The editing is going at a snail’s pace, but it is going! Three chapters down, and I am moving on to the fourth.
The writing lesson for today is twofold: commit the time to writing and just keep slogging.
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Tag Archives: self-discipline
When Life Throws You a Curve Ball
It’s crazy. Just when I have plotted out my life for the next umpteen months and settled back to work the plan, Life throws me a curve ball. It shouldn’t surprise me.
Enough seasons have passed through my earth-bound existence that I should know better than to think any long-term plan will play out exactly as I have envisioned it. It must be the optimist in me, for I keep planning.
Or maybe it’s my insanity. You know the old definition of lunacy: doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different outcome.
However, my recent roadblocks are just that–little obstacles. The unanticipated hiccups don’t really change my plans. My destination is still the same: write books. Now, I will have a few detours through unfamiliar neighborhoods. That can be a good thing, right? It adds color, dimensions, flavor to my collection of life experience.
I’ll stop rambling and be more concrete.
I make my living by farming. I make hay, cut wood, and grow vegetables for selling. This year I planned to add the sale of landscaping stone to my product line. Due to another hiccup in my life plan, my way of making a living was to be more important than ever in 2013. But. . . .
Karma has other plans. I have torn my rotator cuff. I am scheduled for surgery soon and will be convalescing for six months afterward. No farming this season. No farming means no income.
Thankfully, there is nothing wrong with my brain. So I have to ask myself, is the Universe clearing a path for me to write?
From Dream to Reality
Dates don’t stick in my brain. That’s why I always disliked history classes. The tests seemed to focus on memorization of lots of dates. I was at an instant disadvantage. I would have preferred that the instructors focused on the lessons we can learn from history. If that had been the case, I likely would have majored in history. I love to learn. I hate memorization.
But I digress.
I was saying dates don’t stick in my brain. I can’t remember when I first decided that I would start a writers group. If I were to guess, I would say it was two years ago. About that time, I started attending writing workshops by mystery author Lauren Carr, hosted by different local libraries. In fact, it happened after the first Carr workshop, but before the second. At the second workshop is where I asked for anyone interested to give me his or her contact information.
It took a bit of time to find a meeting place. I had a list of 25 names. I had no idea how many would actually show up. Rose Harris, owner of a local coffee-house in historic Williamsport, MD, was willing to let the group use her back room free of charge two times per month. The local library also had a meeting room, but it was in high demand. The writers group may have to compete for meeting dates. That was no good. Plus, the library felt sterile. The vibe at the Desert Rose Cafe was nurturing, creative, friendly. As an added bonus, “the eats” were good and inexpensive.
It was the vibe that made the decision for me.
Over time the group whittled down to a dozen, then ten regulars. The group was very diverse, from writing styles to personalities to topical interests. Yet we jelled. We shared work by reading aloud. We criticized (in a constructive way) and guided each other in developing our craft. We encouraged and inspired each other.
The restaurant hosted a writing contest, posting short works from the group in the dining room, asking diners to read and vote on a winner.
We all were winners, because, after the contest, we decided to put together the Anthology. We had faith we could create a collection of short works, edit them, compile them, then publish them in a period of about six months.
With the professional assistance and coaching of Acorn Book Services in Harpers Ferry, WV, by December, 2012, the humble writers group–Writers of the Desert Rose Cafe–released its first e-book. The members range in age from 30 to 80-plus and live in a three state area.
One member with Asperger’s Syndrome remarked that the release date of the e-book was one of the greatest days in his life. During the course of writing for the Anthology, he made a decision to move out of his parents’ home and into his own apartment, so he could enroll in college. He is currently working on a solo writing project.
An administrator in the local library system called me a couple of days ago to express her surprise and joy that Writers of the Desert Rose Cafe had achieved its goal. She offered to help arrange publicity for the book through the local newspaper. In turn, I offered to promote the library workshops as wellsprings of creativity. Without the library’s workshop, the Anthology would never have been written.
An idea led to a call to action and resulted in the creation and e-printing of a publication. A young man’s life changed. Others came to see that setting a goal and working on it faithfully yielded results. Several are working on new solo projects.
Dreams do come true.
Writers of the Desert Rose Cafe, An Anthology, available from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble
Here
or here
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/writers-of-the-desert-rose-cafe-an-anthology-fay-moore/1114018983
A Series of Thoughts on the Power of the Mind, Part 3
“Our life is the creation of our mind.”
–Buddha
To close out this series, I am using the words of others to point out truisms–about the power of the mind–that have spanned all time. Look back to Part 1 and review the psychological laws. My hope is that you become aware of what you are attracting to yourself and that you use that awareness to improve your situation.
Through the power of your mind.
The Law of Attraction is a universal law that says all your thoughts, positive and negative, vibrate at a certain frequency and like attracts like. In other words, you get what you ask for – the frequency of your thoughts attract things to your life vibrating at the same frequency. This happens whether you are conscious of it or not.
–Life-changing-mind-power.com
“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Get out and get busy.”
–Dale Carnegie
“If you change your thoughts, words, actions, and your attitudes, your mind will update its rules according to the data it has gathered.”
–Susan Gray, author of the book Turn Your Thoughts into Money
Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
–Frank Outlaw, Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/805263
The laws of psychology teach, if you want to change your world, change your mind set.
Interview with Author A. J. Myers
If you enjoy author interviews, this is a good one because:
- this is the story of an author who discovered the writer within herself by surprise
- A. J. Myers is an every day, “real-world” woman who succeeded in publishing
- she gives helpful advice
- she models good author behavior — planning, discipline, fun
- she offers resources for writers
Thank you, Paige Nolley, WordPress blogger, for this insightful interview.
Sweet Tweets
Robert Stevenson is a former All-American athlete turned author and public speaker. His best-selling book How To Soar Like an Eagle in a World Full of Turkeys is a guide to being extraordinary and is widely acclaimed.
Stevenson recently wrote Pocketful of Tweets on Success, a collection of powerful principles written as tweets to be easily remembered and shared. He passes out bookmarks with a list of tweets he considers significant. A few are excerpted below:
- I wake up every morning knowing my success for today will not be based on yesterday’s victories nor tomorrow’s dreams. I must deliver TODAY.
- You can be beaten but not defeated, captured but not conquered, knocked down but not kept down. Success is a choice-attitude-mindset.
- In the overall scheme of success, being self-disciplined is the most important trait you must possess.
- The power of EXTRA – EXTRA effort, EXTRA study, EXTRA preparation, EXTRA time. . .when you put EXTRA into everything you do, you will succeed.
- If it is to be, it is up to me. Quit waiting for someone else to make your success happen.
- Associate with those who have integrity, character, intelligence, discipline and drive –good things will happen.
- Measure people by actions, not words, performance, not intentions, deeds, not wishes, and heart, not wealth.
- Winners dream, decide, devise and do. There is nothing passive about success.
Quit Beating Up on Myself
Once a month, I meet on a Wednesday afternoon with a group of local writers. Some have already been published. Some hope to be someday. The purpose of meeting is to support each other’s writing habit.
Lately, I have reviewed the progress I have made in the past 12 months toward completing my first murder mystery. I have made it to Chapter 13.
If I have learned anything, it’s that book writing is more than putting words on a page. It’s learning from the experience of others who have already successfully sold a book. It is developing a support system to assist with hurdles like time management, writer’s block, procrastination. It is honing skills, not only in story telling, but also in public relations and finance. It’s learning to use social media effectively. It’s finding the right professionals to edit, publish and groom your product. And more.
I was beating myself up for moving at the speed of an earthworm.
Upon reflection I realized I have:
- attended a writers conference
- executed the advice I received at the writers conference
- blogged almost daily for a year
- attended classes on writing by professional authors
- started a local writers group and conducted meetings for more than six months
- organized a Date to Write group that meets twice per month
- completed twelve chapters (first draft) on a novel
- dreamed up story lines for two more novels to work on when #1 is done
So when I look back, I pat myself on the back for productivity. I am on the beginning of a learning curve. My output will not be as fast as those with more knowledge and experience. I calculate that between blogging and book writing, I have averaged 250+ words per day for a period of twelve months.
I have earned the first level on Inkygirl Debbie Ridpath Ohi’s Writer Challenge. For more information, look here:
http://inkygirl.com/250-words-a-day-project/
Fay Moore: I Want To Be a Writer 