SUMMER TIME--SUMMER TIME--.SUMMER TIME

Isn’t it funny how certain words evoke images in your mind?  For instance, for me, the word summer has always meant sunshine, swimming, snowball’s (snow cones for those of you not from South Louisiana) and freedom. No doubt, the impervious conditioning of a carefree childhood, but still today, I can’t help but pair all of those things at this time of year. 

I certainly didn’t get the memo that said I was supposed to give up those precious favorites from summer, and as I enjoy a medium, flat-top, sugar-free coconut snowball from the stand close to my house, I can’t understand why anyone would ever want to grow up if that was the rule!

However, I have children, I have a husband, I am a grown-up with grown-up responsibilities, but I also love summer time and joking around, laughing, having fun, and with a son like mine who is a practical joker 24/7, I am constantly reminded to be happy.

Now James Herrington (the husband) would be the first one to say “Work first, play second,” and he is one of the smartest people that I know and unfortunately right about most things.  (Don’t tell him I said so or he will be incorrigible!!!) And I do understand that we all have work to do, but why not incorporate fun into that work, especially this time of year? 

I certainly have writing deadlines, but surely I can write at the beach.  I have stories to edit, and I know I can do that while enjoying a refreshing shaved ice delicacy.  (Have I explained enough how awesome coconut snowballs taste?)  Then there are things like cooking dinner that well, heck I can’t do anything else while cooking, but it's summer and hot and who wants to cook dinner?  We eat a lot of salad in the summer!

I’m nothing if not amenable to the things that I have to do and the things that I want to do.  Anything is possible with planning and scheduling.  Some days, I wake up earlier or stay up later to fit everything in, but there is nothing like the feeling of meeting my goals.  The key is proper planning. More like perfect planning, but still with the help of my “roll with the punches” family, we push each other to get everything done!  The Herrington's are not an idle little family, and with all of this running around, I feel blessed to have the ability to work anywhere. 

After all, we have four high school graduations within our immediate family, football and basketball practices every day all summer long (which includes 20 basketball games in June alone) and one out of state college orientation to attend.  I’m excited to say that with all of the overactive family life, I also have my new website being launched any day now, lisaherrington.com, my new novel back from the editor that will be published in JULY, and two short stories published in the next few weeks.  (I’ve been busy, really busy!) 

So for those of you out there, battling your way through responsibilities and hanging on to your carefree ways by a thread, I say HANG ON!  You can do it!  Balance is the key and by tweaking things here and there, you can have it all!!!

The Mission

I hope this post finds you making the most of every day in regards to your personal goals.  Sometimes, it may take a little remapping before your direction is crystal clear, but keeping your destination in mind does help! 

When I first started writing this blog, I was so eager to put my foot in the social media water (A teeny-tiny-little virtual foot) that I wasn’t sure what to do first.

About the only thing I did know was that I needed it to be personal and wanted it to be about my journey as a writer.

Oh My!

My last post was some time ago and if you were sweet enough to read it, way back then, I explained that I had strayed from this blog with my other blog, BayouWritersClub.blogspot.com and with my Writing group at MeetUp.com, The Bayou Writer’s Club.

Well, clearly they kept my attention as I haven’t posted here since!  (Worthwhile, I promise!) 

Actually, the BWC still has my complete devotion, but I’ve had a hard time finding my way with two blogs, a website, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn! Not to mention my busy family life that became a Time-Monster on its own!

Sidetracked

I hope that you actually did check out the Bayou Writer’s Blog and Meet-Up site so you could see just how busy things could get in the writing world!  The growth has been phenomenal with our numbers around a whopping 175 members and growing.  In addition to our meetings every two weeks, I’ve added “Reading Events” quarterly, at a local English Tea Room which has the perfect setting for our evening event.  Our meetings have taken on an air of advanced writing class lessons and in addition to our extremely talented members, we have guests that have included traditionally published authors, indie authors, and a founding editor of a publishing company. 

It’s been incredible.    

I would say this little side trek of mine has been successful in so many ways and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.  However, I had a destination and I’m going to get there! 

Tools for the Assignment

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been busy, but I still wrote all the time, because I don’t know how to not write!  I shared some of this work with the Bayou Writers but mostly, there just seemed to be this huge file of work that never went anywhere but my own virtual writing folder.  There was certainly a time when that would have been okay with me because I’d always written for myself.  Some people journal, I write fiction.  But that was then and this is now… Now, I have goals for those stories! 

The funny thing is, you can’t have a goal without the means.  That is, you can’t share your writing with the world if you don’t write!  I did, I have, and it’s there! Lots of it!

On top of having a large writing portfolio, I have learned to be a better self-editor.  I have more beta-readers, I’ve met writer friends that are graphic designers, know professional line editors, taken fiction writing classes, attended writing workshops and conferences.  (Finding a writing group or starting one is incredibly helpful!)

I’ve learned a lot!

Back on the Path (with a little redirecting)

I’ve learned that I respect the traditional publishing world but am more of an Indie Author.  I appreciate all the incredible books that I have read my entire life that traditional publishers helped spit and polish until they were shiny and ready for market.  I’ve been right there in line with many of my saved dollars waiting to purchase book three in a series that I couldn’t wait another minute to read.  After all, I am not only a writer but a word nerd and lover of stories, a reader in the true sense of the word. 

However, in the age of on-demand and e-books, I like the idea of controlling each piece of the business.  In other words, I want readers to experience my writing under the cover that I choose, with whatever changes or edits that I agree to make, and in the format that they want at the prices I set.  Look at me, the control freak.  Who knew?  (No need to answer that last question!)

X- Marks the Spot (Or in this case, X equals the publishing date of my first novel!)

I am excited to announce that I am closing in on my destination!  Depending on my final edits, it could be as soon as May 2016!!!!  Whoo-Hoo.  I will have a free book available via my website sooner and can’t wait to finally share with everyone what I have been working on.  (I was going to say what has been going on inside my head but that just sounded weird!)

I’ve heard THE JOURNEY is more important than the DESTINATION and I can’t say that it wasn’t worth every step that I took to get here.  After all, I do love to travel.  My husband teases that “it doesn’t matter where the car is going, if it’s backing out of the driveway, Lisa wants to be in it!”  I dare challenge that I simply want to see everything! 

You too?

Then set your itinerary, map it out, leave a little wiggle room so you can wander, and get moving!

Thanks for popping in to see me---I’ll be back really soon with dates and links to my Books! 

Until then-

Happy Writing,

-L