You’re on a roll! You started out the year with a bang and have made great progress in your manuscript. You took Rachel Hauck’s advice and placed butt in chair. You actually feel like an author. Right now, you are in a very vulnerable place that could completely derail your career. Know why? You’ve accomplished so much, it’s easy to stop. To take a break. To pull over and park for a while, but this is the exact time in your career when you should NOT do that. Here’s why: You have MOMENTUM! Here’s what that means to you: M: Motion. Pure in simple, a writer who is in motion tends to stay in motion. Period. O: Obvious. Writing principles and precepts have become second nature to you. M: Meaningful. […]
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Finding Balance with Writing & Life: Writing Efficiently
I shop for groceries at a market that offers discount prices. Most of the food items aren’t brand name. Patrons bring their own bags or buy them at checkout. In order to use a shopping cart, you need to pay a quarter, but you receive your quarter back once you return the cart. The cashiers are efficient in scanning groceries because they are timed per transaction. This lessens gossiping with customers and co-workers that slow down lines. As I was packing my own groceries into my cloth bags, I thought about the efficiency of the store that allows me to get in and out with a month’s worth of groceries (yes, a month) in less than an hour. Carts aren’t left in the parking lot. Shelves are stocked daily by […]
Read the RestWelcome to March!
I have always loved March 1st. No matter how dreary the winter months, I begin to notice the days getting longer, the sun shining brighter and the promise of spring time rides on the wings of the wind. I know that in just a few weeks, we’ll celebrate the chronological passing away of Old Man Winter and usher in the season that is filled with new life and growth. It’s an exciting time for me and today is the day that sets all that in motion in my mind and heart. As a writer, you go through seasons as well. Each has blessings—and challenges—of its own. You may be going through a blustery time that seemingly will never end. It’s cold, dark and dreary. Emotional and career gray skies cast […]
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Eavesdropping At A Writers Conference
I’m at the Deep Thinkers Retreat in Destin, Florida and it’s beautiful. We come to the beach every year in February and I help facilitate the conference for the week. My main job during the conference is the care and feeding of the attendees. But I’m also watching, listening … and yes, sometimes I hear things.
Today I wanted to share some of my observations:
Eat Well, Write Well. Sorry, a steady of diet of chocolate chip cookies and malted milk balls are not conducive to clear thinking and well developed plot lines. Although they do help stabilize emotions, at least at the moment. When all else fails, have a malted milk ball instead of a melt down. For the record, I resisted the temptation this year and only succumbed to two. (Although we have two more days to go!)
Battle Uncertainty. I’ve heard, “I thought I had my story down, but now I’m not so sure.” It’s so easy to doubt yourself and question the validity of your writing.
