Author Inspiration and This Week’s Writing Links

Another week, come and gone. This week, my post is a day late because yesterday was my turn to write and post a story for Story Empire’s Monthly Writing Prompt. I wanted to give that post and this post their own respective days, so I moved my regular feature to Saturday. And I do have a lot of links for you. But first, the quote.

This week was a perfect storm of busy. I had three posts due for Romance University, two posts due for Story Empire in addition to the story I was required to write. I had two posts of my own that I wanted to share—a cover reveal and an announcement regarding the preorder of my new novella. And I was happily hosting a friend’s cover reveal announcement. All this while trying to make word count for my job (5,000 words a day) and do my own work (writing, planning, designing, promoting, etc.)

Please don’t ask me about housework.

This week was also fraught with a few under-the-weather days and some technological crises, both of which took up valuable time.

But what I found the most value in this week wasn’t checking any of those things off my to-do lists. This week, I helped my daughter with a problem (which is difficult long-distance). I had a few lengthy and heartwarming discussions with my son. I had a lovely talk with my in-laws on my MIL’s birthday. I managed to buoy the spirits of my sister-in-law with an innocent text (I didn’t even realize she was having a rough time until I checked in). I listened to friends who asked for prayers, and pray I did.

Some people might wonder why I was taking the time for long phone calls, texts, and email exchanges when I obviously had too much to do. And I’m not going to say I didn’t feel the heat. But these people are important to me. If I ever need them, they’re there. And I want to be there for them, too. I had some long days and longer nights, but they were worth it to me, each and every one of them.

As are you. I appreciate you taking a few minutes out of your day to check in here, say hello, click a button or link or two. Our exchanges here, to me, are totally worth it.

As always, wishing you productivity and balance.

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And now, this week’s links:

Posts by me, about my work, or at sites I contribute to:

• GAMBLE Cover Reveal (Staci Troilo)
• Social Media Accounts (Story Empire)
• Hook, Line, and Thinker (Romance University)
• GAMBLE Preorder Links Are Live (Staci Troilo)
• Big Thanks to Our Readers (Story Empire)
• Word Counts in Fiction (Story Empire)
• Kindle Worlds Asked and Answered (Romance University)
• Cusp of Night by Mae Clair Cover Reveal (Staci Troilo)
• Friday Fiction Prompt (Story Empire)
• Prompt Story: Bad Fences Make Bad Neighbors (Staci Troilo)
• One Series/Multiple Lessons (Romance University)

Posts by others in the industry:

• Google Changes Image-Viewing (Nicholas C. Rossis)
• The Author Bio (Kobo Writing Life)
• Marketing No One Ever Told You About (The Write Conversation)
• Short Story Ideas (Reedsy)
• Three Ways to Build Your Social Media Audience (The Write Conversation)
• When You Hate Your Writing (Standout Books)
•  Over-Explaining Kills Your Novel (Fiction University)
• Upstaged by Backstory (Fiction University)
• Publishing News (Don Massenzio)
• The Case for Using Chapter Titles (D.E. Haggerty)
• Characters and Love (The Write Conversation)
• ROI BookBub Ads (BookBub)
• Metaphor (AutoCrit)
• Facebook Author Benefits (Nicholas C. Rossis)
• Setting Steering Plot (Writers Helping Writers)
• Too many characters? (Fiction University)