It's hard to believe it's the December meeting of the IWSG, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh, and yet here we are at the end of another year. If you'd like to join our monthly meetings, click here and add your name to the list. New members are always welcome! Also, be sure to check out the IWSG website, as it is a gold mine of helpful information.
Now that it's almost time to say so long to 2015 I've been reflecting a bit on the year and realize I've became stagnant professionally over the last several months. I haven't met most of the goals I set and I've also felt stuck and uninspired for a good part of this year. So I know I need to make some changes in order to shake things up and get myself back in a good writing groove.
I don't know exactly what those changes will be but I have some ideas I'm going to try. It's all a bit nerve-wracking but I also exciting because I want and need to get out of this rut I've been in for far too long now.
When I began this blog five years ago I had achieved some personal goals and wondered "What Else is Possible?" Now it seems I'm back to the question that started this whole blogging adventure.
It's been an amazing five years but I know it's time for me to make some changes and set some new goals. In other words, it's time for me to ask what else is possible again.
Today I'm also helping to spread the word about the latest release from M. Pax, The Reader. The Reader is the third book in The Rifters series, and this is a series you don't want to miss. If you haven't already delved into the Pax universe you are missing out!
The Reader info:
Links:
Blurb:
With the rift closed for the season and no more
monsters to fight, Daelin Long gets bored as librarian in the podunk town of
Settler, Oregon. A job interview and her brother’s arrival present a tempting
opportunity to escape, until her brother and her best friend, a ghost,
disappear.
While Daelin searches for them, more mysteries pile
up: dead people coming back to life, portraits of the town founders replaced
with strange white trees, and people on the other side of the rift returning.
It’s impossible. The portal that allows monsters from other universes to come
to Earth is sealed until next summer.
The Rifters, a secret group protecting our world,
believe the troubles are nothing more than the tantrums of an offended ghost.
Daelin disagrees. If she’s right, the evil hell-bent on destroying Earth has
new technology making the rift more deadly.
Before the monster summons the next apocalypse, Daelin
must find it and destroy it.
Book 3 in the Rifter series.
Need to catch up? You can read books 1 & 2 in the
Rifter series for free by becoming an M. Pax Reader. ENTER
MY DIMENSION
Reviews
“The world Pax creates here is like the Wild West meets
Ghostbusters with some Stargate and a bit of Steampunk thrown in. Even though
everything seems a bit familiar, it’s not, which is what makes it compelling.”CHOOSE YOUR OWN END
“This book catapults the reader right in mid-events and, like
Daelin, one is forever trying to figure out the ins and outs of the situation.
Though readers have one advantage in that we are prepared to believe. However,
what in some books can be annoying, becomes an enjoyable ride, where you are
constantly excited to see where the plot will take you next. I really enjoyed the
slightly wacky and off center world of Settler.” AMAZON
Congratulations, Mary!
ReplyDeleteI know I need to make some changes as well.
I hear you, Julie. Knowing we need to make changes but not being sure what they are is so frustrating though. Love that quote - thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Madeline. The quote is great. I've been dawdling along, kind of in a bla place, too. I am hoping it is cyclical.
ReplyDeleteHi Julie - you've had a lot going on - and sometimes we just need time out and then things start happening again ... so relax and see where the Christmas season will lead you. Mary's book is doing the rounds and sounds good - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHi, Julie, I totally understand about setting goals and looking for changes!! We get in a rut and sometimes it's difficult trying to dig our way out. I plan, hopefully, to take a break after my book is released on 12/20.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Mary!!!!
This is definitely the time of year to try new things. And if they aren't nerve-wracking, they probably aren't worth doing. :)
ReplyDeleteI wish you all the best with your new ideas and goals. Sometimes we all need to sit back and evaluate ourselves, our work, our life, and our goals. Change can be wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI wish you all the best with your new ideas and goals. Sometimes we all need to sit back and evaluate ourselves, our work, our life, and our goals. Change can be wonderful!
ReplyDeleteAwesome quote. Your inspiration will be back and you'll wow us with more stories. :) Congrats to Mary!
ReplyDeleteI understand your frustration. Life isn't a steady rise. It's a series of plateaus and lurching leaps to the next one. Frightening leaps usually. I'm feeling the blahs this holiday. It might be the need for one of those leaps or maybe it's just the season.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Mary! She's really cranking. I know what you mean about feeling uninspired. I've been struggling with inspiration and productivity myself. Since working on the same series for seven years, starting a new series feels like starting completely over. It's daunting and my subconscious is fighting me against starting. I love the quote. To achieve more, I need to become more. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving weekend!
ReplyDeleteMary keeps turning out the books. Good luck to her and The Reader!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Mary.
ReplyDeleteI think we all find ourselves in a rut. I like your attitude about seeking ways to inspire you all over again.
Making changes can be difficult and overwhelming, but it helps if you break things down and tackle one thing at a time. Slowly building up to a goal also helps.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Mary! The Reader was a fantastic book.
Congratulations to M.Pax! I know how you feel. I need to get out of my rut too. I think that everything is still possible for you. So, don't give up. You will get your groove back . . . soon:)
ReplyDeleteChange can be a good thing. I hope you find your inspiration in 2016.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Mary on her book The Reader!
Exciting times. I'm hoping some epic changes help you get into the groove you're seeking. And if not, there's always cheese, eh?
ReplyDeleteTHE READER sounds compelling! Much success to M. Pax with it!
ReplyDeleteJulie, I hear you on the stagnancy... I suppose it happens to everyone, not once or twice but repeatedly over the course of a lifetime—and you're right, it's nerve-wracking and disorienting ("Why doesn't this 'good' thing feel good anymore?"), but it's also an amazing opportunity to grow and, ultimately, to approach the becoming necessary to fulfillment. Kudos to you for taking this by the horns and making plans to shake things up. I look forward to the fruits of your newfound groove :)
Guilie @ Quiet Laughter
I know what you mean. Feels like time for a change. Maybe I should shave my head.
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, we always need to keep changing and re-inventing ourselves. This time of year just seems like the period when we're most strongly thinking about it and looking inward.
IWSG December
I rethink my blog periodically. I suppose it's good for us.
ReplyDeleteAs for getting back in the groove, take small bites. If you're consistent, they soon add up. That's how I get back into major projects after just finishing one. I'll also juggle projects to keep my interests piqued.
Thanks for posting about The Reader!
It takes lots of courage to make professional changes, Julie, and I'm sure you have it in spades. Good luck with your plans for the new year and any changes you decide to make.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Mary on her book.
Change is good not matter in what way. Things have a way to domino. And I love this cover. So beautiful. I'm sure the book will do well.
ReplyDeleteAnna from Elements of Writing
Looks like a great read, Mary.
ReplyDeleteYou know what, Julie? I think it's a positive thing you're asking that same question all these years later. No, really. Look at it from where you are now, not from the place you where the last time you posed the question to yourself. I'm sure you'll find a different answer now and you'll see a bright future ahead!
ReplyDeleteYup, we do have to shake things up a bit when they get stagnant.
ReplyDeleteIt's what keeps us reaching for new goals.
Congrats to Mary!
you've accomplished so much! but i'm glad you are finding inspiration to seek out what is possible for you and i'm excited to see what you do next (and hope to join you for another event soon!)
ReplyDeleteyay for M Pax!!
I haven't been meeting a lot of my goals lately, either. Definitely frustrating. Best of luck figuring out the changes you need to make so you can be as successful as possible in 2016!
ReplyDeleteI love that quote! It's perfect for the end of the year when I often find myself asking, "What's next?"
ReplyDeleteI can't believe it's been five years, Julie! We must have met a few months after you started blogging during our first A to Z! You've accomplished a lot during that time, and I know whatever changes you make will be great. Congrats to Mary!
ReplyDeleteJulie
My stagnation was with my regular job. I'm putting that to rights, but that's stealing time from my writing. LOL I can't win...
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Mary! :D
Woot! Five years! I wish you the best in finding what you want to pursue next, and hope you achieve great success with it. :) With your passion for animals and haunted places, maybe you could do a story about a dog in a haunted house?
ReplyDeleteGrats, Mary!
Great quote. If we aren't changing, we're stagnating. Best wishes.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Mary. I love the sound of the Rifter series. Adding it to my TBR pile.
ReplyDeleteGood luck Mary!
ReplyDeleteLove the quote, so apropos!
You'll attain your goals, I've no doubt!
Asking what else is possible is a good habit, if you think about it. Stagnation is not a good situation to be in.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing what you'll do in 2016. :-)
We all get stuck sometimes Julie. But once you're unstuck amazing things will happen! :)
ReplyDeleteI never heard of Max DePree before, but his quote is terrific.
ReplyDeleteWow! Mary has another new book?! She definitely isn't in a do-nothing (like me!) rut. Looks like I have some catching up to do; I haven't even read the second book in her Rifters series yet.
Hi Julie,
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff about Mary and her latest book. And Julie, your reflections will reveal new possibilities in your ongoing writing adventures.
All the best, my friend.
Gary
I'm sorry you feel you've been missing goals and have been uninspired. I think most of us feel that way sometimes. I felt that way this summer too. I'm trying to solve it by planning 50k novellas instead of 90k novels. (I just don't want to work on one project that takes a year+ to finish.) I hope you find new ideas that work for you. :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Mary! I believe in stretching myself, trying new genres, and just plain pushing myself to write and get published. I did a lot this year, but I struggled with two manuscripts. I'll get them right.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Mary on her new release. She's amazing!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with all the new plans for your blog/writing. I'm sure you'll find your rhythm...and it will be business as usual.
Congrats Mary. Julie the fact that you recognize the need for change and have plans to do so is wonderful news in and of itself.
ReplyDeleteWoo-hoo, congrats to Mary! I'm feeling similar to you. Questioning a lot of things and trying to figure out the direction I need to go in. Good luck while you figure everything out.
ReplyDelete