Tag: life

Goodbye, 2018!

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This is it, folks. December 31, 2018. The last day of the year. While 2018 was a pretty good year, I’m ready to wave goodbye to it, and say hello to 2019. 

A lot of things happened this year. There were wildfires, mass shootings, and the third government shut-down under Trump’s presidency. At the same time, a spacecraft successfully landed on Mars, all of the Thai boys who were trapped inside a cave were rescued, and Congress became a bit more diverse (Native Americans and Muslims were elected).  There were high’s and low’s. 

My inner nerd has to mention, it was a great year for Marvel movies: Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Ant-Man and the Wasp. And Venom. I can’t leave that one out. 

On a personal note, I managed to do two things I sincerely wanted to do: publish 5 new books by the end of the year, and move out of New York. I figured I’d probably pull the first one off, but the second one felt like a pipe dream. But, I did it. 

With 2018 coming to a close, it’s time to reflect on what went right and what went wrong. Did you make any resolutions? If so, did you accomplish them? I certainly hope so.I hope 2018 was good to all of you, and I hope 2019 will be even better. 

Because I Just Can’t Turn My Brain Off

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December is drawing to a close, and so is the year 2018. Around this time of year, I begin to wrap things up. I finish whatever book I’m currently reading, see if I reached my Reading  Goal on Goodreads, and try to relax my mind. Well, those are my intentions. However, as most creative types will agree, it’s hard to just let your mind relax. I just can’t seem to turn my brain off.

notebook
My December 2017-December 2018 notebook

 

I keep a notebook full of notes and outlines for books with me at all times. Every year, I buy a composition notebook, create a series of tabs for it, and write. Around December, I buy a notebook for the upcoming year, but I tell myself I’m not going to touch it until January. I’m bot going to start any new books or projects until January. This is what I tell myself. Then, my brain gets to work, and before I know it, I’ve come up with two or three solid ideas for new books (two or three solid, out of about fifteen that I just put aside). 

I’ve come to accept that creativity does not run on a schedule. It just…happens. You can’t flip it on and off like a light switch. But, maybe that’s a good thing. If I could just switch my brain off for awhile, I’d probably miss out on some really great ideas. While I wasn’t planning to start any new drafts for books until January, my ideas for Rock N Role Model kept pushing their way to the surface, so I broke down and wrote four pages for the first chapter. So, I’m going to forget the break, and just keep on writing. 🙂

Monday Blog: December 3, 2018: 24!!!!!

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It’s December!! Woolaston Entertainment’s unofficial birthday month! I came up with it in the summer of 1994, but to make things easier, I celebrate it’s birthday on the same day as mine: December 1st. Together, we’re another year older, and a little better.

This is the first blog for the month of December, the final month of 2018. I’m going out with a BANG: the online store is up and running! All of June Parris’s titles are available for sale, and so are most of mine. I will add more over the next week or so, but for now, there are plenty of books for readers to choose from. There are also bundles available for specific series, so you can purchase the entire series and save a few coins. Who doesn’t love saving money? 

So, what took me so long to create an online store? Simple: fear of failure. This is something I’m sure many people can relate to. I finally got over my fear, and took a giant leap forward. Rise or fall, this is something I have put off long enough and it’s time to move forward. 

This month I’m celebrating 24 years of writing, drawing, painting, and creating. I will reflect on all things Woolaston Entertainment, and talk about all of the things I’m planning for 2019 as well.

On a side note: The NY Giants won their game on my birthday weekend, so HOORAY!!!! See you next week. 

Monday Blog: Nov 26, 2018: November Wrap-Up

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Greetings, everyone! I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday. Hopefully, none of you ate too much, or were trampled during a Black Friday sale. Personally, I spent the holiday with my mother, cooking, eating and watching football. The highlight of the day: watching the Saints destroy the Falcons. 

November is coming to a close, and so is NaNoWriMo. This is usually the time of the month when writers begin to scramble to finish their book. While I didn’t finish a book, I did write plenty of notes and a detailed outline. I’m actually glad I didn’t finish my next book, Jo Fuentes: Project Sleep. I came up with more material I wanted to use, and if I had wrote the book prior to all of this,it would kinda suck. So,everything happens in it’s own time. 

I do hope my fellow writers had a successful NaNoWriMo. Whether you completed a manuscript or not, if you put some words on paper (or on a laptop or a flashdrive, etc) then look at it as a success. Getting something accomplished is better than accomplishing nothing at all. So if you didn’t meet your word count goal, don’t sweat it. 

December is almost upon us. 2018 is coming to an end. It’s time to tie up loose ends, and get ready for a fresh start. Woolaston Entertainment’s online store will reopen next month, and I will publish my next few books between the end of the year and the beginning of 2019. There’s no sense in dwelling on what didn’t get finished. It’s time to look forward to starting new projects.

Next week: Woolaston Entertainment’s online store and 24th Anniversary! See you then!