bought a bigger purse so I could carry my little tablet computer and a stenopad with me wherever I went. And I wrote.

I wrote when I was sitting in waiting rooms, when I was in between tests, when I was waiting at the vet because I’d actually caught the cat early and we were there an hour before his appointment. I wrote when I was half-naked waiting for a machine to become available. People looked at me strangely as they walked past, and I’m sure they wondered what in the world I was doing. But I kept writing. Then, when I got home, I put whatever I’d done into the main document on my computer.

I have a budgeted amount of time I want to write each day. I did not hit the budgeted time every day, but I hit it ALMOST every day. I didn’t get done as much as I wanted to do, I didn’t get done as much as I’d planned to do, but I did get SOMETHING done. And, even more exciting for me, it turned out that what I wrote was actually pretty good. When I got home and put it into the manuscript, I didn’t need to do a lot of rewriting.

Plus, I didn’t even eat ice cream every day!

To be clear – I missed my deadline. My book did not get to the editor, as I had wanted it to when I’d scheduled the week. I didn’t even finish the draft I was working on. But I can’t express to you what a huge revelation this last week was for me. It was difficult, it wasn’t fun, but it showed me that I can do it, if I set my mind to it If I’m committed, I can survive even a week like last week. It might not always turn out so well – I’m sure I will stumble, fall, fail. But if I do it once, I can do it again.

Honestly, I’m a little nervous about writing this post because I don’t want to come off as braggy or set myself up for a fall or ruin any good karma I might have possibly gained. But I did want to share it because honey, trust me – if I can do it, anybody can.

Don’t let the obstacles stop you! Don’t let them send you running for ice cream! Keep going!

Mmmmmmm…..ice cream……

“Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative or creation, there is one elementary truth…that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves. too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would otherwise never have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in ones’s favor all manner of incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man would have believed would have come his way.

Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace, and power in it.”

― W.H. Murray

October 18, 2015
Getting Concrete Part 2

Previously on Betsy’s Blog…

Betsy has been meeting with Skipper, a chipmunk who happens to be the best goldarned Habit and Goal Implementation Specialist the Muse Council has to offer. In the last post, Skipper broke the news that just coming up with the fuzzy, overarching objective of “I want to write a lot of books and have people read them” is not good enough. Betsy is actually going to have to do something about it.

Betsy, of course, would prefer to think rather than act, but Skipper insists. She has sent Betsy away to come up with her version of a plan. In the meantime, Skipper has contacted Harry, the white gerbil who is the Guide on Betsy’s Quest to become a successful independent author, and asked for backup.

Now Betsy is ready to meet with Skipper again. Has she come up with a battle plan? Does she have any ideas of how to proceed? Does she even know what “successful” means?

Let’s see…

*Betsy enters Skipper’s office in her brain* *Stops*

Skipper?

Yes? *Skipper’s voice comes from somewhere near the floor*

When did your office turn into a jungle? *Betsy pushes aside a large palm branch* *it snaps back and hits her in the face*

It’s symbolic of the obstacles barring your path to the realization of yourself in potential.

Yeah? How? *Betsy spits out a leaf*

Because the weeds grow up and choke you. You have to learn how to hack through them.

Awesome. *Betsy slaps at a mosquito* Um, any chance you can tell me where you are? I don’t want to spend this whole post talking to ferns.

Just keep moving and you’ll find me.

Great. *Betsy pushes her way through the thick undergrowth* *slides on moss* *loses her shoe in quicksand* *gets hit in the head with a mango* *finally breaks through to a small clearing where a fire burns merrily* There you are! *Betsy claps her hands* And Harry’s here too?

Hey, doll. *Harry pulls a stick holding a marshmallow out of the fire* Skipper kind of, whaddayacallit, ‘reached out’ to me and told me you were getting down to the nitty gritty or whatever. She thought I should be here in case you went off the rails.

Off the rails? Never. *Betsy sits at the fire* *looks longingly at marshmallow* Can I have–

No. *Skipper settles beside Betsy* So, now we have to think about how we’re going to get through this underbrush so you can meet your objective to write at least two book-length stories per year. Then, hopefully, you can work your way up to three or four, or even more.

*Harry snorts* Yeah, good luck with that. Got any chocolate? I wanna make smores.

*Betsy drools* Ooooooo….smores…..

None for you. *Skipper points* There’s stuff in the cabinet hidden behind that Sanchezia Speciosa.

Cool. *Harry rummages behind the plant*

Okay. *Skipper crosses her ankles* Talk to me. How can we make this happen. *waves at surrounding jungle* How can we chop through all this?

*Betsy purses lips* Well, the first thing I think I need to do is establish a concrete work routine.

*Skipper straightens* Concrete? Do tell.

Yes. *Betsy pulls out notebook* *flips pages* *reads* I need to work on production writing every day. In the past, I’ve just said “for as much time as I can fit in,” but that doesn’t seem to work. I need to shoot for an actual time. Then I’ll know whether or not I’ve made it.

Because saying ‘as much time as possible’ gives you an easy out. *Harry walks back to the fire with a new pack of marshmallows, chocolate bars, and a box of graham crackers* If you only work, like, fifteen minutes, then you tell yourself it was all you could do, when you were really wasting time watching cat videos.

Cats are not a waste of time. *Betsy watches Harry, distracted by chocolate*

They are as far as I’m concerned. *Harry puts a marshmallow on a stick* *holds stick over fire*

Have you worked out what your daily time goal is going to be? *Skipper cocks head*

Yes. I’ve been working on it for a few weeks.

And you’re going to work every day? Seven days a week? *Harry pulls marshmallow back* *shakes head* Not burned enough. *puts it back in the fire*

Yes. Because when I don’t work on a project for a day or two, it’s easy to let it slide altogether. So I want to work every day, if possible.

*Skipper pulls out her tablet computer* *taps in a few notes* And if you work for the hours you’ve determined you can routinely put in, will you be able to write at least two book length works in a year?

*Betsy shifts* See, that’s part of the problem. I’m still learning my own process, so I really don’t know how long it takes me to do things when I’m committed to working every day. But I’ve started a writing log to help me figure it out. I can’t come up with a schedule until I see how long the different steps take, so I’m trying to track everything. Once I have more information, I’ll have a better idea.

Good. *Skipper types* We like tracking. And routines.

*Harry looks up* *Chocolate is smeared on his face* Just make sure you keep writing every day. That is the key.

*Skipper jumps up* *pumps little fist* Okay! First habit time! Every morning, you’re going to write, and you’re going to try to put in as much as possible of your goal time before you do anything else. How’s that sound?

*Betsy blinks* Like I’m probably insane.

No. *Harry burps* You’re a writer.

Same thing.

To be continued…

October 11, 2015