Natalie Allan

Usually, when I make a “mission” out of something, I do so because that “something” is one of those tasks I really don’t want to do. It’s reverse psychology, the act of turning a task or lengthy project into a mission that I don’t want to do makes it fun, competitive. A challenge that I then want to complete.

This mission, however, is different. It’s a real mission, a 100% bone-fida one, and will probably be one of the most lengthy missions I undertake.

The mission: PUBLISH A BOOK!

“Oh yeah, I knew you’re writing and were like, going to query an agent or something. What’s new about this? Whassup with you telling me stuff I already know?”

Well, this mission is very different from that. These are the objectives:

• Complete content
• Edit content
• Typeset book
• Design cover
• Purchase ISBNs
• Set up my own publishing house
• Approach printer
• Get book printed
• Release book
• Mission Accomplished!

I’ve done absolutely no research into any of this yet, I haven’t looked at print costing because I don’t know how thick my book will be, and I have no idea where I will sell my book. All this comes in time. My first objective is “complete content” because it really is the first step to any kind of book-publishing — whether it be traditional, Print-on-Demand, self-publishing, or setting up your own house.

This is going to be an exciting journey, and I have a lot to learn and a lot of hurdles to jump. I have a good mix of fear and excitement which usually means something is worth doing! All I can tell you 100% right now, is that I’ll keep you updated, and as soon I have my content complete, I hope you’ll join me on my journey to becoming a publisher so I can sell my book!

For some strange reason, ever since the clocks changed and Easter weekend holiday threw out my writing routine, I haven’t written a fat lot of anything — whether it be for the 4th draft of my novel (Village of Vampires), poetry, or short stories. Nothing in my life has actually changed since then, and I haven’t changed my daily routine. My writing life just seems to have blown away in the gentle spring breeze.

Time to change that, me thinks!

On average, and before my routine got thrown to pot, I worked on one-page-per-day of my novel, wrote anything up to four poems, and tinkered with short story ideas every day. That’s right, I did all this each day. Now it’s time to get back at it.

If I don’t, that writing part of my brain will cease up and I’ll end up with a bad case of w-r-i-t-e-r-s b-l-o-c-k, and I don’t want that to happen — in fact, this needs to be avoided at all costs.

So what am I going to do about it?

Force myself to write.

Every day.

No excuses. Whatsoever.

I don’t particularly care about how much I write each day, so long as I do something — it’s quality I’m after, not quantity. And even if I don’t jump back in and write the volumes I was doing before my routine oddly changed, at least I’ll be writing something. Which is a much-improvement on the nothingness I’m achieving at the moment.

I also promise to start blogging more as well. I tend to have stopped writing for everything, so I apologise if it’s been a bit quiet around here lately.

So, all I need to do now, is get off the internet and actually work on something.

Something productive…

My first go at making icons in years, they’re nothing fancy or patterned or anything. Some turned out ok, others turned out crappy.

Feel free to use, credit to nallan_1986 if reposting on other sites.

Don’t own any of the pictures I used, if they’re yours I’ll credit.

Feedback welcome.

Ville:

Burton:

Gas:

Linde:

Mige:

Random Shiz: