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10 Quotes to Inspire Writers

By on May 15, 2014 in 4. Writer’s Life, Inspiration and Life Coaching, Encourage Me!, Nurturing Creativity, Writer's life

I don’t know about you, but there are days when writing takes more from me than it gives me. Days when “living the dream” makes me want to pull the covers up over my head and just stay in bed.

Usually I deal with the “why am I doing this?” days a few different ways:

Skyping with my mentor
IMing with another writer who feels exactly I do –where we grouse and grumble and threaten to quit and go try out for Broadway
Meeting a friend for breakfast that lasts all the way into the lunch hour
Walking outside in the fresh Colorado sunshine and not talking about writing
Shopping … because, you know, shopping always helps!
All of these techniques encourage me and motivate me, but when I’m discouraged as a writer, sometimes I need inspiration. And being a bit of a quote freak, I’ve found there’s nothing like a good quote to inspire me! So today I want to share 10 writer quote-spirations with you:

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Overcoming Obstacles In Pursuit of Writing

By on April 23, 2014 in Encourage Me!, Life Coaching, Writing Life

You know what I re-discovered after last month’s blog? Not only must we do the next thing to pursue the writing dream, sometimes that means jumping hurdles. Some large, some small.

My son Caleb is running track this year. Ask me about basketball and we can converse. Track? Not so much. Needless to say this Momma is learning a whole new sport. One of the races Caleb’s coach has him running hurdles is the 110m Hurdle race.
I was amazed to watch him jump the hurdles. The first miracle? That this chick has a son with legs long enough to run jump hurdles (I’m only 5’1″). He picked up speed and kept jumping them one after another. Some he sailed over, others he clipped.
It made me think about the writing journey. I want consistent victory–to sail effortless over every hurdle. Every. Time. But it doesn’t work that way. While parts of the writing journey, seem effortless. Others? It takes work and determination. For instance, editing was never my strong suit and it still isn’t. Those I tend to hit the hurdles on.

The important thing is to stay on track, focus and run your race. You probably won’t master every aspect of writing, especially if you’re like me, starting out. But you will eventually.
Here are three things to

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Persevering Along the Writing Road

By on April 17, 2014 in 4. Writer’s Life, Inspiration and Life Coaching, Encourage Me!, Writer's life

No one likes rejection.

And yet, if you’re a writer, you’re going to be rejected. Let’s face it, if you’re breathing, you’re going to be rejected.

There are times when this journey along the writing road seems to be nothing more than s-t-r-i-v-i-n-g. I’ll spend an entire day — or a succession of days — trying this and that and the other thing, hoping to ensure success. Trying to figure out how to get around the “Do Not Enter” sign blocking my way.

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Cat Got Your Tongue?

By on March 29, 2014 in 4. Writer’s Life, Inspiration and Life Coaching, Encourage Me!, Life Coaching, Nurturing Creativity, Nurturing the Soul, Writer's life, Writing Life

I was recently sent a link to a blog post with a request to read through it. As I did, I felt eerily like I was reading someone else’s blog. It sounded suspiciously like the individual had taken on the persona of someone else in my community.

I don’t think this was a ploy to steal someone else’s work. Oh no. It was much more serious than that. This writer was actually being a literary impersonator. They were writing in another person’s voice, other than their own.

I pondered their reasoning for quite some time and the more I wondered about it, I couldn’t help but ask, “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” That’s the only viable explanation I could find for someone not using their own unique—and God given—literary voice.

I know there are many reasons why this happens. Most of those reasons are completely unfounded so I’d like to uproot them for you here, sort of my way of snatching your tongue back from Prissy the feline thief:

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