Making Changes in Writing and in Life

It's been made clear to me, especially lately, that making changes in writing and in life is the name of the game.

And change isn't always easy.


But it's exciting!

Who wouldn't want to make their writing better, more coherent, more exciting to read? Who wouldn't want to take their own life out of the pit of boredom, sameness? Who wouldn't want to take the next grand opportunity for growth when presented?

I know I would.

Still, change can be pretty scary, too, though I'm one for moving through it anyway. Who knows what will be on the other side of it?

A better book?

A better life?

Here's hoping you make today better than yesterday.

Kathryn

5 Ways to Fill Your Bucket

Burned out?

Trying to make sense of your new fiction title, and have finally decided to scrap it?

Don't.

Sometimes, all we need is a re-fill. When we're full, we can easily return to our projects without a hitch. Here are some ideas:

1. Spend some time away from your desk. Meaning a few hours away. Not just in your front or backyard, or taking a cruise to the grocery store. I'm talking about a real fill-up; the kind that doesn't answer the door or the cellphone. I'm talking about a park. The canyons. The lake. The... (you fill in the relaxing place). You may have to plan ahead, but do it. A change of scenery to ponder and think usually does the trick.

2. If you feel as if you can't leave your place (at least not right now when you're feeling so burned out), take some moments to read. I mean it. Don't read and edit your own work. Read someone else's purely for enjoyment. Don't try to fix the awkward paragraphs (because you will probably still see them even in published works) and don't analyze anything. This is so tough for me because I'm doing it every day on my own work and the works of others, but when I can truly relax and read a good book, I'm filled up for the next adventure in my writing life.

3. Play some music and do nothing. Impossible, you say? Try it. Pick something soothing, lay back and close your eyes. See if you can manage doing nothing for 15 minutes, then return to your work. You'll be surprised at what you come up with.

4. Get creative. Write just because you love it. Start anywhere. From a picture you've chosen from a magazine, from a randomly chosen sentence in your favorite novel, from your favorite quote; just start writing and let it flow.

5. Call someone and tell them you love them. Do something for someone else. Visit someone who doesn't get out much. Call a friend you haven't spoken with in a long time. Get out of yourself. When we focus on someone else, even if it's for a few short hours, it's amazing what comes back to us in the form of new and creative ideas.

We all have buckets we need to fill, and sometimes, we feel as if there are more holes in our bucket than ideas. That's when we need to take a second look at life.

Get Real. What Being a Writer Really Means

It's time for a bit of reflection.

Yesterday, the house we wanted came through, and with all of the joy that comes when getting a new house, my next thoughts were, there's so much to do! Fortunately, I have almost a month.

A month!

In the process of moving, I will also be writing, reviewing and doing a bit more than usual cleaning. And then there's the packing and stacking and waiting, because you're living somewhere, but suddenly your heart is no longer where you're currently at.

Being a writer is a bit like that I think. A bit like moving, because there is always work to do and sometimes you're really not sure what to go about doing first.

Still, at the very least I can show you my house.

See that smaller door to the left? That's where you will enter if you're coming for some writing assistance or a book you'd like edited or published. Cool, huh?

Being a writer has its ups and downs as well as its moves. In the beginning I thought I was going to be a journalist. Then I thought I was going to write fiction. And then I discovered I really liked nonfiction. So you never know the moves your writing might take you.

Just like moving into a new house.

Change

I know it's not Christmas yet, but I have been feeling it. Have you?

The weather is cooler, the leaves in my back yard sprinkled across the grass like granola. I have no other way to describe it. I am amazed at the changes that have occurred in only a few short weeks.

Just last month I was in Texas, where the air was heavy with heat and I was expected to drink more water just so I could keep going. Two weeks after I'd returned I began to notice the changes in weather. I called my daughter in Texas. She'd noticed it, too. Instead of over 100 degrees, they were at 92.

Change. All we really know about it is that it will continue to occur. And as the seasons change and fall turns to winter and winter to spring and spring to summer, we'll finish writing that book and start another. We may decide to take a class on writing or to attend a conference.

 

In a nutshell, we'll grow.

I look with wondering awe at some of my earliest work, wondering when the change happened. When awkwardly constructed phrases turned into something worth reading.

And I am glad for change.

The Scriptures for Change

The scriptures are a powerful tool to strengthen your life

DECEMBER 3
The Scriptures for Change

The scriptures can be a powerful catalyst for change in our lives. Using a scripture or scriptures from December 2, record in your journal your thoughts on what the scripture(s) mean to you.
Here is a thought based on a reference from my journal: 

December 1: “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it” (Psalms 34:14).

Peace seems an easy task when I am at home (and the children are gone). When they’re home, my life feels stretched to the limits like a rubber band. Time has shifted. I must sacrifice to receive. Perhaps this is what this time in my life is all about; a time of sacrifice and cleansing—doing the will of the Father despite my personal beliefs in the matter.”

And some scriptures that relate to the thought:

“Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord?…I know not, save the Lord commanded me” (Moses 5:6).

 “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8).

 “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord. (Psalms 4:5).

It is easier to do the will of the Lord when we like it, or even when we agree with Him. But when His will challenges us to become better, and we may be afraid, worried or troubled about our own abilities, reading and applying a scripture or scriptures to our situation can help us to move forward in faith.

When Life Throws you Lemons...

...throw them back!

I woke up this morning intent on doing some reading to better improve my life; instead I got a babysitting opportunity. I'd planned on sitting back and relaxing today, doing what I wanted to do instead of what was usually expected of me.

And a lemon hit me right in the face.

Instead of throwing it back, getting rid of it, and just accepting what was, I held on to it and sucked all of its royal juices out. Boy was I mad! Didn't I deserve a little time to myself? Didn't I deserve a little respite from the work of life?

Some hours later I've decided to throw the lemon back and get to work. Sure, I can still read with some interruptions, and I can still write, but I need to make room for last minute changes. You know the kind.

You were going out to lunch with friends but your car broke down. You were intent on finishing your novel--today--but your youngest got sick. You were more than ready for that new assignment given to you by the PTA but, instead, you are working on getting the plumbing restored.

My advice? Make sure that you're one of those folks that doesn't hold onto lemons. If you have to make lemonade out of it, go for it. If you'd just rather throw them all back, feel free to do so.

Take it from me. There's something to be said for starting again--fresh.