Wow, I haven’t posted on here in forever 😂 This post is a little long and all over the place… I have a semi-update on where I’ve been, the true intention for my post, and some manifesting affirmations for writing at the bottom for fun, because we all need some blessed energy these days, don’t we? 😃

Where I’ve been…

I finished my second novel last year. Writing, editing, and querying that novel (and writing my third!) have taken precedence in my life. Not only that, but I’m over three-years-deep into a fertility journey that I’m not very public about, and it permeates every area of life in such a way that sometimes motivating myself is more effort than it’s worth. Sometimes all I feel is tired, not just physically… soul-tired. That being said, I have a lot of hopes and dreams that I went through this to help other women in the future who experience something similar. One day when I’m ready, I’d like to share my story. That day is not today.

When I’m not active on here, I stay active on Twitter (writing community) and Instagram (bookstagram/relaxing pictures of the sky).

Writing’s not what I thought it was!

Now, for today’s actual post… I want to share how my perspective on writing changed since I wrote my first novel. After the first one, I thought to myself, “How the hell am I going to do this again!?” Then I wrote my second, and I wondered how I was going to do it AGAIN! It really does get easier each time, and I have so many novel ideas in my head. I can’t wait to finish my third to get to my fourth, my fifth, my sixth, my seventh, and so on! (I work on one project at a time to keep my sanity, which I recommend to other writers to be more efficient with their projects.)

As I said before, perfecting my first novel took years. Years and years. It was my perfect little soul project, and I refused to be an author who regretted her first novel. Success! Whenever I feel down as an artist, I pick up my book and open up to a random page. I start reading from wherever, and my heart glows with pride. It’s everything I intended and wanted. I LOVE IT!

When I got to my second novel, it was more than a soul project, more than art. I don’t want to do anything else in the world to make a living… I only want to be a writer. That’s when I stopped seeing writing as a hobby, but as a job, and it completely turned my writing habits around. I used to be one of those “I write when the muse strikes me” kind of writers, which is how my first novel took so long. I wrote my second one in only six months as I continually forced myself to write at least every week. (I tend to write for hours at a time as the words pour out of me, so once or twice a week is the right pacing for me. Anything more is gravy. I still sit down and try to write almost every day, though. I never know if it will be a good writing day or not until I try.) Since I continuously pushed myself last year, writing is so habitual for me that I feel unfulfilled if I haven’t written in a while. The words don’t just pour out of me, they waterfall out of me as my characters are excited to be set free after being bottled up for so long.

This third novel has been easier and trickier at the same time. I remember when starting my second, I was ping-ponging between two ideas, and I couldn’t get myself to commit because I needed closure from Love Isn’t Always on Time. Once I self-published, I had my closure, and it was easier for me to move on (after somewhat of a hiatus due to anxiety, which I touched on briefly in another post, and depression due to fertility). I’ve been querying my second novel for months, so I haven’t gotten my closure for that one. Yet. I finally started writing again last month, after a seven-ish-month hiatus following editing my last one. I had to push myself. If I want this to be my job, I can’t get hung up. I have to keep going. And with the way manifestation works, I can’t focus on not having an agent — I have to live like I already have one. When I started writing again, I wrote about 9,500 words in only a week! That’s how eager my soul was to write again, and I totally made up for lost time (which means I’ve also pushed myself less lately because I feel like I’m making good timing 😂 I have to get back to it!)

So, basically, treat writing as a job, not a hobby, and you’ll write faster! It can be tough to do when you don’t have an agent and/or a publishing contract creating deadlines you have to meet. I don’t like self-imposed deadlines, either, because you can put too much pressure on yourself and become frustrated. The best advice I can give is take it day by day, give yourself a manageable writing goal that’s right for you (which takes time to figure out as you grow as a writer, so be patient with yourself), and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t hit your goal, especially if you gave it your best shot. That’s all you can do… give it your best shot!

For fun, here’s some manifestation affirmations for writing:

(I’ve been using these lately. If they don’t feel right for you, change them until they feel right, or make your own! There is abundance for everyone in this multiverse. I’ve heard as more people say the same affirmation, the words increase in power. Let’s test that theory!)

Say it with me, writers:

I have the right agent. (I want the perfect business partner for me where we mutually lift each other’s successful careers, and friendship will make it much, much sweeter!)

I have the right publishing deal for me and my family. (By saying “right”, this cuts out any extra wording about finances and joy that might take away from an easier-to-memorize, shorter, energetically-packed affirmation… But remember, long affirmations are good too if they feel right for you! Some other ones I use on the daily are long, like the last one below.)

The right people read my books. (We want readers to like our books when they read them! This includes beta readers, not just people who buy our books.)

Infinite abundance flows to me with every breath by divine right, under grace, in perfect ways. (This one, clearly, is for more than simply writing. I’ve been using this one for about a year and a half… it works for me! 😊)

Remember, too, affirmations evolve over time as your own energy evolves. What works for you today, you might want to change up tomorrow based on your gut feelings.

Have a magical day! I hope the writing gods shine down on you today and always 💕