Summer Unleashed

UPDATE: I have just finished the second draft of Charmed - I'm Sure. It turned out a little differently than I expected, but I like it. It's sort of a picture book for pre-teens. Is such a thing out there? Maybe it's a short story. In just a few minutes I'll post it on my blog here - at least a portion of it - and then I'll ask for takers on what you think the genre is.

Here is the direct link in case you found this post first.

This is my second time sitting in front of this screen today.

The first time, I wasn't sure what I wanted to write. I had multiple reasons why I didn't want to and no ideas.

All it took was a lunch break and time to think over what mattered to me.

Here are some thoughts:

I want to begin a new writing project.

A few years ago - I'm not even sure when the idea came - I was doing an interview for a blog and an idea for a picture book came to me. Fortunately, I wrote all of the ideas down, unfortunately, I lost these ideas until, just last week, I found some time and, in cleaning out my files, I found them again.

I'm not going to tell you a lot about the book other than to say that having a charmed life is not really what any of us want even if we think we do. 

Life isn't about perfection, it's about dirt and muck under our fingernails. It's about secrets that aren't kept and people that don't really like you. It's about people who want to serve but think too highly of themselves. It's about work. It's about doing what you don't like to do and aching muscles that tell you how old you're really getting.

Photo by Meg Jenson on Unsplash

Next, I want to spend some time marketing. I'm not really sure as I'm typing this what sort of marketing I'm going to do, but I'm going to do something, and I'd like that something to be original, especially since I have two books that should be ready for publishing by the end of this year. [I'm giving myself plenty of time because both of these books were supposed to be ready this spring. :)]

I want to do a lot of reading this summer. I want to pay attention to how authors write, how they put words together, and how they get you to feel the story behind the words. 

Do you have some writing goals for this summer? I would love to hear them.

Kathryn

Keeping the Faith

I am a faithful writer. I am also a faith-filled person.

I believe in faith like the water I drink, the feet I stand on, and the hands that reach for me in my distress. 

Life isn't always about what you expect, neither is it easy, as any rock-solid, faithful person will tell you. Life isn't about doing what you want when you want it. Usually, it is about doing what is right, which makes the thing you are doing inconvenient and difficult. 

If the waters of life are God, then the boat we must sit in to travel through life, is faith. Sometimes we have oars, we feel as if we are traveling along swimmingly. We feel as if we can get to shore if need be. But there are times in that boat, when the oars are nowhere to be found, or the oars wouldn't be of use anyway because we are traveling down the rapids to the falls.

Clinging to both sides of my boat, my face so wet that I cannot see, it is all I can do to keep upright. But I need to move forward. I have to. Sitting in my boat I see others in their boats. Some are smiling. Others are crying. Dare I say it? Many, so many that I cannot count them, are traveling down the rapids of life too. 

I want to scream, "You can do it!" "I know it's hard!" "I know the journey is taking everything you have, but you can do it!"

I know the rapids are loud, so loud it feels impossible to hear the still, small voice. But I also know we are NOT the only person sitting in our boat. I know this because I am not the only one sitting in mine.

 

THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY by anonymous

FRIDAY FLICKS: Joy Beyond by Brenda McGraw

Get the Book at Amazon

It's My Birthday and I'll Stay 29 if I Want to!

Yes, today is my birthday. And no, I'm not going to tell you how old I am except to say I've been the same age -29- for pretty much as long as I can remember.

Having said that, I want you to know that being -29- at any age, isn't so bad when you consider 
all of the things you've learned, 
all of  the wonderful people you've met, 
and all of the life you've been able to experience.

Having strawberry cake today.

Both good and bad.

Today, however, I want to reflect on the good, all the good, and thank you for being a part of my life. I couldn't be a writer, at least a real writer, without someone (even one person out there) reading what I'd written. I couldn't be a friend if I didn't have one, and I couldn't have learned anything if I hadn't left my computer (at times) and wandered the neighborhood.

As a writer, the most important thing that I can do (besides write) is to be open to all of the experiences that life has to offer, and not only to experience life, but to incorporate what I have learned into the books I've written.

I hope you, as a writer, a reader or both, stay open to the wonders around you.

And stay 29, will ya?

Wondering What's Next?

I don't know about you, but I'm continually wondering, "What's going to happen next?"

I'm talking books I'm working on (and I'm working on one at the moment), classes I'm teaching (I'm giving one tonight and another next month at the LDS Storymakers Conference in Provo, clients I am taking on (I've got two on hold and one coming later this week) plus a bunch of stuff that keeps happening that I really hadn't planned on.

The growth of a tree takes time.
Photo by: Nicholas_T, courtesy of Flickr

If you know about my husband's gallbladder surgery, you'll know a bit of what I mean. I am a wife, mother, a grandmother (my two grandchildren live with me) a church goer (I have a job there, too) and I sometimes wonder how I ever made time for writing.

No matter what anyone else tells you, if you love writing, you'll make time for it. Your writing won't sit on the back burner 24/7 and you'll make time for writing, editing, and publishing. You'll want to speak to others about the craft and take some classes.

And when you feel as if you can't do another thing, God will give you a break. It may mean that you get sick, or your husband gets sick, or you are so overwhelmed that you spend the day watching television or getting a pedicure.



Photo by: cstrom, courtesy of Flickr

But if you don't take some quiet time for yourself, be assured the time for thoughtful reflection will occur one way or another.

No boredom here. No wondering what to do with yourself. Because something is always provided. Something to keep you growing, like those little plants outside peeking out from the once frozen earth.

I love it.

Lunch & a Pep Talk

It's amazing what a good lunch and a pep talk can do for an otherwise discouraged  person.

No, I'm not discouraged all of the time, but there are days that I just can't take in another negative vibe. I have this bucket called my life that I'm trying to fill with good things like writing, and listening and sharing, but sometimes the good things are so overcome with the bad I feel as if I have a bucket with holes in it.

Photo by: haven't the slightest, courtesy of Flickr

As much as I'm trying to put good things in, the good things are not staying inside the bucket for very long but are rushing out.

That's when a good pep talk comes in handy.

During the pep talk that lasted roughly 3 hours (the waitresses were getting a bit nervous that though we had come for breakfast we were sitting with the lunch crowd) I discovered again some things that I had forgotten.

• Life is about choice. Choices we make and choices others make. And it's up to us to separate and know what is ours and what isn't.
• There are opinions galore about who and what you should be (from mothers, co-workers, friends and even acquaintances) opinions that you 're not and will never be. That's why it's good to take an inventory and see if you're living your dream or someone elses. 
• All it takes sometimes is to hear one negative comment about yourself to think less of who you are. But you don't have to make the negative comment who you are. You can look at it, see if it provides any wisdom, and if not, discard the untruth.
• Sisters are miracle workers. They care about who you are and what you want to accomplish in life. They lift, rather than pull down. They care that you hurt and have been misunderstood or trampled upon. They know when you feel alone.

I know, I know, "no one can make you feel small without your permission", but there are days that we give it, our permission, sometimes without realizing we've even handed it over. If we are feeling a bit less than, a bit discouraged, a bit out of hope, we've been listening to the wrong voices, whether they're inside our head or not.

Love to you,

Kathryn

Enjoy the Journey

It's been said that the greatest reward is in the journey itself and what we learn from it. It's not so much about the new house or the new car or the expensive trip to Tahiti, it's what we learned to get there.

Photo by: Rileyroxx, courtesy of Flickr

I agree, so why is it so much easier to disregard the day and look to the future for better things?

Perhaps we are all a little selfish at heart. We're good too, but there's that selfish streak that wants things just how we want them when we want them. We may lose the present because we are dreaming of the future. We may save our money to get into that new house and never really appreciate what we learned by saving up.

What are you learning today?

• I am learning that even with a new book out and all the time it takes to market it, I must take time out for myself and for my family. I need to enjoy living the "five stones."
• I am learning that there will still be down days, and how I choose to look at my experiences will send a message to others and to the universe; a message that will return to me.What kind  of answer do I want back?
• I am learning that it's okay to let go of the way I see things and listen to someone who may feel differently than I do. It may be that after I've listened that I still don't agree, but that's okay. People just want to be heard.
• I am learning that it's okay to wait for my dreams. In the long run, it will be the journey itself that will get me there. What am I willing to learn from it?

Photo by: Spunkr, courtesy of Flickr

Today, you might want to think of the journey you're on. Are you going through a particular struggle? Are you feeling joy? What are you doing today to prepare yourself for your dream?

I LOVE QUESTIONS, because it's through questions that answers are received. Ask some of your own today as you travel down the road called life. 

Take a Class to Help you with Your Writing

As I writer, we spend hours in front of the keyboard; minutes that take us in to days and months and years, but how often do we take a well needed break?

I took one just today. It was a class called, "Limitless Living," and it was taught by Marnie L. Pehrson. In the class I learned some important keys to living, among them:

• "We are energy living within an ocean of energy. Energy can also be called light, truth and intelligence."
• There are 4 core passion types: Service, Truth, Empathy and Potential. I learned how my passion type helps me in life both negatively and positively. (If you take the test link that I posted yesterday you'll have a greater idea of what I mean). 



Photo by: Deejay_fbr, courtesy of Flickr

• I am Potential, which means I like to inspire others to action. You may be Potential or you may be Service, Truth or Empathy.
• I also learned that I'm not the only person struggling with the same issues. Being in a class with others desiring to improve their life empowers and connects me to them. I learn a lot, not only from the instructor, but from other class members.
• I also learned how BIG money was in stopping me from my dreams and I got some things cleared up. What is stopping you? 
• I learned about feelings. "Feelings are not bad or good, they just are." 
• I also learned that if I wanted to lose weight I needed to stop thinking of it as "losing weight." From now on I will call it "releasing weight." I will be grateful for my body and how wonderfully it functions for me now. I will thank if for what it has given me today.

No, this wasn't a writing class, but in all experiences, especially those that change you for the better, a writer has an opportunity to use it for good. I plan on doing that very thing.

When Editing is Sweet

It seems all writer's hate editing their own stuff, even if they feel they are good at it. There's something about tossing out what they still consider "great" and getting rid of the stuff they have slaved over. Years ago someone compared writing to a baby. You are creating this baby and suddenly have to edit parts of it; like only being able to accept half a child.

Does this sit well for you? (No pun intended), it never did for me. Sure, writing is creation in action, but the most beautiful things out there must be weighed and analysed to see if they still fit into our creation of life. We need to know what binds our words together, and what takes us on a side road. We need to know what works and what doesn't, and while writing from our heart will bring us great things that may not always connect, they are still great things to be kept.

I like the idea of letting go but only to a new file. Say you don't think that scene is right for your book, instead of tossing it aside for eternity, you place it in a new file for later. Maybe that first chapter doesn't work but the second one does, or that article on fruit flies leave little to be desired--at least for now. Save it. You may just go back to it later, even it it's only to see how far in your writing you've come.

My first article was terribly written, I look at it now and am embarrassed to show it to anyone. But I have it. When I'm down on my writing I go back to it and instantly see how far I've come. And it doesn't hurt me a bit.

Continuous Learning

I think it's important to learn new things; not only for yourself, but to help you in your relationships with others. Knowledge what my body is really doing has usually in my life outweighed my fears of finding out. Confronting my fears and seeking out knowledge does more for me than pretending that the "potential" problem doesn't exist.

I know a few folks who would rather pretend all is wine and roses rather than accept the reality that is. I know of others that live in the muck "that is" and never venture beyond the sand pile. The trick I think is to find that spot somewhere in the middle, where reality is in existence and the light is shining overhead.

Grandpa and Bekah learn about Photography

Continuous learning is about seeing the tough stuff in our own lives; it's about reaching out our hand at the public library, and seeking out that book. It's about filling our minds and hearts with the goodness that is out there and having the wisdom to see the bad for what it is. An opportunity to see what we want to do with our own life.

Continuous learning is about change. It is seeking for truth, and when found, discarding the old stuff. It's about dreaming and hoping and cheering when someone we love meets their milestone and has the courage to go even further.

Continuous learning is about us. It's about looking in and looking out at all there is to life and having the courage to write it all. It's about faith. It's about work. It's about returning home with a newfound desire to make every moment count.

Continous learning has to do with what you learn today, and what you learn tomorrow. It's about never giving up when times get tough. It's standing ready when a friend needs you and dropping everything else. It's standing true to your spouse when it would be far easier not to. It's staying in the game.

Continuous learning helps a good writer to be a great writer. And what writer doesn't want that?

Better Late than Never

Today I'm getting to my blog later than I initially planned, but I want you to know that I've been thinking about what I wanted to write all day.

Often, the ideas are swimming inside me and all I need is a minute or two to get them down on paper.

Do you ever feel like that?

My newest book, still in construction, was mostly written through the years; only recently have the words come through my fingers and onto the screen of my favorite laptop. It's amazing really, how my experiences through the years have finally come together to create a book.

That's why it's important to keep learning and to keep writing, even if the moments are short lived like this one, because like that box of chocolates, "you never know what you're gonna get."

I love the thought that experiences may, at one time or another, translate into a book. I know of authors who keep a notebook in their purse or inside the glove box of their car. Whenever a great idea, a great experience, a great anything comes to them, they record it in this little notebook. The really organized ones take the notes they record in their notebook and organize them into categories like, "Great Dialogue," or "Funny Experiences," or "Beautiful Settings." When they decide to write a book they pull out their notes for great ideas.

Great ideas, the best ideas, come from life; how you live it, how you experience it, and how you choose to share it with others. You may turn a perfectly true story into something with a bit of fiction added or vice-versa. You may find a great title for your first story from an experience you had while cooking up your favorite recipe, or eating your favorite doughnut.

And you may find that your life really means something after all. Because it does.

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.

Time waits for no Woman (or man)

Prior to this day I have been less than a terrific blogger. Let’s just say that “life” as I know it got in the way, and blogging, shall we say, was at the bottom of my list.

I was busy mentoring, cleaning, errand running, writing my newest book, and many of the other things that transpire in a given day for a writer. But I was forgetting you.

I read blogs myself, and I love that I can glean ideas from other writers who are struggling to make successful the sorts of things I am. Gleaning ideas is really the only way any of us writers have anything to write about in the first place even if we don’t always get our ideas from a blog.

Your husband might be sick for an entire week, like mine was from a diabetic seizure, and it’s all you can do to take care of him. You may find yourself struggling to provide the money necessary for that next mortgage payment or finding time for your grandchildren. You may wonder when “your time” will come, when you will have time to write and to get on with your life.

What I love about my life is that it is mixed in with other’s lives. I am not an island. I don’t stand alone. My best writing comes from my experiences, as well as who I am, and the way I choose to live. And spending time doing the most important things in life, whether it’s writing the next blog or experiencing the next outing with my grandchildren, is what life is truly all about.