Have you ever felt like the whole world is crashing in around you all at once? That’s what this week has been like for me. One thing after another has gone wrong. The weather was wretched, the animals were loud, even in the dead of the night, things kept breaking, ect.

Remember that no matter how bad things get, there is always a silver lining.

Mine for the past week are that:

A: I have made a lot of progress on my current WIP. I was told by several people, that my characters jump off the pages and demand attention, lol. So I guess they seem real. The plot is ironed out nicely. All I have to do is finish writing it out now. It may be a small achievement, but to me it’s my silver lining in an otherwise rough week.

B: I’m holding the first paperback proof of my preview. To me and hubby this is huge! In fact he plans to keep it safely tucked away to read himself and hubby isn’t much of a reader. He’s ADHD so he prefers to be moving constantly. But he’s hooked on the plot. So made the whole process well worth it.

   Isn’t it beautiful? I tried to go with a color for the main body that complimented the picture, without overdoing the colors.

C: It’s slow going, but the preview is garnering a lot of attention. Since it’s release I’ve been interviewed twice on other blogs, invited to join several blog hops, and have a guest post planned for next Friday.  One of my old crit partners and a fellow Author has a new book coming out soon. She’ll be here with us next week. How awesome is that?

To be honest, other than crit groups I’m careful who I allow to ever read my WIP while it’s in the making. I trust my crit groups completely. Wouldn’t be part of them if I didn’t.

D: I heard from my Marine friend. We have more of a brother/sister type relationship than friends.  hearing from him {even if it’s a simple one liner} always brightens my day, and whole week. So, what are your silver linings for the week?

If we, as writers, and people in general, look for only the bad things happening, that is all we will ever find.

Instead, try looking for just one good thing that happened, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem to you at the time. Chances are you will be a much happier person if you remember to look for your silver linings. I know I am.

I prefer to take a walk before dinner with hubby and the kids. It keeps all all in shape, plus it gives my brain time to rest. Walks are peaceful and relaxing. We used to hike on summer days, before gas got too expensive and the truck broke down. XD

Ah well, break’s over. Back to critiquing this round and then I get to write some more!

Do you remember to look for the silver linings? How was your week? Did you make any progress on your writing or marketing? What are some of the ways you deal with stress?