Act Like A Black Belt

You just knew one day I would compare my two passions, didn't you?  My school is preparing for our spring tournament competition next weekend and it got me thinking about my writing.  But then again, everything gets me thinking about my writing.  I'm thinking writers should face a new manuscript like preparing for a fight.

Make sure you are ready and keep your guard up.  If you can't think, you can't create.  Train with the best through classes, workshops, and conferences to enhance your writing skills.  Practice writing every day to remain prepared for that big moment when your creativity may be tested.

Take a leap of faith that you know what you are doing.  If you call yourself a writer than act like one!  Don't make excuses for any lack of published works.  A book deal doesn't indicate the ability of a writer, just their luck in finding the right match for their work.

Black belts train for years to hopefully achieve an acceptable level of skill.  They fall down many times along the way and learn patience in the process.  They live and breathe perseverance and so should writers.  You never know when you might get the chance to make that winning score in the world of publication and you need to be ready for it!

Skeletons In The Closet

One of the houses I grew up in was known for it's unusual closets.  The house was actually the first one built in my hometown and was nearly a century old when my parents bought it.  The front parlor and sitting room had been converted into two bedrooms with a two way closet between them.  There was something unnerving about that closet and whenever I slept in one of the bedrooms, I always wondered what might be hiding in the closet just waiting to jump out at me.  I thought there was definitely a skeleton or two in that closet and I wanted them to stay in there!

We writers have plenty of skeletons in our mental closets just dying to get out.  Fear, uncertainty, and frustration, just to name a few.  Those skeletons always seem to be lurking somewhere in the back of our minds, just waiting to consume us it we let them.

Sometimes readers look upon writers almost in awe and we don't want to let them down.  Instead of dealing with those skeletons that weigh so heavily on our minds, we decide instead to shove them further back into that closet and hope no one ever discovers them there.

But soon they begin to multiply until we have no choice but to decide what are we going to do with all them bones?  Do we let them continue to pile up until they have buried our creativity so deep that we may never find it again?  Do we try to ignore the skeletons and simply hope they will one day do a vanishing act?  Or do we take a deep breath and face those skeletons head on and vanquish those fears once and for all?

Writers have to realize we aren't alone with our doubts.  Other writers have experienced the same fears we have, and sometimes it's best to reach out to those around us for comfort and inspiration.  This writing community we are all a part of is a vast resource of knowledge and strength to help us weather any storm we may be dealing with, and the friends we make along the way can help clean out those closets for good.

Instead of living our lives trying to hide those skeletons, maybe we should just invite them to the party and let them celebrate that new freedom from fear with us?

Cooking Up Gumbo

Sorry guys, but today's blog post is running a little bit late.  You see, I had to wrestle with this guy and he didn't want to cooperate.  Writing is like making a fine gumbo.  I was raised near the swamps of Louisiana, and I learned early on what goes in that pot.  It takes time and the right ingredients to produce a finished product that anyone could sink their teeth into.

Good writing is the same way.  There are so many ways to create a story but only the right mix will create a story worth reading.

Okra is the foundation of gumbo.  It doesn't matter whether you add chicken, sausage, or seafood.  Some people add rice at the end and others may put in noodles.  You can throw in any vegetables you want, but if you don't have okra...you don't have gumbo!

The foundation of a good story is strong writing skills.  Weak characters, poor grammar, and unsatisfactory endings leave a bad taste in a reader's mouth.  Who would want to sit down to a bland bowl of tasteless gumbo?  And who would want to sit down to a bland, boring book when you have already figured out everything about the story line before you begin?

Gumbo's secret ingredient?  Why file' of course!  File' powder is actually ground up sassafras and it is the added spice that gives gumbo the right kick of flavor.  While you might get lucky and make a good gumbo without this spice, why would you take that chance?

Writing's secret ingredient?  Why it's YOU, the author, of course!  When you allow all the creativity within you to spice up your stories, the real flavor or style of writing comes through.  Anyone can put words onto the computer screen, but it is the writer who allows their writing skills to blend with their own creativity who cooks up a great story.  

A great gumbo takes time and patience to make a meal worth sinking your teeth into...so does great writing...

Enjoy!