How To Tame Old Man River

Do you ever have a day when you feel like your writing life has spiraled into this raging river that you have no control over?  You try your best to tame Old Man River but it mocks you by going in a completely opposite direction from where you were headed.  All those twists and turns make your doubt your ability to make it to your destination.

No worries,  I have a three step plan to tame Old Man River...you just need to know which route to take on your path to publication.  

You could try going it alone.  Isolate yourself from helpful resources,  type the same old dribble you tried typing the year before, and hope you stumble upon something that might lead you in the right direction.  Old Man River is sure to teach you a lesson or two about not being prepared, but hey, the fact that you at least tried should count for something, right?

Maybe you want to follow the course of successful writers from the distant past.  The icons of the day who wrote compelling stories about strong characters and intricate plots.  The only problem with choosing this path is it doesn't address the demands and expectations of today's readers.  Yes, study the great artists of the written word but don't be bogged down in the writing styles of yesteryear.  Have the ability to be flexible and creative in order to stay up with current trends. 

The way to tame Old Man River is to gather close as many resources as are available in the technological age.  Readers are quickly lost to the latest, greatest shiny object and today's writers must stay one step ahead of the game.  Sharpen your skills at workshops and writer's conferences...strengthen your writer's voice by committing to writing daily...and widen your potential readership base by actively pursuing social media sites like Facebook, Google+, Linkedin, Twitter, Blogs, and many more where writers can interact with others and develop a niche for their projects.  Speak with as many of today's authors in your genre as you can and find out what THEY did to become a published author.  Set goals for yourself and don't give in to the temptation to let Old Man River lead you in the wrong direction.

For myself, I think I will take the scenic route on my own journey to publication...just as soon as I learn how to work the boat...

3 Ways To Avoid Lost In Time

I woke up this morning thinking about all the things I needed to do today.   Sitting down to create my daily blog post,  I looked over the past few days to make sure I hadn't missed any comments...and came to a slamming halt.

What in the world happened to Saturday?

I'm on a daily posting schedule and somehow...someway...in the middle of my hectic life, I managed to get lost in time and skip an entire day.  I'm not sure how I did that.  Heck, I can't even remember what I did on Saturday to be honest. And that bothers me a little bit.

Ever have one of those days?  When there doesn't seem to be an end to that tunnel?  When your "to do" list turns into a "to don't" one simply because you've run out of time?  I've always been a busy person.  I am a serious multi-tasker and magnet to people who want to load up my project plate.  And I let them.  Because it's in my nature to help others before I help myself.  

But when I find myself looking around, scratching my head, and wondering where an entire day went then it's probably time to stop and catch my breath.  Writers are like that.  We are driven to write and sometimes the ideas are flowing so quickly that we barely have time to write them down.  One good idea turns into half a dozen and pretty soon our writing plate is loaded down with multiple works in progress.  We run the risk of losing track of the time it takes to produce quality work in our efforts to do it all.

Writers can avoid the problem of getting lost in time by doing the following three things:

1.  Stop...take a moment at the beginning of your day to make sure you are on the right track to accomplishing the goals you have set out for yourself.  They can be challenging but don't overload your writing plate so much that everything is in danger of falling off and nothing gets done.

2.  Look...keeping track of which agents or publishing houses are requesting submissions will give insight into where your writing focus should be if you work in different genres.  Pay attention to "seasonal" or other themes so that the holiday picture book or summer time nonfiction one you just completed won't get lost in time and end up hidden in the slush pile.

3.  Listen...make sure you fuel your mind and body with the energy it needs to keep up with all you want to do.  Seek out the lessons taught by the great writers who have come before you and take from their wisdom only the things that you can apply to your own journey on the path to publication.  Don't get lost in time by spending too much effort on STUDYING the craft of writing and not enough effort on the actual WRITING part!

For myself, I can't get back my lost Saturday's post and I feel like I've let myself down in my goal of posting daily for my first year in the blogosphere.  But honestly, I don't have time to feel bad for too long...I've got today's goals to work on.

I wonder if it would help if I stood on my head?

Don't Trust That Bridge!

There are a lot of bridges where I live.  They come in all shapes and sizes, with many reasons for their existence.  Some bridges barely take two strides while crossing to the other side, and yet these small structures are placed with great care on manicured lawns so that their owners can visit whichever side’s grass is greenest.

Then there are the rustic, sometimes rickety bridges that one sees when driving down a country lane.  Rickety bridges that have seen better days and yet they still serve a purpose. These bridges can form a tangible bond between a farmer and the livestock he tends.  They are sometimes seen as the link between the present and the past; a reminder of a time when things are slower and great care is put into something as simple as the building of a country bridge.

And then there are those types of bridges that are almost beyond our capacity to comprehend.  Massively expansive structures of concrete and steel, made it seem to last for a lifetime and beyond.  The mere thought of such a bridge falling down is as foreign as the concept of a man walking on the moon might have been fifty years ago. There are two such bridges not far from where I live.  For over ten years I have traveled every day over one of them and until recently, avoided the other one like the plague.

Henley Street Bridge spans the Tennessee River, linking the bustling activity of the downtown area to the slower pace of the southern part of town.  The lanes are spacious with four from which to choose, depending on your destination, and pedestrian paths on either side allowing anyone to delay their crossing to gaze upon the expansive river below.

Each morning and afternoon I take great comfort in crossing that bridge; in the knowledge that once I cross to the other side I am either minutes from either a career I enjoy passionately or moments away from returning to my personal sanctuary.  But to me, the Gay Street Bridge is like the Henley Street Bridge’s smaller, evil twin.  Its two lanes are narrow and the river seems to lurk menacingly close by as if ready to grab an unsuspecting victim and pull them to the murky waters below.

Truth be told, I fear that bridge.  For me, it has become in my mind the sum of all the greater obstacles crossing my path in my lifetime.  That bridge has become my own personal dragon that for over ten years I am too afraid to challenge.  But all that changes one cold and dreary January morning two years ago.  It is announced that the Henley Street Bridge will be torn down in order for a more modern, structure to take its watchful place over the river.  This proclamation leaves me forced to face what I had been avoiding all these years; namely, THE BRIDGE!

Can you imagine the pulsating fear I feel the first day I detour around my beloved Henley Street Bridge to come face to face with my tormentor?  The only thing standing between work and me is that bridge.  The only thing preventing my complete peace of mind is that bridge.  With knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel, I creep across the Gay Street Bridge, eyes fearfully darting here and there at the dark waters below until I reach the other side.

I have literally held my breath the whole way across and it feels good to draw a steadying breath as I leave the evil twin behind me.  Now if I can only find another way home at the end of the day.  But there isn’t one and my fearful crossing repeats itself hours later when I find myself taking slow cautious steps to make it over the bridge in one piece and return to the safety of my home.

It’s funny now when I look back and a bit sad even to realize what power I gave to steel and stone.  To hand over my spirit to a man made object as if I have so little self-worth except when held in its evil clutches.  I cannot say that I have completely gotten over my fear of crossing that bridge.  But I have since learned to appreciate what the Gay Street Bridge unexpectedly brought to my life.  If I hadn’t been forced to cross that bridge, I never would have faced my irrational fear.  I have realized that everyday routines can make us too comfortable with our lives and being too comfortable increases the chance we will begin to fear what lies on the other side of our everyday routines.  We become unwilling, even unable, to take that first leap of faith into the unknown.

For myself, I have somewhat tamed my dragon and defeated the evil twin’s fearful grip on me.   In the process, I also managed to discover a world beyond my previously comfortable existence.  This is a world that beckons me to come and see what lies on the other side of fear.  And for that I will always be thankful for THE BRIDGE.

Festival Time In Tennessee

The annual Children's Festival of Reading in my city was an amazing experience.  Between recovering from serious sunburns from standing in the sun for 6 straight hours and getting my house finally repaired after last year's storms, I didn't get a chance to post a blog about the festival last week like I wanted, so I'm doing it today.  Below are some of the few pictures I was able to take while standing in front of my booth.  There were so many people roaming around that I never even got a chance for a potty break much less water break, lunch break, or a chance to visit the other booths.  Everyone was excited about all the autographed items I had at my booth and word must have spread about my goodies because a lot of people came to the festival specifically looking for us!

Here's my booth at 7:30 Saturday morning.  I was still trying to set up when I stopped long enough to take a picture.

I created posters where I had printed off the book cover of every author who participated and wrote their names on stars next to their books because to me, THEY were the stars of the day!  I also had a basket full of cards and handouts that authors had sent me for the kiddies, along with bookmarks they could color and take with them.

At one point there were different dragons strolling through the grounds right before the parade and this fellow was the longest.

More dragons wandered in and was followed by Biscuit the dog as part of the parade of books.

More dragons but a red one this time.  The kids sure did love those dragons!

At the storyteller's tent, authors like internationally known Diane De Las Casas  entertained the crowd with her stories.

Biscuit and author Alyssa Capucilli read about his adventures to the crowd.

Melissa Thompson talks about her Keena Ford book series.

I didn't have time to chase down the people on stilts in order to get a picture of their faces...boy, could they travel great distances on those things!

These next two photos were taken right around 10 am when the festival was just getting started.  Within a short time you couldn't turn around without bumping into someone...lol...

The tent in this picture with the balloon roof had to be one of the most popular booths at the festival.  It was a "petz 4 sale" booth where you could buy mylar balloons of different animals like frogs, giraffes, dogs, cats, dinosaurs, etc. with crinkled legs and weighted feet so that as you pulled the string attached to the balloon, it actually looked like the animal was walking along with you.  So cool!

This was Dolly Parton's Playhouse performance of Otis on the performance stage.  This stage was across the field from me but the place was packed and you could hear the laughter drifting across the field in my direction.

I had to take a picture of this book by Susanna Leonard Hill.  For the younger visitors who stopped by my booth, THIS book caused such a stir with some of the kids that one little boy actually grabbed it off the table despite my and his mother's request for him not to touch it.  We both literally had to wrestle it out of his hands and he was very upset because he REALLY wanted to take that book home with him!


Thanks again to all the wonderful authors who went out of their way with their generous donations!  I am still getting in touch with all the winners to make sure everyone gets their prizes...all 350 of them!  If you want to read more about the festival, here is the link to our city's newpaper coverage of the event...
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/19/childrens-festival-of-reading-at-worlds-fair/


All I can say is I can't wait until next year and I hope to get the word out even sooner so that I can help promote even MORE authors next year!!

Faithful To The End

There are some moments in life when you just know God has placed an angel in fur here on earth to watch over loved ones.  Allie was sent to live with my best friend’s parents when she was just a couple of years old and quickly became one of the family.  Her bright, inquisitive eyes took in the world around her and there wasn’t much that got past her.

You can see Allie took her guard dog role seriously!  No stray pair of shoes was going to get past HER keen sense of smell!  She might even teach those shoes a lesson or two and chew on them just for fun! 

 Allie had a heart of gold and was the biggest “lap dog” I’ve ever seen.  In Allie’s mind she must have been a Chihuahua for all the snuggling and cuddling she would love to do when her family was around.  She loved being in the middle of things and Christmas was a blast as she tried to wrestle new chew toys away from her buddy Max.  I believe there must be a special place in heaven for spirits like Allie where she can roam free among the clover and lie in the sunshine after a good day’s run. 

Goodbye dear Allie...what a faithful friend to the end you turned out to be.  God sure picked the perfect companion when he picked you.  May your new life be a peaceful one and I know you will be waiting for us to visit one day…we just need to remember to bring along some chew toys...



I Must Be Fair

When my cat, Tommy (or Tom-tom for short), found out about my tribute to the wonderful Cupcake, he immediately looked at me like I had lost my mind.   As if to say, "surely you realize cats are much smarter than dogs!"  And then I thought about all the wisdom he has shown me over this past year as I become a stronger writer and I knew I must be fair and share some of Tommy's tips to staying on the write track...

Everyone wants to be unique, but sometimes you need to hang out with the other bunnies out there.  That doesn't mean that you don't have your own writer's voice.  It just means that you have to find your niche in a world made up of many others like you...writers with the ambition to become published just like you.  Play well with others and create friendships among the writing community as those friendships will lift you up when your spirit is bruised...but never give up your individuality...it's what makes YOU so special!

Sometimes you find yourself in a tight spot and you're not sure how you managed to get there.   You can either caterwaul until someone takes pity on you, or you can put your big girl panties on and figure out a solution to your problems yourself.  I find that when I solve my own problems, it feeds my inner warrior and I'm that much stronger to meet the challenges of the day.

But when things are really bad, a hot bath or shower always seem to do the trick.  My astrological sign is Cancer and the ocean calls to me constantly.  Being nestled between two mountain ranges presents a problem, so I get my water treatment whenever and wherever I can.  Tommy on the other hand is NOT a water lover and does not agree...

Sometimes you just have to take a little time out for yourself.  Recharge your batteries.  Rekindle what you loved about writing in the first place.  Step away from the computer and give yourself a chance to come back later renewed and refreshed so that you may look at your works in progress with new eyes and a new spirit.

Tommy and I might not agree on the bath idea, but we both agree on one thing...some things are just WRONG...

Chasing My Tail

I was thinking about Cupcake this morning.  No, I don't mean the dessert item, but rather my online buddy who just happens to be a great blogger as well as a great dog.  You can check out her blog at www.cupcakepetrillo.wordpress.com.  Cupcake has the right attitude.  Life can be stressful at time...even make you feel like you are no longer in control of your destiny.



These past few weeks I've been feeling like this.  In my day job I was in a mad dash to get everything ready for my summer Adventure Camp...fourteen hour days of just me and 30 kiddies in the building every day for the next eleven weeks.  Probably why I'm the only person around who actually counts down the days until the next school year before THIS school year is even over...;0)

Now I'm dealing with the fall out of home repairs gone wrong and it's normal that I'm feeling overly stressed.  But thankfully I have two things in my favor...I have an offbeat sense of humor and I'm an extremely positive minded person.  I'm sure that why I thought of Cupcake this morning.  She enjoys life to the fullest.  Cupcake doesn't sit around worrying about where her next chew toy will come from.  She doesn't stress over whether she going to be able to get to the park to play on Saturday.  Cupcake just takes each moment as it comes and enjoys it.  No holding back.  No reservations.  Just living in the moment and maybe that's what we writers should remember.

I recently read a comment from another blogger where he said "I am an Author so I must AUTH!"  Makes sense to me.  I'm driven with this almost overwhelming need to write and I shouldn't waste time running around in cicles worrying about IF I might find an agent to represent me...IF I will sell one of my stories...IF my writing is even good enough.  If I concentrate on growing as a writer, then eventually running around in circles will allow me to "catch my tail" like my buddy Cupcake.

The only problem is, I might not know what to do with it once I've caught it...



The Power Of One

Some people are afraid of standing out in the crowd.  Of being alone.  Of being unique.  Some people don't even realize the awesome power of one...

Everybody can handle the good days...you know the ones...the coffee is already waiting for you when you get up,  the eggs and bacon are cooked just right, and you are way ahead of meeting the deadlines you have set for yourself. Nothing but blue skies and a spring in your step as you head out to greet the day.  The power of one is within you and strong, my young Jedi warrior...

But what about those days when the dark forces seek to destroy your confidence?  What about those days when you feel like the power of one is somehow weakened by the struggles of dealing with the ups and downs of everyday life? Kinda hard to turn on that light saber when the batteries have gone dead, isn't it?

It's days like those that give me a chance to take a breath.  Just stop a moment and realize that while the world may be spinning all around me and meteors are headed in my direction,  I am not without forces of my own.  As a martial artist, I have the energy of twelve years of training to strengthen my resolve.  Perseverance is one of the tenets of TaeKwonDo that I repeat every day and it is not just a word to me...it is a way of life.  As a writer, I have the gift I have been given to not see the world just as it is, but to see beyond into a world of endless possibilities if only I take that first step.

And as a human being, I realize the power of choice is mine alone to do with whatever I want.  I can choose to let life's disappointments get me down or I can create a way around the mountain.  I can choose to believe what others say about the power they think they have over me or I can show them differently.  I can choose to accept the path of most people where defeat is an acceptable way of dealing with what life wants to throw at you, or I can gather the invincible strength within me and simply announce to the world what the incredible power of one can do!

And if THAT doesn't do the trick...I'll just call on the Power Rangers...

News Flash!

When I began my blogging career last year, I really had no idea where this journey would lead me.  I have tried hard to entertain, amuse, and hopefully inspire some of my readers in regards to all things writing.  I love writing these posts and have come to the realization that I would like to change things up just a bit in the coming months.  Beginning in June, I will offer a variety of blog themes to maybe entice new followers to my site, but more importantly to keep providing quality posts to all the people who have been so supportive of my efforts thus far...

Sundays I am going to reserve for This & That...a mixture of poetry and/or writing quotes to inspire and uplift just when you might need it the most.  Feel free to chant any of the quotes as often as necessary in order to get the full effect of the inspirational boost!

Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays I will still attempt to inspire others with my thoughts on the writing life.  Writing is a lonely profession and hard enough without us beating ourselves up about the twists and turns on this path to publication...better to gather all the positive energy around us that we can!

During the A to Z Challenge I tried my hand at the traditional "book review". but with a little bit of a twist.  I enjoyed uncovering books with an engaging plot and passing on the news to fellow readers, so I will be continuing the tradition with Teaser Tuesdays.

At one of my other daytime jobs years ago, I attempted to increase employee moral by providing unusual tidbits from around the world on a variety of topics to amuse and astound everyone.  I discovered my friends in the writing community are interested in those types of tidbits as well,  so I will attempt to amaze and amuse you on my Wild Wednesdays!

Susanna Leonard Hill gave me the idea for this one.  I am trying to find time to work on my YA fantasy novel and she suggested maybe I needed to do installments on this blog.  I liked the idea as a way to keep me moving forward with the story so on Fridays I will attempt to tease you with the continuing saga of Lunadar:  Homeward Bound.  I'm not writing the full story on my blog because then you would never want...nor need...to buy the book when I get it published, but hopefully I can create enough interest in what happens in Lunadar that you will tell your friends to come by every week to check out the latest installment...;0)

There you have it...my new writing schedule...and true to my nature it is challenging and will keep me on my toes! Please give me your thoughts about what you think you might like about the new posting schedule or aren't too sure of...

And while some changes are a good thing...some things are best left alone...