Writers--Listen to Your Heart

This is a repeat from several years ago. It still has merit and is perfect for this Valentine week

A good many years ago, I submitted to a Chicken Soup for the Soul book for the first time. The story was a simple one, a childhood memory, that I thought might work for the Fathers and Daughters book. Maybe.

I hesitated to send it. Why? My pride told me it was impossible because rejection hurts a lot. Experience added that I hadn't been writing very long, and the Chicken Soup editors received hundreds, maybe even a thousand or more, submissions for each book. My chances were pretty slim. Reason stepped in and sneered at me as it said it was pointless to submit this story. What would it matter to the rest of the world? Then they laughed and I whimpered.

All three had ganged up on me, and then a funny thing happened. My heart whispered softly in my ear. Your story is something others can relate to. Go ahead and give it a try. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I pushed pride, experience and reason out the door. I liked what my heart told me.

I sent the story. Many months later, I received a notice that the story had made it to the finals. My heart did a happy dance. I waited a few weeks longer before learning that the story had made it into the book. What a thrill to hold the published book in my hand a few months later.

That story was "Love In A Box"  which is about a Valentine box my dad made for me when I was in the second grade. At age seven, I suddenly realized that my hardworking father truly loved me. That fact came as a startling discovery, one that left a life-long impression on me. Apparently, readers related to it and responded positively, so much so that the story has been published multiple times in English and some foreign languages.

What if I hadn't listened to my heart? What if I'd let those three bullies push me into a corner? Have you ever had a project that you wanted to submit somewhere but held back for one or more of the reasons above? What kept you from sending it? Were those three bullies---pride, experience and reason--invading your space, too?

Don't let them push you around. Remind yourself that you wrote a good story or poem or essay and that it deserves a chance. Get the submission ready, hit the Submit button and laugh at the three bullies. Listen to your heart. Your heart knows you better than those three twerps who try to place blocks in your way.

Remember this:  If you don't submit, you cannot be published.

My story Love in a Box is below.       

When I was a little girl, I found love in a box all because of a class assignment. On a Friday night I made an announcement at the dinner table. The words bubbled out in a torrent of excitement I could no longer contain. “My teacher said we have to bring a box for our Valentines on Monday. But it has to be a special box all decorated.”

Mother said, “We’ll see,” and she continued eating.

I wilted faster than a flower with no water. What did “We’ll see” mean? I had to have that box, or there would be no Valentines for me. My second grade Valentine’s Day would be a disaster. Maybe they didn’t love me enough to help me with my project.

All day Saturday I waited, and I worried, but there was no mention of a Valentine box. Sunday arrived, and my concern increased, but I knew an inquiry about the box might trigger anger and loud voices. I kept an anxious eye on both my parents all day. In 1947, children only asked once. More than that invited punitive measures; at least in my house it 

Late Sunday afternoon, my father called me into the tiny kitchen of our apartment. The table was covered with an assortment of white crepe paper, red construction paper, and bits and pieces of lace and ribbon from my mother’s sewing basket. An empty shoebox rested on top of the paper. Relief flooded through me when Daddy said, “Let’s get started on your project.”

In the next hour, my father transformed the empty shoebox into a valentine box I would never forget. Crepe paper covered the ugly cardboard. My father fashioned a ruffled piece of the pliable paper and glued it around the middle. He cut a slot in the lid and covered it with more of the white paper. Next came red hearts attached in what I considered all the right places. He hummed a tune while he worked, and I kneeled on my chair witnessing the magical conversion of the shoebox and handing him the glue when he needed it. When he finished, my father’s eyes sparkled, and a smile stretched across his thin face. “What do you think of that?”

My answer was a hug and a “Thank you, Daddy.”

Inside, joy danced all the way to my heart. It was the first time that my father devoted so much time to me. His world consisted of working hard to support his family, adoring my mother, disciplining my brother and me, and listening to every sports event broadcast on the radio. Suddenly, a new door opened in my life. My father loved me.

Monday morning, my mother found a brown grocery sack to protect the beautiful box while I carried it to school. I barely felt the bitter cold of the February day as I held the precious treasure close to me. I would let no harm come to my special Valentine box.

My teacher cleared a space on a long, wide windowsill where the decorated boxes would stay until Valentine’s Day. I studied each one as it was placed on the sill, and none compared with mine. Every time I peeked at my Valentine box, I felt my father’s love. My pride knew no bounds. There were moments when the box actually glowed in a spotlight all its own. No doubt the only one who witnessed that glow was me.

Every day some of my classmates brought Valentine cards to school and slipped them into the slots of the special boxes. The holiday party arrived, and we brought our boxes to our desks to open the Valentines. Frosted heart cookies, red punch, Valentines and giggles filled our classroom. Chaos reigned until dismissal time arrived.

I carried my Valentine box home proudly. It wasn’t hidden in a grocery sack but held out for the world to admire. I showed it to the policeman who guided us across a busy city street. He patted me on the head and exclaimed over the box. I made sure everyone along the way took note of my Valentine box. My father had made it for me, and the love that filled the box meant more to me than all the valentines nestled inside.

From that time on, I never doubted my father’s feelings for me. The valentine box became a symbol of his love that lasted through decades of other Valentine Days. He gave me other gifts through the years, but none ever compared with the tender love I felt within the confines of the old, empty shoe box.

Originally published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dads and Daughters book

  

Writers, Don't Place Limits on Yourself

 

Writer A hits a rough spot in the novel he is attempting to write. He sighs, sits back, and tells himself to quit trying to write this book. You know you can't finish it. You know you can't make the words sing. He gives up.

Writer B has a problem in the middle of the novel he's working on. I know I can figure this out, he tells himself. What's the best way to do it, he wonders. He knows that walking away from the work in progress for a few days, or even weeks, might help him find an answer. Or he'll go for a walk, sit in some quiet place and think about the difficult spot he hit while writing. Sometimes that silence opens his mind enough to find a solution. 

The difference between these two writers is that Writer A gives up pretty easily. Writer B doesn't limit himself. He is willing to work on the problem in one way or another. 

I once worked for a man whose favorite saying was "Success comes in cans, not can'ts". I got tired of hearing that phrase multiple times, and so did the other women who worked in his dress shop. Even so, as the decades have gone on, I've thought of his adage many times, especially in my writing life. 

If you think you can do something, you'll probably be able to accomplish it. If you fear you cannot, you probably will not have much success. 

Our poster today says, 'There are no limits to what you can accomplish. except the limits you place on your own thinking.' I have said multiple times on this blog that _______ is up to you. You are the one in charge. You are the one who decides what you can or cannot do. You are the one who does or does not put limits on your thoughts about your writing life. 

We all know that quitting, or giving up, is by far the easiest road to follow. It's much more difficult to take the road that puts no limits on your thinking about what you can accomplish. That road is longer with more than a few bumps, but it will take you better places in your writing world.

If you give up, will you always wonder what you might have accomplished in your writing world if you'd approached it differently? Would you rather be the one who wonders, or the one who kept working until he found some success? With the second choice comes hard work. No one ever said writing was easy. It isn't. 

Yep, 'success comes in cans, not can'ts".

A Writer's Word For 2025

 There seems to be a new trend lately. You're to pick your 'word for the year' and keep it in mind as you navigate through the end of January and the next eleven months. Maybe a word is easier than making a list of resolutions that seem to take wing and fly off into the stratosphere. 

With that in mind, the word I'm proposing for writers to claim as their own in 2025 is ACTIVE. It's a word that can cover a good many bases in the writing world. Let's look at a few.

A. Write something every day. It doesn't matter if it is 25 words or 2500. Just write!

B. Get your writing files in order this month. 

C. Go through your files to see what pieces you might work on and submit for publication.

D. Give yourself regular pep talks. Do all you can to boost your confidence in your writing ability. 

E. Be ACTIVE in the writing groups you belong to. (If you don't belong to any, find one!)

F. Spend time with other writers. Nobody will understand you better than another writer.

G. Make a list of writing projects you would like to pursue during this year.

H. Spend time on a regular basis researching possible markets that fit your writing.

I'm sure there are other things you can do to be active in your writing life, but the ones in my list will be a good start. The important thing is to remember to be ACTIVE on a regular basis, not just now and then. 

Today's poster let us know that we shouldn't sit back and do nothing. We need to be ACTIVE to make progress in our writing world.

I am using ACTIVE as my word for 2025. Won't you join me and adopt ACTIVE as your word for this new year?

Keep Your Passion for Writing Alive

 

A friend once had the poster above on her Facebook page. Definitely advice that is short and sweet but, oh so good. I'd like to have it blown up to poster size and tack it to the wall above my computer. Maybe I should get two and put one on the fridge as a reminder to get myself to the office to write. Or how about another in the laundry room? 

It's far too easy to allow life to get in the way of our writing, especially at holiday time. We have the best of intentions to spend X amount of time writing each day, but our world sometimes has other plans. Children need us, husbands require help in finding something. (What is it about men who have lived in the same place for years and years but still can't find numerous items?) The phone rings, or the doorbell. We're needed at a meeting or must run to the store to pick up milk and bread. The list could go on and on. 

We have responsibilities that must be met, and that's just fine. As long as we keep writing a primary task, we'll be alright. Just don't let it slip farther and farther down the to-do list. Once it hits near the bottom of the list, your writing world is going to become dimmer and dimmer. You run the risk of stopping altogether. I've seen people in my critique group quit. They say things like "I'm just not writing anymore." or "Right now, other things in my life are of more importance." Probably true but it makes me sad. I wonder if they will ever resume writing.

Most writers pursue their craft because they're passionate about writing. Make no mistake, it takes some doing to keep that passion lit. Like anything else, we sometimes have to truly work at it. We need some encouragement as well. And maybe we need some occasional success to keep the spark alive. 

For now, I'm going to let the poster of those four hunks keep me going. How about you? What will you do to keep your passion for writing alive?

Writers--Don't Give Up!

 

A couple weeks ago, I noticed a sign stuck in the grass outside a preschool, and an identical one across the street in front of a house. A white sign, with large black letters on it. Nothing else. No curlicues, no flowers in the corners, no zig-zag lines. Just three words.

The two identical signs said Never Give Up. They're on a street I drive down frequently, and I've taken note of them over and over again. The first time, I thought that it was some good advice. After a while, I started thinking a lot about those words. Being me, I thought about that advice being something writers could benefit from. 

Writers get discouraged at times. New writers, seasoned writers, writers of all ages and backgrounds. When things don't work out with a new story idea, some feel ready to quit, give it up, find something new to write about. When rejections pile up, they feel despondent. When publications are at a standstill, they become depressed. A whole lot of writers wend their way through this emotional maze. 

What should you do when you're in a funk like that? Well, those three little words are a good place to start. I've noticed that every time I drive by those signs, that bit of advice speaks louder and louder to me. How about taking a sheet of white printer paper and writing those three words with a black marker in big letters? Then, place it somewhere in your writing area. You can't help but look at it every day. Black on white, three words of encouragement. 

Be determined to use those three words of advice in your writing life. Even when good things happen, like a great response from an editor, or comments from readers who loved a piece you wrote, or a story idea seems to almost write itself, keep those three words where you see them every day. 

I don't know who put those two signs in the ground in my town, but I think they will speak to a great many people who drive by on a regular basis. Three little words that make you think, pep you up, and give you a reason to keep going. Put those three words in your writing space and see what happens.

Writers Have Good Days and Bad Days

 

Today's poster is definitely Food for Thought for writers. We all have what we consider good days and bad days, but do we ever consider what each has done for us? Let's look at each part in regard to our writing life.

Never regret a day in your life:

Good days give happiness:  Those good days do make us happy and satisfied. The days that what we're writing goes well give us a terrific lift and makes us want to continue working on the project. The days when we receive an acceptance for a submission, we've made earlier make us smile all day. Days when another writer compliments us are great. Yes, days like this bring happiness and satisfaction,

Bad days give experience:  Bad days bring depression, desperation, and feeling defeated. Those days when nothing works in a section of writing that just won't gel for us. Or days when we receive a rejection, or worse--two of them on the same day. Days when our family responsibilities leave us next to no time to work on a wonderful idea we have. Hard as it may seem, those times do bring experience. We can look back later and know that maybe whatever occurred gave us exposure that might be beneficial later.

Worst days give lessons:  Ever had a bad day in your writing life that left you thinking "I'll never do that again!" If you did, it's obvious that you learned something. We need to push aside the bad part of the day and figure out what we can learn. Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, or your beverage of choice, and look back on the day. Ask yourself what might be learned from whatever happened. 

Best days give memories:  How true this is. We don't forget the good things that have happened in our writing lives. Perhaps it was an award you earned in a writing group, or it could be receiving an acceptance twice in one day. Maybe you scored an acceptance in a high paying market. Or you wrote a personal essay that left you feeling very satisfied and ready to submit for publication. Or someone complimented something of yours that they had read.

The important part of our quote for today is that we take time to look back at each day, whether it was a good one or dark as night. We should look back and ask ourselves what we can learn, how we might make use of it, or how we can change. Yes, every day has something for us to benefit our writing life in some way.   

Do Writers Need Courage?

 

Writers need a lot of different traits. Knowledge of the craft is beneficial. A passion for writing is helpful. Time to write is essential. What about courage?

I think that courage is one of the most essential traits a writer should have. It's not easy to send your writing to an editor or press in hopes of publication. Some may think that's a silly statement, but believe me, it does take courage to submit your work to a publisher. Why?

No one wants to be rejected. If it happens over and over again, the writer has to have the courage to continue submitting. The only people who understand what being rejected makes a writer feel like is another writer. Their family and friends come up with a "Oh, that's too bad." or "I'm sorry to hear that." Then they go back to their lives, but the writer is still smarting. 

Is there any writer who does not react in some negative way to a rejection? If so, they are in the minority. Newbie writers can be devastated by a rejection, while seasoned writers are disappointed but move on. As we send out more and more of our writing for publication, we develop a thicker skin, and the rejections are not as upsetting as when we first started our writing life. That 'move on' bit is important.

Do you need courage to stand up in front of other writers and read something you've written? Many writing conferences offer time for a Read-Around. It's easy for some writers to participate, but others have a hard time standing before a group and reading what they've written. For them, it takes courage. Once they agree to read a few times, it becomes easier. 

Another time a writer needs courage is when an editor returns a submission saying they might want to publish the piece if the writer will make some changes. What if the changes are big ones? Ones that change the entire mood of the piece, or take away some of the writer's favorite parts? Will the writer have the courage to say no to some of the changes? That's taking a chance that the editor will not publish the piece. It depends on how strong the writer feels about making the changes. 

Some writers need courage to market themselves as a writer. I've often heard people say something like "Writing is the easy part, but marketing and then selling myself is tough." A lot here depends on the kind of personality the writer has. Outgoing people have little problem in promoting themselves and their work. Those who are more introverted need to gather every bit of courage they have to market themselves and their work to others. 

Some writers are baring their soul in personal essays or poems. That's not easy to do, especially at the beginning of a writing life. One thing to keep in mind is that perhaps your writing will be of help to someone who reads it, or it will touch them in some way. It takes courage to put your personal thoughts in writing and share with others. 

Yes, writers do need to have courage or to develop it as their writing life moves along. It's one of many traits that can help a writer'

Putting Yourself into Your Writing

 Our quote and painting for today really speaks to me. We often think of artists as painters, but all who create something, whether with paints, charcoal, pens and pencils, typewriters, computer keyboards, clay, or marble qualify as artists. Some quilts are works of art. Embroidery, crocheting, tatting--all are art forms.

But we writers should do exactly as Henry Ward Beecher, who was a clergyman and social reformer in the 19th century, said. We must look into our own soul and put ourselves into the words we write. That's a fine goal to set for yourself. If you can write doing those two things, you'll most likely be successful.

Hold back on putting our soul and self into our writing, and the writing will reflect that. It could turn out dull, wooden, uninteresting. As writers, we cannot hold back, we should put all we have into our writing. New writers are sometimes fearful of doing this. After all, you're baring your soul to the world through what you write. You might be putting yourself up for criticism. It's a hurdle to get over, but once you do, your writing will be much improved. 

One example is in memoir writing. Unless you look into your own soul and put something of yourself into your memoir, it will be nothing but a report. Dull, wooden, uninteresting. You'll need to open the gates and let yourself shine through what you write. 

The quote and painting today reminded me of a poem I wrote some years ago. It won third place in a theme contest. The theme was: Pen life as art. I've posted it below.

Artists All

Painting with oils,

watercolors brushed across paper,

clay molded by loving hands, 

marble chiseled to exquisite form.

Artists ply their trade

by the golden light of day,

by the velvet depths of night

passionately, joyously, ardently.

One more artist joins the ranks.

The writer brushes words over paper,

molds a story bit by glittering bit,

chisels a novel to survive the ages.

Life stories are gathered 

from country roads to city streets,

written from the depths of a heart

bursting with intensity and rapture.

Artists all, masters of creation,

be they painters, sculptors or writers,

leaving footprints on canvas, marble and paper--

heartfelt tributes embraced by mankind.

(C) 2007

Becoming a Better Writer

 

"We are all apprentices in a craft where no one becomes a master."  This quote by Ernest Hemingway speaks to me as a writer. We strive for perfection, but will we ever reach that stage in our writing life? I'm guessing not, but can we come close? I think we can. 

 The five areas of writing are prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. The prewriting may be one of the most important. It's where we find an idea, gather information or do a bit of research, and a lot of quiet thinking. Next comes putting pen to paper or fingers to keys to write the first draft. Keyword here is 'first'. Third step is revision which lets us change positions of some things, add or cut words, and more. Editing is a step that is often repeated rather than a onetime only. Last, we prepare for publishing by looking at markets, adding final bits necessary if it is a book, and submitting to a publisher. 

Those five stages are important, and the more we move through them, the better writer we will be. The apprentice carpenter may have trouble cutting boards so they are straight, but he/she will increase the ability to do so by repeating the task over and over. Writers are no different. The more we work on the five areas, or stages, named above, the better our finished piece will be. 

If you've written for a year, five years, twenty years, whatever it is, a look back at our earliest efforts might be revealing. Go through your files and read some of your beginning efforts. You might be amazed at the difference in your writing then as compared to what you do now. If we write on a continuous basis, we continue to grow, to write better than last year or the year before. That is, if....!

The big IF! We will write better as time goes on IF we take steps to continue learning our craft. Only yesterday, I watched a video on putting 'sound' into our poems and essays, or fiction. A minor detail, but it's one I'll try to be aware of as I write. I'm of a mind that we, as writers, never stop learning, if we make an effort to do so. Take a class. Watch a video, join a critique group, go to workshops and conferences. 

Don't be a sometime writer. Write on a regular basis. Wait weeks between writing something, and you might feel like you're starting at the beginning of the race again. Write a part of every day, even if it is only 15 minutes. Write in your journal. Write a letter. Do a writing exercise. Short stuff counts, too.

We don't achieve success in writing overnight. It takes time, patience, perseverance, determination and a love for the craft. Never stop learning and keep writing. 

 

Writers Must Be Determined

 

Determination is one characteristic a writer needs if he/she wants to be successful. A few synonyms for determination are perseverance, firmness, resolute, unwavering and tenacity. 

Whew! Those are all pretty strong words, ones that can carry a writer to high places. 

Writers who submit often and receive multiple rejections might be so disappointed that they figure it's useless. They give up. It's understandable. No one likes to be smacked down over and over. 

It's the determined writer who is going to find success, even if it takes a long time. One writer whose determination served him well is John Grisham. He approached publishing house after publishing house with his novel The Firm before it was picked up. He didn't give up but kept sending queries and sample pages to editors. He's not alone. There are myriad novelists who have experienced the same kind of difficulties. The ones we know are those who kept pursuing publication even after multiple rejections.

What about the writers who don't write books but short pieces instead? They seek publication, too. They might receive rejections and take one of two paths. They'll either wilt like yesterday's flower and give up, or they'll develop an attitude of continuing to submit a piece, perhaps after some editing and revision, but never giving up. These are the writers who end up being published.

Do these writers get depressed, feel down in the dumps when a rejection floats their way? Of course they do, but the determined ones move on to the next market on the list and submit again. (market list? That's a hint for those who want to be published!z0

It's up to you to decide how much being published means to you. How determined you can be. How much effort you want to put into your writing life. I hope many of you will be like Mr. Turtle and keep moving toward your goal of publication. 

Become a Better Writer

 

Our poster quote for today could easily be applied to writers who submit and submit but don't seem to have much success. Or not as much as they once hoped. 

Writing, no matter whether it is fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, essays or factual articles, is a tough road to travel. For one thing, there is tremendous competition. It three writers submit a story to a magazine, the odds are fairly good, but if three hundred submit to that publication, the odds aren't so hot. 

Writers not only have to be good in this craft, they have to be better than most of the others. That means hard work. It means keeping up with what is going on in the writing world. It means continuing to read about writing. It means editing and revising over and over. It means coming up with an angle on a story that no one else has done before. 

When we do have some success, it means that we can only bask in the afterglow for a short time. Then, it's time to get back to becoming a better writer. That should be one of our most consistent goals--to become a better writer. 

I loved the unit on graphs during my junior high math class. If we created a graph now on the ups and downs in a writers life, it would be a sight to see. Peaks and valleys. Sharp turns that go on and on. 

Yes, a writer's life can be hard but also rewarding. There is no doubt that to be a writer on a continuous basis, you must be passionate about the craft. You must enjoy the act of writing. You must have goals set and work towards them. 

If somebody hugs you and gifts you with chocolate and six million dollars, all the better. Just don't forget that you're a writer and must keep on writing. 

Writer--Stop Doubting Yourself!

 The quote in today's poster is filled with very few, but very wise words. A simple bit of advice to writers, whether newbies or seasoned. Sylvia Plath was a complicated, but talented, poet and novelist who took her own life at an early age. Perhaps she struggled with self-doubt herself, which is why she spoke about what it brings to the writer. 

Self-doubt in a writer is like an open wound that grows worse without treatment. How in the world does one treat a problem like self-doubt? It can become a mental block that might grow to gigantic proportions. 

Become a positive thinker. You might have to force yourself to find and dwell on the positives in your writing life. Even so, it's something to work on. Make it a morning habit to list the positives in your life  as you begin your day, or last thing at night. Be fair to yourself rather than look for negatives first. There are definitely positive things in every writer's life. We all have days when it is hard to find one, but it can be done.

Admit to your self-doubt. Trying to avoid it will not be helpful at all. It's a problem some writers have, and the sooner it's faced, the quicker it can be either lessened or overcome. 

There is no need to compare yourself to others. We are all individuals. We work at different levels, at a different pace, and with different goals in mind. You're not Sylvia Plath or John Grisham or Stephen King. You are a company of one, and your writing is yours, no one else's.

Have a friend you can lean on occasionally. It's helpful to be able to talk about your cares and woes in your writing life to another writer. They are people who have a better understanding of your plight. Don't use this person as a crutch, however. Plus, they might not want to listen to what you have to say every day of the week. Now and then? Fine. 

Self-respect has a lot to do with how you feel about your writing world self. Remind yourself now and then about the many good things in your writing life. No writer has everything awful or all wonderful. Dwell more on the positives than the negatives. 

If you can handle any self-doubt you have, your creative side will have a chance to emerge and flourish.  

Writers--Dealilng With Self-Doubt

 

Only a very few writers have self-doubt. True or false? I believe that a great many writers doubt themselves. They question themselves on a regular basis, and as our poster says, that is an enemy to creativity. 

Questions like:  Will I be able to get published? Am I good enough to submit my work for publication? Do I measure up to popular, highly-published writers? Do I have writing talent, or am I fooling myself? Is my work too amateur appearing? Am I able to grow as a writer? 

All those questions are good ones and typical of newbie writers. They are also questions more experienced writers sometimes ask themselves. College athletes ask many of the same kinds of questions when the prospect of going pro comes up. It seems to be natural to have some self-doubt, no matter what field you are in. 

Like most things, there are degrees of self-doubt. Some writers question their ability on an occasional basis. Others do so a little more often, and some make it a daily occurrence. Those in the last group end up deciding that writing is no fun, and they often give up. 

Writers should strive for no self-doubt or just an occasional time. More than that, and you can easily come to dislike writing and make yourself miserable. Some writers keep these feelings to themselves, while others whine to friends and family. Don't ever use self-doubt as an excuse for not getting published.

What can you do to overcome the self-doubt trait in your writing world? 

A. Continue learning your craft by reading books about writing, attending workshops and conventions, and joining a writing group. 

B. Write on a daily basis. The more you write, the better writer you can become.

C. Don't be afraid to submit your work to a publication. Do it over and over and over. All writers get rejections. If you get one, know that you have plenty of company. The more you submit, the greater the possibility of receiving an acceptance. 

E. Remind yourself often of any successes you've had in the writing world. If you haven't been published yet, it might be a bit of praise from someone in a writing group. If you've finished a number of stories, essays, or poems, consider that as a success. Not every writer can claim to have a file of finished work. Some start a story but never finish. Some write an essay but never edit. 

F. Think about the reason you decided to try writing. What drove you? Renew that passion.

G. Realize that self-doubt is destructive. Aim for a more constructive outlook. It won't happen overnight, but work at it a little at a time. 

H. Don't use self-doubt as an excuse. 

Make getting rid of self-doubt a writing goal for this year. Chip away towards that goal a little at a time. 

Writers and Predictions

 

Today is Groundhog Day when Puxatawney Phil emerges from hibernation to predict whether we will have an early spring or six more weeks of winter. Out in Pennsylavania, they make a big to-do over this event, and the rest of the country watches to see Phil's prediction. This morning, he told us there would be six more weeks of winter. That brings us to mid-March, which usually is quite right. Still, no one knows about predictions. Aren't they really a guess? Look how many have predicted the end of the world on a certain date, but life goes on. There are political predictions. Some are right, others off by a mile. 

How about the prediction about your writing journey. Can someone predict how long it will be before you have a submission accepted? Can anyone predict when a writer will have an awakening moment and suddenly feel like thet 'get' this writing game? Does anyone know when their own big breakthrough will happen? Of course not.

Predictions for writers are most likely a waste of time. What is not a waste of time is how the writer works toward publication. Does he/she do writing exercises? Or think they are worthless? I am a firm believer in exercising your writing muscles with a warm-up exercise like a photo prompt or a freewrite of a word picked randomly. 

Do the writers who wants to be publised study markets? They should make themselves familiar with the publications that their kind of writing is geared to. Sending something that has no bearing on the publication theme is foolish. Take time to learn about the publications where you should submit. 

Is the writer one who reads about their craft on a regular basis? Or attends conventions and workshops to round out their writing education? Both of these things will be of help to the writer through learning and also to get some inspiration.

We can't predict when, or even if, publication will happen. All a writer can do is work towards that goal each and every day. If you get published, it's a wonderful moment, but then it's time to continue working towards the next publication and the next. 

Meanwhile, prepare for that six weeks of winter left to us that the groundhog predicted. 

Moving on Your Writing Journey

 Today's quote says 'I will take at least one step everyday towards achieving my dreams.' For writers, that dream may be writing a full length novel. Or having a poem published. Or being a columnist in a newspaper. Or writing enough good essays to create a book. Lofty dreams? Yes, but we all need to be working towards whatever our dreams on our writing journey happen to be.

The quote could well be one of the goals we all set at the beginning of this month as we faced a brand new year. A year full of possibilities and fulfilled dreams. That's thinking positive, of course, which is what I always recommend. Doing so will move you on your writing journey much faster than if you view your writing world as a Negative Nellie. 

The quote suggests taking one step at a time to reach your dreams. Too often, we are in a hurry. We have a destination in mind and we want to get there. Get there fast! It doesn't usually work that way. A baby has to crawl before she/he walks, must walk before running. What a wonderful world it would be if we could start our writing journey with a giant leap to stardom. That truly IS a dream

Instead, writers must start small and work their way along the writing path one step at a time. To do this, he/she should take at least one step each day. Write a full story or lengthy essay in one day? No. One step might mean doing a writing exercise, or writing a first draft for a short story or essay. Maybe the first six lines of a poem. It could be nothing more than writing Morning Pages, as was mentioned in yesterday's post. Or journaling. Write a letter! Write something every day. Each day is one step closer to achieving your dream.

Make no mistake. Being a writer is hard work. Success and achieving your goals doesn't just happen. 

When you start your writing journey, take small steps, then bigger ones as you gain experience and more knowledge of your craft. When you are published for the first time, it feels like a great leap instead of a step. With each succeeding publication, you move in larger steps. 

Remember my two keywords for our writing world. Patience and Perseverance. You need a large dose of each as you move step by step towards your dreams.

Writer, What Kind of Day Did You Have?

 

Whoever is responsible for today's poster must be reading my blog. I've written about each one of the situations listed for writers. Every day gives us something and we all know that we have those good days, bad days, worst days, and best days. Sometimes, we need to sit back and relax just before bed and assess the day we just experienced. We could probably label each one. 

Think about what was the best part of your day. What did you learn? What experience did you have? What would you have changed about your  day? We shouldn't regret any day, even those difficult ones that either give us experience or offer a lesson. And those days that give us memories? Definitely the best ones. 

Consider what the poster tells us:  Good days give happiness--bad days give experience--worst days give lessons--best days give memories.

An interesting experiment might be to make a chart for a full month. List the date and then mark which kind of day you had, considering your writing world. I hope you have more good ones than the other kind.

Today's post is a short one, but I think the point is made in these few words.

Work At A Writing Career

 

Writers might hear lots of things about the writing world from people who have never written professionally or to become published, They've 'heard' about the pitfalls of the writing world and are all too eager to share them. The keyword here is 'heard.' They are not giving advice from their own experience.

Movies and books about authors have contributed to the general knowledge of nonwriters. How many rags to riches stories have there been showing how a young man or young woman lives in a hovel, eating little, but pounding out one story after another with no success? Suddenly, they receive an acceptance from an editor, and they are on the way to stardom. It becomes the stereotype for the starving author.

We all know that not every writer lives that way or finds publication only after a long, hard struggle. Hard work, yes, but not months or years of starving. Not only do the movies or novels dwell on the difficult beginnings of an author but also the glamor and wealth of the ones who have 'made it big.' Not every writer who becomes published many times suddenly lives the life of a celebrity. Some do, of course, but certainly not all. 

If you dream of being a writer who gets published on a regular basis, go after your dream. Work at it a little at a time, think big, and don't listen to the naysayers. 

Some writers hope to make a full career, getting published enough to support themselves as a full-time writer. Others work at a day job and write on the side, also getting published often enough to keep them working at their 'second career.' Housewives and stay-at-home moms can also build a writing life for themselves. So can senior citizens who pursue writing later in life. 

All these different kinds of writers need to set their own goals, think big in journeying through their writing world, and stop listening to those who are quite willing to put a damper on your writing world. 

Be the writer who knows what he/she wants and is willing to go after it. 

Getting Out of the Writing Doldrums

 

Ever feel stuck in a writing rut? Do you feel like you're doing the same old, same old and not moving forward, or upward? Do you do anything about it, or do you continue to stay where you are and feel the same defeated feeeling? Deep in the doldrums.

Today's poster has some good advice. It says:  If you change nothing, nothing will change. Seven common words that could help you out of your writing rut. 

What if you feel like you are writing the same story (or essay or poem etc) over and over but in a slightly different way? You need something to spark your imagination, something to inspire you to do it a new and different way. What to do? 

You could read a new reference book on writing to see if you run across something new, or a new way to do something old.

You might attend a writers' conference or workshop.I find that nothing inspires me like listening to other writers present a topic. I also find inspiration in visiting with the other attendees at a conference. This past weekend my state writing group had their annual convention. For various reasons, I opted to watch on zoom instead of attending in a town 90 miles away. I got the benefit of listening to the people who presented the topics, but I sorely missed talking with longtime writer friends in person. 

You could take a short break from writing. Note that I said 'short.' Make it a lengthy break, and you might find it hard to get started again. 

You might do some things that help with story ideas and help you become inspired. Circus in town? Take some time and go there. A movie you've been wanting to see but hadn't taken time? Go now. A baseball game. A football game. A soccer match. A symphony performance. Give yourself a treat. 

You can make a list of the reasons you write. Reminding yourself of why you write can give you a boost.

You should take a good look at your submission process. Do you tend to send your work to the same publications over and over? Maybe searching the market lisitngs for new publications would be helpful. 

Try several small and positive steps. Work on your attitude. That won't happen overnight, but little by little. When you find yourself flinging out a negative thought, step back and rework it to the opposite side.

 

There is no one miraculous thing you can do to get yourself out of the writing doldrums. To step by step. At the end of each week, look back to see if you've made any progress in the way you feel. If you do, pat yourself on the back. If not, keep plowing ahead the following week. Do I dare use that old cliche--Rome wasn't built in a day? I just did because it still has some merit. And so do you. You're a writer. You do something many other people cannot. 

Don't Set Limits For Your Writing

 

Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. We place limits on ourselves when we should be plunging ahead. 

Plunge ahead? Yes. Why? Because if you draw a line in your writing life and refuse to venture across it, you'll stay right where you were when you drew that line. You are telling yourself that you shouldn't venture farther into the writng world. Perhaps you're afraid. Many writers do live with fear. Nothing to be ashamed of. 

Instead, you need to sit down and have a talk with yourself to figure out why you have fear about writing or submitting. Lots of writers can write again and again, but when it comes to submitting their work for publication, they cringe. The only thing that might happen is that your work will be rejected, and if it does, consider yourself one of thousands of people who are in that group. You can even puff out your chest and say, "I got rejected, so I must be a writer!" 

You're not alone. Other writers face fears as they write. The lack of self-confidence brings on fear. Are you in some kind of writing group? Have you ever had a compliment on something you've written from someone in the group? Maybe about one paragraph, or even one phrase. Or the entire piece. If you have, move your confidence level up one notch. Writers progress bit by bit. We don't become overnight sensations. 

Don't set limits. Instead, set your goals and work towards them a little at a time. Cliche or not, Rome wasn't built in a day, fits here. We make progress a little at a time but only if we allow ourselves to make a few errors and continue writing on a regular basis. 

September is a New Beginning for Writers

 

It's the second day of September, and officially, still summer. In Kansas, our summer temps last well into this month. Still many days in the 90s. By the third week of this month, we will be in fall-- officially. Depending where you live, leaves may have turned color or started to fall gracefully to the ground, piling up waiting for you to come and gather them. 

The weather and official calendar days don't matter. To most of us, September feels like a new beginning. Maybe we were conditioned into that because we started a new school year in the beginning of September. Now, most schools begin sometime in August. Whichever, the lazy, hazy days of summer are over, and it's the perfect time to begin a new writing project or something else regarded to writing.

You can take a class on our craft either in person or via zoom. You can read a new book about the writing world. You can make plans to attend a convention where you can schmooze with other writers. You can fulfill that oft-said vow to clean up your writing space. Looking at my own, I think I need to put this at the top of my list. My usual neat-and-tidy self somehow gets lost when it comes to my computer desk. 

Maybe you can start on a new story, essay, or poem. Skim though those notes you jotted on a slip of paper or in a small notebook this summer but never got around to using. Now is the perfect time. 

It's also a good time to do some marketing. If you have a book that was published, and you've let down on the marketing of it, get inspired to rev it up again. Go through your files and see what never-published pieces you have that are ready to submit. Then, begin the search for a good place to submit your work. 

Yes, September is the month of new beginnings, almost like January when a whole new year begins. Don't forget to take a break now and then and go for a walk on one of these September days. There's a different feeling in the air. Enjoy, then head back to your writing world with a renewed vigor.