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Resurrecting Patreon

Yes, I’ve decided. I’m resurrecting Patreon as one of my platforms.

About time management and project planning…

PJD resurrecting PatreonI’d retired it some time ago until I could regroup and consider how Patreon might fit into what I do between my day job and writing careers. And recently, I’ve had a lot of questions come to me about when I’m going to teach more classes or hold more workshops on time management and project planning, particularly as they could be used by writers. There’s a lot of writers who are balancing a day job career with a writing career. Add in life, and family, and friends and finding time gets complicated.

I do teach at least once a year, maybe twice, at various conferences. But not everyone can attend those conferences or the workshops/panels that I might be presenting due to scheduling conflicts. I get a lot of requests for online courses or even asked when I’m going to write a nonfiction book on the topic of time management and project planning for writers.

I don’t have the bandwidth to offer those things and still be able to meet my deadlines for the fiction I love to write. So Patreon came to mind as a platform that would be great for sharing this kind of information in bite-size pieces throughout the year.

And writing via dictation…

PJD resurrecting PatreonI am also learning to find a new normal in my life due to medical challenges and the need to drastically change the way I write… anything. I started to try learning dictation earlier this year, just about the same time I started physical therapy. So I got the basics down. But as soon as the physical therapy started to help me get back my functionality with my hands and I could type again for short periods of time, I went back to typing my manuscripts.

That’s not sustainable.

I will experience flareups in my future and my physical condition will deteriorate. So I really, really need to learn how to dictate now, not later.

Wonderfully generous people have given me their advice, their insights, and some great tips and tricks. I need to practice in order to incorporate what they shared with me. I need to make dictation and writing via dictation a habit. And writing via dictation, for me, means retraining my brain. Patreon becomes the perfect platform again for my adventures in learning how to dictate. It’ll be a place where I can be accountable while I share my trials and tribulations, what works for me and what really doesn’t.

So. There we have it. I’m resurrecting Patreon and I will be sharing information in two major categories:

  • Time management and project planning for writers, particularly with the day job to balance with their writing.
  • My progress as I learn writing via dictation, the tips and tricks I pick up along the way, and lessons learned.

If you’re interested in what I have to share or would like to join me on this journey, I hope you’ll subscribe to my Patreon. I’ll see you there.

 

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EMEPiper Ep 13: Interview with Alyssa Cole

 

Alyssa Cole is an agent-sibling of mine. Her story, Let Us Dream, is nominated for the 2017 RITA award for Best Romance Novella.

She is a science editor, pop culture nerd, and romance junkie who lives in the Caribbean and occasionally returns to her fast-paced NYC life.

In addition to writing, she founded and hosted the Jefferson Market Library Romance Book Club and taught Romance Writing for Beginners. She speaks on topics such as writing erotic romance, writing multicultural romance, and self-editing.  She has contributed romance-related articles to publications including RT Book Reviews, Heroes and Heartbreakers, Romance at Random, and The Toast. She has also started a bi-monthly column in the Romance Writer’s Report, Romancing the Globe, in which she chats with romance writers from around the world.

When she’s not busy writing, traveling, and learning French, she can be found watching anime with her husband or tending to her herd of animals.

https://alyssacole.com

I’m happy to have Alyssa join me on EMEPiper!

Highlights

  • Introduction to Alyssa Cole and her work
  • Writing in series versus stand alone stories
  • Alyssa’s technique to manage her time writing: winging it in the past and recently using Pacemaker
  • On deadlines: self-imposed and contracted
  • Planning to pad time between deadlines and remembering we’re human
  • Difference in pace of writing genre fiction and literary fiction
  • On voracious readers: romance
  • How to prioritize when deadlines collide?
  • Alyssa’s Time Management Tip

Shout-outs

You can support EMEPiper and Piper’s other writing-related creative content at patreon.com/piperjdrake.

Check out this episode!

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EMEPiper Ep 12: Defeating Procrastination

Procrastination is a serious challenge for me. I find myself procrastinating all the time and I’ve rationalized to myself to make it okay. But it’s not.

Writing doesn’t happen while I procrastinate. No matter how much I think I’m getting done, I’m not doing the thing that matters: writing. 

So here’s a short podcast on recognizing and defeating procrastination. After all, the longer this podcast episode is, the less time either you or I are writing. Give it a listen, then get back to writing. 😉

Highlights

  • Where’s Piper? In her new recording CLOSET!
  • Recognizing Procrastination
  • Block Out Procrastination Enablers
  • Achievable Goals and Rewards

Shout-outs

You can support EMEPiper and Piper’s other writing-related creative content at patreon.com/piperjdrake.

Check out this episode!

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EMEPiper Ep 11: Interview with Melissa Schroeder

Interview with Melissa Schroeder

Interview with Melissa Schroeder

Since the publication of her first book in 2004, Melissa has had close to fifty romances published. She writes in genres from historical suspense to modern day erotic romance to futuristics and paranormals.

Along the way she has garnered an epic nomination, a multitude of reviewer’s recommended reads, over five Capa nods from TRS, three nominations for AAD Bookies and regularly tops the best seller lists on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

http://melissaschroeder.net/

I’m happy to have Melissa join me on EMEPiper, talking about juggling multiple series and time management.

Highlights

  • Introduction to Melissa Schroeder and her work
  • Why writing multiple series at the same time works for Mel (and Piper)
  • Shout out to Joyfully Reviewed – Mel’s making ribs!
  • How writing something different can make you a better writer
  • What kinds of deadlines does Mel face with 5 series in progress?
  • Mel’s routine and how she hits her goals, even dealing with chronic pain
  • Mel’s Time Management Tip

Shout-outs

You can support EMEPiper and Piper’s other writing-related creative content at patreon.com/piperjdrake.
Check out this episode!

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EMEPiper Ep 10: Getting Actual Work Done

 

Piper Write or Die

Tasks have been identified and prioritized. It’s time for getting actual work done. For some, this is very simple. However, it might not be easy when there’s a whole lot of life going on in your world.

Life is full of distractions. Your mind may dodge work, running in circles or latching onto various things to do in the name of research or administrative clean up when in reality, it’s all procrastination.

Some simple techniques for eliminating distractions may allow you to buckle down and be productive. Scheduling time and developing routines are very helpful. But more complex considerations may come into play when you travel like I do and can’t develop routines or schedule time. 

Highlights

  • Where’s Piper? In her home office!
  • It’s time to actually work
  • So how do I actually get work done?
  •  
    Sometimes I need encouragement and there’s an app for that
  •  
    What if my Focus needs more Focus?

Shout-outs

You can support EMEPiper and Piper’s other writing-related creative content at patreon.com/piperjdrake.

Check out this episode!

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