Dandelions and Daydreams

By Robert Frost

When a friend calls to me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don’t stand still and look around
on all the hills I haven’t hoed,
And shout from where I am, “What is it?”
No, not as there is a time to talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade-end up and five feet tall,
And plod: I go up to the stone wall
For a friendly visit.

Photo by John W CC-By-ND

Popularity: 24% [?]

Being an artist is about giving yourself to others, and giving creativity is a delight. Even though being creative and giving is wonderful, it is also draining. As an artist–whether you are a writer, photographer, painter, or just a person who loves to create beauty–taking time to fill yourself and recharge your creativity is a necessary part of creating and giving.

Julia Cameron, in her book The Artist’s Way, recommends “artists dates” to re-fill your creative tank. I have created a list of 50 possible artist dates to restore your creative energy.

1. Watch a Sunrise
2. Visit an Art Gallery
3. Walk barefoot on the beach
4. Call your best friend
5. Read your favorite book
6. Splash in a mud puddle
7. Build a snowman
8. Play on the playground at the park
9. Jump out of the swing
10. Watch a sunset
11. Snuggle with a special person
12. listen to classical music
13. take a nature hike
14. Learn a new craft
15. Take a walk in the sunshine
16. Buy yourself flowers
17. plant a tree
18. Try a new recipe
19. Go for a nature walk
20. Visit a museum
21. Take a nap
22. bake cookies
23. Meet someone new
24. Have coffee with another artist
25. Go to the zoo
26. COLOR–in a coloring book, with crayons
27. Take a bubble bath
28. Ride your bike
29. Drink Hot cocoa–with lots of marshmallows, AND whipped cream
30. Watch your favorite Disney cartoon
31. Skip
32. Wear your hair in pigtails
33. Buy a giant lolly pop
34. Buy a helium balloon and tie it to your wrist
35. When you get tired of the balloon, suck out the helium and sing as loud as you can
36. Blow bubbles
37. Make daisy crowns
38. Play with Play-dough
39. or Lego’s
40. or Lincoln Logs
41. wear your funky clothes
42. buy big fun jewelry and wear it.
43. Dance, even if you don’t know how
44. Learn to dance
45. Do cartwheels in the grass
46. play with buttons, sequins and plastic jewels
47. make a sun catcher
48. hang a prism or a crystal in your windows
49. try a new recipe
50. wear something reserved for special occasions

What do you do to recharge?

Popularity: 43% [?]

This morning, I sat down at my computer and asked, “What should I write about today?” The immediate response from my truthful, and often bratty self was, “I don’t want to write. I’m tired.”

And that is how I realized that it had crept up on me…the dreaded writer’s burnout.

I know why it has fallen upon me today. The last two nights I have worked until late in the night (or early in the morning) trying to finish up a project before Christmas.

I am overwhelmed at the tasks in front of me over the next two weeks, and there is no way that I can possibly get it all done.

If you could see me now, I probably have a low battery light flashing somewhere, maybe it’s a look in my eyes. I can’t afford not to unplug and recharge.

What can I do to reenergize my writing muscles?

1. Try something different.

I know I’ll be headed to the library today, maybe I’ll pick up a magazine that I haven’t read before

2. Get outside.

We’ve had some new snow fall, maybe I can find some place to do some snowshoeing or make a snowman. Maybe I can draw Brenton into a snowball fight this evening

3. Workout

I try to keep going to the gym 3 times a week, even on my busy weeks. Women, I highly recommend Curves. I love going in, knowing exactly what to do, working out 30 minutes then going home. This also gives me a great opportunity to get out and be around people. Working from home, I don’t meet a lot of new people unless I make myself get out of the house.

4. Write for the fun of it

In this business, I have been neglecting my journal. I need to get off the computer and sit down with my leather bound journal, my favorite pen, and just write. Don’t think, don’t edit, just write, and be inspired.

5. Buy a new pen

I confess, I love PENS, and having a good pen is inspiring. About 2 years ago, I bought a dip pen (as in the kind you dip into an inkwell). It was cheap and fell apart. I should go get another one because I loved writing with that thing. $2.00 inspiration in a box!

Now, it’s time to get off the computer and go find my inspiration.

photos: Joep Roosen CC-BY-ND

Popularity: 17% [?]

‘Tis the season to write the family Christmas letter and to write it fast if you want to get it sent out before Christmas.  The principles of good blogging can also be used for writing a good Christmas letter quickly.

Read these ten tips, and then slide up to your computer to write that family update letter

1. Know your target audience. In internet marketing, one of the keys to a successful blog is to know your target audience and to write for your typical reader. When you are writing your family Christmas letter, pretend like you are writing for just one person, it could be your grandma, a cousin you only see once a year, or even your college roommate whom you haven’t seen since college. By writing for the reader, you will have a better idea of what information to include in your letter.
2. Make it scannable. Life is fast paced, and Christmas is a busy season. While the letter recipient will probably sit down and read your family Christmas letter from beginning to end, scannable letters are easier to read.  Use bullet points, numbered lists, and formatting such as italics, bold print, and underlines  to separate different sections. You can also use headlines such as Vacation, Graduation, Job, School, and Kids, to grab your reader’s attention.
3. Keep it short and simple. Long letters can be overwhelming (to read and to write). The ideal length for a Christmas letter is less than a page and a half. This forces you to only write about the most important events of the past year.
4. Include photos. Photos catch your reader’s eye and help maintain interest in your letter.  And of course, Grandma can never have too many photos of her grandkids.
5. Tell, don’t show. When you write your family Christmas letter, consider that you are telling the story of your family. Rather than saying, “It rained the week we went on vacation.” you might say, “Instead of letting the rain ruin our vacation, We toured Disneyland under a big red umbrella, splashing through ankle-deep mud puddles.”
6. Try a different angle. One way to make your Christmas letter stand out is to try writing from a different angle than most people will be writing from. Maybe you could write your Christmas letter from the perspective of your pet, or a fly on the wall. How about a multiple choice quiz. Instead of writing about what happened in the last year, write about your favorite Christmas memory. The possibilities for this one are endless.
7. Get over yourself! We have all gotten them, three page Christmas letters that are nothing but bragging, bragging, bragging. “Johnny won a nobel peace prize, and decided that he would continue with his fourth year of Russian. He wants to take Chinese when he starts high school.” Your friends and family want to celebrate your accomplishments with you, but don’t dedicate your whole Christmas letter to the “my dog’s smarter than your dog” game.
8. Be positive. Everybody faces difficult circumstances, and some years are much worse than others. In the worst of circumstances, there is always something to be glad about. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t even talk about the hard things that happen during the year, just try not to let hardships take over your Christmas letter.
9. Proofread. Before you press print, read your Christmas letter out loud. If you stumble on a sentence of phrase, your reader will too.
10. Relax! You are writing this Christmas letter for your family and friends. They want to know what has happened in your life more than they want to get the perfect Christmas letter. Lighten up, and just enjoy reliving the year.

photo: J.Nathan Matias used by permission, some rights reserved, CC-By-SA 2.0

Popularity: 15% [?]

Christmas is upon us and the panic of buying “the perfect gift” has settled in. If you have a writer on your gift list, I have a few ideas for finding the gift that will light up his eyes and say, “I support your dreams.” To tell the truth, it may be more important for a writer to know the she has the support of her family and friends than to get the perfect writer gift, but the perfect gift is always nice.

1. Writer’s Market 2008. The Writers Market is the book for the marketing side of being a freelance author. The book contains information, addresses, topics, and tips for getting published in over 3,500 different magazines. The Writer’s Market is updated yearly with new publications and updated listings.
2. Notebooks. In this digital age, writers still rely on pen and paper to capture ideas. I like to carry a small pocket sized notebook with me all the time. This is handy for when inspiration strikes on the road. I use a lot of regular sized notebooks too. Even with a laptop computer that goes anywhere, nothing beats pen and paper for jotting a quick note or catching that fleeting inspiration.
3. Gift certificate to an office supply store. An office supply store doesn’t sound like the most “Christmasy” place to find a gift, but I’m being completely serious. I have an office supply addiction, and I suspect that many other writers have a similar addiction. I spend a lot of money at Staples for things that I need, like printer paper, ink, computer disks, etc. I could spend a lot of money on things that I want there too. My list of wants include a new microphone/headset, a external hard drive, and a 22″ computer monitor (or 2). Your gift certificate will be appreciated.
4. Post it notes. When I am writing, I often think of things I need to say later in the article. Sometimes, I realize changes that need to be made in stuff I have already written. If you could see my laptop computer, the whole wrist rest area is covered in post it note reminders.
5. Magazine Subscription. Give the gift of inspiration, all year long. There are some very good writing magazines such as Writer’s Digest, Writer, and Poets & Writers Magazine.  If the writer on your list already subscribes to these magazines, give him a subscription to a hobby magazine.  Writers are readers and inspiration can come from anywhere.
6. Tea/hot cocoa/coffee. In the cold winter months, typing on a computer always makes my fingers cold.  I love having something warm to wrap my fingers around.  There is something inspiring about good tea.
7. Spill proof mug. Have you ever seen the havoc a full cup of tea can cause when spilled on a keyboard?  If you spend hours in front of a computer, one day you will likely spill something on a keyboard.  Help your writer save her computer, buy her a spill proof mug.

I have given you a short list of stocking stuffers for writers, but remember, when all else fails, give chocolate!

Popularity: 14% [?]

What do concert pianists, professional football players, and writers all have in common?

If they want to be good great at their craft, they all have to practice…daily!

As we sit back with our cup of morning coffee–or tea, if you prefer–we dream of writing.  As every aspiring writer knows, when the time is right (when I retire, when the kids are grown, when life slows down, when I save enough to take a month off from my job…) that we will be able to sit down and pound out a Pulitzer Prize winning book.

And if you are ever going to get that published book or article, you need to start now.  Drink your tea and sit down for some daily writing practice.

How do I approach daily writing practice?

The possibilities for how to practice writing are endless.  Use any or all the following methods to stretch the author within you.

1.   Morning Pages–three pages, single spaced, handwritten, writing down whatever comes to your mind.  Don’t stop writing until you reach the end of three pages.  Don’t critique.  Don’t correct.  Just write.  (this suggestion is from The Right to Write)
2. Blogging–pick a niche you are interested in and research/write articles. Your blog posts today could become a published article tomorrow
3. Maintain a swipe file– whenever you read a magazine, newspaper,website, or etc. Look for attention grabbing headlines, watch for topics that interest you. Collect these articles and use them later to create your own version.
4. Writing Prompts–The internet is full of writing prompt lists and generators. My favorite writing prompt list is the monthly calendar from Toasted Cheese, a website devoted to helping writers pursue their craft. Other good websites for writing prompts are: Creative Writing Prompts, Writers Digest, and Prompt Generator.
5. Books–Get a book on writing or creativity and do the suggested exercises. My favorites are The Right to Write, Writing Down the Bones, and The Artist’s Way.

Start today.  Write, and write often.  Don’t critique.  Don’t edit.  Let the creative, imaginative, vibrant author  grow and  flourish.

You don’t have to be published to be an author and a writer.  All you have to do is write.

Popularity: 22% [?]

November is National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo), so I have been remembering my experience as a NaNoWriMo participant last year.

First, What is NaNoWriMo?

Have you ever dreamed of being a writer, but just couldn’t sit down long enough to pound out that novel on the keyboard? Or maybe when you did get started, your inner editor took over after the first paragraph and you spend the next three weeks re-writing the first sentence. National Novel Writing Month is an adrenaline filled 30 day experience to bring out the author in everybody. The goal of the contest is to write 50,000 words of fiction during the month of November. It comes down to about 1,667 words per day. That’s it.

My experience as a NaNoWriMo contestant

In October 2006, I got onto the NaNo website and signed up for the fun. November 1 came and I was off with full enthusiasm, but not nearly enough words.

Around November 8, I broke the cardinal rule of NaNoWriMo. I let my inner editor back into my head and decided my story was crap and I would write a different one.

Three-thousand words later, I called my mom and we re-evicted my inner editor. I went back to writing my original story.

November 11, I got sick. I took a few days off work. While I was at home, I got some writing done on my story.

November 13, I went back to work.

I was working at the public library at the time. Brenton refers to the library as the Public Germ collection. The books get sent off all over the county to pick up all the germs in North Idaho and then the librarians have to touch and clean every single book before it gets put back out on the shelf.

November 14, I was sick again. This time it was worse, but I was still able to get in my words. as I got better I put in a few 10,000 word days to catch back up to the recommended word count.

Right before Thanksgiving, I went back to work a the library. Over a few weeks, I had developed a terrible pain in my neck. Thanksgiving day, I could barely turn my head because of a pinched nerve.

Two days after Thanksgiving, I was sick again. I called in to the Library and turned in my 2 week notice.

I had less than 5,000 words to write before I reached the 50,000 word goal. I had a horrible head cold and chest congestion. My neck hurt, and I had aches down my arms. I couldn’t sit in my chair more than 30 minutes at a time.

For the last week of November, nothing besides sheer determination pulled me through to 50,000 words–30 min at a time.

November 30th finally came, I dragged myself across the finish line fighting tooth and nail. 50,027 verified and I got my winners badge, then I lay down on the couch and went back to sleep.

Reflections after NaNoWriMo

Participating in National Novel Writing Month ended up being a much bigger challenge than I anticipated. Aside from the psychological challenges of getting rid of my perfectionism and evicting my inner editor, I fought with physical illness the whole month of November.

Still, finishing was very rewarding. I followed my dream of writing a novel, and I proved to myself that I could finish something if I really put my mind to it.

Finishing National Novel Writing Month was a major step in quitting my job and pursuing my writing dreams full time.

Living life without a dream is sad, but knowing your dream and never following it is much sadder.

Particpating and finishing NaNoWriMo was the first step along the path my dreams are taking me.

Popularity: 19% [?]

My life goes in cycles. Right now, I am full of plans. My business venture is going well. I mean as well ad I could hope for.

My brain is going in 100 different directions right now. I wish I could chase all the rabbits.

Diet/Exercise: I have a new diet plan as suggested to me by a personal trainer (no, not MY personal trainer, just a personal trainer who also happens to be my brother in law). It seems sensible enough and It should even be easy to follow. especially when I get all the holiday caandy out of the house. I still dream of running too. My body reacts fairly well to exercise. I mean I can tell a difference fairly quickly when I get off my butt. I want to take up some strength training too.

Gardening: I think I might be ready to start gardening. We are planning on being in this house until November or so. That gives me plenty of time to grow something. I am reading about planning the vegetable garden and thinking about budgeting for it. Some vegetables I think I’ll start with are tomatoes, lettuce, radishes, peppers, snap peas, green onions, summer squash, and green beans. I might throw in some cantalope, cucumbers, watermellon, and winter squash for good measure. It’s hard to know how much I can actually use though. Which brings me to my next point…

Canning: If I’m going to garden, I”m sure I’ll have an abundance of crops. With just the two of us, it will almost mean just one of each plant and still I’m sure I will have a surplus. I might have to learn canning and preserving or at least how to freeze, but then I would need a deep freezer.

Writing: My primary goal for my business is to write. I want to be a writer who sells used books on the side. I have to struggle to keep that focus because the thought of actually being a writer is a bit frightening to me.

Business: Books, books, everywhere. I don’t need to be too worried about this because my wonderful husband is supporting me through it. I shouldn’t have to go into debt, but I wonder if I can actually make any money at it.

Frugal Living: I could probably earn more by working at the library, but I wouldn’t have nearly as much fun at it. I like the independence of working for myself and struggling to save money. Today I saved 43% on my final grocery bill. I always try to save more than I spend. I didn’t quite make it this time, but I had a lot of stocking up to do. Now that my pantry is stocked, I should be able to wait for sales on most everything.

Popularity: 17% [?]

When I started this venture, I read about the pain and suffering that would occur from writing 50,000 words in just 30 days. I didn’t think that Chris Baty really meant it.
Here I sit, a winner on my first NaNoWriMo. I drug myself through the last week, (And drugged myself).
Wednesday, I got a cramp in my neck which ended up being a pinched nerve, still I typed even though the pain was radiating down my left arm into my hand.
Saturday, I got a cold, still I typed
Sunday I got a terrible sinus headache, still I typed.
Monday, I could barely move from the back pain. I didn’t type that day. With just 2,000 words to go, I was wondering if my body could hold out.
Tuesday I got an earache, I sat dutifully at my computer as my back pain got worse after the chiropracter knocked me around and I typed
Wednesday, I turned in my two week notice at the library, dragged/drugged my broken body to the computer and sacrificed it on the alter of creativity.

Now I can post the winner badge on my website, and give my broken body a chance to heal before we fly out at 5 a.m. tomorrow to go to Nick and Laura Lee’s wedding.

Neither Pain, Slow, sleep, nor Fail. Nothing can stop a writer determined

Popularity: 13% [?]

…words to go on NaNoWriMo. I stopped with 7779 words left, but decided to go for a fun lucky number. I expect to finish tomorrow then Iwill post my official winner’s badge Woot!

After that, I’ll finish writing the story.
Then I’ll edit.

Does this ever really end?

Popularity: 12% [?]