Sir Hawthorn waited outside the King's chamber. He was nervous, which was unusual. On a normal day while visiting his King, he felt at peace, happy, and in awe to be in the presence of such a King as he had the pleasure of serving. But today... today was different. He had no happy tidings to bring, no questions or requests that needed answering. Today he was only to give an account of the recent quest he had returned from.
"The King will see you now," the page announced. Sir Hawthorn jumped slightly, being drawn out of his reverie rather suddenly. He stood, nodded, straightened his uniform, and followed the page's lead. He tried to calm the nervous butterflies in his stomach, but to no avail. How was one supposed to even prepare for such a task as this?
As he entered his King's chamber, he took a deep breath and kept his eyes on the ground. He could not bring himself to look upon his King's majesty. Not like this.
"Sir Hawthorn! My faithful servant, how are you?" The King exclaimed, coming down from the throne and extending his arms for a warm embrace. Sir Hawthorn ducked his head in a quick salute, but stepped back quickly to evade the embrace.
"My Lord, you will not think so highly of me once you have heard my news," Sir Hawthorn, eyes still lowered, willed his voice not to tremble. He had gotten the first part out. Now to just tell the news.
"What is it, my son? You do not need to fear telling me anything. Come, sit and talk," The King motioned to two chairs by a table. Sir Hawthorn reluctantly followed and took a seat beside his King. He felt ashamed to be sitting so near to Him.
"Now tell me, what is it that troubles you?" the King asked, in a gentle voice.
Sir Hawthorn did his best to keep the tears from rolling down his face, yet one escaped and slowly made a trail down his cheek. "I have failed you, my Lord. Yes, I have failed you," the last words were barely whispered.
"Ah, I see..... I believe I know what you are talking about," the King answered, slowly.
"What? But how could you? I've only just returned," Sir Hawthorn replied, confused.
"Yes, that is so. But I still know. You feel you have failed because your recent quest failed. Is this correct?"
Sir Hawthorn stared at the King for a moment, surprised. "Yes... yes, this is so,"
The King smiled sadly at Sir Hawthorn. "My son, you did not fail me. Not in the way you think. Your quest failed because it was a quest of your own making. I did not send you on the quest and you did not even seek my permission,"
"But I saw a need, Sire, and my desire to serve this need was great!" Sir Hawthorn argued.
"Indeed! I saw it was so. But still, this quest was not of my making and therefore, you feel as if you have failed because your quest did not end as planned."
Sir Hawthorn sat quietly, realizing his King's words were true indeed.
"My son, did you receive my letter for the quest that I would have had you go on?"
"Yes," Sir Hawthorn replied quietly, once again looking at the ground in shame.
"And did you receive them before, or during your own quest?"
"Once before, sire, and once during," Sir Hawthorn replied, beginning to realize where this was going.
"Indeed, it was so. I knew you had gone on a quest of your own. I knew you were thinking of going on this quest before you even went! This was why I sent you the instructions for mine. And when you still left for your own, I sent you instructions once more, in hopes that you would listen and return home."
"But, my Lord, I felt that there was greater need for my quest. That it was more... important."
The King smiled sadly and looked into Sir Hawthorn's eyes. "And that, my son, is where you are very wrong. No quest of mine is too great or too small for the one I have given it to. You need only listen and fulfill that quest as best you are able in order to please me. I cannot make you go on the quests I send you. I do not want to make you. I wish for you to serve me with your whole heart and willingly because you choose to do so,"
"Yes, my Lord," Sir Hawthorn replied. "But the fact remains, that I *have* failed you,"
"Nay, that is not so. My quest is still standing. It still needs to be done. And there is time to complete it."
"But, my Lord.... I feel.. I feel as if I am not able to complete it. Not without your help,"
The King smiled and took Sir Hawthorn's hand. "And my help I will certainly give you, my son. You need only ask and I shall be by your side,"
Sir Hawthorn smiled and bowed his head, "Then I have only to receive Your instructions once again, my Lord, and I shall go on Your quest."
Have you ever felt like you 'failed' the Lord? Like He had given you a task to do, but somehow that task got lost among the many other 'bigger' things you could be doing?
I know I've had it. Many, many times. In fact, I had it just recently. The sense of failure. The knowing that I wasn't doing what I was supposed to be doing.
See, as a writer, we sometimes get stuck in this sense of 'must be doing, must be doing'. And we're finding out what the most popular genre is at the moment so we can write some epic and amazing novel to put out there on the shelves of millions of book stores around the world. We start losing track of what our main goal is.
My most recent one was NaNoWriMo. I've written before about why I love this contest, so I won't repeat it again. But I was ready to participate and win and write a novel that I would publish and would become New York's Best seller, etc, etc, etc. But I had something missing in my plan. A really big thing; God. I didn't have God in any of these plans. Sure I sort of halfheartedly prayed that God would give me inspiration and guidance on how to write this novel, but I wasn't focused on serving Him in it. I was focused on serving myself. I was tired of only being known as a 'children's author'. I wanted to write something my friends would read and actually enjoy. I wanted to write something that would become popular and talked about. I, I, I, I..... it's all about self.
So one evening, while driving home from work, I turned on the radio and heard a song. I don't remember what it was called or who it was by. But I do remember this... it was talking about "less of me, more of You, that who I want to be,". And the words struck a chord in my heart as I realized, "Lord, I have failed you. You gave me a task. A task that I thought was too small and not big enough. I got caught up in what the World thought of me instead of seeking You on a daily basis,". I started crying. Because you know what? This wasn't the first time I'd made that mistake. No, sir. I wish it was, but it wasn't.
As I cried, asking the Lord for forgiveness. And as I prayed, He said to me, "You haven't failed. Do the task that I already gave you and seek Me on it."
And so, feeling renewed again to go about my task, I began afresh. And isn't that wonderful that we can do that? That the Lord's mercies are new EVERY morning? It's beautiful and humbling.
So I 'failed' NaNoWriMo. I didn't get in a word count. I didn't get very far in my story. But I learned something far more valuable from it than I could have ever learned on my own. I may never come out with some big novel that hits the top 10 in book stores. Yet I will have something far better because it is the task, the quest that the Lord has given to me. And it is my honor to complete it, despite what others say, despite what I think, and despite the nagging that Satan gives me to tempt me to do something else.
And I have a feeling that this time, with the Lord by my side on His quest, I won't fail.
Showing posts with label NaNoWriMo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NaNoWriMo. Show all posts
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Friday, November 14, 2014
Sprinter Authors vs. Marathon Authors
For many of you, NaNoWriMo is half way through! For some of us who are just getting into it, it's only the beginning.
However, whether you be a late starter or one of the many crazy people who wait until the first wee hours of Nov. 1st to begin, we all have one thing in common:
LACK OF MOTIVATION
Today, as I was taking a walk outside, I started to prepare myself mentally for the challenge up ahead. Due to a surgery that I recently had done and some other things going on, I have yet to officially start my NaNo project. Yes, I only have 17 days left. Yes, that means almost 3,000 words per day.... Yet, I'm determined to keep at it. Why? Because I'm stubborn. There really isn't much more than that...
However, I also have this thing called 'motivation'. See, one of the reasons why I have enjoyed NaNo, even though this will only be my second time doing it, is because it resembles a sprint. Short, sweet, hard, and to the point.
Since the day I was born, I was destined to be a sprinter. Why? It's simple: body build. Have you ever looked at the differences in the bodies of sprinters and marathon runners? Sprinters have built up that bulky muscle that delivers results quickly and in a powerful way. Marathon runners are lean, mean, and can run... and run.... and run... and... you get the point.
My body build is more similar to a sprinter... which isn't a problem because most tasks around here on the ranch require shorter, powerful bursts of energy (like chasing down a cow... and yes, that does happen frequently...)
However, what are our mind muscles like? And I say mind muscles to describe our thinking tanks...
Do we work in short bursts of inspiration, or are we able to see the long goal? For me, I tend to focus in on the short term. What can I get done today, where I am I going next with my story, etc. For others, they think out the long term. How shall I end my story, where will I tie it in with my next novel, and when can I start marketing?
As you may have guessed, similar to my body build, my mind build is more sprinter-like. I don't tend to think in long goals. I've always had trouble writing up an outline... I've been known to change my story up almost constantly... However, that's how I work best. It doesn't mean I'm a bad author for it, it just means that I work differently than others.
Some people can sit down and write for hours on end, knowing exactly where they are going with their story, how to get it accomplished, bada bing, bada boom.
Others, like me, usually wait to write until inspiration hits them. Then boom! We go all crazy, staying up until the wee hours of the morning, because we had a moment of inspiration and we must write it down!
To go back to our sprinters and marathon runners, it's rather interesting that they can only do the one thing they've trained for. Marathon runners couldn't compete in a sprint because they don't have enough powerhouse energy to win in short distances... but Sprinters would lose in a marathon because they only know how to give out short term bursts of speed... they don't know how to control their output.
I was thinking that it would be neat if writers could be a good mix of both. Sprinter authors like me tend to not get as much done... unless they've trained themselves to have dedication and perseverance. Marathon authors can sometimes go overboard with their writing. Yes, they know where they are going and how to get there, but sometimes they take the looong way around. As a reader, I always disliked books that were super descriptive (to the point of being super boring) or just dragged out the storyline. I used to joke with my family saying, "You know when this book was written, right? When they paid the author per word...."
So how in the world do we get a balance? Well, I can really only speak from my side of things. For us sprinters, we need to work on training ourselves. Don't lose your creative bursts of energy and inspiration, but learn how to channel that into more frequent writing times. Don't let weeks or months pass by without writing simply because you 'don't have the inspiration'... Trust me, it doesn't work out so well for you in the end. Instead, start training yourself by making yourself sit down and write. But here's a tip: the writing doesn't have to happen in your novel.. it could just be an email or a letter or a journal entry... but whatever you do, just write!
For you marathon authors, hone in on those creative juices. Discipline is good in book writing, especially if you want to do this for a living or you have a deadline to meet... but have fun with your writing. Don't make it a 'check list' item... If you do, it will become just that and your readers will know the difference. Trust me.
Let's become Marathinters. Ready to reach the long goal, but focusing on those shorts bursts as we go along our way.
So put your music on, get that cup of coffee or tea or whatever drink you like while writing, and let's finish up November with a whopping 50,000!!!
However, whether you be a late starter or one of the many crazy people who wait until the first wee hours of Nov. 1st to begin, we all have one thing in common:
LACK OF MOTIVATION
Today, as I was taking a walk outside, I started to prepare myself mentally for the challenge up ahead. Due to a surgery that I recently had done and some other things going on, I have yet to officially start my NaNo project. Yes, I only have 17 days left. Yes, that means almost 3,000 words per day.... Yet, I'm determined to keep at it. Why? Because I'm stubborn. There really isn't much more than that...
However, I also have this thing called 'motivation'. See, one of the reasons why I have enjoyed NaNo, even though this will only be my second time doing it, is because it resembles a sprint. Short, sweet, hard, and to the point.
Since the day I was born, I was destined to be a sprinter. Why? It's simple: body build. Have you ever looked at the differences in the bodies of sprinters and marathon runners? Sprinters have built up that bulky muscle that delivers results quickly and in a powerful way. Marathon runners are lean, mean, and can run... and run.... and run... and... you get the point.
My body build is more similar to a sprinter... which isn't a problem because most tasks around here on the ranch require shorter, powerful bursts of energy (like chasing down a cow... and yes, that does happen frequently...)
However, what are our mind muscles like? And I say mind muscles to describe our thinking tanks...
Do we work in short bursts of inspiration, or are we able to see the long goal? For me, I tend to focus in on the short term. What can I get done today, where I am I going next with my story, etc. For others, they think out the long term. How shall I end my story, where will I tie it in with my next novel, and when can I start marketing?
As you may have guessed, similar to my body build, my mind build is more sprinter-like. I don't tend to think in long goals. I've always had trouble writing up an outline... I've been known to change my story up almost constantly... However, that's how I work best. It doesn't mean I'm a bad author for it, it just means that I work differently than others.
Some people can sit down and write for hours on end, knowing exactly where they are going with their story, how to get it accomplished, bada bing, bada boom.
Others, like me, usually wait to write until inspiration hits them. Then boom! We go all crazy, staying up until the wee hours of the morning, because we had a moment of inspiration and we must write it down!
To go back to our sprinters and marathon runners, it's rather interesting that they can only do the one thing they've trained for. Marathon runners couldn't compete in a sprint because they don't have enough powerhouse energy to win in short distances... but Sprinters would lose in a marathon because they only know how to give out short term bursts of speed... they don't know how to control their output.
I was thinking that it would be neat if writers could be a good mix of both. Sprinter authors like me tend to not get as much done... unless they've trained themselves to have dedication and perseverance. Marathon authors can sometimes go overboard with their writing. Yes, they know where they are going and how to get there, but sometimes they take the looong way around. As a reader, I always disliked books that were super descriptive (to the point of being super boring) or just dragged out the storyline. I used to joke with my family saying, "You know when this book was written, right? When they paid the author per word...."
So how in the world do we get a balance? Well, I can really only speak from my side of things. For us sprinters, we need to work on training ourselves. Don't lose your creative bursts of energy and inspiration, but learn how to channel that into more frequent writing times. Don't let weeks or months pass by without writing simply because you 'don't have the inspiration'... Trust me, it doesn't work out so well for you in the end. Instead, start training yourself by making yourself sit down and write. But here's a tip: the writing doesn't have to happen in your novel.. it could just be an email or a letter or a journal entry... but whatever you do, just write!
For you marathon authors, hone in on those creative juices. Discipline is good in book writing, especially if you want to do this for a living or you have a deadline to meet... but have fun with your writing. Don't make it a 'check list' item... If you do, it will become just that and your readers will know the difference. Trust me.
Let's become Marathinters. Ready to reach the long goal, but focusing on those shorts bursts as we go along our way.
So put your music on, get that cup of coffee or tea or whatever drink you like while writing, and let's finish up November with a whopping 50,000!!!
Monday, December 2, 2013
November is Finished, but the Writing is Not!
Hello fellow Writers!
I don't know about anyone else, but I'm slightly relieved November is over. It was a grueling month of sitting at a computer for so many hours a week. Not really fun (for me, anyway!). I enjoy writing, but I just don't care for the process- the sitting, the thinking, the brain blocks, etc.
However, I am very excited to say that I am a NaNoWriMo Winner!
I seriously could not have done it without my family. They are really great. My mom made sure I had plenty of time to write during the day so I was staying up super late at night (which basically means that she either took over some of my chores, or helped out to make it go faster). Then my siblings were great, too, in that aspect of taking over chores or just being an encourager to me. My younger brother often came to see how my word count was doing, give me a high five, give me chocolate, etc. Yeah, he's great. :-)
My dad helped me keep on track with his words of wisdom: "It's not how many words you write, but what you write that counts." It helped me realize that even if I didn't win NaNo this year, so long as I was satisfied with my writing and felt that I did my best, then that's all that mattered.
One of the biggest challenges for me (and hopefully others, so I'm not alone here!) was making sure I didn't write tons of words, but a story. See, it's easy to get caught up in just writing whatever so that you get as many words in as possible. It really doesn't matter. Honestly, if you're a good writer, you can tell a story in 20, 000 words as opposed to 50, 000 and still do a good job. It's easy to write up a LONG description of a flower on the hillside of some obscure mountain when it really has nothing to do with your story. Its easy to keep repeating the same thing over and over, just in a different way, so you can get your word count up. Yet the hidden point to NaNo, I think, isn't really about hitting that 50, 000 word mark, but it's about making yourself write to reach a goal. However, it is a public goal, therefore you have accountability. If you don't reach that 50, 000 words or don't even write much at all, folks are going to see it. I don't know about you, but that tends to really kick it for me. I don't like failing. I really don't- especially when it comes to writing. I want to be able to accomplish what I've set out to do. Yet there were several times last month that I thought for sure I wouldn't make the goal. Determination set in, however (or perhaps it's just pure stubborness), and, Praise the Lord, I was able to make it.
Now that the month of November is over, I start thinking that I can take it easy... but the reality is, I can't. Not if I want to succeed with my writing, if I want to get my book published.
I'd love to take a break, and yesterday and today I have. However, I am now making a public goal. To finish the novel I started in November by December 31st. Sounds like a tough goal at first, but hey, I just wrote over 50,000 words in one month! I'm already a little more than halfway through my story (the actual story, not word count).
So here is my public announcement that I am setting out to do this. This means that I need you, my fellow writers, to hold me accountable. Sure, I don't have a fancy word counter so that you can see where I'm at, but I do have this blog. I can come and post every so often (can't promise a certain schedule) so that I can be held accountable. If I know I have to come here every week or so to post about how I'm doing, I'm going to be getting in a lot of writing.
However, there is a second goal here... and that is to post more regularly on here. I'm not exactly sure what I'll post about, but I've got a few ideas churning around in my head. So we shall see what we shall see. In any case, I'm glad to be able to pop my head up for a bit of 'blogging air', and now I get to burrow it again in the 'writing sand'... only, now I'll hopefully have more "air" breaks. ;-)
Happy Writing!
I don't know about anyone else, but I'm slightly relieved November is over. It was a grueling month of sitting at a computer for so many hours a week. Not really fun (for me, anyway!). I enjoy writing, but I just don't care for the process- the sitting, the thinking, the brain blocks, etc.
However, I am very excited to say that I am a NaNoWriMo Winner!
I seriously could not have done it without my family. They are really great. My mom made sure I had plenty of time to write during the day so I was staying up super late at night (which basically means that she either took over some of my chores, or helped out to make it go faster). Then my siblings were great, too, in that aspect of taking over chores or just being an encourager to me. My younger brother often came to see how my word count was doing, give me a high five, give me chocolate, etc. Yeah, he's great. :-)
My dad helped me keep on track with his words of wisdom: "It's not how many words you write, but what you write that counts." It helped me realize that even if I didn't win NaNo this year, so long as I was satisfied with my writing and felt that I did my best, then that's all that mattered.
One of the biggest challenges for me (and hopefully others, so I'm not alone here!) was making sure I didn't write tons of words, but a story. See, it's easy to get caught up in just writing whatever so that you get as many words in as possible. It really doesn't matter. Honestly, if you're a good writer, you can tell a story in 20, 000 words as opposed to 50, 000 and still do a good job. It's easy to write up a LONG description of a flower on the hillside of some obscure mountain when it really has nothing to do with your story. Its easy to keep repeating the same thing over and over, just in a different way, so you can get your word count up. Yet the hidden point to NaNo, I think, isn't really about hitting that 50, 000 word mark, but it's about making yourself write to reach a goal. However, it is a public goal, therefore you have accountability. If you don't reach that 50, 000 words or don't even write much at all, folks are going to see it. I don't know about you, but that tends to really kick it for me. I don't like failing. I really don't- especially when it comes to writing. I want to be able to accomplish what I've set out to do. Yet there were several times last month that I thought for sure I wouldn't make the goal. Determination set in, however (or perhaps it's just pure stubborness), and, Praise the Lord, I was able to make it.
Now that the month of November is over, I start thinking that I can take it easy... but the reality is, I can't. Not if I want to succeed with my writing, if I want to get my book published.
I'd love to take a break, and yesterday and today I have. However, I am now making a public goal. To finish the novel I started in November by December 31st. Sounds like a tough goal at first, but hey, I just wrote over 50,000 words in one month! I'm already a little more than halfway through my story (the actual story, not word count).
So here is my public announcement that I am setting out to do this. This means that I need you, my fellow writers, to hold me accountable. Sure, I don't have a fancy word counter so that you can see where I'm at, but I do have this blog. I can come and post every so often (can't promise a certain schedule) so that I can be held accountable. If I know I have to come here every week or so to post about how I'm doing, I'm going to be getting in a lot of writing.
However, there is a second goal here... and that is to post more regularly on here. I'm not exactly sure what I'll post about, but I've got a few ideas churning around in my head. So we shall see what we shall see. In any case, I'm glad to be able to pop my head up for a bit of 'blogging air', and now I get to burrow it again in the 'writing sand'... only, now I'll hopefully have more "air" breaks. ;-)
Happy Writing!
Friday, November 1, 2013
NaNoWriMo Begins!
It's amazing how a few words can make a person ecstatic. I am completely stoked about the month of November. Of course, there are a bunch of things going on (including seeing some dear friends who live in another state!), but the main thing is NaNo. I've never done this, as I mentioned before, so perhaps that's why I'm so excited- I don't know yet how hard it will be! ;-)
50,000 words is a lot. Especially when you average it out 1,667 words a day (or something close to that!) What will be interesting to see is how much I'll actually get done in a day. Can I actually write that many words in ONE day?? Or do I usually write more on a regular basis? It will also be interesting to see if I can keep my procrastinating nature in check. I will be extremely busy this month (aside from NaNo), so that means I'll have to work extra hard and keep focused. However, I know that no matter how it goes-whether I fail or win- so long as I keep my writing glorifying to God and never give up, then I have already won. It doesn't matter what the word count is, or if I actually finish the novel. It just matters that I keep my mind and heart focused on Christ, no matter what.
Now, to my fellow NaNoWriMo-ers, lets get to it and keep at it! :-) To those who maybe want to join and haven't yet- it still isn't too late! It's just the first day, so you have time! Jump on in and give it a go! The cool thing, too, is that if you are under the age of 16, there is a youth division where you get to set your own goals. Sounds really neat! And you'll get to meet a bunch of other writers, too!
Well, off to write! Be sure to check for updates and possibly a few snippets from the book I'll be writing!
Happy NaNoWriMo-ing!
50,000 words is a lot. Especially when you average it out 1,667 words a day (or something close to that!) What will be interesting to see is how much I'll actually get done in a day. Can I actually write that many words in ONE day?? Or do I usually write more on a regular basis? It will also be interesting to see if I can keep my procrastinating nature in check. I will be extremely busy this month (aside from NaNo), so that means I'll have to work extra hard and keep focused. However, I know that no matter how it goes-whether I fail or win- so long as I keep my writing glorifying to God and never give up, then I have already won. It doesn't matter what the word count is, or if I actually finish the novel. It just matters that I keep my mind and heart focused on Christ, no matter what.
Now, to my fellow NaNoWriMo-ers, lets get to it and keep at it! :-) To those who maybe want to join and haven't yet- it still isn't too late! It's just the first day, so you have time! Jump on in and give it a go! The cool thing, too, is that if you are under the age of 16, there is a youth division where you get to set your own goals. Sounds really neat! And you'll get to meet a bunch of other writers, too!
Well, off to write! Be sure to check for updates and possibly a few snippets from the book I'll be writing!
Happy NaNoWriMo-ing!
Sunday, October 27, 2013
NaNoWriMo
Hello fellow writers!
I'm very excited to announce that I will be joining up in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The goal is to write 50,000 (yes, that is fifty thousand... I didn't accidentally add another zero) words in one month. That averages out to about 1600 words a day. That's a lot of writing! I think it will be a super neat challenge, though. Obviously, if you don't complete, it isn't the end of the world. However, there is something about working hard and winning. Don't know if that will happen with me, but I'm going to certainly try! If I do get it (or even if I don't) y'all can plan on seeing a new book being released... *wiggles eyebrows*. I won't tell ya anything about it now, but suffice it to say that it isn't in the children's genre. :-)
If you'd like to join up, that would be fantastic!! Visit the link for the NaNoWriMo official site, and sign up! It's easy, free, and you get to have writing buddies! Can it get any better? Oh yes, add to the list that you actually have a super good excuse to skip school and write... just joking. I don't think that would go over well with parents or teachers. ;-) However, it might be a really good way to motivate you to write more. Get some buddies who can encourage you, write along with you, etc.
Happy writing!
I'm very excited to announce that I will be joining up in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The goal is to write 50,000 (yes, that is fifty thousand... I didn't accidentally add another zero) words in one month. That averages out to about 1600 words a day. That's a lot of writing! I think it will be a super neat challenge, though. Obviously, if you don't complete, it isn't the end of the world. However, there is something about working hard and winning. Don't know if that will happen with me, but I'm going to certainly try! If I do get it (or even if I don't) y'all can plan on seeing a new book being released... *wiggles eyebrows*. I won't tell ya anything about it now, but suffice it to say that it isn't in the children's genre. :-)
If you'd like to join up, that would be fantastic!! Visit the link for the NaNoWriMo official site, and sign up! It's easy, free, and you get to have writing buddies! Can it get any better? Oh yes, add to the list that you actually have a super good excuse to skip school and write... just joking. I don't think that would go over well with parents or teachers. ;-) However, it might be a really good way to motivate you to write more. Get some buddies who can encourage you, write along with you, etc.
Happy writing!
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