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.

Goals & Motivation

Most of us start out the new year with lofty goals and resolutions, but by mid-February we've fallen into old habits and chronic malaise/procrastination/laziness.  This goes for our writing goals as well.  I've found a simple solution that ends my moments of lackadaisicalness (yes, that's a word and how awesome is it?!).  It may sound silly to some, but if it works for me, it might work fo you. 

Sure I have the goal of publication, but that alone isn't always tangible enough to make my inner cheerleader shake her pom-poms.  I need something visual, something I can see as a fun reward.  I've discovered

Lanai, Hawaii

More specifically, the Four Seasons Hotel in Lanai, Hawaii.

MOST specifically, this view and Manele Bay in Lanai, Hawaii

This is my visual motivation.  This is my "one day" reward for hard work and success.  The idea of this view, in person, puts me in motion.

I strive to be a published writer, share my characters with people, and hopefully bring them a little joy and a lot of happily ever afters.  If I accomplish this, my reward to myself will be seeing these images in real life. The idea of it; of sitting in a beach chair by the great Pacific Ocean

gets my cheeks in the chair in front of my computer.  I may be ho-hum about where I am in the story that day, but all I have to do is think of watching frolicking dolphins from my balcony and all ho-hums swim away.

In fact, when I get on these motivation kicks, I text E. Michels and get her all riled up with imagery of mimosas with a view and water spritzing by the pool.  Then she's cheering too and we're both writing with renewed spirits.

It's a motivational snow ball effect and it works!  So next time you're dragging your tail, try it.  Pick a reward for yourself, get a visual, and be specific.  See if that doesn't make you shake your tail into action.

Happy Writing!

I'm Back!

How do we pick up the pieces of life, shuffle them back into order and move on after tragedy?  I talked in my last blog post about losing my writer voice and fighting to get it back.  I struggled for several weeks, unable to think past anything but the sorrow surrounding me and my disheveled life.  Can you say pity party?  Yes, so could I—many times over.  But, then it was time to pull it together and move forward.  The question was, how to do that?

I decided, as a writer, the only way I was going to be normal again was to write.  So, I started writing notes in a word document.  I left it open on the desktop of my computer and would add to it every day.  At first, it was one line per day.  Then, it was two lines.  Soon, I was able to write a paragraph, even though it was similar to tooth extraction.

This was when I realized a valuable fact for any writer: The only way to get past writer’s block is to write. 

I knew I needed to move on and begin work on my next story, and soon.  Days were slipping by and no progress was being made.  It didn’t matter what disaster struck in my life, schedules must be adhered to.  I have goals!  I have dreams!  My mother would not have wanted me to throw that away to wallow in grief over her loss.  So, I pushed on and kept writing.  I finally declared myself healed when I wrote this at two o’clock in the morning one night when I couldn’t sleep…

When this battle began, I thought it was just that; A battle.  Battles are won or lost and the participants on both sides move on; go home.  And yet here I am, stranded in a sea of loss.  There is no end to the gray mist that swirls around my limbs, chaining me to this place.  If I had known where this path led, would I have so readily skipped down it toward my doom?  If I had known the length of the weary hours without rest, would I have been so eager to leave? If I had known then the agony of a hunger for something just out of reach, would I have gone?  I don’t know.  Yes, because I’m stupid and brave that way. 

Where am I?  We will call it a wasteland of everything left behind.  Dreams, hopes and loved ones are buried here.  Everything that once wrapped around me—pulling shards of existence together to make me human, is gone.  I’ve cried.  I’ve screamed.  I’m quite certain I’ve complained.  But now, it‘s time to step free of the mire.  I pull away from this darkness knowing the strange truth that I am blessed. For, I survive. I breathe sweet air.

I can feel the bonds that have held me captive here falling away and I’m thankful.  For, even though night still covers this land, I can hear birds singing in the trees.  Soon it will be daybreak.  The sun will once again shine on me.

I’m back!  I can write again!  A LORD’S BLACK HEART, here I come to tackle you!  My point is this:  If you fear something, do what you fear to overcome it.  If you struggle with something, practice your weakness to overcome it.  And if you have writer’s block, write!

What’s your great comeback story?  I’d love to hear it.

Set The Blood Suckers Free!

As aspiring writers (aka pre-published), there will always be a sea of obstacles to detract from our writing.  Intangible hurdles like doubt, fear, pride and tangible conflicts like family, friends, a full time job, and illness.  Some of this we cannot control, but we need to quit kidding ourselves and admit that a lot of it we CAN control.

You can’t help it if you or a loved one gets sick.  You can’t help it if your job makes you work over time.  You CAN help it if you’re afraid of success or failure.  You CAN help it if someone is sucking the “umph” out of you, intentionally or not.

To speak to the intangible, I’ve seen a bevy of workshops that directly address fear and doubt.  Don’t be ashamed to take one.  Use it as a tax write off!  Another very important tool is having a writing “support group”.  This could be your critique group, but not necessarily.  Go out and find yourself a group of like minded (or somewhat like minded) individuals that love writing and reading and want to grow in their craft.  I recommend you all write in different genres because you’ll be surprised at the insight.  Mingle with these people, share horror stories, your woe, your insecurities, and your strengths.  Socialize with them about more than just writing, lean on each other during the hard times, and party your patootie off during the good!

To speak to the tangible, there are a few things you can do.  If family and friends and your “real job” are consistently taking up huge chunks of your writing time, find a way to carve out a little time for yourself.  This may require a family meeting.  Don’t be scared to call one.

If you’re in a situation that’s only temporarily taking up all your time, use small moments to brainstorm ideas.  Jot notes.  Don’t ever stop writing completely unless you have no other choice.  Writing uses a muscle(s).  I don’t know what they are, all I know is we use ‘em!  If you stop for too long, you have to whip yourself back into shape.  That takes time and at first feels awkward and sluggish.  Even if it’s only fifty words of dialogue a day, never quit cold turkey!

Finally, if it’s something or someone else that’s dimming your shine and they aren’t a best friend or family member, you need step away.  We’ve all had that Negative Nancy co-worker who scoffs at our dream, we all know that casual friend who is an emotional vampire.  She will bleed you dry of all energy and motivation.  Why do we surround ourselves with these people?  If you can’t step away completely, at least limit their exposure.  You are responsible for you.  If Negative Nancy or Emo Emily are exhausting and you find you can’t write for days after dealing with them, it’s time to cut them loose. 

Looking Forward

The countdown is on.  2012 draws nigh and with it, new resolutions and a new start.  However, this New Year’s Eve isn’t just about a shiny new 2012; it’s about bidding adieu to tired, old 2011.

Not that I don’t have a million things to be thankful for in the last 365 days.  I do, and I am.  However, have you ever had one of those years that kicked you square in the a**?   Yes?  Well that was 2011 for me.  There was no major loss or anything tragic (though I’ve had those years too), but this year was like dealing with a cantankerous old man.  Everything was an uphill battle.  There was either lots of cajoling, militant convincing, or arguing to make a point.  Whether it was buying a refrigerator, finding child care, or making dinner plans – nothing was easy.  I’ve decided the planets were out of alignment for my sign or something.  I don’t necessarily follow the zodiacs, but I do know something funky was up with this year.

Rather than bemoan it though, I look forward to new opportunities, changes, and hope for a better year.  My blog partner feels the same, so we’re welcoming the New Year in style.  Maybe we’ll even post some pictures so we can look back and say, “That was the start of a darn good year.”

It’s hello 2012, buh-bye twenty aught eleven!   Don’t let the door hit ya!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL & BEST WISHES FOR AN AWESOME 2012!!!

I've Lost My Voice

As many of you may know from my twitter feed on game days, I’m a huge Clemson Football fan.  I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve gone to a game, cheered my Tigers to victory only to wake the next day without a voice.  I’ve croaked for two days on occasion—usually after a particularly troublesome game.  The problem is: within the whirl of excitement while touchdowns are being made and quarterbacks are being sacked, I get lost in the moment.  It’s hard to think of the phone calls I need to make when I get home and the subsequent need to have a voice when it’s the 4^th quarter and we’re down by 3 points. 

I’ve recently found the same theory holds true after enduring emotional turmoil in real life.  Only it’s not my voice that is scratchy this time—it’s my writing.  Writers often talk about their voice meaning the aura of the written words they produce.  I’ve heard people refer to a strong voice, visual voice and even voice bleed, but no one ever talks about a lost voice.  So, in the interest of bloggyness I’m going to lay it out on the table.   

Just as I am prone to get lost in the excitement of a football game, I have spent this week lost in emotion over the passing of my mother.  After 2 years of illness, she finally couldn’t take any more and collapsed on the floor last week—her heart having stopped.  I had convinced myself she was recovering; we were making plans.  She was going to get well and I was going to help her regain her strength.  But, none of that was to be. Since the morning I got the phone call, I’ve been mired in a pit of despair.  There have been many tears and errant thoughts of wanting to ask her a question, or tell her how I feel.  I wrote her obituary for the newspaper.  I huddled close to family while funeral arrangements were made and carried out.  I cleaned up the medical equipment that surrounded her the last 2 years of her life and disposed of piles of medications... 

But now I’m home.  Life goes on.  Bills still arrive in the mailbox.  Supper needs to be cooked each day.  Laundry must be washed.  And, I need to get back to work writing.  The question is how to do that when the only thoughts filling my mind are memories of my mom and worry for my dad?  Mr. Alpha Male told me I had a dam of words built up in my mind and I had to break through it.  So this blog post is my first experiment in the process of breaking down that dam.  I’m talking about this under the assumption that writing begets more writing.  As someone who has the standard output of 2,000 words a day—every day—it’s difficult to see the word counter at the bottom of this post and know that I have struggled for 2 days to write 486 words.  And yet all I can do is keep writing.  After all, time doesn’t heal all wounds.  It’s what you do with that time that heals wounds.  And, the time in my life will be spent writing.

Have you ever lost your voice?  What did you do to get it back?