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!!!

The Melody of Life

The melody of life though very old and frail,
Yet strong and firm as a navy ship's sail.
Each note sings of joys and sorrows,
The wonder of mercies new on the 'morrow.

Though no one can see it 
Though only the bearer can hear it,
It floats on heavenly wings to you and me,
Breathing life into everything we see. 

Each note brings something new
To ponder and question alike.
Much like the bright morning dew,
It sparkles and dances in the sunlight.

Each new day a bar and measure
Every moment a note to savor.
The melody of life flows strong in the veins,
Untouchable and unbreakable in life's stormy rains.

Yet many do not listen to this melody so strong,
Ignoring it for material and worldly things instead.
For the beauty of this song lies not within itself,
But instead comes from the Giver of them all.

For He who gives the melodies so tender and so sweet,
Makes each one so very special and unique.
No two are ever quite the same,
Yet listen to the sound it makes.

The melody of life is one that covers all space and time,
Woven inside the magnificent tapestry of grace and love.
For each new thread that's added into this paradigm,
The Giver shares a melody from His throne above. 

~Sarah Elizabeth

Knowing Your Characters

How do you get to really know your characters? How do you get to know them to their fullest extent when you only have your perception of them to rely on?

Think of the people around you. So many different characters and personalities. Keyword: personalities. Our personalities are really what set us apart. Yes there may be profiling for about 4-5 personality 'types', but each of us is still so unique. Which means your characters need to be unique. There needs to be certain qualities or traits about your character that confuses even you. Why? Because you can't relate to that certain personality... but a reader will.

One of my favorite books is " Atonement Child" by Francine Rivers (not recommended for younger ages because of themes). The reason it's my favorite is 1) it deals with an issue I am very passionate about. 2) The characters were so well developed I was getting SO annoyed with some characters (because I just couldn't understand why they were doing such and such because I'm not that personality) and I was also feeling, literally feeling, the pain and misery of another because I could relate to that personality. See, sometimes it's not about the experiences the character goes through, but the way they go through it and handle it that our readers relate to the most.

My family and I took a personality test recently. It was neat (And slightly creepy) seeing how accurate it was. However, as I was listening to my sister read off all the descriptions of the our personalities, I realized something. I didn't understand or know why my family members did half the things they did until I heard their personality. It was a 'light bulb' moment of "Aha! I see why they get upset over this or why they sometimes just need to hole up for a few days to 'recharge'..."  (from that comment I should say that was dealing with my sister. I'm the kind of person who usually recharges by being around people. Very rarely do I need to 'hole up'...)

When you're writing, you're developing characters. You're doing your best to make them come alive, to make your readers love or hate them. Yet when you are doing this, you are only writing from your perspective. Your personality may match one character, but it shouldn't match all of them. Which means Bob may not react the same way to a situation like Susie does. Which also means this should frustrate you.

I know it sounds really odd... but think about it. If you get frustrated with your family members because you just don't understand why they're doing something a certain way or WHY they have to be SO stubborn over something else, then you should get that same feeling with your characters. If you don't, you're making them too much like you. You understand them too well.

Now wait a minute, you say. How can I write a good book if I don't know my characters that well?

I'll tell you.

You need to understand them... but there also needs to be an air of mystery. No one understands another person perfectly. Even married couples have a hard time understanding one another 100% of the time. So how do you write a character and develop it well enough that your readers love/hate him?

P.e.r.s.o.n.a.l.i.t.y.

You need to get to understand your characters personality. There are many different personality profiles you can follow (DISC profiling, ENFP profiling, etc, just to name a couple). You need to pick one and then follow it. Read up on all the different personalities. DISC profiling can especially get creative because you might have a character that is CD with a bit of I thrown in... or ID with some C.

Or you might want to go with an overall basic covering of a few personalities, highlight some of the bigger 'traits' and work from there. Our family did the ENFP type test. (Quick overview below). Just look at all the different character traits you get right there! And if you want more detail, you can go to the test sight and view all the different personalities in depth: http://www.16personalities.com/ 

Another great way is if you sort of profile a character off of someone you know (generally a good idea to get permission first!). Then you can ask them how they would react to certain situations. I know that, being a woman, I really don't understand guys. I mean, growing up with a great dad and two brothers definitely gave me a better perception than some, but I still don't *really* understand them. I tend to want to put a romantic/soft/unrealistic side to them that maybe only exists in a few guys. If you think about it, guys tend to like your macho man (think Jason Bourne, Captain America, James Bond, etc). Whereas we girls tend to write them up as being these super sweet, always sensitive, way too romantic, there to catch us when we faint, unrealistic guys. Now, I'm not saying that guys *aren't* sweet and romantic.. but they do those things in their own way!!! In fact, I remember another woman talking about how her husband bought her a football jersey of her favorite team. Now to her, he was being the most romantic man on earth. For me (who doesn't care for football much), I was thinking, "Really?" However, it was a good lesson for me that everyone has their own way of showing affection or anger or sadness, etc. (And just a tip, I've asked my dad and brothers countless questions of "if you were doing this, what would you be thinking about.." or "If this situation came up, what would you do?". Trust me, it's awesome having insider information!)

Therefore, let your character be different! Don't limit them to being your perception, but let them come alive as relatable characters to your readers!

Tidbits and Updates

I feel that I have sorely been neglecting my poor blog here. Of course, I suppose that it has really moved from simply feeling it to actually knowing it. In any case, I do apologize for the lack of posts. The last couple of months have been teaching me that I do have a life outside of being an author and sometimes that life takes precedence over my writing. However, our crazy hectic schedule should soon come to... Well, maybe not a complete halt, but a more orderly sort of crazy hectic. The new school year is about to begin, schedules are finally getting ironed out, and the office is getting put back together again. So, hopefully, you'll be seeing more posts from me!

In case anyone is wondering, or cares to know what's been going on, I'll give a quick sum up. 

I recently got another nannying job, so I'm now working 2 days a week. Huge blessing for me and I was just praising the Lord when I found out I had gotten the position. New and upcoming authors really don't make enough to support themselves, so I needed another job. However, I do still have activities throughout the week that I help out with, so I was hoping for something that was part time. A second nanny position was perfect. So I now have specific days set aside for 'office work' to do ranching paperwork and writing. Plus I have days set aside for volunteer things and teaching fiddle and nannying. Needless to say, I'm very glad to be getting in a set schedule (although, I say 'set' very lightly because we all know how schedules go...) =) 

Other news would just be that ranching has also been something going on. However, that is always going on, so it's nothing new. However, the newest projects have probably been the landscaping of our front yard and putting in a volleyball court. After living here for 8 years and realizing that growing grass just wasn't going to happen, we finally just put in some pretty rock and landscaped it a bit. It has definitely cut down on the amount of dirt blowing around! The volleyball court is like the family treat. We all love playing volleyball, so we saved up corn market money from last year and are putting it to use. =) It will be nice to have something the whole family can participate in for the lovely fall evenings we've got coming up. 

Also, I've got a fun writing challenge planned.. so be checking out my FaceBook page and Google+ to find out more details!

Now, to close this up, I shall post a little tidbit of a book I'm slowly working on. 

When she got to the little stream that ran through the hills, Nareena sat down on a large rock and pulled her knees up close to her chest. She watched as the water tumbled over its bed. Pebbles beneath the surface made the water swirl in different patterns as it continued on its merry way. Nareena listened as the stream seemed to laugh as it bubbled and trickled. 

When We Wish We Had Superpowers

Do you remember when you were little? Remember playing superheros and coming up with all sorts of crazy super powers you had? I usually went with the drastic side and just said I had the superpower to defeat all other superpowers... Huh. Made for an interesting game with my brothers anyway.

I've outgrown so many of those games now, but I realized that I sometimes wish I could go back... It would be so nice if I could pretend, or better yet, actually have, the superpower to overcome that infernal thing called 'writers block'....

Seems like I wrote a post somewhere on how to tackle this little problem.. but, as is usually the case with 'professionals', we can be wrong! After exhausting all my 'brilliant' ideas, I find myself at a standstill with my writing. For me, this is especially frustrating because I no longer have control over my story. Rather difficult to write when you can't think of anything to write down.

Here is where it, once again, turns into a life lesson for me... It is actually rather interesting to see how many times the Lord has used my writing to teach me something. Probably more times than I would care to admit, but it's true.

This time He seems to be teaching me that, even if I have this 'schedule' in my mind of how this will all work out, even if I make myself sit down and write to 'train myself', even if I rack my brain for every possible idea that would fit in my story, He still has control. I guess He must be using this current writers block to teach me something, but I'm not exactly sure what just yet... however, here is something that I seem to have to learn over and over again....

See, sometimes there is a little thing that creeps into my writing... it's just a small thing, really, but it can make BIG problems. It's name is Pride. Ever heard of it? It can be rather frustrating, indeed.

When I was younger, I had dreams of being on Oprah and the Good Morning show for being the youngest novelist out there. The youngest novelist that actually wrote a good story, I should say. One that stunned adults with its complex plot twists and amazing conclusion. Yet, the years slipped by and nothing of the sort happened. If anything, I think it steered me away from actually reaching those goals. What happened instead is that nothing was perfect like I planned. My sentences sounded silly and unpolished, my storyline too plain. Therefore, I just didn't write. What was the point if it wasn't *perfect*?

Well, now that I'm 20 and only one book published so far (and not even an adult book, at that!), I've learned a lot. For one thing, it doesn't have to be perfect. That's why you edit. Yes, editing is a pain in the neck and really annoying, but it is something that has to be done in the writing process. Then, of course, you have to break it up into two different types of editing. What?!?! Yes, I know. Terrible. It's like multiplying the enemy by two. You have grammatical editing and then structure editing. The grammatical editing is probably the easiest because, when you are in the middle of a thought, it's hard to remember how to do your punctuations and such. The structure editing, however, is the toughest.  This is the part where you literally get your baby, er, I mean manuscript torn apart. It is extremely painful.

When I first started writing, I couldn't stand a single word of criticism against my writing. It cut me to the core if anyone made a suggestion on how I should change something. You may think I'm over exaggerating, but just ask any one of my family members.

However, here is an amazing thing I've learned. There is a way to disconnect yourself from your manuscript. See, when people criticise, we tend to think it reflects back on us and that they are criticising us. This is, of course, not true, but we feel it all the same.

As a writer, I think this is probably the most critical in your writing career. It doesn't even matter if you're good at telling a story at this point. What's important is learning to disconnect at the appropriate times.

So how do we do this? Because obviously you can't be emotionally disconnected when you are writing an emotional scene in your book. It wouldn't have that push and shove you're striving for if you did that. It would be bland and boring. In fact, in all of your writing, you have to have emotional connections. Yet, when it comes to editing, how do we pull that plug?

First thing you need to do is realize that your critics are *not* your enemies. They are not out to hurt or kill you, they really simply are doing their job: critiquing. You do your job of writing and they do their job of critiquing. Simple as that. Realizing this, now, will help you move beyond feeling like they are trying to stab in you in the back just because they 'don't like you' or wish they were published, too, so now they are going to slam you down with hate. True, there are some out there who do that, but for the most part, the ones critiquing your book are not like that. They truly want the best for you and only want to help polish up your book to make it shine.

Once you've got that fixed in your head (and it might take a while! I know it did for me.) you can now move on to step two. Try to have most of your critiquing and editing done via email. Don't have someone read part of your book in front of you, and don't ask for their opinion right away. For one thing you *both* need time to process. The reader needs to process what they've just read before they can give an honest opinion, and you need time to process what they say. With email, you can each reply at your leisure. They can come up with more tactful ways to critique/edit and you have time to read the email, process the information, then get back to them.  Even when I send things to my mom or sister to edit, I ask them to please reply to the email. It doesn't matter that we live in the same house and see each other every day. We don't even talk about it unless I bring up the subject. They've learned that sometimes I'm just not ready for a discussion because I'm still processing.

Here's something for you, the writer, to consider as well. If the editor says something is confusing. Don't explain it to them. If the storyline needs personal explaining because the reader didn't understand, *you* are the one that needs to change something. It's not the editor who is too stupid to understand.. you, friend, have not portrayed it correctly. Change it.

Hard blow, yes.. but see why I'm telling you this on my blog? =) Haha.

So what does this have to do with my pride anyway? Well, those were just a few things that I had to learn myself not too long ago. I realized that if I ever wanted to become a truly good writer, then I would need some training. Just like any truly great artist, they took hours and hours of practice time. Now, writing improvement may not show up as grandly as an amazingly painted portrait, but it will show and people will notice the difference.

Now with pride, I think it is good to keep ourselves humble by recieving critiques and maybe even an occasional bad review here and there. We aren't perfect therefore we can't expect our writing to be perfect. However, when you receive bad feedback via editor or reviewer, don't take it personally. Let it slide, listen to that they say, consider it and, if you think you need to, make the changes.

Just remember this... Only the best and purest gold has gone through several intense refining processes.

It's the Writing Biz

It feels like I've come back from a rather long trip and arrived home to a familiar place.... Basically, I have, since my lack of posting here could count me as 'missing' or "gone fishing"... hah!

In any case, I'm back again! Hello, nice to see you all once more. I have taken such a lovely break from writing. It truly was wonderful. Now, I can't say that I got to relax entirely, but I was able to accomplish so many different things during this break (First and foremost, getting my life back on somewhat of a routine!).

However, vacations can only last so long... and so, here I am again.

I'm so very excited because my book cover designer, Jeremiah Hoppman, has been working hard on my cover (and the results are simply A.M.A.Z.I.N.G, I might add). I can't wait to give an official 'release' and such.

Now, on a slight side note, I've recently been learning that personalities come into play for writers.. I didn't think it did before but boy oh boy was I wrong! My 'personality' type ("I" on the DISC profile) "needs deadlines and needs to realize that they need to meet those deadlines..." It doesn't sound pleasant to read something like that about yourself. Still, it's very true. I work best with deadlines because it motivates me to get done. Doing NaNoWriMo last year was one of the best exercises for actually 'meeting deadlines' I have ever done.

So my newest deadline? To get my book published by this summer. I'll keep you all posted on an official 'release' date and such, but for now, I'm just excited to say that I'll actually be getting it done! It has been a lot of work and stress, but I'm ready to get back in gear and embrace my writing like I used to. =)

Although I don't consider myself a 'professional' writer, I do realize that I need to treat myself as one. Meaning, set deadlines and goal, meet those deadlines and goals, and reward your self accordingly. I'm not perfect and never will be, but I'm still striving towards becoming a better writing. And that's what is important I think.

I tend to over analyze and expect everything to be perfect. I want my books to be perfect. I want my other projects to be perfect. I don't want any mess ups and I certainly don't want there to ever be a reason for a critic to not like my book. However, in the grand scheme of things, it will happen. I've slowly been learning to come to grips with that. In fact, whenever I do get my first negative review, I hope that I will keep an optimistic attitude about it. Funny thing, actually, I rather look forward to getting my first 'negative' review. Why? Because it means someone was honest. Sure, negative reviews might hurt your sales and such, but remember, I'm not a professional writer. I write because I love to write. I don't write for other people, I don't even write for myself, really. I write because God has given me a story, and I want to get it out on paper. If people enjoy my stories, then wonderful. If not, that's fine, too. Everyone has a different view and opinion of things.

So, for you other writers out there, remember that no negative comment or review will ever hurt you so long as you don't allow it to. As soon as you let yourself start feeling down or upset by it, you've begun to lose the battle. Take the criticism that was given with positive attitude, then step back and really consider if what they said was true. Because if it is, then you just might want to work or change it...

Perhaps this is a random ramble, but then again... writers do tend to be random. To end the post, here are a few funny/true things for writers:

When You've Reached Your Limit

I sometimes think that the purpose of this blog is to show how imperfect a writer I am. However, I also hope that perhaps it will be an encouragement to other writers that we *don't* have to be perfect!

The last month or so I have been feeling extremely overwhelmed. I really couldn't put a finger on what it was in my life that was stressing me out so much, but I definitely knew it was there. When I woke up sick on Sunday morning with a 'stress and lack of sleep' migraine, I knew that I really needed to reevaluate my schedule and life.

I began looking at what I had been doing the past couple of months. I have just started directing a drama group all on my own, and, a couple weeks into the semester, I was pulled in as a 'fill in' actor for another group. So directing and acting (thankfully a small part on the acting side, but still acting nonetheless). Then we just started up our busy season for the ranch- bull sales. Went to Oklahoma, and we have Tucumcari, Belen and Montana still to come. Then, we're also still in the middle of calving (which doesn't include me all that much, but I still feel involved). Oh, and to top it all off, I was trying to write over 50,000 in about two weeks.

Huh.

I just couldn't figure out what was going on! I mean, I knew I had lots going, but seriously? I can handle this. Right?

Wrong. After an emotional breakdown last night, and a wonderful, wisdom filled conversation with my mom and, later on, my dad, I realized what my problem was. I simply had too much going on. As my mom and I talked, I realized that one of the things that was stressing me out the most was trying to finish this book in time for CAPE convention this April. I knew that I would really be straining to get it done, but one of the things I realized and what scared me the most? I wasn't enjoying writing.

In fact, I pretty much hated it. I wasn't getting inspiration for my story, and I had gotten into the 'writer's block rut' where I was simply writing just to get a word count in. Not a wise idea. And it has always been the biggest pet peeve to me. I used to say (and still do, sometimes) "forget the word count and just write a story!"  Who cares if it passes up the 50,000 word count in order to qualify for a 'novella' or what have you. Write the story, write it well, and be content. I told my mom that if I were to get my story published by convention, I wouldn't be proud of it. I wouldn't be satisfied with the way it turned out because I would know it was slapped together.

That's when I realized something.

I'm not a professional author.

I thought perhaps that idea might alarm me, but actually, it brought a lot of peace. It felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. I don't write because I want to make money with my writing skills. I write because I love it. I love the thrill of developing characters and the shivers I get when I construct a great sentence. I love it when I feel proud of the story I wrote. It's even better when I know that I did my best and that it turned out well.

Most importantly, I love being able to write to the Glory of God. However, if I am writing just to write and become famous, or churn out so many books a year with no inspiration from Him, what sort of a writer am I? I fall into the common writer's category of folks who just want to make a living off of writing. Now, before I go further, I do want to say that there are several authors that I enjoy that know how to write a book, but they also know how to write several books in a year. I admire them for it, and I praise the Lord that there are authors out there like that. However, I have realized that it isn't my dream to be famous. It used to be, yes (yeah, I was determined to go on Oprah Winfrey and on all major news stations as being the youngest writer who could write an amazing book.. oh, and let's not forget the New York Time's best seller.). However, that dream has been changed into something else. I want to write because I love it. I don't mind if people don't like my stories. That's ok. If I get a 2 star review, it might hurt for a bit, but it really won't bother me in the long run because I don't want to make it a business to write.

A wise 'Titus 2 woman' friend of mine once told me, "Yup, once I started doing such and such for a business I really didn't enjoy it anymore... so be careful what you turn into a business". Of course, there are lots of people out there who have turned a passion into a business and, more often than not, you have to have a passion for what you do in order to keep it thriving.

I guess I'm just one of those people who need to learn how to keep a business while still having the passion for what I do.

So, all this to say that I have decided I won't have a book ready for convention in April. I will go to convention with my one book that I published last year, and I will be proud of it. Then I will just tell other folks about the new book coming out in the summer. Then, I'll have more time to get it done, but I'll still have a deadline (I do better with those). =)

Now to all you new authors (and perhaps 'older' authors who have been doing this for a while). Don't be afraid to admit when you've got too much on your plate. It's better to back out of a few things than to do a bunch of things halfheartedly or to realize that you didn't do a good job on all of the things you signed up for. I would much rather do a few things in life and be proud of how I did and feel satisfied and content than to be overloaded and burn out way too quickly.

I'm off to enjoy a less stressful, more enjoyable month of writing. Feeling very much at peace with the decision the Lord helped me to make (I think He has probably been telling me to do this for a long time, and I just haven't wanted to admit it...). I'll just look forward to releasing a book in the summer.

Toodlepip and Cheerio, my author friends!

Shame on Me

This is a confession post. I said I was going to finish my NaNo book by December 31st, but, quite honestly, I think I was setting somewhat unrealistic goals. Sure I could have written much more than I have these last couple of days, but unfortunately I didn't.

So, new plan. I will definitely hold to this one and keep you updated so I can be held accountable. :-) I'll be finished with it by the end of January. I have looked at the calendar and we don't seem to be too busy (hah, famous last words) so I plan to get a lot more writing in. Not to mention that I'll kind of have to if I'm going to get my 2nd children's book done by April!

Prayers, please, that God gives me inspiration with my stories! Thank you everyone!

Now, off to write!

The Days I Feel Like a Failure

Have you ever had a day or two where you really just feel like.... a failure? It's a big word to swallow, and not one that is very fun to say or use. However, it's one I tend to use on myself a lot- especially when it comes to writing.

I know that I'm not a perfect person (nor will I ever be), but there are days when I think I *should* be perfect, and I'm simply not trying *hard enough*.  I wake up in the morning with grand plans of things to do (writing is usually included in them), but by mid afternoon I realize that I've only gotten half the things done on my list, and writing isn't one of them. A good writer is someone who makes themselves write every day, even if just a few words, or simply typing up a long email to an old friend. So, if I didn't do either of those things, then what does that make me? A bad writer?

My answer would be yes. The *real* answer, though, would be 'no'.

I've found, in my years of writing, that writing is really a habit. That's all. Sure, it's a great one to have if you use your writing to Glorify the Lord, but it's a habit nonetheless. It's something that becomes part of you like chewing on your nails when distracted, or twirling the end of your hair while doing homework. It isn't something you think about, really, but simply do.

How do we make habits? It is something that is done with hard work and perseverance. It takes time, and it takes focus. Consider an exercise routine. If you can pass the 3 day mark, it suddenly seems easier to get up in the morning and hit the floor. It isn't as difficult to remember to do it. It isn't as hard to make yourself do it. It suddenly becomes part of the routine, a habit.

I believe it is the same way with writing. It takes hard work, perseverance, and some effort on your part, but in the end, the results will be satisfying. So, here is something I'd like to propose: A Writing Challenge. The good news is that it only last two weeks. The bad news is that it will be hard work, but you'll have to stick to it.

I'll admit that I came up with this myself, and, although I've never proven it to work or not, I have had enough experience with forming habits (good and bad) to know that this sort of method is usually works out. The other good news is that I'll be doing it with you, and posting about it as often as I can remember. :-) The bad news to that is that I often forget to come and blog (as evidenced by my lack of posting here recently). However, I'll do my best.

Now, for the challenge. Like I said, it only lasts two weeks. Remember that, just like exercising or dieting, it's ok to have a 'fudge day' thrown in there. That doesn't mean you've failed. It simply means that you needed a break from it. We all need breaks in anything we do, so don't beat yourself up over it.  I did provide break days after every 3 days, but if your own day gets to be too busy, it's ok. Just try not to make a habit out of 'fudging'... haha, get it? A habit... oh never mind. Anyway, moving on. The goal here is to simply accomplish writing something, anything, every day (except break days). It is simply training oneself to form the habit of writing on a regular basis.  Ok, so here it is: (when I say 'book only' this would be in your manuscript for whatever book you might be working on currently)

Writing Challenge 101:

~Write 200 words (email, letter, journal entry, book, etc)

~Write 300 words (book only)

~Write 400 words (email, letter, journal entry, book, etc)

~Break

~Write 500 words (book only)

~Write 600 words (email, letter, journal entry, book, etc)

~Write 700 words (book only)

Week Two:

~Write 800 words (can be divided between different writing entries-book, journal, etc)

~Write 900 words (book only)

~Write 1000 words (big one, so again divide if need be)

~Break

~Write 1100 words (book only)

~Write 1200 words (book only)

~Write 1300 words (book only)

See? Not too difficult, right? Well, I guess we'll see about that. The nice thing is that if you get a little bit behind, no big deal. If you start late, no big deal, just jump on in! If you get ahead, that's great! All we're working on is simply training the brain to fire those writing neurons. Exercising our writing muscles. So, who'll join me in this challenge? Let us work towards forming this new habit, and not considering ourselves as failures simply because we didn't finish writing that chapter like we wanted to. 

Writing On! 

A Few Writing "Tips"... or Something Like That...

Yes, and no... it's sometimes rather exciting, too!! =D 

*Ahem* Um, yes... I believe we can all raise our hands at this point. :-) 

Very true, I've heard... I've never experienced the reader crying over my books before, but I have made myself cry (and, no, it wasn't over one of my children's books... :-) 

Doesn't seem quite so bad when you put it that way, does it??

These were just a few things off of my Pinterest Account. Thought I'd share them on my 'writing blog' as they were 'author appropriate'. :-) I've been considering sharing bits of some of my books on here as well, but I haven't come to conclusion yet. Would any one be interested in that sort of thing?