What's your theme song? ~ by Magdalena Scott

Sometimes I don't get as much done as I think I should in a day's time, and lately I've wondered if it would help to have my own theme song.

Back in a sad part of my life I had a theme song without even realizing it. Every time I listened to it The Story by Brandi Carlile, sang along with it, even hummed the daggone thing, I would cry. At the time perhaps that's just what I needed. But not anymore. 

Now I need something upbeat and encouraging. Something that gets my feet tapping, my vocal chords limbered up, and my fingers typing.

I've been watching my DVDs of Murder, She Wrote. Do you remember that 12-season-long TV series about a small town woman who was a famous mystery writer, and solved a murder mystery every single week? Man, Jessica Fletcher had friends and relatives everywhere, didn't she? It must have been frightening to know her, because there was little doubt that eventually you'd be involved in a murder--as victim, accused, or bystander.

But I digress. The point I was headed toward is that Jessica Fletcher had an awesome theme song. No lyrics to my knowledge, but the music is very catchy. If you want to give it a quick listen on YouTube, click here.

For the time being, even though I'm no Jessica Fletcher, and am completely in awe of the great Angela Lansbury who played the character, I'm using that music as my theme song.  

FYI, I started each day with Shambala by Three Dog Night for a few months. So as you can see, I am open-minded about this.

Do you have a theme song? Something that you sing or hum or whistle to get you going in the morning, or to cheer you when you're having a yucky day? I'd love to hear about it. And while you're at it, could you hum a few bars?

Magdalena Scott is a USA Today Bestselling Author of small town sweet romance and women's fiction. Learn about her books, read her blog, subscribe to her newsletter, and connect on social media by visiting her website: magdalenascott.com

Her newest release is Book Four in the Serendipity, Indiana series: THE BLANK BOOK. Paperback is coming soon. The ebook version is available here:

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Why we write

I think I was sixteen when I went to Paris for the very first time. Somewhere around Montmartre, I found a postcard that touched a chord inside me, so I bought it and took it home. It's on the wall above my desk as I write and I still wonder that this little piece of yellowed cardboard has survived my seventeen or more moves and all these years, but even more astonishing is that chord inside me. It still hums whenever I look at it.
 

Translated, it says, "When asked "Why do you write?", the answer of the poet will always be the shortest: To have a better life." St. John Peoje

That's just what I feel. That's why I write.

When I write, I feel my soul expand. I travel away in time and space, disappear into another world, and when I appear again, sometimes, it feels as if I had been away for a trip over the weekend. It gives me a satisfaction I find nowhere else. When life gets hectic, and I don't get to write for a longer period of time, I feel that need building up inside me, that craving to get back to my keyboard or notebook, to get a pen in hand, to shut off the world, and to unburden myself, to free my soul. It's a solitude I need to replenish my inner being.

Yes, of course there are times when I have to drag myself to my desk. There are times when rejections hit me, when life gets in the way, and when this precious feeling gets lost. But I know it will come back eventually. Because I'm a writer, no matter what. Someone once said to me, "If you're a writer, writing is not an option. It's a necessity." That's it in a nutshell.

You don't have to be a writer of novels to feel this way; a diary can have the same effect on you. Now I wonder. Do you feel like that when you write?

Take a Chance! by Ginny Baird

Seven years ago this month, I took a chance and ran off to the sheriff to get married. After tirelessly caring for everyone else, I finally decided to grab some happiness for myself. Things couldn’t have worked out more wonderfully. If I had to make the same choice today, I’d take that leap again – without a doubt.

January is such a great month for new beginnings. It’s also a time to challenge ourselves by thinking of taking chances. It doesn’t have to be now or next month even, but I’m hoping that sometime during this year, we’ll all take a chance by doing something special for ourselves. When you’re in the role of mother, caretaker, partner or helpmate, it can be hard to focus on anything other than giving. Though it’s important to recall that we often have more to give when we’ve stepped back and taken a little for ourselves.

When considering New Year’s goals, don’t neglect to think of yourself.  If you’ve always wanted to paint, sign up for a class. If you’ve yearned for a session at a spa, book one and make it happen! If you’d like just one day to yourself to shop, have lunch, or see a movie, explain to your family that this is what you need to help revitalize you. Then, rinse, lather, repeat… as often as needed throughout the year to keep your batteries charged and help maintain a healthy outlook that balances self-care with caring for others. For when we give to ourselves, we increase the wealth of what we can contribute by being happier, and more deeply enriched, people.

So, what will it be? What will you take a chance on in 2015? If there’s something you’ve always wanted to do, or hoped to learn, you know what they say… There’s no time like the present!

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New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Ginny Baird writes short contemporary romance and romantic comedy. Her latest release is The Calendar Brides, a story in which twelve granddaughters plan to send their dear grandma back to Italy to reunite with her long-lost love. Find The Calendar Brides online at iBooks, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

Get Off Your Duff! 8 Simple Ways to Kick-Start Your Motivation #SweetRomance

Although this post is geared toward writers, the principles can be used in every aspect of life.  

Even the King of Just-Do-It, Tony Robbins, must have days where he feels unmotivated. It’s only natural to find yourself in a slump, every now and then—suffering through days where you just don’t feel like doing anything productive. If you find yourself feeling this way, take heart. You’re not alone. I’ve felt the same way. I have found that, if I allow one day to pass where I don’t write, it easily turns into two, and then three. But I have found a few ways to kick-start my motivation. I hope these suggestions help you get off your duff and get moving in the right direction.

1.     Stir Your Inspiration – The best way I have found to find inspiration as a writer is to read good books. When I get lost in a great story, I always find myself wanting to create stories and characters of my own. Reading good books is never a waste of time for writers. 

2.     Daydream – As a writer, I spend a lot of time in my head, visiting my characters, my plot, my story location. Daydreaming about your book is a wonderful way to churn up the kind of excitement you need to finish that first draft.

3.     Make Lists – I don’t know about you, but I am always more productive when I make a To-Do List and check off the items as I accomplish each goal.

4.     Find Support – Finding a group of like-minded authors that you trust is important when you’re in need of motivation. Challenge each other to reach the day’s goals and hold each other accountable. Taking a razzing from your author friends might be the push you need to get those pages written.

5.     Keep Your Duff in the Chair – I have found this is half the battle. If I force myself to sit at my desk, even if I’m not feeling motivated, I will eventually begin to write. Persistence really is key being productive.  

6.     Eat the Elephant One Bite at a Time – Break any chore down into small jobs. Don’t say, “I’m going to write a chapter.” Don’t even say, “I’m going to write a scene.” Do say, “I’m going to write one page.” Once you write that one page, you can build on that small success and confidently dive into the second.

7.     Focus on the Goal, not the Difficulty – Become very aware of your thoughts. Do not allow yourself to think negatively. This is so hard! I’ll never finish this book! These thoughts will only further squash your creativity and your motivation. Instead, ponder how good you’ll feel when you finish that one page, that one scene, that one chapter. Think about how wonderful it will be when you complete that book, when you upload it for Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBooks. Think about how great it will be to read those 5-star reviews.

8.     Celebrate Your Creativity – Writing is hard work, there’s no doubt about it. Give yourself a pat on the back when you reach a goal. You’ve earned the right to feel good about what you’ve accomplished. But don’t party too hard or too long. Remember, there are always more pages to be written.

Motivation is like the great ocean tide; it swells and ebbs. Take full advantage of those times when your excitement to work is strong. Get those pages written! But when the inclination to create seems nowhere to be found, I hope you’ll re-read the list above, get off your duff, and kick-start your motivation!

This post originally appeared on Indies Unlimited. 

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Donna Fasano is a USA Today Bestselling Author of over 30 romance and women’s fiction titles.  Learn more about her on her blog. Or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Donna loves to hear from her readers. Donna’s latest project is a 10-book, multi-author bundle entitled Ten Brides for Ten Heroes available for Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and iBooks. It’s also available on Smashwords. Look for the Ten Brides for Ten Heroes Cookbook, offered FREE at the same venues.