If you want to write for magazines, you will need to think ahead when it’s time to submit your articles or stories. Most magazines work at least 6 months in advance. That great Christmas craft could be needed in the heat of the summer, and that fun Fourth of July picnic article could possibly be turned in while the temperatures are freezing.

It’s not always easy to have an advanced mindset, especially when temperatures or seasons are the opposite of what you’re writing about. But there are a few things you can do to help.

Surround yourself with your material. Try playing seasonal music or have pictures that represent that time of year. Immerse yourself in your research books to get the feel for that time period. Read newspapers or other magazines that can bring insight to the weather, clothing, and seasonal activities.

With a few helps you can be well on your way of staying ahead of the holidays so you can land some great magazine assignments.

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This is the time of year where most people start counting down the number of days before Christmas. Time is short because there are lots to do before that wonderful day. As a writer, though, I don’t only count down to Christmas; I count down to Christmas vacation.

My kids get two weeks off from school. That’s two weeks where it is extremely difficult to write because the house gets noisier with them all at home. So when I think of counting down, I take into consideration that there are so many days left for writing with limited interruptions. Currently, I have 7 1/2 days left to finish 4 assignments if I want to have a more relaxed Christmas. If I don’t get them done by then, I will still have a little over two weeks to finish, but then I know my creativity will be stressed.

Don’t get me wrong: I love my kids and I enjoy my time with them. But someone is paying me for quality writing, so I must deliver in the best way I can; and that way is best achieved with as little distractions as possible.

So how is your countdown to Christmas?

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As my writing career continues to grow, I have noticed that there are times when I have to be selective about the assignments I accept and pursue. Yes, I want to work, but I also have an obligation to my family. All four kids are still at home, so their needs and the needs of my husband have to come first.

I will only accept jobs I know I can do within a given time frame. My time to write is when the kids are at school or busy with some other activity. Too many jobs with overlapping deadlines lead to a very frustrated wife and mother.

I limit the amount of contracts I pursue. A number of my writing friends are empty-nesters. All their kids are leading their own lives. Since this is not the case for me, I need to make sure that I will have time to work on new projects. Once I accept an assignment, I’m locked in, and because I want to meet all my deadlines, I have to be realistic on how much I can handle.

Some may feel this will limit my growth, but so far it has worked very well for me. It keeps me free to concentrate on the work I do have, bringing in assignments ahead of schedule (which, by the way, has led to editors asking me if I can work on an assignment), and it keeps me from stressing about wearing too many hats. I do want to build my writing career, but not at the expense of my loved ones.

There are times when we need to say “no” to too much writing. Try to determine what works best for you and your family.

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I have my first official book signing set up! I will be doing a short reading and then signing my book, The Declaration of Independence from A to Z, on February 20, 2010 at Blue Chair Children’s Books in Glendora, California. The time will be from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. If you are in the area, stop by and say hello!

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My first picture book, The Declaration of Independence from A to Z, has officially been listed on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. Yeah!! And, they mark the release date as February 15, 2010, which is just around the corner.

This has been an amazing journey, and it’s exciting to see it finally so close. Hope you’ll all go out and get a copy!

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How important are deadlines? To me they are just as important as the article or story I write. Why? Because I have found the more I make or beat my deadlines, the more work I receive.

Editors have schedules they have to keep. If a writer can help them stick to their schedules, or even get their work in earlier, then they are more likely to use you again. They may even call you out of the blue and give you work that you didn’t even ask for.  This has happened to me repeatedly, so I always make sure I beat my deadlines and give them quality work as well.

And, if you don’t turn in your work on time (except for a major emergency), then your chances of getting any additional work are very slim.

So next time you are given a deadline, work very hard to get your work in at least a day or two beforehand. You never know how it could bless your writing career.

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I went from no deadlines to four and a half, all within one week. This is a good thing, but makes for a hectic schedule, particularly with all four due within the next one to two weeks. Two are for stories with 800 plus words a piece, one is for a 300 – 400 word non-fiction article, another is for an article for my church, and the half is for beginning research on a project for early next year.

So how do I prioritize? First, I look at what is due first and what will take the most time to complete. In this case, my non-fiction article is due in one week and it will consist of a lot of research. Even though my audience will be six year old children, I still have to be able to know my facts so I can “translate” it to their level. I began this project with a trip to the library where I pulled out a stack of books on my topic. I am in the process of reading and taking down notes. I should be done with the research by Wednesday of this week, and then I’ll start the article.

While at the library, I also picked up a book for my project for early next year. Since the project requires some prep time, I’m trying to work that in a bit each week so I won’t be overwhelmed with the process, which will also require a lot of internet searching as well.

At the same time I’m also praying about the other stories and articles I need to write. All of them have specific themes attached to them, so I pray for inspiration. I’ll try to work on at least one this week, in between my research. Once I finish my first deadline, I’ll work double time to finish the fiction stories since they’ll take me the shortest to do. I always try to finish each deadline ahead of schedule so I give myself some extra time to play with in case an emergency comes up.

My juggling may not be the best for some, but it works well for me. You’ll have to decide what is the best solution for you.

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Unlike many writers I didn’t grow up wanting to write. However, when I started helping a friend develop her writing skills, I discovered that this was the path God had planned for me. But I had one request from Him. If He wanted me to write, then He had to give me the ideas and topics to write about. He has never failed me to give me what I need.

So if you are looking for a good and reliable source for ideas, why not pray and ask God to direct? He is an excellent resource to call upon.

“Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established.”

Proverbs 16:3

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In my previous post I wrote about my goal of finishing up my middle grade mystery in a month. So far…I’m doing okay. I really would have liked to have finished another chapter and a half, but considering I needed to make two trips to the library for some research materials (along with dealing with my normal day-to-day mom/wife duties), I think I’m making progress.

In fact, I enjoy writing up a few pages, and then, as I go off to do other things, I can mull over what I just wrote and come up with some good action scenes or some creative snatches of dialogue that will carry the chapter along.

I’m in the midst of Chapter 9. My goal this week is to get to Chapter 12 by the weekend. Of course, the self-editor in me keeps wanting to stop and make changes, but I think if I want to keep my deadline, I will just need to keep on writing and edit later. The flow must go on!

Until next time!

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After a busy schedule of deadlines and research, I decided to take a break and do something fun. What does a writer consider fun? Well, for me it’s writing from the heart. I’m setting a goal for the next four weeks to finish the middle grade mystery story I’ve been working on.

Currently I’m in the middle of Chapter 7, so I only have 12 1/2 chapters to go. That may sound like a lot, but I figure if I take two days to write one chapter, I’ll be ahead of the game. This is a realistic goal. If I can write more than that, fine; but I will not push myself beyond what my imagination will let me.

I really enjoy children’s mysteries. In fact my trips to yard sales, thrift stores, and library book sales always have me looking for old mystery stories written for kids. I like seeing how the authors created their plots and presented their clues, and I check to see if the ending was satisfying. There is so much I can learn by reading the work of others. Plus, it helps me recall a time where I would lose myself in a story. I want to be able to deliver that to a child.

I’ll let you know how I’m progressing. I’m really looking forward to this break!

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