I am delighted to share a guest post by author W.S. Carmichael, who ponders...
WSC: Balancing life and writing? Is there such a thing? I’m
not sure if balance would be the right word for how I fit writing into the rest
of my life. Amateur flaming stick juggling might be a more appropriate
description. Take right now, for example. As I type this guest blog post, I’m
listening to the sounds of a kitchen renovation in the next room as the
contractor’s three year old son chatters in my ear. The contractor is a friend
who is bailing us out of a jam by installing the hardwood floors after the
original contractor went AWOL. Cartoons are playing on the television above my
desk, my dog is barking because she wants the cheese puffs the boy is eating,
an air compressor is running in the living room and an adorable little boy is
asking a million questions.
The cup of my life is full to the tippy top.
As much as I love writing, my career as an author
doesn’t yet pay the bills. In addition to crafting stories and weaving tales of
romance, I also work full time as a nurse, have three busy young adult children
and run two businesses with my super awesome partner, lover and best friend. To
say we are busy would be an understatement. Still, because I love writing, I
make it a priority. At the end of each week, I look ahead at my schedule for
the following week and plan which nights I’ll have time to carve out an hour or
two to devote to writing. I’ve found if I block out time in my planner and set
deadlines for myself, I’m more likely to make progress on whichever project I’m
working on.
As I’ve traveled the path of becoming an author, there
have been times when balance was nothing more than an abstract concept I
struggled with. Either I was so entrenched in writing my other responsibilities
were ignored or I went weeks without touching my laptop. After years of
catapulting myself between the two extremes, I am only now realizing the
importance of balance. The times when I work tirelessly and endlessly on a
novel can result in writer’s fatigue. Being too close to the story for too long
clouds my vision. I start to doubt every aspect of my book from the characters
to the plot to basic sentence structure. Somehow, I convince myself the entire
project is rubbish best suited to line a litter box. Ironically, going weeks
without writing has a similar effect. The more distance I have from the story,
the more I convince myself my writing is a flaw filled, choppy disaster. In my
mind, the only way to salvage any work done thus far is to light it on fire.
The entire process is exhausting and frustrating.
In the end, the key to finding balance was less about
creating the balance and more about recognizing the need for it. Planning time
to write and keeping myself accountable with deadlines allows me to maintain
the level scales I didn’t know I needed. I have an irritating habit of finding
the hardest way possible to learn what should be obvious. There is no other
aspect of my life that isn’t planned or scheduled, so I don’t know why it took
me so long to understand organization and forethought would be the key to
successful writing. I have given in to the clear and inevitable conclusion that
writing, like everything else in life, demands stable and steady progress to be
fruitful.
*****************
The Misadventures of a (Wannabe) Slutty Bartender
ADULT title
by
WS Carmichael
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Romance/Romantic Comedy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Ava Moreland has it all planned out. In two
months, she will marry her fiancé, Tim. She’ll continue working at Vegas’s
famous Cosmopolitan bar while he runs his father’s accounting firm. Soon
they’ll start a family and she’ll have the white picket life she’s always
dreamed of.
Or not.
When her fairytale engagement implodes in a
devastating display, Ava embarks on a quest to reclaim her identity and
feminine prowess – by sleeping her way through Las Vegas. With her best friend,
Jarrod, acting as wingman her plan is foolproof.
Or not.
Nothing goes as planned with hilariously
disastrous results. Her sexual misadventures will keep you in stitches as Ava
searches for herself in Sin City, finding herself and her happily ever after in
the unlikeliest of places.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
“That’s your master plan? To become known as the slutty
bartender?” Jarrod raises one eyebrow, his skepticism written all over his
face.
“Well, it sounds bad when you put it like that.” I shrug.
“You’re misunderstanding the point.”
“Is the point to see how many STD’s you can rack up?”
I sigh. “No. The point is to reclaim my womanly power. The
point is to live life. The point is to embrace life’s opportunities without the
expectation of a happily ever after. The point is to forget about Mr. Right and
enjoy Mr. Right Now.”
Jarrod shakes his head, leaves me sitting on the sofa alone
and goes into his bedroom.
“I thought you’d be totally on board!” I shout to his closed
door.
I mean, seriously. It isn’t as if I told him I was going to
lay spread eagle in front of The Bellagio holding a sign reading ‘Free Sex’.
While I’m not the type of girl to throw her cooter at every guy passing by, I
see no reason to be a total prude either. I’ve decided to explore the world of
one-night stands. I get hit on all the time at work. What’s so wrong with
taking someone up on the offer if I find him attractive? I am no longer
beholden to anyone.
A few minutes later, Jarrod jerks his door open. “Ok. I’ve
thought about it. You can do this, but you need a chaperone.”
“I don’t need a chaperone.”
“Ok, A wingman, then. I’ll be personally vetting your
selections to make sure there’s no psycho vibes.” He plops down next to me on
the couch.
Amazon buy link
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
WS
Carmichael is attempting to write the world into romantic bliss one novel at a
time. Based in upstate NY, she travels as often as her hectic schedule will
allow. When she isn’t busy writing, she’s a mother, nurse and avid sportswoman.
WS
Carmichael fell in love with romance at an early age when she would sneak
Harlequins from her mother. A voracious reader, she eventually made the jump to
writing.
Writing
is her passion and she’s always jotting down new storyline and character ideas.
Often, her characters take on a life of their own and don’t always cooperate
with her plan for them. Creating well developed, strong alpha male characters
that don’t fit into the typical romance hero mold makes her novels exciting and
relatable. A woman who believes whole heartedly in happily ever after, she
gives her heroes the heroine they deserve.
You
can check out her blog and find out more on her website:
Social
Links:
Facebook
Twitter
Website
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