July #IWSG

Welcome to July, everybody! Sorry I missed last month. I was out in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee with a bunch of my family. It was so much fun. This was the view from our cabin (that's Gatlinburg down below):


I'm making up for my absence last month by co-hosting the IWSG this month! Looking forward to visiting bunches of blogs over the next few days.

Get ready for #IWSGPit! On July 19, you'll have the opportunity to pitch your completed and polished manuscript on Twitter. If your pitch receives a favorite/heart from a publisher/agent, that means they've requested a query! See all the details and rules at the IWSG website.


Now, on to the IWSG Optional Question:
What are your ultimate writing goals, and how have they changed over time?

Goals? What are goals? Just kidding! I've heard of them; I'm just not great about setting them. But I guess my goal when I first started writing was to have fun with it, and that hasn't changed. After putting out a 3-book series in less than 8 months (between June 2016 & January 2017), I kind of felt like I needed to reclaim the "fun" part. Publishing and marketing aren't my favorite, so now I'm back to playing with words for the fun of it and not thinking about the publishing part just yet.

But sometimes marketing is fun. Hop onto the Fourth of July Hop for a chance to win tons of prizes from a whole bunch of romance authors (including me).


Happy 242nd birthday, US of A!!!

This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as Insecure Writer's Support Group, founded by the one and clonely Alex J. Cavanaugh. Click below to join the group!



Co-Hosts
Me!

Comments

Nancy Gideon said…
What a gorgeous vacay pic, Nicki! So jealous. I get to look into my backyard but hey, I get 5 days off to work on edits. Yes, writing is the fun part, marketing, also (kinda) fun but in a different way. It's not as personal and close to your heart. Thanks for hosting our rowdy band this month!
7/03/2018 5:31 AM
The Cynical Sailor said…
Three books in eight months - wow! That is seriously impressive :-) I can't believe it's been 242 years. I can still remember the bicentennial celebrations, which I know dates me :-)

Thanks for co-hosting this month.

Cheers - Ellen
7/03/2018 6:25 AM
Alex J. Cavanaugh said…
Gatlinburg is a beautiful place.
I kind of feel the same way about goals.
Thanks for co-hosting today!
7/03/2018 6:34 AM
Jennifer Hawes said…
Gorgeous view! I'm on vaca this week. It's nice to get refreshed after working so hard on our lofty goals;-)
7/03/2018 6:49 AM
Cathrina Constantine said…
Beautiful picture!! You must've love every second!! I'm on vacation next week on Chautauqua Lake, so looking forward to it.

Thank you for co-hosting and Happy 4th of July!
7/03/2018 6:55 AM
Madeline Mora-Summonte said…
Love how your writing goal was - is! - to have fun with it!

Great pic/view! Glad you had a fun trip.
7/03/2018 6:58 AM
Anonymous said…
What a spectacular view! And good for you, unplugging to enjoy it. Three books in eight months is awesome, and I agree, we do need to keep the joy in the writing. Thanks for co-hosting and happy 4th of July!
7/03/2018 7:14 AM
Crystal Collier said…
Yay for just having fun and enjoying the words for a time. I think we all have to do that periodically. It's too easy to burn out on the business aspects.
7/03/2018 7:24 AM
Liesbet said…
I think having fun with it should be one of our major goals when writing. I'm glad you still enjoy the writing process. I can imagine losing that a bit (or for a bit) after writing three books in eight months. Wow! Thanks for co-hosting this month.
7/03/2018 8:14 AM
Lynn La Vita said…
Having fun is the best way I know of to keep creativity alive.
Thanks for co-hosting IWSG this month.
7/03/2018 8:37 AM
Lynn La Vita said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
7/03/2018 8:37 AM
Carrie-Anne said…
Writing should be fun, even when we're actively trying to make money from it. We should always enjoy what we do instead of rotely cranking out words to fill a quota.
7/03/2018 9:01 AM
Pat Garcia said…
Yeah! I'm glad you're discovering the fun part of writing again. That's what brings the joy in life.
All the best.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
7/03/2018 9:25 AM
Loni Townsend said…
Nice photo! Yeah, getting back to the fun sounds like a great goal!
7/03/2018 9:31 AM
Unknown said…
Sounds like you've been doing a lot of work, you need some fun! Looks like a nice vacation, too.
7/03/2018 9:59 AM
cleemckenzie said…
Beautiful vacation spot! It looks like a peaceful get-away.

Thanks for co-hosting today on this pre-4th Tuesday. Have a great celebration.
7/03/2018 9:59 AM
Tyrean Martinson said…
Whew. Three books in 8 months sounds amazing and exhausting. Glad you are reclaiming the fun!
7/03/2018 10:00 AM
L. Diane Wolfe said…
My husband wants to stay in a cabin outside of Gatlinburg. (We stayed downtown the first time.) But when one of his co-workers posted a video of bears getting into his car outside the cabin, I said no way!
7/03/2018 11:03 AM
Joey Lynn Resciniti said…
Fun is a wonderful goal. That view is fabulous. Enjoy your wordplay and the Independence Day holiday!
7/03/2018 11:15 AM
M.J. Fifield said…
Publishing and marketing aren't my favorites, either. I definitely prefer to focus on the writing itself.

THat's a gorgeous picture. I've never been to the Smoky Mountains, but I'd sure love to go one of these days.
7/03/2018 11:29 AM
Angela Wooldridge said…
I've been to Gatlinburg! For some reason I remember it for having loads of crazy golf places. Enjoy the fun side of things :)
7/03/2018 12:48 PM
CV Grehan said…
3 books. 8 months. Hat's off to you, Nicki! That is staggering!
I'm with Dorothy Parker on the fun factor. "I hate writing. I love having written."
Glad someone's having fun!
7/03/2018 12:57 PM
J.Q. Rose said…
Playing with words is definitely the fun part of writing.
My DH and I honeymooned in Gatlinburg. Gorgeous views. Loved the place.
JQ Rose
7/03/2018 1:33 PM
Unknown said…
wow, I'm so impressed that you can get a book out in 8 months. That's amazing! Congrats!
7/03/2018 2:40 PM
Toi Thomas said…
Thanks for co-hosting this month.
Writing for the fun of it is a pretty good goal.
I like it.
7/03/2018 2:53 PM
Shannon Lawrence said…
Lovely picture! Looks like a great place to get a cabin. I agree that having fun is important in your writing. Good luck!
7/03/2018 4:30 PM
Karen Lynn said…
There really is something about taking a beloved hobby and turning it into a career! I hope you get the fun back quickly, and that the chores get easier with time.
7/03/2018 4:59 PM
Anonymous said…
What a beautiful reason to miss the IWSG last month. So breathtaking! I don't think my book is even close to ready for the pitch. Maybe next year.

Thanks for co-hosting!

Elsie
7/03/2018 5:35 PM
Neurotic Workaholic said…
Beautiful picture! That's one of the things I miss the most about Tennessee: the mountains. They were so beautiful, and I liked looking at them when I drove around. They were so different from the flat heartland of the Midwest, where I live now.
7/03/2018 5:53 PM
Susan Gourley/Kelley said…
That view is lovely. Marketing takes some of the fun out of it for me. When I hit the lottery, I'm going to hire a publicist. LOL Happy 4th.
7/03/2018 7:08 PM
Jennifer Lane said…
Fun is an awesome goal I also strive for in writing!

I hope you have an awesome American birthday today.

Thanks for co-hosting, amiga. Speaking of fun, what is Molly up to?
7/04/2018 7:11 AM
Liza said…
Happy 4th and thank you for hosting IWSG! Love your picture...When writing is fun, nothing beats it!
7/04/2018 8:39 AM
Erika Beebe said…
What a beautiful view! Glad you are back and I hope you are rested. Have a lovely 4th.
7/04/2018 9:25 AM
Michelle Wallace said…
Thanks for co-hosting, Nicki.
For me, writing is all about the fun. I hope that never changes.
Happy 04th of July to you and your family.
7/04/2018 9:42 AM
Nick Wilford said…
What a view! Glad you had a good break. There's so much work involved in publishing that sometimes we forget the fun side of writing, so it's good you're getting back to that.
7/04/2018 10:02 AM
Ronel Janse van Vuuren said…
Writing for the fun of it -- now that's a great goal :-)
7/04/2018 10:35 AM
Unknown said…
The photo from Tennessee looks beautiful. I bet that was a great vacation. 3 books in 8 months? Holy smokes! That's incredible. What was that experience like? Thanks for hosting, and thanks for the post. Happy writing to you! :)
7/04/2018 11:23 AM
PJ Colando said…
If the purpose of vacation is to reboot one's happiness, creativity, and core...I did!

However, after three weeks away, I forgot how to linky! Yikes!

Did I mention I'm a Boomer and that computerese is my third language, with faltering skills!

Oops! And, I had a humorous, satiric post!
7/04/2018 1:14 PM
Doreen McGettigan said…
That was an amazing vacation photo! Thank you so much for hosting this month. This is such a lazy month for me but those goals ugh!
7/04/2018 1:45 PM
diedre Knight said…
I love the Smokey Mountains! I have family there as well. It truly is a place where nature alone inspires. "Reclaiming the fun part" makes sense when marketing can be so challenging. I was always better at marketing for someone else until I pretended I didn't know who wrote my book ;-)
Happy 4th!
7/04/2018 2:35 PM
Pat Hatt said…
Having fun with it sure is the way. The rest of it gets a pfffft at our bay.
7/04/2018 3:45 PM
Adrienne Reiter said…
Awesome vacation! My writing goals are to create an "anchor series". This will be my second attempt, but my new publisher is awesome. I have hope. Thanks for co-hosting!
7/04/2018 4:13 PM
Fundy Blue said…
Thanks for co-hosting, Nicki! I'll be making the rounds for a few days too, since I'm visiting with family for the 4th. I hope you are enjoying our country's birthday. I can set goals with the best of them ~ It's following through that's often the challenge for me. Writing for fun is an awesome goal to have throughout life. Wishing you all the best with your writing journey!
7/04/2018 4:40 PM
Roland Clarke said…
Thanks for co-hosting, Nicki - and for dropping by.
7/04/2018 5:37 PM
Stephen Tremp said…
Hi Nick, the Smokey Mountains are so beautiful been through them a few times myself. Thanks for co-hosting IWSG this month.
7/04/2018 7:19 PM
Denise Covey said…
Glad you enjoyed your vacay, Nicki. And I had a good look at some of your covers. Pretty awesome.
7/04/2018 11:51 PM
Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said…
Yep, always go with the love of it first.
7/05/2018 12:32 AM
Elizabeth Seckman said…
I've never been to Gatlinburg, but I hear it's a beautiful place.

Thanks for hosting!
7/05/2018 2:29 AM
Debra Renée Byrd said…
Thanks for co-hosting! I love Tennessee. Went to Nashville, and it was amazing!

I'm good at starting a goal...and that's it lol
7/05/2018 1:15 PM
Victoria Marie Lees said…
Hi Nicki! This is my first time here. I'll follow your blog and connect with you online. Thanks for cohosting the IWSG question for July. I like your blog. I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July celebration. What a beautiful view you had from your cabin in Tennessee. Gosh, I wish I were there right now. All best to you!
http://victoriamarielees.blogspot.com
7/05/2018 5:16 PM
Cherie Reich said…
I think the key to writing is to remember the fun we can have with it as it's something that can turn into a chore. Thanks for co-hosting!
7/06/2018 7:54 AM
Anonymous said…
That is a gorgeous place to have a vacation! I wouldn't want to leave.
7/06/2018 1:23 PM
Melanie Rickmann said…
Having fun with it is the perfect goal. Love it!
7/06/2018 5:27 PM
Chrys Fey said…
I definitely had to reclaim the "fun" part after my depression struck last year and made it difficult for me to write or even want to write. I'm getting it back, though, and it's all because I'm working again with the characters that started my passion for writing. :)
7/08/2018 12:21 PM
Olga Godim said…
Great photo from the mountains. Thanks for co-hosting this month.
7/08/2018 4:42 PM
Juneta key said…
Beautiful picture. 3 books in 8 months, wowza! Impressive. I'm still making some rounds as you can see. Happy Belated IWSG!
7/10/2018 6:04 PM
Christine Rains said…
What a gorgeous view! I just got back from family vacation too. Trying to catch up on blog visits... which will take a while. :) Thanks for co-hosting.
7/16/2018 9:55 AM
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