I think in life there are so many things that can make our hearts begin to race rapidly and our stomachs to do flip-flops all over the place. A new job. The first day of a new school year. Going on a first date. Or even standing up in front of a room of people getting ready to talk. And the list goes on. Nervous energy can either root us to the ground stopping any forward momentum or it can propel us forward giving us the courage we need. Sharing our writing with others is much in the same … [Read more...]
Day 10: Working Out
When I first glanced at the topic I thought about how I've been trying to work out on a daily basis by walking anywhere from a half hour to as long as 2 1/2 to 3 hours each day. It seems like most people who haven't worked out in a while dread starting a new exercise routine. When you first start out the body tends to become sore from the new way it's being used. But once you've gone a few times the body becomes accustomed to this and you actually begin to love how you feel after a … [Read more...]
Day 9: Getting Permission
I wasn't sure what I'd write about when I first saw the topic. In the book it talked about "But from grade school to college, most students would tell him that they didn’t have permission to write about themselves; the teachers gave them the subjects to write about. Established writers would tell him they had to write what editors wanted. If this has a familiar ring to you, or if you feel you need permission to write about yourself or whatever you need to write about, I give you permission. Now … [Read more...]
Day 8: The Voice that Chirps and Chirps
We all have a little voices inside our heads. Sometimes its just one. Sometimes negative. Sometimes positive. And sometimes they even go to war with each other. Kind of like the character Kronk in Disney's movie "The Emperor's New Groove". Whenever he's about to do something he shouldn't, an angel with a halo clothed in white appears on his left shoulder and a guy who seems to appear as a devil with horns and a pitchfork dressed in red pops up on his other shoulder. One represents good. The … [Read more...]
Day 7: Jumping Off
I have to laugh. Talk about something hitting home. I have been struggling to get back into my writing. I have a completed first draft of my fiction novel but have been unmotivated to just sit down and edit it. I have several story ideas, that as soon as they pop into my brain, I immediately write them down. Everyone I talk to tells me to just jump in and do it. Yet, I don't no matter how much I should. I could come up with a million excuses. Let's see. We took guardianship of our … [Read more...]
Day 6: Daring to Tell
I wonder how many closet writers there are because they are scared to get out of their comfort zone, daring to tell what's rolling around in their brains. Fear can be a great force within ourselves. It can stop us from doing so many things, things even God may want us to do. We have to remember that God will give us the strength we need to do things according to His plan. In our own human form we are weak and vulnerable. It is through God that He gives an invisible shield of … [Read more...]
Day 5: Getting Caught
When I read the caption for today, I was intrigued. What could that mean in writing? As I read it, my lips curved upward. Getting caught means how afraid you can be to put all your emotion into your writing and then "getting caught" when someone else reads what you've written. You're completely exposed. It's. Like you're sitting on an operating table, chest cut open with your beating heart exposed to the world. The reader is the surgeon holding the knife will she gently take care of your … [Read more...]
Day 4: Choosing Story Over Relatives
Today's topic sounds strange to me. It almost sounds selfish. I think this strikes me funny because I think family is the most important thing there is. Some people haven't been blessed with a loving and caring family. So to put a story before their family is a no brainer. However, if your family is close, turning your story over them may make you take pause. I know I would never write something to intentionally hurt my family. No matter how screwdriver up we all are they are still MY … [Read more...]
Day 3: The Holy Calling
Its amazing sometimes how God works. Many say His ways are mysterious. The bottom line, no matter how much we want to control every thing, we simply do not know His plan for all of our lives. His plan is greater than any of us can fathom. For me this hit me head on like a Mac truck (I know clique but it's true) when God decided to answer our prayers about healing my precious baby girl by telling us all no, that it was time to bring her home to heaven where she will be free from autism. God … [Read more...]
Timing…
Time. It's a strange thing. Sometimes it seems as though time goes on forever and in others it feels like there is never enough. For me recently, it seems like time is just slipping away. We now have less than three months until our official move to Alaska starts. The Army will come to pack up our home (tentatively) April 15. Keith's final day of clearing will be on April 19. And then we start on our long adventure as we drive across the United States, stopping along the way to either visit … [Read more...]
