#WIPWednesday

Since last Wednesday, my mom had back surgery, my dad visited from out-of-town and stayed three nights with us, and my kids' Spring Break started. So, I'm not at all embarrassed to say I have not written a single thing. I've barely even had my laptop open the past couple days.

Today is the first day we can completely chill and go at whatever pace we please (and, hopefully, I can sneak in a little more work on the laptop besides this post).

Still, even without writing or submitting anything new, a few things did happen this week.

It was announced last Wednesday that I won the drawing for the InspireMore Featured Creators giveaway! Can you believe it?! Totally not my typical luck with drawings. It does not matter how many entries I have, my name is not usually pulled – but it was this time!

To thank everyone who helped me get all those entries and who support me in so many ways, I held giveaway on my page. My very first giveaway. I'll admit, it caused anxiety. I am such a rule-follower and even though so many pages host causal, care-free giveaways, there actually are a lot of rules and regulations that are supposed to be followed. So, I followed them. All the extra disclaimers probably turned some away. I actually lost one page follower during the giveaway, but I did gain a few more newsletter subscriptions, for which I am grateful.

I am feeling more and more certain that building my newsletter mailing list is the most important way to capture my audience. Social media is beyond frustrating. For the giveaway, I finally decided to use the "credit" Facebook is always pushing at me to try "boosting" a post. Even though I disagree with the fact that Facebook requires page owners to pay to reach the people who have chosen to follow the page, I felt the need to play the game (with their offered credit, not my actual money) so that my page followers would actually see the post about the giveaway I was hosting. I chose to use the $15 credit solely on reaching my page followers (yes, that is an option) not on trying to reach anyone new (which, btw, I take no issue with being offered as paid advertising). And guess what?!? That post still was not seen by 192 of my page followers! *sigh*

Overall, the giveaway was a success, though, and it was fun to be able to give something away.

I also had another piece syndicated on InspireMore this week.

And, I received a couple rejections: one for a poem submission from earlier this month and the other for that shorter piece I wrote and queried last week. Rejections are undoubtedly disappointing – and feel even moreso when I haven't been working on anything new – but I appreciate the responses, nonetheless.

Thankfully, it wasn't only rejections this week. I did receive an acceptance for syndication but the piece has not yet been scheduled.

I'm looking forward to that since I am not expecting to get much writing done over the next few days, either. Though I do hope to resubmit these pieces that were rejected.

We will all get back to our routines on Monday. For now, I'm going to try to enjoy some chill and fun Spring Break days.

#WIPWednesday

I always strive to share my truths, but some are harder to share than others.

This week, I went into more detail than I ever had before about what it means when I say I am an "anxiety struggler." I actually started writing this piece in January, but I didn't feel comfortable with it, so it sat unfinished in my drafts folder for several weeks. I revisited it late last week and was able to finish it up at 1700 words and query it for publication in Invisible Illness, a Medium publication focused on mental health. I was excited when it was accepted an published there, but also apprehensive about sharing the piece. Still, I shared it. It was surprisingly well-received and I was comforted by how many reached out to say they could relate. This is exactly why I push myself to share. None of us are alone. It helps so much to know that.

I was on a writing-roll after I finished that piece and cranked out an unrelated 600 word essay early this week, as well! It has been queried to its first publication, but I have a list of possibilities for this one if the first passes on it.

One more update about my piece on P.S. I Love You, it has continued to perform well and has now become my highest earning piece of writing EVER – in any publication – in my whole writing career. That was pretty exciting.

Yesterday, I submitted another piece to InspireMore to consider for syndication. Also, as I mentioned last week, InspireMore held a contest for its Featured Creators and I just have to say THANK YOU! You all really came through for me – I went from zero to 134 hearts in just a few days! The winner will be announced later this morning. *fingers crossed*

#WIPWednesday

I truly believe the world would be a better place if we all spoke only our truths. In fact, this concept plays a huge role in my Utopian novel – the novel I have such a strong desire to bring to life but haven't added any new words to in weeks.

I could list a plethora of excuses ranging from sick kids to self-doubt. I could beat myself up over it. But, instead, I am sitting comfortable in this honest truth: I have not written any new words lately but I am still writing this book.

And I have accomplished other things this week.

I took the feedback from my beta readers and completed the final draft of the short story I've been working on. It has been submitted for consideration in an anthology.

I wrote, submitted, and had a new poem published on Hopes and Dreams for Our Future. I submitted five other poems for consideration in a new literary magazine, as well.

I created some new Instagram images.

I heard back from a few old queries this week.

My submission to a poetry magazine was rejected; which I was a little bummed about. I was really hoping to be published there.

I also received an rejection for one of my essay syndication queries to a site I had not yet worked with.

Love What Matters picked up another of my essays for syndication. I am always grateful to have my work shared with their audience of over 7.9 million on Facebook and this time they also shared my piece with their 329K followers on Instagram where it actually performed better. This was the first piece I had run on LWM that did not result in a single new follow on my Facebook page. I could see in my stats that a handful of people had clicked through to check out my page, but none decided to hit the follow button. That was a bit disappointing since the main reason to syndicate my work on a non-paying site like Love What Matters is in hopes of building my own audience.

So, I spent a little time this week making some online updates. I unpinned my Facebook page post which promoted my page and newsletter and replaced it with a popular image of one of my poems. I added a "story" to my about page (which stays pinned to the sidebar or top, depending on device) in hopes of people finding it a more personable way to learn about the page and find my links. And I updated my "published" page here on the blog to include a complete listing by title of my published works.

I submitted another piece for syndication on InspireMore, which was accepted and published yesterday. InspireMore just launched a new feature on their site – hearts – and, announced a fun contest for us Featured Creators to help promote it! Every ❤️ on my stories thru the 15th gives me an entry for a giveaway. I announced that if I happen to win, I'll do a giveaway on my Facebook page, too, to spread the love!

I still have pending queries for everything: essay syndication, poetry, my children's book manuscript, and the short story mentioned above. *Fingers crossed* for more acceptances than rejections in the coming week!

#WIPWednesday

Sometimes, I have a strong desire and passion to tell one story – whether it be a scene in the utopian world of my novel, a personal essay on a topic I feel the need to address, or a poem to express my emotions in a moment. At these times, my mind focuses in on this story, and little else, until I feel I have put all those thoughts into words.

Lately, though, I feel as though all the different aspects of my personality are vying for some writing time. My mind has been swimming with bits of several different projects and ideas. It is invigorating, but also quite frustrating, as it is hard to complete any one thing when I am feeling equally invested in several projects.

I've felt very poetic as of late. This week, I sent two queries to publications for new poems I wrote, wrote another new poem after that, and received one rejection for a query I sent a couple weeks ago.

I've been working on a realistic fiction short story that I plan to submit for consideration in a death-themed anthology. It is an emotionally heavy piece to write but I see the story so clearly and want to do it justice.

While I did not add any words to the novel this week, it has been on my mind often. I've been questioning my approach which involves two separate timelines being told in parallel and whether or not I should stick with that or just write one timeline to see how it stands alone.

Beyond my mind swimming with different stories, I have also felt invested in my efforts to present and promote myself as a writer.

Reaching the goal of 500 Facebook page likes was a wonderfully motivating accomplishment. And, if I am honest, also a tad bit intimidating. Once I reached the goal, I felt touch of performance anxiety – what should I post now, are they going to stick around, if I bump up my older stuff for the new crowd will the others find it annoying and repetitive, what are they hoping to see here? It was fleeting, thankfully, and I settled back into my standard, everyday anxiety over putting myself out there.

Also wonderfully motivating this week, my essay on P.S. I Love You surpassed my essay on Hopes and Dreams for Our Future as my best performing piece on Medium, by far! It has been viewed more than 1.6K times, receiving more than 1.5K claps from 153 fans and earning more than $70 in just three and a half weeks! Medium is incredibly unpredictable, but I still love that platform.

And I still love InspireMore, too! I submitted another piece for syndication which was accepted and featured on Facebook, Twitter, and in their newsletter.

I submitted different syndication query to another site I have not yet worked with, as well.

The big news of this week, though, is that my very first newsletter was delivered yesterday! I spent a fair amount of time tweaking the layout and am so happy with how it looks and all it offers: quick and easy access to everything new this quarter plus a newsletter exclusive section for sneak peaks at unpublished works, insider info, and behind-the-scenes tidbits. If you missed this one, opt-in now; the next quarterly newsletter is planned for June.