We had a nice quiet day off this week. Which lately it seems a bit odd if both of us have a day off at the same time, he's been working every day (9+ hour days, poor soul.) We had a writing party! Lo and behold my sweetie's got a novel going himself, so we hung out and I wrote in my notebook as he typed away on his laptop. It was a very happy moment for me, doing my favorite thing while sitting next to my favorite person. Bliss. Being married rocks.
We're a competitive pair. We like to play games a fair bit, and I'm pretty sure it's for the competition of it. So no surprise here...we've made writing a competition. Woo hoo!
Mark your calendar's December 31st, whoever has the most pages written wins the right to spend $100 of the budget their way. He wins, it means a lot of eating out is going to take place; if I win...well, I still haven't spent the majority of my birthday money my in-laws gifted me back in April...I rented a SUP board for a couple hours and that's about it. No idea what I'd buy. Maybe it will go toward my go skiing fund?
Wish me luck!
31 July 2013
25 July 2013
Grief
Heartache and sorrow are visiting friends,
who sometimes stop and speak with you.
They stand at the door and weep and sway.
The choice is yours, a friendship to renew
or to send them away.
Invite them in and offer them things.
A little from your pantry, they partake.
Leaving you with nothing in their wake.
Solace, you hand hope from inviting them in,
For they were company to your sorrow and sin.
Send them away, send them home,
Eat from your pantry and wait for faith.
You are not truly alone.
She will come an fill your plate,
and leave nourishment in her wake.
Well guys! That is a poem. I wrote it. I wrote a poem! It's my first one in a long, long time. I'm hoping more come and I can get better with practice. Cheers!
who sometimes stop and speak with you.
They stand at the door and weep and sway.
The choice is yours, a friendship to renew
or to send them away.
Invite them in and offer them things.
A little from your pantry, they partake.
Leaving you with nothing in their wake.
Solace, you hand hope from inviting them in,
For they were company to your sorrow and sin.
Send them away, send them home,
Eat from your pantry and wait for faith.
You are not truly alone.
She will come an fill your plate,
and leave nourishment in her wake.
Well guys! That is a poem. I wrote it. I wrote a poem! It's my first one in a long, long time. I'm hoping more come and I can get better with practice. Cheers!
17 July 2013
Block to Writing
Writing has been coming a long a lot better lately. I actually sat down with the notebook and wrote more than one page at a time! I am thankful that there is a lot of downtime at work lately so I can fill it with writing. It's still a challenge writing.
Usually you think of writer's block as something that happens when you have no idea what to write about or write next, but for me the writer's block is more the mental things that get in the way of writing. The ideas are there, however the sit down and write them out...
Block to Writing 1: I am terrible at writing.
I am actually pleased with a few parts of my novel...but then there are other parts that...let just say I'm not so proud of. Those "less proud" moments are decreasing in frequency the more I write, but it nags at me so much.
Normally being bad at something doesn't deter me too much. I always came in last in races in school...yet I still go running every morning I can. It's a rare occasion I beat my husband at games (except Uno. I always win at Uno...unless he cheats) but I still play games with him and enjoy it plenty. If I like something I just do it no matter how lousy I might be.
No so with writing. Bad writing makes me wonder if I should even bother. It's terrible. But I'm still writing though...so I guess I am triumphing still?
Block to Writing 2: No one's going to read this
...so why bother? I've written so much in my lifetime and very little of it is ever read by anyone. First, I am shy to share, and the worst is when someone tells me they'd like to read it so I share it and then they never read it. The thought of creating something and no one ever seeing it, all my hard work for naught is a little sad and something I'm a bit fearful of. Why should a work exist if it is never appreciated?
Maybe other writer's are noble enough to write secretly and have that full belief in writing for the sake of writing...and that is satisfying. I have 26 journals that will never meet human eyes. But these stories and poems...it makes me sad to think of them deteriorating in to nothing and no one would ever know about them.
Block to Writing 3: It's a time waster
I feel guilt for doing something I like to do. I've changed my personal philosophy on spending time in the arts, but it's weird how the stray ghost of a memory will creep up on me and repeat it's whining voice. It takes ten uplifting comments to cancel out a bad one. As I write, I'm so surprised at how many old memories are brought to my attention of people telling me that writing is waste.
I'm trying to refocus and replace each negative comment with a memory of someone saying something good. I'm focusing on remember those writing classes I took where a fellow student shared their enthusiasm for writing and those students who were so encouraging. Or that one English teacher who appreciated my best efforts. In my 21 years of loving writing, those people who have been encouraging and left with me an encouraging memory...that memory is worth gold now. Thank you positive people!
Block to Writing 4: Failure to achieve a dream
I remember a few years ago a friend of mine was going out and starting her own business. After I had talked with her about this new venture of hers I felt so inspired and invigorated by her passion, people with that much passion and fire are so rare. Later, another friend of mine said, "Don't she realize that it might not work out? Her business could fail!" Appalled all I could say was, "At least she's trying to do something. She could also be very successful."
You've probably heard the quote,"In great attempts it is glorious even to fail" (Vince Lombardi).
The battle onward continues. I'm going to keep up the writing and I'm going to work my way in to being a novelist. It's going to rock.
What's your dream? What kinds of things keep you from going at it and how do you fight back?
Usually you think of writer's block as something that happens when you have no idea what to write about or write next, but for me the writer's block is more the mental things that get in the way of writing. The ideas are there, however the sit down and write them out...
Block to Writing 1: I am terrible at writing.
I am actually pleased with a few parts of my novel...but then there are other parts that...let just say I'm not so proud of. Those "less proud" moments are decreasing in frequency the more I write, but it nags at me so much.
Normally being bad at something doesn't deter me too much. I always came in last in races in school...yet I still go running every morning I can. It's a rare occasion I beat my husband at games (except Uno. I always win at Uno...unless he cheats) but I still play games with him and enjoy it plenty. If I like something I just do it no matter how lousy I might be.
No so with writing. Bad writing makes me wonder if I should even bother. It's terrible. But I'm still writing though...so I guess I am triumphing still?
Block to Writing 2: No one's going to read this
...so why bother? I've written so much in my lifetime and very little of it is ever read by anyone. First, I am shy to share, and the worst is when someone tells me they'd like to read it so I share it and then they never read it. The thought of creating something and no one ever seeing it, all my hard work for naught is a little sad and something I'm a bit fearful of. Why should a work exist if it is never appreciated?
Maybe other writer's are noble enough to write secretly and have that full belief in writing for the sake of writing...and that is satisfying. I have 26 journals that will never meet human eyes. But these stories and poems...it makes me sad to think of them deteriorating in to nothing and no one would ever know about them.
Block to Writing 3: It's a time waster
I feel guilt for doing something I like to do. I've changed my personal philosophy on spending time in the arts, but it's weird how the stray ghost of a memory will creep up on me and repeat it's whining voice. It takes ten uplifting comments to cancel out a bad one. As I write, I'm so surprised at how many old memories are brought to my attention of people telling me that writing is waste.
I'm trying to refocus and replace each negative comment with a memory of someone saying something good. I'm focusing on remember those writing classes I took where a fellow student shared their enthusiasm for writing and those students who were so encouraging. Or that one English teacher who appreciated my best efforts. In my 21 years of loving writing, those people who have been encouraging and left with me an encouraging memory...that memory is worth gold now. Thank you positive people!
Block to Writing 4: Failure to achieve a dream
I remember a few years ago a friend of mine was going out and starting her own business. After I had talked with her about this new venture of hers I felt so inspired and invigorated by her passion, people with that much passion and fire are so rare. Later, another friend of mine said, "Don't she realize that it might not work out? Her business could fail!" Appalled all I could say was, "At least she's trying to do something. She could also be very successful."
You've probably heard the quote,"In great attempts it is glorious even to fail" (Vince Lombardi).
The battle onward continues. I'm going to keep up the writing and I'm going to work my way in to being a novelist. It's going to rock.
What's your dream? What kinds of things keep you from going at it and how do you fight back?
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