Renewed Hope: Is it worth it?

As I sit here, I've become aware that my previous guesses about the individual (company?) that I sent an application for a writing job to was as swamped as I thought with another project and now is playing catch up with other ones.  So I have renewed hope that I will be getting a "call back," or whatever one might phrase it as, for this job.  Again, I want to remain vague about it because of several reasons:

1. It might be a NDA type deal where gabbling about details for the project are strictly taboo and would jeopardize the client's trust and or potential future jobs with said client.
2. I don't want to get unecessarily hyped up for really cool job that may not happen.  
3. If the job falls through/my secondary submission did not make the cut, I want to edit that submission and possibly use it in a future project if the client allows me to do so.  
4. I like to hedge my bets, so I've been trying to work ahead, at least in the research department, so that should I get selected for the job I will have a short turn around time for the "boss" of the project.  I'd rather be ready to go and firing on all pistons than trying to hit the ground running, but from behind....does that metaphor make sense?

So this leads me to a little life lesson that hopefully is chock full of condescension, pretension, elevation, and any other "-tions or sions" I may have missed.  Kidding aside, I want to make it clear that there's never a reason to give up hope on what can be done with a project.  Does the client cancel?  No biggie, just use what you've learned, and maybe even the work as well and turn it into a funny story or resume' enhancer.  Or maybe re-purpose it for later use.  As I slowly reclaim myself from the abyss that was my old retail job I am remembering the optimism I used to have over situations even when they seemed bad or turned out other than I had hoped.

I don't care if it sounds schmaltzy to say, but I will remain hopeful even when it seems the foolish and silly thing to do.  Heck, even if I don't get this particular job, that doesn't mean I can't try again later to try and get a job with this guy, and it doesn't mean that I've lost the chance to work on anything ever again and for all time.  I think while I was working that crummy job in the past, it tended to blindside me with such horrible things and poor treatment from management on a daily basis that I saw every failure as total closure of possible routes and futures.  It was a terrible thing to happen because in addition to the pervasive awfulness of the job, I tended to think one failure was all it took to either be at square one, or think that I should never try certain things ever again.

Different outlook now?  Yes and no.   As I said, I used to have a more upbeat, "keep-on-a-tryin'" attitude prior to the retail job going full evil mode.  I hope that if you read this and are in an awful job, have people in your life that scoff at being hopeful, or feel like every one else is living it up while your stuck in the doldrums--please try to get away from those bad influences and start anew.  I know it doesn't seem possible if you feel stuck in an awful job, but trust some one who knows from experience.  Such places can keep you from realizing your full potential.  If you're scared of what might happen if you leave, try even harder to get away from there.

It's easier to deal with fear of the unknown that it is to deal with a lifetime of regret.

How to Feel Terrible: When a Client Disappears Edition

What do you make of it in the world of freelance writing when a client goes from enthusiastic communication loving your work and wanting more....

to total radio silence, so-to-speak?


Panic

Obviously you did something wrong and they hate you now.  They probably spend hours throwing darts at pictures they imagine look like you rather than do a quick check in to say what is going on and if they are going to continue to use your work.  Make sure you have a stack of paper lunch sacks nearby to hyperventilate into.  Likely you'll blow through a few of them while you decide your next move.  Maybe you should contact them five or six times in the next hour, just to let them know how much you love working for them.  If you need to cry, don't do it on the keyboard as it could short out.


Obsess Over the Details of the Last Thing You Gave Them

Did you have spelling errors?  Probably.  Could that one sentence have been more tightly written? Definitely.  Remember, everything can be done better, especially your last project.  It may be too late to turn in a new version, but that doesn't mean the worrying and obsessing about what has been done should stop.  In fact, it's time to ramp those doubts up to ten on the worry scale!  Stop being satisfied that you did your best and start really considering what it means to fail.  The closing ideas you had for a review?  That was probably terrible.  You transitions from one point to the next?  Those were also likely abysmal.  Don't even get started thinking about your usage of commas.  Not only did you more than likely screw that up, but the client is likely sharing your travesty of comma use around the office and with total strangers.


Count Your Failures

The age old adage about "Counting your blessings" is a lie, and you know it.  So why not count up your failures instead?  No, I'm not talking about that last assignment or job offer you tried out for.  I am talking about everything that you can possibly remember that you failed at.  Your choice to have spaghetti the other day was a disaster from the get go and you know it.  That time you thought about leaving your "safe" Joe job to pursue your dreams?  What a mistake that turned out to be, right?  In high school, yes, they really were  all looking at you and wondering why another human being would comb their hair and dress that way.    That time in kindergarten when you colored outside the lines? Yes, even that can be counted against you when it comes to the failure tally.  You need to dig deep when it comes to this one.  Think hard now, do you remember those first steps you took as a baby?  You can be pretty sure your parents hung their heads in shame when your diapered duff hit the floor before you even managed to plant one foot in front of the other.


Right about now you should be in the fetal position sucking your thumb.

Never Try Anything Ever Again

Don't do anything ever again.  No, not don't do anything new.  Tons of people never do anything new each and every day.  It's time to consider total inertia as an option for your future.  Doubtless your client's failure to respond mean that think a rock could have done a better job writing what you turn in, and maybe it is time to stop thinking of all you can accomplish and time to start thinking of how living as a solid state block of matter can help you avoid future disappointments.


Remember, you can't do well all the time.  So embrace the mediocrity and failure that has come to pass.

 Unless the client just made simple mistake and still loves your work, but didn't have time to get back to you.  In which case, you're totally fine and can ignore the advice previously given.

Ramping Up For The Big Game--er--Contest: Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers

Okay, things are finally getting back on track.

As I've mentioned before, I've been sick, my kid is teething, and my wife was hospitalized and needs gall bladder surgery early next month.

But otherwise things are on track--writing wise that is.

I've got a small time gig doing a blog for a BBQ catering company which doesn't take too much time, but provides a little pocket money.  My brother and I have been building up the One More Rewrite Podcast.  I get a little work here and there.  One of my bigger hopes comes in the form of a job I applied for but am still waiting to hear back if I made the cut.  I hope so.  I could use the money, it sounds like fun, and it would be a nice way to get my name out there.  So, what do I have on the agenda for April.

The Beginning of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Contest.

I hope you read that in a deep, echoed voice with lots of reverb.  Because that's how it sounds to me when I read it.  This is hands down, one of my favorite writing contests to prepare for.  In previous years I've thought about doing it.  I did a little leg work but didn't follow through.  There was always an excuse not to do it, always something that sounded like a reasonable argument for me not to do it.  Well, I am tired of being one of my biggest detractors.  This year I plan on submitting again.  I have managed to pull it off once before, get a draft in on time to enter.  I even paid the extra fees to get an evaluation of the work and see what else I needed to do with it.  There was some real beneficial feedback there, but I didn't get the polish I wanted in time.  The frustrating thing was that it seemed the three judges really liked the chapter I submitted, but because I had a bevy of grammatical errors, I did not make it as a finalist.  I got the sense that I could have made it had I given myself more time.  Had I just pushed myself rather than settling.

Well, that was years ago and I have been pushing myself harder ever since.  I will no longer settle for just a some nice compliments and a nudge that I need to do better on the basics.  I will get in as a finalist, at least I hope so.  I will not give up on hope until I get the manuscript back that says that I need more work.  Until that point, anything is possible.  If you are out here in Colorado or are interested in the writing contest  experience, take a gander at their site here:

If you are interested:

 http://rmfw.org/contest/

A word to fellow writers considering submitting for this or other such contests.  I can only speak for myself (obviously) but....

Having sprung for the extra bucks to have the evaluation of my manuscript, it was definitely worth it.  My world was not shattered, my heart was not crushed, and my dreams were not dashed by the pen marks and lengthy comments left by the judges.  I also don't want to say something arrogant or self-aggrandizing like, "It grew me so much as a writer," or "I've been enlightened by the experience," or some other horse-hockey meant to make me look like I've reached the next stage of pok-e'-lution for my particular pokemon type.  The comments were solid, they pointed out where I made mistakes (and not just in grammar) and I hope that I'm not too silly as to make the same plotting and characterization errors in the future.  I'd rather be nervous that I'm going to screw-up, and therefore pour over a creative writing piece again and again than spend time patting my own back over how well I adapted to criticism.

I will move forward with my creative writing, try to distance myself from it but still care for it as my own, proof read the final outcome, and then send it off while hoping and praying for the best.  Time to get the ball rolling on that first draft for my story.



Of course, this is when the self-doubt really begins...

"The Junk Journals" Official Update #1: Intros and Research

Here begins the journey....

I hope that sounds at least half as epic as I intend it to be.  Because even though I have a children's book in the works, I've been steadily plugging away at my Junk Journals project for several months now.  In fact, I believe I have enough material to start piecing stuff together into an actual book!

My self-help book venture will likely take several months of editing, re-editing, and of course, one more rewrite in order to get things all squared away.  In between then there could be slow downs and interruption as are want to happen.  I can't account for the adventures and mis-adventures that might befall me as I go into this project, but I want to be clear with anyone who might read this and eventually read the book that I intend to keep regular progress reports updating you on how things are going.

So what have I got for you today?

As you likely can tell from the title, I've been working on writing the introduction to the book and doing a bit of research for getting the book published as well.  Let me break both of those down really quick for you:

I am pretty sure I have enough material to create a framework upon which to get the overall novel put together.  However, I feel that unlike getting a novel put together, you have to introduce your reader to the nature of what it is they are about to read.  Whether a gripping and overly detailed historical examination of something or a self-help book like the Junk Journals will be, you have to lay out the basics.  I guess it shares a little something in common with writing a kids novel that way.  Get'em in  a basic way at the start of the book.

Anywho, I've written a first draft of that all-important introduction for the Junk Journals and I think it will help me get my footing on how I want the outline to look for the overall book.  So not only have I got a literal start on things, but I have given myself a helping hand in continuing the project to completion.  This isn't so much of a brag as a "Okay, as I work more on this, I give myself less and less excuses as to why it can't be done.  This is good thing as well since I cover the topic of procrastination within the book itself.  I hope overall that it does not take long to get a composed first draft of the overall book together.  But I am willing to admit as this is foreign territory to me, I might have to look up a "How to write a How to Book for Dummies."  If such a thing exists.

Then again, part of what I want to do with the book is not only offer a fresh take on the matter of de-cluttering one's home, but also change up the drab expectations a person might have when it comes to such books.  I want it to be engaging and personable and not come at the reader with an overly aggressive "oh just toss it all out" attitude.  This leads me to the other part of what I am currently doing with the project.

I am researching not just how to write a book about eliminating clutter, but I want to take the annoying bits from other bits that keep seeming to turn up and offer a perspective that might have otherwise been presented.  One of the attitudes that I see turn up quite often in these books so far is the idea that "just getting the job done" somehow translates into "hurry it up and finish."  From what I can tell cleaning isn't a race, or at least, not a very exciting one.  So I am currently spending free time here and there looking into what I feel were the mistakes made in other books when it comes to being pushy about getting you to de-junk your home.  So long as we aren't hoarders, there shouldn't be a problem with taking the time to do a job you can live with.

Anywho, before I get too distracted and make this update too long I wanted to let you know where I am at and how the project is coming along.  Thanks for taking the time to read this and I will see you next week.

Which Way to the Yelling Room?

Pressure provides an excellent motivator in almost all things.  You want to be pushed to do more, excel in what you can, and try your hardest in all you do.

At least until everything starts to pile up and you need to scream.

You know, to relieve tension and such.

Since college I have learned to not only work well under the pressure of a dozen things going on at once, but also learned how to thrive when it happens.  The upside was that even with getting sick (this was pre-transplant), long hours for school studies, and what I will term "wacky" scheduling from the management of my old retail job; I was getting things done.  I was working on my writing, doing the odd freelance job, and trying to keep up the cleanliness of my home.  The only downside, it seemed, was that things would come crashing down the minute I was hospitalized and too sick to work on projects.  Naturally, all the juggling balls don't juggle themselves, and the moment you step away everything falls apart.  However, nearly 5 years away from that liver transplant, and I realize that something else was happening during those years when I had so much going on.

I was getting hooked on having too much to do.

Odd thing to say, but I think it is possible to get addicted to having a full to the brim plate of ideas, projects, and chores to work on.  On the one hand, it keeps you from being lazy and you are forced to not waste time.  On the other hand, you never really have free time to relax, so you can get hyper stressed at the drop of a hat.  I have decided I would like the best of both worlds, please?

I need to have that pressure to keep me working, keep me on task, but not so much that I wish I had a third bedroom at home just so I could have protracted screaming sessions to alleviate stress.  What I want is knowing that I have things to do during the day, but at the end of the day have accomplished them for the most part.   Funny thing, this is more type A then type B.  I guess my type B tendecies come out in that I am always thinking of something new and exciting to do--but the type A side pops in and says it must be done by day's end or I've failed to get things done for the day.   I want to have a day where I don't feel rushed, but also don't feel like I could be a lump and just waste a few hours and not have it effect things.  (Barring vacations of course, because we all need time off.  I'm talking strictly the daily grind type stuff.)

So anywho, which way to the yelling room?  Because it would appear between a fantastic job opportunity (if I get it), personal projects with the Junk Journals, hoped for work from a revitalized CaptainKYSO, and my work on creative writing projects for my children's fantasy novels--I'm a little busy and have a full plate.

I guess last week was the right, wrong week to get sick.  But it's okay.  Because sometimes a bit of pressure, even extreme pressure, can be a good thing.

Over-thinking the Issue of Sickness

So, I have a shot at a job that I would really like which would provide some cash as well as exposure to a potential new community of readers.  Good stuff happening, I am energized and rarin' to go as they say--whoever they are.  Only one problem.  My gut aches, my nose has a drip like a broken faucet, and I feel generally awful health-wise at a time when I need to be on my "A Game."

Life has challenges, and I've had my share, and the old man down the street's share, and maybe a couple of people from another country who I've never met share.  Not complaining, just saying my past health issues caused more stumbling blocks in my life than I would have thought possible.  Even though I am approaching my 5 year anniversary for my liver transplant, I still get knots in my stomach any time I feel a headache coming on.  Why?  Because truth be told, I am impatient to get where I want to be in life and getting sick in the past has caused everything (up until a year and a half ago when my daughter was born) to slow up.  I had learned many lessons on patience, waiting, and being still when I least wanted to.  The thing is, now that I've had a taste for what it is like to live life without the brakes getting thrown on all the time due to sickness, I have started to become impatient in ways that I thought I had learned otherwise.  I guess the learning never stops, eh?

I really want to be done with being sick, like, forever.  Sometimes it's hard to have proper perspective when I come down with something.  I want to keep pushing myself.  I want to take advantage of every second that some illness doesn't have me flat on my back.  Even if it would be in my best interests to lie down for a bit.  Sometimes I even plot out my week if I feel a cold coming on and just how far I can push myself before I totally crash.

I've begun to over think what I'm going to do when I get sick.  I honestly don't know whether this is a good thing or not.  

On the one hand, it gives me slight advantages for the times that I do get sick.  I can implement a plan as soon as that first tissue hits my nose.  I know how much I can dose myself up with supplements that will make my body fight the cold that much better while not totally gut-bombing myself with vitamins.  (Although that did happen early on).

On the other hand, I don't take the time to rest that my body needs, so I have a lingering cold or aches when I might have otherwise finished up with said cold.  It's a back and forth debate for me every time, just how can I push my body to keep going when a nap or hot shower would do a world of good?  

I probably should wrap this up.  It's nearly 2am where I am, and I have to be up in a few hours.  I still feel sick.  I wish I could take a break and had the luxury of lounging.  Sickness means lost time though, and I feel like I've had enough of that already.  Maybe I need to dwell on sickness a little less though.  Back off the plans and the contingencies.  Slow up the pounding back of vitamins and Airborne when I feel something coming on.  

Or maybe I just need to stop talking about how being sick affects me and get back to work.

Bumps and Bonks: Sometimes Life Throws You Small Curve Balls

So here we go, about 20 minutes to midnight and the long post that I was hoping to put up for the day has been delayed.  My little girl is into everything these days, so my wife and I spent a good chunk of the evening doing a bit of baby/kid-proofing for her safety and our peace of mind.  Around the time we normally do clean up, our little one started crying and was inconsolable until she had some anbesol for the gums and a small snack to tide over the hunger that she had developed thanks to being too sore in the gums to eat.  Stupid molars, don't they know that I have stuff to be working on?  I guess not.  In fact, not just the molars and baby proofing were a problem.

Just when it seemed we were going to be able to get her down for the night, she trips over my leg and head bonks into something hard.  Up for another 40 minutes with an ice pack to prevent bumps and watching Disney's Robin Hood to pass the time.  Good thing the movie is well done, because I've heard oo-da-lalee I don't know how many times.  At least the kid has good taste.

Anywho, the main point being that life threw me a curve ball tonight, so the long post won't be up until later in the week.  Hopefully I can complete the tip post tomorrow in time.   If not, I will likely swap the schedule (my own) around.  It is frustrating having a hiccup in the schedule that I came up with, but the funny thing is, a part of me is grateful for the hiccup.

Now, interruptions can be frustrating, time consuming, and just all around tiresome.  However, when compared with the fact that I could have been dead at this point and not have had my liver transplant, a part of me is grateful to be alive to experience the frustration of day to day setbacks.  I mean, nothing sets you back more than death.  Pesky being dead thing has probably ruined a whole host of potential novels, projects, and essays with other writers.  So for me, an evening lost because I had to look out for the interests of my little girl is a worthwhile trade.

True, I do feel behind at times and wish that I was further along in my career.  True, I am looking at a late night of editing writing, editing sound for the podcast, and planning for the next phase of my Junk Journal book--but even as I sit here typing the earlier weariness has left me.  There are lots of curve balls that life can throw your way, and I've had my fair share. But when I think about it...

I get to be alive. I get to write.  I get to spend time with my family whom I love.  Those are pretty nice blessings to be thankful for.

Being behind one night doesn't seem that bad after all.

5 Ways Writing is Like Cooking

Burnt toast tops my list for one of the most foul smells in the entire world.  I'm sure we've all burned our fair share and screwed up things more than just toast in the kitchen.  The smell got me thinking, mostly about burnt toast, but also how writing can often times remind me of cooking.  Some of the basic principals in cooking are applicable to writing, especially if you are into the whole "let's make a food analogy because I'm hungry" genre of writing.  Well I sure as heck am!  Kidding aside, there are some times that I feel much of what I have learned in cooking can apply to my work as a writer.  So without further flan--er, flare, here  are Five Ways Writing is Like Cooking:


Don't Be Afraid to Get Dirty

One of the first things I had to learn about cooking was that I was going to get dirty in the process.  Flour would be everywhere; dishes would pile up; and my hands were likely to get everything from frosting to chicken goop/blood on them.  It was a hard fact to face.  Well, this happens in writing too.  Sometimes you might have to work in circumstances that are not ideal, not what you want, and not what you expect.  You can't always be sipping soda and writing away on your laptop in some food joint.  You won't always get to have that afternoon to yourself where you just ponder what to do next with your characters.  You won't always be "feeling up to" doing what needs to be done.  Much like cooking, you've got to get in and do the sometimes dirty work of writing when you are not comfortable.  Sometimes writing like is baking fresh cookies (right from the pre-made pack, all nice and easy like); but other times it means you have a long afternoon ahead of you just to get one thing done.  You have to also be ready to pull out a notepad and write ideas, character arcs, and dialogue on the fly.  If an idea sounds like it would add zest to a story, but you aren't in your comfort zone--too bad, you've got to pull out that pad and write.  It may look messy, you may have a lot more editing to do than if you were working on a computer, but it is just a part of the process.


Try New Flavors

No matter how appealing a recipe might sound, no matter how easy it might seem; sometimes it is hard to make yourself try something new in the kitchen.  Similarly, sometimes you might have an idea for a character, plot arc, or story direction that sounds appealing, but will likely lead you in a direction you aren't entirely sure you want to go.  Now, to be true, sometimes you might throw out an idea which immediately sounds like the liver and onions equivalent in the writing world.  Nice for some, but just not for you.  However, you might get something that sounds like a complicated seafood recipe.  You aren't sure if the "flavor" or idea will really pan out.  It might be an idea that you end up liking and want to follow through, but are not sure if you have the "umph" to follow it through.  Whatever the case, don't be afraid to take a risk and try something new.  In order for your story to be different, to have those things that set it apart; you need to be ready to try out some things which you may not be used to.


Don't Indulge in Too Much Junk Food 

Okay, so this might seem like a stretch when it comes to the analogy game, but hear me out.  There are some characters and scenes that are like the best junk food on the planet.  Much like a bag of your favorite chips, sometimes characters and scenes come along and you just want to let loose and keep going back for more.  Does this character's scene advance the story or move the plot or grow him?  Nope, and who cares!  More of this please!  Who wouldn't want the Snape to keep insulting Harry for pages on end?  What's a few more arrows and battering rams at Helm's Deep?  And what about how in Game of Thrones...well, you get the point.  Scenes and characters you love to write can be fun, but if you spend too much time with them, you fatten up the story without adding anything of benefit.  I grant you I would have loved it if the Riddle Game from The Hobbit would have kept going, but I also know that if it went on too long it would have been the most dull scene in the book instead of the one of the most interesting ones.  Cut yourself off before you have a mess to work off in editing.  Speaking of which...


Clean Up When Done 

Yep, when all the work is done, and the food is made, who gets to clean up the mess left behind?  That's right, you do.  Same principal applies here.  Edits...*sigh*  Yes, one of the words we as writers most hate to hear about.  Editing and cleaning up after cooking just seem to go hand in hand, don't they?  You know the end product is, and will be something good.  You've already put in so much effort to produce something awesome, and then you realize there is still more work to do, and it is a whole lot less fun than the process of actually making something original.  "But what if I just order a pizza?  Won't clean up be a snap?  Ha!  I've picked apart your analogy in one fell swoop!"  You know what I say to that?  "Stop trying to stall and act all clever!  Get back to editing!"


Sometimes You Spend All Day Making a Mistake

The last part of this analogy might be the hardest for you to hear.  I joked about ordering out for pizza in the last point, but I've had to do just that before.  I have had cooking mistakes that I realized as I was finishing up had just went completely sideways and tasted awful.  Along those lines, you can write for hours and hours, spend a whole day working on something...only to churn out something in the end you realize is not just average or passable, but is like that burnt toast I told you about in the beginning.  Sometimes you have to throw out all your hard work and start from scratch or go with something basic that will suit the needs of what you are writing.  Sometimes you put in a whole lot of effort crafting a dish, or a scene, and have zilch to show at the end.  If only writing were as easy as getting that pizza.  "I'd like an order of plot please, heavy on the character development with a side of bread sticks."  (Because you should always get a side of bread sticks with anything.)  Now, this isn't to say that you should be afraid to start over or that backtracking doesn't happen.  Sometimes I've arrived at the end of a chapter and realized that everything prior to the last sentence just won't work at all.  But I started over because I had to. Or I chopped out what wasn't working and put something simple, yet sustaining in it's place.  Sometimes I suspect we wish we could just leave that hole in the story just as much as we wish we could skip a meal.  But in the end something has to be done.


As you might be able to tell, I love and hate cooking. Much in the same way I love and hate writing at times.  However, as much as I need food, I need to keep on writing.  I know at times analogies like the one I have written here can seem silly, or over-wrought, but I hope it has helped you.  I suspect that for both of us writing, much like food, is a sustaining and nourishing thing.  We need it in our lives to keep us going.

Well, time for a snack.

And a bit of writing, of course.

Easy Come, Easy Go: Writing Job Woes

Six hundred-plus words written, possibly for naught.  Even in the world of freelance writing gigs that sometimes is a hard blow.  I was so certain that this one job that I got through a freelance writing site was going to deliver a steady few bucks each week. I don't mean that in a cocky way, just that I was offered a trial spot, was given a prompt and told to write something short. So, I wrote a 600 word article, sent it off, and....a week later I still hadn't heard anything back.

So I did a bit of poking around, and by poking around I mean I went to the website that had said they were going to hire me, but wanted to test my skills first.  There on the site I find an article with a theme similar to the prompt I was given that went up two days after they said that they were likely to hire me.  Now, opportunities come and go in this business.  Sometimes sure things are not so sure, some times you land something semi-steady.  Sometimes you see stuff dry up.  There are feast times and famine times.  I guess I would call this "food snatched off the plate times" if I had to put a name to it.  Funny thing is it would not bother me as much if I had been told by the client that they went another direction--like, incredibly short copy.

I wrote 600 words and spent a few hours on my article.  The article they went with on the site was roughly 150 and is something I could punch out in roughly 30 minutes. 

That kinda stings.  

Funny enough I put in that many hours, sometimes more, when I do an article for another freelance site where I am not even trying to do a contract.  You basically follow a writing prompt, put the work out there, and hope the client likes it.  Sometimes you wait weeks (or months depending on your place in the que) to here back on whether they've bought the post, seen the post, or rejected the post.  Maybe it is a pressure thing.  There is no pressure when I write those blog posts.  They may take it, they may not.  My feelings are not hurt either way.  However, I guess it hurts a little when you actually contact the person and talk to them rather than do all business anonymously.  

On to other projects I suppose.

The Junk Journals go well.  I think I've reached the end of what I can actually pare down in my home (for the time being) and now I have to take these numerous notes, essays, and observances and see if they work as well as I hope for self-help book to post on Amazon.  Maybe it will go well, maybe it will not see the light of day as sometimes happens with creative projects.  Either way, things are what they are.  I have my hopes for other projects, but I don't always want to talk about those things in a public way.  You have to keep some stuff to yourself until it is ready.  Right?

Anywho.  I'm working on another writing tips/advice article for tomorrow, so I hope to "see" you again tomorrow.  Talk to you then!

Leave Your Favorite Books Alone

If you are holding your favorite book in your hands and are just trying to relax by reading something: compartmentalize that part of yourself that thinks you could have written it better.  Critiques are off the table, no trying to analyze and pick it apart.  Just don't do it!

Sure we are told over and over again that if you want to be a better writer that you should read as often as possible, and I believe it is true as well.  However, I don't think enough is said about the relaxation part.  Sure, reading helps us to learn to be better at the writing craft, but lets not get so caught up in trying to extrapolate lessons from the story that we forget to just sit back and enjoy the ride.  Some books I will jump back and forth between just reading and picking apart.  Some I read just to pick apart and others I read over and over again just to enjoy.

I will NEVER open my favorite books to do anything other than read to enjoy it.  If you can't turn of the criticism or are under the assumption that you need to be able to pick apart your favorite book in order to be a better writer; I could not disagree more.

There are some places we go in the real world to escape from the daily grind.  Places where we can enjoy the sublime beauty of nature, places where we can take a deep breath and refresh ourselves.  If we are true about being writers, wouldn't we want that one well where we can be refreshed?  That one book that we refuse to sully?  I wouldn't go to my favorite hiking spot and start pointing out issues like the view was not as good as it could be, or if it was overgrown in spots, or if too many people seemed to be there these days.  I would have ruined it for myself and would forever be hearing that critical voice, forever looking for the flaws.  I would be trying to fool myself into thinking that somehow I was going to grow by being able to take a "critical and educated eye" to something beloved to me.

I guess that just might be me though.  I admit there are books that I really like that I am willing to think in a critical way.  But there are other stories that are dear to me that I would never think of trying to pick them apart.  Not that there might not be flaws in them.  I just want them preserved in my mind the way they were the first time that I read them.  I want to be able to have the experience of approaching them always like an old friend that I would warmly welcome.  I would never approach my wife or a life long friend with a desire to some how "better myself through criticism of that which  I love," so why would I do it with my favorite book.

Not saying that we should make idols out of certain books either.  If we can preserve our enjoyment of a book though.  If we can have just one spot--one story rather--that we can breath in, I think that is a thousand times better than any perceived benefit from being critical.

That's just me though.