Happy
New Year! For the year’s first IWSG Post, we’ll be reintroducing ourselves to
each other, so here goes …
I live
in Jamaica and I’ve been writing since school days. To date, I have 13 novels
on the market and 2 short story collections. I write
romantic suspense, women’s fiction and young adult novels. This February, I’ll
be making my debut in the New Adult category.As you can probably tell, I enjoy
spinning a tale and I also spend a fair amount of time reading and then there’s
wasting time on the internet, but that’s for another post.
What is
my insecurity today? You know how you create a schedule and decide you’re going
to stick with it? With each book or whatever project I’m working on, there are
times when I’m fearful that I won’t make my deadline – even when I know I’ve
given myself enough time.
Life is such that things crop up and writing gets
shoved to the background. Good thing is, I’ve worked out a schedule for the
first half of 2015 and so far, I’m on target for the things I want to do. Had
something new dropped on me this week, but with some discipline, I should be
able to work that into what I’m doing now.
What
are your insecurities? What do you plan to do about them? If you’re new, please
introduce yourself.
Hop
around and visit other writers in the group. The IWSG co-hosts today are Elizabeth Seckman, Lisa Buie-Collard, Chrys Fey, and
Michelle
Wallace!
Schedules always help with reaching goals and it sounds like you are on track for an awesome year! Happy 2015!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's a lot of novels.
ReplyDeleteI have to schedule my blog stuff or I'd never keep up!
I think that you're excellent at keeping a schedule. But that's just an outside observation.
ReplyDeleteYou've accomplished a lot, Joy. I'm always so inspired by your work ethnics. Especially since Jamaica is such a beautiful place, and you don't use the weather as an excuse not to work. I'm impressed.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful that you can stick to your deadlines. I found 2014 hard because of some personal issues but I hope to get on track in 2015.
ReplyDeleteI second Michael's comment - I've always admired how organized you seem to be with your scheduling.
ReplyDeleteThat's great that you're on target with your schedule so far. For some reason, I can never stick to the ones I create for myself.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! It's nice that you have a schedule so you have something like a road map to guide yourself through your projects.
ReplyDeleteLife can definitely muddle up our schedules. I hope you experience very few of these and can meet your deadlines this year, J.L.!
ReplyDeleteLife is great at messing up the schedule. So glad you've managed to work around it!
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling pretty stable this round, but I do have question for you. Do you spell your name Joy, or Joi. This fan needs to know.
ReplyDeleteHere's my link if you'd like to drop by :-)
Anna from Shout with Emaginette
Deadlines strike terror in my heart. But you seem to do darned well dealing with and meeting them.
ReplyDeleteWith 13 novels under your belt, it's no surprise that you are good at sticking to schedules. You're such a pro! Here's to 2015...may it be a year of blessings.
ReplyDeleteA schedule works for me. I usually stay with one pretty well. Guess it comes from the years I was a teacher. Good luck with your schedule.
ReplyDeleteI love wasting my time, its my favorite activity :) I failed scheduling class, but do manage to meet deadlines that are not self imposed. That counts for something, right?
ReplyDeleteI'm not the best at sticking to schedules, nor am I that organized. But I usually tend to make it out okay, and that's what ultimately matters, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteGreat blogs and great book covers. I look forward to reading your work this year.
ReplyDeleteI'm great with deadlines, but not so much with schedules, which doesn't make sense, does it? The deadlines have to be imposed by something external to myself for me to be good about following them. Though I keep trying to change that. Good luck with the schedule you've created for yourself!
ReplyDeleteSchedules are awesome, but they do have to be flexible I suppose in order for us to keep out sanity.
ReplyDeleteYes, flexibility and maintaining our sanity, go hand in hand. :)
DeleteYou hit it on the nailhead, JL! Life keeps cropping up and getting in the way of writing. It's encouraging to hear that well-published authors still struggle with insecurities. It makes it somehow easier to struggle with my own. Happy writing in 2015!
ReplyDeleteOne book or ten, Fundy, we all have insecurities in one form or another.
DeleteWriting tends to be the one thing on my schedule that keeps getting pushed back.
ReplyDeleteI've started out on a good note this year. So far I've written most days. For me, it has to do with setting a deadline and letting others know. Once I do that, it means I have to make that target.
DeleteDeadlines can be hard, but you have to remember you made them before and you'll make them again. :) Best to you in 2015, Joy!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Emily. True and wise words. All the best to you too.
DeleteWhen it comes to sticking to a schedule, you are the most consistent person I know...
ReplyDelete13 novels? You are a veteran!
It doesn't feel like it, Michelle, but since I can actually count them. then I guess that is the reality. :)
DeleteI try to schedule as much as I can (my writing as well as my blogging) because that helps me keep me focused. Do I stick to the schedule? Hardly. But that's fine. I mean, the schedule isn't a rule, it's more of a guideline ;-)
ReplyDeleteKnowing that you're not regimented helps prevent stress from taking over. Good approach.\, Sarah.
DeleteThank for stopping by my blog and Happy New Year to you. Promoting a new genre sounds exciting. I'll be walking that path eventually. Good luck with your new schedule and all your plans.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Toinette! I appreciate the visit and your good wishes.
DeleteHappy New Year, Joy! My struggle is discipline to work daily so I am not frantic when the deadlines approach. One of my goals for 2015 is to work toward organizing all the things, so I am not living in reaction mode all the time! Good luck with your plans, and kudos for staying on track!
ReplyDeletewww.CorinneOFlynn.com
Thanks, Corinne. Happy New Year to you too. Sensible words over at your blog. Knowing when to admit when I can't do everything on my schedule.
DeleteSticking to your schedule shows that you are managing your time well.
ReplyDeleteScheduling and deadlines are good when you can stay with them, but it's also good to give yourself some flexibility to accommodate the unexpected when it happens. You're a pro and know how to handle business in conjunction with life. You've been doing something right!
ReplyDeleteLee
Tossing It Out