Dishes, Writing.. No Wait.. Writing THEN Dishes...

Monday: Write for 2 hours before doing housework.
Tuesday:  Try to write for 2 hours before doing housework.
Wednesday: Finish cleaning what hasn't been done in two days before doing anything.
Thursday: Find the rest of the socks under the bed so that I can start working on another chapter.
Friday: Pick up rest of clothes... wait... where did my week go?

Does this sound familiar? It does to me... actually, my days normal are nowhere NEAR that simple. Finding time to write along with the daily routine is one of the hardest things for me to do. Between three wonderful daughters, a husband, 2 dogs, 2 cats, chickens, fish, goats, etc... PLUS all the housework (that no one in the house is capable of helping with), it can be difficult to sit down and actually work on the elusive WIP. You know the one. The Work In Progress. The one that has been sitting in your notebook by your pillow. The one that has been hidden in the portable drive so that JUST IN CASE the pc crashes, all your work won't be lost.  (That last one is my personal paranoia) So how DO you find time to write? Between all the stuff that we have to do in life, how do we make time to write, to pour our very souls into something that people will not only love, but crave to buy?

Determination. Coffee. Time management. Did I mention coffee yet? Or caffeine?  Seriously, determination and time management (and caffeine) are really the keys to getting it done. Everyone has their own ways of writing. Some write every other day, some write whenever the creative mood hits them and others manage to be superhuman and write everyday.. 50 pages of perfection that make you want to laugh or cry and hug them tightly. (I'm still waiting to figure out how they do that one.) Regardless, time management is key. Without it, (and lists.. I am such a LIST person!) we would not know what to do with ourselves. Look at your schedules. Try to fit in a time frame that you will be sitting down, in front of what ever you use to write and actually WRITE. It might be just a word, it might be 20 pages, but at least you sat down to do it. And that is where the determination comes in. Nobody can make you do it. If you want to write that elusive story that keeps you up at night, that haunts your dreams, you have to make yourself sit down and write it down. Word by word. Until you finally have it finished. No amount of family, friends or wishing will make it happen without your determination to make it a reality.

So, what are you determined to do? I am determined to finish writing my other books. I am determined to make them better stories that show the true talent and ability of what I know I am capable of.  How about you? Will you join me?

New Year Resolutions: Do You Or Don't You?

(Warning: actual serious post... maybe)

Well? Do you or don't you make New Year's resolutions?  I've actually never done it really. Personally, I never saw the point. Most people make the promises to themselves, or to their family or friends and then break them... usually within a day or two. I have never been one to break promises (unless there was no option.. none of us are perfect) and so I saw no point... until this year.

This year has been the WORST year ever for me. Yes, I did self publish my first book and that was AWESOME.  But that pretty much was the only good thing. Don't get me wrong, I am not gonna go into a depressive spiral, venting all my issues on a public blog that makes you want to beat your head into a wall going "kill the wabbit", or in this case, my blog. ;)  But, it has been tough, seriously tough, and to get myself out of the state I am in... drum roll, please... I am going to make some resolutions.

So here goes:
 1. EXERCISE 
    We are putting exercise equipment in one of our bedrooms so that we can actually get into shape.  I plan on losing the last 40 pounds within 7 months. ( Please tell me this is realistic! lol)

 2. WRITE
    I am going to have the other 2 books I am working on finished by the end of the year. I took the time off to spend with my hubby & kids for Thanksgiving & Christmas but now it's time to get on the ball now. This includes this blog. I am apologizing for writing so little. It's been a little busy here! lol

 3. RIDE
    We are redoing our fenceline this coming spring so that we can have our own horses for the kids & for me. (And maybe the hubby if he gives in to it). No more depending on others and it's time for us to do this as a family anyway. The kids are REALLY glad about this one since they weren't really happy with the last place.

OK, so these are my 3 resolutions. Nothing really fancy, nothing that should be too hard to do. (I think!)So, what are yours? What do YOU want to do differently this coming new year? I want to know!
 And now... time for the required EYE CANDY PIC OF THE DAY!!!
      Can you tell me who it is?