Normally, I like to reward myself for a job well done. Particularly if it took some doing and extra motivation was necessary to persevere.

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!

Yesterday, it was a bright sunshiny day. The perfect day to sit outside on the patio and revise chapters.  An ideal day….

…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.

I have a unique challenge when it comes to working on my fiction projects. I’m actually a writer by profession. I own a content busienss that writes articles, blog posts, reports, and ebooks for other business owners. Most of the content is published online though I have had several books published (Ghostwritten) and one of them even managed to make it to Amazon’s Bestseller’s list.

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!

Yesterday I noticed a post on Facebook by a fellow writer.  She was drawing attention to a book review website that gave her a bad review.

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.”