Tag: writing

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Mental Toughness

Taken outside Bond 45 @ Potomac National Harbor
Taken outside Bond 45 @ Potomac National Harbor

I’ve been exercising for eight months and I have a consistent routine.  If I have to miss a session because of a conflict (work, family, illness, etc.) I obsess over what I am missing.

I wish I could say the same about my writing.  I know I should write something daily.  I have a novel to edit, several short stories in various stages on completion and this blog.  But  when I fail to take advantage of writing time, I can easily shrug it off with the promise to write tomorrow.  I’ve been waiting on tomorrow for almost a year now.

I’ve been doing some soul-searching (again).  Really trying to get to source of my inability to completely pursue a dream I know that I want.  I’ve been writing since grade school.  I would like to make it my career.  All I have to do is put pen to paper, edit, revise and edit some more.  I need to send my work out into the world.

What is stopping me you may ask.  (Nosy, that.)  I keep coming back to one world.  Fear.  But it’s not fear of failure that is paralyzing.  It is fear of success.

As humans, we operate on a set routine.  We take comfort in the familiar.  Venturing off a planned and previously executed course is uncomfortable.  The “unknown” and whatnot.  Yet people take that step toward their goals everyday.  They push past the discomfort and leap without fear.  That’s what I have to do.  Exercise some mental toughness and do something different.

My  body has gotten stronger due to my work in the gym.  Now I have to summon the mental toughness to blast through the fear and write.  Today is a good start.

 

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How to Procrastinate in Six Easy Steps

Get busy writing!
Get busy writing!

The plan was to spend the day writing.  It was an easy Sunday morning and I didn’t have anything planned.  The kids were busy doing homework so I was distraction free.  As night fell, I realized something about myself.  I am the world’s best procrastinator.  Let me show the way is six easy steps:

  1. Wake up and immediately turn on the television.  I figured I would watch  30 minutes of Melissa Harris-Perry on MSNBC.  That turned into an hour and a half.  But no worries, it is important to stay informed about current events.  It can only enhance my writing.
  2. Check email.  You have to keep the inbox clean.  Besides, all those emails about publishing, blogging and writing can be considered research.
  3. Now I’m hungry.  Prepare a late brunch of pancakes and sausage.  You can’t write on an empty stomach.
  4. Cell phone dings.  It’s my turn in Ruzzle.  I discovered this game on Friday when my co-worker sent me a request.  I am hooked.  50 games later I took a break.
  5. Check in with the hubby.  Daily communication can only strengthen a long distance relationship.  I can’t help it if we talked for over an hour.
  6. Now it’s time to cook dinner.  Have to feed the kids.  After supervising the cleaning of the kitchen and getting things taken care of for the next day, I’m too tired to focus on the characters in my head.

When I named this blog, Unwritten, I saw it as a call to action not a self-fulfilling prophecy.  I’ll do better tomorrow.

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New Cover Design

Lie to Me

 

I got a professional to design an ebook cover for my upcoming short story, Lie to Me.  What do you think?

I love it.  It’s much better than my feeble attempts.

Lesson learned:  Hire professionals.

Enjoy!

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100th Post – Who Do I Write Like?

This is the 100th post for this blog.  In honor of the occasion, I ran into this neat little app that analyzes your writing and tells you who you write like.  I admit I had to google Chuck Palahniuk.  He wrote the novel “Fight Club” which was made into a 1999 film of the same name.  I didn’t see the movie or read the book.  I’ll take it though.  It’s nice to be compared to someone who is successful.

 

I write like
Chuck Palahniuk

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

If you are a writer, try it out!