People don’t like change. I’m a people. Therefore, I don’t care for change, either.
But change I must.
Starting today, I will post on this blog three days a week: Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 6am EST. I will still respond to comments, interact and read blogs as normal. I just won’t be posting seven days a week. June 20, 2010 was the last day that this blog did not have a new post or a newly-posted re-post, so this will be a very big change for me….and maybe for some of you.
I have a Very Big Deadline to hit. I’m excited. And petrified. I can walk 444-miles in 34 days. I’m capable of enticing my dad into a grand adventure before the clock strikes midnight.
Can I make that into a compelling story?
Time—sleepless, shifting, maddening time—will tell.
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I read a fun book on my walk.
Memoirs of a Dilettante Volume One by Helena Hann-Basquiat was a crazy, sophisticated romp through the world of all things dilettante, led by the ultimate cruise director, Helena herself. (And sometimes by Penny, her delightful niece.) The book turns pages by jumping around the history of your favorite dilettante, with hilarious outtakes to an appendix that is in itself wordsmithery. It’s a not-to-be-missed journey, darlings. A soundtrack of Life. A very fun romp (and I type that knowing I read the book when my feet felt like doing anything but romping.)
Buy this book. Read this book. Help this deserving writer find her place among the stars.
You can get the book at Amazon by clicking here: I’m a Darling, darling.
To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis is available in paperback and e-book formats at these outlets: Click to Purchase To Live Forever.
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58 Comments
I try to write daily, Andra, but for one reason or another I miss a day or two here and there. Change is good, however, and you will find more time to do other things.
All to do with writing, but other things. I’ll be interested to see how long I can adhere to this schedule, as I suspect I’ll want to post on days when I’ve said I’m not going to.
Good for you, Andra. I’ve “downsized”, too. With work, school, etc., I just don’t have time to blog every day. I miss it, but agonizing over it just makes more stress. I blog when I can and keep wishing I could do more.
I don’t know how you do it, Donna. I’d still be stuck trying to figure out how to use that calculator. I may change things up again if I see that I’m making more progress toward the deadline. It’s a full, editable draft by May 29. Yikes!
You can do anything you set your mind to, and I will be the first in line to buy your next book.
Well, you’ll probably be in it. Ha.
LOL. Just got a package from you today. <3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJSv6JXKS_I
Ch-ch-Changes
Pretty soon you’re gonna get a little older
Time may change me
But I can’t trace time
I said that time may change me
But I can’t trace time
There’s a good alternate book title in there (if I didn’t already have one.)
I’ll just say what I’ve been saying. You go!
I hope the words will cooperate. I don’t doubt myself. It’s the words I worry about.
But how will I know how to start my day without your post? I think I can manage if it means you will be able to complete your book. Good luck.
You can re-read the three per week that I put out. Or the library of them in the archives. 🙂 I could’ve resorted to reposts on the four days per week that I need to not be here, but I decided that was a cop-out.
Every chapter you have embarked on has begun with change! Forward unto the breach!
Can’t wait to see what comes of more time to write longer form.
The immediate payoff of blogging has always kept me from doing more long-form writing. Now that I know I have two books that are going to be published, though, with definitive publication dates, it’s good incentive to work on them.
That’s huge, Andra! Good for you! You know what you need to do!
I’m terrified I won’t be able to do it, Linda, but I must, regardless.
Ooh . . . you should have a contest for the title of your new book!
“Does Roy Shit In The Woods?”
“How to Eat an Ice Cream Cone . . . One Handed!”
“Nachos on the Natchez”
Ha. I’ve already got a working title, though there will be a contest involved with the launch of the book. I’m very excited about the contest, almost as much as the book itself.
this sounds like a positive change. rather than seeing it as losing something, it is really a gain, and just a shift in how your time will be spent. best of luck with all, we’ll be watching ) beth
I hope I’ll see it as a gain in the end. 🙂
I also just decided to cut back to blogging twice a week: Mondays and Thursdays. I keep up with my daily reading, but needed to pull back from the pressure of writing 3-4 times a week. Funny how a job will actually encroach on blogging time. 🙂
And I keep saying that one of these days I’m going to sit down and start to edit the first year stuff to create an eBook about the journey. I know it’s not as simple as compiling the blog posts for 2013 into a book format. I need to rework it – and that takes time. One of these days…
Good luck with your new book! Can’t wait to read it.
You really do have a book in that, Nancy. Once you pull it all down and start piecing it together, I bet you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make it all fit.
I need to prioritize on that, and I haven’t. I’m thinking maybe it’ll happen during vacation. We’ll see.
The change feels a bit strange at first but after a short time you will come to accept it. At least that was how it was for me when I first changed the number of posts I did a week.
Every time I feel like I miss it, I just need to write another chapter, do another scene. I hope that will bridge the gap quickly.
Of course you can do it! I’ll miss the daily updates, but you’re time management will also make mine just that little much easier. I’ve put Memoirs of a Dilettante on my “to read” list. We’ll see if I can get to it before the year’s out!
If only my brain weren’t so fuggyfuggyfuggy today……….I never feel like I can do anything when I’m in that state. 🙂
Good for you Andra and I would think the priority is the book, not the blog.
It all works together, Howard.
Best of luck to you!
I need luck to hit this deadline, Nate.
I know what you mean. That sci-fi deadline you showed me back in January was simply impossible for what I could muster.
Change is always exciting! And of course, you can do this. Can’t wait to read your next book 🙂
I can’t wait for it to be available, Laurence. That will mean it’s finished. Ha. 🙂
I have a deadline too. I’m already a month overdue. Too much going on. Time to reprioritize.
Yep. You have a willing reader here, you know.
Good idea to introduce some moderation. Otherwise other projects tend to take too long.
Since I don’t have too long………..
I don’t think anyone will begrudge you some breathing room, Andra. Good luck!
Thanks, Phillip.
I am always wondering how often I should blog. One a week too little? Every day too much? As you, I have other things I want to work on, plus having a full time job takes aware magic time. And I imagine if I ever get published the time/space continuum will change once again. I enjoy reading your writing no matter how much — or how little. Good luck with Change. I think I will try it, too.
I’m blogging on my busiest days, if that helps you any, Claudia.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the distinction between blogging and writing. I think that I’m a writer first and foremost, and that the blogging is the more difficult of the two for me. All that socializing is exhausting! Definitely spend your time working on what you deem most important. Your fans/followers/whatever won’t go away simply because you don’t say hi every day.
Oh, great book, by the way. Odd, definitely nothing like I’ve ever seen before. But good. I may be biased.
Thanks for the review!
I hope it generates some sales, Helena. I really loved it.
“Life’s about changing, nothing ever stays the same.”
Every time someone talks about a big change in his/her life, my mind immediately goes to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvHpZ_GEQYA The song was big at about the same time I had a huge change in my life; the line has stuck with me ever since.
I’ll miss the daily blog posts, but anticipation for the larger payoff of TWO books in your production pipeline, and major excitement about what’s happening for you, will offset that. 🙂
You’ll still see me enough. I hope. 🙂
Are you working on a new book then? Because that would be a pretty good move.
Working on two, Rob. Memoir about the trip with Dad first. Sequel to TLF second.
Two moves out — that’s what chess players call “development”.
I’ll be here. 😀 I’m looking forward to reading your next book Andra. Also, I’ve gotten great feedback from the people that I’ve given your books too and I’ve encouraged them to give it a review. You go lady – I’ll be here checking on you – do what you need to do. 🙂
Good idea to refocus your energy. The best thing about a blog is that it is always there for you to use as you see fit. I look forward to reading your three posts per week.
I will miss your daily posts as that is how I start my day! 🙂 You might have a deadline that is fast approaching, but I always feel I get more done under pressure. You will do this! I am so looking forward to the memoir about your trip with your Dad. I have a feeling I’m going to love it! So glad I could make it to the book signing! The cupcake was delish!
Book deal!!! yay YOU! Write on, my dear, words know no limit (unless you’re the editor ) ~
Best of luck with the deadline, Andra – onward and upward and wherever else we need to go to get things done. Hope you had a nice day yesterday. I was going to get an ice cream cone -then, thought of Roy, and, well . . .
I think this is such a realistic and reasonable goal, Andra. I am absolutely amazed you’ve been keeping your blogging schedule intact along with so many additions to your life and schedule. No one can really keep expanding without at some point exploding. We don’t want that. LOL! So you’re wise, and just keep your eyes on the things that most nourish you right now. Your deadline sounds important. ox
I can’t believe you have been posting daily since 2010! I knew you were devoted to your readers but WHOA! Smart move. 🙂
Hello Andra,
I’ve explored your blog and really enjoy it. Will be spending more time doing so. If you are interested I’d like to extend an invitation to you to be a guest blogger on “Life in Russia”. I’ve had several writers create posts that have been very well received. It would be very interesting for our readership to read about your thoughts about your book and travels on the Natchez Trace. If you are interested please contact me through my about me section in the sidebar of “Life in Russia” blog. Hope to hear from you.
Steve
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