Tag: Writing

Writing Projects

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing
With the health issues going on in the family, I’ve not paid any attention to my writing.  I can tell I’ve not been writing again, my dreams are more vivid and my focus is a bit scattered because my mind is always wandering to the stories in my head.
I just came across a grant I want to write.  I probably won’t get it but it is worth trying for.  I also came across a contest that I want to submit.  I’ve entered it before and done okay. 
In order to get these two projects done by the submission deadlines, I have to sort through my piles on my shelves and get them organized so I can pull the manuscript for the contest.  I need to get through all the edits on the paper copy.  Then read it again to see if it needs editing again.  Aside from the tweaking of the manuscript I need to write a 500 word description of the story, take a 5000 excerpt, and follow all the other directions. 
For the grant, I will have to pull together a lot of information of what I’ve had published and what my project would look like.  There are so many steps there I don’t even know if I can list them all. 
The contest has a deadline of March 3 and the grant has a deadline of March 12.  This means I am going to have to get my act together over the next two weeks and get a lot of stuff done.  It will be insane.   I also think I will thoroughly enjoy it.
This weekend after all the errands, I hope to sort through yet another pile in my office and figure out where I’m at with my manuscript so I can work on it for the contest submission – little time and lots to do.

Distracted

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing
My goal today – work on my office.  I need to finish organizing my stuff in the office so I can move forward with my writing goals.  I got up this morning fully intending to start the day early and attack the piles of paperwork in my office.  I sat down to my computer at 8 figuring it will only take me a couple of minutes to look over my emails and then move on to the next task at hand. 
That was my mistake.  I started reading my emails, one of which was a newsletter with writing leads in it.  I discovered a place I wanted to submit to and here I am two hours later finally done with my emails.  However, I did submit ten poems and two short stories to a place that pays.  Now I just have to wait to hear from them. 
Next I am going to start on organizing and shifting things in my office to get it to a point where I can just come in and write or work on submissions and have things right at hand without having to shift or struggle with trying to find what I need. 

The distraction this morning though, reminded me how much I have missed having an organized space to be able to create and submit my work.  It has reaffirmed the need to finish the project of organizing my office and getting it into working shape again.

New Web Site

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing
It’s official!  For one of my classes I created a website to show a balance of graphics and text.  I’ve decided to put my work to good use and keep the site going.  Therefore, I’ve got an official author’s web page now. 
Oddly I’ve been resistant to having a web site.  I felt like I didn’t have enough credit as an author to have one I guess.  Then for this project I discovered that I do have enough and it is a good way to build a following – I hope.  Here is the link for my new site:  http://eileentroemel.weebly.com/  
I’ll keep it updated with what is being published and what I’m working on writing wise.  Right now I don’t have a writing blog per se so I’ve linked it to this blog.  I don’t want to take on too much.  I want to be committed to keeping things up.  Please go visit my site and let me know what you think. 

End of Vacation and Return to Work

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing
While I’ve been off, I worked on cleaning my office and crocheting.  I have a box of stuff ready to ship to the girls in Georgia, a small pile for a friend, and a scarf to go to Vicki.  Here are some of the pictures from these projects:


 

My office is a multi-layered job.  I’ve taken the piles of paperwork on my desk and sorted them into piles of organized paperwork on the card table.  Next is to work within each of those piles to get them into organized chaos instead of just chaos. 
During my time off, I have enjoyed quiet and calm days with little to stress me.  I think my toughest decision has been what to watch while I crochet.  I’m now working on season two of Charmed.  Today I will work on a few writing tasks and crocheting. 
A wonderfully talented and generous friend has taken pictures for me to use for my cover of my romance novel.  I’m going to have a difficult time choosing just one from the group of pictures she sent me.  Somehow with just a brief description she has managed to capture what I wanted in several photos.  I’ll have to figure out which ones to try and which one to finally use. 
After I’ve made up a few samples to ponder over, I will probably go back to crocheting and watching tv.  It is cold – only about 8 degrees with wind chill taking it down to about -5 outside.  I’m not likely to go out if I can avoid it today.  Tomorrow I will deal with what I have to.
Next on my list for crocheting is starting the kitchen sets for those who have asked for them.  I have a list (of course) and the colors for the first person.  I will use this to determine how much I need to buy of the other colors. 
Tomorrow I return to work.  I am sure once I’m there I’ll get easily back into the groove but right now it feels very foreign.  I think that is because I was so worn out at the end of the semester from school and work.  However, I will only be dealing with work when I go back so that means less stress.  I won’t be rushing off to class and then trying to get back into work mode in between classes.  I will go to work and focus on work.  When I come home I can focus on my writing or crocheting or nothing at all if that is what I choose to do. 
I know some of you who know me well are laughing at the idea that I will do nothing but I took a whole day where I did nothing.  I played on the computer and was completely unproductive.  It happens – just not very often.  

New Year

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing
The new year has started with more snow on the ground.  It seems like a great day to snuggle in, watch movies, have soup, and just be quiet.  Of course I will be crocheting as well.  My to do list is ever growing for crocheting.  I like it that way.
For the past two years I’ve been very focused on school to the near exclusion of everything else.  I know the new year is traditionally the time to set goals but right now I just want to look forward to not having a crazy schedule.  In general writing and crocheting are my goals for the year but getting more specific than that seems like too much at this point.
Reflecting on the last year I realize I’ve been very stressed out with school and getting things done.  I was playing Collapse last night and realized (even in the silly game) that I have very high expectations of my performance.  That is good in that it produces some really good work but it also puts a lot of stress on me.  I see that in the last year I’ve done that a lot (particularly this last semester).  I don’t see that standard changing as I move forward but finding a balance will allow me to be less stressed.  Not everything has to be PERFECT. 
This last year my girls have accomplished a lot.  Vicki got a job, Virginia lost a job and got two better jobs.  Stephanie has advanced within her job.  Ken and I are truly empty nesters now with none of our daughters at home.  Mostly I am enjoying the quiet.  This year I’ve seen my daughters more, which is wonderful.  We met up at Vicki’s for Memorial Day and Thanksgiving.  The Georgia girls made it home for Christmas.  Stephanie also flew home for weddings in the state and stayed with us.  Vicki has been back a couple of times as well.  I love visiting because we get to have the “Yeah I’m happy to see you” without the “I’m tired of being around you”.
This last year I’ve still managed to get a few things published even though I wasn’t focused too much on that.  A poem in the Muse and articles in Circle Magazine, the big deal for me was to get paid for a small article in Woman’s World. 

Overall it has been a good year full of good times.  There are always struggles but it is how we manage them that counts.  I believe we have done well with that – it is never easy to handle sorrow or difficulties but to come through them is what counts.  I’ve gotten through 2013 with more on the positive than on the negative and that is the best I can hope for.

Yule or Winter Solstice

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing
The year is waning, winding down to the calendar end of year.  More than that though it is a time when we have harvested all of our items – whether from the garden or from our lives.  Now we are facing the darkness of winter – allegedly this is a slower time.  However, in our constantly on the go world I don’t know that we actually get to slow down at all. 
When I cope with the craziness of this season, I struggle with all the obligations for the holidays.  What makes it tolerable for me is being with people who are dear to me.  This year that will extend to Kelly and Dominic who are far from their families but a new part of our family. 
This year in particular I am looking at all I’ve accomplished – not just this year but over the last 2 ½ years.  I’ve gotten that second degree finally.  Now I need to clean house (when it comes to my office that is literally) of the old and start looking for what will be next on my schedule. 
While my girls will be home for a few days (YEAH!!!!), I will have a week on my own with no obligations other than what I decide needs to be done.  In this week, I’m going to clean my office and look at what projects I want to work on first.  There are so many which can be a problem as I end up not being able to decide what to do first. 
If you’ve read my blog this will not come as a surprise to you – I have a list of things I want to work on and I’m hoping to focus on them during the next several months.  First and foremost, I want to work on submissions.  I want my work out there and being read.  Love it or hate it – I want editors, publishers, and readers to have the opportunity to see it. 
For this Winter Solstice, I am letting go of being in school and the focus that takes and looking forward to what paths and goals are next.  While I often think I know the path, there are always surprises with life.  This winter I’m going to focus on finding my way – whatever that way may be – editing, writing, crocheting, and just being me. 
There are six weeks until Imbolc (beginning of February).  In this time, I intend to explore all my options.  When I figure out what the next goal is I want to accomplish, I’ll start on the plan for it.  Who knows maybe there will be several goals – after all my life is multi-faceted so why wouldn’t my goals be? 
How will you spend the dark times this season?  What will you let go of at the end of the year?  

Done… Over… Complete…

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing

I took my last final today – think I bombed it.  Regardless, I am done.  So long as I didn’t fail the class (which I didn’t) I have finished my second degree – officially.  Five semesters (2 1/2 years) and I’ve now got three degrees – Associate Degree in Business Machines (from Blackhawk Technical Institute), Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science (both from UW-Whitewater). 

My faculty in my department have all been very supportive and helpful. The student workers who have covered the office have been wonderful. My family has been supportive, encouraging and helpful. It has been an interesting journey to this degree and to those who have helped – Thank you. I couldn’t have accomplished what I have without you.

My two business degrees got me through a career in business and public service.  My public service career will continue (until I get my best sellers out there).  My Bachelor of Science is misleading because there was as little science in what I did as I could get away with.  My degree is actually English Professional Writing and Book Editing.  I’m very proud of all my degrees but this one is near and dear to my heart.  The business degrees are just that – business to make sure I can support myself.  The English degree is to move me along my writing career. 

Writing is what keeps me sane (or as sane as I get).  It takes all the images and words in my head and makes it into stories, poems, and other various things.  Whether others end up reading them or not is a different issue but I’m hoping more will be reading them. 

Now that I’ve finished I have plans.  I didn’t get the grant I applied for but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to write.  It just means I have to find alternative ways to support my writing.  Moving forward, I need to clean my office.  I have to put away all the school stuff.  Then I have to organize the entire office.  My office has to accommodate all the genealogy stuff, writing stuff, and personal business stuff.  I need to get things organized so all of that will fit and play nice together. 

After I get organized, I will work on self publishing, submissions, completing a manuscript that has been floating for three years.  It is a matter of moving forward to getting published – hopefully paid for my work at the same time. 

Endings

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing
My wish for the semester was that I wouldn’t have to struggle through a lot of cruddy weather when I went out for classes.  So far this semester it has been cool to cold and I’ve had a rainy day or two. 
Today it is snowing.  We are supposed to get up to five inches before tomorrow.  We will see.  The nice thing – I have one class period left and one final exam.  If the sidewalks are challenging at least it wasn’t a full semester of being challenging. 
In nine days, I will officially be done with my second degree.  I will have earned my bachelor of science in English Professional Writing and Book Editing.  This degree was for me.  My passion is writing and to edit.  I love to tell a great story but I also love to fix writing (mine included). 
I was hoping for a grant but sadly didn’t get one.  They only awarded grants to about three percent of those who applied.  While this slows me down, it doesn’t stop me.  I’m still going to move forward and focus on my writing.
The semester comes to an end.  My second career as a student comes to an end.  However, I feel like it is a good ending.  I’ll have opportunities to expand and explore my skills, time to focus on selling myself as a writer, and make steps forward in getting more published.  

Done – almost….

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Writing
Thanksgiving was wonderful with my daughters, nephew and husband.  We had a good time being together, shopping at a craft store, playing games, watching tv.  Nothing spectacular or extravagant went on but we had a good time just being together.
However, this week has been hell for me.  It is no one’s fault, work hasn’t been bad, classes haven’t been bad.  I just want to be DONE!  Officially I have four class periods left, one chapter to read, two assignments for that chapter and a final exam for that class, and for my other class I have one project to finish with a reflective paper.  If I thought I could still maintain my grades I would say – to hell with it all and just let it all go by the wayside.
I can’t do that because my grades would suffer.  Tonight I’ve spent an hour and half working on my final project.  Tomorrow night I will read the chapter and work on the two assignments.  I know there isn’t a lot left to do and I just need to dig in and do what’s left.  I’m just out of energy.
In two weeks I will be done with not only the semester but with the degree.  I’ll be able to go back to writing on a regular basis (need to have several alarms available so I can set them and get to bed at a good time).  I was hoping for a federal grant to assist with the costs of writing but I didn’t get one.  It won’t stop me – I’m just going to move forward at a slower pace and budget out what I can afford to do. 
First though, I have to get through these two weeks and all the assignments.  I know I will but in this moment I feel worn out and ready for it all to be done and go away!!!!  

Catch Up

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing
My semester started with a visit from Stephanie, two new classes, and lots of work.  It has been a crazy three weeks.  I have a grammar class and publication development class.  I like both of them and they are almost completely opposite. 
The grammar class is very structured, with deadlines, quizzes, and dates for everything.  The publication development class is not.  We spend our class times discussing articles, current events, and how all this relates to writing and publications.  I love them both.
My daughter very kindly reminded me as I was telling her about one assignment that I was 30 years older than my class mates.  She was right but it was one of those moments where I gave myself a mental shake of holy shit I’m getting old. 
Stephanie is back for another visit – flying as she has another wedding to attend.  We will get her for a bit on Sunday and Monday.  She hung out with me Friday morning and we went to lunch with Beth.  We are grabbing snatches of time where we can. 
I finally finished a scarf that I was working on.  It was a simple design and turned out beautifully but every time I worked on it I would fall asleep.  Last night I finished it though and now I’m moving on to the next thing.
This weekend I’m swamped with homework, time with Stephanie and errands.  The weather has turned a bit cooler – nicely nippy fall weather.  This is good for breathing but it makes my arthritis complain. 

I have thirteen more weeks to go and I’ll be done with my second degree!!  I cannot wait.  I have a long list of things I want to do once I’m done with school – crocheting, writing, reading… First though I have to get through the next thirteen weeks.