Tag: holidays

author, holidays, mental health

Taking Time Out For A Break

emilieturner95

“Taking a break can lead to breakthroughs.”

Russell Eric Dobda

I’m back!! It’s been a little while, but I really needed to take some time out and rest for a while. My mind gets overwhelmed so easily, and I need to take some longer breaks sometimes to calm my brain down and be able to get back into the creative groove.

I spent a few weeks over January doing next to nothing. I am a stay-at-home mother, so it’s not like I did ‘nothing’, but I took a break from writing and spent time with my family and catching up on some reading. It was calm and peaceful, but I am very ready to get back into writing!

I’m looking up some short story competitions to enter in the coming months. Uni kicks back up in March, so I will have my priorities shifting a bit then, but I really want to keep entering some competitions and refine my writing more. Of course,, my degree will keep refining my writing, which just happens when you do a literature degree, but I want to keep writing outside the coursework!

I’ve got a lot of ideas for short stories, but I also have an idea for a new novel! I finished editing my first fully written novel, and I’m putting it aside for a while so that I can revisit it with fresh eyes later in the year! For now, I’ll shift the big project focus to a new novel project!

This year I have some goals I want to reach. I’ll see how it goes because life definitely gets in the way, but I will power through and do my best! I’ll see you all next week with my first short story of the year!

author, holidays

Welcome to 2023!

emilieturner95

Happy New Year!

It’s officially 2023! Where on earth did 2022 go? It seemed to absolutely fly by! I can’t believe we’ve made it to 2023 – another year but not much is changing right now.

I don’t really do resolutions often. I think New Year’s resolutions often lead to disappointment and feelings of failure if they’re not met. Sometimes resolutions work, and it’s amazing when they do, but more often than not they fizzle out (the gym is always packed the first few weeks of January and then quite rapidly dies down again, just for one example).

I can’t even remember the resolutions I made last year. I know I made some, but honestly, I have no clue what I did. But this year, I’m doing things a little differently. I’m not making any resolutions this year. I’m going to make some goals for the year but no resolutions for me!

I have two main goals for the year. One personal and one professional.

First: I want to be more present for my family. This year I felt out of touch and a bit scatterbrained. I have ADHD which doesn’t help but I feel like I want to be more present with my family. Date nights, family adventures and spending more quality time together is a goal of mine for this year. I still have writing goals and aspirations but I’m going to prioritise my family first!

Second: I want to commit to the last year of my Master’s program and come out the other side with an amazing novella. I’m determined to see through my last year and I am excited to write my novella and see what my supervisor thinks. I really want to be able to publish my Master’s novella and I have a goal to put it forward to a publisher at the end of the year!

These are the only two goals I’ve set for this year. If I don’t completely meet them, that’s absolutely fine. I find that the term ‘resolution’ often leads to disappointment in myself so I’ve rebranded and I’m going to aim for my goals and work on them both throughout the entire year. Any improvement will be achieving my goals!

I love hearing about other people’s goals/resolutions for the New Year and I hope everyone succeeds where they want!

author, holidays

Holidays Are Always Crazy Times

emilieturner95

December – January is always wild! There’s so much to do over this month-long span of time and honestly not enough hours in the day to get it all done! There’s decorating, present shopping, present wrapping, food prep and so on before Christmas even arrives! Not to mention wrangling a toddler around!

I do love the holiday season though. Something about Christmas brings me so much joy. I love the music, the decorations and of course spending time with my loved ones! Christmas Day is always busy for us but it’s so much fun. We have lunch with my side of the family and dinner with my husband’s side so the day is very full! Full but exciting.

It’s been even more fun this year with a toddler. Last year he was too young to participate at all but this year he was running around, getting into mischief, eating the food and, of course, ripping open all the wrapping paper. He had an absolute blast.

It’s been an exhausting time but I’m grateful to be able to rest now and recuperate. It’s almost 2023, which is just crazy to believe, and we don’t usually do much for New Years. We might take the little boy to see some early fireworks but other than that we’ll be enjoying a New Years meal at home and reigning in the New Year together.

With that, I’m going to sign off for 2022! See you all in 2023!

author, holidays, University, writing

Prepping For A Big Month

emilieturner95

September is going to be huge! There’s a lot to do during this month and it will be borderline chaos! My sister is getting married, assessments are due and my little boy turns 1!

Things are definitely chaotic. I’m still entering some short story competitions here and there (I was gifted a free membership for Vocal+ which I’m taking advantage of and entering comps there) as well as writing and editing my books. It adds extra things on top of everything else though!

I’m going to take the month of September off writing. Maybe not completely, but I am going to take a breather and not write as often as I normally do. I don’t particularly have the time at the moment to write. I mean, technically I am still writing for University assessments but it doesn’t quite count.

I’ll keep an eye on some short story competitions in case I want to throw in an entry, but I’m not going to put any pressure on myself or try to write because I have to. I do love writing, don’t get me wrong, but it has become my job and I think it’s time for a bit of a ‘annual leave.’

I’ll still do my blogs but since September is so incredibly busy I won’t be super active. I’m going to prioritise family in this busy month since so much is happening! I’ll be back into writing in October, ready to prep for NaNoWriMo!

author, holidays, Writing

Welcome To The New Year!

emilieturner95

“Enter this new year with a gratitude for this new chance to create your dreams.“

Avina Celeste

Hello 2022! It’s crazy that we’re already in 2022. I feel like it was only just 2021. SO much happened last year and it completely flew by me. It didn’t help that Australia continued to be in constant COVID lockdowns for all of 2021. Not being able to do much does make the year kind of fly by, just like having a baby makes time speed up so much.

2022 is already looking so different than 2021! Australia is finally opening up to the rest of the world again and the states are starting to feel less like independent countries. Granted, we are still going up and down with restrictions and lockdowns, but all in all it’s looking a lot better than 2021!

White Calendar on Glass Vase

I have so much planned for 2022. I don’t know how much I will get done, but I’m looking forward to hitting some goals. I am still studying but I also want to put my book into some publishers soon, add a baby on top and my year is going to be crazy!

I am looking forward to finally putting COVID madness behind us and moving forward this year. I’m excited to watch my son grow up and continue to put my effort into my writing and get it out into the world. My plans changed dramatically last year when I found out I was pregnant, but now that my son is here I know I can keep to a plan to edit and publish my book. Other plans go to the wayside since I have such a small child, though.

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.“

Edith Lovejoy Pierce

There are so many opportunities for 2022 and I can’t wait to see what the year brings. Now that the holiday season is over I’m going to crack down on my writing once again. I always take a bit of a break in December, since it’s such a hectic time, and January is the time to pick it up again!

I really can’t wait to see what 2022 brings. It’s crazy to think it’s already a new year, but bring it on!

author, holidays, Writing

It’s Almost 2022!

emilieturner95

“New year is the glittering light to brighten the dream-lined pathway of future.“

Munia Khan

How fast has 2021 flown by!? It’s crazy to think that Christmas is already behind us and New Years is just around the corner! This year came and went so fast – I’m still processing 2020 and here comes 2022.

I already know that 2022 is going to be very different than previous years. I currently have a 3 month old and he’s just going to get bigger and moving more this year! So many firsts are bound to happen and that’s so exciting.

I really want to crack down on editing my novels this year. It’s been hard to maintain momentum throughout 2021 due to pregnancy and having a baby and so many other things happening throughout the year. We were thrown a lot of curveballs but I’m excited about how 2021 went for us and our family and I’m equally as excited about moving into 2022.

White Spiral Notebook on Brown Wooden Table

2022 is going to be an exciting year. There’s so much happening this year and so much to do! It’s about time I get my novel into the world, and I’m on the final chapters for editing. My goal is definitely to get my novel published. It will be hard and a long journey but I’m determined to get it into the world!

“In order to be successful in the new year, stay focused, develop a positive attitude and be passionate with your dreams.“

Bamigboye Olurotimi

I did have the same goal for 2021, but due to many things popping up I wasn’t able to get as much done as I wanted. It can be easy to get down on yourself when you don’t meet your goals, but I changed my mindset. My goals simply changed in 2021. I had a baby, my family became priority and writing took a backseat.

2022 is open for more writing opportunities! My boy is growing up and already starting to take some decent naps at particular times of the day, he’s setting his own schedule which gives me time to write. I’m excited to get cracking on my writing more during these down times and pushing forward with my writing!

Stay tuned, hopefully my novel will be getting published soon and you guys will be the first to know!

author, holidays, Writing

Christmas: A Poem

emilieturner95

Mistletoe is hanging from the ceiling,
A wreath is covering the door.
Everything is red, green and gold,
There are Christmas decorations galore.

The Christmas tree sits in the corner,
With many presents on the floor.
Just waiting for that winter morning,
When the children cease to snore.

That cold, winter’s morning,
The children will be keen.
They will dash down the stairs,
To discover that Santa has been.

The yells and cries of excitement,
Will echo through the space.
As they rip open the wrapping paper,
As if it is a race.

The parents will love watching,
Although tired from Christmas Eve.
For they know it won’t be long,
Until their children no longer believe.

author, holidays, Writing

Writing Through The Holidays

emilieturner95

“Nothing ever seems too bad, too hard, or too sad when you’ve got a Christmas tree in the living room.”

Nora Roberts

I love the holidays! I always have and I anticipate I always will, especially with a child in the mix! It’s so much fun putting up Christmas decorations, buying presents and preparing to see family and celebrate the holiday season.

It’s different for me this year since I’m going into Christmas with an almost 3 month old baby. Not only am I juggling my usual commitments, but I have to juggle those commitments around the needs of my son.

Glass of Milk Near Open Book

I’m trying to take some time to pause and take breaks. It’s a crazy time having a demanding baby and throwing in the holidays and writing commitments makes life a bit hectic. I love Christmas and I’m making sure that I’m taking time to enjoy the Christmas season and see the awe in my son’s face as he stares at the Christmas lights and plays with his Christmas rattles.

“Christmas gives us an opportunity to pause and reflect on the important things around us.”

David Cameron

I’ve been able to take the time to pause throughout the season and I know that my family is the most important thing to me in this season. I’m making sure that we are prioritising our Christmas church time and spending time together as a little family.

I am, however, trying to keep to some commitments throughout December. I’m writing while my son naps and I’m trying to keep prioritising my passion for writing and reading. I know that my time will just continue to get hectic, even after the holiday season, and learning how to prioritise my time now has been so helpful.

It’s important to keep family close and if writing has to take a backseat, so be it. There is always 2022 to crack down on everything!

author, Writing

Editing Post NaNoWriMo

emilieturner95

“I’ve found the best way to revise your own work is to pretend that somebody else wrote it and then to rip the living shit out of it.”

Don Roff

It’s always a crazy time post NaNoWriMo! The editing process is a long process, at least it always is for me.

I’m not the biggest fan of editing. I love getting all of my ideas onto paper but sorting through my thought processes and ideas is exhausting! I love reading through the finished product, but it always takes a while to get there.

Editing isn’t fun. I have to tear apart my own work and read it externally to myself, and it is really hard to detach my feelings and look at my work objectively. I know it’s worthwhile and editing is definitely needed, but it doesn’t make it any easier!

I’m planning on editing my recently completed NaNoWriMo novel slowly over December to continue to give myself a break from Infection Point, however I will be returning to edit Infection Point in the new year!

I really want to get published in 2022 and I’m going to do my best to finalise my edits and put forward the completed version! I know it’ll probably get torn apart by copyeditors down the line, but I’m quite proud of the novel I have written.

I’m going to continue powering through the editing process and, although my son provides plenty of distractions, I’m planning on having a solid second draft of my NaNo novel completed by the end of December.

author, holidays, University, Writing

New Year, Improved Me

emilieturner95

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”

Edith Lovejoy Pierce

It is officially 2021! It’s crazy to think that it’s already a new year, but here we are! Seems like it was only just 2020; time sure does fly fast nowadays!

I’ve worked over most of the holiday season, even had work on New Years Day, but I’ve still managed to take some time out and enjoy this time! Spent a lot of time with family and friends and now I’m eager to welcome the new year!

There are several changes for me this year. I know most people say, ‘it’s a new year so it’s a new me’, but I prefer to see it as I’m just growing. I’m not new, I still make stupid mistakes, but I’m growing every year and last year was no different!

I made a huge decision at the end of last year to transfer University’s. It was a hard decision to make, especially since I’m not one for change. We don’t particularly see eye to eye, change and I.

But regardless, I’ve switched University’s and I’ll be starting 2021 in a new University! It’s scary to think about, but I think it’ll be good. I needed the change for my career, and this new University is really amazing.

“And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.”

Rainer Maria Rilke

I have set some goals for myself this year. I want to really knuckle down and do well in my Uni classes. I also want to finally finish my current novel and start editing my new novel that I finished last year.

I am aiming to officially submit my manuscript to a publishing house soon. It’s incredibly intimidating, but I hope it goes well!

2021 looks like it has a lot in store for me, and I’m keen to get cracking and complete my goals this year. I feel like 2021 will be a good year for me!

 “For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice.”

E.S. Eliot