New Year Direction

I'm a bit overdue for a post, but that's okay.

A new year means doing new things. And here's something new: I see that the more I am away from blogging, the more I realize I don't know what I'm doing, even though I'm always researching what I think I want to be doing.

New years goal?

To write to be happy. Not to write to finish a project or to enter a contest (which, by the way, I like). But, I want to be really happy writing. That is the main purpose for writing in the first place, for me. I write because I love it. But, when the writing turns mundane because I HAVE to write or feel compelled to write because I'm a "writer" well, it takes everything good out of the whole experience.

Sure, it makes me busy. But I'm filling my time with with writing things I don't really end up liking, or using; things that don't mean much to me.

I want to write whether the subject I'm writing about is ever published or not. I want that feeling I had before I had this blog that made me excited to write because I was doing what I loved ... and was doing it without the prospect of pay, or accolades or publishing. I want to be happy doing what I love doing.

Kind of like my dog. This is her, at her happiest, because she has her ball. That's the happiness I want when I'm writing. Pure joy because I'm doing what I love, regardless of the end result.

I want that feeling again. It's like family and friends and good cup of coffee. The small and simple things, the things we do when we're in it for the real deal, is what I want to get back to ... and probably what we should all strive for because it's so simple and easy. If success comes from it, then so be it. But, not because I want global success.

So, this blog is for you. If you have a book you want reviewed, ask me. I might do it.
Have a contest you want to tell others about? Tell me about it. I'll probably list it.

Have a great new year, full of dreams fulfilled because you worked at it! A tennis ball in the mouth is pretty amazing...

Keep writing!

Characters That Work

I’ve heard countless times that agents, when looking for the next great manuscript and readers, looking for the next great read, want compelling characters. But, what does this mean? Compelling? And why have I never thought of characters as compelling when I can’t put the book down? Sure, these characters are amazing, and sometimes I want to be in the middle of the stories as if they were my own experiences. But why? Compelling characters make me --force me-- to be in love with them as they find their way through trials or charge fearlessly down hidden hallways and dark forests. This makes for wonderful literature, and for fascinated readers. But how do we do this? How do authors create compelling characters -- ones that not only we want to read but others too -- and convince our readers that they should care about them? Here’s a tiny list by which I try to strive: Make them human: This is a given. And most writers would tell you this is. Give your character flaws that lots o

Increasing Your Vocabulary │ Overused Words

My husband and I have this running joke that if we played a drinking game for the first -- and only the first-- five minutes of any news segment, anywhere in America, we'd be under the table in two. Why? Because this drinking game is based on the repeated use of the word "impact." It's okay if you can hate me now. Because after this post, you will notice this word EVERYWHERE and how overused it is. I get it. The word is impactful. It makes a point. Pulls a punch. But ... it's beyond this, my friends. It's overwhelmingly beyond this now. I also understand that each decade has it's colloquial and trendy words. Totally understand that. I can dig that, yo. But, there's an all-out assault on this word. And most of the time, it's used incorrectly. Do you know what the word impact means? Per Merriam-Webster, it means 1. a.: to fix firmly by or as if my packing or wedging b.: to press together 2. a.: to have a direct effect or i

Make a List │ Getting Things Done

Like many of you, I am a list-maker. I find them to be one of the most rewarding things I can do in my little life. Well, that and drinking coffee and wearing vintage. But, I digress. List-making really only consists of three things: paper, a pen, and your brain. While there are myriad articles and books on tidying up and minimal living (both of which I fully embrace), living a simple and minimal life can also start just by making a list. So, why should you write a list? Three reasons: it's simple, it's in front of you, and anyone can be master of their world with one. Yes, dare I say master of your universe. Pretty amazing, right? That little list holds your sanity, order and clarity. And those are all we really need. Check out this list I wrote the other day: I listed the errands I had to run (go to post office, then to Salvation Army and Goodwill to find my vintage to sell). I listed the work I had to do (list two items items for sale on my vintage Etsy site,

A Work in Progress

Search This Blog