January is a month synonymous with new beginnings, resolutions, and self-improvement. It’s also a time when all those things and our resolve are tested. A month before 2024 began, I’d already made a commitment to myself for the new year in the form of my new weekly digital art challenge, Spies, Lies & Digital Skies, and to actually get my newsletter out to my supremely patient subscribers. But, me being me, I had to add that wee bit more pressure. Up the chances of self-destruction 🤣
These templates were a labour of love, designed to make every writer’s NaNoWriMo journey a bit more interactive and visually appealing.
And guess what? I received my very first five-star review! 🎉 Here’s what that satisfied writer had to say:
“Loved these – they were easy to customize. Perfect.”
Amy on Etsy
Receiving such positive feedback fills my heart with joy. It’s affirming to know that the hours spent designing each template are making a difference in fellow writers’ journeys.
To everyone who has supported, purchased, or even just sent good vibes my way – THANK YOU. Your belief in my work pushes me to create and innovate.
If you haven’t checked out the shop yet and are curious, dive in and explore! And for those who’ve been using them, I’d love to see your customized posts and hear about your NaNoWriMo progress.
Right, it’s time for me to get back down to the editing!
Way back at the start of September, I ventured into Edinburgh with my wonderful husband, Jez. We’d gone in for the march for Scottish Independence and an independent Scotland to join the EU.
View over Princes Street Gardens toward Scott MonumentJez, all ready for the occasion!
The plan was to post while we were there, but as ideas go, that wasn’t my best. I’ve done numerous marches for Indy and know that after we get going, there’s nothing more I can do than snap a few photies, or else I’m going to trip over something.
Welcome back for another Author Journal update. It’s starting to look like I’m on a roll with these; three weeks and counting! Woohoo!
Life’s Wee Interruptions
Last week, the plumbing issues worsened to the point that it became obvious it was a far bigger problem than we’d thought. It turns out our whole street is suffering from them. Not to worry, though, Scottish Water is on its way to deal with it. Fingers crossed it’s dealt with today 🤞
Unlike the previous week, I was able to focus on work… and boy, did I need to focus.
I hope this post finds you well and ready to conquer a new week. It’s time to grab your beverage of choice and get comfy while I regale you with another tale of the ups and down of my writing journey.
That Time Thing
There weren’t enough hours in the day for me last week. Time seemed to slip through my fingers, and before I knew it, I was racing against the clock to complete Action Step 6 (AS6) for Acts One and Two A of Running the Asset. You know how it goes – sometimes the days blend, and deadlines sneak up on you faster than anticipated.
I’m thrilled to add a new Author Journal post to the site! I’m changing things up a bit for this one. Rather than looking at the past week, I will share how July went.
I wanted to avoid feeling overwhelmed by sharing each week, so I decided to wait until I found a good balance between work and personal life before providing any updates on my progress.
I haven’t found the perfect balance yet, but it’s a damn sight better than before I had to step back for a bit. Basically, I get to play a bit of Halo on Xbox halfway through my work day 🎮😄
Getting restarted a year after burning out and a bit of legal/mental health shit isn’t as straightforward as I’d fantasised it would be. I’d anticipated some teething troubles in the shape of trying to force my arse into the chair and staying focused on self-editing. But, I hadn’t seen the real issue that got buried under the burnout.
Do you ever write a blog post or email, delete it, then write it again, and delete it ad nauseam? If you’re anything like me with this post, you get it. I’ve been writing and rewriting this ‘return to the blog’ post for the past two months, yet I’ve never shared a single version.
So, here goes…
At the start of 2023, I wrote a “return” post after recovering from a major burnout. I’m hitting refresh and sharing a new ‘return’ post! Why? Well, the first one was missing one key detail. I didn’t leave it out by choice. It was a requirement in Scots Law.
This is going to be a short but sweet update. (I’m actually on holiday for the next week and totally forgot to say so in the last post.)
I was in pre-holiday brain mode for the whole of last week. Well, that’s apart from when I injured my left arm on Saturday, leaving me with non-functional arms for the rest of the week. I used Whisper.ai to transcribe my notes 😁
