Time budget

I told my husband that we need to quit spending so much money. After reviewing our budget, I realized that we spend unnecessarily. By my calculations, we could save a lot of money if we quit impulse buying. We pay off our credit cards each month and never carry a balance forward, but we are accumulating “stuff”. Stuff might bring instant gratification, but in the long run doesn't move us forward.

I also looked at my time budget. I waste a lot of time. I allow myself to DVR one show each night, and watch them on Saturdays and Saturdays. DVR does save time since I fast forward through commercials, and I usually feel like I've earned the right to watch my shows because of all the other things I do.

This wouldn't be a bad system, except for the fact that I find myself watching the shows that my husband watches. He loves television and movies, so even if I'm trying to work with headphones on, I am distracted. If I go into another room and hear my husband laugh or react to what he’s watching, I want to know what's going on.

It’s hard not to waste money and time. However, I find it much easier to control my monetary budget than my time budget. I have self-discipline when it comes to money because I use direct deposit to send money into a savings account, instead of relying on myself to move the money from checking to savings. With my time budget, I can make to-do lists and think that I am going to do everything for the gratification of checking things off, but it's not automatic like direct deposit. I have to work at keeping on task.

Even when I tell myself I'm wasting time, it's hard to get back on track. But I'm going to try to manage my time budget better because once it's gone, it's gone.

Do Your Best

I love P90X. The workout program is one of my favorites. I have always been in good shape, being a runner and lifting weights, but P90X has taken my training to a different level. I have been doing P90X for quite some time now, and love the way I feel once I'm done.

One of Tony Horton's favorite things to say is, “Do your best and forget the rest.” With my P90X workout it's easy for me to forget the rest, because I don’t dwell on the fact that I didn't lift as much weight as I did the last time or that I didn't do as many reps as last time. What matters is that I'm working on myself and I see results.

It is often hard for writers to “forget the rest.” We always try to do our best, but we can't forget the harsh comments, the self-doubt, or the sacrifices that we make. Even when we do our best, we are rejected. Even when we do our best, we may never see our hard work in print. Even when we do our best, we can't always forget the rest.

Maybe we shouldn’t forget, but we also shouldn’t dwell too much on our struggles. Remembering is okay if it’s a motivator to continue doing our best. Remembering is okay if we learn from it. Remembering is okay to keep us humble.

The bottom line? Do your best…

Tools for the Job

My husband got a new tractor. It’s a really nice John Deere 44 horsepower tractor with a cab. My husband has another John Deere tractor—a 25 horsepower tractor without a cab. When he has to do snow removal on the smaller tractor, he is cold and miserable, and it takes a long time. If it's snowing and the wind is blowing, he doesn't like doing the job. 

This new tractor has a nice big cab. Now he will stay dry, and with the heater, will also stay warm. We live on a mountain pass, and at times the snow is extreme. With the new, more powerful tractor, the job should be much quicker, and more enjoyable.

My husband now has the right tool to do the job. The smaller tractor will come in handy for tilling the garden and other small jobs around our acreage. But the bigger tractor will operate the backhoe more efficiently, and it will move snow much better.

As writers, we need to have the right tools for the job. It doesn't matter what tools you use, as long as they are the right ones. Some writers like pen and paper. Other writers can't live without their computer. But even those may not be the right tools for the job. If you write with a pencil and it isn't sharp, it makes the writing a little harder. If your pen runs out of ink or if you run out of paper, you no longer have the right tools for the job. If there is a power outage and you don't have a battery backup, or if your computer dies, you don't have the right tools to do the job.

To be the most efficient, to make the most out of your time, and to enjoy the process a little more, make sure you have the right tools for the job. My husband is looking forward to the next snowstorm, and as writers we should always be looking forward to the next words we put down.

The Best Gifts

My dad's birthday is today. He has been gone for almost 3 years, and it's hard to believe that so much time has passed. Some days it seems like his passing was very recent, while other days it seems like it has been a long time.

 

I dedicated my first novel to my dad, Joe Hirase, because he was an incredible reader. He taught me, through example, that reading is one of the best ways to spend time. I've never felt guilty about taking time to read, even when there were several other things to do. Every day, he read the newspaper from the beginning all the way to the end before diving into a book.

 

He loved Westerns the most, and when I worked at B. Dalton Bookseller, I filled his library. He his second love was mysteries, then thrillers, then historical novels, and then whatever else was available. If I look at his books that we still have, they are falling apart. Most of them are held together by rubber bands because he read them several times.

 

My dad enjoyed reading his books, then sharing them with others. He kept the ones he wanted to read again, but all the others he boxed up and took them to the assisted living center where my grandmother had lived. Every time he went, the staff would make an announcement to the residents that “Joe brought more books”, and then they would tell us how much they appreciated his donations.

 

I have a hard time parting with books. But my dad love to share, so maybe I should go through my bookshelf, and see what I too could share. Books are the best gifts!

Writing With Joy

Bella the boxer. At a year and half old, she is spunky, and cuter than words can describe. Believe me, I’ve tried! Bella has a terrible underbite, and she has to adjust her head when she eats, so the food doesn't fall out of her mouth. When she thinks she's in trouble, she wags her little tail as hard as she can, which in turn wags her whole body. Then she makes little squeaky noises, and because we find it so irresistible, we forget we’re mad.

Bella loves her brothers and sister. She loves people--even the vet. She is happy, carefree, and simply enjoys being herself. When I watch her outside in the yard playing with the other dogs, snuggling up in the same bed as Zeb, or looking out the window at what she's missing in the world, I can't help but think of how much joy she brings us.

For writers, joy can be hard to find. We put all sorts of constraints on ourselves, which makes it hard to be happy and carefree. I decided to try writing the way Bella plays—with recklessness and freedom.

Nothing happened.

For some reason, I couldn’t write. I had all kinds of thoughts, but my mind stopped me from putting any of it down. I could hear my inner critic telling me, “It isn’t good enough”, “You really wouldn’t say that”, “No one will like that”, “It’s garbage.”

The mind is so powerful, yet so limiting. I tried again the next day, and took a chance on the words in my head. I reached for the Backspace key several times, but decided to let the words flow. After a few minutes, I relaxed and got some good writing in for the day.

It’s hard not to edit as I write, but I’m training myself to get out whatever is on my mind, and delete later. This method brings more days of joy because I can be myself and say what I want.

 

Bella taught me that my writing doesn’t have to be neat and pretty on the first pass. It just has to be real.

I have a long commute. It's approximately fifty-seven miles to work, and fifty-seven miles back home. That takes almost two hours out of my day. However, I am lucky because there is no traffic, and the speed limit is 75 mph.

Sometimes when I drive, I sit in silence and think. It is a nice time for reflection and for brainstorming. I have also found that I can be productive during that time, by dictating story scenes and blog posts.

I often think about how much time I have wasted in my life. Time that I cannot get back. I am incredibly busy, cramming as much as I can into every moment that I am awake. I want to be able to say that I lived my life well, and I didn't squander it away.

I am proud to finally be a published author, and am thrilled to know that I have a novel, short stories, and legal articles out there that show that I do exist. I may never be a well-known author, but what I have produced leaves behind a footprint showcasing one of my talents.

This would never have happened if I hadn't finally taken a chance on myself. I remember the day my first story was accepted for publication. It was a nonpaying magazine, but I was thrilled to know that an editor thought my writing was good enough to print.

After I got that first acceptance, I knew I had to continue putting myself out there, so I did. Yes, there have been several rejections, but they don't hurt as much as I thought they would. I don't take rejection personally, and I don’t have time to dwell on why I was rejected. I just send it out again, and hope that I find the right match.

I have enough confidence in my own abilities to know that I can write, and sometimes I get lucky enough to share it with others. Every submission is nerve-racking, but if you don't continually take a chance on yourself, you will never know what success feels like.

Zebekiah is a lovely brindle pit bull. We adopted him when he was a year and a half old, and he clearly came from a traumatic past. Zeb is an independent dog. It took almost six months for him to understand that he was in a family that loved him and would never hurt him. He is now gentle, affectionate, and loving. At five years old, he acts like a pup, running and playing with anything he can find.

Unfortunately, pit bulls have a bad rap. They are banned in many cities and counties because they are very strong dogs and can do a lot of damage.

One day, I took Zeb to work with me because he had to go to the vet. Some of the people in my office were worried about encountering a pit bull. The stereotypes surrounding the breed are what people think of first. After meeting Zeb, my coworkers realized that pit bulls are not horrible animals. One of my coworkers sat on the floor, and Zeb backed up, sat on his lap, and put his head on my coworker’s shoulder.

Zeb is a fine example of how stereotypes and perceptions can mar a person's thoughts. As writers, we try to step outside of stereotypes and perceptions. We write to entertain, and to bring new thoughts and ideas to people. At one time, strong female protagonists weren't common. But now, those stereotypes have been broken. At one time romance novels weren't very detailed in the sex scenes. Now, writers have changed ideas, and erotica has become its own genre.

Writers shouldn't be afraid to challenge stereotypes and perceptions. The viewpoints and story may not be popular, but controversy can boost sales.

Break out of the ordinary, challenge your own stereotypes and perceptions, and see where it leads you. With Zeb, I was able to show that not all pit bulls are mean. With my writing, I can also step into another realm, where I can change people's thoughts and ideas—or at least make them think.

 

Making Something From Nothing

I enter a quilt contest every year. It's called Ugly Duckling/Beautiful Swan. I buy a brown paper bag that contains four mystery fabrics, one yard each. Out of those four yards of fabric (that don't necessarily match), I must create something beautiful. I have entered this contest for the past seven years, and for the first few years, I did well. But the last several years my quilts have been last-minute rush to get it done.

The bad thing is, I buy the fabric in the late summer and the quilt is not due until the end of May—of the next year. When I get my fabrics, I tried to envision something, hope for inspiration, and always promise myself that I will get it sewn and done well before the beginning of May.

I have yet to do that.

When I am creating a quilt design, I have to think a lot about the end product, and what others will like. The same is true of my writing. I spend a lot of time thinking about plots, holding onto the ones that seem viable, and tucking away other ideas for future mulling. When I sew a quilt, it is one stitch at a time. When I write, it is one word at a time. In the end, both quilting and writing should produce a beautiful swan.

Sometimes I succeed, and other times I don't. But because I enjoy both sewing and writing, I will continue to make something out of nothing.

 

Maggie is our Belgian Shepherd. She's a funny dog, and at eight years old, shows no signs of slowing down. Maggie is also a stubborn dog. She knows she's not supposed to lie in the middle of the floor where everyone walks, she knows she's not supposed to steal treats from the other dogs, she knows she's not supposed to bark when there’s nothing to bark at.

Maggie has a mind of her own. Sometimes you have to say her name several times in order for her to obey. Other times you just walk around her or give up because she's already stolen the treats or has come inside the house and has quit barking.

Every writer has a stubborn streak. We write and want to hold onto all of our words. Editing is a rough process. We love our words, and we want to give them a fighting chance. But if they aren’t necessary, why do we keep them?

Editing is like asking us to give away a prized possession. If an editor or asks us to cut words, that stubbornness rises and we think it’s impossible to find anything that doesn't belong.

I find that editing is my favorite part of the writing process; the hard part is over. I struggle the most when trying to get the first draft out. Editing is my chance to perfect what I'm trying to say, and to be as objective as possible. Objectivity doesn't come easily because of the stubborn person inside, so I redline, and read my manuscript both ways. Most of the time, I find that the edits make my story stronger. Then, I don't feel so bad about letting go of my hard work.

Sometimes it's okay to be stubborn, if you really can justify the need. But don't take up the fight just to fight. Try editing the way your editor, a beta reader, or your critique group suggests, and let go of that stubbornness. It may be the best decision for your work.

Welcome to 2013!

My husband and I talked about our resolutions.  He commented that most people make them and break them before the end of January. I told him that my resolutions were going to be few and easy.

My first goal is to write more consistently. In making this kind of goal, I have to be realistic about my time constraints and other obligations. Instead of telling myself I have to write every day, knowing I’ll blow this within the first week of the New Year, I decided that I will write 2,000 words a week. It’s attainable, and won’t put so much pressure on me that it will become a burden instead of a joy.

My second goal is to read more.  I read my magazines at the gym on the days I don’t run, but I don’t spend enough time reading books. I have several titles stacked up, and I resolve to read ten pages every day. It doesn’t sound like much, but seventy pages a week will add up!

My last goal is to be content. I spend a lot of time worrying about everything that needs to be done, and sometimes the stress stops me from doing anything. I shall celebrate the accomplishments, analyze (but not dwell on) the disappointments, and move on to other opportunities.

Resolutions aren’t made to be broken. My goals for 2013 may be short, but they can be reached.

May your 2013 resolutions be fulfilled, and may you have good health, peace, and blessings!