Shocking Facts about Time & IWSG

Do you ever think about time?

A quick shout and thank you to Yolanda Renee who has me over today talking about 5 Reasons Not to Be a Psychopath. Check it out!


Back to time...

I write a series about time manipulation, so it's kinda par for the course, but lately I've been thinking about real time--and not just in a day, in a lifetime.

The average American spends:

26 years sleeping

11 years watching TV

10.3 years working

8 years shopping (for women)

5 years browsing online

4.3 years driving a car

4 years on the phone

3.66 years eating

2.5 years cooking

1.5 years in the bathroom

1.1 years cleaning

That's a whopping 77.36 years!

An article my brother sent got me thinking even more--one about actual time spent on relationships. It's super fascinating and you can find it HERE, but let me sum up some shocking facts:

In the first 18 years of your life, you've probably spent 90% of the time you will with your parents. For someone in their mid-30's, that leaves only about 300 more days with parents if they live to 90 years. The statistic is similar for siblings--leaving that number closer to 85% after leaving home. Trickle that down to other relatives, close friends, etc, and you begin to see how precious a few hours may be.

And that's why...

I spend an average of 10 to 12 hours a week on blogging. ("WHAT?!?" you say, "But you only post once a week!") It's true. I only post once a week. So how does that work?

• I spend between 30 minutes and 1 hour a week communicating with author's I'll feature, people who win prizes, calendaring, etc.
• about 1/2 to 1.5 hrs researching material to share and writing posts 
• 30 minutes prepping tweets to get the word out 
• and an average of 8 hours visiting blogs

That 10 to 12 hours doesn't even include time to reply to the comments on my blog!

That's 10 to 12 CONSCIOUS hours a week I don't spend playing with/teaching my children, or writing. (Both of which are my priorities right now--especially the children when considering the above stats.)

And here's what it boils down to: I'm going to drop back to blogging once a month for March and April. (Hoping that will get me through deep edits on TIMELESS.) There will still be giveaways. There will still be fun. There will still be cheese. There will also be some crazy editing happening here, around the crazy crazy of my wonderful family.

How are you spending your time?

Now how about a giveaway?

Last week Anna Soliveres shared with us CRIMSON EARTH, along with two truths and a lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win both VIOLET STORM and CRIMSON EARTH in eBook.

The Game:

1. Anna was once surprised by a friend whom she thought was coming to visit her, only to be roped to go for coffee and an awkward trip to the Museum. It later occurred to her that she was being taken on a date.
2. She saw the movie, Momma Mia, starring Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, and Pierce Brosnan; finding no luck in her dating life, she was convinced Greece might offer her the perfect romantic opportunity.

3. A date once broke up with her and then immediately offered her a donut. 

The lie: #2. Although Anna was inspired by Momma Mia, she went to Greece shucking off any ideas of romance, in favor of a grander adventure: finding her next story.

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Julia!

Congrats, Julia!

And now for this week's feature...

In the kingdom of Lovero, nine rival Families of assassins lawfully kill people for a price. As a highly skilled member of one of these powerful clans, seventeen-year-old Lea Saldana has always trusted in the strength of her Family. Until she awakens to find them murdered and her home in flames. The Da Vias, the Saldanas’ biggest enemy, must be responsible—and Lea should have seen it coming. But her secret relationship with the Da Vias’ son, Val, has clouded her otherwise killer instinct—and given the Da Vias more reason than ever to take her Family down.

Racked with guilt and shattered over Val’s probable betrayal, Lea sets out to even the score, with her heart set on retaliation and only one thought clear in her mind: make the Da Vias pay.

With shades of The Godfather and Romeo and Juliet, this richly imagined fantasy from debut author Sarah Ahiers is a story of love, lies, and the ultimate vengeance.

Get your copy HERE.

Ready to meet the author?

Sarah Ahiers has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults and lives in Minnesota with three dogs and a house full of critters. She has a collection of steampunk hats and when she’s not writing she fills her time with good games, good food, good friends and good family.

Sarah writes Young Adult and Middle Grade novels and occasionally dabbles in Picture Books. Fantasy is her favorite genre, though she sometimes can be found playing around with Horror and other things that go bump in the night.

You might find her munching on a parmesan/gouda hybrid like A Dutch Hybrid Vincent, or a great cheddar like Kerrygold’s Skellig (which is a sweet cheddar), or having a meat, cheese and cracker tray for lunch.

Find Sarah online HERE!

Sarah gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to an print edition of ASSASSINS HEART! (U.S. Only)

You have until Tuesday, April 5, at 2 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answers on March 6, 8 a.m EDT.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. I came in second place in my middle school’s spelling bee when I was in 6th grade
2. I played the violin for ten years.
3. I have had a myriad of pets, including: dogs, goldfish, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, squirrels, horse, anoles, tree frogs, & cockatiels.

So sleuths, which is the lie? How about it? Where do you think most of your time goes in a week? A month? Did you find any of these stats shocking? What do you wish you could spend more time doing?

10 Ways Blogging Improves Writing

You may not struggle with blogging like me, but if you do... I started in 2008. At that time my attitude was:

I wasn't out to impress anyone with my know-how, dazzle readers, or even build a following. There were no plans for world domination, e-journaling, and being tech savvy. It was merely a place I could post my writing so family and friends on the other side of the country could read it.

Everything has changed. As I look back 5 years, this is what I've discovered:

10 Ways Blogging Improved my Writing 

1. Contests/Challenges: If you can write to a theme (and quickly,) you've got it made. (Especially where there's a call for short stories.)

2. "Publishing": For those who are gun shy, (like me,) blogging is the ideal way to get comfortable with publishing. We'll call it soft-publishing. (Because bloggers are so forgiving of typos etc.) And guess what? If you put something out there you're not proud of, you can always delete it.

3. Critiquing: is hard to take as a newbie writer. Bloggers are SUPER nice, but they'll nudge you toward better writing, if you'll let them. Not only that, I've met two of my critique partners through blogging. If you enjoy someone's writing online, it's possible you'll love their manuscript.

4. Networking: I shy away from this word. I've made so many friends through blogging that I no longer see it as networking. It's simply opening the door to a world of people I'd never be able to know otherwise. (I love you peeps!)

5. Industry secrets: Need I expound? I've read so many writing books, but to be up to speed on what's happening now? Well, there's nothing better than the tid-bits writing friends/agents/publishers drop.

6. Feedback: This is one of the quickest ways to learn how people respond to your writing. It can be invaluable, especially when learning how to write for a specific audience.

7. Drafting: For those of us *pointing to self* who struggle with outlines, blogging is an easy way segue into planning scenes. It's learning how to plot in bite-sized portions.

8. Editing: I have a bit of a problem. Seriously. This slight case of dyslexia used to come between me and reading in public. It's something I eventually overcame, mostly, but I do read in weird ways. Thus, when I edit, I have a propensity to miss things--no matter how carefully I'm looking. Through years of practice with blog posts, (just like YEARS of reading out loud in front of groups,) my eyes skip less.

9. Experimenting: The blog-o-sphere is a great place to toy with your writing voice. You can take on a persona, try out poetry, flash fiction, short stories, non-fiction, etc, and no one will think twice about it.

10. Support: I'm a dork, but there are a few people out there who love me anyway. How do I know this? They continue to check in, even if I go silent for a six month stretch.

Granted, I'm not on the blog-o-sphere as much as I'd like (because of three adorable "little's" I slave to educate), but blogging has been an invaluable experience. What have you learned from blogging?

Procrastination

Things I have been procrastinating:

Laundry

Responding to email

Blogging

Reading Pride and Prejudice

Overcoming my tom boy roots, I finally broke down and did the last one. How did I make it past 30 and NOT read the #1 book on 90% of women's lists? 

*sigh* 

So, it's time to amend some of the other things I've been putting off, namely thanking and passing on the love from these AWESOME awards.

First, from my amazing friend Kerri Cuevas who manages a farm, writes, and hosts fantabulous Choose Your Own Adventure bloghops....

Yay! Thank you Kerri, I love you!

So to pass on the love the recipient must:

1. Thank the person who nominated you

2. Write a post about the answers to the questions

3. AND nominate other bloggers and let them know

Questions:

1. Favorite color: PEARL. I know, I know, it's kind of a cheat because pearl encompasses the entire rainbow, but the truth is as a little girl my favorite color was a mix of iridescent blue, pink and purple which can only adequately be captured in pearl.

2. Favorite Animal: Eagle. Get some perspective, eh?

3. Favorite Number: 49, I mean it's perfection squared. 

4. Favorite Non-Alcoholic Drink: Water...er Apple Cider?

5. Facebook or Twitter: Yes. (*ahem* I'm on Facebook most, but like Twitter more.) And why isn't Goodreads an option, eh?

6. My Passions: My family, education, music, orchestral composition, singing, theater, WRITING, reading, acting, drawing, the outdoors and star gazing.  

7. Getting or Giving Presents: Giving. 

8. Favorite Pattern: Random--like nature

9. Favorite Flower: ... Did I mention I was kind of a tom boy?

And now for the amazing people I'm nominating....

1. Misha Gericke
2. Sharon K Mayhew
3. Sigal Wilnai Tzoore
4. Nutschell Anne Windsor
5. Cherie Colyer

And if that wasn't enough, I've been putting this one off too. Nutschell is amazing and supportive and an incredible blogger over at The Writing Nut. Every time I interact with her I end up with a smile on my face. Thank you Nutchell for the: ---------------------------->

And now the rulz:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award

2. Name 7 little known facts about yourself

3. Nominate other bloggers

Seven little know facts... I guess my love of cheese is out the window...

1. My name is literally Chicken. Or was. C (first initial) + (maiden name) Hicken= C.Hicken.

2. I home school my 3 kids. Like, every day. Like, all day. Yup.

3. Speaking of kids, my son is named Random. Yes, it's partially after his Dad's sense of humor, but it's also partially after my special needs brother Randy who passed away a year before our son was born.


4. I wrote a musical. (Libretto and orchestral music.) No, I'm not talking roadshow or stage play. I'm talking 2.5 hrs of PURE MUSIC AWESOMENESS. And one day (when we crack down on our producer) it's going to go somewhere. =)



5. I used to believe I was one of Santa's elves. Even had a shirt with a rainbow heart on it I could press and open the gateway to the north pole--you know, like a Star Trek call button. (I know, I'm a geek.)


       6. I grew up in Utah and have STILL never been skiing. That's like a crime, right?


7. I'm a medieval times fanatic. Ask me lore. Ask me folk/fairy tales. Ask me fashion. Ask me torture devices. I mean...er...

And my AWESOME nominees:

1. Theresa Milstein
2. Nicole Zoltak
3. J.C Martin
4. Erica and Christy
5. Susan Fields

LASTLY (--as if this blog post hasn't gone on for long enough--) a quick thank you to the blogger known as Far Away Eyes for the Versatile Blogger award!

So friends, now that I've shared far TOO MUCH about myself, tell me something unique and awesome about you!

Post 100: Nostalgia and Branding

I'm the girl who was NEVER going have a blog. Many of my friends had one. Several writing associates had one. Family members kept pressuring me to start one, but what can I say? I'm a rebel. Police put me on edge, politicians turn me to rage, and social "norms" leave me debating arson. So how did I, the rebel, end up with a blog?

This one started as a beta reading forum ONLY in 2009 and has steadily become...

Yeah, I don't have an answer for that, but hitting post 100 has given me pause to think. Why do I blog?

Why do you blog?

Been reading a great deal about branding yourself in the blogger nation, and really finding your niche. So, to help us (pointing to self) in this process, I've compiled a couple questions:

1. What is it you know? (Writing, computers, field mice, parenting?)

2. What is it you enjoy about blogging? (Reading, writing, networking, socializing, learning?)

3. What do you hope to accomplish with blogging? (Taking over the world, selling books, making friends, astonishing people with your fabulous knowledge of cheese?)

Blogging should be tailored to your interests--after all, you are the author. It should be something you like to do, not just another weekly/daily chore. (Heaven knows we all have enough of those!) 

To answer #2 up there, I enjoy blogging most when sharing something I'm working on--be it the first 250 words, flash fiction, blurbs, tag lines, books etc. (Ironic--considering that's why I started a blog in the first place.) Right now I'm finishing up another book (#6) to be beta read here at the end of the summer: Faux Pas. Hoping you'll stop back in and join me for that adventure.

Back to my roots. What is your reason for blogging? What do you enjoy most about the process?

On the Subject of Awesome Blog Writers (Yes, you!)

I've been going through the blogroll today, and the list of awesomeness is bewildering! This community of supportive writers leaves me in awe.

So, that's pretty much it. I just want to say thank you--for your awesome example, for your generosity to one another, for your encouraging words. I wish I could sit here all day and read. You inspire me. =)

Keep up the good work!