My Name is Pam and I am a Hoarder

My Daddy peeled pulpwood to buy the clock on the left. My in-laws gave us the one
in the center for a housewarming gift. The clock on the right belonged to my husband's grandparents.

It’s official. I am a hoarder.

But I’m also a two-weeks-before-Christmas-neat-freak.

Yikes!

Does this mean I have a split personality?

Every year about this time I go on a cleaning spree. It’s short-lived (unfortunately), and I usually only get a small amount done before the Christmas guests descend.

This year is no exception.

I don’t have time to clean, to search and destroy.

I need to be writing, working on blog posts, preparing for marketing calls. But the junk in the dining room calls. Junk that’s been there for years. YEARS, I tell you.

You think I jest? I do not.

Twenty years ago, I carved out a little corner of the dining room for my writing. Back then, I had a desktop computer, so I made a “corner” desk out of my grandmother’s treadle sewing machine table and a great-uncle’s hand-made desk. Very appropriate for an historical author, wouldn’t you say?

Desk made by a great uncle many years ago.
(Sans all its clutter...)

My grandmother's treadle sewing machine
(Also blessedly clutter-free)

Eventually, I stopped using that corner to write. I bought a laptop and moved to a nice, comfy recliner in the den. Three laptops later, I’m still happily writing from my love seat recliner.

And the little corner where my grandmother’s desk and sewing machine sat? All the old “stuff” was still tucked inside the drawers, the old computer forgotten, boxes stacked on the foot peddle. More boxes and books got stacked on top. Eventually, it was easier to ignore the mess than to try to go through it.

Sigh.

I’ve watched a few episodes of hoarders, but it’s never dawned on me that I have my own hoarder tendencies. Books and papers seem to be my Achille’s heel. However, the advent of ebooks has helped cut this problem for me in recent years. The scenario used to go something like this…

I’d attend a conference where there were free books from sponsors, a book store, or even ICRS where publishers gave away signed copies of their authors’ latest. I couldn’t resist. My suitcase would be full of books. I’ve even been known to ship boxes of books home from conferences.

But that box would likely get stacked on top of the last box of books I brought home. Or stacked in front of another box. Which was stacked on top of the rejections from publishers and agents. Which was in front of the contest entries and score sheets from oh… 2007. Which hid the Faith Hope & Love newsletters from 1998-2001, of which I was editor. To be honest, they were some really beautiful and artistic newsletters and a labor of love, so I’ll be keeping those.

Somebody's Clutter...Ahem

Anyway, you get my point. You don’t have to be a hard-core hoarder for things to just pile up. Because it’s easier to shove something in front of it, and shut the door.

Don’t shut the door. Put in some bright new light bulbs and shine a light on the clutter and get rid of it now.

We’re readers and writers, so our homes are easily overrun with books, papers, and electronics. And, for those of us who work from home and/or run multiple family businesses, the mountains of paper multiplies ten-fold. It’s no longer just racks and racks of clothes, old TVs, and worn out shoes that we couldn't bear to part with. It’s boxes and boxes of tax records and receipts.

Overwhelmed with the idea of taking back your space? Here are some ideas to get you started…

Electronics - New computer this year? Wipe the hard drive on your old one and either sell it or donate it. Don’t just stick it in the back room, thinking you’ll use it later. Do the same with the old TV, DVD player, cell phone, etc. And what about all those chargers that no longer fit anything? Ay yi yi!!!! If it still works, take it to Goodwill. Do it NOW. When Christmas is over, and you received that new Kindle, iPad or computer, don’t shove the old one in the back room. Get rid of it! If you don't, ten years from now, you’ll regret it.

Old books - This is really hard for me. I have thousands of books. Books that the libraries don’t even want. I even have a box of books that I loaned to the library in 1998 and when they finished with them, they asked if I wanted them back. I couldn’t bear to see them destroyed. But look how many times Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers was checked out while on loan to the library. Makes my heart glad.

Books that are signed and personalized are probably ones you’ll want to keep. Once you decide which books you will keep and which ones you can part with, here are 10 Ideas on where to donate used books.

Tax Returns and Receipts - Yes, you can scan old receipts. I haven’t gone that route. Instead, I keep my old tax receipts in boxes and rotate the oldest out every year. Come to think of it, I’m behind on that. When I finally do clear out old tax records, I do like to keep my tax returns, just not all the receipts and statements.

“Keep records for 3 years from the date you filed your original return or 2 years from the date you paid the tax, whichever is later if you file a claim for credit or refund after you file your return. Keep records for 7 years if you file a claim for a loss from worthless securities or bad debt deduction.” - IRS.gov

Junk Mail - Do you receive a lot of junk mail? Discard it immediately. Even better, chunk it before it gets inside your home.

And, I'll let you in on a little secret. It's so much easier to concentrate on writing (or just reading!) when your space is free of clutter. Or at least I find this true.

Do you find that you're less stressed in a clutter-free environment? How do you deal with clutter every day so that you don’t one day wake up and realize you’re drowning in stuff? What’s your Achilles Heel when it comes to clutter?

Throw your name in the comments for a chance to win a Grab Bag of clut...uh...BOOKS!

Here's Wishing Each and Everyone a
Merry Christmas
and a Happy (Clutter-free) New Year!

www.pamhillman.com

Out With the Old...In With the New

Change can be hard.

I don’t like change. I like things to stay the same. I like to cook the same recipes, wear the same style clothes, fix my hair the same way, write the same type stories using the same tried and true methods, go to the same restaurants…

I recently traded in my old bucket and twisted mop for a Swiffer mop. Can you believe it? With a crawler on my floors, I needed a quicker way to mop. Why did I wait so long?!?!?

But sometimes change can be good, healthy, and a huge time-saver.

Many years ago we hand-wrote all the checks for the company I worked for. This was in the mid-eighties when computers were just becoming available for small businesses. There came a time when the accounting department (okay, this consisted of like THREE people) decided that we needed to have computer-generated checks. And even though I had a computer science degree, I wasn’t sure that our caveman software could sustain the spelled out portion of the checks or how much programming it would take.

Really, it just seemed easier to just keep handwriting the checks. But it wasn’t meant to be. This was thirty-ish years ago, but we were able to get code from the software manufacturer that would convert the amount of the check to the hand-written version. And, as you probably guessed, our lives were so much easier.

Fast-forward another twenty years or so, and the company decided to overhaul and streamline the entire caveman process from the initial purchasing order all the way through to invoicing the customer. Kicking and screaming, we moved forward with this change. Yeah, the change was painful and took years to get it all working properly, but in the end, it was a wise move.

I’m the only one at home who drinks coffee, so I never actually owned a coffee maker,

and as long as I worked the day job, I drank a cup or two there on weekdays. Let’s just say I love my Keurig! Perfect for someone who works from home or alone in their office.

I made a change in 2012 that I’d waffled about for years: I quit my day job of 28 years to work from home. I spend my days writing, working for ACFW, bookkeeping for the family businesses and babysitting my precious grand baby.

I loved my job and the people I worked for and with, but finally making the decision to work from home was the best decision I ever made. Should I have made that change sooner? Could I have?

I don’t know. Maybe 2012 was the year God marked that change on his calendar even though I’d been trying to mark my calendar for so long.

Change is inevitable.

In life and in writing.

Sometimes this change makes your writing better, faster, more efficient. Sometimes a change that works for one might not work for another. My college English professor prefers to write on a typewriter to this day. If a magazine or newspaper requires one of his essays to be electronic, his wife types it up on her computer.

Pen and paper, typewriter, computer... those are just the beginning of writing decisions you’ll make on when to stay and when to change.

What is the best writing software to use? Word? Scrivener? Story Mind? Which computer will make your writing life easier? Which day planner? Should you keep plotting or start pantsing?

Is it time to change any of these?

Is it time to change publishers? Change agents? Or to look for an agent? Is it time to go Indie or hybrid? Is it time to change genres?

Change.

We spend so much time agonizing over whether to actually make a change. What if we minimize the worry and just do it?

I’m not going to say that I’ve always been happy with every decision or change I’ve ever made. I’m not going to say that I’ve always made those changes in God’s perfect timing. But I can honestly say that I don’t have a lot of regrets, and when I’ve made a major decision, I’ve been so pleased and at peace that I wondered why it took me so long to take the plunge.

I know there are some things that you can’t share, so the following questions are rhetorical, but please feel free to share if you can, and if not, you can just tell us that you are struggling with a decision, and we will help you pray.

Is there a change you’ve been thinking about and praying over for a long time, but just can’t make yourself take the leap? Thinking over changes that were a long time coming, did you think you made the right decision or not? Looking back, would you have made the change sooner rather than later?

But, seriously, if you love coffee, get a Keurig. Just sayin’

Pam Hillman left her day job to manage all the work related tasks waiting at home, but four years later, this little angel is the reason she's thrilled beyond measure to have made that decision in 2012. God orchestrated that change in his perfect timing.

Butterflies, Godiva and Other Writerly Metamorphoses

with guest Jessica Nelson.

My chrysalis exploded.

It happened a couple of years ago. I was a content caterpillar, munching my way through life when plants grew scarce, the heat turned up, and I got really, really tired. So I made myself a comfy bed and thought I'd rest for a while...little knowing that my world was going to change forever.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. The lovely Seekers invited me to post and of course I said YES! I mean, it's Seekerville! An educational haven for all writers in various stages of the writing journey. So I flitted over to reread my past posts here because I didn't want to write the same things over and over (knowing me, the recycled topic would involve chocolate and procrastination). 

I read what I posted over a year ago. And wow. 

I'd almost forgotten the terrible places I've passed through. When I reread this post (http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2014/05/when-inspiration-strikesbut-youre-dead.html), happy tears pricked at my eyelids and thankfulness filled my heart.  

Because I'm far from the desert now. 

My chrysalis cracked wide open, I crawled out and even though my wings are still damp and don't happily flutter on the breeze every day, I still have a whole new perspective on my habitat. I'm seeing past those dry places and hot sands that used to surround me. When the new wings get tired, I just land on a flower or rest in the shade of a gently furling leaf.

What does the metamorphosis of some lady named Jessica Nelson have to do with writing?

Good question. Not much...but...I can share what I'm learning. 

A writer's personal life affects her writing. That's just the way it is. We are creatures of expression, art, truth telling in story form. The ripples of living sometimes shake us, sometimes drown us but sometimes, just sometimes, ripples turn into waves that buoy us higher than we expected, into strange and beautiful places.

When I broke out of that safe, comfortable chrysalis, it hurt. As the sun warmed my untried wings though, I began to wake up. Slowly, I've started daydreaming about characters like I used to. Thinking of great new story plots. Feeling excited to write.

Are you in the throes of metamorphosis? Perhaps you are in that place where you enjoy writing. Or maybe you're burned out and worry you'll never be in love with your characters again. Don't stress! Take care of yourself and when you get to a new season in the writing life, a time where you're strong and healthy, remember these few tips for metamorphosis:

1. Challenge yourself. Do you write 500 words a day? Try 600! You used to write in the morning? Try during the afternoon. Spread those wings, write a book in a different genre, soar upward. You might bump your head on a tree limb but that's okay! You're flying. :-)

2. Dive into different types of promotion and networking. Why be afraid to try something new? There's a bright world out there, waiting for an adventurer like you. The tried and true is great but it's sometimes a new life calls for different actions. If you've never participated in a Facebook party or tweeted or applied for an ad with BookBub, now's the time!

3. Moderation never hurt anyone. In all the awesomeness of trying new things, don't exhaust yourself! You don't want to tear your wings. So keep in mind that the habits you practiced to become strong, the choices you made in the past that brought you to change, are still important. Get to know who you are now and love that person. 

4. Writers should be a little wild. Then again, maybe you have some extra energy to burn off. In that case, rip through that cerulean sky. Swirl and swoop and let yourself fly free. Take some risks because you never know how they might pay off and let's face it, you're a different creature now and you can handle different situations. It's time to test your abilities.

5. Never forget the past. Whether you loved being a caterpillar or hated it, the fact is that there is much to be learned from that point in your life. Embrace those lessons and let them guide you in the future.

A metamorphosis can be a painful experience but it's also an unalterable part of life. Don't let the fear of future metamorphoses keep you from emerging from your chrysalis. 
Also, what does Godiva have to do with this article and why is it in the title? 

The answer is because Godiva is an important and necessary part of this writer's existence. And even though I'm now a colorful butterfly instead of a fuzzy caterpillar, some things should never change.

On that note, what has been the biggest life change you've experienced? Can you look back now and appreciate the person you were? What advice would you give to entering a new situation or season of life?


Share about your own metamorphoses and what you've learned, and get a chance to win Godiva and my newest release, The Matchmaker's Match. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.

Romantic Times Book Reviews 4 1/2 Star TOP PICK!

He has three months to find a wife—or lose his estate. Spencer, Lord Ashwhite, doubts he'll find a suitable bride among the ton, until the unconventional Lady Amelia Baxley agrees to provide a list of candidates. It should be an ideal arrangement, were Spencer not growing attached to the one woman Amelia refuses to consider as a prospect: herself. 


Independence means everything to Amelia, who has been burned in love before. The charming marquis is quickly putting her entire life in turmoil, and controlling her stubborn heart has never been such a challenge. But does the ever-practical Amelia dare to go from bride-finder to wife?

*side note: my contemporary romance Forever Love will be free on Amazon from August 27-30, 2015 and The Matchmaker's Match is being given away on GoodReads starting August 24-28, 2015* Check it out here.





 





Jessica Nelson believes romance happens every day, and thinks the greatest, most intense romance comes from a God who woos people to himself with passionate tenderness. When Jessica is not chasing her three beautiful, wild little boys around the living room, she can be found staring into space as she plots her next story. Or she might be daydreaming about a raspberry mocha from Starbucks. Or thinking about what kind of chocolate she should have for dinner that night. She could be thinking of any number of things, really. One thing is for certain, she is blessed with a wonderful family and a lovely life.

GUEST BLOGGER NANCY HERRIMAN: "CHANGE" (with Giveaways!!)

My oldest is leaving for college.

I have to let the words sink in, because as I look at him, I still remember him as a ‘Terrible Two’, as the kid too fast to be caught when he played flag football in grade school, as the young man who could always make me laugh. Thankfully for this mama’s heart, he isn’t going far. But it will be far enough, and his spot at the dinner table will be empty most nights from now on. I am not certain, however, that I am ready for the change. Are any of us?

A few weeks ago, a friend called to tell me that her publisher, after five books, was dropping her from their print line. She is one of my mentors, a woman whose advice I have come to rely upon, someone whose success I thought unassailable. I was just as shocked as she was to hear the news. She was offered the opportunity to publish her next book as an e-book, but we both wondered if she was ready for the change. Are any of us?

When it took me ten years of hard work (and a lot of rejections) before I received my first contract, I learned the lesson that writing is a difficult, and sometimes unforgiving, vocation. And though I could hardly turn off the voices in my head and lay down the pen, I have to prepare myself for the possibility that my writer’s world might one day veer off in an unexpected direction. Seeing your book in print -- ah, the joy of that! -- is no guarantee of continued success. In fact, as many friends have warned me, the real hard work begins after publication. Steel yourself, Nancy!

However, as I wait for news on my latest project, I have to ask myself if I am prepared should the response not be what I am hoping for. Since I don’t readily crumble, I like to think I am. But just as I am surprised by my unsteady response to my son’s imminent departure (I’m quite certain I will be a blubbering mess at his graduation), I have to wonder if I could handle a disruption to my writing career with as much grace and determination as my friend, who has transformed the proclamation from her publisher into new goals and a fresh commitment to writing.

So, as authors, what can we do to prepare ourselves for setbacks and changes? I am not the ultimate authority, but here are my thoughts…

-    Step 1 - take a deep breath and eat lots of chocolate. Okay, that might not work for all of you, but I know it would for me.

-    Don’t rest on your laurels. This is the ‘hard work’ everyone warned me about. Be willing to get your name out there by every means possible (this advice coming from someone who hates to tweet). Work on the next book immediately. Continue to learn and hone your craft. Pay attention to the direction the industry is heading and how you might take advantage of that.

-    Save everything you have ever written. You might find a fresh source of inspiration, a story that speaks to you now better than it did when you originally had the idea, in the pages of past material. I know I have. For instance, a character that was excised from Josiah’s Treasure will be making an appearance in my current project. I’m pretty happy for him, because he is a lovable scoundrel and I have never written one of those before.

-    Be ready to change your pen name, reinvent yourself, try another sub-genre (or entirely NEW genre) if necessary. Flexibility is key, and many folks have had to do some amazing backbends and twists to survive the ups-and-downs.

-    Remind yourself that the publishing business is just that -- a business -- and as such, decisions are often made based on the bottom-line and dollars-and-cents. They are not meant to be personal nor an attack on your ability as a writer. With all the changes occurring right now in the industry, brick-and-mortar publishers are scrambling to figure out how to compete in the e-book market. Unfortunately, authors are being caught in the morass. If you find yourself tossed over, pick yourself up, lift your chin and see Step 1.

My best to all of you, all of us. We have chosen a terrifying path, we authors, but one I doubt any of us would step off of.

And if you happen to be at my son’s graduation this June, please have plenty of tissues handy.

BIO:
Nancy Herriman abandoned a career in Engineering to chase around two small children and take up the pen. She has been writing for longer than she would like to admit. Her work has been a finalist in several Romance Writers of America contests and she won the 2006 RWA Daphne du Maurier award for Best Unpublished Mystery/Romantic Suspense. In 2009, she was an ACFW Genesis finalist. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America.

When she is not writing, or gabbing over lattes about writing, she is either watching history shows on cable TV or singing. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and sons, and wishes there were more hours in the day. You can contact Nancy through her website at http://www.nancyherriman.com/.

GIVEAWAY:
Leave a comment for Nancy for a chance to win one of two signed copies of her latest release, Josiah's Treasure.

JOSIAH'S TREASURE:
In 1882 San Francisco, Sarah Whittier dreams of opening an art studio run by immigrant women. She plans to use the house left to her by family friend Josiah Cady as collateral for her studio. But will all be lost when the inheritance is challenged by a man claiming to be Josiah’s son and legal heir? His arrival has also resurrected dangerous rumors of gold nuggets hidden in the house. Her future uncertain and her safety threatened, Sarah has nowhere to turn. Unless she can soften a vengeful man’s heart–-and they both learn that love is the only treasure worth having. Read an excerpt from the first chapter here.