Still blogging the night away!

Hello, Gentle Readers!

I just wanted to make another stop along the blogging trail. So far, I've blogged at myspace--www.myspace.com/romanceauthor, and at Live Journal, http://www.pamwriter.myjournal.com, (I think that's the address).

Next, I'll be going to my Authors Den site, www.authorsden.com/pamlabud. Check 'em out if you get the chance!

I hope everyone is having a great week so far. Things here have been good. I've not done a thing! Seriously lazy, that's me. But now I'm back at it. Yay! My other posts tonight have been about the importance of taking time to rest and then the end of the Sopranos.

For this one, I think I'll address the importance of prioritizing things. First things first. It's important in my life, first as a wife and Mom, then as a nurse, and especially as a writer. As a wife and Mom, it's pretty easy, because everyone in my household, including the dogs and birds, lol! keep my on my toes. When it's time to eat, when I can't navigate from my office to the kitchen, and so forth, and of course when they all gang up on my bed to watch movies and share some good family time. Well, the kids and dogs. The birds just add their presence by screeching in the other room.

For work, prioritizing is tantamount. As a nurse, I have to see to my patients needs first. Are they okay? In pain? Need emotional support or, (gasp!) a bedpan? Then, as charge nurse, I must help the rest of my crew get their jobs done. Sometimes it means going to staffing meetings or helping with a proceedure or test. Things like charting and bathroom breaks sometimes just have to wait. Such is the life of a nurse. Any nurse, just ask them.

As a writer, priority is job one, as well. This means you, dear writer, must have a plan. You can sit at the computer and pound on the keyboard all you want, but if you don't have a plan, you're just performing a task, and not writing. Simple as spit, really.

This means setting goals, large and small. Let me tell you, any author worth their salt will tell you about goal setting. Ask yourself the important questions. What do you want to accomplish? Set a time limit--in a year? A month, A day?

Not only that, but a plan of your writing. This can be as detailed as you want. Some writers free write the first half of thier timed sessions and then do revisions the second half. Some of us do the famed 'book in a week.' which is all freewriting without looking back, and then spend weeks working on revisions. Some revise as we go. Some have detailed synopsii or outlines, others start on page one and just go where the writing takes us. Experiment, but at least have some idea of where you want to go. Put in simple terms: Know your story's beginning, have an idea about the middle, and decide where you want to end up. If you go on a trip, you have to know your destination, right? This doesn't mean you can't change direction when you need to, either. Go ahead, give it a try. It works, you'll see.

Well, that's about it for now. I hope you all have a good rest of the week and a smashing weekend. Happy Reading! Pam.