In fact, a few years ago when I contracted with my first book agent, I bought myself a ring. Despite the arrangement not working out, I still wear that ring to this day and it makes me feel quite proud.

Today, I jumped back on the submission saddle and started working old and new manuscripts.  A new revision process helped and so too did a new submission process. (Can you tell I’m all about creating systems!)

I actually wrote about the submission process HERE.

Originally, once I sucked up my courage, I was going to buy myself a ring for sending off the first query. Yes, I do like rings - especially the ones over at the Sundance Catalog. However, I changed my mind.

Submitting my manuscript is a reward all by itself. I think I’ve grown wiser over the past few years. (Thank goodness!)

Of course, I will be buying myself a snazzy ring when I get that publishing contract, you can be darned sure!

…and it was all I could do just to think about writing and revising. Truth be told, I reviewed about ten pages and took some notes. I had absolutely NO ENERGY! And no idea why.

Today, it’s cloudy, cold and rainy and guess what? I have the energy of a two year old child high on cotton candy. I’m vibrating.

Why?

Why does our energy ebb and flow seemingly without reason or cause. Yesterday I could have slept all day and been completely happy and today I’m bee bopping to MJB and making real progress on client projects and my manuscript.

As a romance writer, or a writer of any kind for that matter, you’ll likely struggle with more than a simple change in energy levels.

Some days the muse whispers sweet nothings in your ear and other days it’s all you can do to remember what she looks or sounds like.

Push Forward

The path to productivity and maintaining progress is to push through the low energy, low creative inspiration, and low motivation days. Get somethign done, even if you only revise ten pages or write one. At least you’ve done something toward your end goal. You’ve made progress.

Creating this habit is the key to achieving your goals and your dreams.  Accept the ebb and flow of motivation and learn to work with it.  And when those high energy days surface, seize them!

***For more information about how to be a productive writer visit www.makealivingwritingromance.com and check out this article.

So while other writers have to balance their day job, family, and their writing dreams, I have an advantage.

I work from home, I write from the time I wake up in the morning until the end of the day. When my family needs me, I can be there without pissing off a boss. YAY!

However, let me tell you writing all day (I mean ALL DAY) can wear on a person.  Vacations and days off from writing are a must.

Yet, the bigger challenge is balancing my fiction projects with my paid ghostwriting projects.

I’ve yet to f ind a real schedule that I can stick to because let’s face it the paycheck often has to come before the dream.

However, I have been able to create minimal goals I can stick to: 100o words a day and/or 50 pages a day during the revision process.

I’ve no advice to other writers when it comes to finding a balance other than to make time for your publishing dreams. Writing isn’t a chore, it’s an escape, an art and it’s your reward. When you think of it that way, it’s easy to turn off American Idol and write a few pages of romance!

Seemed a bit crazy to me on many levels to do this but I watched. I read the review and I watched - like the figurative fly on the wall.

As it happened. Several other writers came to her defense. They posted scathing remarks on said reviewers website/blog.

And I kept watching.

Soon, the bashed author posted her two cents on the reviewers blog and forced the reviewer to defend herself.

Shocked and awed doesn’t even begin to describe my amazement. I cannot believe someone who has published several books would behave this unprofessionally.

1. She embarassed herself

2. She called attention to a pretty scathing review. Why oh why?!

3. No reviewer in their right mind is going to want to review her books in the future. Publishing is a small world and with social networking and blogging it’s a matter of minutes before the entire world knows what an asshole you are.

4. Her faux pas is permanent.  There’s no way she can erase the damage she caused.

What Happened Next?

The reviewer acted incredibly professionally, despite being called out in a very unprofessional and downright agressive manner, and told the writer she should be looking for a private message/email in her inbox.

The writer posted ANOTHER rant on Facebook.

Oh well. Guess one less writer in the world makes room for another who can manage to control themselves.

Moral of this story…”If you don’t like a what a reviewer has to say, write better and relax. Drink a glass of wine and think about all the good reviews you have received.”

After doing a heavy bit of research and asking the lovely women over at Passionate Ink for help, I’ve now created a checklist and a systematic and quite thorough process for revising my manuscripts. To top that off, I also grabbed a whole gob of ink and paper and printed out a working version of each manuscript. Three hole punched, labeled and placed in a binder, these manuscripts are ready for the first step in my newly designed revision process.

Step #1 Read the entire manuscript through beginning to end and take notes on each chapter with my Livescribe pen. Why Livescribe? So the notes can be uploaded and saved on my computer in the file designated for that book.

Then when I go back and do rewrites, I don’t have to sort through stacks of scrap paper. it’s all on my computer waiting for me.  And any notes that need to be worked right into the manuscript can be converted to text, cut and pasted right where they need to be. Ain’t technology grand?!

So what’s the lesson?

That writers, myself included, spend a lot of time learning how to be better writers but we’re not taught nor do we focus on the revision process. Which I’ve learned is about 70% of the writing process.

I’m now excited and motivated to get these manuscripts polished and ready to submit. I have a journal to track my progress and a plan to make it happen.

Nude Rock Climber - Photographed by Peter Torsal

You can see more gorgeous photos at http://www.torsal.de/

It’s perfect for the student who is taking notes in class because it also captures what the professor is saying. You then upload your notes onto your computer and you can search them, tag them and even email them or share them for collaboration.

Pretty cool, right?

However, not so great if you’re like me and are really looking for a way to not have to type everything you’ve written longhand. So for a year now, I’ve looked longingly at the Livescribe and thought, “If only.”

Boy was I stupid!

There is a software program that’s compatible with the Livescribe desktop called MyScript that converts your handwritten notes (which have to be written on special Livescribe paper which you can print yourself) into text.

Let me repeat that - it converts your handwritten notes into text.  You can edit the text, cut and paste, email and any other old thing you’d likely do with text.

For me this is a godsend! I tend to have much more productive, creative, and inspiring writing sessions when I can write the old fashioned way (no, not stone tablet and chisel!  Pen and paper.)

What I’ve learned….

My handwriting is atrocious!  Course, I already knew that the pen & software just reinforce it.  It reads print much better than cursive so I’m adapting. It’s worth the effort.  I no longer have to type 10-20 pages a night into my computer. I simply upload, convert and viola!  It’s amazing.

If you haven’t tried the Livescribe pen, check it out. It’s a bit pricey but if you’re like me and you prefer pen & paper form of creative writing then it’s definitely worth the investment. I’m saving hours a night typing and using that time for more worthy purposes - reading & writing of course!