No photos in today’s blog. No images. Just words. Sometimes I just don’t feel like writing. When I’m dealing with health challenges, as I am now, I just don’t feel like writing. When my life is in an upheaval, as it is now, I just don’t feel like writing. When I’m just too busy with taxes and paper work, I just don’t feel like writing. (How are we creatives supposed to be creative with so many numbers and statistics staring at us?) MOVE TO YOUR WRITING AREA The truth is these usually aren’t the real reason we’re not writing. The real reason has more to do with fear and inertia. SIT WITH YOUR COMPUTER OR WRITING PAD In 2013 I was brought out of a publishing drought when four of my manuscripts were acquired. In 2014 I was happy to sell two more. But I wasn’t ecstatic. What was wrong with all those precious stories editors passed on...rejected? Were my sales simply flukes? FOCUS. I’ve started writing a new story. I think it’s an important story, one that needs to be told. But I’m not at all sure how to plot the story, how to find the precious words. I doubt myself and so I procrastinate. It really doesn’t matter if you have sold stories or not...we all doubt ourselves. CLOSE THE DOOR TO DOUBT. To overcome fear and doubt, we cannot overvalue the importance of focus. If we’ve discovered that precious idea, we must listen earnestly to the tale it wants to tell, the tale beneath the words. It is from our mind’s attention that our physical story unfolds. OPEN THE DOOR TO YOUR IMAGINATION Leafing through REAL SIMPLE magazine (procrastinating) I thought how writing is not real simple. It’s hard and it’s challenging and sometimes it kicks you in the gut. JUST FOR FUN, CREATE TWO NEW CHARACTERS. ONE ANIMAL. ONE HUMAN. LEAVE THEM ON THE PAGE OR TAKE THEM WITH YOU INTO A STORY. No photos in today’s blog. No images. Just words. The last are from a Cadillac ad on the back of REAL SIMPLE, because in our heart of hearts don’t we all truly want to be Cadillacs? “It is not the critic Who counts; The credit belongs To the man who is Actually in the arena, Who strives valiantly; Who errs, who comes Short again and again; Who knows Great enthusiasms; Who spends himself In a worthy cause; Who at the best Knows in the end The triumph of High achievement. And who at the worst, If he fails, At least fails While daring greatly. Dare Greatly.” WRITE THE WORDS
2 Comments
4/10/2015 05:47:11 am
Love your words for the day, Marsha. I have these feelings and I thank you for the suggestions to boot me out of that procrastinating zone.
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