Helping Writers Go from Unpublished to Published
I couldn’t let December pass without visiting the topic of setting goals.
As I write this, it is still November, but I have set aside December to review my 2023 goals. I’ll figure out where I went wrong with those I didn’t meet, and what I did right with those I accomplished.
The year 2022 was probably one of the busiest years I’ve ever had, but I ended the year frustrated and feeling like I’d gotten nowhere. I failed to complete nearly every goal I set.
Oh, like most entrepreneurs, I put in an average of over 200 hours of work every month. But I had little income to show for it. I wanted to make 2023 different—better—with more income but fewer hours and less stress.
God’s instructions were, If you want big money coming in, you need to learn how to run a business and properly manage that money. Aka be a wise steward.
I’ve been fully self-employed since late 2010. Has the business supported me? Not fully. Praise the Lord, God provides in other ways and my needs are met and bills are paid.
But I’ve determined that 2023 is the year I’ll make my business self-sustaining. And to do that I need to start with knowing three things:
[Read more…] about Do You Have a Strategy or Just a Plan?Updated September 14, 2020.
In my last post we looked at plot. Today we’ll look at working with scenes.
What goes into a scene? All the same things that go into plot.
Think of a scene like a mini plot. The character(s) has a goal, which represents a small step in achieving the story goal. In each scene the character meets with conflict and setbacks.
The key to remember about scenes is that they occur now. It’s moment-by-moment action playing out on the page.
“Here’s today’s mail, Miss Clark.”
Startled by the voice, I jerked in my chair. “Joey, one of these days I’m going to end up with coffee in my lap.” I turned from the computer and reached for the letters. “Do you sneak in here on purpose?”
“No, ma’am, I’d never intentionally try to scare you.”
This example shows the action playing out moment by moment.
[Read more…] about How Do Plot and Scene Work Together, Part 2Updated August 2020
Many fiction writers struggle with what plot is and how to develop it, including me. We envision the end product and wonder how we’re going to get there.
Some writers develop their plot through first writing outlines (called plotters); some write by the seat of their pants (called pantsers). But much like a chef, our work has basic elements. The chef has meat, veggies, fruit, dairy, and spices. He combines these to create a delectable, unforgettable dish.
The writer has characters, goals, conflict, and setbacks, and blends them to create a riveting (best-selling, we hope) novel.
At its very basic, plot is characters attempting to reach goals, but who meet with conflict and setbacks along the way. Whether you are a writer who works with or without an outline, if these elements are missing from your manuscript, you do not have a story. So let’s look at how these elements fit together to build a plot.
[Read more…] about How do Plot and Scene Work Together? Part 1
In January, guest Kim Steadman shared “Vision Boards And Why You Need at Least One In Your Life.” It took me 3 months, but I finally created mine, pictured above. I mounted it on the wall to the right of my desk, where I can easily see it all day long.
As Kim stated, “Vision boards give you the chance to give an image to your dreams and goals.” Proverbs 23:7 puts it this way: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”
What we think about, we act on—whether for good or bad. [Read more…] about How Vision Boards Can Help You Reach Your Goals
Did you know your brain can actually work against you without you even knowing it?
To illustrate the point, have you set goals time and again, yet failed to reach them?
Have you ever said to yourself, “Be realistic. You’re reaching too far with that goal.”
How about “How am I going to do that? What in the world was I thinking?”
NaNoWriMo participants might being saying both of the above right now!
You might think you’re the problem, but in fact, more likely it is your brain working against you. Let’s look at how that happens and how we can get the brain to work for us instead. [Read more…] about Is your brain working against you?
Motivation is a consistent issue with many writers. I write about it on my blog and hear about it at writers’ conferences I attend.
Guess what? even yours truly has issues at times.
Let’s start by setting the foundation with what motivation really is. [Read more…] about Are You Undermining Your Motivation to Write? Change Your Self-Talk
Writing goals is easy. Achieving them isn’t.
By now I expect many who made resolutions in January have already faltered in keeping them or have completely forgotten them.
Personally, because I am employing the new principles I talked about last month, I am experiencing some push back from my brain. Mostly thoughts like “How am I going to do that?” and “That’s unrealistic, maybe you should pull back a little.”
I spent some time rereading portions of Making Your Mind Magnificent so I could understand and counter the negativity. The brain doesn’t like change.
This month I want to dive further into principle #10: Your brain locks onto the strongest picture. [Read more…] about Writing affirmations that help you reach your goals