When you were kid, did you ever hear a word and think it meant something else? There were two that stick out in my mind. The first was a prayer we used to say at dinner time where we said, "Let us thank Him for our food." I always wondered why we thanked God for the salad (even though we didn't always have salad) but not the rest of the meal? The other word I mixed up as a kid was New Year's Resolution. The first year I remember hearing about them, I thought they were New Years Revolutions.
When you think about it, New Year's Resolutions can be "revolutions." I quit smoking in 1997 after making a New Year's Resolution that year. That lifestyle change was pretty revolutionary to me at the time. I didn't start that project until April of that year. In 1998, I made a resolution to return to school to finish my bachelor's degree. I accomplished that in May of that year. Both years, I knew in January what I wanted to accomplish and I knew that January wouldn't be a good time to start working towards those goals.
Working towards goals and projects don't always have to start at the New Year to be successful. Even if you do create New Year's Resolutions and resolve to start working on them right away, don't get discouraged when things don't work out the way you want, you have the whole year to accomplish most goals.
If you have made a resolution to get your novel done this year, remember you have the whole year to do it in. Don't get discouraged if work is busy right now or other personal projects are getting in the way of your writing (refer to one of my posts about routines to help with this, maybe?). I made resolution last year to finish A Place to Call Their Own. I haven't come anywhere near finishing it, but had I not made a resolution last year, I don't know if I would have eight chapters written right now.
If nothing else, this New Year has helped me re-examine my routines and goals and make sure that they are workable within my current schedule. Remember, set goals and routines, but constantly revise them to make sure they are workable for you.
What about you, what New Year's "Revolutions" are you working on?
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Monday, October 11, 2010
Why I Do What I Do...
I am not a political anything. I rarely follow politics except during presidential campaign years and even then my self-education can be spotty at best. But I do consider myself a writer and Monday was National Coming out Day (NCOD). For anyone unfamiliar, NCOD was began in 1988 as a day to celebrate and embrace LGBT families living open, "out" lifestyles.
I came out myself in 1990 and have lived openly ever since. I remember reading about being out in the early 1990s. A magazine article I read or book I read at the time (my memory escapes me for the credit) stated that being out was a political statement. That statement gave me great pride to know that I was possibly living in a time of social upheaval and enlightenment.
From my perspective, the LGBT plight seemed to make great strides during the 1990s. Although Don't Ask Don't Tell seemed to be a set back and disappointment, it seemed to relax the witch hunting that was so prevalent in the military during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The 1990s were full of movies that brought our lives and experiences to the nations forethought. Philadelphia illustrated very serious concerns for the community. Tom Hanks' acceptance speech for Best Actor then inspired the very comical In & Out. Then came "Will & Grace" that carried us through eight years of the lives two gay men and the people in their lives.
All seemed to be well with the world. Most of the press about LGBT issues was positive and moving in the right direction. Marriage seemed to be our biggest hurdle. Gradually, municipalities were recognizing domestic partnerships. Many large companies started offering same-sex partner benefits. Slowly, voters are passing measures that allow same-sex marriages within their states.
And now we've come full circle. Just last week, three young people committed suicide amid stories of bullying and abuse. Nine individuals have been arrested in a gang beating. A gubernatorial candidate public states that homosexuality is not an option. In my world, I really did believe that we were past all of this. I (thankfully) have never been a victim to an anti-gay hate crime.
So here it is again, it seems, that it's a political statement to live an out and open life. And that's why I'm a writer. My purpose has been further revealed to me this week. If nothing else, I am writer to share my LGBT experience through the stories I have to tell. This new found purpose has breathed new life into my writing.
My challenge for you this week is to revisit your purpose and the reasons that you write (or do whatever you do). What is ultimately at stake if you ever decide to give it up?
I came out myself in 1990 and have lived openly ever since. I remember reading about being out in the early 1990s. A magazine article I read or book I read at the time (my memory escapes me for the credit) stated that being out was a political statement. That statement gave me great pride to know that I was possibly living in a time of social upheaval and enlightenment.
From my perspective, the LGBT plight seemed to make great strides during the 1990s. Although Don't Ask Don't Tell seemed to be a set back and disappointment, it seemed to relax the witch hunting that was so prevalent in the military during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The 1990s were full of movies that brought our lives and experiences to the nations forethought. Philadelphia illustrated very serious concerns for the community. Tom Hanks' acceptance speech for Best Actor then inspired the very comical In & Out. Then came "Will & Grace" that carried us through eight years of the lives two gay men and the people in their lives.
All seemed to be well with the world. Most of the press about LGBT issues was positive and moving in the right direction. Marriage seemed to be our biggest hurdle. Gradually, municipalities were recognizing domestic partnerships. Many large companies started offering same-sex partner benefits. Slowly, voters are passing measures that allow same-sex marriages within their states.
And now we've come full circle. Just last week, three young people committed suicide amid stories of bullying and abuse. Nine individuals have been arrested in a gang beating. A gubernatorial candidate public states that homosexuality is not an option. In my world, I really did believe that we were past all of this. I (thankfully) have never been a victim to an anti-gay hate crime.
So here it is again, it seems, that it's a political statement to live an out and open life. And that's why I'm a writer. My purpose has been further revealed to me this week. If nothing else, I am writer to share my LGBT experience through the stories I have to tell. This new found purpose has breathed new life into my writing.
My challenge for you this week is to revisit your purpose and the reasons that you write (or do whatever you do). What is ultimately at stake if you ever decide to give it up?
Sunday, October 3, 2010
The Importance of Routine...
As a writer, I am constantly reading fiction to help me with my writing; I also read a lot of non-fiction. Sometimes I choose non-fiction books to help me with a particular subject I'm researching. I've been reading some great books about the craft of writing that are already helping me in my quest to become a better writer. One of the most simple, and profound, lessons I've learned about plot and action is that plot and action are derived from an interruption in the character's routines. Most character action is then centered around restoring that routine in their lives.
I just finished reading Rainwater by Sandra Brown How timely it was for me to discover how the main character's life in a small, Depression-era town is disrupted by the arrival of Mr. Rainwater. And yes, true to my writing lessons, the entire novel is dedicated to the restoration of order in Ella's life.
My personal life routines have been interrupted the last ten days as well. Transition from one job to another left me without Internet access at home for about ten days. Now that it's restored, it feels so much easier to complete writing tasks such as working on A Place to Call Their Own and this blog. I even asked my partner if some of his lupus discomfort lately may have been exacerbated by the interruption in our lives.
So my lesson for you this week, no matter what quest you're currently pursuing, is to make sure that you are following the routines you've set out for yourself. I know that for ten days, my routines were disrupted after working very hard to establish some aggressive writing routines to achieve some aggressive writing goals. Another other lesson I learned recently is to have a back up plan ready to go when my routine is disrupted.
I also got the second part of A Place to Call Their Own posted on iWriteIt.com. Here's a link, happy reading:
http://www.iwriteit.com/author_page.php?a=L.+Dean+Pace-Frech&u=1070
Have a great week!
I just finished reading Rainwater by Sandra Brown How timely it was for me to discover how the main character's life in a small, Depression-era town is disrupted by the arrival of Mr. Rainwater. And yes, true to my writing lessons, the entire novel is dedicated to the restoration of order in Ella's life.
My personal life routines have been interrupted the last ten days as well. Transition from one job to another left me without Internet access at home for about ten days. Now that it's restored, it feels so much easier to complete writing tasks such as working on A Place to Call Their Own and this blog. I even asked my partner if some of his lupus discomfort lately may have been exacerbated by the interruption in our lives.
So my lesson for you this week, no matter what quest you're currently pursuing, is to make sure that you are following the routines you've set out for yourself. I know that for ten days, my routines were disrupted after working very hard to establish some aggressive writing routines to achieve some aggressive writing goals. Another other lesson I learned recently is to have a back up plan ready to go when my routine is disrupted.
I also got the second part of A Place to Call Their Own posted on iWriteIt.com. Here's a link, happy reading:
http://www.iwriteit.com/author_page.php?a=L.+Dean+Pace-Frech&u=1070
Have a great week!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Don't Give Up...
I'm starting this blog entry with a poem shared by my Tupperware Distributor a long time ago when I sold Tupperware:
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When funds are low and debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but DON’T YOU QUIT!
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When you might have won had you stuck it out.
DON’T GIVE UP, thought the pace seems slow ~
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is Failure turned inside out ~
The silver tine of the clouds of doubt,
And you can never tell how close you are;
It may be near when it seems so far.
So stick to the flight when you’re hardest hit ~
It’s when things seem worst that you
MUST NOT QUIT! - Author Unknown
It's been a busy week, again, and not for my writing. The novel doesn't seem to be moving forward and this is the first blog post in nineteen days. So what am I doing about it?
I am revising my writing plan and getting back to it. Thankfully I have my routine in place to refer to in times like this. I am rearranging it to start my Writing Week on Saturday which works best for me. I also started some new routines this weekend around exercising in the morning, which should help with daily routines during the week.
Don't be afraid to write down your routines and goals. When you get off track, like I have been, you can refer to those best laid plans when you are ready and get right back to it.
I've included a picture of our walking path in Bentonville, AR as reminder of the writing journey on which I travel.
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When funds are low and debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but DON’T YOU QUIT!
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When you might have won had you stuck it out.
DON’T GIVE UP, thought the pace seems slow ~
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is Failure turned inside out ~
The silver tine of the clouds of doubt,
And you can never tell how close you are;
It may be near when it seems so far.
So stick to the flight when you’re hardest hit ~
It’s when things seem worst that you
MUST NOT QUIT! - Author Unknown
It's been a busy week, again, and not for my writing. The novel doesn't seem to be moving forward and this is the first blog post in nineteen days. So what am I doing about it?
I am revising my writing plan and getting back to it. Thankfully I have my routine in place to refer to in times like this. I am rearranging it to start my Writing Week on Saturday which works best for me. I also started some new routines this weekend around exercising in the morning, which should help with daily routines during the week.
Don't be afraid to write down your routines and goals. When you get off track, like I have been, you can refer to those best laid plans when you are ready and get right back to it.
I've included a picture of our walking path in Bentonville, AR as reminder of the writing journey on which I travel.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Be a Writing Buddy to Find Writing Buddies
When I worked in sales, this principle was, “Help a Friend or Buddy.” What this meant was always take a recruit with me to meetings, other recruit interviews, my sales parties, and out prospecting for more new customers. In the more traditional business world, this meant always be developing other leaders. As a writer this means lending a helping hand to fellow writers however I can.
Why?
Why do I think this is so important? One of the main reasons is my enjoyment of learning, and in turn, teaching others. This entire blog is dedicated to walking aspiring writers like myself walk through the trials and tribulations of writing a novel and getting it published. This love of helping others is deep rooted in my being: my father was a teacher (and still is) and I was corporate trainer for five years. I'm still committed to training and developing others in my corporate job as a manager. There's also an ancient lesson that says when you share talents with the world, your riches come back one hundredfold.
I have always thought that the direct sales industry has done a better job of giving incentives to who develop other leaders than the corporate world. In the corporate world, we sometimes only see the downside of what happens when team members are promoted out. As a writer, some of the benefits for helping others isn't as clear cut as receiving bonuses of any sort.
Benefits
For me, one of the benefits of helping other writers, is making sure I follow my own advice. Before I gently remind fellow writing buddies if they are writing at least fifteen minutes a day, I pause and do a reality check on my own writing habits. (See my other posts on developing routines, I've been doing much better lately, and more to come on that subject later this week.)
Another benefit is a network of support. I am slowly creating a group of individuals whom I can count on for honest feedback on my writing. I am in the midst of writing my first novel and haven't made it available online until I have had at least one writing buddy review the piece before I post it. Up until this post, most of my blog posts have been reviewed before I made a public announcement that I had made an update to my blog.
A final benefit to helping others is respect and support of the writing community. In an effort to improve my writing and model my career after other successful writers, I make it habit to review the web sites and blogs of other fiction writers. Whenever I read anything by a writer I've not read before, I take a few minutes to review their web sites. I am particularly attracted to writers who have a section on their web sites that include resources and advice for writers. Marie Bostwick's site is one such site that review often. You can visit her at http://mariebostwick.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 (don't forget to right click and open in new tab or window or your will navigate way from the rest of the blog post.) My previous post about finding a buddy focused on what you could gain from a writing friend. Be sure that you are a writing friend in turn and provide the support that you seek.
Why?
Why do I think this is so important? One of the main reasons is my enjoyment of learning, and in turn, teaching others. This entire blog is dedicated to walking aspiring writers like myself walk through the trials and tribulations of writing a novel and getting it published. This love of helping others is deep rooted in my being: my father was a teacher (and still is) and I was corporate trainer for five years. I'm still committed to training and developing others in my corporate job as a manager. There's also an ancient lesson that says when you share talents with the world, your riches come back one hundredfold.
I have always thought that the direct sales industry has done a better job of giving incentives to who develop other leaders than the corporate world. In the corporate world, we sometimes only see the downside of what happens when team members are promoted out. As a writer, some of the benefits for helping others isn't as clear cut as receiving bonuses of any sort.
Benefits
For me, one of the benefits of helping other writers, is making sure I follow my own advice. Before I gently remind fellow writing buddies if they are writing at least fifteen minutes a day, I pause and do a reality check on my own writing habits. (See my other posts on developing routines, I've been doing much better lately, and more to come on that subject later this week.)
Another benefit is a network of support. I am slowly creating a group of individuals whom I can count on for honest feedback on my writing. I am in the midst of writing my first novel and haven't made it available online until I have had at least one writing buddy review the piece before I post it. Up until this post, most of my blog posts have been reviewed before I made a public announcement that I had made an update to my blog.
A final benefit to helping others is respect and support of the writing community. In an effort to improve my writing and model my career after other successful writers, I make it habit to review the web sites and blogs of other fiction writers. Whenever I read anything by a writer I've not read before, I take a few minutes to review their web sites. I am particularly attracted to writers who have a section on their web sites that include resources and advice for writers. Marie Bostwick's site is one such site that review often. You can visit her at http://mariebostwick.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 (don't forget to right click and open in new tab or window or your will navigate way from the rest of the blog post.) My previous post about finding a buddy focused on what you could gain from a writing friend. Be sure that you are a writing friend in turn and provide the support that you seek.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Develop and Follow Routines: Back in the Saddle...
After six months of working a crazy schedule in a retail environmentl, I am just finishing the third week of a new job. What makes this so significant for me is that I've been able to return to a regular writing routine. This includes writing for this blog on a regular basis. Even this week, working evening hours, I've made it a point to use my morning time as I would my "evening time" and get exercise, chores, and writing accomplished every day. A Place to Call Their Own is progressing nicely, and I'll have two blog posts this week. (FYI: I'm hoping to post the next section of A Place to Call Their Own on iWriteIt.com next week.)
The other routine I've made sure to keep up this week is my reading. I have read at least a few minutes each night, both in my fiction as well as my non-fiction topics. This commitment to reading has helped me relax at night and get to bed at a decent hour. This, of course, so I can be up by seven the next day to start again.
The reason I'm sharing this with you this week is so that you understand my commitment to making the best out of an undesirable situation. I knew going into this new job that I would have the possibility of working later hours. And knowing that, I also have commitments to not let my work schedule get in the way of my writing schedule.
Another catalyst for my situation is the fact that we're sharing a car. I have to get up and take Thomas to work. I used to be able to get up, run a quick errand, and go back to bed. The older I get, once I'm up, I seem to be up for the day (although a nap about one or two in the afternoon is always good!).
The other catalyst that has made this week so productive is the fact that I prefer to write and create in the morning rather than the evening. These mornings I set my fifteen minute timer just to make sure I do my fifteen minutes a day. After the timer goes off, I tend to linger as much as I can (the timer went off at the beginning of this paragraph! I have a wedding shower gift to wrap today!). When I'm working more of a standard shift, and I don't' get up in the morning early enough to write, I'm usually done mentally as soon as that timer goes off.
Whatever the routines you've set for yourself, I hope they are working. Constantly revise your routines to make them fit work for you and your family, whether or not things like your career or your children's schedules are getting in your way. When you have solid routines in place and goals that you're reaching for, it's so much easier to get back in the saddle when your schedule gets disrupted.
The other routine I've made sure to keep up this week is my reading. I have read at least a few minutes each night, both in my fiction as well as my non-fiction topics. This commitment to reading has helped me relax at night and get to bed at a decent hour. This, of course, so I can be up by seven the next day to start again.
The reason I'm sharing this with you this week is so that you understand my commitment to making the best out of an undesirable situation. I knew going into this new job that I would have the possibility of working later hours. And knowing that, I also have commitments to not let my work schedule get in the way of my writing schedule.
Another catalyst for my situation is the fact that we're sharing a car. I have to get up and take Thomas to work. I used to be able to get up, run a quick errand, and go back to bed. The older I get, once I'm up, I seem to be up for the day (although a nap about one or two in the afternoon is always good!).
The other catalyst that has made this week so productive is the fact that I prefer to write and create in the morning rather than the evening. These mornings I set my fifteen minute timer just to make sure I do my fifteen minutes a day. After the timer goes off, I tend to linger as much as I can (the timer went off at the beginning of this paragraph! I have a wedding shower gift to wrap today!). When I'm working more of a standard shift, and I don't' get up in the morning early enough to write, I'm usually done mentally as soon as that timer goes off.
Whatever the routines you've set for yourself, I hope they are working. Constantly revise your routines to make them fit work for you and your family, whether or not things like your career or your children's schedules are getting in your way. When you have solid routines in place and goals that you're reaching for, it's so much easier to get back in the saddle when your schedule gets disrupted.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Find a Buddy to Make the Journey More Enjoyable
Since we were young we were always assigned a "buddy" to do things with. In elementary school, there was the field trip buddy. In middle and high school there were science lab buddies. College brought study buddies and groups. In Corporate America today, very few people don't work as part of the "team." You should find Writing Buddies as well.
The thing about a Writing Buddy is that you have to seek them out yourself, rather than it being assigned by a teacher or facilitated by the corporate culture. You are looking for buddies who are interested in writing similar stories and accomplishing some of the same things as yourself. You are also going to look for those buddies to provide you with honest feedback about your work so that you can prepare it for it's ultimate destination. You'll want to be prepared to do the same.
So how is a buddy different than a close friend or family member that supports your writing? I think there are two things that make buddies different. First of all, a buddy should be able to give you honest criticism of your work, to make it better. The other thing that makes this different is that your buddy has experienced or may be experiencing the same challenges that you currently face with your writing projects. Although your brother, sister, or cousin may support your writing wholeheartedly, and may criticize your work, unless they are also writers, they can't always provide you the support you need when you're having a down day. This is where a good buddy can empathize with what you are going through and help you get back to the place where you are moving forward and being productive.
If you're just beginning where do you find buddies? The first place I would begin is a local writers group. You can find writer's groups through the public library, bookstores, even writers groups associated with colleges and universities. You can also do a web search for "writing groups in [insert your city}" and see what comes up. Some groups charge a fee for your participation, others do not. I highly encourage you to participate in whatever group fits your schedule and your budget.
Another place I've found writing buddies is on Facebook. After "Liking" some of the writing business pages, you'll find others who share similar interests. Go ahead and offer them a Friend Request and interact though Facebook. My current writing buddy is from Spokane, Washington and she found me because we were mutual friends of a new author we had both "friended."
No matter what you're trying to accomplish in life, buddies help make the journey more rewarding. A good buddy will be there to share your triumphs, give you honest feedback when needed, and pick you up when things aren't going your way. And don't forget, to have a good buddy you need to be a good buddy.
The thing about a Writing Buddy is that you have to seek them out yourself, rather than it being assigned by a teacher or facilitated by the corporate culture. You are looking for buddies who are interested in writing similar stories and accomplishing some of the same things as yourself. You are also going to look for those buddies to provide you with honest feedback about your work so that you can prepare it for it's ultimate destination. You'll want to be prepared to do the same.
So how is a buddy different than a close friend or family member that supports your writing? I think there are two things that make buddies different. First of all, a buddy should be able to give you honest criticism of your work, to make it better. The other thing that makes this different is that your buddy has experienced or may be experiencing the same challenges that you currently face with your writing projects. Although your brother, sister, or cousin may support your writing wholeheartedly, and may criticize your work, unless they are also writers, they can't always provide you the support you need when you're having a down day. This is where a good buddy can empathize with what you are going through and help you get back to the place where you are moving forward and being productive.
If you're just beginning where do you find buddies? The first place I would begin is a local writers group. You can find writer's groups through the public library, bookstores, even writers groups associated with colleges and universities. You can also do a web search for "writing groups in [insert your city}" and see what comes up. Some groups charge a fee for your participation, others do not. I highly encourage you to participate in whatever group fits your schedule and your budget.
Another place I've found writing buddies is on Facebook. After "Liking" some of the writing business pages, you'll find others who share similar interests. Go ahead and offer them a Friend Request and interact though Facebook. My current writing buddy is from Spokane, Washington and she found me because we were mutual friends of a new author we had both "friended."
No matter what you're trying to accomplish in life, buddies help make the journey more rewarding. A good buddy will be there to share your triumphs, give you honest feedback when needed, and pick you up when things aren't going your way. And don't forget, to have a good buddy you need to be a good buddy.
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