I'd been looking forward to the Out of Excuses Writing Workshop and Retreat 2017 for about a year. Several weeks in advance, it was still way too early to pack but I was burning a lot of brain power making mental notes and hoping I didn't fo

EMEPiper Ep 13: Interview with Alyssa Cole

Jun 18th, 2017 25m 14s

Alyssa Cole is an agent-sibling of mine. Her story, Let Us Dream, is nominated for the 2017 RITA award for Best Romance Novella. She is a science editor, pop culture nerd, and romance junkie who lives in the Caribbean and occasionally return

EMEPiper Ep 12: Defeating Procrastination

Apr 30th, 2017 17m 18s

Procrastination is a serious challenge for me. I find myself procrastinating all the time and I've rationalized to myself to make it okay. But it's not. Writing doesn't happen while I procrastinate. No matter how much I think I'm getting done,

EMEPiper Ep 11: Interview with Melissa Schroeder

Mar 31st, 2017 26m 3s

Since the publication of her first book in 2004, Melissa has had close to fifty romances published. She writes in genres from historical suspense to modern day erotic romance to futuristics and paranormals. Along the way she has garnered an ep

EMEPiper Ep 10: Getting Actual Work Done

Feb 26th, 2017 21m 32s

Tasks have been identified and prioritized. It's time for getting actual work done. For some, this is very simple. However, it might not be easy when there's a whole lot of life going on in your world. Life is full of distractions. Your mind

EMEPiper Ep 9: Prioritization with Simple Lists or Using a Matrix

Feb 1st, 2017 18m 3s

There are times when I've got so much to do, I've got no idea where to start or what the prioritization is. It's just an overwhelming mess of things that need to be done. I'm frozen in analysis paralysis and stressed out. It's time to take a d

EMEPiper Ep 8: Looking Back to Move Forward Effectively

Dec 30th, 2016 15m 35s

Heading into a new year with a fresh set of goals is a great thing. It's even better to take a pause to look back on what did or didn't work in the past year to take lessons learned into the new. This episode is about looking back to move fo

EMEPiper Ep 7: I'm Not Actually a Multitasker

Nov 20th, 2016 14m 50s

I've got a lot to accomplish by the end of the year. Some days, it seems like I won't get it all done unless I do some things simultaneously in order to have massively productive weekends. But in reality, multi-tasking might not be the best id

EMEPiper Ep 6: When There are Too Many Things

Nov 19th, 2016 13m 15s

Even when you know how to manage your time, life can happen and things can get in the way. This year I had a whole lot of life going on behind the scenes. Before I could course correct, I was way off track. This is my confession and what I pla

EMEPiper Ep 5: Time Management at Events Part 2

Nov 18th, 2016 23m 16s

There's a lot to cover when it comes to managing your time at conventions, which is why this is part 2 of time management at events. For me, managing my time at conventions is a survival skill. Highlights My room is my sanctuary Knowing whe

EMEPiper Ep 4: Time Management at Events Part 1

Nov 17th, 2016 22m 28s

Why time management at events? It’s con season and for many, conventions or conferences become a blur of things to do, people to see, and it’s easy to lose the key reasons you attended when overwhelmed by the sheer craziness of it all. I love

EMEPiper Ep 3: Prioritizing and Urgency

Nov 16th, 2016 16m 41s

Prioritizing and urgency via deadlines are at the top of my mind as I kick off 2016’s run of #EMEPiper at the changeover from January to February. Last year was full of deadlines, possibly the most challenging year for writing I’ve ever had. A

EMEPiper Ep 2: Day Planners and Time Management

Nov 15th, 2016 34m 23s

And it’s here, the second episode of Every Minute, Everywhere: Time Management for Authors with Piper J. Drake. Confession: I’d intended to get this episode up in February. I had a major contractual deadline loom. The deadline became my highes

EMEPiper Ep 1: Introduction, SMART Goals, and Schedule

Nov 14th, 2016 10m 36s

This is it! It’s my first episode of Every Minute, Everywhere. Time Management for Authors with Piper J. Drake kicking off this week of podcasts to celebrate EMEPiper's new RSS feed and hosting home. Highlights: Introduction – What (or who) a

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