Staying Positive

There's a million books on how to be positive. But it's not always possible as there's a myriad of human emotions. There's no way for us to stay happy and positive all the time. Things happen that push our patience and inner happiness; bills need paying, arguments arise, the car breaks down. We begin to wonder if we'll ever get to where we want to be.

These past few weeks have been rough ones for me. There's been an ear infection, followed by some dental surgery, and ending with a thankfully minor accident that left me feeling a little knocked around. I'm grumpy, tired, achy, and not feeling 100%. All I want to do is to delve in to the books I'm writing but my body won't let me. It needs to rest. It needs to eat the chocolate, drink the tea, and read that fun book. It needs to listen to the funky music and to stretch out the aching muscles.

Needless to say, I'm trying not to let the past few weeks grate on those around me but it's hard. Sometimes we can't always control how we feel. Sometimes we need to feel the pain to remind us what how it feels when we're happy. Sometimes we need the exhaustion to remind us that we're pushing ourselves too hard and that, for a while, we need to rest. Sometimes we need to get angry just to remember what it's like when we're calm.

Being positive doesn't mean being happy all day every day. Being positive means not letting yourself stay in the darkness and the pain. Being positive means moving forwards no matter what stands in your way. Being positive means putting your best foot forward, even if you don't feel like it. Being positive means being you, even when the world wants to tear you apart.

Don't let yourself get stuck in the darkness of the bad times. Look for the light around you, for the people and moments that make you smile and realise that life is worth living. They may be fleeting, but they'll be there, waiting to help you. And once you've stepped from the darkness, turn and help the next person behind you.

No matter what you're going through, you can do it.

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Butterfly Brain

Why do you always have more than one writing project on the go?

This is a good question and something that's come up time and again. At the moment, I'm currently writing two non-fiction books as well as a series of short stories. And yes, it can get mind-boggling which is why there are spreadsheets and calendars to help me keep track of everything.

The reason I do it is because it actually helps me to focus. For me, switching between several projects helps to keep them all fresh in my mind as well as helping me to keep an interest in them. I'm one of those people who can get half way through a project and suddenly lose enthusiasm. Before I know it, I have a hard drive full of half written books and stories (this is also the reason that you haven't seen Book 4 from the Veetu Industries series. It will arrive at some point, I promise!).

https://pixabay.com/p-1073165/?no_redirect

Having a number of projects on the go also allows me to rest when one of them becomes too tough. Sometimes it's like hitting a brick wall and you find yourself living in a haze. You can't find the right words or phrases and everything feels hopeless. Having a second or third project gives me the chances to come back to the first one with fresh eyes and a rested brain. Working on non-fiction projects has reawakened fiction muses that have lain dormant for two years. On the flip side, losing myself in a fantasy world for a few hours allows my brain to think up avenues in which to take the non-fiction books.

It takes some work to juggle several projects at once and, yes, it's tiring. But it's fulfilling and, most importantly, it makes me happy.

If you want to work on several things at once, take it slowly. Map everything out using whatever you need (I personally use calendars, spreadsheets, and flow charts). Learn to step away from it all from time to time and just take time out for yourself.

"Never give up on a dream because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." - Earl Nightingale

This Is Just a Tribute - Update 1

I thought it was about time to give you an update on the two projects that were launched in July.

The first is a book dedicated to some of the world's hardest working tribute bands. Of the two books, this is going to be the one that takes the longest to put together because, while both books are a labour of love, I want this one to be something that everyone is proud of. All of the bands are being hand picked by myself and my family and I'm focusing on one interview at a time. This gives me a chance to research the band and to customise the questions to them. Thank you to everyone I've spoken to in regards to this book and thank you so much for your kindness and generosity. I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of you in the coming months.

The second book is one that I spent around eighteen months debating whether to write and is dedicated to documenting the stories from Foo Fighters fans. It's a fun piece to work on and everyone's love, joy, and enthusiasm are making it a pleasure to put together. There's currently 15 interviews for this book. Ideally, I'd love to get between 20 and 25 so if you'd like to take part, please feel free to email me at:

rae (at) raegee.co.uk

Alternatively, you can answer online at:

https://goo.gl/forms/BCcONjAxMBX1yffB3

If you want more information on the fan book, you can find the original post here:

http://veetu-industries.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/this-is-just-tribute-part-2.html

A few people have asked why I'm writing both books side by side and the main reason is that I like to stay busy. It's also easier to record interviews when all the equipment is set up rather than putting it in to storage and taking it out a few months later.

At the moment I'm saving transcribing the recorded interviews until later in the year. My apartment currently feels like a blast furnace and I'd rather not be sitting right next to an equally hot computer! So the transcribing is a job that's going to be done when the nights draw in and all I want to do is curl up with a cup of tea.

To every person I've spoken to so far: Thank you. Your passion and love for what you do are the driving forces behind these books. You're the ones who keep the music going and support it along the way. 

We all need a bit of this. :)
(Tea is optional!)