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Writer's
Nibs: Dip into the Well
I've been doing a lot of research for the promo book I'm co-writing with Jamie Engle. This research has led me into social networking sites. These can be wonderful places to promote, amazing time wasters--and dangerous. Like all promotion, balance and reason should prevail. Reason includes taking care to protect your personal information and who you "friend" out there. Marketing questions and problems always dominate the writer's lists. Everywhere I go, the main question seems to be: what works? The answer is there is only one thing that people know works: word of mouth. That said, there are lots of things to try. We just don't know if they work, or how well they work. The only way to know for sure that any marketing technique works is to only do that one thing for two years (until you get your royalty checks in) and then try something else. Not exactly practical. So we all use the scatter shot method. We throw everything we can at the problem and hope that something works. So when an author says, "I know this works," they are actually saying, "I believe this made the difference." There's no way to really know. One of the questions that come up a lot on the lists, "Why didn't anyone warn/tell me there was a problem with XYZ Publisher?" Information is important currency to authors. It can save us time--or cost us time and opportunity. Information can also be the killing blow to a small press publisher. There is no magic formula for how to foresee if a publisher is healthy or about to disappear. All of us struggle with how and when is the "right" time to share what we know or what we've heard. While it can be fun to be "in the know," spreading information that you don't know is true can have devastating effects on a small press working with a thin profit margin in a hostile environment. Rumors can even take down a healthy small press. If you've ever played "Gossip" as a child, then you know how quickly information can get distorted, even by well-meaning individuals. My best advice is: don't pass on information until YOU have personal proof that something is wrong. And then be careful how you share that information and who you share it with. If your careless words caused harm, you could get sued.
I'm participating in The Romance Studio's Diva Contest. Round three begins on Monday, usually around noon. This round is a letter to a fan and is an open judging round, meaning, my name is on it. If you have the time to stop by and vote on it, I'd appreciate it: The Romance Studio Diva Contest (site has mature content, so please don't go if you're under 18!) Round four will be another blind judging excerpt. If I make it! Why am I putting my time in this contest? One of the best reasons is to have my name in front of new readers. It's also a lot of fun. Writers ARE allowed to have fun, you know. So that's my tip until I get back from my vacation: HAVE FUN!!!! So many authors I know have carpal tunnel or other repetitive work related pain from sitting at desks all day. I used to have carpel tunnel syndrome, too. I had it bad enough, that I wore braces at night. Lucky for me, before I was forced into the surgery route, my sister found this amazing book. To read more about my experiences with carpal tunnel syndrome and chronic pain, click here. So much of what we do as writers involves mental games with ourselves. We try to trick ourselves into writing, trick ourselves into finishing, well, you get the picture. Early on, someone advised me to create an office space for myself, even if it's just a corner somewhere. It does help to have a place to "go to work." (Part of tricking yourself again, you see.) Some authors dress like they are going to work, but for me, that cancels out the "work from home" main benefit: being able to stay in your pajamas all day if you want. But if you still aren't working, then put on that suit and get your tush in the chair. Whatever it takes to get you writing, just do it. :-) When I was young, books always had "The End" at, well, the end. Maybe publishers back then thought we wouldn't know the book was over without the words. While conventions have changed, it is still satisfying as an author to write the words at the end of a project, even if it's just a rough draft. Endings are a goal post you need to cross, even if you ultimately decide that first book is a learning experience and not going to be published. Knowing you can finish gives you a psychological edge with the next book. It really does help to know you have finished a book and you can do it again. "Sometimes you get stuck and the words won't flow. Time to turn to zen and the art of vacuuming. When you're stuck do something requiring no concentration, like vacuuming. Don't think, just get into the rhythm of the vacuum and let it relax you. Pretty soon your mind wanders, the pieces begin to fit and you're ready to write again." Jamie Engle, freelance writer and publicist It is a mistake to bring on your editor brain too soon in the writing process. You can strangle your work if you try to make it "perfect" too soon. Give yourself permission to write crap. Rejoice because it doesn't have to be perfect. You can fix it all later. If you try to edit too soon, you kill the muse and may stop the word flow entirely. You can't edit a blank page. So fill it, then fix it. :-) Author, Linnea Sinclair points out that an art, a craft, but also a business. You can't neglect any part of the trifecta if you want to be successful in this business. She tell us out that art comes from the muse, while craft is learning to hone or fine tune what the muse produces. And if you want to increase your chance of getting published, you need to learn the business of writing. She should know. She started out in ePublishing, but is now with Bantam and won several prestigious publishing awards for her high-action, emotionally intense novels. (Can you tell I'm a fan of her books and her attitude?) Because of some family issues, I've been doing more promoting than writing. I love interacting with readers and finding new books to read, but it can eat you alive--until that's all you're doing. Luckily I've been able to do some short fiction to keep the writing fires burning. When you're in the trouble zone, even writing in journal is probably better than not writing at all. When I get an idea, I find that if I jump on it too quickly, it slips away, terrified of being seen too soon. What works for me is to pretend I don't care, that it's not that great and I don't have time for it anyway. Pretty soon, it comes to me demanding attention. Then I tackle it. ;-) I've been trying to write a short story for our local Sisters in Crime chapter anthology and found it challenging to do. Then I had a brain wave. I have some pieces of stories that I wrote for other things and realized I could use those stories to build on, thereby avoiding the challenge of trying to create a whole new set of characters on the fly. Nothing your write is ever useless. Don't be afraid to recycle. :-) The profession of book-writing makes horse racing seem like a solid, stable business.
The lists are all buzzing with the eclipse, which leaves me bereft of a writing topic to discuss today. I can't even talk about the eclipse, because we had cloud cover yesterday (still do, actually) and didn't get to see it. :-( But someone did post a good quote and since I love chocolate, thought I'd share it for my last tip for February. It does seem appropriate:
Since February starts tomorrow, I thought I'd pick "love" as my theme. From my reading on the loops lately, many of us seem to have a love/hate relationship with writing. When it's going well, we love it, but when it doesn't... I've probably given this advice too much, but try to focus on what you love when you're in creative mode, don't let the parts we all hate suck you dry, particularly protect your muse from the negativity. And my last piece of advice, do something for the fun of it in February. Do something just for the love, too. Get flirty, get fun, bring the play back into your writing. You'll be glad you did. :-) Hope seemed like a good topic for the new year. Even starting a book is an act of hope, a leap of faith, let alone finishing it. And then it takes hope to show it to others, to send it out in hope of publication. I'm a great believer in hope, particularly hope backed by hard work, by study of the market, honing of skills, seeking of advice (making sure to weed out the bad stuff!) and a refusal to give up, to be stopped by a business that seems carefully tailored to stamping out hope. Oscar Wilde also said, "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." Look at the stars my friends. Dream your dreams and go after them. :-) Okay, this week everyone is talking money. Writers love and hate to talk about money--mostly because they don't make a lot of it and hate to admit it. For a discussion of money, visit here (scroll down to Patti's 12/3/2007 post) and here to read Brenda Hiatt's article "Show Me the Money!" for some real facts about the subject. The buzz on the lists this week is about genres getting crossed and recrossed. How does an author/publisher market a cross genre book to readers? Bookstores and even some ebook sites don't let you cross market. You have to pick a genre and stick with it. At fictionwise, for instance, The Key is listed as science fiction, but it is also action adventure and a romance. But site limitations put it in one place only. I've been lucky to find some online sites to promote directly to sci-fi romance readers, but it is a challenge. But the trend in publishing seems to be toward cross genre, rather than away, despite marketing problems. That's good news for readers, but as usual, tough for authors. An interesting article on cross genre romance readers, appeared on PW this week. It has a funny title, too.
One of the hardest things you'll face in this business is criticism. It would be nice if we could be immune to it, or only hear the parts of it that will help us make our work better. Unfortunately, it doesn't always works that way. I don't know why we give more weight to the negative, than we do to the positive, but many of us do, myself included. I can pretty much remember almost every negative comment I've gotten on my work, but have to go read my reviews to get the positive. It should be the other way around. One thing I've been known to do is print out positive comments and inspiring quotes and tape them on my monitor, where I can read them before I start work. If I have to, I mentally argue with the negative until it is small and defeated. If we didn't believe we had something worth telling, we wouldn't even try to write. The trick is to take that belief and nurture it and keep it alive in a business known for the heavy winds of adversity. You are the only one who can do it, but you don't have to do it alone. Surround yourself with supportive people (and weed out the naysayer's!). And don't be afraid to let yourself enjoy the wild ride! :-) As reviews for my new book begin to arrive in my email box, I thought handling reviews might be a good topic for discussion. Having your work judged by anyone is a good news/bad news event. It's hard to get ready for and harder to take if your work is judged less than you'd like. I've been pretty lucky in the reviews I've received, but also had reviews that were like a hit to the chin. As hard as it is, always try to be grateful that someone took the time to read your work. Look for what they did like about it and focus on that. Let the negative go. Don't let a bad review wound your muse or sense of self. It is just an opinion. Not everyone is going to like your work. You can't please all the people all the time. Sometimes all you can do is please yourself and hope. Keep hope in your heart. If you get a strong reaction from reviewer, well, at least they weren't indifferent. Write with passion, with personal integrity, be true to your own vision of your work and be happy you can write, be happy to be published and in position to be reviewed. And whatever you do, don't answer back to a bad review. If you have to respond, write the email, then delete it. And get back to work on the next project. :-) I find myself curiously devoid of writing advice this week. I think my well is dry. Too much happening in my personal life, and not enough filling of the inner well. So maybe that is my advice for this week: take time to fill your inner well, take time to refresh your spirit. No guilt trips this week for any of us, okay? When the question was asked, to blog or not to blog, my answer was a firm, no. I barely had time to write novels. Blogging involved writing words that wouldn't go into novels. No blogging. Ever. So why do I find I belong to an amazing number of blogs? Well, I'm not sure how it happened, but I'm finding it is a good thing. I probably should spend more time at it, and I don't know if I have a blog audience. It is a good way to get my thoughts in order, a place to share what I'm reading and writing, and--bottom line--it is good promotion. In this crazy world, with millions of books competing for readers' attention, blogging is just one more (free) way to get your name out there. And it can benefit you in unexpected ways. I've found friends with shared interests, learned things I didn't know from people browsing by and felt connected to other people when my writing made me feel isolated. Maybe blogging isn't for you. But maybe it is. :-) Writing through personal challenges and tragedies is probably the hardest thing you'll face. Sometimes life just gets too intense to escape, so don't beat yourself up about what you can and can't do. If you're lucky enough to be able to find temporary escape into your writing, then give thanks and take it. Life will always be there waiting when you get out. One of the things new (and even not-so-new) writers are always being told is to attend conferences. There are great benefits to meeting with others of your kind, sharpening your skills and making contacts. But we don't always have the money to travel to a conference. That's why it is a great thing when the conference comes to you. And what could be better than an online conference? Well, one that is completely FREE. Check it out! Registration closes August 1st! The Muse Online Writers Conference My last agent
kept telling me I needed to "focus" and figure out what my genre
was. I told her I wanted to invent my own genre. <g> Like I
said, she moved on, but IF I'd listened her to her advice, I
wouldn't have written OUT OF TIME, my Eppie winning
novel. Or my new novel, The Key, which is also out of my
genre. There's been another discussion of POV on one of my writer's lists. It got me to thinking about how important it is for a writer to make sure they can master all aspects of writing, not just the ones they like. Some authors don't like changing POV within a scene, so they avoid it, but writing styles tend to change. Right now, it seems to be that the POV landscape is undergoing a sea change, possibly as a reaction to readers just getting tired of all books using basically the same POV techniques. It's a lot harder to do POV shifts within a scene. You can't just hop to another head. You need to make sure there is some kind of transition, so the reader isn't bumped out of the story. As with all aspect of writing, using good craft is critical to keeping the reader engaged. One thing I
sometimes forget to do in a first, or even fourth draft of a new book Someone asked the
question, when do you give up on a book? I was going
through my email inbox, trying to clean it out a bit I
blogged today about some
things to expect--and not expect--from a publisher. On one of my
writers' lists, the subject came up of what to do during dry spells. One of the things I've noticed a lot, is how intimidated new/aspiring authors get by the idea of promotion. I was the same way, so thought the tip should be on promotion. The BEST promotion you can do for your book is to write the next book. That said, you do have to do more than write. In the competitive publishing market, if readers don't know you're there, they can't fall in love with your work. I advise new authors to start with baby steps. DO set up a website. Once your public/internet image is all polished up, start networking with readers and authors. Remember, authors read books, too. Start with what you're comfortable doing, but don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. Writing a book and putting it out there is both bold and brave. So why be timid about letting others know? The discussions this week on the writer's list are about finding your author voice and Point of View. Wasn't sure which one to talk about, but POV seems to stir up the most emotion and even controversy. It's amazing what writers get passionate about. I've never been a POV purist, in my reading or my writing. I tend to go into the head that I need to tell my story. The trick is to be able to make the transition so smooth the reader doesn't know or care that you've changed heads. It's pretty much, IMHO, like any writing technique. Do it well or don't do it. :-) As I was pondering what tip to write, I went over and blogged at the various places I, well, blog. Fresh from my trip home, I found myself thinking about how the roots of my childhood helped shape me into a writer. It was there, at my parents' knees, that I found my voice. Since I don't want to write it all again, I'm just going to repost the links: "You cannot look at the marketplace and find your voice." Gordy Hoffman I got this quote from the Blue Cat Screenplay newsletter and have been thinking about it ever since. If you can read the whole article, You are the Box Office Smash: The Personal Screenplay, do. Even though it is directed at screenwriters, it's a great discussion about finding your authentic voice in your writing. He talks about digging into the detritus of our lives and using to add emotional fuel to our stories. If what we write isn't true to us, it won't be true to the reader. On one of my lists the question of blogs came up. What's the point of them? What good are they? No one really had an answer and I won't pretend to have one either. For me, as a reader and writer, I think they are a fun way to get serious or get silly. Someone posted this link to a fun blog. Another fun blog is Miss Snark. There's a lot of talk, a lot of back and forth going on between writers and between writers and readers. Since I'm in the communication business, this seems like a good thing. My only caution is don't let it get out of control. In the end, there's no point in any of it if you don't finish the book! At this beginning of a new year, all the buzz on the lists is about motivation, making and accomplishing goals, getting past all those road blocks we set for ourselves. Some great stuff has been posted. Thought I'd share the quotes, since I don't have permission to post the comments: "Sometimes, simply by sitting, the soul collects wisdom." (unknown) Life is too short to
blend into the background. The literature of women’s lives is a tradition of escapees, women who have lived
to tell the tale. They resist captivity. They get up and go. They seek better
worlds. January is a great time to ponder and set goals. Even though it is the middle of winter, there is still a feeling of a fresh start about a new year. One caution, though. When you're setting your goals, make sure to set goals that you can actually achieve. For instance, setting a goal to be published by the end of the year is unrealistic, unless you intend to self-publish. If you want a traditional publishing contract, a more realistic goal would be to commit to send out query letters to XX number of publishers and/or agents. I have heard that Jim Carey wrote on a slip of paper that he wanted to receive a million dollars for a movie by a certain date. He put the slip in his pocket and achieved that desire. There is something that happens by writing down our desires and our goals, a sort of synergy in our heads. We work on a conscious and an unconscious level. But to avoid getting discouraged, be sure you know the difference between a desire and a goal. :-) Someone posted this article link on one of my author loops. Thought it was interesting. Don't agree with everything he says, but thought it was thought provoking. There are those out there who think all books should be free. The problem with that is, who wants to put in all the hard work of writing a book...for no pay at all? What do you think? Do you buy or borrow books?
http://tinyurl. This week, my various writing loops are discussing query letters, why we read what we read, and camels...well, actually the camels got looped into a discussion on technical support from...out of the US. This week, my tip is, if you don't belong to a writers group, either real time or online, you're missing out. There is a wealth of expertise available to you with the click of a mouse. Some of my favorites: Sisters in Crime Guppies, World Romance Writers, Sisters in Crime Internet Chapter, Muse Conference Online, Absolute Write. These are just a small sampling of what's out there. To look them up, just type the name into Google or your favorite search engine. Or, type in your genre of writing and find those like-minded souls who will help you navigate this crazy business a little bit more efficiently. :-) A writing friend is going through edits, which are both pleasure and a pain! One resource I go back to again and again is Self-editing for Fiction Writers. It's on my shelf on and number three on my Tattered Covers list. What I particularly like about this book, as an aid to self-editing, is that each chapter has a check list at the end. I go through each chapter, then go through my manuscript, focusing ONLY on the items covered in that chapter. When I get burned out, I step away from the book for a bit and try to clear my brain by working on something else. The other thing to remember, when editing, is break it down into small pieces. It won't seem so overwhelming. And last, but not least, you can't edit empty pages, so rejoice that you have words to edit. :-) I got this link to Neil Gaiman's blog where he had a great discussion on Intellectual property rights. I mention it in my "All the World's a Page" Blog for this week, too. Certainly worth thinking about. I printed out his sample will, to add to my current will. Hey, we're all going to famous, even if we have to die to make it, right? I've been thinking a lot about what it takes to hang in there when the story won't cooperate or it just seems too long to that moment when you can type "the end." In the dark reaches of the night, even knowing you have readers waiting for you book isn't enough. We all have to dig deep, at least once and usually more, to keep going in this business. Even published authors get rejected and/or have their moments of doubt. My oldest daughter calls it "pulling it out of your tush." It's pushing forward, despite the pain and refusing to be stopped no matter who tells you no. Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. James M. Barrie Sometimes it is hard to make the muse come when you have the time to write. Just as music can trigger a memory, it can also bring you back into the work. Think about your characters, what songs would they listen to? Make your own mix of their songs and play them while you work and you'll be surprised how quickly it brings that muse back on line.
Conferences are a great resource for writers. If you can't afford to travel to one, and there isn't a conference debuting near you, check out conferences online. Next month I'll be participating in The Muse Online Conference. Even better, this conference is free, so check it out. :-) Notice three people today, how they walk and talk, then go home and try to write about them. See if you can make them come alive on the page. Then mess them up by putting them in a scene. Practice your craft (and try to keep the chocolate out of your keyboard.) Sometimes you just need to let yourself write for fun, instead of writing for "have to." Let yourself write crap, let yourself have fun and play at it. Occasionally taking a break from the business of writing can refill your creativity well. My theme this week is positive thinking. I liked the Vince Lombardi quote (below), even though it is technically about habits. As authors, it is easy to fall into a habit of despair. This is one, tough business. The truth is, there will be times when you're the only one who will believe you can "make it," whatever "making it" means to you. While it is important to be realistic about your chances in some markets, it is also important to develop a spirit of optimism, to nurture the positive and keep it alive during the whole submit/get rejected process. I can't promise you that you'll get exactly what you want in this business, but you can get something if you refuse to give up. It is a fact that positive energy brings positive outcomes. If you're feeling despair, whether you mean to or not, that's what you'll project in your writing and in your submitting. Think about it. We're all drawn to positive people. Optimism is infectious. And it makes the journey a lot more fun. :-) Not everyone is going to like everything you write. This includes agents, editors, reviewers and readers. Writing is such a personal endeavor, it is hard to filter out the negative. It's really hard to figure out what is constructive criticism and what is destructive criticism, though some seem able to filter out both. When someone, anyone makes suggestions about how you should change your work, consider how the advice makes you feel? Do you feel excited? Perhaps you say, aha! You realize that's exactly what was needed. This is good/constructive criticism. But if the advice/critique makes you feel despair, defeated and wanting to give up, this is advice you need to throw away. Good critiques empower. Bad critiques defeat. One of my writer's groups is talking about how you write an opening that draws the reader into the story so that they have to keep reading. Here's what I had to say on the subject:
I
take a favorite author and examine all the different ways they open
a book, then try their technique for myself. Sometimes I leave the
first chapters until the whole book is done and the opening becomes
clear. Sometimes you can over work the problem. Sometimes you have
to listen to what people aren't saying about it.
One
of my editors told me that mystery authors tend to keep too much
back. We assume the reader is going to know certain things.
Sometimes you just have to say what's happening. And only keep the
secrets that NEED to be kept.
If
your opening lacks zing, try some other ways to start your novel.
Experiment, using others' techniques. What's your goal with your
beginning?
Remember, experimenting is fun AND you don't have to show it anyone
until you're ready, so you can push your boundaries in all
directions and see what falls out of your imagination. :-)
Someone posted this on a writer's email list and I thought it would be fun to share: Fiction is an act of revenge. Super heroes may leap tall
buildings in a single bound, but the best writers I know sit down at
their keyboard and write one line. And then another. And another. Jack Hart, Managing Editor of The Oregonian
I'd like to talk about hope for writers this week, too. Hope is what keeps us writing things down and hope is what prompts us to submit to a publisher. Writing is a joy (and sometimes a pain), but the business of writing can kill all hope. Nurture your hope, protect it from the rejections, reviews you don't like, and the judgment of others. Hope must survive if you ever want to get published. And then keep getting published again and again. Writing description is probably the most challenging part of the process for me. I've been known to finish a draft and find characters standing on an empty stage. Filling in that stage doesn't have to be painful--nor is description only about what can be seen. Remember to use all your senses--sight, sound, touch, smell and taste--and your scenes will come alive for the reader. I'm going to crib from myself this week and post a few bits of advice from our blog, All The World's a Page: Be happy where you are right now. The
journey matters as much (or more) than the destination.
I don't try to do my characters "right" in the first draft. Instead, I focus on each main character as I go through the various revisions. It helps me find inconsistencies, etc. I start with the hero or heroine, just using a "plug and play" villain for the early draft, then, when I'm happy with them, I focus on the villain, bringing him "up to code." (i.e. making him real and seriously threatening). But the best "tip" is to find your way of creating and stick with it. Only you see the world the way you do. :-)
Pitching a book to an
editor or agent is probably one of the hardest parts of writing. Really.
Condensing hundreds of pages of story into a one or two line pitch
and/or a one page synopsis can feel like shoving your feet into shoes
that are too small. But it can be done. To create a great pitch you need
to focus on the broad outlines of the story, not the specifics. This is
the time to paint in broad, even slightly fuzzy strokes. Too much
information just gives the editor/agent something to nitpick. I use
screenwriting techniques to craft my pitch/synopsis. If you're really
stuck, check out Syd Field's The Screenwriter's Workbook. It
really helped me breakdown my story into pitchable, easy-to-synopsize
parts. Well, not easy, but easier. It's shi-shi to look down on reality television, but don't be so quick to cross them off your list. Reality shows where people are under long term stress can be great character studies for authors trying to breath life into wooden characters. "Writers aren't exactly people...they're a whole lot of people trying to be one person." F. Scott Fitzgerald "Keep your heart open to dreams. For as long as there's a dream, there is hope, and as long as there is hope, there is joy in living." Anonymous What you write will depend a great deal on your publishing goals. If you want to sell to a big publisher, you will need to write to the market--or write so far out of the box, they have to have you (such a Jasper Fforde or JK Rowling). If you need to write what you want to write, then small press or self publication may be the best route for you. Be sure to do research before you submit to any publisher, agent or self publishing press if you want to have a positive publishing experience. Preditors and Editors is a good place to start your research. If you're having trouble finding the typos and other errors in your manuscript, try turning it upside down and reading from right to left. Reading out loud also helps you find missed words. Critique groups can be a
wonderful support for an author...or a nightmare. The best way to tell
if a group is working for you is to ask yourself, did the session make
me feel excited to get back to work on my book? Don't know what happens next? Feeling plot-stuck? Get a blank sheet of paper and write your story question (or even a big ? if you're not sure what to ask) in the center, then just scribble every "answer" that comes to mind all around the edges. Don't worry about being neat. Just fill the white space around with what comes to mind. Your first few ideas will be the same ones everyone else has, the "safe" or even stereotypical solutions. Keep pushing until you've reached the absurd and/or ridiculous, then look for the idea that excites you in between safe and ridiculous, the one that restarts your desire to write again. Question: Should my flashback be written in the here and now or be reflective? Answer: It depends. What effect do you want to achieve? If you want the immediate impact of present events, then you should write the flashback as if it is happening. But if you want a more reflective, assessing point of view, then the flashback should be written more as a memory. Remember distance from an event changes the way you look at it, and it should be that way for your characters, too. If you're having trouble breathing life into your characters, try having them live in your skin for a few days. As you go through your day, how would your character do what you do? How would they feel about it? What would they buy in the grocery store? Sort their laundry? Deal with your job? Most of what you learn, you won't use in the book, but you will have a better feel for the character's mood and life attitude. Still have questions? Check out my article on creating characters. "If I have been of service, if I have glimpsed more of the nature and essence of ultimate good, if I am inspired to reach wider horizons of thought and action, if I am at peace with myself, it has been a successful day." Alex Noble "Sometimes it pays to stay in bed in Monday, rather than spending the rest of the week debugging Monday's code.” Dan Solomon There is a technical meteorological term for a sunny, warm day which follows two rainy days. It’s called a “Monday”. Unknown Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7th of your life. Unknown Monday is the root of all evil. Unknown
Never tell evil of a man, if
you do not know it for certainty, and if you know it for a
certainty, then ask yourself, 'Why should I tell it?' Three may keep a
secret, if two of them are dead.
“Live life fully while
you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your
friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and
screw up! You're going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the
process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the
cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don't try to be perfect;
just be an excellent example of being human.” It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something. ~ Franklin Delano Roosevelt
If the word quit is part of your vocabulary, then the word finish is likely not. B.G. Jett No winter lasts forever; no spring skips it's turn. Hal Borland
Lucille Ball
Walter Winchell
Robert Browning Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people that have come alive. ~ Harold Thurman You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. Eleanor Roosevelt "Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so that we can see Life with a clearer view again.”
Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.
There is no
pleasure in having nothing to
do; the fun is in having “Remember your dreams and fight for them. You must know what you want from life. There is just one thing that makes your dream become impossible: the fear of failure. Never forget your Personal Legend. Never forget your dreams. Your silent heart will guide you. Be silent now. It is the possibility of a dream that makes life interesting. You can choose between being a victim of destiny or an adventurer who is fighting for something important.” Paulo Coelho from THE ALCHEMIST
— Aristotle
"Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful."
— Samuel Johnson
Rasselas, ch. 41 "No one can be happy who has been thrust outside the pale of truth. And there are two ways that one can be removed from this realm: by lying, or by being lied to."
— Seneca
Roman philosopher and writer 4 BCE - 65 CE "So near is falsehood to truth that a wise man would do well not to trust himself on the narrow edge."
— Cicero
Most writers can write books faster than
publishers can write checks.
People say life is the thing, but I prefer reading.
You
cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer
and forge yourself one.
It is not work that kills men, it is worry. Work is
healthy; you can hardly put more on a man than he can
bear. But worry is rust upon the blade. It is not
movement that destroys the machinery, but friction.
"I am still determined to be
cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also
learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or
misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our
circumstances." Happiness is a way station
between too much and too little. The only way to find the
limits of the possible is by going beyond them to the impossible.
When you get to the end of
your rope, tie a knot and hang on.
I have spread my
dreams beneath your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my
dreams. My friend is
engaged in a major custody battle. 2 little words that can
make the difference: Start Now.
"Sometimes,
simply by sitting, the soul collects wisdom."
"The law of
harvest is to reap more than you sow. Life is what we make it. Always has been, always will be. - Grandma Moses "Smile at each
other, smile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile EASY is to judge the
mistakes of others.....
TWENTY TRUTHS TO REMEMBER
1. Faith is the ability to not panic. 2. If you worry, you didn't pray. If you pray, don't worry. 3. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home every day. 4. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape. 5. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot. 6. Do the math. Count your blessings. 7. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts. 8. Dear God: I have a problem. It's me. 9. Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted. 10. Laugh every day, it's like inner jogging. 11. The most important things in your home are the people. 12. Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional. 13. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open. 14. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry. 15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead. 16. We do not remember days, but moments. Life moves too fast, so enjoy your precious moments. 17. Nothing is real to you until you experience it, otherwise it's just hearsay. 18. It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are done. 19. Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage. The goals and dreams you're seeking require courage and risk-taking. Learn from the turtle, it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck. 20. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer. (Not sure who said/wrote it.) "What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not do." Aristotle Reality is the mirror of your thoughts. Choose well what you put in front of the mirror. Remez Sasson "We don’t have to be perfect today. We don’t have to be better than someone else. All we have to do is to be the very best we can." --Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, " "By listening emphatically, we often can help others find their own solutions." --Marvin J. Ashton, " "Our deepest fear is
not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful
beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most
frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing
small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about
shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We
are all meant to shine, as children do... And as we let our own
light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the
same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence
automatically liberates others."
"Be happy while you’re
living, for you’re a long time dead." "Happy are those who dream
dreams and are willing to pay the price to make them come true."
Anonymous "Never bend your head. Always
hold it high. Look the world right in the eye." "Winning is a habit.
Unfortunately, so is losing." Vince Lombardi
"I love the man that can
smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow
brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink,
but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his
conduct, will pursue his principles unto death." Thomas Paine
"Die when I may, I want it said by those who knew
me best that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I
thought a flower would grow."
Abraham Lincoln
"There are important cases in
which the difference between half a heart and a whole heart makes
just the difference between signal defeat and a splendid victory."
A.H.K. Boyd
"Nothing in the world can
take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more
common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not;
unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world
is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone
are omnipotent. The slogan, 'press on' has solved, and always will
solve, the problems of the human race." Calvin Coolidge
"In the confrontation between the stream and the
rock, the stream always wins- not through strength but by perseverance."
H. Jackson Brown
"I am still determined to be cheerful and happy,
in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience
that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our
dispositions, and not upon our circumstances."
"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done
what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget
them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and
serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old
nonsense."
Most people don't want to do the hard;
that's why it is so easy to be successful. There's no competition!
Remember short-term pain will equal long term gain and vice versa. It's
the hard that makes you great. It's the willingness to do the hard that
separates you from your competition, because most of them are only
willing to do the easy. Unfortunately, in the long run, the easy always
turns out to be the hard. "
Warren Greshes
Our children are our only hope for the
future, but we are their only hope for their present and their future.
Zig Ziglar
Live the life you
imagine... Henry David Thoreau
We cannot solve
problems with the same thinking we used to create them.
Alfred Einstein
One can not consent
to creep when one has the impulse to soar. Holding Grudges:
Don't Holding a grudge is
like taking poison, then sitting around waiting for the other person to
die. Eventually you're
going to reach the point where just one more attempt, one more effort
will bring real success. What a shame it would be to give up just as you
reached that point. © Pauline Baird Jones.
All rights reserved for copyrighted material (Writer's Nibs).
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