LETTER TO SELF, PART TWO

 (Wikimedia Commons)

 ***The following letter was written four years ago when I was just starting to write professionally and it's just as meaningful now as it was back then. I've added a postscript.***

"Dear Me,

I wish  you could see yourself as I do.  

Strong. Confident. Challenging the writing world head on with no regrets. I know the decision you made to pursue your writing career was not an easy one. To finally admit to yourself there is something out there which drives you to write and can't be denied. To bare a part of yourself within your stories and then pray the world will not shred a part of your soul in the process of reading them.  


I know you struggle with all the obstacles standing in the way of you and your 'baby'. Time, writer's block, and LIFE itself can easily get in the way and prevent you from reaching your goals. But you're not a quitter. You don't give up without a fight. You are one of those people who grabs the bull by the horns and wrestles your demons to the ground. In this fight, I want you to remember three things.


Remember sometimes you have to 'kill your darlings' in order to release a more perfect version of your vision. Sometimes it is better to prune the tree so the fruit may grow. Don't be so hard on yourself when those days come along where you sit in front of a piece of paper or that blank screen and you wonder if your muse has deserted you. And believe me, those days WILL come. They may tax your inner strength but remember they don't define you as a writer. They are mere bumps in the road to publication. 


Remember to be kind to the critique partners, beta readers, agents, publishers and anyone else who may be in a position to judge your work. Their goal is not to tear you down but lift you up. To challenge you to strengthen your writing skills and polish your created worlds until they are more real than the real world itself. Read their words of wisdom, be it harsh or reassuring, and trust that they are in your corner. Without the writers of this world, there would be no need for all the others and without all the others, writers could not exist at their highest level of expectation.


But most of all, dear ME, remember to take care of YOU. To cherish these moments of dreaming and writing. To celebrate the uniqueness which makes each one of us the perfect person to write our own story. Make sure to take time to play. To let your inner child roam among the clover and dance with the fairies. To count shooting stars in the moonlight. To sail on the mystic ship to the lands of Lunadar or wherever you may choose. To live life to the fullest and to never allow a day go by where you say to yourself...'if only I had lived my life differently'...


Print this letter out and put it where you can look upon it any time you begin to question yourself. Do it NOW. Write it NOW.  Be it NOW and embrace all the laughter and tears that are sure to come with this wonderfully fabulous journey toward becoming a published author. You can do this! I have faith in you!


Signed,


Future You

PS. Savor the feeling of elation which comes with that first book contract or offer of representation.  Don't doubt that something so wonderful could be happening to you for you have worked hard for this opportunity. YOU deserve this! Celebrate the moment and then get back to what you do best...what you were born to do...and that is to WRITE!

SHOULD I GIVE UP OR SHOULD I GIVE IN?

Some say the English language is the most confusing one to learn. I sometimes wonder how I ever manage to speak at all or even make sense with my words. As a writer I carefully select each word for my stories. I know how powerful words can be...they can make or break a spirit, so I try to choose the best ones for my storytelling.

There are some words that many people may think mean the same thing, but as a writer they are worlds apart to me. Just like this tree trying to decide whether it's going to allow the sea to destroy it or will it fight back; every time I sit down to write, I mentally choose to give up or to give in...

GIVING UP...Seeds of Doubt

It doesn't matter whether you are new to the writing world or an award winning author of many books...there will occasionally be a moment when you allow nagging doubts to cloud your judgement. Is there another story in me? Did I really deserve to win that award? Do I tell the world I want to be a writer? It's not the seeds of doubt that kill a writing career but the giving up when you allow those doubts to become bigger than your dream.

GIVING UP...Writer's Block

If you're like most writers, some days the words flow like honey from your fingertips, burning a path across the screen as you try to catch up to the blazing thoughts racing through your mind. Other times you find yourself staring almost fearfully at that white canvas and wonder if you will ever write again. The "experts" are quick to list ways to deal with writer's block whenever it happens, but no one talks much about the emotional toll it can have on the writing spirit. Sometimes to a point that giving up almost seems easier than busting through the wall built between you and that next sentence.

GIVING UP...Rejection

Rejection comes in many forms. Loved ones who see your writing as a "quaint hobby".  The agent who just didn't connect with your story and told you so in a letter. Or even the book reviewer who gave you a one-star rating on Amazon before going on to say what they DIDN'T like about your story. It's easy to feel like giving up when the world is drowning you in negativity.

Versus...

GIVING IN...Passion's Plea

Even though I stopped writing at one point for over twenty years, my passion for writing never went away. It's so hard to describe to someone who is not a writer how it feels to get the words out of my head and onto paper. Writing for me is a living, breathing animal taking me on a wondrous ride every day. It is limitless in its pursuit of yet another story and demands only my best effort each time we get together. I give in to the passion and eagerly await to see where my writing will lead me.

GIVING IN...Magical Moments

 

I do not claim to be an expert at this writing thing. There are geniuses out there who can craft the most stunningly beautiful pieces of literary art with their words. And then there is me. A writer who is better today than she was yesterday and who always aspires to be a little bit better tomorrow. And if I'm lucky, there are moments in between when I give in to the possibility of creating a little magic with my words.

GIVING IN...Looking to the Future

I've read before that the future of picture books look grim. That technology like eReaders will be the downfall of the printed book. Or even that people are becoming less and less interested in reading at all. I'm not one to believe such rubbish. If I call myself a writer I must be willing  to give in to ALL the possibilities the future may hold for me. To welcome it with an open mind and to study carefully how I might adapt my own writing to become a part of such a future.

It is so easy to change one little word and give an entirely different meaning to something. As I continue on my writing journey I hope to always keep in mind it's the giving in that matters the most. And to never give up the writing.

How about you? Where does YOUR writing take you? Do you give up or do you give in?

THE WINTER OF MY DISCONTENTMENT...

 

After two weeks of being buried under snow and ice...and having to deal with school closings spilling over into wall to wall kids at MY school, I'm happy to report the kiddies are back in class. That means I can catch my breath and enjoy the peaceful quiet of working in silence once again. But please don't think me content.

Because I'm not.

Maybe you think I should be thankful my debut picture book, THE STORY CATCHER, has finally been released. Or maybe I should be grateful I have eleven completed picture books and chapter books just waiting to find a new home. Or I should be happy over the fact I'm beginning to line up some author visits and interviews for the upcoming months.

Because I'm not.

You see, this is the winter of my discontentment. The winter I won't settle for simply resting on my laurels and waiting for the accolades to roll in. While I'm thankful Anaiah Press has given life to one of my stories, I hunger to give birth to the next one within the pages of another book with my name on the outside. I am not content to have almost a dozen completed, polished manuscripts under my belt, but wish to continue until I have no less than one hundred such treasures waiting to be read. And I will not rest until every child who could benefit from reading my book has a chance to do just that.

Mother Nature is a tricky one. She beguiles us with pretty snowflakes and sparkling ice, turning our thoughts to dreams of hibernating our days away until the Springtime. Winter is too frosty a time to be working so hard on our goals of becoming published authors. Colder temperatures chill our brains into thinking of nothing but cuddling under blankets and sipping hot cocoa until the birdies start singing again about the new flowers in our gardens.

But I won't be fooled. I won't be tricked into believing I have nothing else sneaking around in this imaginative mind of mine. I won't be hoodwinked into thinking the best of my writing isn't yet to come. I plan on turning my back on this winter of my discontentment and break through the icy cage in which I find myself. To burst through the barriers holding me back from creating a little magic in the dead of winter.

And when I'm done...when all the stories welling up within me spills out onto every piece of paper I own and I lay my pen down to catch my breath, I will take a moment to give thanks. To give thanks for the winter of my discontentment challenging me to do more. To strive for more. To BE more.

And like the beautiful rose, to never give in to the winter...

Why Writers Write

I usually write my upcoming posts on a quiet Sunday afternoon.  It's a chance to relax, catch my breath, and give full attention to what I might want to share with my readers.  But today began a little bit differently for me than most Sundays.  I haven't been sleeping too well lately...too much to do and too little time so my poor brain thinks it's on overdrive even when I try to sleep.  This morning my brain woke up at 6 a.m. but my body begged to stay in bed until 11 which actually gave me time to think about what I would write for this post.

The world is filled with people trying to become authors...myself included...but it was when I came across this phrase...WHY WRITERS WRITE...that I stopped to analyze why indeed some of  us are almost driven to lay words down for the whole world to see.  I think I might have figured out part of the answer...

PASSIONATE

Writers are passionate about their writing.  If I doubted it before, it became very clear to me once I began receiving packages from authors around the world wanting to share their books with me for my booth at the Children's Festival of Reading next month.  I won't lie.  I snuck a peek inside each book and could feel the pride those authors must have in their work.  The devotion they gave to perfecting their stories resonates in the stories themselves.  I can feel their passion in sharing their stories.

IMAGINATION

Writers have wonderful imaginations.  They create entire worlds in their minds as well as all the lovely characters who inhabit those magical lands. What better way to share those stories with others than through their writing?  Books are the ticket to adventure and words are the vessels taking the reader on a voyage to the unknown.

INSPIRATION

Writers hope to inspire others through their writing.  Some write to challenge others to take action against societal wrongs.  Some write to help us never forget the challenges of our past so we might have a better future.  Others seek to lift the spirits of those who have almost lost all hope.  And still others feel they have something to teach readers and their words are the instruments to share the lesson.  Whatever the reason, writers hope to inspire the world to give their words a chance and share their love of the written word.

For myself, I hope my words inspire others to think a little more kindly of themselves.  To help them take a moment to laugh or cry or be filled with the possibilities of a new day.  I write so one day a child may hug a book with my name listed on it as author and they smile because they were taken on an adventure.  Or maybe I will see the day when a future author will be inspired to become a writer themselves after reading  a few words put down on paper by a another writer...

Why do YOU write?

A to Z: Ideopraxist

When I began this A to Z Challenge, I promised I would offer you a double-header each day with words and books.  Today, I go one step further.  All of the bases are loaded, and I'm about to hit one out of the park.  I'm not going to talk about ONE word but FOUR words because every one of them so aptly describes the writer in all of us...

1)  Ideopraxist...it means one who is impelled to carry out an idea and what better way to describe a writer than that?  I am driven by the need to put words on paper and compelled to tell others about my vision...my "babies"...my stories...in the hopes that my readers will become ideopraxists too...with THEIR visions to unfurl!

2)  Imperscriptible...it means unwritten.  It is where our dreams lie as writers...in the land of the Imperscriptible...that is, until we chose to be bold enough to bring those stories into the light.  To be strong enough to share a piece of ourselves with others in the hope that their lives will be forever touched in some way by our musings.

3)  Incunabulum...it means an early version of a thing.  One could even consider a writer's first draft to be an incunabulum.  It makes me wonder if this word and incubator come from the same world as both serve as a beginning place for something to live and grow until it is strong enough to stand on it's own.

4)  Ichnograms...it means footprints and it's probably my favorite word of the four.    What ichnograms will MY writings leave on this world when I'm gone?  Will my readers be able to catch a glimpse of the person I was by following my ichnograms?  Will my ichnograms leave their mark on mankind or will they be like the sand and shift into nothingness with the passing of time?  Ichnograms...such a lovely word to keep in mind whenever I sit down to write...

I'd Really Like To Eat A Child

Written by: Sylviane Donnio

Illustrated by: Dorethee de Monfreid

Ages: 3-8

ISBN: 10-0375837612

Teaser:  A tiny crocodile named Achilles wakes up one morning and decides he's tired of eating bananas all the time and wants to eat a kid instead.  Mom and Dad are appalled and worried that the "junk" food will be bad for him.  Will Achilles get his way and dine on humans?  Or will he learn a lesson about life in the pond?

Traveling The Information Highway

I've blogged before about writers being on the path to publication and how this is a wonderful writing community in which we all play a part.  But I don't think I've ever actually talked about the path itself.  As little as a year ago I would have called myself a "newbie" to the writing world, taking my first virgin steps along what I thought was a solitary path toward my goal of being a published author.  I expected to struggle to find out what  I would need to become a strong, polished writer and wondered if I would ever fully understand all that is involved with the commercial side of writing.

To my surprise, I did not find myself on that solitary dirt path for long.  I discovered there were many books on the subject of writing already out there and soon my dirt road became a cobblestone path leading to a brighter future.  I devoured the information at hand and began running toward that distant point where I knew publication awaited.

Then in December of last year, I took a running leap and joined the blogosphere where the wealth of information expanded tenfold.  My cobblestone path turned into a high tech highway and I found myself racing along with other writers heading in the same direction as myself.  I am astounded by the fabulous blogs out there dedicated to writing knowledge and the betterment of writers everywhere.  I could quite literally spend hours each day surfing the internet to cultivate an array of cyber warriors who can come to my aid at a moment's notice while I tackle any writer's demon who dares to raise it's head in my presence.

But with great knowledge comes great responsibility and I must never forget that.  While it's lovely to drink in the wisdom of those who have come before me, I must always remember that it is the light of integrity that shines within us...lifting us up to a higher, more noble version of ourselves...that is the true path we must remain on as we travel toward publication...otherwise, we might find ourselves horribly lost and with no way to get where we were headed in the first place...

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!

Are You Being Served?

There is a funny British comedy called "Are You Being Served?" that I use to watch every week.   I don't have much time for TV any more, but I can remember watching how those characters tried each week to offer the best customer service they could, despite all the comical blunders that may have happened along the way.

Thinking of that show made me wonder if I am serving my readers to the best of MY ability.  The purpose of this blog is to uplift, inspire, and maybe give a tip or two on how to become a stronger writer.  Am I accomplishing my goal here?

All my teenage and adult years I have been in the service industry.  I am passionate about assisting others and there is a sincerity in my efforts that others usually recognize.  When I was a manager within the retail industry I could determine whether I was helpful or not simply by looking at my customers.  Face to face contact was an easy way to know if they were getting the answers they wanted.  When I was in the finance industry I would know if I was achieving my customer service goal by the friendly connections I made over the phone.  At one point I was handling more than 20 million dollars of other people's money at any given moment and they trusted that I was serving their interests to the best of my ability.

But the internet is different.  You, dear readers, are sometimes "faceless" and "voiceless" to me so how is the best way of determining if you are being served properly?  There isn't exactly a big HELP button sitting on my blog for you to push when you have a question or need a pick me up post.  So I gauge my effectiveness in helping you by both the comments you leave on my posts and if you pass on information to your friends about my blog.

One of my favorite blogs comes from Kristen Lamb, author of the best-selling books We Are Not Alone--The Writer's Guide to Social Media and Are You There Blog? It's Me, Writer.  Yesterday her post talked about the T.E.A.M. concept where Together Everyone Achieves More.  You can read her post at http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/03/02/t-e-a-m-together-everyone-achieves-more.  I like this concept.  We are all members of a wonderful writing community and if we continue to help each other and lift each other's spirits then we ALL will be successful and achieve more.

So tell me, dear readers, are YOU being served?