Since being released from circumstances beyond my control, I have been working hard and writing and editing. The more I dig in, the more I feel energized in spirit, even when my mind and body are tired. Here are a few things I am learning are vital to improving my craft while understanding the always-changing market, trends, and publishing industry. 1) Read something, anything about the craft of writing DAILY.
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Now is the time for Joy, Abundance, Peace and Rest!
Before I took control of the battle of my mind and gave my circumstances over to God, finding the energy to write seemed impossible. My writing had been on the back-burner despite my initial reaction that job loss=more writing time. I have this need to get everything else done before I write. I rarely succeed. Eventually I give in, but by then I am tired and creativity is sparse. Worse than my normal “thinking”
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The Step of Faith: Where Belief Trumps Choice
I woke up from a vivid dream a couple of weeks ago. The dream started with me walking toward a cluster of large rocks on the beach. The sky was overcast, the waves crashed in small white caps on the shore. I climbed atop the rocks without hesitation. I intended to plant my feet and hands in secure places to find my balance. But the rocks were jagged and pointed.
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Expendable to the World, but Never to God
About a week ago, I stood at my writing desk just before heading off to work and said this prayer… Lord Jesus, please help me to have more time and energy to write for Your glory. I just don’t understand why this calling to write can be so strong, yet I have nothing left to give you by the end of the week. I could give You so much more
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Humbling the Born Writer
The truly great stuff comes to life in those agonizing yet exhilarating moments when the artist is acutely aware of the limitations of his skills. For it is then that he strains the hardest to make the most he can from the imperfect materials and tools with which he must work… ~Dean Koontz About ten years ago, just after having my fifth baby, I decided it was time to start
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What if We Blogged the Classroom? {Non-Fiction Archives}
(I wrote this as an assignment for one of my communications classes back in 2005. I altered some of the terminology to update some of the terms–ie Facebook and Instagram replaced MySpace in my original draft. I actually have a very rough draft of a school resource titled Writing 4 Life, a hands-on workbook I developed based on the concepts of this assignment. I would like to think someone else in
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Finding the Story by Finding the Reason
How my analysis of daily life helps me to discover plot and character traits. Lately, my own personality quirks have afflicted me. How can I be the practical, rational, and organized working woman/mother/friend/wife while also being the creative, expressive, unique writer? I have stewed for weeks about how I will ever find a rhythm between my daily life and my writing journey. How and when can I express myself accordingly. Who cares?
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Writing as Child’s Play {Writer Mama Archives}
(In an effort to increase the frequency of my posts, I am digging through my unpublished writing archives and personal journal entries. Titles and Categories including the word “archives” indicate dated, yet relevant material.) March 2007 I recently did a thorough cleaning in my boys’ bedroom. I knew it was in need of a mother’s hand, since I had not cleaned it for weeks. Papers, clothes, books, trash, cups, Lego’s,
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Toilet Paper and Tears: Discovering the Writer Within
I was full of imagination as a young girl. My mother says I was always telling stories and organizing make-believe with my two younger sisters, the neighbor kids and children from her home day care. Of course, I needed a loud, authoritative voice to be such a leader and I used it both day and night. It didn’t matter if I was dictating a group of preschoolers or playing on
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A Blend of History: A Walk Down Memory Lane in the Middle of Historical Research
I side-stepped my plans to write this weekend in order to complete a bit more historical research at The Foley and Searls historical libraries in Nevada City, California. I’m inserting 3 to 4 chapters in advance of my original start to Part 2 (I’m no “pantster” so I will be completing a detailed outline prior to a writing session). I’m overwhelmed at the many facets of daily living back in 1904.
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March Madness Minus Basketball {flashback}
This post has nothing to do with basketball. I don’t even know enough about the game to draw any parallels. Yet, madness describes my month so far. At least I would be going mad if I didn’t believe there was a purpose beyond myself in it all. As much as I find solace in the ability to plan, write lists, attempt goals, and cross each item off as I go;
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Failed Speedbo and if I Could Just Bottle 18 Hours Per Week and Only Write!
I really thought posting my intentions to write like crazy in the month of March would have motivated me to make some progress on Part 2 of No Eye Has Seen. But our family got hit with some major emotional tolls and I found the need to reflect and not pressure myself. I also have a huge project at work–an undertaking that equals a month of full-time hours I somehow need