An origin story over the years

I didn't really think I had an origin story, a single moment I could point to and say, "This is when I became a writer." To see why that is my origin story, check out the full post on my blog.

The best-laid plans

Or why I didn't get done the things I thought I would this year, but am still pleased with the results. Check out the full post on my blog.

Thoughts on Pratchett

Sometimes, reading an author's earlier work can leave a reader disappointed. Come check out my blog to see why I don't think that's true of Terry Pratchett.

Where -- no, how -- I work best

If you could work anywhere you wanted, do you know where it would be? For me, it's not so much a place as a way of working. Come by my blog and see what I mean.

Beginning of 2015, and what am I doing?

I don't have resolutions so much as I have projects I want to work on this year. I don't discuss the projects themselves as much as I do how I'm breaking up my time to tackle them. Stop by my blog if you want to see how I use my whiteboard in planning.

What I've done with my year . . .

I never did post goals in January, but I still can talk about what I got done with 2014. If you're interested in the pluses and minuses, swing by my blog.

Half a year in

I didn't actually post goals back at the beginning of the year, but looking back on the past six months, I'm reasonably happy with what I've gotten done.

Check out the post on my blog to see the details.

Flexible life

Productivity tools come up a lot in my blog because I have a lot of things I'm trying to keep in balance. Swing by my blog to see the latest method I'm using.

Am I unique?

What would make someone who doesn't know me pick up one of my stories rather than somebody else's? What is it that I bring to the table? Head over to my blog to watch me talk around the question.

Looking back five-sixths in

Back in January, I had some grandiose ideas of what I would accomplish this year; I've accomplished almost none. To see what I haven't gotten to and why I'm okay with this, read <a href="http://www.erinmhartshorn.com/looking-back/">the rest on my blog</a>.

Research by magpie

Let's start off by admitting that I don't have a routine for learning about things. I am a magpie, chasing the latest shiny thought, a bee that goes flower to flower to flower. I love learning new things, but I'm unpredictable in what sets me off.

If you want to see more about my routine that is not a routine, you can read the full post <a href="http://www.erinmhartshorn.com/on-research/">on my blog</a>.

What keeps me motivated?

There are two sources of motivation: external and internal. I love me some external rewards . . .

But let’s face it — sometimes, those things are few and far between.

If you want to know more about how I deal with internal motivation, check out the rest on my blog.

Changing gears for the month

I've got lots of projects in progress, but I'm taking the month off to do something different. Come read my post to see what I'm focusing on this month.

Same old, same old

When is a routine not a routine? Well, I've tried them all. Come over to my blog to see my thoughts on a writing routine.

Who's on first?

Late post this month -- sorry.

I’ve had a lot of firsts in my writing career: the first poem I wrote (on daffodils), the first book I started to write (it was supposed to be a Regency romance), the first serial I wrote (portal fantasy), the first short story I submitted (cliché-ridden SF), the first short story I sold (sword and sorcery with an assassin as the protagonist), the first novella I completed (Farwalker), the first book in a series (Christmas Tree Farm Murders), and so on.

To read more about my firsts, read the rest of my blog post.

Looking ahead

Everyone's got plans for the new year, right? Pop over to my blog to see what I'm looking forward to.

Erin's favorite reads of 2012

I read a lot of really good books this year. Some, I'm still in the process of reading, and others I think will be good (even if I haven't gotten to them yet). Come see what I think is worth checking out on my blog.

Defining a pro

I've talked about pro levels of sales on my blog before. Today, I'm just pointing out behaviors that make anyone professional, regardless of where they stand on the publication ladder. Read more on my blog

Erin's early writing dreams

I can remember a time when I was not a writer. It wasn't until middle school that I thought of writing a book. If you want to learn a little more about my journey and why I write, read about it on my blog.

In the balance

Balance -- a topic near and dear not just to every writer's heart, or anyone who has a day job and a creative pursuit, or any person with a family and a job and interests of her own -- well, okay, that probably includes all of us. Yes, it's time to talk about how I balance everything I have to do: wife, mother, freelance worker, writer, blogger, person . . . If you want to read my ideas on the subject, continue reading on my site.