WORDS OF WISDOM

I focus on the writing and let the rest of the process take care of itself. I've learned to trust my own instincts and I've also learned to take risks.

~Sue Grafton, Novelist (1940-2017)

WORDS OF WISDOM

You don't write a book. You write a sentence and then a paragraph and then and then a page and then a chapter. Looking at writing 400 plus pages or seventy thousand odd words is incredibly daunting, but if you just focus on the immediate picture-say, 500 words-it's not so overwhelming.

~Rebecca Serle

WRITING CAN CHANGE

As our lives change so does our writing. Several years ago I wrote some very dark poetry during a low point in my life. I explored the depths of despair, abandonment, confusion, and doubt. I came through it with the determination to discover who I was at that point in my life. 

It's not uncommon for writers to focus on different events. The great poet, Robert Lowell, wrote poetry of his disdain for the Vietnam War. Herman Melville wrote of the horrors of war during the Civil War. Life's journeys brought me to places I never dreamed of or imagined. Yes, I've been to some of the same places but my point of view has changed. 

While the events I focus on do change, I am still the reflective writer I've always been. My basic style hasn't changed. I can write about a particular place at this moment. A year from now, I can be in the exact same place abut my viewpoint will be different. See what I mean. This is the beauty of writing. It's ever-changing. It can be newly created. Old writing can be refreshed and brought back to life. Keep on writing. Don't be fearful of change; embrace it 

Brain Too Fast For Hand To Write

I have a lot of stories and commentaries to write about. The trouble comes when I don't know which one to write first. Too many ideas buzz in my head which sometimes results in me not doing anything. I've been writing a chapbook for a couple of years and am still writing it. 

My problem comes because I think much faster than I write. I have a ton of notebooks lying here. I have ideas but need to focus on them AND complete them. This has been a lifetime battle for me. When I complete my projects, I feel good about it. I'm sure a lot of writers have gone through the same thing I do. It does get frustrating because I could be much further along in my writing.

Right now I'm creating an action plan as to how to complete my projects. Sure isn't easy because I need to slow down and focus. The writing part is easy; it's the organizing part that's difficult.  
 

Goals

Every year at this time, I set goals for the year. Not only do I set them but chose a time frame as to when they will achieved.

It's important that the goals are realistic. Making them too difficult may bring discouragement when they are not met. There's no shame in scaling back once you find a goal unrealistic. You also don't want goals that are too easy. Goals need to challenge, to stretch our horizons. When one goal is achieved, set another one. 

It is important to focus and don't let other people's criticisms stop you from achieving your goals. I always say that no one else can live your life. When people have success it challenges them to seek greater goals. Happy 2015!