Category: Writing

Goodbye 2017, Hello 2018

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

Ah, another year is coming to a close.  It’s out with the old and in with the new, that weird old man is retiring and baby new year is bouncing onto the scene.  Side note: how does that baby age so much in one year?   Okay, back on track.  This is my last post for 2017 and I thought I’d talk about what most people are talking about at this time of year – goal setting.

Now, I use quite a few systems that I’ve learned over the past few years to plan out my goals.  I’ve gotten them from various webinars, books, courses, old planners, and online blog searching.   I have no idea who to attribute most of what I’m going to talk about to specifically because at this point it’s a hodgepodge of styles with my own added flair!

I like to start with a general brain dump of things I would like to get done, accomplish, get better at, finish, etc.  That list usually looks like a hot mess, but from there I’ll separate the do-able from the wishes, the first things first to maybe if I have time, and then I make a quarterly plan.  This year was easy, actually, because I know I want to launch my newsletter (with that freebie I keep hinting about) in February and my debut novel will be self-published on Amazon (more about that in 2018) in either March or April so my Quarter One goals were set.  I have a few things bulleted out for Q2, including writing the 1st draft of book #2 and researching blog guest posting, and then I just have a list called: ????  This is a maybe/future list that includes starting a YouTube channel, planning our August family vacation (we know we’d like to go somewhere this summer, but we’re not sure where we’re going this year yet so, for now, it’s on the ???? List), and when to publish/launch Book #2 – only because I have no clue how fast I’ll be able to write and edit since this current novel has taken me years!

I also added some health & wellness goals to my list, music and hobby goals (I want to start singing again and I think I’m getting a hand-me-down acoustic guitar and would like to learn that as well), and some overall family goals (like taking my little one to more museums, doing more things around Queens, and getting the rest of the apartment organized and finished).  My year is shaping up!  It’s all very exciting, shiny, and new.

I am definitely getting excited, especially after I did one final step of my yearly planning…the tarot cards!  I bought Biddy Tarot’s 2018 Planner this year but not to use as a plan-your-day type calendar (I’m still using my Erin Condren bullet journal hybrid), but to help with tarot study – it has monthly spreads, weekly cards, new moon and full moon intentions, quarterly reviews, and some fun journaling prompts along the way.  I did the big New Year’s Eve spread and that was nice, but then I went ahead and also did the Q1 Manifestation Spread (where you talk about your biggest goal for the quarter – mine was launching The Art of Lying) and baby, hold on to your socks – because this was a doozy of a spread.

You basically go through questions about where you are right now with your goal, what weaknesses and strengths you have surrounding the goal, what you need to let go of, what action steps you need to take, and what…overall…the next three months might look like.  These cards were totally speaking to me, they were extremely positive and point to the fact that I am on the right track to finishing Q1 strong!

I won’t bore you with the nitty-gritty details, but I will share with you what I wrote in the summation box of the planner:  This spread has shown me that I need to continue the New Year with hard work and expert planning.  I need to let the creative side celebrate her wins and much earned success, while my business side makes decisions based on knowledge, research, and gut intuition.  I need to stay true to myself, be authentic and human in my marketing and promotions, stay down to earth, but don’t neglect my health in striving for perfection!  If I do these things, keep up my confidence and courage, I should achieve my goal!!!

Now, I’ve done quite a bit of 2018 planning – last week’s Word of the Year and this week’s goal planning, but I’m not done yet.  The writing mastermind I am a part of is having a big Planning Party soon and my mentor will be sharing a workbook PDF that will have questions, prompts, and other goodies for us – now I doubt any of that will have me changing my plans much, but it might help solidify things for me – things I’m worried about, things I’m trying not to freak myself out about (like all the decisions that business side of me actually needs to make soon), and it might just help me narrow down my daily tasks and to-do’s better.  And, I love a good planning party.

So…what have you been planning for the new year?  Any goals you’re just itching to get started with?  Do you do the whole goal setting thing or resolutions?  I personally think both can work as long as you have a plan in place and not just a wish…like I wish I was 25 pounds lighter, but actually, say – I will work out three times a week, cut down to carbs at one meal per day, and meditate daily to help alleviate stress – now that would be a plan!  Also, that sounds very similar to my plan for health and wellness.  HA  So, share!  I’d love to hear what you’re working on next year and where we can maybe each other stay on track.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year,  and a Lovely 2018 to you and yours!!!

One Word to Rule Them All

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

I’ve spoken about this before, but you know that this past year has been all about inner change for me.  I’ve worked on my mindset by fixing beliefs I had about myself and my body.  I’ve worked on things with my therapist and nutritionist through journaling, talking, and other exercises to help me deal with issues I had surrounding food, exercise, and self-hatred.  I’ve declared myself a WRITER to the world and to myself by joining groups, continuing work on my book, sending it to an actual editor, and making real plans to self-publish in the new year.  And through this whole journey, I have used one overall word and two supporting words to guide me.  I used Susannah Conway’s method for finding my Word of the Year in December of 2016 and decided upon the trifecta of Nourish, Patience, and Compassion.

Nourish came into play with everything from making time to write, to eating nourishing foods, to giving myself time to rest and practice self-care.  Patience reminded me to be patient not only with others (especially my six-year-old son) but also myself as the process to change was going to be very long.  Compassion reminded me to love myself as a best friend and to give love and acceptance to those around me.  I journaled and planned and thought about what those words would mean, I talked about them during sessions with both my nutritionist and my therapist, I thought about them as I worked on my book and my blog, and I thought about them as I went through my daily life.  They became a part of my year-long journey and as the year comes to a close, I’m kinda sad to see them go.

The thing is, I redid the whole process again this week and came up with my words for 2018.  While the words I chose for 2017 were very inward and introspective, the words that came up for 2018 are all outward words – big and loud and scary words.  Exciting and daring and a little Holy Crap…but I know they are the perfect three words to support me as I step more into the role of Professional Self-Published Writer, as I become a real Authorpreneur, and as I make decisions about my business and my career.   Are you ready?  The two supporting words this year are Open and Magic and my big overall word is Courage.

I’m hoping to carry these words into all aspects of my life from my relationships, my food and health issues, my therapy sessions, my writing, my self-publishing career, and the way I interact with others and myself in general.   I am hoping for big, scary, amazing things to happen next year and with the support of these words I know I can handle anything and everything life has to throw at me.

So, do you choose a word (or words) to help you through your year?  Do you choose a mantra or motto?  Do you make a vision board (I’m planning on doing this again soon) and create a visual reminder of your yearly goals, hopes, dreams, and plans?  If you do, I would really love to know what word or motto you chose and why, what helped you make the decision, and what you’re planning to do to remind yourself of the word throughout the year.  I plan on having the courage pictures and quotes from this post on my cork board over my desk, and I plan on asking myself the following three questions every day. What can I do today that would be courageous?  What can I do today to be more open?  What can I do today that would help bring some magic to my life?

As the year comes to a close, give yourself time and space to reflect and think back on how much you’ve changed over the last year – then give yourself time to dream and plan and bring some hope as we usher in 2018 and a chance for even more growth and learning.  Isn’t that an amazing thing?  We always have more to learn, more to be, and more to give.

Coffee Break, part 2

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

It’s almost December…how did that happen?  This time of year is full of holidays, family time, and looking forward to the new year.  2018 will be here in a blink and I have quite a few things to finish up before December 31st rolls around. So, grab a cup of warm coffee or hot chocolate and let’s dive right in. 

For starters I’m still working on the editorial revisions of The Art of Lying and should have those back to my editor by Christmas week.   It took me awhile to get back into my novel’s groove but I’m feeling very much in the flow now and should be finished early (with enough time to read through it at least twice and make sure I’m still totally in love with the thing).  Sarah, my editor, said I should have it back by end of January which will be amazing and give me enough time to hire a cover designer, work on and finalize the front and back matter of the novel (the copyright page, dedication page, etc.) and figure out the formatting software I downloaded.

A while ago I mentioned a story about a young man named Leo and I implied that I would be writing a short story to give away if you signed up for my newsletter.  That was the plan until I started working on it and really loved the characters and the plot and all of a sudden my outline was long – like novel-length long – and I decided I wanted it to be Book #2.  Great!  Except I still needed something to give away for my newsletter.  Well, I came up with a cool idea to write 3 mini stories that are based on the novels I’m either writing or have planned so I really need to finish the first draft of all of those by the end of the year too so I can start editing those over Christmas/New Year’s break.  Whew!  Anyone else tired yet?

The goal (as of right now) is to have my newsletter all ready to go with opt-in freebie short stories and welcome messages by early February and the novel ready to launch by mid-March.  I have the outline for book #2 almost done so once I get my book formatted and uploaded to Amazon I can start writing the first draft of that.  As of right now, that’s all I have planned.  I would like to get book #2 to my editor by the middle of 2018 and launched sometime later in 2018 but we will see how all of that works out.  Considering The Art of Lying has been YEARS in the making I might be thinking too big for 2 books in one year.

What’s on your December To-Do list?  What things are you hoping to finish up before 2018 rolls around?  What are your big dreams and goals for next year?  Are you working on plans or still concentrating on December? Let me know in the comments!

Technical Difficulties

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

You might notice that things look a little different around here.  I’m hoping they look better, but I guess that’s subjective isn’t it?

Yesterday, I received an email from my web host that they updated some things on their end – this caused my old blogging platform and my web host to stop speaking to each other (family drama!).  After a little ranting and raving and crying and cursing the Universe I decided that this was actually a good thing.    See, I just created a fancy Facebook Author page, which just went live on Thursday, and then my blog blows up – I felt like the Universe was laughing at me.  Then I decided that the Universe was actually saying, “if you’re going to go BIG then go BIG – do it right!”

So, I downloaded WordPress, installed a fancy theme, and moved my old blog posts over.  I think it looks keen, but again your mileage might vary.  It’s my blog though, so I’ll do what I want. HA  Just kidding – but I do like the simple clean lines of this theme, the fact I can add pages easier than my old platform, and I’ll be able to incorporate my MailChimp newsletter sign-in form so much easier – which, is coming soon (like early 2018 soon).

And that’s the story of my weekend blog meltdown.  I still need to go through and check all the old links, pictures, GIFs, etc and make sure everything on here is linking correctly.  Then I need to go through said fancy Facebook Author Page and re-link the few blog posts I put over there, and then make sure Instagram and Tumblr are okay.  Oh…and Pinterest is probably going to need an overhaul as well.  I tried re-directing things, but it didn’t seem to work like I was hoping so I still have some work to do.   Please be kind, if a link doesn’t work – drop me an email (see that fancy envelope icon in the top left – you can use that to email me now) and let me know.  I’ll continue working and updating and re-linking, but since this week is also Thanksgiving and I’ll be out of town, well – it might not be perfect right away.

So, what do you think of the new digs? Is it as easy to read? Check out the new FB author page too and if you have any friends or family members who love YA novels (especially coming of age stories) and want to check out a new author on the cusp of self-publishing, send them my way!  Thanks, everyone!!!

 

Behind the Scenes: My Writing Ritual

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson
I’ve been reading lots of publishing and writing business books lately and most of them talk about having a writing routine or ritual for getting in the mood to write.  Basically, a set of things you do before you start writing, and that got me thinking – do I have that?  

Currently, I wake up and get my son ready for school, then come back up to our apartment and write my morning pages and mindset, I then exercise, eat breakfast, have coffee, and then I’m ready to start my day and my writing.  If I’m putting down new words I put on music, read through my scene notes or look over my outline cards in Scrivener (my writing program of choice) and start writing. 
If I’m revising or editing, then usually it’s quiet.  I grab any notes I need, look through the scene I’m working on, read through it and get to work.  If I have lots of day job stuff to get to, I’ll put a timer on for my writing sessions, but I like it better when I can just drink my coffee and write until I feel done.  Usually, that’s at the end of a scene or chapter in both instances.  Lately, I’ve been working on revisions for my debut novel and I like to get two chapters done before moving on with my day.  If I’m working on my short stories (which don’t really have chapters) then I like to write at least 750-1000 words for the day.  

That’s it, really.  I’ve been thinking of adding some other things to this ritual or routine such as candles or my new Essential Oil diffuser, a writing warm-up exercise (although I find these distracting if I’m revising, but might be a good idea for when I’m working on novel #2), or somehow using my writing totem.  I have a Figment figurine from Epcot that I bought many moons ago that sits on my desk and reminds me to keep my imagination front and center, to keep asking questions, and most importantly to have fun with my writing.  But I just look at him, I don’t really have any ceremony or ritual with him.


I think the thing that has helped me the most is lately in my mindset practice I’ve been writing: Words flow easily when I sit down to write.  I make every scene I edit better.  I am a master wordsmith.  I am a wizard with revisions.  These things get into my body and when I sit down to write, I just start to write.  I don’t necessarily need a bunch of fanfare to get up and running.   

If you’re a writer, what do you do to get ready to put words on the page? Do you have a writing routine or ritual?  If you do something else creative, like knit or draw, do you have a warm-up that you do before you start?  How do you start your day?  

Writerly Fashion – Fall Edition

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson


It’s fall here in New York City which means pumpkin spice lattes, Thanksgiving, and fuzzy socks!  I love fall fashion in general but I especially LOVE fall fashion as a stay at home writer type person.  Here are just a few of my favorites and a bonus picture of me right now – today!

Leggings and Yoga Pants


Yes, yes and yes! Leggings as pants are a bit controversial and I would have been on the Nay side just a few years ago, but then I discovered LuLaRoe and soft buttery leggings and now I say Yay! (With the caveat, for me, at least, that my shirt needs to cover my butt).  Leggings and Yoga pants are a staple of my everyday wardrobe but especially in the fall.  Yes, I have jeans.  Yes, I wear jeans if I’m going out and about, but if I’m sitting on my couch or in my chair all day writing and working (Virtual Assistant to the rescue!) then I’m going to be comfy.  Step #1 for me is always comfort. Then color, then style.  


Tee Shirts and Tunics


Next on the hit parade is soft, colorful tee shirts and long tunics. Nothing better than throwing on leggings with a tunic – easy breast cover girl! Or a bright red tee shirt with black yoga pants – yes, please!  I feel pulled together and comfortable (remember step #1 from above?).  I don’t have too many shirts with sayings on them, although I do have a Muppets Tee shirt I like to wear, I do have quite a few patterned tunics from LuLaRoe that I like to wear with my solid color leggings.  I feel a bit like Punky Brewster and that’s all good with me.

Hoodies, Flannel, and Cardigans…oh my!


I am usually pretty warm (unlike my Mom who’s always cold) but there are days when the chill in the air is even too much for me and that’s when a 2nd layer comes in handy.  I have a few cardigans, one hoodie that I love, and a big black and white flannel shirt that are my go-to’s when I get cold.  I also have a white snow leopard print blanket that comes in handy if I’m sitting in one place and just need to throw something over my legs and/or feet.


Fuzzy Socks


I saved the best for last, I think.  Fuzzy socks are amazing.  They are soft, comfy, cute, and warm.  I recently bought a bunch more off Amazon because I had a feeling this fall and winter were going to be all about the fuzzy socks for me and so far, I’ve been right.  Right after a shower (I like to do mine at night) I put on some lotion and wrap my toes up in a foot sweater and bam, instant comfort.  It’s like a hug for your feet!  Okay, that was silly, but seriously – fuzzy socks are the best!

So, what is your favorite fashion item for the Fall?  Leather? Velvet? Cashmere?  If you are just chilling or working from home, what do you like to wear?  The one thing missing from my wardrobe right now is a pair of flannel type pjs – you know the old kind with a top and bottom – but I have a hard time finding pants long enough for my 5 foot 10 inch frame but this year I might look again.  Happy Fall everyone!

How I Got Out of My Planner Funk

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson


At the beginning of the year I bought a new planner and was so excited to start using it, but around the middle of the year, it had lost its luster for me.  It wasn’t working….for me.  Now, this has happened in the past, I have tried all sorts of planners and types of planning systems and I’m all gung-ho for a while then it peters out.  Usually, this happens after the newness wears off, but also because I realize that the brand new shiny planner won’t actually do my work for me – it’s just a device to keep track of my things.  My tasks, my goals, my daily to-do lists, etc.  It’s a device, not a robot that’s going to write my blog posts, my novels, my short stories, do my day job work for me.  It’s not going to grow legs and clean my bathroom or do the laundry.  That would be awesome though, but it’s not going to do that so I get in planner funks when I realize that I’m still me – just with a new planner.

So, this time I actually realized that and instead of just jumping into a brand new shiny planner without thinking, I stopped and researched and did some reading and came to the conclusion that a new planner wouldn’t necessarily help me, but that I had chosen my current planner without doing some thinking about what I actually needed a planner to do.  I read an article called Being in a Planning Quagmire (which, btw – awesome word!) and this basically gave me some insights into why I was having problems with my current planner and why I had such issues in the past.

The questions at the beginning of that article helped me realize that I wanted a bullet journal type planner but I hated having to write out the monthly calendars vertically like the original bullet journal concept and I didn’t want to draw the calendar grid every month like I had seen on Pinterest.  I  knew a larger planner wouldn’t be a big deal because I rarely carry it out of the house. I also knew I wanted good paper and bright colors.  Then this question hit me: Are you in a Planner Quagmire because what you REALLY want is too expensive or otherwise out of your reach, and nothing else will do it for you?

Bam!  

This was the mother lode question because I had been pinning for an Erin Condren Life Planner for years but they were pricey so I kept finding other things, other workarounds. I wanted the bright, colorful, sticker-filled fun that was the Erin Condren life planner, but on the other hand, I really wanted a more simplified Bullet Journal style.  So I started googling and low and behold – Erin Condren had released a new version of their Deluxe Monthly Planner style that was monthly calendars in the front (mine runs August to July because it’s an Academic style – works for me as my son is in school and I like starting a new year in September when school starts) and then a boatload of lined pages in the back.  

Yes!  

In between the monthly spreads are planning pages for each month too.  All of a sudden I had these ideas running through my head of exactly what I could do with each section.  This was the bullet journal I was looking for.  Monthly grids all laid out and colorful, planning sections for monthly tasks lists and goals, and blank pages for my daily to-do’s and lists.  I added a smaller dot grid journal for collections (plans, larger lists, year goal matrix, ideas, etc. And so forth) and my system was complete. Side note:  If you’re in the market for a new planner, click HERE for my referral code and save a little bit.

The beauty – once I made the decision and signed up for an account, I got a discount code right away and then because I had linked from a planner girl YouTube friend of mine I got another discount code and then…I discovered the planner was on sale!  It was like the Universe said, okay – you’ve done the work, you made your decision – here’s a gift.  It took awhile to get to me, but it was so worth it.  I’ve been using it for a few months now and I’ll be honest – I still catch myself getting upset that my planner is not doing my work for me, but not as much as I did. HA

Let’s dive in shall we? Get ready, because I’m about to hit you with a ton of pictures!

This is my monthly spread.  



I use color-coded stickers to mark events and birthdays.  I use washi tape to mark vacations. I keep my monthly spread simple.  I realized that the stickers that come with the planner are going to run out, but luckily Erin Condren’s website sells them separately so I’ll be doing that soon.   I like being able to get a large overview of the month before drilling down to weekly and daily tasks. 

This is the page before the monthly spread.


I use this blank dot grid as my Monthly Task List.  I will add to this throughout the month as things come up that I know need to get done that month but aren’t time or day specific.  For example, my son’s Halloween costume.  We needed that by the middle of October but otherwise…it was a pretty open task so it got added to the large monthly task list. I’ve also checked this off as my son chose a very cute, Jack O’ Lantern costume for this year (he’s 6!).

After the monthly spread is the planning pages.


The first page has five sections.  I have divided my life up into sections: Writing, Family, Health and Wellness, Apartment, and Misc. and I write a few goals for each section or tasks that I want to complete that month in each part.  I like this fine, but I am also thinking about using these boxes for each week and writing my Top Goals for the week here.  I might try that one month and see which I like better.  


The next blank page has my social media stats so I can see growth (or lack thereof) and I’ve given myself note space to write down goals, things I need to work on, or things I want to touch on during the month.  The little side column is where I write down my tasks for the Rising Heroes health and wellness online game that I am a part of (and talked about HERE). For now – I really like this page and don’t see much changing.

In the back of the notebook is lots and lots of lined blank pages.  


This is where I (currently) write my Weekly Top 5 tasks (Blog posts, Novel, Short Story, Apartment projects, School stuff, etc.) and then start my daily bullet journal style to-do list with boxes, triangles, and arrows to mark various tasks, appointments, and notes.  I like to use stickers to add some extra color and flair but those things change weekly.  I am Team Blue when it comes to pen colors but I can also see myself using color-coding at some point, but that involves always making sure you have the pens with you…and right now, I’m keeping it simple.


This is my collection book.  It’s matchy-matchy, but not exact and has dot grid paper inside. You can see from my Index page what kinds of things I keep in here, but I’m also hoping to add a page for Fiction Books to read, Non-Fiction books to read, online course tracking (I’m currently in one about Self-Publishing but am getting confused as to which modules I’ve watched or ones I need to re-watch), and I’m thinking of adding a Monthly Habit tracker to this as well- but I also have an app on my phone I like so we’ll see.


So…what do you think? Are you in a planner funk (or quagmire?) – are you strictly an app/phone/digital person or do you like paper and pen and stickers and washi? What do you track in your planner? What ideas do you have for me on how I can utilize my system better?   I have another post planned where I’ll be talking about my favorite writing tools and I will be talking about the apps and software programs I use, but my planner will also be listed so if you want to know more about anything I’m using or want an update – let me know.

What Would a Pro Writer Do? Part 1: Mindset

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

A few months back I joined an online writer’s mastermind called “The Bestselling Author Mastermind Group”.  We communicate mostly through a private Facebook group, but the leader – Jennifer Blanchard also has a very full BAM website for us with so much useful information: video courses, audio courses, and worksheets galore on everything from mindset, writing (both Fiction and Non-Fiction), publishing, selling, and everything in between.  It’s been an amazing group and I can say, without a doubt, that joining has turned my entire writing career around.

Mindset?


If you read that last paragraph and stopped at mindset – you are not alone.  When I was looking into a mastermind or similar type of group earlier this year it was because of a writing book I was reading that talked about leveling up and getting very clear about your goals and your mindset.  And I stopped reading and thought – what? What does mindset have to do with a writing career?  It turns out…everything.  What you think you create.  If you think you can, or you think you can’t, you are correct.  These are phrases and quotes we’ve heard over and over and they sound totally woo-woo and weird, but I’m going to tell you – they are very true.

Back around April I spoke at my son’s elementary school on Career Day and talking to those kids gave me a much needed kick in my butt to resume the revisions on my novel and get it out into the world.  I’ve since finished those personal revisions and sent the manuscript to a professional editor and I am now working on her editorial revisions and notes in preparation for self-publishing in early 2018.  But I really could not have gotten this far without my daily mindset practice and I’m going to give you a little insight into how I do this.  

Step 1: Morning Pages


Most books about mindset or morning practices, in general, will tell you to do them first thing in the morning.  That’s good advice, but when you have a 6 year old that needs to be up, fed, dressed, and out the door to the school bus fairly early (7:15 AM) well – first thing in the morning won’t work (at least for me – I don’t really want to get up at 5:30 AM to do these things) so I do them as soon as we get upstairs from saying Good Bye to cutie as he gets on his bus.  This works for me so don’t feel like you have to “follow the rules or else” – make things work for you and your schedule.

Okay…so that’s out of the way.   My little rebel disclaimer I guess.  Once I’m back upstairs I go straight to our bedroom and work-out – either bodyweight circuits or yoga – then I grab my cheap wide ruled notebook (usually one I’ve bought during Back To School sales) and do morning pages.  If you’ve read any book by Julia Cameron (The Artist’s Way being the most famous) you know about morning pages.  If not, it’s basically 3 pages of long-hand free-form stream-of-consciousness writing.  You put the pen to the paper and don’t stop until you get there.  Here’s my other rebel disclaimer – I usually only do 2, so front and back of one notebook page.  Now that’s not a hard and fast rule for me.  Some mornings I’m short on time and do less and some mornings I need to write more and I do…but usually, it’s 1-page front and back. 

Morning pages are where I vent about the fact my kid isn’t eating or some douche’s car alarm went off at 4am or how I desperately need coffee – literally, anything and everything goes onto the page.  This morning I was working through some limiting beliefs (things that are holding me back, those negative tapes we all say to ourselves about various things) surrounding my daily schedule and my need to Get All The Things Done! I worked through some old feelings of perfection that are not serving me or my writing anymore and I even created a new affirmation (we will talk about those in a minute): I will listen to my mind, body, and soul in relationship to my passion work and make mindful, conscious decisions about breaks, pauses, and much needed rest periods without guilt.

Step 2: Mindset Practice – Daily Intentions and Affirmations


Next, I grab my prettier journal (I bought mine from Staples – it’s this one HERE) and write Daily Intentions.  These are things I intend to do that day, written in present tense. For example: I will write the first draft of my weekly blog post or I will make time to read and journal today.  I usually write 3-5 of these and they can relate to my writing, health, or work goals.  Then I skip a line and start writing my Affirmations.  You’ve heard of Affirmations, most likely you think of Stuart Smalley’s character from Saturday Night Live – I’m smart, I’m pretty, and doggone it – people like me!  They seemed so cheesy to me when I first heard about them and secretly – I thought I would hate them.  And honestly, I did for awhile. For a long while – about a month, but then I started realizing that the things I was writing down were making it into my daily mental tape.  I was actually replacing negative thoughts with positive ones – without much effort.

I’m going to give you a real-life example of some of the things I personally write down.  I usually fill up a page or two with these and sometimes I divide them into sections (writing, health, work, life, etc.) but usually, I just write a long list and everything melds together.  I tend to divide them once a month for clarity and goal setting purposes.

  • I am a full-time writer.
  • I am a multi-book self-published author.
  • I am a trusted member of the writing community.
  • I am surrounded by smart, creative, professional women that are helping me become the person and writer I am meant to be.
  • I know the Universe has my back!
  • I am an idea magnet.
  • Words flow easily and first drafts simply fall onto the page.
  • I have an abundance of energy.
  • I have thousands of loyal fans and readers.
  • I create entertaining and informative content that my readers love to receive and share with others. 

Step 3: Visualization


Lastly, I spend 2-5 minutes visualizing everything I write down.  This is new for me, maybe the last two months – and it has really helped me carry over all the good feelings I feel when writing the affirmations into the rest of my day.  I’ve been carrying myself more confidently, talking with more people while out and about, smiling more, engaging more in life and my surroundings, writing more, taking the necessary action steps to complete my goals, and live the dream life I want and deserve to live.  It’s been eye-opening and a game changer.  I just start feeling what it would feel like if each of the affirmations were true, right now in this moment.  I hold on to those feelings while playing a mental movie that moves from writing to my health and fitness goals to my apartment projects and to life in general with my family and friends and I come out of the movie with just so much energy I almost literally jump up and get started!  

Once I’m done with my exercising and my journaling/mindset practice I usually have breakfast, drink my coffee, go over my daily schedule for both personal and work, check emails, and then schedule in my fiction writing time, work time, blogging time, and downtime to read and rest.  


So…what do you think?  Could you incorporate something like this into your life?  Do you think it would help you (I say YES) – would you like to learn more about the writing group I’m apart of?  Would you like to know more about the other items on the What Would a Pro Writer Do index card in my title image? Let me know in the comments!

Behind the Scenes: Where I Write

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson


Today I’d like to talk about my desk.  It’s big and bold and messy.  We moved almost a year ago and we are still not set up (I know, I know…but life happens man) but my desk is sort of settled in to.  I have a new cork board and white board to go with my cool WRITER picture (thanks, Delia!) – they are just not on the actual wall yet but leaning against the wall.  I can still plan, dream, think, smile at, and gets ideas from everything so it’s fine….for now.  

My desk is in our bedroom.  Living in New York comes with many advantages (theatre, museums, restaurants, the public transportation) but space is not one of them when it comes to apartments.  Our place is pretty big, actually, but we only have two bedrooms so unless I want to force my cute 5-year-old to sleep on the floor of the living room (although he might secretly love this) for now my desk is in the bedroom.  This doesn’t actually cause problems since my son is at school and my husband is at work all day and I don’t usually work at night during family times.  The problem comes from my desk being a flat, relatively clean surface, things get dumped here – school paperwork, iPhones, my son’s art, junk mail – the list goes on, so I constantly have to clean it. 

 

What would solve this problem?  Having a dedicated space in the living room for the stuff mentioned above.  I’m actually working on this problem, and I think I’m almost done with the drop zone by the door.  Also, I need to reorganize the two book shelves that are in the bedroom to better utilize that space so less stuff has to live on my desk.  This is my next big apartment project.  We really do take forever to move into a place fully – but we adore our apartment overall, it has huge windows and lots of light and it’s in a great neighborhood close to my son’s elementary school.  And it’s quiet.  Like…eerily quiet.  If I have the windows open I can sometimes hear the Long Island Rail Road go by a few blocks away or trucks rumbling down Queens Boulevard, but otherwise – I don’t hear much during the day.  It’s really nice.

My desk is almost settled in, but once I get the book shelves reorganized then I can concentrate on the peripheral areas of my desk, like my cute little plastic bins that hold my washi tape, journal cards, extra index cards, extra pens, etc.  Right now they are a major hot mess and I can’t find anything without searching through at least three drawers.  Ugh!  This is a total time waster and the 2nd item on my apartment list to fix and work through.  I also want to put more cute stuff on my cork board and once I get everything hung up, I’ll see if I have room for other decorations around my desk.  I have accumulated quite a few inspirational pictures and sayings so I want a space dedicated to those, like a mini vision board or a motivator corner. 

 

The other place I like to write is in the living room sitting on our bright red couch!  This is the joy of owning a laptop – I can take it anywhere, but I usually don’t.  The living room is where I chill when I’m thinking or planning or daydreaming while writing but also have the TV on watching old reruns of Friends. I have tried writing out of the house, but for some odd reason, I felt very uncomfortable.  I think that’s just me because most writers I’ve met go to Starbucks or St. Louis Bread Company (Panera’s) and work sometimes….if I do this, I usually like to read or hand write in a journal because I feel odd whipping out my laptop and typing away.  Not sure why.  I think it’s because at home I can control my music, my beverage situation, my food situation, etc.  I think it’s because I’m a control freak.  There, I said, it. HA

So…where do you write or paint or sing?  Show me your work space and tell me a little about it…is it perfect, does it need some work?  Are you planning on fixing it up or adding things? I’d love to see pictures, so tag me over on Instagram.

Bad Poetry 2: Electric Boogaloo

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

It’s round two of Bad Poetry! The last time I did this (read that here) I got a few family and friends asking me, “These were great…they weren’t bad, why did you call it that?” Here’s the reason: I don’t know what I’m doing, really. I studied some poetry in High School and College – how to read it, how to act it out, how to think about it as a reader and performer, but never how to write it. I wasn’t an English major in college and then when I did start writing, it was always novels or articles – never poetry. But it’s fun to play around with words and types of poetry (like Haiku!) and imagery in a different way. This is why I label it Bad Poetry…not because they suck (although they might) but because I have no idea if they can even all be called poetry. I’m just having fun, so enjoy!

The System is Down, Yo

Internet is out
No Netflix, Hulu, YouTube
What to do for fun?

An Ode to Staples

Notebooks and pens and highlighters galore.
Colored pencils, markers, crayons and more.
Aisles and aisles of envelopes, binders, paper, and ink.
Music above, rain outside, lights that glow an odd shade of pink.
I make my choices, carefully picking supplies.
And ring them all up and head out with my prize. 


Depression

My mind never stops, the words are swirling and the voices are drowning out my own thoughts. Happiness is always just a bit out of reach. I stretch, I strain, but I can’t seem to grab it for very long. I brush it with my fingertips, linger in the warm sunny delight of it, but then just as quick it’s gone again. Slammed into darkness, surrounded by ugly horrible images. Pictures that I don’t want to see. Things I don’t want to think about. Facts that I don’t even believe anymore. I am better than this. I try again. Stretch further, strain more, try to grab it one last time. Maybe this time it will stay.

I fall on my face. Splat! Straight down in murky water, dirt, and debris. I sit up and look around. I start feeling sorry for myself. I decide to just sit here and live, in this ditch or hole that I’ve somehow created for myself. It feels comfy…until it doesn’t. Until I start to get antsy and angry. Mad at myself, mad at the world. Mad at everyone that looks happy.

I try smiling. I try singing. But nothing works for long. I finally try talking. I talk and talk and talk and cry and scream and somehow the clouds part and the sun appears, and I see it. Happiness floating toward me. I hold out my hands and it lands softly. I throw it around me like a blanket. I feel warm and light. It won’t always be this easy, but for now…right now. It is.


Growing Up



Going to school and riding the bus, you seem so big.
Helping me pack your snack and getting dressed, you seem so big.
Homework and reading, you seem so big.

But then, at night, before bed when you crawl into my lap and put your head in the space between my soft body and warm arms, you look up at me and all I see is my baby. My little 8 lb 3 oz newborn who would look up me while feeding and I smile. 

You might be growing up, but you’re still little to me.