M. Lori Motley

Oh to heck with it… it’s just procrastination.

I’m lazy when it comes to working for myself. I’ve done it for years, and always (usually) managed to get everything done, but I procrastinate like there’s an eternity of tomorrows and no one counting on me.

I’m doing the same thing now. Perhaps, as I mentioned in a previous post, it is fear that is holding me back. What if my writing is not good enough? What if I can’t make it as a fiction writer?

Well, the simple answer is that I will just go back to doing what I did before. And really, it’s that simple. All my income sources are still there and still making as much money as they ever did. There is no risk.

But there is a risk to my feelings, my psyche. What will happen if I find out I can’t get one darn thing published? Not one agent interested in my novels or one magazine or anthology interested in my short stories? How will I feel then?

.. with a bit of marketing, platform-building and tweaking of websites thrown in for good measure.

(They are, after all, important parts of becoming a professional writer, which I intend to be!)

I’m charting my progress on a new blog — Go Forth Boldly — where I will talk about the day-to-day processes of writing fiction full time and marketing my various pen names so I can build a solid fan base as I go.

Motley me has been working on “Sweetest Poison,” which had been critted by critters over a year ago. I’ve changed and grown a lot as a writer since then and think I can do justice to the story now. It will be the first one I submit to publications. Will keep you all posted on the progress.

This is the day my kids’ summer vacation ends. They’re homeschooled and we go basically year round, but took most of July off this year. Hopefully they remember everything they’re supposed to remember.

I was a bit lazy in July as well, especially in this past week. Too much time in Azeroth and not enough time at the keyboard. Well, yeah.. at the keyboard, but not writing!

It’s Monday morning and time for all of us to get back to work. But work, for me, is so much different now.

My usual modus operandi for fiction writing before was to wait until the kids were tucked in bed and my youngest stopped making distracting noises. (Which could take more than an hour.) Then I would open up my WIP (work in progress) file and start typing. Maybe.

This will be the first time I will seriously try to write fiction with the kids in the same room as me. I hope I can break the tradition and get stuff done, because I can’t do all my writing at night if I’m going to be a full-time fiction writer.

The Plan For the Week:

1. Work on the “Lust” entry for Accentuate short story contest ending Aug 31st.
2. Edit “Sweetest Poison” and polish it to be ready for submission
3. Write at least 5,000 words in “Shroud Work,” my fantasy novel

Getting those three things done will satisfy me.

Deep breath…  here I go.