I started reading a great book last week and about a third of the way through a thought hit me: What if THE HEROINE was THE HERO and THE HERO was THE HEROINE? Meaning, what if their rolls were reversed? Suddenly the book became much more interesting and the one on my Kindle seem kind of status quo. Sure, some of the other plot points would be different if SHE was a HE, but it would also raise new, more intriguing plot obstacles. In an historical book, it might be hard to switch rolls. If you were writing about the Alamo, it would be hard to have a man spying on General Santa Anna since the spy was a female prostitute. But, what if you took an historical event, like […]
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Spring into Action, Part Two: Water the Seeds Regularly
Last week we talked about the first step to springing into action: Planting Seeds Now that those seeds are in the ground, let’s talk about the second step: Watering Those Seeds. Back in the old days, farmers planted when they had the best chance of getting the rain to water the seeds. They depended totally on nature and had no control over it whatsoever. Fortunately for them, today they have extensive irrigation systems. During the dry season when no rain is in the forecast, they can still turn out the most beautiful sod or green vegetables. So it is with your own life. You have at your disposal massive irrigation techniques to make sure those seeds of success you just planted get the proper nourishment. Things like: 1) The pipe. A good irrigation system begins with […]
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Food Fight! 8 ways to keep healthy while you write
Boy, doesn’t that title just make you sit up and take notice. I woke up thinking about this today. Food. Writing. Diet Coke. Writing. Chips. Writing. Diet Coke. Writing. Tea. Writing. Water. Water. Water. To undo the chips and Diet Coke, of course. Writing. After returning from the fantastic Deep Thinkers retreat, I’d resolved to cut back on this, do a little more of that… But a week later, I can feel myself, see myself, slipping into old habits. Some of it is just determination. Any kind of discipline requires inspiration followed by a boat load of determination. But to keep going, we need motivation. Motivation comes from little successes. Big successes. Encouragement. More inspiration. A notch up on the determination. But it also requires resolve in our emotions. To just do it! And […]
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Spring into Action Part One: Plant Seeds of Success
Spring may have not started blossoming where you are but in central Florida, a beautiful new green covers the landscape, signaling the end of a season and the start of vibrant life again. It’s also the time year when Florida farmers plant seeds for the first of at least two harvests each year. If they don’t spring into action, they’ll spend the harvest season eating fast food. This month, we’re going to spring into action as well, beginning today by planting seeds. No, not the ones that grow cucumbers and corn, but rather seeds that grow your success emotionally and as a writer. I’m writing this blog post from the MBT Deep Thinkers Retreat in beautiful Destin, FL. Writers from all over the country have descended upon a house two blocks from the […]
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