Happy Sunday, Everyone!
This week has been somewhat productive, which, for me lately, is an improvement.
Last week, I had a touch of whatever cold-type sniffle thing is floating around, and with my bad sleep habits, I ended up sleeping most days. I even missed my painting class on Wednesday. I accomplished minimal writing and art. When you have a deadline, that’s not a good thing.
A few good things that I did this week that I think are a good start for promoting my new novella, which will be released in March:
- I sent the first 15-ish pages of Dangerous Desires to my editor. As I’ve said before, editing and beta readers are a treasure and a must-have for authors.
- I attended a local small business meet-up where I made a few contacts.
- This one happened completely by accident. I ran into a local author who has quite a few books published. She is a hybrid author, which means she publishes both independently and through a traditional publisher. She started a group for writers that meets monthly and helps them in several ways. She shared a few ideas, gave me words of encouragement, and updated me on the upcoming meeting content. She also mentioned recent changes at IngramSpark (a publishing center), which is taking steps to attract more independent publishers and make their services more affordable.
- I set boundaries with a group I’m helping. We were supposed to meet today (Sunday), but they never confirmed if we were or weren’t meeting. They also didn’t respond to messages regarding the time and date. So, I let the coordinator know that if they couldn’t respect my time, I wouldn’t be available on a whim. The kids in the group that I’m working with are fantastic—it’s the adults that are the problem. I gave the dates and times I am willing to meet, and they can either accept those or find someone else. So, we shall see.
- I started a new art challenge with a friend, and the piece will be in charcoal. I chose to do a chimera—three heads. I’ll post the progress once I decide whether to share it in stages or wait until it’s completed.
- I found two beta readers for my nephew’s girlfriend’s horror book. I sent them the book along with 18 questions to answer.
- I finished the story I needed to submit and will be sending the revised version to my contact for inclusion in her Oracle card book.
When I look back on these events, in retrospect, they aren’t so minor. Little things can turn into important pieces of the puzzle, reminding me that even moments that seem insignificant matter. A smile at a stranger could lead to a friendship, a business partnership, or even saving a life.
Just yesterday at my Toastmasters club, I spoke about the fact that every voice matters. We have had a difficult time getting members to take on leadership roles, sign up for weekly club roles, or even just speak up. I understand that everyone is busy with family, work, and other responsibilities, but they joined the club for a reason. Each member helps support one another, and in turn, they need to speak up and let their voices be heard. As I said in my speech, “Every voice matters because every person matters.” Whether someone can attend a meeting or not, their opinion is still important. Even if I don’t always agree with what someone has to say, I still want to hear it.
Last but not least, our goals group meets tonight to check in and make any necessary changes before we fully head into the next two months of the quarter. I’ve missed two days, so I currently owe $3.00 to the accountability jar. I will also be making a few changes to my goals, which I’ll post about next week.
With all of this, I have to say—this was a good week, and Sunday is closing out on a positive note.
I hope your week has been a great one and ends on a good note as well.
Till later, have a wonderful upcoming week filled with love, laughter, hugs, and blessings!