Negative or Positive

 I've been feeling overwhelmed lately, and as a result, my romance writing has taken a hit. 

Mission Get-a-House is going at a snail's pace, and at times it feels like it's never ever ever going to happen, but I'm trying not to let the negativity get me down. It does make me feel like I'm in limbo, though. Life is on hold. 

Invisible Income

I'm assuming it's invisible because it has to be somewhere. I'm not spending, yet there is very little money. Who knew it could just disappear into life? I budget, I track what I spend, but saving for a house seems to be going backwards.

Jumping Through Hoops

I'm doing everything that I'm told to do, I'm following all the rules, but I'm not moving forward at all. There are so many obstacles, and the home for my family and me is still out of reach. We just keep waiting. 

Not Giving Up

Despite all the problems and all the negatives, I'm trying to stay positive. I keep telling myself it will happen, even when it feels like it won't. It has to, though, right? We'll get our home sometime. We'll have our space one day. 

August is for Writing...

...Because July is too hectic for it. 

I'm a romance writer who, this month, has been reduced to scrawled snippets in a notebook. I'm not complaining. It's busy with all fun stuff, but because I'm out doing all this fun stuff I'm not getting much laptop time over the next few weeks. August, however, is quiet for me, and that means that, in my spare time, I'll be trying to get some serious writing done. 

Thankful for my Notebook Collection

It's times like these that I'm glad I have a slight stationery addiction. There are a lot of notebooks in my arsenal, and they have come in handy when I have a few minutes here and there and no time to get to my computer. 

It takes me back to when I started writing, and I'd fill notebook after notebook. Now I buy them because they're pretty, but they sure are useful now. 

What Happened to July

Between little trips away and planning for the little trips away, this month is speeding along. I'm not even leaving the country. These are getaways in the UK, but with a toddler and a dog, it takes a lot of planning. We've all had haircuts, the packing takes an eternity, and it all has to be fit in between toddler groups and naps. I still have to go to work. My car has been in and out of the garage. But we're getting there. 

August is for Words

The contrast between this month and next is sharp. This month I'm grabbing minutes, next month I have hardly anything planned. As an introvert, this is the kind of month that I do better with, and my plans for downtime, I'll be getting some writing projects finished. Or at least a good chunk of the way through. 

    Alphas Make Great Romance

I'm writing a short shifter romance, and granted, I've been working on it for a while now, but August is my month to complete it. Sophia and Law will have their story told, and when they do, that clears the decks for the next Pack Untamed book. 

    Calum Needs Love Too

Once the alpha romance is written, and given a title which it doesn't have yet, then all my focus will go onto Calum and his story. It's outlined and plotted. All that remains is to get through the first draft. Well, August is the month for Calum. 

Just a Few Weeks

Over the next few weeks, to see out July, the notebooks will still be in use. I will write what I can with a pen and paper. That works better for me sometimes. I write slower, so I take more time to think, and it's my method to kickstart my imagination when I get blocked. 

In the meantime, I'll keep writing romance the classic way.

If you want to keep up to date with my writing news, then follow me on social media or visit my author website. 

Council House? Yeah, Right...

I have no home but me - Anne Truitt

This blog post might sound like a bit of a rant, but it's not meant to be. It stems from frustration. I'm a writer with a day job, and more importantly, I'm a mother. I do content writing, fiction writing, and transcribing. I work in retail. I do what I can. 

What I don't have is a house of my own. As I've mentioned in a previous post, my current mission is to get a home for my little family. Honestly, though, it's not going well. Okay, that's an understatement. It's going terribly.

Council Housing

I've been on the list for council housing for a year and a half, and I haven't got a chance in hell of getting a home with them. I'm no closer than I was when I first went on the list. I bid every week, and my position is in the thirties every week. 

Council housing is like a lottery, only the odds are worse. It's frustrating as hell to continually try when it feels so futile.

Financial Realities

It's a sad truth that with all the different avenues for earning money, I still can't afford to buy a home. I could work an eighty-hour week, but at my minimum wage job, it wouldn't be enough to become a homeowner. 

It's not just me. There are many of us in the same position, and it doesn't matter how many coffee shops I walk by, how many coffees I don't buy, that won't change. Seriously, who is spending that much on coffee? 

What Can I Do?

Honestly, I have no idea. I save every spare penny. I'm frugal. I track every penny that I spend. It won't change anything, and I'm at a loss. Really, if anyone has any suggestions, then I'm all ears, because I don't have any clue what I can do, for me, my son and my dog to get a home. 

I said before that I haven't moved any further forward with this, but at least I haven't moved back, and that still stands. I guess I'll persevere. I'll keep playing the house lottery and I'll hope for the best, but it's a hopeless situation, and I can't see it changing. 

Was this ranty? I can't tell. I feel better anyway, after venting my frustrations. In this economy, at least I know I'm not alone. We're all in this together. 

If this didn't put you off reading my other blog posts, then take a look around or visit my author website.

No Steps Forward

 

I've taken no steps forward, but I've taken none backwards either and sometimes, staying in place feels like progress. My goal is to buy a house, but I can't say I'm any further forward than when I started. Well, maybe a tiny bit, but not enough to get me to my target any time soon. 

I'm a romance writer, and I'm trying to earn an income that way, but it's a very very slow process, so it's not really the part of my life that contributes financially to saving for a house. 

Invisible Writer

Sometimes I feel like I'm writing into the ether. No one will read this, very few read my books... I'm shouting into a cave. So, yeah, as I said, writing doesn't contribute to my financial well-being at all. When it comes to saving for a house, it's not a part that I can include in the budget.

Budgeting

I'm strict with the money I spend because saving is important to me. I don't take holidays outside of the country because it's an expense I can't afford. I shop in the cheaper supermarkets. I do all the things you're advised to do when seeking financial stability. I even have a spreadsheet that tracks all incomings and outgoings. 

Staying Still

I'm no better off, but I'm no worse off either. Reaching goals always takes small steps. Baby steps. When I went through IVF, there were times when I felt like I wasn't making progress. I couldn't get the tests I needed because of the pandemic, I had to lose weight, I had to save money. And I got there in the end. I have my beautiful, mischievous little boy.

So, I know we'll get our home. 

Perseverance

I know we'll get there someday, because I have no intention of giving up. I'll save what I can, and I'll keep writing, even if my books are hardly read. Even if this blog post is barely more than a diary entry. Baby steps... that's how I'll do it.

If you liked this post, then you can read more by perusing this blog or visiting my website. 

This is Not a New Year's Resolution

It's a goal.

I'm not actually setting any New Year's Resolutions this year. If I was then I'd be a bit late, given that it's February now. But what I am doing is setting a target to reach and then I have a point in my mind to reach where I can review and plan. 

Previously in the Life of a Romance Writer 

When I decided I wanted to try for a baby, I did everything that was within my power to work for it. I did whatever I could to get him. I lost weight, ate foods that had nutrients that increased my chances, I earned money and saved it to pay for treatment. Every penny that came from writing was saved for IVF. It wasn't always easy and it took many years, not just one, but I got my little man and he's beautiful, bright and stubborn. My little big man. 

What's Next?

Next, my goal is to get us a safe and comfortable home where the three of us can settle and live. Me, baby and dog. We want our own house. I don't care much if I own it or if it's a rental, but I want somewhere permanent for us, with our belongings and our furniture. That's my next mission. 

Throw Everything at It Again

There was nothing easy about IVF but I did love the time I put into it. The difference with this goal is that my priorities will be different. Or actually, they'll be the same. For IVF, my baby was my priority, and obviously, he still is, which means my time isn't my own. I might not be able to dedicate the same time to getting us a home, as I did to getting my baby. 

But whatever time I can scrape together needs to be for that, and any money I earn needs to be saved for that. No frivolous spending. 

The steps for getting our own home aren't quite as elaborate as going through IVF. Basically, there is just one. Money. It's the only real obstacle in my way. 

Time to Work

I'm going to have to be resourceful with my time, but I'm also going to have to gather energy from somewhere to shake off the tiredness from sleepless nights that are coming at the moment with having a one year old. But I'll do it. Because I want my baby and furbaby to be in our home as soon as possible. 

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