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Distinctive fantasy fiction stories that delight the mind and stir the soul.

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Time and the Writing Life of an Author

December 18, 2015 By Author John Leave a Comment

Now is the time

Where Did Time Go?

This morning I will work on the rewrite of The Jewel. Click here and click there and it’s on the screen. Well, before I get started I should check my email. Ah, several things to respond to here. Hmm. That took longer than expected. Best check on who won the game yesterday. Ah, good the Seahawks. So what is happening in the world? I will just check my news feed. Time!

Where did the time go? I had better work on my rewrite. Well, I do need to write a post for my website. But if I don’t get to that rewrite I will never get it done. Yet, I do need to write that blog. I wonder how many people checked out my website yesterday. It will only take a minute to check Google Analytics. And so it goes.

Time Management

Time a GiftTime is a gift from God. If you do not manage your time and discipline your time management, you will not get much writing done. You will waste a precious gift. However, disciplining one’s time management is easier said than done. The fella who gets in the way is a “pro” at it—procrastination! Overcoming the pro is a matter of disciplining your discipline until discipline of your time becomes a habit. I know, it sounds like double talk, but that is the way it works.

So, how do I discipline my time? One, I am not a tyrant. I allow for some flexibility. However, in general the first hour of the day is spent reading and reflecting on Scripture, prayer writing, journaling, and he next half hour to forty-five minutes dealing with email, news, analytics, etc. Then I write for an hour and a half to two and a half hours before taking a break to go hiking in the desert. I write two to three hours in the afternoon as well. I rewrite in the morning and work on a new book in the afternoon, or vise versa.

Website Content

I allow one to one and a half days of my writing time to work on website content. You would be surprised at how many hours goes into writing blogs, prepping pictures, etc. I usually do website content toward the end of the week, unless I have so gotten into my writing and rewriting that I let website content slip. Then I end up working catch-up early in the week.

Time Flexibility

Time to SellI mentioned flexibility. There are days I just cannot get my mind in “writing gear.” For some reason the clutch is not functioning properly. When that happens I give myself freedom to work on some “shelf” project, a short story, planning marketing strategy, reading writing related articles, organizing pictures, or perhaps organizing my desk. But I make sure I discipline myself to keep with my time management schedule at least four days out of the week.

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Filed Under: Author Blog Tagged With: author, Christmas story, marketing strategy, time management, writing life

A Christmas Bah Humbug Tale

December 4, 2015 By Author John Leave a Comment

Christmas Bah Humbug

Bah Humbug Got the Juices Going

The Story I promised

Bah Humbug ShoppingChristmas — bah humbug! That was the first thought that came to mind last week after I told you if I wrote a Christmas story I would share it with you. Well, just mentioning it, and having that cryptic thought, got the juices going, and I immediately sat down and got to it! It is short, a little over twelve hundred words. I do not mention where the story takes place so that you can put it in your own location context, whether you live in Arizona, Montana, West Virginia, New England, Canada, Mexico, the UK, or elsewhere.

Whether you love Christmas or find it a “Bah humbug!” I think you will enjoy this story inspired by Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol.” Oh, and have you written a short Christmas story yet? Come on! Get with it! When you do write your short Christmas story, share it with me. And share your response to my story as well. Merry Christmas!

Angels Unawares

“Christmas? Bah humbug!” That was Scrooge’s attitude, and that was mine as well. Long ago I grew tired of the commercialization and hoopla of Christmas. People expecting presents. Crowded stores. Noisy family get-togethers and certain obnoxious relatives. Christmas music everywhere—same songs over and over. Christmas stuff going on at church. Those confound bell ringers! “Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!” Bah humbug! Where can I go to get away from it all? That question was heavy on my mind.

I growled when the first Christmas card of the season arrived. On the front was a quaint night scene of a little cabin with a snow covered pine tree beside it and a star shining brightly from above. And of course, “Merry Christmas” was emblazoned across the bottom of the card. I did not even look to see who it was from. I headed for the trash can, still snarling. As I tossed the card in the trash my growl turned into a, “Hmm.” I headed for my computer.

“Cabins in the woods; Cabins in the woods,” I muttered as I searched. “Yes, here is one that looks like the cabin on the card—an escape from Christmas!” I reached for my cell phone hoping the cabin was not already rented for the season.

I packed my bags and headed north, glad I lived alone and did not have to deal with some woman’s paranoia about being “home for the holidays.” A grim smile sliced my face. I was leaving the humbug of Christmas behind. I would not return until after the stupidity of New Years when I would empty and toss most everything in my mailbox. Although I did not receive a lot of cards, the few were too many.

Turning from the highway onto a dirt road I felt a deep stir of excitement, a whole month hidden away from everyone and everything—hidden away from Christmas! After a mile I came to the sign I was looking for: Woodhaven Get-away. The narrow drive twisted through the woods until there before me stood my escape. At the sight of it I breathed a sigh of relief.

A roaring fire, a stack of good books, hot coffee and no Christmas. I glanced at the television, but it would remain off. Christmas was not going to blare at me through that stupid machine. I even shut off my cell. Total isolation. Perfect.

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Filed Under: Author Blog Tagged With: Christmas, Christmas angel, Christmas story, short christmas story, short story

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John Edgell, Author

John has experience as a school teacher, a pastor, and has been a writer of stories since his two sons were knee high to a gnome.

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