TOP 3 - December 7, 2020

 This has been a year! 

I don't know what 2021 has in store for us but I know that I am laying the ground work now for a successfull year ahead. 

One of the things I have planned is to release not one but two books in the Planned To Perfection series. 

While on my road trip I spent an evening in a hotel binge-watching Sarra Cannon's plotting series on youtube. Here's the PLAYLIST. With my Plotting Notebook and pen in hand, I went to work trying to figure out what wasn't working with Book 2. 

I FOUND IT! Thank you, Sarra Cannon for a fabulous free course. You broke through the dam and helped me see what I was missing. 

With the new plotting notes at hand, I'm spending some time every day/ evening actually writing again!

I'm also hard at work prepping my office, as well as the rest of the house, for Christmas decorations. I'm determined the entire village is going up in the office this year. I've not had the whole community up since we moved here over twelve years ago. I've since added pieces and it's important to me to set them up. At least in my office, I can set the village up then close the door - keeping the cats from walking through like Godzillas. ;-)

What's on your Top 3 this week? How are you preparing for this out-of-norm holiday season?

Please share in the comments below. We could all use ideas during this time.

All my best

~Angela

TOMORROW BECOMES TODAY...

Geez..

You'd think I fell off the face of the earth! Honestly, I can tell you what happened.

I'd love to say I was buried in the book, but I wasn't. I fell down a completely different rabbit hole but one I think I really needed right now.

When I'm not writing, I am a paper artists. I love playing with paper. Whether I'm scrapbooking, making cards or in my most recent adventure... junk journals. I am in love with the creative process. I am also a Stampin' UP! demonstrator trying to at least make enough from my business to support my habit. ;-)

I took an Art Journal Plotting workshop through the FF&P RWA chapter. Wow! Was that ever fun... and opened up the floodgates to the story I want to tell. I've been piecing the story together through art journaling! Who knew plotting could be so creative?

Apparently, author Shea MacLeod does and she happily shared her process through the workshop. I'll be having Shea as a guest very soon. We're just needing to set a date.

In the mean time, I have the art journal open. I've been adding street maps and pictures of Eureka Springs, a town I know so very well (I've even written an award-winning travel article), yet when I start writing the story some of the important details get lost.

I'm taking part in Camp Nano. I'm a few days behind.. what's new? LOL But ast least I feel as if I can move forward.

I have some other guests in the planning stages and I want to start a new series.. The Writers Nook. Through this series we'll get to see where writers create and what inspires them to put butt in chair/ hands on keyboard (BIC HOK) to get their stories told.

Off to get stuff off the table and start writing!

WEEKLY PLANNER - Feb. 18th

The first book in the INVITATIONS TO AN AFFAIR series is coming along. I did not make the progress last week I had hoped. No one's fault, and no excuses. I just didn't apply myself to the keyboard like I should have. I need to change the course if I am to write both books this year.

Though I am now rethinking the whole '52 invitations' route, meaning I could use less invitations and do it in one book, but the basic plot concept is Daniel asks Cherie to give him a year to prove they belong together.

I like to write from an outline, but because UNCHAINED HEARTS came together so well in November without one I thought I'd try to recapture the enthusiasm with the same process for Invitations. I'm not sure it's working. I think the lack of an outline and a character sketch is preventing me from having 'layers' to peel away as the story progresses. I keep asking myself, 'What is Daniel's problem?' 'Why does he need Cherie?' And I have to be honest, I'm stuck. Other than he knows Cherie is The One he's been looking for all his life, there really isn't anything wrong with him.

I know, no man is perfect. But Daniel comes close. He's a dark haired, sapphire-eyed, Italian with  sexy dimple in his chin. He's wealthy, intelligent, and well-mannered. He invests in people... providing them with opportunities to fulfill their potential and their dreams. Did I mention he's also a fabulous and attentive lover? He's not arrogant, just proud of his accomplishments.

Daniel does suffer from debilitating migraines. The headaches have also been known to cause black-outs. Oh my... I just figured out Daniels issue. Thank you, dear readers, for listening.

Oh, you want to know what Daniel's problem is? Guess I better finish the books so you can read for yourself.

In the mean time, leave a comment as to what you think Daniel's issue could be.