Leaky Faucet vs. Tidal Wave

Are you the type of writer who sits at the keyboard for hours while the story gushes out of you? Or are you like me, the leaky faucet who drip, drip, drips their way to a finished manuscript?

Some writers literally can't stop themselves when they're writing. I'm not that type of writer. Little by little my wip is dripping its way toward the first draft finish line. It hasn't been a speedy process, but I'm okay with that.

I appreciate the cooling-off time between writing sessions. My brain doesn't work fast enough to pour all that out at once, and I need a little down time in order to refill my creative well.

How about you? Are you a tidal wave writer, a leaky faucet, or somewhere in the middle?

In case you missed it, please read this guest post by Elana Johnson over at Adventures in Children's Publishing. Elana defines perseverance, and I'm always inspired by her story. Elana says,

"Publishing a book is not a race where the winners come in first. It’s not important WHEN you finish, just that you DO. Oh, and one more thing: Your journey is your own. It won’t look or feel like mine. It shouldn’t. Don’t compare journeys. Just be grateful you can take one more step."

photo credit: flickr

Just Say It!

While at my son's school on Friday, the woman on yard duty went out of her way to pull me aside. She had seen my son do something so kind, so respectful, that she had been thinking about it all week. She said she just had to tell me about it, and I'm thankful she did.

When she first pulled me aside, I thought, "Oh boy, what did he do wrong?" Instead, I got this beautiful glimpse of something my son did while I was miles away. It brought tears to my eyes. Seriously.

It made me feel proud of my son, that's for sure. It also made me regret those times that I've thought something nice about someone, but didn't speak up and just say it. Sometimes it's easier for me to write gushing compliments than to voice them.

How about you? Is there something you wish you'd said, but didn't? Or did you speak up and make someone's day?

And speaking of gushing compliments, have you all checked out Friday's awesome post at Adventures in Children's Publishing? You name it, it's in there.

Sharing, Spock, and Puke

The miracle is this: the more we share the more we have.

-Leonard Nemoy

One thing I've noticed about writers: they share. Information, advice, encouragement, you name it.

There are far too many helpful blogs to mention, but here are a few where I've received amazing information:

Adventures in Children's Publishing

Angela Ackerman

Anita Nolan

Heather Mc Corkle

Elana Johnson

(Elana's post on cleaning up the puke can NOT be missed)

Many thanks to each blogger out there in cyberspace who takes the time to post great stuff. I appreciate each of you!

Shakespeare, Doubt, and The Hangover

Our doubts are like traitors,

And make us lose the good we oft might win,

By fearing to attempt.

-William Shakespeare, "Measure for Measure"

Doubt. If you have none, I'm seriously jealous. I'm guessing that most writers have a healthy dose of the "D" word.

I sometimes wonder when the writer police will pound on my door and arrest me for fraud. I hope he'll at least look like Bradley Cooper. All hunky and tousled, with a split lip and aviator sunglasses. Like in "The Hangover"... *sigh*

Now, where was I?

Oh yes, doubt. The fear of failure shouldn't keep us from doing what we love. And our love of writing shouldn't disappear when we experience bumps along the way. We learn from our mistakes, and we grow.

Let's toss our doubts in the slammer, my writer friends. Let's throw away the key and write on!

P.S. A big thanks to the gals at "Adventures in Children's Publishing" for announcing Ann Marie Wraight and I as co-winners of their book prizes. Marissa and Martina, there's no doubt that you two contribute mightily to the writing community.