The Craziness Of The Holidays

Is craziness even a word? If not, that's too bad because I'm leaving it in the title. It fits!

December has been busy, busy, busy for this mom of seven. There have been school Christmas plays to attend (and costumes to buy for them), treats to buy for school Christmas parties, a Christmas tree to put up and decorate, baking to do for the neighbors' Christmas gifts, Christmas gifts to buy for seven children and a son-in-law, Christmas gifts to buy for my husband, Christmas cards to sign and mail, Christmas decorations to put up around the house and Christmas lights to hang in the windows, presents to wrap and then more presents to wrap, and the list goes on.

I still need to take my younger four chidlren to go and see Santa. And I am praying that they dont ask him for anything difficut to find. (I've already taught them not to ask for anything expensive. I told them that if Santa brings them something expensive, then some other child won't get a good present because Santa only has a certain budget to spend on each child. I know, I'm evil, right?)

Where, you might ask, am I finding the time to write during all of this Christmas madness? The answer is, shamefully, I am not. I haven't even finished my paranormal short story for a competition that I was hoping to enter. And it's due soon. I could blame the fact that several of my children have taken ill at various times, my husband has been ill a couple of times this month so far and illness has struck even me during this cold month. But it would still just be another excuse.

The truth is that if I really want to, I can find the time to write. I've just been lazy and I've been procrastinating. I keep putting it off in favor of other things. And while tending a sick child is more important than getting my writing for the day done, there are a thousand tiny things that I spend time doing during my day that I could easily set aside to spend time writing instead.

SO no more excuses. I am back to my writing as of today.

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Sharing A Scene from "Through the Veil"

Just for fun, and because I have always been too shy to share the writing I have done on my novels, I thought I would share the opening scene (a very short one) from the novel I wrote during my first time doing NaNoWriMo (in 2009). It's from the novel called "Through the Veil." I am working on being braver with my writing by being able to share bits of it from time to time and get feedback.

How did she get into this? Bella didn’t know how she had ended up in this predicament. Just last week, she was a normal 15 year old girl with a normal life. She talked about boys with her friends and worried about her grades and what to wear to the Spring Dance.

How had things come to this?

“Are you ready?” The voice sounded soft but assured. Bella looked up at the girl who had spoken to her. Gabby was petite. She had died her brown hair jet black and had dark eyeliner outlining her eyes. Her very dark purple lipstick accentuated her lips and matched the purple streak in the front portion of her hair. Her expression was serious.

“Yah. Let’s do it,” Bella was as ready as she was ever going to be.

This was the night they were going to escape.

Before anyone thinks to bring it up, yes, I used some of my kids names for the characters. What can I say? I like the names, and I was having trouble naming my characters, so I went with names I knew, even if the characters do not at all resemble their namesakes.

Let me know what you think in the comments, and please be gentle; my ego is a fragile thing. Maybe I will work up the confidence to share a bigger piece of the novel someday.

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NaNoWriMo Swindon Meet-up

Amelia, Wendy and Victoria showed up at the NaNoWriMo Swindon meet-up and it was great to meet them! Wendy had her adorable grandson with her and he was very well-behaved.





It was fun chatting with others who are attempting to write 50,000 words this month. We found that we are all going through a lot of the same problems and processes as we try and keep our writing going. Wendy is much more organized than me and has the general plot for her story already worked out, while I am working it out as I go along.

I will enjoy keeping in touch with them and finding out how they are doing as the rest of the month progresses.

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Illustrations

Three of the stories I have written are for very young children. Those stories need illustrations. At first, I thought I would be able to get my husband to illustrate the stories for me, as he is very gifted at drawing and at creating computer graphics. However, having him illustrate the stories for me has not worked out.

Now I have two choices. I can either pay someone else to illustrate my children's stories, or I can illustrate them myself. I may, in the end, have to resort to having an artist illustrate my stories for me, but first, I am going to try and illustrate them myself.

There is one problem with this plan. I am not very good at drawing. In fact, I am so terribly awful at drawing that it would be fair to say that my drawing resembles what it's meant to be as much as a bee resembles a dog, which is to say, not at all.

So what am I to do? Should I just give up? Maybe. But not without trying first. Children's illustrations do not need to be complicated. Simple but cute drawings can sometimes be just as enchanting to a child's eyes as more complicated and elaborate artwork. I just need to do a little learning (I hope).

I am going to spend a little bit of time each week attempting to draw. And I will share those drawings here. Hopefully, each drawing will be an improvement over the last. And hopefully, those of you reading this will give me honest (but not cruel) opinions on my progress.

I recently read an article that stated that, because drawing uses a different part of our brain than writing, even if we are not very good at it, the act of drawing helps to stimulate our creativity. Maybe doing a little drawing will help inspire me to write a bit more of my novel, as well as hopefully giving me some illustrations to use for my children's stories.

It's never a bad thing to learn new skills. And, no matter what happens with these attempts, it's never a bad thing to try something new.

Back To Writing

My story's characters are getting to be really annoying. They keep nagging me to get back to writing about them. You see, I've taken a little bit of time off from writing my story in order to work on some other projects, and now all I seem to be able to think about is my story and how much I need to write the next chapter.

New ideas keep coming to me for the storyline, and my characters are getting antsy to live out the rest of their story. So they are nagging me. They are calling to me. I take my dog for a walk in the park and he starts barking at what appears to be nothing, and I immediately (in my head) start placing a similar situation in my story to introduce one of the new villains. I watch my daughter playing with another young kid who starts getting a little rough with her, and, as I watch her put him in his place with skill and confidence, I picture one of my characters behaving in a like manner. No matter how hard I try to set aside my story, the characters in it won't let me leave it. They're even invading my dreams at night!

So enough time has passed now, and I know I need to get back to the story. My other projects can be set aside for a bit and now my story will get my attention again (even though it never lost my attention, just my actual writing of it).

So what makes you keep writing your book? What is it that keeps you from setting it aside and getting on with the rest of life?

Having The Courage To Dream

(also posted at Skinny Dreaming because the content is relevant to all types of dreams)



Empowerment

What does the word mean to you? I’m not asking about anything related to electricity or turning your washing machine on. In regards to you as a person, what does the word empowerment mean to you? Do you feel empowered? Or do you feel weak and helpless?

The reason I am asking this is because so many of my friends seem to be embracing the idea of being powerless about making changes in their lives. They have dreams, but they feel as though everything is against them achieving those dreams and that they have no say in whether or not they can make those dreams a reality.

I hear from them, over and over again, phrases such as, “I wish...”, “I can’t...”, and “If only...” I never hear positive phrases such as “I will...”, “I can...”, and “I am...” But in speaking in the negative tones that they speak in, they are, in fact, ignoring any power they have over their own situation. In not even considering the chance that they can do something to change things, they are making themselves helpless. But they don’t have to be helpless, and neither do you.

What is it you want from life? Is it to lose weight and get fit and healthy? Is it to write the next blockbuster novel? Are you unhappy in your current career and want to change it? Do you want to earn a better income or take a trip across the world? Nothing is out of your reach! What do you dream about doing? Tell yourself that you are going to do it!
Wouldn’t it be great to empower yourself? Wouldn’t it be great to feel strong and capable and in control of where your life is heading? Wouldn’t it be great not just to have the courage to dream but to have the courage to grab for those dreams too? The only things that stand in the way of your dreams becoming a reality are the limits you place on yourself. And you can remove those limits with nothing more than a thought!

The first step is to have the courage to dream. Make a list of the things that you really want in life. What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? Write it down! Have you always wanted to take a vacation in Ireland or Hawaii? Have you always wanted to own your own house? Do you want to lose weight or build up muscle? Are you a banker but always dreamed of being a teacher? Write it down!

The second step is to believe that you are capable of achieving that dream. Sounds simple, right? The good news is that it really is that simple. Believe in yourself. Believe in your abilities. Tell yourself you are strong, capable and even fearless if the need arises. You can do this. You will do this. You will make your dreams come true. Get rid of that negative little voice in your head that whispers to you that you can’t do it, you’re not strong enough, it’s too hard and all of the other negative words. Just ignore it. You know, deep down, that you can achieve your dreams, so follow that deeper inner voice and believe in yourself.

The third and final step is to decide what steps you need to do to achieve your dreams and then take those steps. If you’re dreaming of becoming a novelist, then you need to start writing. You need to set aside time every day to write. Maybe you need to fine tune some of your writing skills so taking a class would help. If you’re dreaming of being a teacher, then you need to get the requisite training and degrees, even if it means taking classes after work while you continue your current job. If you dream of taking a trip to Europe, then you need to find out what it will cost you and start setting aside money from each paycheck. If you dream of owning your own house, then you need to clear your debts, clean up your credit history and save up the deposit. If you want to lose weight, then you need to find out what diet and exercise plan will work for you and you need to start doing it. Fit in exercise every day. Eat less junk and more healthy food. For whatever your dream is, you need to start working in the direction of making that dream a reality. Stop defeating yourself with negative thoughts and empower yourself, not just with positive thinking but with your actions.

You might be asking yourself why I care whether or not you reach for your dreams. I care because I used to feel powerless. I used to feel like all of my dreams were just out of my reach and that there was nothing I could do about it. I used to feel as though I wasn’t strong enough or good enough or capable enough to make my dreams a reality. But all along, I was deceiving myself into inaction. And I don't want anyone else to go through that, to live through feeling helpless when there is no need for them to feel that way.

When I finally started to take charge of my own inner voices, when I started to tell myself that I could achieve my dreams and when I started taking the steps that were necessary to get to my goals, I began to empower myself. And one of those dreams has already come true as a result. And now that I know that anything is possible, that I am capable of making my dreams come true, look out World!

NaNoWriMo - Week 1 - What I've Learned So Far

This is my first year joining NaNoWriMo. In just the first week, I've already learned quite a few things!

1 - I can write more than I thought. I didn't think I would be able to manage the time necessary to write 1,667 words a day, but on most days so far, I've written even more than that.

2 - If I want to do something, I have to make it a priority in my life. After years of "wanting" to write but saying that I couldn't find the time, I am finally writing! All it took was for me to decide that I was going to spend a certain amount of time writing every day and then sticking to it.

3 - I can write well. I often lack confidence in my writing, and I have let that lack of confidence hold me back for a long time now. But in reading over what I've written so far, I can see that I do have a bit of a gift. Don't get me wrong; most of what I've written is rubbish. But there are enough gems of writing there to make the story workable if I decide to go back and edit it later. And the story itself is interesting and captivating.

4 - If I stop making excuses, I get more done. Before NaNoWriMo,I was always making excuses for not writing. The thing about NaNoWriMo is that there are no excuses. Either I finish it or I don't. And without the excuses, I'm getting a lot of writing done.

5 - Competition is a great motivator. This is true even if the competition is only with myself. But it's even better when I'm competing against others. I have a buddy list at NaNoWriMo, and while I want everyone on my list to succeed and I am ever-so-happy when they achieve their targeted word counts, I find myself checking their total word counts to see how I am faring against them. If they are ahead, it gives me a little push to write more.

So let's hear it. What have you learned from National Novel Writing Month so far?

NaNoWriMo Status Update - Week 1

Well, the first week of NaNoWriMo has come and gone. Those of us who are participating have probably learned a bit and expanded our story ideas since beginning this writing journey. (I know I have!)

How do you think you're doing for National Novel Writing Month?

Here is the status update for our first week of NaNoWriMo.


moonduster: 13,141/50,000
MrsEvilGenius: 11,010/50,000
BodogSivana: 6,200/50,000
lyricalb: 0/50,000
Ghostlove: 0/50,000
tangledeutopia: 0/50,000
Kryptique: 0/50,000
wheezeybouncer: 0/50,000

Now, I happen to know that some of those above who are tallied at zero words so far have actually been writing, so I'm assuming they just haven't updated their word count at NaNoWriMo yet. I will update their numbers here when they do (and I'll re-tally these numbers later tonight anyway), and next week we will have a new tally to see how we are all doing for the second week.

If you'd like to join us for next week's progress report, just comment below with your NaNoWriMo user name. I'll add you to my buddy list there.

If my finances allow, there may even be prizes awarded to some after the final tally on December 1st!

Ready For NaNowriMo?

National Novel Writing Month begins the day after tomorrow. Are you ready for NaNoWriMo? Have you signed up to join me in my quest to complete it?

This will be my first year joining NaNoWriMo, and I'm excited about it! I have no idea if I'll be able to complete that much writing in 30 days, but I'm looking forward to trying!

What about you? Are you ready to give it your best shot?

Unbound

I posted this in my weight loss blog, but it is also appropriate to writing so I decided to post it here to.
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Lyn over at Escape From Obesity recently wrote these words,

"It is in our power to conceive and generate the life we want."

What an amazing quote! It is so true and it speaks to the heart of so many things, including but not limited to weight loss and fitness.

Recently, I've heard so many people complain about wanting to lose weight but not being able to find the motivation. I just want to say to them, "The only thing getting in your way is you!" but I hold my tongue lest I offend. Why does everyone think they have to wait for this elusive motivation?

When I started this weight loss journey, it was because I knew I was not living the life I wanted. I was unhealthy and unhappy with my weight, and I knew that it was in my power to change it. So I did. Seriously. We all have the power to live our dreams. All we have to do is start stepping towards them.

Lyn also wrote,

"I am not chained to THIS life. You are not chained to yours."

Again, this is so true and such a simple concept that people seem to often forget. We have CHOICES, and it is our choices that lead us either in the direction we want or further away from what we want.

And this is true in every area of our lives. For instance, I keep making up excuses for not writing my stories. Sometimes, I blame my fear of failure. (What if my writing isn't good enough?) Sometimes, I blame my family. (It's never quiet enough to write,and the kids need my attention too much.) Sometimes I just blame my state of mind. (I'm too tired to write.) And sometimes I even blame my own personality.(I've always had a problem with procrastination. It's just who I am.)

But the truth is that I am not happy with this state of affairs. I have always wanted to be a writer, to work towards publication, to take the stories I have in my head and get them out there for the world to read. The only shackles keeping me from doing this are of my own making. The phrase I want to say to others who complain about lack of motivation also applies to me. The only person getting in my way is me!

So no more chains. The chains keeping me from living my dreams are completely of my own making, so it is up to me to remove the chains. And I'm going to, even if I have to do it one link at a time.

The one thing I have learned from losing over 100 pounds is that I am capable of achieving anything and everything.

I can make my dreams a reality, and I will. What about you?

Having The Confidence To Write

I found this article on copyblogger.com called "How To Write With Confidence."

This article struck a cord with me because I often neglect my writing through fear of failure. I will read some really great writing by another author and think, I could never write like that! Or I will read something I wrote earlier and think, That's awful! I'm a terrible writer! I let these thoughts of not being good enough keep me from trying, keep me from writing.

Ever since I was a child, I wanted to be a writer. Back then, in those childhood days, it was a dream I knew I would someday achieve. I believed in the dream and in myself with the innocent confidence that only children seem to possess. And because of this confidence, I wrote story after story after story. I was only a child and because of this, those stories were not very good. But at least I was writing them!

Somewhere along this road I've traveled called Life, I have lost the confidence to write. I've lost confidence in myself and in my ability to tell stories. I need to remember that it's okay for a lot of my writing to not be perfect. It's normal to write a lot of so-so text before getting to greatness. Mixed in with all the sand, there will be a few pearls. And once I find the pearls, I need to build on them and let them grow. But I'll never even find the pearls if I don't start writing.

Goals & Inspiration

Feeling in a slump with you writing? Can't find the motivation to pick up your pen? I found this quote recently, and I think it helps with motivation.

There is a way to reach the goal. You just have to decide you’re going to do it.
There are challenges, to be sure. Yet you’ve overcome challenges before and you can do it again.
Decide to do it, and make the commitment. Take the necessary actions, over and over again.
If you realize your approach isn’t working, adjust it and improve it until you begin to make some progress. Then be grateful for what you’ve learned, and use it to move more quickly ahead.
Be sure to choose a goal that is truly yours. Making the goal meaningful is what makes it reachable.
Creating anything of value takes a lot of good, hard, solid work. Enjoy the journey and delight in reaching the destination.
— Ralph Marston

Just believe that you can do this! There is nothing stopping you from writing your novel, children's book or other type of story, except for YOU! Let's stop getting in our own way and get to work!

Blogging and the Writer

One thing writers need to do is write. It doesn't always matter what a writer writes so much as that they continue to write. Even just writing in a journal not meant for anyone else to see helps to keep a writer's creative juices flowing and his or her mind in the right place for serious writing.

Blogging is a terrific tool for keeping up with writing and keeping a writer's mind sharp and focused on writing. Blogging is journaling for others to read. You can blog about a variety of subjects and write about whatever sparks your fancy on any given day. Or you can choose to blog on a particular subject and choose a specific theme for your blog.

Another benefit to blogging is that, for some bloggers, a writer with a lot of followers can become noticed by publishers. Examples of this are diet bloggers Pasta Queen and Diet Girl who have both published books that came about through their blogs.

So start blogging!

National Children's Authors & Illustrators Week

This first week in February is Children's Authors & Illustrators Week in America.

I have no idea what is supposed to be done for it though, so I propose that we all go out and buy a children's book by our favorite children's book author as a way of showing our appreciation for them.

Don't have any money? Then post who your favorite children's author or illustrator is in the comments below.

My favorite children's book is "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle.

New Year's Resolutions

My husband and I have made the commitment this year to each of us writing/working on our novels for at least one hour a week this year. We have seven children, a dog and a cat, and our time is largely taken up with caring for them. We have not been getting much writing done lately, so we have made this commitment to set aside a small amount of time every week.

Robert has already spent his hour writing this week. I have spent only thirty minutes writing and still have another thirty minutes to go.

How much time are you going to set aside for your writing endeavors this year?

Dreaming Up Stories

Ever had a dream that was so vivid and interesting that you knew you had to write it up into a story or novel? I've had two. So far, although I've written an outline for one of them and a brief synopsis for the other, I haven't really gotten started on them yet. But I know in my soul that they are meant to be written.

For other inspiration, like for my children stories, I only need to look to my children to find inspiration. What interests them? What wonderful adventure are they pretending to live today?

Where do you get your inspiration from?