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This weekend I’m celebrating a milestone. Two years ago I began running on the steps in front of my local courthouse. In these two years I’ve run up and down about 2,000,000 steps – between 3,400 and 5,600 steps per day, depending on how I feel and what the weather is like. On my 53rd birthday in October I challenged myself to run 10,000 steps. I did it in one hour and 38 minutes!
Why I Love Running Steps
Running steps more than anything is meditative. I walk about a half mile from my house to the courthouse, through my alley and down a semi-busy street. I watch the sun rise every morning, listen to the birds chirping, often flying overhead. I pass by morning glories opening and alley cats that scamper as I approach. I arrive at the courthouse while no one else is there, except for the security guards. I count the number of laps I do up and down, which I like to call “innings.” I don’t really focus on counting, it just happens naturally and keeps my mind light and free.
I live in Miami, so it’s hot here – really, really hot and humid. That adds to the challenge of keeping up my energy. But it also allows for a really good sweat, providing that feeling that I’ve sweat out the toxins and have accomplished something worthwhile. It may sound crazy, but the hard work is worth the euphoric feeling you get when you’re finished. I leave with happy, positive thoughts. Running the steps is free. No club membership! Plus it doesn’t take much time – about 45-minutes of time from start to finish.
I run barefoot because shoes cause injury to my feet and knees. Here I am running the Rocky Steps in Philly.
What Motivates Me to Run
When I was a child I was always the last one chosen for sports teams whether at school or at play. I wasn’t an athlete; in fact I couldn’t hit a volleyball over a net, hit a baseball or golf well. But as I got older I realized that not being athletically inclined didn’t mean I had to be unfit. My father passed away when he was 40 from a heart attack and my mother had two forms of cancer suffering for 9 years before passing away at age 70. I can’t change my genetics, but I realized I could get and stay fit, eat right and do what I can to stay healthy. Thinking about my parents’ health challenges motivates me every day. I live by my motto, “Shut your pie hole and move your ass!”
It’s Not Discipline
In the beginning, running steps was really challenging. I was already doing aerobics for years at home, but running up and down steps is really a strenuous workout. It took a lot of self-talking to get up and out of the house early every morning. But then after a few months, gradually I began to look forward to going. Now I can best describe running as a habit. It’s sort of like getting up and brushing your teeth. You just do it. I do have sluggish days when I just don’t feel like running, but I go anyway. My husband calls those “bonus days,” because although your time may be slower or your step numbers may be lower, you went out there and did something on a day when you just didn’t feel like doing it.
A white layer cake I made to celebrate.
What Running Has Taught Me
It’s wrong to label yourself in any negative way. “I’m not athletic,” “I’m too old,” “I’m uncoordinated” or “I don’t think I can or should do this or that.” Running has taught me that I can have as much energy as a 25-year-old, and that if I can stick to something athletic and challenging, then I can transfer that success to other areas of my life. The only boundaries are the ones we put on ourselves.
0 Comments on Two Years. 2,000,000 steps! as of 3/9/2014 9:54:00 PM
Whether you’re an author, freelance writer, online marketer, or if you’re in another field, you need a plan. You need an action plan, a GPS to get you started, keep you going, and see that you achieve your goals.
I found a great video of Zig Ziggle on Setting Goals (it's only 5 minutes):
Book Marketing 101 – The First Steps in Creating Your Online Platform Creating a Quality Product, Editing, Creating an eBook, Your Own Virtual Book Tour, Writing a Press Release, and More
For the past month, I've been kicking around ideas to bump up productivity and reorganize my office, ideas, and goals. This last year has been a roller coaster - professionally and personally - and just when I thought I got my groove back last May, life interrupted once more and sent me down a bumpy road.
Not this year. I have a lot to accomplish.
Here's how I plan to get in the 'write' mindset for 2013. Trust me, it's not rocket science!
Goals. Generally, I'm a planner, but in the past, I think one of my motivation problems stemmed from my goals. Most of them were long-term, and sometimes, those far-off hopefuls don't come to fruition, squelching motivation. What have I changed for 2013? I'm setting weekly, monthly, and long-term goals for my writing career. A couple publications have been on my "must be published in" list for over a year. I intend to crack those markets this year.
Mindset. Now, I know I have my groove back. I know what I want to accomplish. I know what it will take to get from point A to point B. It's called determination.
Query. For years, I tried to send out six new queries a month. But, somewhere along the way, I stopped submitting ideas to new markets (but kept writing for the markets I write for consistently). I'm going back to the six a month query theory.
Read. Good writers are good readers. Lately, I haven't read as much as usual, but I intend to change that. In fact, I did today. :)
Write. You can call yourself a writer, but unless you actually put words on paper (or computer screen) and generate material - whether for a publication or just for yourself - you're spinning your wheels. Get out of that rut and start writing!
Even though yesterday was a holiday, I wrote over 1000 words, mostly for a long-term project. But it feels good to get back in my writing groove, thanks to my write mindset.
How do you plan to meet your 2013 goals? Share your ideas with us. by LuAnn Schindler
5 Comments on The 'Write' Mindset for the New Year, last added: 1/5/2013
Writing queries to new markets is also one of my goals. I got stuck on a few projects, I really believed in and thought were marketable, that well, weren't selling. Time to take them off the list and move on to new ideas.
I love new years and the kick-start in my attitude the provide.
Besides what I shared on Monday, I also hope to ask myself before I say YES or spend time reading guidelines and so on--ask myself: IF I submit here or take on this project, am I reaching my writing goals? I have a tendency to be all over the place and wanting to try everything, but I don't have the time. I spread myself too thin. Here's to 2013!
I really agree with Margo's point about spreading one's self too thin. I tend to be "all over the place" as well a lot of the time. I started something for NaNo 2012 that I'd like to continue working on/finish the first draft. I have a picture book manuscript I'd like to find a home for. Other than those two goals, and writing submissions for Chicken Soup books and Not Your Mother's Books...I'm sure I'll have loads of free time to sit back and gobble up bon bons. ;)
As a recovering perfectionist, I don't make New Year's resolutions. Instead, I make revisions.See my blog post. http://wp.me/p1g33i-6z).
Goals sound better than resolutions. Keep the goals on your desktop so you can see them each day. Check in on the first of every month to see how you are doing. Happy New Year!
Have you looked at today’s calendar? December 1. The first day of the last month of 2012. How are you doing on your writing goals for 2012?
If your goals are on track – congratulations!
If not, now is the time to consider different types of goals and what might work best for you.
Minutes Spent Writing Many writers set time related goals. “I will spend 1 hour a day writing.” Pros: If you are struggling to fit writing into your day, this is the way to do it. Start with 15 minutes and build. Cons: 1 hour. 1 paragraph. Time wasted? I’m not telling, but I can piddle away 45 minutes with little effort which is why I set . . .
Word Count Other writers set a word count goal. Mine is 6000 words/week. I can take a day off, which is sometimes essential for my mental health, and still meet my goal. Pros: If you tend to write and rewrite the same page endlessly, this can push you to produce. Cons: See, NaNoWriMo. Anything counts as long as I get words down on the page, yes?
Submissions/Month Need to get more of your work circulating? One writer I know submits a specific number of finished pieces and queries each month. Pros: This helps get your writing into an editor’s hands. Cons: Tough to pull off if you write novels.
Pieces Circulating Other writers strive to keep a set number of manuscripts circulating. Pros: Again, this get your work off your desk but it also allows for some wiggle room. Submit 20 crafts and, until you hear from the various editors, you can work on your novel. Cons: If you only write novels, this still won’t do you much good.
Billable Dollars This year, I tried a new type of goal. I submit $1000 worth of material each month. Pros: This goal forces me to pay attention to what various gigs pay. My income has gone up nearly 20%. Cons: Again, longer work, such as my middle grade novel, gets pushed aside in favor of the short stuff.
To-Do List Some writers work from a to-do list. “These are the things that I want to do in 2013.” Pros: It helps you keep the big picture in view. Cons: For me, it was too vague. Too many items on an annual or monthly list can be pushed back “until later.” Keeping both an annual list and a weekly list felt like doing my taxes.
As you may have guessed, I work with a combination of goals. I have a weekly to-do list and a weekly word count. I have a monthly billable dollars goal.
The problem is that I still have a number of bigger projects that have been works-in-progress for too long. Next year, I’m adding a to-do list of book projects. I’ll pick one and work on it each morning before tackling either my word count or billable dollars.
Different goals work for different writers. What works for you?
I typically construct a weekly "to do list" Sometimes it works; other times it works me! :-) I also try to establish short and long-term goals for each year. I'm excited about the potential of 2013!
I like these different categories. Maybe I should try something like this--right now, i try the work when my 2 year old lets me or I can get babysitting plan. I have a daily list, a weekly list, and a big project list. I love to scratch things off my list, but there's so much more I would love to do. :) But I also love spending time with my 2 year old. I wish there was more time. :)
Thanks to Margo's fantastic classes, I was able to reach my writing goals for 2012. They were modest (nothing like a seasoned writer's goals!) and I am thankful that I found this forum along with Margo's classes. These suggestions will help me set greater goals for 2013. Thank you, WOW!
I like the billable dollars goal! That's an interesting way to think about it, but even though you are submitting a grand worth of material, it doesn't necessarily mean editors will accept it all. But you mentioned it increasing your income overall so it sounds like it works! :)
I use Google Calendars for my goals and check them daily. If it's not on one of my calendars it doesn't exist. I don't know if this is effective though because it leaves me doing things at the last minute...seeing something on the calendar and thinking, Oh no! I have to do that now!
Most of us have the same yearly ritual. We march into the New Year armed with a lengthy list of resolutions. In January we join fitness centers and buy the latest fad contraption guaranteed to tone our bodies. We plan to write the next bestselling novel and sell at least a dozen articles. However, after a couple of months, the determination begins to wane. Our exercise equipment is buried under a mound of clothes and we need a GPS system to find our way back to the gym. We haven’t written a word in weeks and stacks of writing reference books are gathering dust in a corner.
Resolutions are big on New Year’s Eve, but it’s hard to make them stick around for a lengthy stay. Still, we can use these tips to have a lasting committed relationship with our goals, instead of an empty one-night stand.
Details: Keep it Concrete Unfortunately, vague and lofty aspirations stay vague and remain out of reach. It’s important for us to make our goals concrete and specific. National Novel Writing Month is a good example of a concrete goal. We will write 50,000 words in a month. (Even if we regret 49,995 of them once the month is over).
Association: Create a Support System It’s important to find or create a group of like-minded individuals. Additionally, social networking sites make it easy to befriend or follow those with similar interests. Writers can “follow” an array of literary professionals on Twitter, and entering terms like “writing contest” or “seeking submissions” in the search function may result in new opportunities.
Realistic Steps: Start Small and Build on Little Victories Our goals are like marathons. If we start out too fast or too strong, we may burn out before the halfway point. If we stay on track we will get to the finish line eventually, even if it takes a long time and a lot of baby steps. Instead of forcing ourselves to finish a chapter, we should try to finish a page. Then keep going.
Etch it Out: Write it Down and Keep it Visible Many motivation experts extol the virtues of writing down our goals. In addition to writing down our goals, we should keep them in sight. We can frame our goals. Then we can place them on our desk or on our wall – looming above us and challenging us to keep writing. For those of us who are severely dedicated, we could even devise a contraption that would cause our framed goals to fall on us if we stop writing. No pain…
So, let’s all accept the DARE by following these steps. Then, we can celebrate a long-term stable relationship with our goals and move beyond a short-term fling.
Two Questions: What are your writing goals? What strategies do you use to keep them?
Thanks for the comment! And thanks to WOW for publishing my post! Two of my writing goals: To submit at least one piece (to a contest or paying market) each month and to free-write for at least 10 minutes a day.
My work with FundsforWriters is pretty set in stone with its weekly deadlines, but my fiction takes diligence. I don't broadcast the deadlines I've set for myself, however, because I've read that broadcasting goals and deadlines takes some of the momentum out of our mission. I just don't want to sabotage anything!
Today, I recived the local Chamber of Commerce's monthly newsletter and perused the calendar. It's only November, but this month alone, four meals, three meetings, two coffees, and one open house are scheduled.
Wonder how jam-packed the December calendar will be?
But as I perused these offerings to get together with business leaders, chamber personnel, and the public, it made me pause and consider how much networking can be accomplished at events like these.
If your holiday season is fastly filling up, consider using some of these tips to make the most of the thankful and merry season.
Be prepared. Business cards, a writing utensil and a notebook are staples in my purse. Use them!
Prepare your elevator pitch. Describe what services you offer in a few sentences.
Determine your goals for the event. Do you want to cover the event for an article? Simply interested in learning new information? Hope you meet a certain individual or group of people?
Be the hostess, even if you are a guest. Introduce others and help them feel at ease.
Follow up with people you meet and any contacts they may introduce.
Thank new sources and keep them updated about your work.
Don't overindulge. A plate in one hand and a drink in the other makes it difficult to greet others.
Have fun!
Networking builds business, and if writing is YOUR business, use these opportunities to expand your potential customer base and deck the seasonal halls with your writing savvy.
by LuAnn Schindler Read more of LuAnn's work at her website.
0 Comments on Be Thankful and Deck the Halls with...Networking as of 1/1/1900
We all know how important it is to set writing goals, but do we know how or what type, especially as a new or beginning writers?
Goal setting can be done in many different ways and each writer/author has their who style and technique. I’ve shared some of my thoughts along with others here on the Utah Writer’s Blog, but today I asked co-authors Tom Listul and Heather Listul Hewitt to share a bit about their goals as they worked on their recently published children’s book, Monkey Made Dreams.
Setting Writing Goals with Tom Listul and Heather Listul Hewitt
Write Every Day
A simple goal to have is to write something everyday. Even if it does not seem like you are accomplishing much, write a couple of lines or a couple of pages. Some days ideas will flow freely and other days not so much.
Keep a List of Ideas or Lines/Scenes
If you have written down ideas or lines, you can go back through your ideas, on those off days, to help you move forward or spark a new thought.
Draft Ideas or Scenes Out
Another goal that might be helpful is to draft out ideas you may have. You can write down a topic sentence or main line and list multiple ideas after that about different directions a story can go.
Keep Your Personal Goals Small (Baby Steps to the Bigger Goal)
It is always good to set goals for yourself about what you want to accomplish, but it is important to start small. You do not want to get discouraged or frustrated if you are not reaching the goal you set. Think about other ways you can break your project down into parts, such as having a goal to write one paragraph or one page in a certain amount of time. It really depends on how you work as a writer and what inspires you.
Look for Inspiration and Take a Break
Some days you might not be able to sit and write, and you might need to find inspiration. While keeping your goals in mind is important, you should also feel free to take a break and find that inspiration when needed.
Do not put too much pressure on yourself, because writing should be therapeutic and fun. You should try to enjoy the process as much as possible.
Tom Listul wrote Monkey Made Dreamwith his daughter, Heather Listul Hewitt, when she was eight years old. A farmer from southwest Minnesota, he is also a singer/songwriter. Listul made Monkey Made Dream into a children’s song and has sang it at numerous coffee houses and children’s classro
1 Comments on Setting Writing Goals, last added: 3/13/2011
One thing I find helpful, especially early in a project is to not think in terms of a "book" or "novel" because those are too big and intimidating. I think of a "project" or "story," or even "that thing I'm writing." Those don't sound so scary.
Do you know the answer? How about taking a guess? No, it is not a clock or timer. Nice try. Nope, if you guessed calendar, oh, you guessed a To-Do List and Schedule. Then you would be totally and completely . . . RIGHT!
One thing I find that works to my advantage is having many To-Do lists. I sit down and look at all the things I need to do for the day, week, month, and even the whole year. I find having To- Do lists work better for me over a schedule. However, I do have a daily schedule even if I do not stay on task all the time.
I am not sure how many of you use both or just one of these to help you as a writer. To be honest, I feel To-Do lists are one of the best tools to help you be a successful author. If you think about it, you sit down at your desk or open a file on your computer and it shows you all the things you need to get done in order for your manuscript to be mailed out to a publisher or agent. Maybe even both!
To-Do lists break down each thing making the task at hand seem less over-whelming and more manageable. The other thing I love about To-Do lists is if something is not completed the day I had it down, I just move it to the first thing to do the following day and so on. Let’s face it, no matter how hard you try . . . there will always be some kind of work needing to be done. However, To-Do lists help keep is all in perspective. For example, here is what my To-Do list looked like today.
Write article about To-Do list and schedules for posting.
Link, Twitt and post to Facebook all current SFC blog posts for this week.
Finish reviewing submissions for Stories for Children Magazine.
Post book reviews.
Manuscript editing for publisher.
Now, most of this I have worked on through out my day. However, my daily schedule/routine sometimes does cause a bit of conflict in getting my To-Do list for the day completely done. That is why I have a To-Do list for the week. The reason…my daily schedule/routine includes taking care of all three of my kids. And as any parent knows, children don’t always follow the planned schedule/routine.
The one thing to keep in mind about a schedule/routine is it is always changing based on things that need to happen. I look at my schedule/routine kind of how the Pirates of the Caribbean look at their Code. “It’s More Like Guidelines.” I don’t think I could have said it better myself.
That is why I have a weekly To-Do list. It will include each thing I want done on a daily basis. I break it up by day based on how much time I know I will have for my writing, which is normally about three to four things on my weekly list per day and that means I am really working my butt off to get it all done or my children are being very cooperative.
The thing I find helpful about my schedule/routine is it helps keep the momentum going so I can reach my writing goals. My To-Do lists help me reach my writin
1 Comments on It’s More Like Guidelines with VS Grenier, last added: 2/14/2011
I need to be better organized. I took a couple weeks off for the holidays and have been struggling to get my motor running. A To Do List and a plan would help. Good luck with your. gotta have goals written down or else they just aren;t going to realistically happen.
I asked award-winning author Mayra Calvani, who is currently doing a virtual author tour, to share some tips with us today as part of her World of Ink Tour. Mayra not only writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. She’s a reviewer for The New York Journal of Books, co-editor of Voice in the Dark ezine and a...Mother. I couldn’t think of a better person to motivate and inspire us today.
Guest post with Award-winning Author Mayra Calvani: How to Set Writing Goals with a Family
“Nothing has a stronger influence
psychologically on their environment
and especially on their children
than the unlived life of the parent.”
--C. G. Jung
You want to start your career as a writer, and you have young kids at home. How do you find the time to write and actually produce something while your children ask you for sandwiches, demand you play with them, or refuse to take a nap? Writing with kids at home isn’t easy, but it can be done.
The following are 7 tips to setting writing goals with a family:
Be realistic
17 Comments on How to Set Writing Goals with a Family with Author Mayra Calvani, last added: 2/9/2011
Mayra, These are great tips if you've already had children. If not, I have the key to raising children in a quiet & peaceful home. You just have to avoid the mistake all parents make. DON'T TEACH YOUR KIDS TO TALK. =0)
Blessings, J. Aday Kennedy The Differently-Abled Writer & Speaker Children's Author of Klutzy Kantor & Marta's Gargantuan Wings www.jadaykennedy.com
Excellent tips, as always, Mayra. I'd like to post this on my blog, "The Literary Self." If this is OK with you, I'll be sure to credit not only you, but also this present blog it's in. Thanks, Mayra, and good luck with your virtual tour!
Sound advice! I often tell my mom clients that having kids makes you more efficient. If you only have a half hour to do something, you'll get it done in that time and you'll get it done right the first time because you don't have time for a do-over!
The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver is on everybody’s minds, and it seems like on everybody’s TVs. If you log on to Twitter or Facebook, tweets and status updates about the Winter Olympics are inevitable, and so we know our children and teens are watching and listening, too. As parents and teachers, how can we use these Winter Olympics as part of our sneaky teaching moments (when we are teaching our children something without them knowing it), and what can we teach them? Here’s a list I made:
*The most obvious is hard work and determination will get you far in life–whether you are an athlete or a small business owner. If you reach for the top and support that reach with hard work, you will get somewhere.
*You can’t buy your way to the top. I think Canada might be learning that the hard way. There’s been a lot of press about them spending millions and millions and millions of dollars to buy the podium at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver; and this morning on the news, I saw that the U.S. has 24 medals and Canada has 9. One Canadian reporter wrote an article and asked if the United States would let Canada “rent” a spot on the podium? I think this is the perfect lesson for children, teens, and adults to realize that money alone is not going to buy success, happiness, or gold medals.
*There’s more than just football, soccer, basketball, and baseball out there in the sports arena. Yesterday, I watched the most interesting Winter Olympic sport which basically looked like a huge shuffleboard game on ice and is called curling. Now, this sport takes completely different skills than football; and for some children and teens, it might be right up their alley. Maybe none of these Olympic events are right up their alley, but at least it can show them that there’s a big world out there past their high school community. On a side note, I recently wrote an article about teens and rock climbing and teens and Explorer posts. I had the same ideas about the big, old world out there when I was writing these articles. Make sure we let kids follow whatever interests and dreams they have–there’s probably even a group already out there for them to get involved in.
*Having pride in your country is good and important, but we have to have good sportsmanship and be accepting of everyone. Some athletes who lose don’t always show good sportsmanship. There’s been some smack talk from different athletes and fans surrounding these Olympic games. If your child or teen gets caught up, stop them and show them an example of someone who is positive like U.S. figure skater, Evan Lysacek, who won the gold medal last night and is under fierce criticism from the Russians. He said nothing but positive and nice things about his opponent Evgeni Plushenko on Good Morning, America this morning.
Here are a couple books to check out:
Maybe you’ve thought of some other things the Winter Olympics can teach our children. Please share these sneaky life lessons here!
One-half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it. ~ playwright Sidney Howard (he adapted Gone With The Wind for the screen)
Envision what you want your life to look like. Then ask yourself, “What do I have to become to manifest this vision?” ~ Rev. Michael Beckwith (paraphrased)
Dear Readers,
Huzzah, huzzah--it's nearly fall and a new Teaching Authors CONTEST has begun!
New Year At The Pier—A Rosh Hashanah Story by April Halprin Wayland, illustrated by award-winning Canadian Stéphane Jorisch, is so delicious, we want you to have a chance to win an autographed copy!
Here’s lots of juicy stuff about the book, here's the 1:16 minute book trailer and here’s a summary of the book, which got a starred review in Publishers Weekly:
Izzy’s favorite part of Rosh Hashanah is Tashlich, a joyous ceremony in which people apologize for the mistakes they made in the previous year and thus clean the slate as the new year begins. But there is one mistake on Izzy’s “I’m sorry” list that he’s finding especially hard to say out loud.Humor, touching moments between family and friends, and information about the Jewish New Year are all combined in this lovely picture book for holiday sharing.
So...how can you win your very own autographed copy?
Simple. Since the book is about the new year...do you have a new school year goal? Great! Then post one reading, writing or teaching goal you'd like to accomplish by December 31, 2009 in 25 words or less.
Here are some sample goals to get you thinkin':
Do you want your student(s) to understand the concept of Show, Don’t Tell?
Do you want the courage to delete all of your emails so that the clutter isn't keeping you from writing the next Charlotte's Web?
Do you want to set aside 30 uninterrupted minutes to read for pleasure each day?
Do you want to send out a manuscript by Halloween?
What is that one goal for this bright and shiny new school year?
Be specific. Here’s the place to ‘fess up!
Win-an-autographed-copy-of-New-Year-at-the-Pier CONTEST rules: 1) Read the two quotes at the top. 2) Take a deep breath. 3) Post ONE reading, writing or teaching goal for the new school year in 25 words or less. 4) Your goal must be posted on one of the Teaching Authors blog posts between Friday, August 28, 2009 and Monday, September 7, 2009. 5) You must include your email address in your post so that we can contact the lucky winner. Here are our general give-away rules.
The winner will be announced Tuesday, September 8, 2009.
We expect to hear back from you in the first two weeks of January—every one of you. If you don't win this time, you'll have another chance in January when you report on your progress. How did you do? Who or what helped you? Who or what hindered you?
Coming next week: more on New Year at the Pier!
And finally, because it's Poetry Friday...and to REALLY confuse you now that you're thinking about goals...I leave you with a beautiful completely contrary anti-goals poem by my wonderful friend, poet and author George Ella Lyon:
First homework, then housework, now soulwork. No list, no checking off, no done. ~ George Ella Lyon
image of girl with a goal by April Halprin Wayland
21 Comments on 1) Take a deep cleansing breath. 2) Set a goal. 3) Enter our contest!, last added: 8/31/2009
My goal (for the whole school year, not just until December 31, but that will make a good check-in point) is to stay BALANCED. I will not let school (teaching, planning, grading, mentoring, committee-ing) take over my life. I will work on my writing project every week (but I will not require a certain number of hours of myself). I will tend to my gardens. I will spend time with family and friends. I will keep up with my reading project (Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts for NCTE). I will keep the house reasonably clean and I will fold and put away my laundry as soon as it comes out of the dryer. (okay, that one might be a little unreasonable, but I'll TRY...)
My goal is to get my daughter's toddler school back on track, develop a steady source of income, get caught up on my book reviews, and successfully follow a schedule. And lose 30 lbs... :)
The middle of the Middle is the territory of the antagonists both for the writer and for the protagonist, too.
Antagonists, internal and exterior, sabotage the protagonist from reaching her goals. The very same antagonists plague the writer as well.
In the Middle, the writer begins to doubt herself. Her way becomes murky. She looks to others for validation. Old beliefs of not being smart enough, good enough, or productive enough turn from a murmur to a roar. She rails against never receiving the credit she believes she is due. Accepts all the old criticisms she throws at herself. She fears. She falters. Her passion for her project wanes. The antagonists begin to win.
Rise up out of the lower energy systems to the "third eye", the place of wisdom -- of intuition.
Listen, not with your mind or through your ego, but to that deeper voice. Make time for yourself. Partner with the process. Pull your protagonist and yourself through the slog and toward the Climax. See your way clear.
3 Comments on Writer's Journey Mirrors Hero's Journey, last added: 8/10/2009
Beautiful advice. You are right. Intuition will pull a writer through the sagging middle. I have perfect vision here after reading that beautiful post. :D
As both a psychotherapist and writer I cannot tell you how much this is so true.
If more writers could embrace this as not simply the journey for writers but all forms of creativity and artists, that we are not being singled out, perhaps the incorporation of the plot and the universal story form, that of the heroine/hero's journey, finishing our novels and writing others would not be so arduous.
Again, thanks for your incredible wisdom on this thing called plot.
With a full-time job and family, it can be hard to make sure writing is given its time, especially if you’re not a “working” writer, i.e. getting paid, with deadlines. So, for me, setting goals can help keep you going and see your progress.
Yesterday, I decided I wanted to finish my new novel by the end of October. No particular reason why. The date just stuck out in my head, maybe because I’d love to try National Novel Writing Month in November and see if I can write 50,000 words in one month — which I think is going to be an impossibility for someone like me with a day-job and family, but who knows.
Anyway, to get to 50,000 words by the end of October, I have to write … 354 words a day. Ok, for some reason, I did a rough calculation of this yesterday and came up with about 1,600 words, starting with 45,000 words still needed (I already had 5,000) divided by four month of four weeks each. Just now I did the calculation properly with the exact number of days (127, including yesterday, as I started yesterday) and came up with 354. My in-my-head math must have been way off yesterday. Ah! The 1,600 was probably the number needed for a week! This is why I’m a writer and not a mathematician.
Anyhoo, so I need to write 354 words a day. That’s way more doable than 1,600. Yesterday I wrote about 1,500 in about three hours and I was thinking there’s no way I was going to be able to do 1,600 on work days. But 354 is much more doable.
So, I’m going to write a blog post every day, and at the beginning, I’ll keep a running tally of where I am in the word count.
If you’d like to tally yours too, join me in the comments. It’ll help us all keep going and inspiring each other.
Today’s start: 6,191
End: 6,794
Total for the day: 603
Still needed: 43,206/345 a day
Write On!
3 Comments on Setting goals, last added: 6/28/2009
I cannot function without my writing goals. That’s why I have the weekly word count on my blog, a monthly goal review, and a set of goals for the whole year! I’m a bit goal obsessed.
I’m right there with you though. My goal is to have my rewrite/revisions done by Sept and into the hands of beta readers so I can tweak it in October. I’m hoping to have it ready for querying by Nov so I can use NaNoWriMo to jump start my next project (not to mention stay distracted.
Here’s hoping!
Karen said, on 6/28/2009 12:27:00 PM
Yes, writing with a full time job is HARD. I’m doing a challenge right now of trying to write 500 words a day. Like Casey, I’m trying to finish up this current project by Sept. so I can revise.
I’ll definitely check in with you. I need all the inspiration I can get!
Good luck!
daybydaywriter said, on 6/28/2009 2:27:00 PM
Hey Casey, Yeah, I see the WIP Status on your blog. Great idea! And good job on the blogroll redo. It looks good. Thanks for including Day By Day Writer.
Good luck to both of you, Casey and Karen. You’ve inspired me to revise my goal and try to be done by the end of September too. I think I can definitely do 345 words a day. So, I’m going to up it to 460 a day, which will give me 50,000 by the end of September. That word count shouldn’t be a problem either.
I wonder if William of Normandy made New Year's Goals. Time to conquer Saxony England.
Or if Christopher Columbus peered out into the wide blue ocean and made a goal to reach land.
The key to making goals is ensuring they're reasonable, something that we can actually achieve!
First, make a long term goal---for instance: by the end of the year I want to have written another book.
Make shorter term goals to reach this end: Write 70,000 words in the next 3 months, so approximately 23,000 a month, break down further, in a week, less than 6,000 words per week. Divide it up by days, 1,000 per day, 1 day off a week for good behavior. But what about the rest of the year? Okay, revise book, have it critiqued, ultimate goal? Send it out to agents/editors before year end. Again, make these real goals....By such and such a date, send in chapters for critique. By such and such a date, have all revisions done. By this date, submit to these five agents. If no response by a certain date, send out to these five agents. Etc....always make the short term goals identifiable, not vague.
The key here is to set tangible goals and how we're going to reach them with shorter, more doable goals.
By stating I want to have something or do something by the end of the year, but I make no plans on how to go about that, will surely result in not accomplishing my goal. :)
I want to write a new book and have it ready to go before the end of year? I'll do it, IF I reach my short term goals that keep me headed in the right direction.
So what is my New Year's Goal? Write the sequel to The Vampire...In My Dreams. :)
Sometimes it's not enough to set goals. Sometimes it helps to let others know your goals. Then they can ask if you've accomplished them. Annoying when you haven't. But sometimes just knowing someone will help to keep you honest, makes all the difference in the world.
I was writing a new novel, but the holidays have put a crimp in my writing. Right. In truth I'm procrastinating because I'm not sure where I'm going with the story. So I find other things I must do, and take a lot longer doing them while avoiding what I set out to do--which is write the new novel.
The muse isn't going to jump out and hit me on the head and say here I am, here's the story, here, write it. Sometimes it does. But most often it doesn't. So I have to make it happen. The laundry won't clean itself, neither will the pots and pans. The mowing has to be done, the weedeating too. Christmas cards? Argh.
Organization is the key. Make a list of what you want to accomplish, and try to stick to it. It's amazing how easy it is to get sidetracked when we don't set goals. Even if you don't accomplish everything in the day, keep track of it and have weekly goals, monthly goals.
What is your biggest time waster? Playing video games? Watching tv? Surfing the net? Allow for only so much time to do these things. Better yet, make it a gift to yourself. Work first, then play.
That's how it was when I was growing up. Go to school, come home and do homework and then the rest of the time was free time to play. Somehow the Internet has made me lose sight of work first, and play later. :)
So make a list, and then do what's listed. Fight procrastination! Make it happen!
0 Comments on Wipe Out Procrastination! as of 1/1/1900
When I was in high school my father had the unpleasant task of waking me in the morning. He would cajole me out of bed with promises of a freshly cooked breakfast, orange juice and the New York Times. Most days these bribes were successful because as hard as I tried to stay in bed, he was persistent. Below is some advice excerpted from Getting Your Child to Say “Yes” To School: A Guide For Parents of Youth with School Refusal Behavior by Christopher A. Kearney.
Some teenagers miss school because they have great trouble getting out of bed in the morning. If your client has this problem, then be sure she is getting plenty of sleep. The following will help: (more…)
After: the curves on the backs are my favourite detail of the dining chairs
Lately I've been doing a lot of furniture collecting and refinishing for our new house. It's funny how with each move I've felt the need to upgrade. After buying a condo suddenly my old wooden IKEA $129 couch just wasn't good enough. This time we actually have enough room to have a living/dining room and I thought it would be nice to have some dining chairs instead of the kitchen style table and chairs we have now. Also our loft bed is staying in the condo and we needed a new bed.
The first (and actually necessary) thing I found was a nice vintage wooden bed on craigslist. Most of our things are secondhand things I found there and then refurbished. I love it because it's like citywide swapping - I also sold some things we didn't want anymore. The bed was such a find because I really wanted a Victorian cottage style bed with turned posts. It just turned out that the only one I could find in that style was only $50 - such a bargain.
Before: doesn't look that great but has potential!
It's a nice solid hardwood, but was painted a heavy dark blue colour. I sanded it (just a bit - it's such a chore) and primed and painted it a creamy white. Now I love it! (You can see the finished bed in the background of the chair pictures.)
Before: I wanted to show the chairs looking terrible, so you can see how much they were transformed!
The second thing we found were some dining chairs that needed a little work - also $50. When we arrived to pick them up the woman told us she had two more that we could have for $15. She had tried to remove the arms and they were a bit of a mess. So now we have a nice matching set of four! They had a yucky pink plush on the seats, also the wood wasn't great, so I sanded, primed and painted them a very pale grey. Then I reupholstered them in a light tan linen type fabric. Now I love them. This kind of upholstery is so easy. The seat is usually held in place with four screws at the back, after you remove the base, take off the old fabric by prying out the staples or nails (or get your husband to do it while he is watching Dr. Who - thank you Bradley!). Then add your new fabric on top and staple it in place snugly, going from side to side. The only tricky part is folding the corners so that they look neat - it's really trial and error and remember it's ok if it looks a bit messy on the back because it doesn't show once the seat is reattached.
Finally for the bedroom I've reupholstered a small piano bench my parents gave me several years ago. I don't have a "before" picture - it was a charming bamboo and monkey print but in colours that didn't match anything else.I love this new elegant fabric I found on Queen West, it's white linen with bamboo details.They didn't actually have any left, and I was so disappointed but I loved the fabric so I bought the sample pieces from them (for $1!) thinking I could make a cushion at least. It turned out the sample squares were folded so there were two rectangles, one of which was just enough - without a centimetre to spare - to cover the bench. And another piece leftover for a cushion. I used a plain cotton underneath since linen is a bit transparent. Also, it's meant for occasional use only, so the fabric didn't need to be extra sturdy.
So that's what I've been up to, and why our place is looking like a flea market. You know, the kind where you're worried you're going to knock something over. But in 3 weeks everything will be moved into our new little house!
8 Comments on Flea market apartment, last added: 8/18/2007
Your "new" furniture looks really nice - I love the light shades. That bed was such a find!
Jacqueline Hudon said, on 7/11/2007 8:14:00 AM
I love flea market furniture. You did such a great job fixing up everything you found.
Sarah said, on 7/11/2007 8:35:00 AM
Looking good Claire - the bed is really cute - reminds me of a metal bed frame I have in storage...
hazeljoy said, on 7/11/2007 12:47:00 PM
my o my - what a busy little bee!! great renovations x
Orange Blossom Goddess (aka Heather) said, on 7/12/2007 11:27:00 AM
I think I missed the post where you mention you've bought a house!! Congratulations!!! I hope it isn't too far away - it's been too long since we've met for a coffee. Once you're settled send me an email and we'll arrange something. I moved in May and am only now starting to feel settled so no worries if it is awhile. xo Heather
HPNY Knits said, on 7/19/2007 3:02:00 PM
wow- I have a bench just like that that I want to reupholster! how did you do it? just used tacks? it looks great!
Claire Louise Milne said, on 7/19/2007 8:49:00 PM
I actually used a staple gun. It works perfectly well, and easier than tacks. You just unscrew the top, remove the old fabric and staple the new fabric in place. Start on one side, then the other and back and forth to keep it snug and even. Good luck!
amandajean said, on 8/18/2007 8:11:00 PM
lovely before and afters! I like the refurbishing of furniture, too. I hope you are settling in nicely in your new home.
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I think this is the perfect lesson for children, teens, and adults to realize that money alone is not going to buy success, happiness, or gold medals.
Yesterday I wrote about 1,500 in about three hours and I was thinking there’s no way I was going to be able to do 1,600 on work days. But 354 is much more doable.
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Writing queries to new markets is also one of my goals. I got stuck on a few projects, I really believed in and thought were marketable, that well, weren't selling. Time to take them off the list and move on to new ideas.
I love new years and the kick-start in my attitude the provide.
Besides what I shared on Monday, I also hope to ask myself before I say YES or spend time reading guidelines and so on--ask myself: IF I submit here or take on this project, am I reaching my writing goals? I have a tendency to be all over the place and wanting to try everything, but I don't have the time. I spread myself too thin. Here's to 2013!
I really agree with Margo's point about spreading one's self too thin. I tend to be "all over the place" as well a lot of the time. I started something for NaNo 2012 that I'd like to continue working on/finish the first draft. I have a picture book manuscript I'd like to find a home for. Other than those two goals, and writing submissions for Chicken Soup books and Not Your Mother's Books...I'm sure I'll have loads of free time to sit back and gobble up bon bons. ;)
I love reading about people's goals and resoltions. It gives me ideas and is so motivating. I have no doubt that you'll make yours happen, LuAnn!
As a recovering perfectionist, I don't make New Year's resolutions. Instead, I make revisions.See my blog post. http://wp.me/p1g33i-6z).
Goals sound better than resolutions. Keep the goals on your desktop so you can see them each day. Check in on the first of every month to see how you are doing.
Happy New Year!