General life update plus new book covers

 As you may have noticed, I haven't been blogging much.  On the whole, blogs are on their way out and Social Media is the big thing right now.

I've had lots to say over on my YouTube channel about writing and other cool things. Feel free to check it out, drops some likes, maybe a subscribe if my topics catch more than a passing fancy in your heart.

Recently a cousin of mine, who is a Historian by profession, was speaking about the archiving of one's personal history--journals, diaries, that sort of thing. She's been working on a particular project that involves reading diaries from over a hundred years ago. She experiences some vicarious regret that more people did not leave more imprints of their lives. She has a story about how the record of some people's lives were little more than an entry in the local gravedigger's diary.

That's why I popped into here. I came to make an archive of this blog's contents for posterity's sake. Back when I needed to discontinue my LiveJournal for a very good reason, I learned it had an archive feature that permitted me to download my content and save it on my hard drive.

Blogs are good like that. They're about the retention of information--hopefully useful--for the sake of others. YouTube (as I mentioned before), also acts as a repository of information.

Social Media, on the other hand, isn't so much focused on storing information in the long run, but focuses more on interactivity between humans within the moment. "What are you doing today?" is the question.  Then tomorrow comes, and yesterday becomes forgotten.

But what happens to all that information you've put up on social media? Where is it stored, how can you search it, where does it go? In ten years', a hundred years' time, would historians be able to trawl through the repositories (if they exist) of social media and put together a picture of your life? 

We don't have that guarantee.

Sure, the social media sites do store the information. And why not? Information is useful. It's worth money, potentially lots of money, to them, for various reasons. Is it worth money to you? Not really, no. You are the commodity being sold. You are the eyeballs in which they drop adverts.  (Oh, buy my books.)

If you are interested, here's my social media links:

• Website: https://heidikneale.com.au/
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Heidi-Kneale-author-682340831889134/
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hwkneale
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hwkneale
• Twitter:  long gone. Ditched that as it became more of a cesspit.
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/hkneale
• Blog: http://romancespinners.blogspot.com/ (Clearly self-referential)
• Authorly Monthly Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/c9vM9L Consider this the replacement for a blog.
• BlueSky: hwkneale.bsky.social
• Goodreads profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2899577.Heidi_Wessman_Kneale
• Amazon profile: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Heidi-Wessman-Kneale/author/B01890EKFI

So, what's been happening in my life:

Well, I got a new job. Took me several months after my previous blog post, but I did it. It took some time because I had a question I needed answered: was it the Old Job or the Career that I didn't like?

Applying to new places would answer the first half. Applying to non-IT jobs would answer the second.

But when I applied for non-IT jobs (even if they were similar fields), I got no nibbles. It seems the world thought I had to be placed in a niche.  That sucks, because I am a polymath. Not only do I have knowledge in several fields, I'm experienced in those fields. 

Eventually, I gave in and applied for IT jobs. Bah. Within three interviews, I scored myself a position. Am now gainfully employed.

Benefits of the day job:

• It's in an Educational Institution. This suits my personality better. (Not sure if it's because or in spite of the fact that Educational Institutions tend to be run by Chaos Gremlins.)
• It's a step down in level (from 4.4 to 3.1).  If I was building an IT career, this could be considered a detriment, but for me, the responsibility burden was much less, and I like it like that. Another reason I don't mind is...
• It's a step up in pay.  Yeah, you heard me. A 3.1 position (same area, same skill set) at this new place was paying $5K/a more than a 4.4 position at the old job. 
• It comes with incrementation. With my old job, I'd reached my maximum earning potential. But here, I'm at the bottom and only way to go is up. I've had several pay increments already, much to my delight.
• It's a larger organisation. This means more opportunities for career growth (if I wanted to go that way) or lateral movement (if I get bored of IT). I didn't have that at the old job. Now, I am in the process of tapping into some of that lateral movement opportunity, but this will take time.
• It comes with some built-in writing time, should I choose to take this up. This is not part of the job itself, but due to the commute. Yes, I write novels whilst on the train.

Detriments of the Day Job:

• It is not geographically convenient. It takes me approximately an hour, sometimes longer, depending on which campus I'm at. While this does afford me an enforced downtime in which I can read/write a novel, edit a short video, or even just zone out should I choose, it does take a significant chunk out of my day in which I can't re-devote to something else.  I can't just pop out for an hour for a doctor or dentist appointment, that sort of thing.  
• It is run by Chaos Demons. This is not unique to this one organisation. But sometimes it does have a negative impact.  Fr'ex, I had an opportunity to move up into a Level 4 position permanently. While it would have made me a lot more money, and it is, in previous practice, work I can do, the structure of this one particular role was so chaotic and undefined that it made it almost impossible for me to carry out this work. (Yeah, I did cover for someone for a month during leave, so I had first-hand experience. It was nuts.)
• I'm getting too old for this type of work, at a full-time schedule. My body has hit Mid-Life. It's starting to fall apart. Some of the physical demands needed from me for this job are taking a toll on my poor limbs. Now, while there is something medical going on that my doctor and I haven't been able to figure out yet, until we do, I'm working my body a little harder than it can handle, and I'm paying the price. If my doctor and I can't diagnose and treat whatever it is that makes my legs go Ow!, I'll be needing to find a work alternative in another couple of years anyway.  It's a good thing I've got a couple of plans already set in motion.

And that's my update. 

Books

I wrote these two books on the train:

5 Cures For Writer's Block...

Writer's block.

A horrible debilitating disease that strikes writers of every genre, of every kind, at the most inopportune times.

Symptoms:

• You spend hours staring at a blank screen and blinking cursor.
• Tapping your fingers along the edge of the keyboard, but never really hitting any keys.
• Making faces at the screen as you try to force thoughts to break through the block.
• After several hours, perhaps days of the above you curse the computer and silently wonder if you have what it take to be a writer.

Those are only a few of the symptoms I have experienced personally. I am sure you can think of others that plague you from time to time.

Some writers don't believe writer's block exist. That it's all in one's head. I haven't decided whether this is true or not, because the block is obviously in your head. Perhaps there is some truth to that statement. Writing blocks don't occur out of the blue. They stem from somewhere, I think.

We're busy with day to day life. Family, day jobs, house work, bills, or the latest rejection letter from a publisher or agent. Take your pick. All these things, and then some, bog us down. Exhaust are bodies and brains.

Whether it's a figment of our imaginations or a real "disease" striking us out, there are ways around it. There are things we can do to try and remove the block and continue on with our stories.

I'll list a few cures that I hope you'll find helpful. If they produce little to no help, try typing "writer's block" into Google and you'll find, literally, hundreds of articles.

Cure #1.

100 Words a day- You can pick any number of words. 100, 300, 1,000, etc. After you've chosen your word count make an conscious effort to write that many words a day. Every day. They can pertain to your current work in progress or not all. The point is you're writing. They do not have to be spectacular words. Just words. Go with the first thought that pops in your head. You never know, you may just work out that road block in your plot. Or you may find a new story that has been brewing beneath the surface.

Cure #2.

Book in a week- Similar but different from 100 words a day. No, it's not actually entire book in a week. (There is a great workshop coming up January 7th, 2008 from Outreach Romance Writers on writing a a rough draft in a week.)

For BIAW you set a goal for yourself. 1 chapter, 4,000 words, outline a scene/chapter, etc. Give yourself seven days to complete the goal. This works great when you can get others to join you. You, then can report your daily progress and cheer each other on. Again, with BIAW, just write. Keep writing! You'll flesh your way though the block. A word or a sentence you type will trigger your next great scene. At the very least you purge your mind of the garbage clogging your creative process.

Cure #3.

Journaling- Everyone does this differently. Some journal by hand or at the computer, but typically it's done in the morning. If you're anything like me, your most productive time is after 11pm.- so do it then. Write in a journal for twenty minutes everyday. Morning is suggested because you can use it to start your day. Your mind is fresh and usually for most households this is a quiet time. (before the kids are awake or after the kids are off to school.)

You sit where you are most comfortable, in a zone where your creative processes are free to roam. Then you just write. For twenty minutes. Don't stop. A full twenty minutes. If you can't manage twenty minutes in the morning, then adjust. Ten minutes. Whatever time frame you choose, make it strictly writing time.

Cure #4.

An idea book- Most writers, I think, keep one of these. A notebook where you write down all those miscellaneous thoughts that enter your head that you don't want to lose. Snippets of dialogue or setting. A character name or conflict. Flip through your idea book. It may ignite your the much needed chain of words. If you don't have one these, I recommend starting one. They are great to have.

Cure #5.

Fiction generators- There are so many of these online. With some of these website you type in characteristics of a character and it spits out a name. Some are just random. Granted some of these names are a little "off the wall" but they may be just what you need to work through a bout of writer's block.

Behind the Name - Random names.

The Elvish Name Generator - Fantasy character.

Language is a Virus - This one gives you name generators, random text, poem engines and a ton more to kick start your creativity.

Try one. What have you to lose?

If the above doesn't help try Mitchelaneous. This website gives 50 cures for writer's block.

You'll work through your writer's block. I promise. It doesn't last forever. You're a writer.

Happy writing!

Until next time,

Holly

P.S. After you've pushed through your writer's block check out my other blog for 5 ways to build a character.