An Intense Week and How to Structure Time

I think spinning ten spaghetti filled plates on sticks might have been easier than the level of focus I have had to apply to writing this week.

As many of you know, eight of my novels are being turned into audiobooks. It is a wonderful process and enables you to work with some fantastically talented people. It is a real joy to hear a professional producer interpret your story and characters into an audible reality. I love it. The thing that is the struggle for me is the amount of time spent listening to the books to finalise approval. Not only do I work full time, I write books, audio edit and attempt to maintain a life. It is an incredibly varied life; yet, it is about spinning numerous plates simultaneously. There are only so many hours in the week and a certain potential productivity.

With the above in mind, I have been asked how I do it all. The answer is quite simple: - I got rid of my television. I realised that I was spending at least two hours per night watching television in a state of mindless numbness. Two hours over seven days resulted in wasting 14 hours a week that I could dedicate to achieving my dreams. If you multiply that by 56 weeks in a year then you have 784 hours which is 32 and a half days. Thought of spending one month per year in front of a television horrified me. It was that realisation that made me take back my time.

Without a television as distraction, I immersed myself in writing and creating. The two hours a day of television became two hours of writing. In two hours I can write 5000 words. They might not be good words but they enable a book draft every couple of months. The time in edit enables the word-sithing and literary crafting. So I write a book, leave it to brew, edit a book and then write another. I have quite a back-log at the moment. There are times when I wonder why I spend hours of my time immersed in literary dreams and the answer is simple - I am driven to do it. It is a compulsion and part of me. When I don't do it, well I miss it. What's more, fragments of stories circle my mind like asteroids. The writing lands those asteroids and when I am being particularly creative there is a meteor shower.

I realised a few years ago that I will write my whole life whether or not it sold. It was something I was just going to do because it was my passion. As soon as that decision came to conscious, it was then the books began to sell because I was not doing it for money.  With all of the above in mind, time is precious and if you can create a structure and not be distracted by the noisy television screen in the corner, then you have taken the first step to working towards your dreams.

Ruby Allure Books:

AUDIBLE LINK FOR A SHORT COURSE IN CREATIVE WRITING: http://amzn.com/B01390THLK

21/08/15

 

"An Unexpected Gem"

***I was provided a copy of this audio book for the purpose of a review ***

With the required disclaimer out of the way, let me be brutally honest, I had not expected this little gem. In fact, I had expected my listening would be a bit rough and was fortified by it being less than 2 hours.

The synopsis says the author wrote the book as a takeaway from her evening classes on creative writing. My mental context was ... Community Ed evening classes ...and expected a well intended but kind of amateur product. However, I am interested in adult education, and batter my own nerd head against a giant personal creativity brick wall.

So you have an idea of my mind set... low expectations along with high interest.

Amateur hour it was NOT.

I don't know where the author teaches her class, but Sign Me Up! And bring the narrator. Wow. Two hours of unadulterated, straight up, right on, good learning material delivered by a close friend just sharing the material. The narrator's voice was warm, sincere without any artifact or pompous patronising, and well modulated throughout. The material was mind opening for me, with the right mix of the mechanics of writing exercises, sufficient context that using prompts now makes sense to me, and a sprinkling of the inner heart work of creativity through written material.

This was just what I didn't dare hope for in a how to creative writing listen.

Truly an unexpected gem and a learning and growing experience for me.

A keeper and one I will return to many times as I deconstruct my own wall, one block at a time.

Thank You, Ruby and Thank You, Erin.

 

TO BUY MONEY FARM ON AMAZON.com http://amzn.com/B010F04W9O

· Frode

06/08/15

5 STAR

"M.O.N.E.Y. is bad? This book is not!"

So Money Farm by Ruby Allure was a surprise! When I REALLY did not read things about this book I review for Audiobook Blast, I sometimes get books I don't know something about. BTW: I read 99% about the books I want to review, but this book I can't remember I did that for. Anyways: This was a nice surprise, and I think it is one of those books that is better the second time you read it. No joke! I listen to this twice before I made this! Money Farm makes you thin, and who does not like to hear a book that makes you think? It is an awesome book, that I will recommend to all that likes audiobooks, and really to people that does not!

Helen Lloyd English accent its the topic like a glow and a hand! Her "lady like" voice is so cold, and clear I feel that the author made this book thinking that Helen Lloyd would read it out loud! That is how I feel those two fits together! The 2 times 14 hrs and 6 mins I spend with her never feels boring or uninteresting! I would love to spend it again, and I will because this book I will hear again, and again, even when it is 14 hrs and 6 mins long! That is saying something!

I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com

MONEY FARM

· "Incredibly thought provoking..."

What did you like most about Money Farm?

It was an eye opener.

 

What did you like best about this story?

I like the way it made you think about the way normal everyday life is here and now, and the future...

 

Have you listened to any of Helen Lloyd’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Helen Lloyd narrated this fairly long audiobook brilliantly. Although the story content was very intense and thought provoking, her lovely smooth voice was very easy to listen to and I thought it was just perfect, a fascinating book wonderfully narrated.

 

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes it was, although it is too long to do so.