Tuesday, December 13, 2011

One Fishie, Two Fishie, I'm A Little New Fishie

It's a wonderful, big fishie meet little fishie world out there.   And all us new little fishies need to remember three things if we don't want to get eaten:


1.  Pay attention when the bigger fishies talk.
    
     Why do you think a Granddaddy Catfish lives in the pond so long?  Because he took the lessons of other catfish before him and paid attention to what they had to say.  I need to do my own research, seeking out the wisdom of those who have traveled the path before me.  Gather those like-minded fishies around me so that we all might encourage each other in this big old writing pond we are all swimming in.
  
2.  Practice your shark roar daily.


     Don Knotts once played a cartoon fish character in the movie, The Incredible Mr. Limpett.  I LOVE that movie.  Don Knotts' character falls into the water and the humans think he drowned.  But he magically turns into this cartoon fish who has grand adventures despite his timid nature.  Surrounded by sharks,  torpedoes, and bigger fish, he has to learn to have confidence in his ability to survive in his new environment.  One day he surprises himself, and everyone else, by emitting a huge ROAR that eventually helps the Navy win a battle.  As a new little fishie in this big writing pond, I need to practice my own "shark roar" daily.   A roar of confidence to remind me that I CAN do this, that I CAN be a successful children's book author as long as I continue to practice my writing skills daily.


3.  Just keep swimming.


     Dorie from Finding Nemo had it right.  No matter what,  just keep swimming.  That poor, little fish had many obstacles placed in front of her but she never gave up.  At my TKD school, we call that perseverance.  Old cowboys would call it true grit.  Whatever you want to call it, we all know what it feels like to keep running into those walls...rejection letters, harsh critiques, writer's block...what ever it may be...and that's when life culls the tetras from the sharks.  Dorie never listened to anyone who wanted to bring her down by telling her she wasn't good enough.  Dorie didn't stop believing when she was told she didn't know how to speak "whale".  Despite all the obstacles set before her, Dorie knew just what she had to do and she simply did it...she kept on swimming until she was successful...until her personal goal was reached and Nemo was found.


What else could be asked of us but to not give up on ourselves?  I might be a new, little fishie now in a great big pond, but if I pay attention to the other fishies when they talk, practice daily my own shark roar, and just keep swimming, then one day I'll be able to look over my shoulder at other little fishies looking up at ME with the same look of wonder as I have now and there is one thing I will be sure to tell them...


Swim, little fishies, swim.

16 comments:

  1. Thank you so much, Donna! This is such a good way to remember that we as new writers do need to keep at it, and not be discouraged. I needed this today!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cute post!!! I love this! It so true too...just keep going! Keep swimming!

    And I think I'd like to throw in there...dont ever be afraidto claim what's yours! "mine, mine, mine!" :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beth, the more I learn about the "craft" of writing, the more I realize there is so much to learn! Please don't be discouraged, you are well on your way to achieving your goals. They say Rome wasn't built in a day and I'm pretty sure neither was a great book! Just keep swimming...;0)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nicole, thanks for visiting and following my blog! For me, Finding Nemo is a movie I can watch over and over...and you are right about not being afraid to claim what is yours...good, bad, or ugly...my writings are my own and no one can write like I do...whether agents or publishers will LIKE it is another story...hahaha....

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very fun post, Donna! I think the most important one is just keep swimming!!! :) Also, I love the purple - it's much easier to read at the crack of dawn :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks, Susanna! I've been trying to tweak the blog page look so that it's easy to read and nice to look at. If you have any more suggestions, please let me know. Did you notice my little "fishies" on the left? If you click on that area, it will throw them food and they will race to eat it! I thought that was cute. I hope you have a great writing day!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi, I found you through Writer's Digest. I'm a new follower. I hope you'll check out my blog too. http://kellyhashway.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. AMAZING post Donna! Thank you for sharing your wisdom in such a fun, lighthearted way.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks, Kelly, for stopping by! I will visit your blog when I get home tonight...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks, Julie, although I'm not sure how much "wisdom" is in there...just some thoughts that crossed my mind...

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm back to comment again -- I appreciate the black type on white background... my aging eyes found the other a little tricky.

    I also love the fishies on the side. Wonder if other people realize that if you click in the white part by the fish, it creates "food" for them, which they zoom to eat? I could play and play...

    But what I really came to say was You are right about Rome not being built in a day, and my vision has cleared a lot since I posted my first comment. I realize the road to publication is very much a one step forward, a couple of steps sideways, a shimmy back, type thing. I'm mixing my metaphors, but I continue to swim, or dance, or walk the road, or whatever this is I'm doing. Oh yes, I continue to WRITE!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thankyou Donna, this is a very encouraging, lovely post, thankyou. One often feels as though they are swiming alone, its nice to be reminded of the company. Beautiful Blog btw.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Beth, I'm still learning my way around this blog site and getting the color right can be tricky. I really didn't want to lose the rain on the windopane because it's calming to me but now I'm having issues with the "comments" coming out in grey...lol...I guess that's okay if everyone can read the actual blogs.

    I have a perfectionist nature and any frustrations that I have with writing stem from that and not the slower nature of the business itself. I just figure the more I learn, the better my writing will get and THAT increases my chances of being published one day. So I keep on swimming...;0)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks, Diane, for your kind words. I was too exhausted last night to post a blog but I will work to post one later...it will be about the Three Little Pigs...or one of them at least...lol...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Well, my fellow perfectionist, I have to tell you that the grey print on the comments is quite light for my old eyes! But the posts are now lovely and clear!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I know, Beth, but I just can't seem to find the right button to darken the letters in the comments section...grrrrr....when I TYPE it, the words come out dark black but when I hit the PUBLISH button it changes to grey! Can't figure it out...;0(

    ReplyDelete