Dancing in the Rain

The heat of the summer has got me bogged down a bit. I love the sun, don't get me wrong, it's just the endless days of it without some sort of break. And today, well, I got it.

Thank you, God.



I am feeling thankful today. Yesterday I talked to some young children whom I teach in church about talents.We listed them all: dancing, singing, playing the piano, even whistling - my personal favorite. We also talked about those talents we rarely see as talents:

Helping a friend
Cooking a batch of cookies to share with a friend
Reading God's word
Praying with our hearts, not just our heads

and so on.

And it got me thinking.

Rain is not only a talent that God has, it is a talent he shares with all of us - even the grass and flowers.

Writing is an obvious talent, but it becomes less of a talent if we don't share it with others - if we bury it deep in the earth for example.

And I guess that's the bottom line with talents. If you have one and don't share it, because it's only one after all, and frankly, you wish you had more, then you're missing out - maybe even missing out on the rain in exchange for mud.

Perhaps you're afraid to share your work. You will probably be criticized. Maybe even made fun of. And you wouldn't want that. If you're feeling like your talent (if indeed you have one) is only meant for you, think again.

Bring out your work. Send it off to a publisher, or get someone in your circle of friends to read it. You may hear something quite surprising. You might even sell your work. But if you don't, you'll definitely learn something.

As far as rain goes, I'd rather dance than wallow anyway, wouldn't you?

New Year: New Direction

The new year brings with it the possibilities, and, quite frankly, probably more goals and far-reaches than you really want to think about.

But perhaps your new direction isn't in the abundance of goals that you may or may not follow through with, but a change of heart and focus when it comes to your writing direction.

Allow me to explain what I mean.

Perhaps you want to publish your first novel this year, just as you wanted to publish your first novel last year. And maybe you're thinking, "I could have this goal every year and nothing may happen." 

Maybe your repeated goal is to write every day, but you find yourself wishing for more time, or you're working a full-time job to pay the bills and you hope to be able to let it go and write full-time; a goal you've had for the past five years.

A change of heart in the first goal might look something like: "I am going to work toward publishing my first novel this year, and I'm going to do it by writing every day, taking criticism and making changes when necessary, and looking into self-publishing." 

A positive attitude works!!

If you're in the second goal thought processes, you may decide to write: "I am going to write when I can and I'm going to do this by eliminating or decreasing my television watching by _____%."

If you've decided that your job is no longer working for you and you'd like to quit it to write full-time, do a bit of studying to see how this can be accomplished. Frankly, most writers have to work outside the home, even if it's a part-time job, so perhaps the answer isn't in leaving your current 'away' job, but finding ways and means to write while you're off.

Concrete goals are wiser thinking because you are specific in your requests to follow and complete your goals. Your heart is saying, "I am going to accomplish my goal because I am going to do this and this to make it so," rather than, "I am going to publish a book this year," and leave it at that.

A new direction in writing is best accomplished with positive thinking and specific ways you are choosing to direct your life.

For example, one of my writing goals this year is to get my name out through booth set-ups at conferences and craft fairs. This is best accomplished by scheduling these events early (I have already scheduled 3 of the 7 planned for this year).

Because I have found that person to person selling creates greater interest in my books, I have decided to make it a priority. Yes, I will continue with my blog and social networking, but I will be adding interest to my books by increasing the amount of times I share my books one-on-one during the year in a real life setting.

What is your new direction as a writer for this year? I would love to hear it.

Kathryn

Sharing Your Writing Without Fear?

Whenever there's a new writer in the room one will usually smell fear. Perhaps the writer won't say anything directly, but you get it. He or she is afraid to share their work.


I vividly remember those days and the decision I made to finally join a writer's group. The first week I was there I held my prized possession, my newly formed newspaper article, in my hands. All the people in the room were strangers to me. How could I share my work without ridicule?



Photo by: FeatheredTar, courtesy of Flickr

It occurs to me now that not a writer on the planet comes through the writing and publishing scenario without some lashings. It just wouldn't be fair, though it might be more enjoyable to come out unscathed.

Writing wasn't meant to be easy, and sharing our work wasn't meant to be easy.

But if we do it, like I did that day around a room full of strangers, we just might be tempted to begin another piece and yet another.

I received good news that day. But I haven't always been the receiver of glad tidings.

My first works (the ones I did initially the first few years after I decided I wanted to be a writer) were lackluster; some were outright terrible. I made copies of my work, put them in those little paper binders, and passed them out to family. How embarrassing when I look back on them now!

But they were a process of sharing. A process, I am happy to say that has gotten easier over the years.

Can I honestly say that I can now share my work without my stomach rumbling or my hands shaking?

Nope.

Like the tide that comes in from the ocean, I am still gathering in my courage every time I stand up in front of a group; every time I sign and hand out a published book.

How about you?