Shakin' It Up A Bit

Tweet    Okay, so I have the blogging thing down, kinda. I post, you comment, we all feel better. There is just one problem. I'm using too much time to cruise other blogs and writing my posts. Unfortunately, unlike some of you great bloggers, (um..Elana), I am not that tech saavy nor as super human. So, this is my solution and I hope that you all will understand.

     My blogging will be held to once a week. I will aim for Monday but if it doesn't get posted until Wednesday, don't panic. If you're following on networked blogs or blogspot you will know when I have posted something new.

     I know that I take the risk of losing some of you great followers, but this is the deal. I'm still trying to figure out this whole not-being-a-mom deal. I have been a mom since I was 19 and I'm not sure I can be an adult without children. So I'm afraid I am going to have to become a little self absorbed while I work on this discovery thing. 

Here is my new posting schedule:

  First Week: Update. I'll let you know how I'm fairing in discovering my adult self.

  Second Week:  Book Reviews focusing on Middle Grade.

  Third Week:  Writing Update. Where I'm at in my process, something cool I learned, etc.

  Fourth Week: Just For Adults. This is where I will let you in on fun stuff my hubby and I have done, great restaurants, movies, site seeing... (G-rated...where are your minds.) We have always had children so this is the first time that we will actually be just "a couple".

Am I Really a Writer?

Source: yuribaranovsky.com

Tweet     Of all the questions we ask ourselves, there is one question that does more to gum up a writers muse than all others:   Am I Really A Writer?

   By itself it seems harmless enough and self reflection is good for us. Right? So why does this question carry such dire consequences? 

    Sometimes the very act of discovering the perfect descriptors, a basic exercise for any writer, for what it is we do creates an insurgent inadequacy powerful enough to knock the pen from our hands.  

    For we idealize the artist as we do the movie star. Each of us carrying  a vision of what a true writer looks like. 

    Perhaps yours is of the lone writer struggling tirelessly against the curse of vagueness.  Or a Stephen King-like voraciousness that continues to spew forth published works or the Emily Dickenson-like surreptitious strength of brevity bubbling quietly from within.  

     An impossible measure that can leave us barren.

     A writer, not unlike an artist,  is someone who views the world in a way that demands the act of expression and wields the pen like a brush upon a canvas.  

      Roland Barthes  said  "... I cannot but ascribe to some super-humanity the existence of beings vast enough to wear blue pajamas at the very moment when they manifest themselves as universal conscience."

Source: kaboodle.com

So as I don my pink footie pajamas armed with nothing but my keyboard and a cup of joe I plunge again because I don't know any other way to live.

What's your vision of a writer and how do you remind yourself that you are indeed a writer? 

My Favorite B Words

      I love words as does any writer. However, I have some words that are my absolute favorites, either because of how they sound when I say them, the feeling or picture they produce, or what they intuitively mean to me. 

     Today I thought I would share my three most favorite B words. These three words pretty much govern my philosophy of life. They provide a paradigm that I live by. Interestingly, I think they also apply to the writing life.

      Believe  A belief in yourself, a belief in the benevolence of others, and a belief that there is something larger than all of us. I'm not sure the specifics of what that is is as important as the belief that we are part of something greater, part of a power that governs the universe in which all living things play a vital role.

      Balance  Living and growing is a chaotic process. When we are in balance we see things clearer and make better choices. Our daily choices of how we spend our time are rarely between good and bad. They are about balancing our precious time between our families, our work and ourselves.

     Be     This is the hardest of the three. This is the word that tells us to slow down, stop and listen. To be is about learning to accept ourselves. Being allows us to stop the treadmill in order to hear our better self and appreciate who we are. It is about enjoying the moment. Being present in our lives.  

What are your favorite words?

80 Followers Celebration and Give-Away!

 Tweet    Thank you for taking the time to read my blog! I've only been blogging since June and already I have made contacts with some of the most talented writers and agents in the business.

There are several other benefits and discoveries I have made:

1) The community of writers is incredibly supportive. 

2) I will never run out of resources to get me through any
    crafting issues.

3) Editors and Agents are usually very supportive of their 
    writers.

4) There are as many ways to write a book as there are
    writers.

5) If you have a question, there is someone out there that 
    has the answer.

6) The writers community are cheerleaders for their peers.

   (Not the kind with cutie uniforms, although if you do, or
     want to, we'll let you, that's how we roll.)  

So, if you feel as lucky as I do to be a part of this community, comment and tell me why and you will be entered to win a copy of Elana Johnson's  debut novel, Possession!  Why Elana's? Because she has been instrumental in my growth as a writer and blogger. Thanks, Elana.

Why Wednesday: Seeing the World Like A Four-Year-Old

     When I look back on raising my children I can pick out ages that I especially liked and some that were not so enjoyable.  I would say some of the hardest were the ages of 12 and 13. Interesting enough when I think of my own childhood, those were some of my most difficult years. (More on that in another post)  One of my favorite ages was when my children were four. Everyday, almost every hour an innocent little face would turn to me and ask why. 

Let me tell you about my four year old grandson, Luke. Like most children his age he is interested in the why, what and how of everything around him. He can't learn and experience everything fast enough. One day when he was playing with some children the familiar question of size came up. "I'm bigger than you," said the big kid. Luke looked hurt but then quickly quipped, "Well, I'm smarter." *stifled laughter* It was then that we realized we had a live one and he was ready to hit the world head-on.

Four-year-olds don't miss a thing. Every nuance, every detail is absorbed and stored, only to come out later, hopefully not in an embarrassing way. (You know, the cuss word yelled at the top of their lungs or a detailed description of last nights argument to a complete stranger) If they don't get something they question it.

Somewhere along the way, we lose that intrinsic curiosity and confidence. We become complacent observers.  As writers we need to tap back into this mindset. We need to ask why our character wants what they want. What is it that makes this character so mean? How come he's afraid when he sees a spider? The real challenge is how do we train ourselves to see the world as if we are seeing it for the first time?

What tools do we have to get us to that paradigm?