Welcome to part seven of the Balticon 47 Wrap up. This week’s episode is from my other podcast, The Shrinking Man Project. It is a live Special episode featuring the return of three of last year’s guests, Starla Huchton, Lauren “Scribe†Harris, and Veronica Giguere. Justin Macumber was also scheduled to attend, but he was called home for an emergency, and unfortunately we didn’t find out that he’d left the con until after the recording. Like last year, This episode is a simultaneous release with The Shrinking Man Project. So, if you’re subscribed to both feeds, you’ll get the same episode twice. If you’re not subscribed to The Shrinking Man Project, you should check it out. There is lots of good content over there. The topic for this year was pulling out of a slump, both creatively, and in terms of keeping with your diet or exercise regimen. Show notes below the cut.

Show notes:

• 
  
• Welcome
  
• About this episode
  
• Intro
  
• Introductions
  
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  • Doc – 100 pounds down
    
  • Starla Huchton
    
  • Lauren “Scribe” Harris
    
  • Veronica Giguere
    
  
  
  
• Breaking out of a slump.
  
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  • Starla – I ask other people to kick me in the butt.
    
  • Scribe – Cycle of emotional breakdown. Takes about a month.
    
  • Veronica – Wanting to keep a streak. Have to restart and re-prioritize and re-evaluate everything.
    
  • Starla – I need someone to be accountable to in order to keep me at it. Need a deadline or a cheerleader.
    
  • Scribe - Accountability doesn’t always help. Can be hard to admit failure. Have to keep myself in line.
    
  
  
  
• How do you find someone to help you account for yourself?
  
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  • Scribe – Twitter.
    
  • Starla – Find someone to keep an eye on you. Spouses, friends.
    
  • Scribe – Find a community to keep you interested.
    
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    • Meet Up is great for finding communities.
      
    
    
    
  • Doc – Shrinking Man Project is here as your community.
    
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    • We want to hear your stories, your problems, your challenges.
      
    
    
    
  • Veronica – Need something to get the ball rolling. That first 5%.
    
  • Scribe – Want to create a community around the podcast.
    
  • Doc – Want to be able to give back to the community.
    
  • Veronica – Part of getting back into the swing of things is what motivates you and how do you hold yourself accountable.
    
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    • And then there are Ewoks.
      
    
    
    
  
  
  
• How has your creativity been lately?
  
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  • Doc – Feel inspired to work on creative projects.
    
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    • Keep wanting to work on the wrong projects.
      
    • Feel conflicted because I’m not working on the projects I need to complete.
      
    
    
    
  • Starla – Have to have a conversation with your muse.
    
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    • Have a lot of the same problem.
      
    • Putting away your creative cookies for later.
      
    
    
    
  • Scribe – Something to be said for seizing the muse when she is there.
    
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    • Can get distracted by guilt halfway through.
      
    • Becomes a terrible cycle.
      
    
    
    
  • Doc – Inspired by PC and Veronica and their progress with the Magic Spreadsheet.
    
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    • What is the Magic Spreadsheet?
      
    • PC and Veronica have broken 120 consecutive days writing.
      
    • Budgeting time to write.
      
    • Doing new projects to get words in quickly.
      
    • Starting new chain when I get back from Balticon.
      
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      • Get Perils of Prague second draft done.
        
      • Recruit Beta Readers.
        
      • By end of summer, be ready to publish Perils as a book, and get podcast version started.
        
      
      
      
    
    
    
  • Scribe – Hardest part is getting started writing.
    
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    • Doing a 14 day productivity makeover.
      
    • The pomodoro technique.
      
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      • Work a task for 25 minutes.
        
      • Take a 5 minute break.
        
      • Come back for another 25 minutes.
        
      
      
      
    
    
    
  • Veronica – Pomodoro is a legitimate technique.
    
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    • Teaching it to my students this fall.
      
    
    
    
  • Starla – Could never get organized sorting through information on how to get organized.
    
  • Scribe – Work just killed everything I wanted to do creatively.
    
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    • Helped me get my priorities straight.
      
    
    
    
  
  
  
• How to deal with demands on your time?
  
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  • Starla – I stay up really late at night.
    
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    • It is a very fine balancing act.
      
    • Writing on my phone in the bathroom for 15 minutes.
      
    
    
    
  • Veronica – Set a line where you have time for yourself.
    
  • Doc – Get up at 3:30 AM to meet Carpool by 5 to get out of work early enough to get home in only an hour.
    
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    • If I have to work late, lose more hours to commute.
      
    • End up with 3 hours of sleep a night.
      
    
    
    
  • Starla – Stealing time during the day as it becomes available.
    
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    • Certain apps on my phone to take advantage of those moments.
      
    • If you want to do it, you will find a way.
      
    
    
    
  • Scribe – Sometimes the timing may not be right.
    
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    • If you’re burning out, you may not be doing your best work.
      
    
    
    
  
  
  
• Questions from the audience?
  
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  • Where can I find the Magic Spreadsheet?
    
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    • Facebook Magic Spreadsheet group.
      
    • G+ Magic Spreadsheet group for those who don’t like Facebook.
      
    
    
    
  
  
  
• You’ve screwed up, now how do you start over?
  
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  • Scribe – Let yourself cry over it.
    
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    • Recognize you have a choice.
      
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      • Can get back on the treadmill, or can change your approach.
        
      
      
      
    
    
    
  • Veronica – Own the decision.
    
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    • Be proactive. Act outward.
      
    
    
    
  • Doc – It isn’t a race. It is a marathon.
    
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    • No prizes for being first. Only thing that matters is reaching the finish line.
      
    • Defining characteristic of success is perseverance.
      
    • Great stories are about people who keep going despite all life throws at them.
      
    • Be the hero of your own story and keep going through you second act!
      
    
    
    
  
  
  
• The pimpage!
  
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  • Veronica – Voices by Veronica.com
    
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    • @Vfor Voice
      
    
    
    
  • Scribe – Pendragon Variety
    
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    • Ink Stained Scribe
      
    • @MarksMaster
      
    
    
    
  • Starla – Starla Huchton.com
    
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    • Designed by Starla.com
      
    
    
    
  • Doc – Doc Coleman.com
    
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    • The Shrinking Man Project.com
      
    • Swimming Cat Studios.com
      
    • Short stories at your favorite e-book stores. Just search for Doc Coleman.
      
    
    
    
  
  
  
• Keep with your goal!
  
• Have a good week, Keep losing that weight!
  
• Sign off
  
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  • Leave comments on the blog at http://theshrinkingmanproject.com
    
  
  
  • 
    
  • E-mail at Doc@theshrinkingmanproject.com
    
  • Voice mail at (240) 745-5022
    
  • Join the Fans of the Shrinking Man Project on Facebook
    
  • Follow me on Twitter @Scaleslea
    
  • If you have a podcast, send me your promos!
    
  • Leave a review on iTunes or Podcast Alley.
    
  • Tell your friends about the podcast.
    
  • Feel free to leave something in the tip jar.
    
  • Have a good week! Keep losing that weight.
    
  
  
  
• End credits