Tag Archives: Writing

Coming around…

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The world changes, the night comes and we wonder where the hell everything that made us feel good about what we’re doing went.

It happens in mysterious ways.

We feel we’re destined for great things and they appear to fall apart. As if the strings that tie them were pulled and we’re left with a pile of yarn.

It’s the persistence that moves us closer though it feels more like pestilence has ridden through our lives.

What we thought has become past and what we want is continuously in the future.

It’s in this future that the world we want resides.

We need to work harder.

There are moments when the world continues its run. Where it continues to be bothersome. These are the moments we need to keep grinding.

We want what we want but sometimes for one reason or another, we’re afraid to.

We feel we’ll alienate those around us.

We feel our spouse, partner, children or whatever will be angry for spending more time with ourselves than with them.

If they feel that way than we’re not telling them enough.

We’re not showing them what we’re doing or how much we love what we’re doing.

In the end, our lives are proof of either how hard we worked or didn’t.

The Decisions we make.

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This week has been one of those where ideas come up. Things happen I consider doing things that aren’t in my ten or even twenty-year plan and I have to abandon them.

I’ve been trying to write another book this year and I haven’t been able to get any words on the page. I’m not sure of why. Maybe my mind is occupied with the world around me and I can’t shut it off as easily as I did last year.

Last year was a banner year for my writing: Three books were written and I’ll be submitting two of them.

I have big plans for this year and the one idea that came up this week would have thrown all those ideas out the window.

The idea was something I’ve always wanted to do, but it wasn’t in my plan so it got tossed.

When ideas come or opportunities present themselves there are decisions to be made.

I made the decision to finish my plans for the year and to ignore any distractions.

If it’s not pushing me towards my goals, it’s a distraction.

Anyway, move forward and don’t stop until you’re there.

Busy and stuff 

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I missed last week and this week isn’t promising either.

New project, a lot of bartending gigs and trying to spend time with the kids before school starts up next month.

We’re planning for Wizarding World next summer with the kids after school gets out all while I’m scheduling the publishing of 3 books.

A busy year, but well worth the effort.

Have a good week.

Let The Chase Be a Good One

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Each of us has one thing that defines us; one ability,  one talent, and it is that one thing we must chase.

With that chase, there is a far off dream or goal.

Other things come along to challenge how much you want that goal. These things may help you achieve the goals laid out, but more often than not, they’re a distraction.

They’re trying to move you away from your goals, from your dreams and they will kill your motivation.

Others in your life may think they’re good things, they may try to convince you of that. They may believe they are, but they don’t know you as well as you know you.

No one knows your goals, no one knows your dreams like you do, NO ONE!

Your life has always been yours to live, yours to screw up, and yours to chase those dreams with.

You only have one life, make it worth the effort and never let anyone tell you who you are or what your dreams are.

What are you chasing?

 

The Object in the Way

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Every couple of months I look for a new motivation book. I learn what those I’m following on social media are reading or listening to or I look for something from one of my favorite inspirational authors.

This past week, while looking through my social media, I found that Ryan Holiday had a book out that I hadn’t listened to.

I’ve listened to Ego is the Enemy two or three times but the title for this one grabbed me.

The Obstacle is the Way made me look at my writing differently, my relationship with my wife and kids differently and I had to reevaluate where my focus laid.

My obstacle has been writing a coherent story and publishing it, neither of those has happened.

I discovered the obstacle was the way I was writing the stories not the stories themselves.

It was a breakthrough and I’m still wrapping my head around it.

It isn’t the writing it’s the way I’ve been constructing or not constructing the story.

I’ve always seen myself as a pantser but after finding my obstacle I worked for 5 days on an outline.

I started the story Monday and yesterday I put out more words than I ever have while using an outline.

I know where the story goes and how to get there.

I’ve changed the obstacle and made it work for me.

Now, I’ve read a lot of books on writing but never paid much attention to them until now.

The book I used to get the outline is called The Anatomy of Story by John Truby.

This book was gifted to me from my cousin who is a published author, I should have listened to her.

I’m stubborn and want to do things myself but I now know the way.

I feel more positive about the direction of my writing because of Ryan’s book and I understand how to craft the story better.

The smallest obstacle can cause the biggest headaches, I’ve written five long-form stories, 4 novels, and 1 novella, but none of them have felt as solid as the one I’ve barely started, I thank a few things, growing up as a writer, discovering that I needed an outline and learning that the obstacle in the way was mostly my ego telling me I didn’t need an outline.