Newton's First Law

An object in motion continues in motion, with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.  An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted on by an unbalanced force.  Simply, if you’re moving, you’ll keep moving.  If you’re doing nothing, you’ll keep doing nothing until an unbalanced force makes you do otherwise.  And I'll be honest, the term unbalanced force scares me a little.

This law of motion isn’t just true for your weekly exercise regime.  Writers need to write.  Period.  Write a little every day or your scribe muscles will atrophy.

I learned this the hard way and so has my blog partner.  I might be able to get away with a day off, but that’s it.  If I take a week off, pardon my bluntness, I’m screwed.  It’s like trying to jog a few miles after a year of no running.  Writing a new story is NOT like riding a bike.  You can’t hop on the keyboard and expect it all to come back to you after days, weeks, months of absence.  It will feel like you’re typing through molasses, your brain a rusty pipe, shuddering and gurgling until finally some words come out … and trust me, they won’t be pretty.

After a couple of weeks away from writing, one of my next sentences went something like this:

She walked in and sat down.  It was cold outside and the chill followed her.  She longed for summer.  She longed for a time when these words didn’t suck.  Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Plotting and copy editing don’t count as writing either, not for what I’m talking about.  Deep edits that require re-writes will get you through, but that’s the only concession I allow.  You can plot and edit all you need, but leave yourself time to write something.  A paragraph, some dialogue, or setting – it doesn’t matter what, but there’s power in getting your narrative exercise.  Even if you think what you wrote reeks like well water, you can fix it later.  It’s practice.  A writing workout. 

You think everyone looks like J.Lo in Jazzercise?  No.  But they’re doing it to stay in shape.  So should you.  Now get out there and exercise your words.

When You Wish Upon a Star...

Have you ever squeezed your eyes shut and wished for something so hard you worried you might crush the thought with your mind?  I have. 

In my crazy roller coaster life I’ve spent the past few days on top of one of life’s peaks at Disney World.  It was a spontaneous trip that somewhat resembled kidnapping via RV, but I’m glad it happened.  I needed a giant dose of happy and where has more happy on supply than Disney? Anyway, last night was our final night at the park and we stayed for the fireworks show.  The theme of the spectacular was wishes.  Explosions lit the sky while music from movies danced around us where we sat gazing up at the castle.  I’ve never really noticed how many Disney movie references there are to wishes.  Wishes on a star, wishes for a prince, wishes for a gown to wear, wishes to be a real boy… 

All of this talk about wishes got me thinking: Is it true that wishes really do come true? 

I have a lifetime of unrealized wishes behind me.  I’ve wished for relationships that were not to be, jobs that were not to be, not to mention wealth, weight loss, outcome of football games, outcome of contests and—of course—new fabulous shoes.  But for the past few years I’ve had one and only one wish.  Now, I happen to be a little superstitious so I won’t tell you my wish lest it not come true.  But, I will say it has something to do with those paper things people read with happily-ever-afters at the end.   I’ve wished on every birthday candle, every fallen eyelash, every coin tossed in a fountain, every digital clock reading 11:11 and every first star seen at night.  It’s a very big wish, however so is a wish for Prince Charming to swoop in on a white horse for the rescue just before certain death.  Even though other wishes in my life have disappeared in the vanishing swirl of smoke from blown out candles, I refuse to abandon this wish.  This is because I believe wishes do come true…with enough hard work. 

In writing fiction, I’ve often heard the advice, “Torture your characters.”  Without adversity the story falls flat and no one cares if Prince Charming arrives in the end or if the heroine is happy or in love.  In short, without torment, there’s nothing to overcome and victory has no meaning.  The same is true in real life.  We have to endure torture to achieve our dreams.  We must fight for our dreams.  Making a wish is only the beginning of the journey.  But, with perseverance any wish can come true.  The important part is to find a wish worth fighting for. 

Among my group of writer friends, the #CRWbadgirlz (yes, with a hashtag and a z), we have decided this will be our year.  This will be a year of celebrating success.  This will be the year our hard work begins to pay off.  This will be the year our wishes come true.  And I truly hope we’re right.  So to my fellow #CRWbadgirlz, keep wishing.  Keep fighting.  This WILL be our year!

“I wish…I wish…I wish…I wish…”

What’s your wish? I won’t tell.