The April Platform Challenge is winding down, but I have so much insight from this activity that I'm excited!

Aside from trying to write, I volunteer on the Board of a Senior Adults Centre, also head of the Marketing Committee there, volunteer at the local astronomy club, and volunteer with Citizens on Patrol, affiliated with our local Police.

There are tons of things to blog about and some days you won't know if you are on the correct site or not.

The thing is---that we will all learn from this experience (and will all be the better for it).

The Sci Fi novel is still burning in my brain, but I have recently followed a blog by Carol Tice. Her blog is focused on Freelance Writing.

That leads me to the question. Can a writer to both simultaneously? Or does the Freelance Writing mean the hibernation of the bigger project?

Trying to complete the #MNINB challenge, plus keeping up reading/writing commitments keeps me busy. NOT busy enough to generally set an alarm clock.

So, what's worse than a 5 a.m. alarm clock scaring hell out of you?

The answer is---my dog yakking all over the floor in the middle of the night!

Yes, it does tend to get your heart beating!

Creating a whole new world for my SF project. I have to review many different aspects before I send the reader speeding to the surface. Learning what kinds of backgrounds and issues that I have to have firmly established!

See me @pd_marshall on Twitter or P.D. Marshall on FB

This career change has been memorable already! After choosing to leave my day-job, I was finally able ot focus on becoming a writer! Now the SF gets in my head and I have two or three ideas running around in my head when I get up in the morning!

Today I have another task from #MNINB. This time it is SEO for this blog. I will work it over this afternoon and may have to go to the hospital for medication as I fight through this process!

This April Platform Challenge has been a real  eye-opener.

So many things I didn't know and since I am forcing myself to learn--Wow.

Tip of the Iceberg or what?

Feedburner completed and linked w/ 4 new folks.

Now back on track and got my 2000 words today!

Reviewed a few Blogs yesterday and this morning. One really got to me!

Carol Tice writes blogs and articles for several sources. There is an article about earning income as a guest blogger. The details she shares drive home one thing---Do your homework!

Read her blog at http://www.makealivingwriting.com/  ---

Started a new project this morning. Index cards and reference materials piling up! Will continue to slug it out!

OK, I know that I have heard it before---"it" being the idea that all great ideas are continually floating around the universe and at some point, decide to land in a receptive brain.

Not sure if I believe that or not, but then how do I explain a story idea that hits just before sunrise on any given day? Sure, that period of sleep may be more conducive to reception, or there is simply no time to forget the images.

It is kind of freaky/fun on those occasions when this happens. This morning I came down to my office and wrote some notes on index cards.

We'll see where this takes me!

The project today is to take a well-recognized plot and try to reverse the gender roles. Not likely to finish this task today, but hope to spend some time on it.

Had a dream at 5:00 this morning. I was unable to communicate at all. Is there anything worse?

Your Brand

Just read an interesting article on The Red Lemon Club about setting boundaries and keeping true to your brand. Intimidating, but probably easier in the earlier stages of a career as opposed to cleaning up some time in the future.

Trouble organizing inkstainedandhappy yesterday---ran out of time. Hopefully on the right track today.

Next steps

Today is Day 1 of my new Blog, Covered in Ink.

I have been following a challenge during April by Robert Lee Brewer and this was the task for today.

Follow me as I follow my dreams.

PD