Thanks so much for watching and for all your encouragement! How is your project coming along?? I am cheering you on! We're on the final stretch here. Don't give up!!
I relate so much. I'm way behind you in number of novels written, but I'm on my sixth fiction novel and it's taking sooo much longer than anything since my first book when I didn't know what I was doing lol... it could totally be this year. Or expectations we're putting on ourselves. Or just growing/changing and needing to adjust to that... or maybe all the above and more lol. Anyway... I just wanted to say I relate!
Love and Hugs from the UK. "I know I look tired and not my best" - I don't watch these for makeup inspo Sarra. I watch them to commiserate and congratulate and cry WITH you as I fight my own story which won't play ball.
It's understandable that you are tired Sarra. You work extremely hard, and you have a husband and two kids, you're essentially running two different businesses. Please take it easy on yourself. Take your own advise and give yourself some grace. You are awesome, and you are doing awesome! You are amazing. Be as kind to yourself as you would be to your best friend, your husband your children. I am sure you would not push George, Andrew or Evie as hard as you push yourself would you? You are doing wonderful. Hugs! :) Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful that I found this channel!!! :)
Sarra, thank you so much for being so real and vulnerable in this episode. A few months ago, I came across a different self-publishing program which was saying that “writing is so easy, even a kid could do it” and I got so angry at them being so disingenuous to all the writers who haven’t really tried yet. Being creative is HARD, it takes a lot out of us. BUT on those days where it seems your heart is just singing out onto the page or the canvas, the struggle is 100% worth it. I know you’ll be able to figure this out and get this book done! I hope you and your family have a happy Thanksgiving. P.S.-I love Miracle Forest too!
Woo! Come on Sarra! You got this, We have your back!!! Even though it doesn't always go well, you get up dust yourself down and move on, 1 step forward is still 1 step forward, keep going!!
I think we’re all going to give out a collective sigh of relief when you can finish this up and go on your family vacation!! You are so close!! Thanks for sharing the journey with us!!
I really appreciate that you share your struggles. Without you're sharing I would have thought those struggles were evidence that I should quit because I'm lacking.
Your doing better than you think. Your combining editing & writing and structure you can’t gauge that the same way by pushing your words goals. Your doing great with your solid story I’m sure!
you are my hero! Enjoy your vacation with the George and the kids. You've earned the time. Stop beating yourself up. You can only do what you can do. Forcing the story isn't going to help. Hang in there! Creative Blessings!
Thank you for being willing to be so vulnerable and tell us how it's really going. I've been struggling with some similar issues with my current WIP and you make me feel less broken and alone.
I'm so inspired by your openness and how honestly you share your process. I admire greatly how you've forged your own path as a writer. This is such an over-used phrase, but . . . you go, girl!!!!
Those people that write a lot of books a year more than likely have simpler plots and usually only one or two POVs. You can only do what you can do and that is more than most of us! Stay strong!
You are a rockstar! We all luv ya so much. Thank you for being your authentic self with us. You inspire me to keep moving through my burnout and get back to a regular writing habit.
These vlogs have just helped me with finding the joy in my own writing during these weird times, thank you so much. We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK but if we did, I'd be thankful for the hard work you put into these videos and sharing your real-life experiences as an entrepreneur and author with us.
Thank you so much for these videos because there is this delicate balance between our expectations and what we sometimes produce. You are a warrior and such an inspiration. You help me when I feel like the writing is less than stellar, or when I have to delete whole portions and rewrite. Keep up the great work Sarra! The book is in you and it will be amazing.
I'm feeling that right now too. There is a hurdle in my way and it's a character arc and me. Why should the MC have a best friend and what is his role? Been so mentally distracted and exhausted cuz of life drama that popped up last week and I can't mentally work it out.. I had zero word days and I'm more upset cuz I didn't/couldn't focus on the story. I used to be able to punch out a big story or essay within a night back in college. Now I can barely sit in the chair for more than 30 mins. Our bodies, minds, circumstances change as we get older.. and I'm only getting used to/accepting it recently. So much good and bad has happened in the last 10 years since college. And.. we have to be gentle on ourselves now. You've powered through chronic illness, having a baby, juggling life since college.. and are a true inspiration. I hope we can continue to encourage each other =) I think it's also because we don't have the usual available resources that filled our creative well-- going to see our friends, going for walks or a car ride, retail therapy, seeing new things that inspire us, etc. During the shot of you outside doing notes, I saw it in your eyes.. and I just wanted to hug you and say it's gonna be okay and that you're not alone as this world is currently making us feel. It's hard to understand it when that support isn't right in front of our face, and need that validation and encouragement too. But we're gonna be okay
You have got this! 40k in 4 days is hard, but doable. Especially if some of it can be pulled from previous drafts. I am excited to see you rock this and work as hard as you are. :)
People who write 12 books a year, write it, MAYBE read through it once and make a few edits, send it to an editor and press publish. Editing is what takes time. The 1st draft is 20% of the novel the way I work.
Happy Thanksgiving, Sarra! You are always such an inspiration but never more so than this year. Thank you for giving so much of yourself to your community during the struggles of 2020. Grateful for you, rooting for you! You’ve got this. The book is going to be great! ❤️
Happy Thanksgiving. I got to 50k last night and was so happy and also so sad because I still have so much to do. And edits to do. I think after this book you should take a week or two and read or go to the beach with the fam and relax. Refill your well.
Happy thanksgiving Sarra! You’re doing amazing right now and I know you can do it. Thanks so much for this series, it’s given me a ton of motivation and is giving me some more now to keep going even though I’m behind. We can do this together!
You’re awesome! I always feel motivated after I see how hard you work! Also... totally would have brought you a pie if possible 😂 I hope you enjoyed that huge turkey! You’ve got this 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Happy Thanksgiving Sarra and family! Thanks to these videos, I worked all day today and won my first Nanowrimo. I cannot put into words how grateful I am for you, not just for taking us along on this journey with you, but to really show that hard work pays off. It’s been the motivation I needed to get this done. Even though I passed the 50K, my novel isn’t done yet, so I’ll be continuing until it’s truly finished. Thank you so much! ❤️
I recently spent five hours agonizing over edits to two paragraphs. It was a pivotal point and needed to be just right. Go at the pace that is right for your story.
You are one of my favorite planner babes... So it's difficult for me to understand why you don't have a writing retreat check list??? You've got to have your twinkling lights, charger for every device and nutritious snacks. Don't forget the hair dryer and curling rod. Check items off, coming and going and you'll never forget things. Shoot, you know how it works. 💜🌞🌵😷
Thank you for another awesome video. I love your hotel stays lol. The people that "say" they write 12 books a year might be using ghost writers or buying plots. There are so many facebook groups where you can buy plots and outlines for books. Depending on how much you spend you can get a more extensive outline. Some even outline entire series. So don't beat yourself up! The others are probably just cheating. That, or they have the time to write 24/7 and the patience.
Wow, that is hard going! i think you're right though. Maybe stop setting yourself goals that say you have to have x number of words done by a certain time. Rather just accept that the book is being difficult and any words you have done by that specific time is a bonus. I feel like you're putting a lot of extra pressure on yourself? I don't know, maybe it's just me. Anyway, keep going Mrs. Your book is going to be amazing once you're all finished. (My word count: 48,955. I think this book is going to be at least 80-90k words so I still have a long way to go!)
Could you hear all your Hearties lah-lah-lah-ing our way through the Chariots of Fire theme song outside your hotel room? :) :) :) We're with you! We believe in you! We're so very grateful for you, too.
Yesterday i was halfway through today Im at 41k hahah fingers hurt cause I wrote too much. But if ur not a plotter and like to "write into the dark" u cannot plan or control word count. My first draft is kinda shit? Yes...was it super fun to write?...yes...so...hahahahah just enjoying the ride. Happy I don't have a deadline like sarra =x but also jealous cause its my dream to be a successful author.
Maybe you are getting better as an author a transition period. Perhaps when you look back you may notice how your writing has matured. Hurdles are often a gift.
I posted a comment. Don't know if you saw it, Sarra, that said I thought maybe I got Kindle working again, but no dice. I'm probably going to lose some sleep over it. I don't know how I'm going to format my books for publication even if I use Lulu.com. Please, if you haven't posted a video about how to format books just on google docs then please post one but if not could you post a link for a video on that? I'm really beyond frustrated. I'm actually super nettled right now. One of those downs on the ups and downs roller coaster.
If you've got some money to invest, the program Vellum is worth every penny. It'll format everything for you for every retailer (and it'll do print too, if you get that upgrade). It runs on Mac OR on "Mac In Cloud" if you're a PC user. If you're looking for a free solution, Draft2Digital (D2D) has a free formatter and it works just fine. You can use their tool to format your book without actually publishing it through them.
I think, and I'm no expert, but you need to change your mindset. Instead of thinking of 2020 and all it's hardships and negatives. Think about 2020 and all of it's blessings. You published a book! The Witch's key! You raised an infant! You're building a new house... renting will be over soon! You're building stronger relationships in your family now that everyone is home, etc. I know it's easier to find the negatives. That's the evil one putting thoughts into your head, so make a list and keep it handy... Mine is a dashboard. 💜🌞🌵😷
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![A Story Breakthrough & Chatting About HB90 [The NaNoWriMo Diaries - Day 26]](/img/tr.png)
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![Natanael Cano x Nueva H - Amapola [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/6Q4mnRD5jCw/mqdefault.jpg)
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Thanks so much for watching and for all your encouragement! How is your project coming along?? I am cheering you on! We're on the final stretch here. Don't give up!!
I relate so much. I'm way behind you in number of novels written, but I'm on my sixth fiction novel and it's taking sooo much longer than anything since my first book when I didn't know what I was doing lol... it could totally be this year. Or expectations we're putting on ourselves. Or just growing/changing and needing to adjust to that... or maybe all the above and more lol. Anyway... I just wanted to say I relate!
Love and Hugs from the UK.
"I know I look tired and not my best" - I don't watch these for makeup inspo Sarra. I watch them to commiserate and congratulate and cry WITH you as I fight my own story which won't play ball.
Don't beat yourself up. You're doing great. Art takes time. Monet grew his gardens before he painted them.🌷
It's understandable that you are tired Sarra. You work extremely hard, and you have a husband and two kids, you're essentially running two different businesses. Please take it easy on yourself. Take your own advise and give yourself some grace. You are awesome, and you are doing awesome! You are amazing. Be as kind to yourself as you would be to your best friend, your husband your children. I am sure you would not push George, Andrew or Evie as hard as you push yourself would you? You are doing wonderful. Hugs! :) Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful that I found this channel!!! :)
Your speech around 18 minutes is everything. Thanks for being real :)
Sarra, thank you so much for being so real and vulnerable in this episode. A few months ago, I came across a different self-publishing program which was saying that “writing is so easy, even a kid could do it” and I got so angry at them being so disingenuous to all the writers who haven’t really tried yet. Being creative is HARD, it takes a lot out of us. BUT on those days where it seems your heart is just singing out onto the page or the canvas, the struggle is 100% worth it. I know you’ll be able to figure this out and get this book done! I hope you and your family have a happy Thanksgiving.
P.S.-I love Miracle Forest too!
Woo! Come on Sarra! You got this, We have your back!!! Even though it doesn't always go well, you get up dust yourself down and move on, 1 step forward is still 1 step forward, keep going!!
I am impressed with your work and realism.
I think we’re all going to give out a collective sigh of relief when you can finish this up and go on your family vacation!! You are so close!! Thanks for sharing the journey with us!!
Maybe people writing 12 books a year don't have a family, Sarra. You're right to keep your eye on your own star. You are doing so well. Good luck!
Thank you for letting us see your struggles as well as your victories. You are amazing!
Happy Thanksgiving again. Just found my notes.. girl my sequel has already been planned and plotted. I can start writing in December. Yayyy!!!😁❤💜
I really appreciate that you share your struggles. Without you're sharing I would have thought those struggles were evidence that I should quit because I'm lacking.
Your doing better than you think. Your combining editing & writing and structure you can’t gauge that the same way by pushing your words goals. Your doing great with your solid story I’m sure!
you are my hero! Enjoy your vacation with the George and the kids. You've earned the time. Stop beating yourself up. You can only do what you can do. Forcing the story isn't going to help. Hang in there! Creative Blessings!
Thank you for being willing to be so vulnerable and tell us how it's really going. I've been struggling with some similar issues with my current WIP and you make me feel less broken and alone.
I'm so inspired by your openness and how honestly you share your process. I admire greatly how you've forged your own path as a writer. This is such an over-used phrase, but . . . you go, girl!!!!
Those people that write a lot of books a year more than likely have simpler plots and usually only one or two POVs. You can only do what you can do and that is more than most of us! Stay strong!
You are so down and it is breaking my heart! You have so much to be proud of! Keep up the GREAT work! You are an inspiration!
Wow. Seeing how hard your trying to finish your book is motivating me. When you finish, I will seriously rejoice with you!
Keep pressing. Give yourself credit. You got this!
This whole months videos have been great to watch. Very real. Don’t be too hard on yourself because you’re doing awesome!
You are a rockstar! We all luv ya so much. Thank you for being your authentic self with us. You inspire me to keep moving through my burnout and get back to a regular writing habit.
These vlogs have just helped me with finding the joy in my own writing during these weird times, thank you so much. We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK but if we did, I'd be thankful for the hard work you put into these videos and sharing your real-life experiences as an entrepreneur and author with us.
Thank you so much for these videos because there is this delicate balance between our expectations and what we sometimes produce. You are a warrior and such an inspiration. You help me when I feel like the writing is less than stellar, or when I have to delete whole portions and rewrite. Keep up the great work Sarra! The book is in you and it will be amazing.
Your determination is contageous. Your work ethic is admirable.
Really looking forward to reading this beast of a book.
I'm feeling that right now too. There is a hurdle in my way and it's a character arc and me. Why should the MC have a best friend and what is his role? Been so mentally distracted and exhausted cuz of life drama that popped up last week and I can't mentally work it out.. I had zero word days and I'm more upset cuz I didn't/couldn't focus on the story. I used to be able to punch out a big story or essay within a night back in college. Now I can barely sit in the chair for more than 30 mins. Our bodies, minds, circumstances change as we get older.. and I'm only getting used to/accepting it recently. So much good and bad has happened in the last 10 years since college. And.. we have to be gentle on ourselves now. You've powered through chronic illness, having a baby, juggling life since college.. and are a true inspiration. I hope we can continue to encourage each other =)
I think it's also because we don't have the usual available resources that filled our creative well-- going to see our friends, going for walks or a car ride, retail therapy, seeing new things that inspire us, etc. During the shot of you outside doing notes, I saw it in your eyes.. and I just wanted to hug you and say it's gonna be okay and that you're not alone as this world is currently making us feel. It's hard to understand it when that support isn't right in front of our face, and need that validation and encouragement too. But we're gonna be okay
💖💖💖 Happy Thanksgiving, Sarra, George, Andrew, and Evie!💖💖💖
The way you keep it real is appreciated and helpful.
Super proud of you! Sticking with a story when it is hard to push through is one of the things that makes you admirable. #goals
Happy Thanksgiving! You're almost there! The book will be amazing! You've got this. I believe in you. 💖
You have got this! 40k in 4 days is hard, but doable. Especially if some of it can be pulled from previous drafts. I am excited to see you rock this and work as hard as you are. :)
Thank you for being you 😊 I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving 💖
People who write 12 books a year, write it, MAYBE read through it once and make a few edits, send it to an editor and press publish. Editing is what takes time. The 1st draft is 20% of the novel the way I work.
Happy Thanksgiving, Sarra! You are always such an inspiration but never more so than this year. Thank you for giving so much of yourself to your community during the struggles of 2020. Grateful for you, rooting for you! You’ve got this. The book is going to be great! ❤️
💕you’re doing such a great job! Love your videos. You are so inspiring!
Happy Thanksgiving. I got to 50k last night and was so happy and also so sad because I still have so much to do. And edits to do.
I think after this book you should take a week or two and read or go to the beach with the fam and relax. Refill your well.
You'll pull through! I know you will!
Thank you for words of encouragement 😀 I needed them
Happy thanksgiving Sarra! You’re doing amazing right now and I know you can do it. Thanks so much for this series, it’s given me a ton of motivation and is giving me some more now to keep going even though I’m behind. We can do this together!
So proud of you. You are blessed. Be kind to yourself.
You're doing great Sarra! You're an inspiration!!! xoxoxo
I've been watching this series every day of nano as part of my morning writing routine and it's so wonderful and encouraging!
You’re awesome! I always feel motivated after I see how hard you work! Also... totally would have brought you a pie if possible 😂 I hope you enjoyed that huge turkey! You’ve got this 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
I like your new outro music. It fits the tone of your videos better than the old one, imo.
Happy Thanksgiving Sarra and family! Thanks to these videos, I worked all day today and won my first Nanowrimo. I cannot put into words how grateful I am for you, not just for taking us along on this journey with you, but to really show that hard work pays off. It’s been the motivation I needed to get this done. Even though I passed the 50K, my novel isn’t done yet, so I’ll be continuing until it’s truly finished. Thank you so much! ❤️
I recently spent five hours agonizing over edits to two paragraphs. It was a pivotal point and needed to be just right. Go at the pace that is right for your story.
Happy Thanksgiving
You are one of my favorite planner babes... So it's difficult for me to understand why you don't have a writing retreat check list??? You've got to have your twinkling lights, charger for every device and nutritious snacks. Don't forget the hair dryer and curling rod. Check items off, coming and going and you'll never forget things. Shoot, you know how it works. 💜🌞🌵😷
Thank you for another awesome video. I love your hotel stays lol. The people that "say" they write 12 books a year might be using ghost writers or buying plots. There are so many facebook groups where you can buy plots and outlines for books. Depending on how much you spend you can get a more extensive outline. Some even outline entire series. So don't beat yourself up! The others are probably just cheating. That, or they have the time to write 24/7 and the patience.
Wow, that is hard going! i think you're right though. Maybe stop setting yourself goals that say you have to have x number of words done by a certain time. Rather just accept that the book is being difficult and any words you have done by that specific time is a bonus. I feel like you're putting a lot of extra pressure on yourself? I don't know, maybe it's just me. Anyway, keep going Mrs. Your book is going to be amazing once you're all finished. (My word count: 48,955. I think this book is going to be at least 80-90k words so I still have a long way to go!)
Happy Thanksgiving Sarra! And wow I'm impressed. After a rough day, I was amazed to write enough to get me to 43K. Sleep is important.
Awesome 💖
Happy Thanksgiving hon ❤🇺🇸
The last five minutes of this video left me feeling the urge to hug you and tell you "it's ok".
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you had a fabulous day!
Could you hear all your Hearties lah-lah-lah-ing our way through the Chariots of Fire theme song outside your hotel room? :) :) :) We're with you! We believe in you! We're so very grateful for you, too.
Sarra, have you tried writing outdoors? Maybe the change of scenery might help. Love ya
Happy Thanksgiving. You are an inspiration!
Yesterday i was halfway through today Im at 41k hahah fingers hurt cause I wrote too much. But if ur not a plotter and like to "write into the dark" u cannot plan or control word count. My first draft is kinda shit? Yes...was it super fun to write?...yes...so...hahahahah just enjoying the ride. Happy I don't have a deadline like sarra =x but also jealous cause its my dream to be a successful author.
I love that you’re sharing the struggle- (I mean, I’m sorry you’re struggling but thank you for sharing lol).
On the note of writing 12 books a year.... I’d be curious to read those 🙄
Happy thanksgiving 🦃🍁🍽
You inspire me. :)
💕💕💕
❤️❤️❤️
Omg I'm first yayyayyyy
Maybe you are getting better as an author a transition period. Perhaps when you look back you may notice how your writing has matured. Hurdles are often a gift.
I posted a comment. Don't know if you saw it, Sarra, that said I thought maybe I got Kindle working again, but no dice. I'm probably going to lose some sleep over it. I don't know how I'm going to format my books for publication even if I use Lulu.com. Please, if you haven't posted a video about how to format books just on google docs then please post one but if not could you post a link for a video on that? I'm really beyond frustrated. I'm actually super nettled right now. One of those downs on the ups and downs roller coaster.
If you've got some money to invest, the program Vellum is worth every penny. It'll format everything for you for every retailer (and it'll do print too, if you get that upgrade). It runs on Mac OR on "Mac In Cloud" if you're a PC user.
If you're looking for a free solution, Draft2Digital (D2D) has a free formatter and it works just fine. You can use their tool to format your book without actually publishing it through them.
Happy belated thanksgiving
I think, and I'm no expert, but you need to change your mindset. Instead of thinking of 2020 and all it's hardships and negatives. Think about 2020 and all of it's blessings. You published a book! The Witch's key! You raised an infant! You're building a new house... renting will be over soon! You're building stronger relationships in your family now that everyone is home, etc. I know it's easier to find the negatives. That's the evil one putting thoughts into your head, so make a list and keep it handy... Mine is a dashboard. 💜🌞🌵😷
Happy Thanksgiving.
❤️❤️❤️
❤️❤️❤️