Lacking Confidence?

Anyone lacking confidence out there? Put your hand up.

About your writing, about your weight, about your life, about Anything. Anyone? Put them up a little higher please. Yes, that's it. A little higher.

Just recognizing you have the problem can help you work on it and change it. Right? If you believe it can, you can. I know sounds a lot easier when someone else says it. And when someone else says it better -- Darn it!!! AND more memorable / humorous! Double Darn it!!!

So go over and read the complete thought provoking, humor involved, post that Maggie has on it - you'll be Really glad you did. Especially if you read the comments too. Her post touched a Lot of strings that people responded to.

And I thought this was a great thing to think on that she put in her post. Since I know it applies to when people Don't believe in you and don't believe / expect you to amount to much - It's so Great when you show them wrong. It's even better when you show yourself.

.....because you will always rise to the meet the expectations of the people around you .....

Go over and read it in the whole context of Maggie's post now -
http://m-stiefvater.livejournal.com/111221.html

You'll be so glad you did. Really. Truly. Like this is finished so go over there now and read it. And feel free to come back here and post about it of course. ;)

Word Wrangling

I'm the new Word Wrangler in town pardner. :::ca-ching, ca-ching, ca-ching [is that what spurs sound like when they are written???]

Okay so I'm not exactly 'new' around the Richmond writing area scene. And I've never worn spurs. Or a cowboy hat. Although I do like the way 'they' pull it down over their eyes and pull their hand across it threateningly.

But I am a Word Wrangler - what about you?

I was 'talking' to my writer friend Denise -- http://gaiasong.livejournal.com - who is doing all things Writers Wednesday for James River Writers now, so come on by and talk to us!
And I told her I just couldn't write Writers Wed. abbrev. as WW. Reminding me too much of wrestling for some reason. Then it came to me, we do wrestle with words, plots, and characters an Awful lot!!!
I still can't do wrestling tho' - all that body-slamming on the floor! :::shudder:::

I'd much rather hear the ching of spurs than the whack-slam of a body on canvas. More civilized for some reason. ;) [or maybe just my reasoning? Not that I have anything against those that Like wrestling!!! Not at all! I used to work with an accountant that Loved All things wrestling. But then on the whole don't you think accountants are a wee bit strange sometimes? ;) Not that I have anything against accountants either! ..... I think I'll stop while I'm ahead. Er, still in one piece and not offending somebody or other.

Anyway - any Word Wranglers ... or Word Wrestlers ... out there, join the rest of the WW's [your pick ;) ] at Writers Wednesday - the 2nd Wednesday of Every month. And just so happens to be coming up This Wed. as in tomorrow!

For more particulars go over to the James River Writers site - http://jamesriverwriters.org/

Writers Wednesdays

Writers Wednesdays is a casual meet and greet for writers in every genre on the second Wednesday of every month at Richbrau's TapHouse Grill, 1212 E. Cary St., 5:30-7:30 PM.

Coming up: June 10, July 8, August 12

See ya later, pardner. ;)

Checking out books and all things bookstore

Shoot. No, don't do it literally! Although I should really know better than to go over and read Maggie's blog before I decide to post something here. She's witty and cute, And she has pictures! I'm picture challenged. I hate having my picture taken. So that's why I have no pictures posted anywhere. Just these weird guy looking icon things everywhere. That is disturbing. Maybe I should take time to do a drawing of self. ;)
Course then it'd mean I'd finally have to take time to upload the thing. Uh, that's another reason there's just disturbing weird guy icons representing me places. On line at least. ;) That I know of!
Sigh. Another thing on the to-do list. I Really am trying to focus on writing! Really! Uh, on my novels, not here. In case there should be some clarification or something.

But the piles of the notes for my various to be completed novels - adult, young adult, children, - I am an equal opportunity writer! [There's even poetry thrown in there.]
The stacks were getting so unruly. And I didn't want them mingling with the James River Writers volunteer notes and getting ideas or notions, so I've spent some time trying to tame the 'paper tiger' that I assume all writers have.

But that's not what this post was going to be about! [And people wonder why I have such a hard time sitting down to actually write!]

I was going to write a nice shout-out to Kelly Justice at Fountain Bookstore.
And to her great staff of course!
I've picked up and read things I never would have read if not for them and their recommendations. [no actual arm twisting is involved I swear! even though I would like to claim such to ease my bookshelf-overload-woes.]

Fountain Books brings books to every James River Writing Show each month. Which I really appreciate. Well, mostly. It is a bit of a challenge to show restraint.
But it is nice to have one-stop-convenience. Writing Show provides authors to listen to, and gain wisdom from, and Fountain Books provides books so can have author sign it right there.
Pretty nifty if you ask me.
And if you happen to see Kelly manning the table behind the books, well, she's got to be one of the coolest gals that ever hangs around writers!!
You should definitely come check her out. ;) As well as the books of course. And James River Writing Show. As well as all things James River Writers in Richmond, Virginia.

What energizes your writing?

How do you get energized to write?  Especially a novel?

I seem not to be the only one struggling with that recently.

But I have begun to wonder how much of it was I got so confused by putting the story out for looking at before it was ready, that I lost the voice of the story.


So what do you do to energize you to write?

And to energize your writing.

Are they different?  Or the same thing?


Anybody else have the writing blahs?    So what are you doing to try to get yourself out?

When you feel the dark pit of writing despair dragging at your heels, grasping at your ankles, sliding you toward the sharp edge of the hole where no words live, while your nails scrape at the brittle shapes of scenes and sentences.... what do you do?
How do you get beyond?

Without the added 'pounds' [Both kinds!] of copious amounts of chocolate?

Any ideas?  Help?   Anyone?????

Tiny things that are so influential

I got an email recently that reminded me of the fragility of this life.  And the impact of little things, whether we realize it or not.

I realized in some way has been a thread through a lot of my somewhat sparse blog posts.  And I was reminded of a comment the Very accomplished and successful writer/artist/musician Maggie Stiefvater made to a post I did in February this year. 

And along with that comes to mind book I read recently about how much the little things matter, for good, and bad.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

I think Everyone should read this book!

Even though it’s considered a Young Adult book, hopefully it will make Everyone a little more conscious of actions and the little things…. for as Maggie commented to my blog post, it’s amazing the tiny little things that can be so influential.

m_stiefvater wrote:

Feb. 15th, 2009 05:17 pm (UTC)

This is such a good point -- I was just telling someone else on another LJ that we never know how one of our good gestures is going to change someone's life. I know so many people who came into my life for just a brief moment, did something that maybe didn't even mean that much to him, and it changed my life forever, be it the teacher that took the time to read my first terrible novel when I was 13, the guy in the music industry who told me my demo tape was great, the folk musician who told me I had a real talent for soundtracks, the professor who gave me a B plus for a perfectly good paper because he said he KNEW I could do better. 

Little tiny things, but they were really influential to me.

 

May all of our tiny little things we do be done with care.

 

We all carry within us the seed of other worlds

The touch of other people’s dreams and aspirations

May we all carry that touch carefully and respectfully

With as much care as we do our own.

[sgchris 2009 ©]

Maggie's new book Shiver and ARCs gone awry

okay so it's like this I'm traveling, I don't sleep well when traveling so I'm probably not very coherent.  

So I'll make this short.  For this entry you'll have to go here and read -  http://sgchris.livejournal.com/

Best you're going to get here today.    Probably.

Maggie says

Uh, no, my name's not Maggie, and you've not wandered into her site by accident.  Although you Should if you are any type of creative person at all - an artist of Any kind, Writer, Painter, etc.....etc....
She's done a great post on keeping on keeping on.  [That sounds so much better in my head than it looks typed out here!]

She talks about artistic endeavors aren't for the faint of heart.  And you must believe in yourself first and always - and eventually someone else will believe in you also.
But even if you don't think you see anyone doing that, don't give up, keep believing in yourself and what you are creating.   You are the only you around to do it.  To say it the way you need to say it, maybe even the way it needs to be said.  To give it the uniqueness of your voice.  No matter what the creative thing is that you do.

Okay so Maggie says it differently.  ;)    That's what I mean about everyone having their own unique voice and ways.  
And you should go and read hers.
Especially her unique interesting way she looked at the rejections.   I like that more positive spin she put on it.

Oh, and here's the link - whatcha waiting for?    And be sure to come back here and tell me what your unique take on it is!

http://m-stiefvater.livejournal.com/104582.html

Believe in yourself and your own unique qualities and abilities -- but also share them when you have the chance.