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For years, those of us in the writer community have participated in NaNoWriMo, of which I know many of you have heard or seen me discuss. I believe even my last blog post had quite a bit of information regarding my plans for Nano for 2023 and TAFAR, etc. However, we sometimes learn things about our heroes which irrevocably changes our perspective.
There have been allegations regarding abuses made against minors through the forums on Nano, specifically regarding one mod in particular, in which those who were immediately in charge minimized and brushed under the rug. It wasn't until their board was finally made aware that the forums were locked down, however users were then being purged and subsequent complaints apparently were being removed. All in all, the handling of this was utterly disastrous and I never want to knowingly partner with any company who doesn't take allegations seriously - regardless of their intention. << I posted more about this in my IG stories, which you can check out here >> That being said, I have parted ways with Nanowrimo and apart from this blog and the story linked above, I will not be mentioning any affiliations with them going forward. For those who've decided to stay with the program, I urge you to be diligent in your work and advocacy for those who may be vulnerable and unable to advocate for themselves. Many are saddened by the ending of the NanoWriMo era, which is not unlike many nostalgic things we encounter in our lives, but the spirit of Nano is still alive in all the writers who've made it possible throughout the years. Want to write a novel in 30 days? Write 1670 words a day! Want the nifty badges of accomplishment? Make some cute stickers and reward yourself each time you complete your daily goal. Want to find a community? Head to a local library, search Facebook for groups, reach out using hashtags on IG or Twitter. You are in control of this new beginning and I believe in you!! Let's go kick December in the ass, shall we? Lisa xoxoxo
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 This year has been one of reflection, whether we wanted it or not. Not only have we faced immeasurable sadness by losing loved ones, be it family or friends, but we've also been forced into isolation. Nothing is scarier than being alone with your thoughts during such times. For some, this can give way to destructive behaviors as they battle their demons. For others, it will be a time of reflection and growth. Both need support and love. Both need love. Both need hope.
As we go into a new year, that's what we must carry forward—hope. We must look to the year ahead and see if for all the possibilities as well as the hardships. We must take the hard lessons learned this year and do better. We must give ourselves room to fail as well as succeed. We must learn that our neighbors are not our enemies and lean on one another when times are hardest. We must do as the phoenix and rise from the ashes of the previous year. As for me, I've been on a journey of introspection. I've learned quite a bit about myself this year and, in spite of all of the horrors of 2020, I've managed a better piece of mind as we close out these last few weeks. I won't miss it, I won't look back on it fondly, but I will recognized my personal lessons as necessary stepping stones for what's to come. While there's no way to be certain of the coming events of 2021, I am sure there it will not be without its own struggles. I choose to focus on the things I can control, however. I won't go into 2021 repeating many of the same mistakes. A negative mindset brings negative energy which does nothing but breed negativity. It's never easy to fully let go of the worries, it is far more difficult to appreciate the positives if it's clouded. So I choose to cling to the positives of as much as I can and rise to the occasion. What will you do in 2021? Will you start your own business? Will you create that masterpiece? Start a family? Finish that project you half-started this year? Raise that money? Buy that home? Embrace your talent? Beat your demons? Kick that addiction? Love yourself? Be happy? The possibilities are endless if you allow yourself the opportunity to see them. Let's go into 2021 with a renewed outlook on what we're capable of—what we can accomplish. Embrace the beauty of who you are and all that you can do. You are powerful. You are beautiful. You are the phoenix. Stick around for some more words of wisdom and other stuff! You can also subscribe to my monthly newsletter if you want to stalk me some more. I'm totally okay with that. xoxoxo Lisa Logue Here I am again, doing exactly what I said I wouldn't - disappearing into the realm of reality. I know, how dare I. Just when I was making amazing progress, life had to kick me in the arse. Isn't that just typical?
To recap what has happened over the past few months, I ended up running into some health issues. Luckily it turned out to be nothing major, but I never want to be in the position where I am faced with my mortality at such a young age (I'm only 31!) ever again. For a few months, I was teetering on the "is this cancer" edge only to come out on the fortunate side of the results. I was lucky where far too many are not, and there's no guarantee I'll always be cancer-free. At this point, I'll take what I can get. At this point, I'm focusing on moving forward. I've got a lot on my plate, but with some hard work, dedication, and intense scheduling, I have faith that I can get back on track with my health and everything else I've got going on. So where do I go from here? I think that's the million dollar question. Where do I go from here? First, I will be setting deadlines for my next two books to be released in the next three to four months. I am sending out for cover art and some additional ads before the end of this month as well as finishing the rough draft on at least one of the two. You should see Thea's Reawakening and Falling Undercover come out before the end of the summer! So where does that leave Legacy of Secrets?? While it is still unfinished, it is coming along. Blood Promise will be my third release this year, likely this fall, and I will then be aiming at beginning Shattered Secrets. I'm not going to lie, I'm not sure if Shattered Secrets will be the end of the series for good, but it will be where the story will end for now. Their world exists within mine, so you never know when they'll decide to tell me more tales. Lastly, I have to work on my long awaited science fiction novel. This Stephen King meets M Night Shyamalan lol. Ruination will be an epic tale and equally exciting and terrifying. It's going on be one of those books that I will have nightmares while writing, but it will be absolutely worth it, in the end. I'm hoping to release Shattered Secrets and Ruination next year as they are both large projects. I might have a few smaller works here or there, but only time will tell! I'm working on my online presence and social media posts. Look out for more updates on Instagram as it is the easiest platform to "see" me these days. Keep an eye open for regular stories and exclusives only on IG. If you don't follow me, you should be! Check ya next time! Lisa xoxoxo So many authors I know or come in contact with have somehow managed to skyrocket themselves to the bestseller lists of various publications or organizations. I think it's great to see traditionally published and independently published authors on the charts, but I can't help asking myself what they are doing to get there!
The only books I've published are Legacy of Secrets and that has hurt me, to a degree. As an independent author, I've heard that the more book we put out, the better off we're going to be with rankings, etc. The problem is, how am I supposed to put out quality work on a regular basis? And how regular is regular, anyway? Wouldn't it make more sense for me to release fewer works that are quality versus quantity? I just don't get it!! I think we independent authors get so caught up in how to get ahead and stay there, we lose our spark. We didn't start writing to compete with algorithms, we started writing to tell our stories and live out our dream as published authors. How do we break the cycle? Short answer: I haven't a clue! I wish I could say I wasn't one of the authors who've been rank-obsessed, but I'd be lying. It's hard not to watch your ranks at any given point throughout the day, week, month, etc. When we're responsible for our own marketing, we want to see if any of it is working and rankings are the fastest way. So how to we measure our success? This one, I can answer. Your true success isn't measured by your rankings or sales, but rather by the act of publishing in the first place. By living your dream, you already are successful! Does it mean you're the most successful you'll ever be? No, but it means you have done something a lot of people haven't - made one of your dreams come true. So, while I'd love to be in the bestsellers lists and top rankings, I am at least happy with the fact that I'm doing my best to fully realize my dream by continue the journey. There's no telling what I can achieve if I don't stick with it and push myself out of my comfort zone. It's all about the joy of telling the tale, and I do enjoy it! Until next time!! xoxoxoxo -Lisa  At some point in your life, there's something that causes a spark throughout your body; something that literally sets your soul on fire. No matter how big or small, you can't stop thinking about it and you want nothing more than to experience that spark again and again.
So what is it? For me, it was the first time I picked up a pencil, when I was seven, and was given free reign to create a story that was my own. I didn't have a guideline or any rules, it was just mine. It was from that story everyone realized I had a knack for life's issues and could create a completely fictitious story rooted in reality with dynamic characters and conflict. It was at that moment, I became a writer. The rest of my school career, I took to poetry, even having many published in anthologies. It was surreal that anyone could see something I created in such a massive way. My dream was to write and publish and be seen as the type of rock star Shakespeare once was! I mean, who wouldn't want that? But, as with any dream, making it a reality is one of the hardest things you'll ever have to do. Where most people fail is putting the work in to make their dreams come true. The journey is different for everyone, but the payoff is worth it. The key is keeping your goals in sight and not letting failure dampen your spirits because YOU WILL FAIL a few times before you get it right. It's inevitable and absolutely necessary. In my case, I've bounced around a few places before finding a home for my books. I still self-publish, but I do so with a platform that allows me to focus on the important part, like writing the book, and not so much on formatting, etc. Granted, I still have to market and find covers and what not, but I control the markets, money, and all the rights to my work. Would I love a deal with a traditional publisher? Um, yeah!! The reality of that happening is almost nil seeing as though I don't have an agent and almost all of the major companies don't take unsolicited work. So, self-publishing is where it's at for me. My dream is not even close to being accomplished yet, but that's okay. I knew it was never going to be an overnight thing. What's important is that I'm working, every day, to do something to work towards my goals. Tonight, it's a blog. Tomorrow, it's hitting a certain word count. The day after, it's another word count and so on. The bottom line - never give up! Keep pushing yourself and don't be afraid to take reasonable risks. It's never too late to go for your dreams, but you must be ready to commit to yourself and whatever it takes to get you there. What's the worst that can happen? 'till next time! xoxoxo Lisa |
AuthorI'm a writer, a mother, a wife, a friend, a sister, and a daughter. My journey as a published author is in full swing and I'm inviting all my friends along for the ride! Archives
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