Sunday 30 September 2018

Two months to go...

This is my year of becoming 50 years of age. In two months I will achieve that milestone, if milestone is in fact the correct word.
As I ponder this year so far, I also like to think about what I have achieved thus far. Overall, I have to say it has been a busy year. Busyness is however not an indication of any success, I am sure you agree. On that point I like to track my progress of my goals, and aside from a record, these graphs also serve as motivation for me to keep going.
Linzé's Word Count Target for 2018
This past week I also managed to finish the first draft of my book, Take Your Journal to the Next Level. I am editing it this coming week. If you are following my blog you will know that editing is an activity that I don't particularly like, but I have to say that it is much less of a chore when it comes to non-fiction books.
Tracking my exercise goals in 2018
I have also received the Adobe InDesign file of my first non-fiction book, Negotiating the Maze - from self-published writer to successful authorpreneur, from the publisher of the print book. I now have to fix a few things in the file (I still have to learn how to do that) to prepare it for ebook publication with PublishDrive. I am looking forward to have it available again in ebook format.
With my course's assignment done, I now have a day to relax before I have to tackle the coursework of Module 8. It will be a challenge since Stoic Week also starts tomorrow. Challenging times indeed, but I look forward to every moment.
Until next time! Keep one eye on your goals, but focus on the present to do what you need to do to get there.
💜 Linzé

Sunday 23 September 2018

I still hate ironing

Happy vernal/autumnal equinox day!
I remembered that I wrote a story about this a few years ago. You can read it for free on Wattpad.

This week my homework assignment prompted a few hours of thinking about my course about to start in October. Yes, it will still go ahead as planned, so book your place super quick, there are only 10 spots available.
My thoughts centred around the possibility of a second book, but I am not yet sure if it will happen.
Since it is now officially spring around here, we are hopeful that we will have rain soon. It is so dusty that the sky is not even blue anymore. The haziness of all the dust in the air reminds me of smog, and Pretoria isn't that kind of city. Until this week it would seem.
With my course, and the book, my chores have been piling up. Good thing that tomorrow is a public holiday, Heritage Day. Although most people refer to it as Braai Day, because we dig out the barbies to braai in celebration of summer. Cooking over a fire is the second most popular sport in this country (after rugby that is) and even a vegetarian like myself can enjoy food prepared this way.
And on that note, I need to see what I can find in the freezer and attempt some dent in that pile of laundry to be ironed.

Until next time, keep the good times rolling!
🙋‍♀️ Linzé

Monday 17 September 2018

Keeping up...with me

Photo Hannah Olinger on Unsplash
How hard can it be to be an adult? Apparently harder than I sometimes tell myself. Read about that life lesson here.

Writing, studying, working, exercising, and a change of diet all together tends to keep me pretty busy. I took a leaf out of my current writing project, Take Your Journal to the Next Level, and restarted using a Bullet Journal. I have used it before, but I made a simple mistake which I now fixed: I am using a separate notebook.

In the past I used my normal journal to add the bujo activities, but it wasn't effective. Two weeks ago I dug out a blank journal out of my cupboard and have been using it with much greater success. I changed the format slightly to suit me, but that is just one of the benefits of the simple planner style-it is adaptable.

All the things I need to do are now in one place, and I can better see what I will have time for - yes, priorities. It helps to prioritise my study hours for the week, and when to work on my assignments so I can hand in early, leaving me more time to work on the book mentioned above. With better planning, I can make better progress, while studying. As it stands the first draft is now 75% complete, and I am back on schedule.
Go bujo!
If you are a journal writer stuck in a rut, or want to start a keeping journal, or just want to experiment with different styles of journal writing, then I want your input.
If you live in Pretoria, South Africa, and would like to learn more about journal writing, contact me to get your name on a mailing list for a course that will start in October.
If you are not living in my home city and still want to learn more about journal writing, you too can pop me an email to be a beta reader for Take Your Journal to the Next Level.

And since I have now committed myself to finishing the book by October, I better get back to it.

Wishing you a terrific week!
💜 Linzé

Tuesday 4 September 2018

Interview with... Dan Weatherer

The Dead Stage by Dan Weatherer, non-fiction book cover
Linzé: This week I am privileged to have a playwright on the Broomstick and he is telling us about his upcoming book.
The Dead Stage – the period of time between completing the working draft of a stage play and placing it with an interested party.”- Dan Weatherer

Dan Weatherer, an author turned playwright, learned quickly that there are practices playwrights can implement to dramatically increase the appeal of their work.
Inside, you’ll find advice that will enable you to better tailor your work to the needs of the theatre industry, without having to compromise on style, content or subject matter. Dan discusses his early mistakes, and presents the advice of notable theatre professionals including the award-winning playwright, Deborah McAndrew, noted actor Matthew Spence, and London Horror Festival producer, Kate Danbury (along with many, many more!).

You’ll also be able to read several of Dan’s completed stage plays, which are presented in a preferred industry format, and often contain side-notes detailing the success (and failures) of said pieces.
From budgets to set design, run-time to cast size, if you ever felt the desire to write for the stage, following the advice presented in this book will help improve your chances of pairing your script with an interested party, hopefully making The Dead Stage pass almost unnoticed.

Brought to you by Crystal Lake Publishing – Tales from The Darkest Depths.


Dan Weatherer
Interview with the author:

What makes this non-fiction book so special?
“Placing a stage play with a theatre company is (in my experience) more difficult than placing a book with a publisher. Open theatre calls are highly competitive, seeing hundreds of entries for a call that can possibly stage only three or four pieces. Quality of work is no longer enough to guarantee consideration for performance.
The tips and advice contained in The Dead Stage allowed me to build an impressive portfolio of theatre work in a relatively short space of time. I believe it is important to share experiences if they may be able to help others achieve success.”

Tell us more about why you wanted to write this guide.
“Throughout my career, I have worked to create opportunities for others, believing it is better to be a small fish in a thriving ocean, rather than a big fish in a stagnant pond.
This book is about sharing my experiences and mistakes, in the hope that I can help others avoid the pitfalls that I fell into.
Theatre, more than any other medium, is a tough industry to break into. Every piece a playwright will write will always be in competition with work from the greatest playwrights of all time. Theatre is a business: seats need to be sold in order to keep theatres running, and so often established pieces are booked instead of the work of what many might term the ‘New Writing’. This is because they are considered safe bookings, and the theatre will, in most instances, not lose money. New writing is considered a risk. Usually, theatres set aside a budget for new writing, but this is often small and tightly contested.
But theatre needs new voices and there are theatre companies willing to give new writing a chance. This book is my way of saying that yes, it is possible to see your work performed on stage, no matter your previous experience in the theatre industry.”
If you have a passing interest in the theatre industry, either as a playwright, director, producer, actor or working behind the scenes, then this book is for you. It includes insights and advice from an array of professionals working at all levels of the industry today. Their advice helped me see my work performed on stage, now it’s their turn to help you.”

The book is due for release in October 2018. We will update you closer to the date for a pre-order link.

Thank you, Dan. We are looking forward to another excellent book from the Crystal Lake stable.
~Linzé

Sunday 2 September 2018

Coursework, writing, blogging and life

Photo by Emily Rudolph on Unsplash
I was a bit quiet this week, and not entirely of my own doing. I am doing an online course in Training and Development Management and the homework this past week was a bit more challenging and required more of my time. It is one of those things that you cannot just email the lecturer and tell him: "Sorry, I need more time because my blogs required my attention."
But I have a sneak preview of a new book for you on Tuesday, an interview with author and playwright Dan Weatherer where he reveals the story behind his upcoming book, The Dead Stage.
If you are an author or working on your first book, make sure you bookmark the post, because I will give you a pre-order link very soon.
Speaking of books, I have not only been studying, and the first draft of my next book, Take Your Journal to the Next Level is now at 69% complete. If you are a journal writer, and you live in Pretoria keep a lookout for the Facebook invitation to take part in a special project involving this book. But I am not going to reveal all the details yet.
Another exciting thing that is in the making is the republication of Negotiating the Maze - from self-published writer to successful authorpreneur. The ebook was withdrawn after Pronoun went under, but I have found a new publisher and hope to tell you the good news on where to find the ebook again very soon.
The paperback book is still available for South Africans if you want a signed copy.
The library indie book fair will take place again in November, and my place is secured. But more on that closer to the date.
Enough of all the exciting things going on right now. I have a book to write and more coursework coming in the week ahead.
Until next time!

Linzé
PS: I have another blog about life, wellness and life coaching. Take a look here.

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