Usually Don’t Need Time Off…
Mostly because what I do is not really work in any form. Sure, it’s tiring at times, but I get to write as much as I want, work with other writers in workshops to help them advance, and play with collectables. Nope, not work.
This last three or four weeks have been pretty nonstop, so I just decided today to stop for a bit, do something slightly different just to break the routine. I headed into the valley to do some picking by myself. Took my time getting back.
Nap, cooked dinner, watched The Voice, another nap, did a few assignments I hadn’t gotten done yesterday, then to my writing computer.
Actually didn’t start the book tonight but instead just sat reading about the history of Las Vegas and other stuff. Kris a while back had gotten me a few nifty books about it and I spent the night reading those.
So a fun day.
Tomorrow night I will write up a lot of my comments to the writers in the fall short story challenge on their stories I have read and get them comments back. Going to pace that over five or six days.
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Exercise
I haven’t mentioned the exercise part of my 67 challenge much here because it sort of got back burner over the last month. But starting Friday that will change.
My routine in the morning is to stagger out of bed, take a shower, and go from there.
Kris and I were talking about the exercise goal for me and she asked me how I did it the first time I completed a marathon. How did I get the routine under control, which has been my problem the last month?
How I did it the first time was get up, put on my running clothes, and stagger out into the weather to run. Then take a shower and go from there.
So Friday a sudden shift for me. Run after getting up and before a shower. I am expecting it to be painful for a week or so, but I will get by that. (grin)
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Speaking of the 67 Publishing Challenge…
Five books in four weeks since the challenge started, so a good start. I will shortly be starting a little fun way of keeping track of them here through the year. Stay tuned. 67 is a ton of books.
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Promotions Package has two spots left open after today.
Full information at: https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/promotion-and-sales-package/
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Fantastic Christmas Bundle
I’m not sure why more people aren’t grabbing this new Christmas Cheer bundle with Storybundle that I curated. For me, Christmas stories are a way of life every year. In fact, I have a hunch this new novel I will start tomorrow night will end up a Christmas book. No idea why, but Christmas in Vegas is always a fun time, so should be a fun time to write about.
And all the novels in this bundle fit the title Christmas Cheer. Happy endings abound.
I guess I must be strange with my love of Christmas reading. But if you love Christmas reading and just haven’t gotten to it yet, grab this bundle. It will be gone the day after Christmas.
You can get it at www.storybundle.com/christmas
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Short Story and Novel Challenge
Yup, I am going to do this again in January. I am taking five on each challenge starting on January 1st. So don’t miss on this one if you want a great challenge to start off your new year. Details are a few posts back.
But basically 30 stories in sixty days or three novels in three months. You sign up, when you are done, you get two regular workshop credits. (And with me reading your work I’ll be able to tell you which workshops will help you the most.)
Cost is $600 (same price as two workshops, so I read for free). Write me at dean.wmgworkshops@gmail.com if interested in jumping in. I will shut it off at five per challenge.
This will really get your resolution to produce more off the ground in January. And yes, here there are spots open in both challenges.
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December Regular Workshops Will Close Shortly
Still time to sign up. I will put up the January workshops in a day or so.
Those of you with credits from either the Kickstarter or the certificate special we just offered, you must write me to sign up.
Those who would just like to sign up directly can do so on Teachable at any point. December workshops are there and started, just going into the second week. So basically last call.
Nice to have some options on signing up finally.
Class #61… Dec 5th … Think Like a Publisher
Class #62… Dec 5th … Endings
Class #63… Dec 5th … Point of View
Class #64… Dec 5th … Writing Mysteries
Class #65… Dec 5th … Speed
Class #66… Dec 5th … Teams in Fiction
Class #67… Dec 6th … Depth in Writing
Class #68… Dec 6th … How to Edit Your Own Work
Class #69… Dec 6th … Character Development
Class #70… Dec 6th … Writing Secondary Plot Lines
Class #71… Dec 6th … Advanced Depth
Class #72… Dec 6th … Novel Structure
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Great piece of advice from Voice coach Jennifer Hudson: “Stop singing the perfect song. Tell your imperfect story.”
This season has been a master class on song choice, emotion, and connecting with a target audience. All the singers are so damn good–even the duets worked this time around–it came down to those elements. Thank you _so much_ for pointing writers like me in the direction of this show.
Yeah, a stunning season and Kris stopped the show on that comment by Jennifer and we listened to it again. Spot on the money. Impossible for newer writers to understand though. Maybe if they watched the Voice it might sink through that way. And I agree, a master class on emotion and connecting. Stunning season. Just stunning.