Starcat's Writing Desk

This week I enjoyed the somewhat slower-paced summer life at home. That means I had lots of time for writing, and I have already completed a key component of one of my goals. I finished the first draft of my Creative Inspiration Booster Pack!

It’s an e-book that I’m going to use as a gift for those who sign up for my new mailing list over at Starcat’s Corner.

I need to come up with a better name for it; “booster pack” implies it includes cards or something. I’m pleased with how it came out, though. I made up seven cool games for it, for folks to use to inspire their creative mojo. BlackLion is going to create some artwork for it, and we’ll pretty it all up. I hope that it will be ready by the end of this coming week, or so.

I’m so excited! I’ve been kicking around the idea of giving it to a couple of folks to read and give me feedback. It’s only about 30 pages, so it won’t take too long to read. If you’re interested in boosting your creative powers, let me know and I’ll send it to you.

That was my biggest piece of news. Other than that, I’ve been continuing with blogging, journal writing, and meditation. My exercise this week has been walking and swimming (a lot). We also went and picked strawberries, which was fun; they make a delicious snack and yummy smoothies. We made a big double batch of salsa and shared it with some family and friends.

I hope your week goes smoothly and productively, with lots of fun and laughter.

My Round 3 of ROW 80 has gotten off to a rollicking start! In order to support my writing work, I’ve come up with an ongoing goal that I’ve implemented. I suppose I should have included it in my list of goals for the round, but I hadn’t finalized it by then, and it’s really more of a meta-goal that supports the more detailed list of objectives I have for this three-month time period. So here it is:

I will dedicate at least an hour each day, 5 days of the week,

to focused work on a creative writing project.

By writing project, I mean something bigger than a journal entry or blog post. So for my list of goals, this includes work on either of the novels I’m revising, the Creative Inspiration Booster Pack (CIBP), or my non-fiction book on daily spiritual practice.

Yesterday and today I started this new habit, working on the CIBP both days for more than an hour. It’s coming along well. I sent what I have so far to BlackLion so he can start thinking about the illustrations he’s going to create.

In other updates, I’ve been thinking about the daily spiritual practice book again, and brainstormed some ideas for a compelling title. I took time yesterday to plan out my upcoming blog posts, attaching dates and topics to them. I started working on one for Starcat’s Corner, to be completed today or tomorrow. I want to ramp back up to doing two posts per week on Starcat’s Corner now that I’m back in my writing routine; I’ve only been doing one per week lately because of all my summer travel.

I’ve been keeping up with the first week of ROW 80 sponsor visits easily, and I find it fun to read what others are up to and leave my feedback. I did some of that before, but it helps to have it as a responsibility, as it ensures that I get to it on a regular basis. What a cool community we’re a part of!

I feel like I’m making good shifts in terms of healthy eating and moving my body, too. All the activity on the road trips has certainly helped, and I hope to keep the momentum going even while I’m sticking closer to home for a while. Swimming has been my go-to activity this week.

Have a terrific week of writing and creating, everyone!

Sunset over the pond at the retreat I attended last weekend. So gorgeous!

We’re moving into round 3 of ROW 80, and I’m having SO much fun enjoying the blessed summer. I love it here in New England. I enjoy having 4 distinct seasons, and seeing the progression of the year. Even so, summer and fall are my very favorites.

I’ve been doing a lot of traveling around the area, enjoying my road trips. I’ve been camping, drumming, dreaming, swimming, dancing, playing, enjoying time with family and friends (new and old), reading, journaling, meditating, doing yoga, and various other fun things. Plus the chores and tasks that come along with life, which I also enjoy.

I’m rather inspired to jump into this round and add my work on bigger writing projects back into my daily life. I’m in a mode of my life where I just feel really good, and the more I embrace it and feel thankful for it and focus on it, the better I feel. I love the upward spiral of positive vibes.

Okay, enough hippie joy for now, here are my goals for round 3!

Note: if this seems like a ton of goals for one round, that’s because it’s helpful to me to have lots of projects to choose from. I may not get to them all this round, but I want to hold them all as possibilities, then see where creative inspiration takes me!

2015 Row 80 Round 3 Goals

Work on revising and editing The Door Is the Key book 1 (TDITK1). Finish the first pass of revisions using Rock Your Revisions. Complete re-writes and added scenes as necessary. Do the first complete proof-reading edit.

Complete current nonfiction WIP. Update outline for Daily Spiritual Practice (DSP) book to include the new ideas and direction I’ve been contemplating. Revise what I’ve written thus far. Finish first draft of DSP. Target is 5oK words or so. Starting the round, I’m at 8500 words.

Finish Creative Inspiration Booster Pack and start building the new e-mail list for Starcat’s Corner website. Add my author name domain to my website(s).

Create weekday Fae Musings e-mails for our Feline Dreamers subscribers. Add new folks to the mailing list.

Re-read draft of Patterns in the Void and make initial revision notes.

Do my ROW 80 sponsor duties. Write an inspiring article to share. Visit my peeps each week and leave comments.

De-clutter and organize my life, creating beautiful spaces. Clean and organize my upstairs desk and filing cabinets. Continue to de-clutter and beautify our shared living spaces. Paint the living room, kitchen, and stairwell.

Focus on blogging. Post to my Starcat’s Corner blog at least twice per week, Feline Dreamers every other week, and on this blog twice per week. Write ROW 80 guest post to inspire fellow authors (and be a good sponsor!). Write, edit, and submit guest blog posts for Kind Over Matter, Facing North, and Moon Books. Start and keep a running list of blog post ideas, drafts, and picture ideas.

Continue my craft & business learning. Read at least 3 books about writing and/or ethical marketing & promotion. Check out a couple of writer podcasts. Keep notes on ideas to use, and begin implementing them. Add a Call to Action (CTA) to my Cultivating Self-Love e-book.

Make inspiring art and music. Practice zentangling. Create new scrapbook pages and art journal pages. Take nature photographs to use on my websites and blog posts. Practice drumming regularly.

Expand my spiritual awareness and the integration of all aspects of my life. Pay attention to my dreams and keep records of them. Set intentions before sleep and upon waking. Meditate and do my chakra clearing daily.

GRACEfully invite ease, purpose, and kindness into my daily life. Do things I love: write in my journal, read, do yoga, dance, spend time with loved ones, and express my gratitude. Eat well and exercise. Get outdoors for walking, hiking, and swimming on a regular basis.

It’s hard to believe that Round 2 of ROW 80 has come and gone, like last night’s oh-so-delicious blueberry pie and vanilla bean gelato. There are quite a few of my goals that I didn’t accomplish this round, or even get started on.

But I’m not feeling sad or disappointed.

There are so many other things that I’ve been doing this round, things that are building a strong foundation for my life and career. Some of them are directly related to my writing, while others are less tangible, but nonetheless real to me. They are part of my spirituality, and the way it has always been intertwined with my creativity, sparking my imagination and excitement.

An example: as I write this, I’m preparing to leave for a three-day retreat called Yescapades, put on by the lovely Play Nexus tribe. Just like it sounds, the gathering is about conscious play. Why would I choose to play instead of work toward my goals? This type of play changes worlds. I’ve been participating in online gatherings with this group of folks for several months, and the techniques they employ, many inspired by the Abraham-Hicks Law of Attraction processes, help people to release resistance, get clear about what they really desire, and dance into a life that’s full of joy, creativity, and passion.

My work with this particular group is only one aspect of the intense personal transformation I’ve been actively pursuing. It’s rocking my world, and inspiring me on so many levels.

So, I’m happy with how things have gone this round, and I’m beyond excited about bringing these new ideas and inspirations back into my daily writing and creating. My goals for round 3 will reflect my new attitude and approach, though I’ll most likely be working on several of the same projects.

Here’s a goal-by-goal breakdown of where I’m at and where I’d like to go from here.

Revise and edit The Door Is the Key book 1 (TDITK1). Finish the first pass of revisions using Rock Your Revisions. Complete re-writes and added scenes as necessary. Do the first complete proof-reading edit. BlackLion and I did work on this, especially early on in the round. We’ve nearly completed the first pass of revisions. I’ll be continuing this goal for the next round, for sure.

Complete current nonfiction WIP. Update outline for Daily Spiritual Practice (DSP) book to include the new ideas and direction I’ve been contemplating. Revise what I’ve written thus far. Finish first draft of DSP. Target is 5oK words or so. Starting the round, I’m at 8500 words. I didn’t get to this project. I’m not sure what I’ll do with it, yet. I also still have my Creative Inspiration Booster Pack to finish, which I hope to accomplish early in round 3. 

De-clutter and organize my life, creating beautiful spaces. Clean and organize my upstairs desk and filing cabinets. Continue to de-clutter and beautify our shared living spaces. Paint the living room, kitchen, and stairwell. The painting project has been on hold, but I do hope to get to it in round 3. Same with the general de-cluttering. I did get rid of a bunch of stuff from the basement, donating it to a yard sale fundraiser, which felt really good.

Ramp up Feline Dreamers. Finish updating the Shop on our website. Create weekday Fae Musings e-mails. Create author mailing list for Starcat’s Corner website. The Shop has been updated, and my mailing list is ready to go. We didn’t create the Fae Musings e-mails yet, but instead we launched our first online course, The Alchemy of Core Beliefs. It’s gone very well, and we plan to offer it again soon. So this goal is a definite success.

Focus on blogging. Post to my Starcat’s Corner blog at least twice per week, Feline Dreamers every other week, and on this blog twice per week. Write, edit, and submit guest blog posts for SoulFire Om, Kind Over Matter, Facing North, and Moon Books. Start and keep a running list of blog post ideas, drafts, and picture ideas. I’ve generally been keeping up well with my blogging and guest posting, with some lulls. 

Continue my craft & business learning. Read at least 3 books about writing and/or ethical marketing & promotion. Check out a couple of writer podcasts. Keep notes on ideas to use, and begin implementing them. Add a Call to Action (CTA) to my Cultivating Self-Love e-book. Follow through with action items from 4/27 The Energy of Business workshop. My reading and study is going very well, and will continue. I still need to add that CTA; I’d kind of forgotten about it. I’m learning a lot, and brainstorming my next steps.

Make inspiring art and music. Practice zentangling. Create new scrapbook pages and art journal pages. Take nature photographs to use on my websites and blog posts. Practice drumming regularly. Learn and practice at least two new songs with family members. My art has been going quite well, and is inspiring me. I hadn’t done much at all with music until recently, when I drummed at a festival, and remembered why I love it so much. It’s drumming season for me, I guess! 

Expand my spiritual awareness and the integration of all aspects of my life. Pay attention to my dreams and keep records of them. Set intentions before sleep and upon waking. Do the Abraham meditations 3 times per week. Oh my goodness, yes! If you read the introduction, above, you’ll understand that this goal encompasses the foundations I’ve been building. I’ve been doing all of these things, and more. I’ll update this goal for round 3, and include some of the new practices I’ve been integrating.

GRACEfully invite ease, purpose, and kindness into my daily life. Do things I love: write in my journal, read, do yoga, dance, spend time with loved ones, and express my gratitude. Eat well and exercise. Get outdoors for walks and hikes on a regular basis. Yes. It’s going very well. I’m so thankful.

I’m going to be a sponsor for the first time, for ROW 80 round 3! I’m excited about getting to know you more, and sharing some inspiring words. I hope you enjoy the break and come up with some deliciously yummy goals for yourself for our next round together! Blessings!

The view from camp!

Here we are, just a week and a half or so away from the end of Round 2 of ROW80. Just a week (exactly) until the Summer Solstice. And I’m just about to start a whirlwind of fun adventures! We’re heading to our (extended) family’s camp on the ocean for a few days, then right after we get back, a few of us are off to drum at a festival for the weekend. I also have a weekend retreat at the end of the month, and a vacation at the beginning of July. Welcome, Summer!

This week I did my blogging ahead of time, scheduling a couple of Starcat’s Corner posts for next week while I’m gone. I won’t be checking in here on Wednesday, as I won’t be in a place that has internet.

I do plan to take my laptop up to camp and finish writing all the copy for my Creative Inspiration Booster Pack. That’s my main goal while I’m away. Well, that and focusing on my other goals of getting more exercise, time in nature, and spiritual connection. The family camp is a really magickal place, where I’ve always found peace and inspiration. I’ll be gathering in those energies and getting ready for the next round of creativity.

I hope you have a fantastic week of creative inspiration and words galore!

My family has officially moved into summer mode. Our weekly homeschool co-op is done for the summer, lacrosse season is over, and we’re planning some fun road trips. We’re actually headed to visit some friend at their lakeside camp this afternoon.

Summer and fall are my favorite seasons, so I’m thrilled. Plus, less driving-around-kids time means more writing time! That’s a win, for sure.

This week I’ve been back at work on my Creative Inspiration Booster Pack (an e-book that subscribers to my new mailing list at Starcat’s Corner will receive as a free gift). It’s coming along well. I’ve also been doing some blogging, and keeping up with my daily journal writing.

I’m 54 percent of the way through reading 500 Ways to Write Harder by Chuck Wendig, and I’m also reading an excellent book on creativity, different types of intelligence, and more, that I found at our local library’s book sale. It’s The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything by Ken Robinson, and it’s excellent.

After nearly two years doing the ROW80 thing, I decided I’m no longer one of the “new kids,” and signed up as a sponsor for Round 3. That’ll be fun! I need to start thinking about what wisdom I have to share, to inspire my fellow writers. It’s also nearly time to come up with a new set of goals! Wow, time flies…

Have a wonderful and productive week and I’ll see you on Sunday.

I’m happy to report that yesterday morning I got up and started writing. Not that I haven’t been writing lately, but I certainly haven’t been devoting time to any of my big projects. Now I’m back at the keyboard and worked on my Creative Inspiration Booster Pack (yes, I just added the word “booster” today – like it?) for an hour or so yesterday, and again today. It’s going really well, and it feels good to have time to devote to those bigger projects once again.

Our weekly homeschool co-op is off for the summer (though there will be a few beach days and such), and my son had his final lacrosse game this week, so my schedule is opening up a bit during the week. It feels good.

I’m 40 percent through reading my latest craft book, 500 Ways to Write Harder by Chuck Wendig. I’ve been writing in my journal. I haven’t written on my Starcat’s Corner blog yet this week, but I’ll get to it. My latest Kind Over Matter post went live today.

It’s late, I’m tired, and that’s all I can think of to report right now. It’s plenty, though. Now I’m off to bed with my Kindle for some reading time before I crash. Sweet dreams!

Yesterday I went swimming for the first time this season. I took my daughter and her best friend shopping for new swim suits, and then of course they wanted to try them out. Despite the hot weather we’ve been having, I was thinking the water might be too cold for me. But it wasn’t. It was lovely. I adore swimming, and enjoyed doing laps up the river, against the current, then floating back down to do it again.

My writing life has been like that, too. The upstream part is finding time in a busy week to fit in my writing, and building the muscles of will and persistence by doing that. The downstream part is that the writing itself seems to come flowing forth without much effort, and is a whole lot of fun.

I finished and sent my monthly column for Kind Over Matter, and I was pleased with how it came out. It can be challenging to write about environmentalism and green living without sounding preachy, but I think I managed it. I also wrote a post on Starcat’s Corner called “Hospital Visits: A Guide for Sensitive Souls” that has been percolating in my mind for a while now, since my Aunt’s recent fall and the resulting surgery.

The rest of my writing has been personal in nature. Journal writing most every day (I missed Saturday because the day was packed from morning to night). Writing for the two workshop-style books I’m going through; I filled several pages in a notebook.

This week our online course begins, and I’m looking forward to diving into that. I also anticipate more workshopping, blogging, and hopefully the return (finally) to one of my bigger projects. We’ll see how it goes. Whatever happens, I’m gonna go with the flow!

It’s been a busy week, and yet I find myself getting creative work done amidst the life stuff. No, I haven’t had focused time on either of my big writing projects. But I’ve done quite a bit of writing, anyway, in the form of:

• blog posts
• a book review
• copy for our Feline Dreamers online course materials and promotions, including our monthly newsletter
• doing my journal writing every day

I’ve also:

• made another promotional video for the online course (which is going really well – folks have started signing up, and we expect more through the weekend, leading up to Monday’s start!)
• read How I Sold 80,000 Books: Book Marketing for Authors by Alinka Rutkowska
• did some zentangling and other drawing in my art journal

Up next:

• finish writing my monthly Kind Over Matter guest blog and submit it
• continue getting course materials ready and promoting the course
• get back to work on my Creative Inspiration Pack

I guess I’m into the list format today! I hope you have an inspired and productive week. See you on Sunday.

One of my biggest creative inspirations is my rich inner life, my personal connection with the Divine. In service to that, I can be kind of a spiritual growth junkie! This week, as I work back into my writing groove after a family crisis, I’ve been inspired to delve further into some of my recent favorite tools.

Exploring and expanding my spirituality helps me to tend the foundations that underlie my creative life. I’ve been having so much fun! This afternoon I got to spend some time in the hammock with my books, journal, and highlighters. The sunshine, the warm breeze, the pines swaying above me…what a soul-nourishing afternoon!

Here are the tools I’ve been enjoying of late:

“Morning” pages, affirmations, and gratitude. This is my regular daily journal practice. “Morning” is in quotes because I don’t always get to it first thing in the day. I write 3 pages, stream of consciousness style, then a fourth page that lists 3 affirmations for the day and 10 things I’m thankful for in that moment. This is my most basic spiritual practice.

The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul by Danielle LaPorte. I’m reading it for the first time, and I’m almost to the second half, which is the workshoppy part. Exciting! I’m learning so much.

The Not So Big Life: Making Room for What Really Matters by Sarah Susanka. I started this book last year and then I came to an exercise that was like a huge mental block for me, so I put it down. I was just inspired to pick it up again, and this time flowed through the exercise with enthusiasm. I guess the timing just had to be right.

The 2015 Create Your Shining Year in Life and Biz Workbook by Leonie Dawson. Although we’re nearly halfway through the calendar year, I just finally finished this workbook. In another cool bit of synchronicity, the author just created a new Facebook group for those who use the planner – and I’m far from alone in taking my time with it. I’ve already learned some cool tips on how to work with my goals as the year progresses, too. Fantastic!

Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires by Esther and Jerry Hicks (and Abraham). I read this a long time ago, but I’ve been using it recently while teaching a class on the Law of Attraction (LOA) to some of the parents at our homeschool co-op. It contains a huge toolbox of LOA processes, and I’ve started incorporating more of them into my life, which feels terrific.

So that’s how I’ve been spending much of my writing and study time this week. I’ve also written a couple of blog posts for Starcat’s Corner, finished writing a book review for the Facing North website, and planned ahead for some upcoming blog posts. We moved a ton of stuff out of our basement, to donate to a yard sale fundraiser, and did some cleaning down there, which feels good. Yay for decluttering! BlackLion and I have been focusing on our upcoming online course, too. I got two walks during the latter part of this week, so that helps with getting back to more exercise and movement.

The upcoming week will be busy with family stuff, but I do hope to sneak in some writing, and of course more reading and studying.

I hope your week goes well!