Tag: Motivation

  • Happy New Year!

     

    Welcome to the new year, Gardeners! I’m excited for the new year to start. We have a lot of ideas for content and good stuff to put out there, which I think is especially needed in today’s world.

    As I write this, we are still snowed in here in our part of the world. We had unseasonably low temperatures coupled with snow that came down to the lowlands west of the Cascades, and we’re just not prepared for it. Between the hills and mountainous terrain and the lack of snow plows and other severe weather gear, the Seattle area really shut down for the most part. Since Omicron is on the rise and it’s not particularly safe or recommended to go out, this worked out.

    It’s hard to believe that we’re coming up on the second anniversary of A Good Yarn – Craft Salon & Makerspace, our weekly craft circles. We’ve collectively made our way, literally, through the year, building friendships along the way. These will definitely continue on Saturdays at noon Pacific; drop me a comment below if you’d like to be included. I’ll need a good email for you; if you’d rather not put that in comments, please email me at noony AT acatherinenoon DOT com.

    We have a plan for some new posts over the next three months. We won’t be back to our daily frequency, but we are dipping our collective toes in the water once or twice a month. Since it’s more than one of us, you’ll have some good content to read over the next twelve weeks.

    And in April, you can look forward to another year of the A to Z Blog Challenge! We’re working on selecting a theme for this year; if you have some ideas or suggestions, drop them in the comments below. We’d love to hear.

    Last but not least, if you haven’t joined our FB group, please come on by! You can find it here.

    That’s all for now, Gardeners. But remember: make something, write something, create something. It’ll make you feel better.

    Cheers!

  • New Workshop Starting June 14th: Finding Water | The Art of Perseverance (free)

    This is your invitation to come back to your center, to find the water at the bottom of the well, to become your own divining rod for your creativity. Join me. Together, we will find a way through.

    In March of this year, the Pandemic hit in full force and thus began The Great Pause. Stores closed. Supply chains were disrupted. Toilet paper became a hot commodity along with soap and hand sanitizer. People started gardening in record numbers. Children were homeschooled while parents struggled to work from home or, worse, lost their jobs and had to file for unemployment or make other arrangements.

    If you, like me, are heartsick and devastated, know that you are not alone. I am in pain, and yet I know my pain and outrage is nothing compared to what our Black and Brown friends, neighbors, and family members are experiencing: not just today, but all the time.

    As I write this, riots and protests are happening across the globe. The murder of George Floyd has sparked off a powder keg. Our communities are traumatized, enraged, and demand justice.

    I can’t fix that alone. And it’s not even about me, and it’s not about my outrage. If you feel, as I do, that things must change, there are many good resources and voices of color whom you can listen to, learn from, and support. If you need ideas, please PM me and I’ll share what resources I have. If you have resources to share, please PM me so I can learn and amplify their reach.

    But this brings me to you and me. If you are reading this, you are a fellow writer, struggling with your words to find Story and your own Truth. Me too.

    On Sunday, June 14, 2020, I will be hosting a free online workshop using Julia Cameron’s third book in the Artist’s Way trilogy as our guide: Finding Water | the Art of Perseverance. I picked this one because the idea of this book is around how to fend off prolonged creative dry spells, or how to come out of one if you’ve fallen into one. Cameron has given her tools away for free with two stipulations: facilitators must do the work with participants, in her words, “No gurus.” And second, we cannot charge for this work.

    I’ve facilitated Artist’s Way workshops since 2007 both in person and online. I find the tools deeply resonate with me and have helped me become and stay prolific. Right now, I’ve been struggling with finding that place of creativity, even while I have been outwardly creative: I’ve been journaling like crazy and weaving. But I’m not comfortable within myself, and that’s what I want to change. The collective trauma we were already experiencing with the pandemic (and over 100,000 dead in the U.S. alone; over 371,000 thousand worldwide as of this writing) has been added to by excessive police violence and racism. Let’s be clear here: the racist acts have not changed. What’s changed is they’re being filmed. While this is traumatic for many of us, for our beloved POC neighbors, friends, and family members this is daily lived experience. Yes, we are experiencing a trauma. My hope is, though, that we can come through this as a portal, not fall into it as a hole. With hard work we can emerge stronger, more equitable, more aware, and more creative.

    Join me on this journey. The only thing necessary is the willingness to be open, to experience, and to be honest with yourself.

    We begin Sunday, 06/14/2020.

    Workshop details below:

    The workshop will take place on our online forum, located https://writerzengarden.com/forums/

    . If you haven’t already done so, please sign up for a free user account. We will be together for 14 weeks. Each week starts on Sunday. We will use a combination of Zoom calls (in person) and written discussion. I will announce the schedule for the Zoom calls when we get closer to the workshop start date.

    Introductory Week:  Discuss the basic tools.  Share our goals and hopes, and maybe even a fear or two.  Figure out what we’re about so we can get the most out of the coming weeks.

    Week 1:  Uncovering a Sense of Optimism

    Week 2:  Uncovering a Sense of Reality

    Week 3:  Uncovering a Sense of Support

    Week 4:  Uncovering a Sense of Balance

    Week 5:  Uncovering a Sense of Autonomy

    Week 6:  Uncovering a Sense of Resolve

    Week 7:  Uncovering a Sense of Resilience

    Week 8:  Uncovering a Sense of Truth

    Week 9:  Uncovering a Sense of Perspective

    Week 10:  Uncovering a Sense of Safety

    Week 11:  Uncovering a Sense of Discipline

    Week 12:  Uncovering a Sense of Perseverance

    Wrap Up:  Look back and review what we’ve gained.  Look forward and figure out what next steps we want to take.  Honor the work, and play, we’ve done.

    Please let me know if you have any questions or issues. My email is noony AT acatherinenoon DOT com.

  • D Is For… Decluttering!

    by Rachel Wilder

    I don’t know about you, but since I’ve sheltered from home my house is cleaner than it’s ever been. It’s been therapeutic for me and a great source of grounding. But now I’m moving on to the next step- decluttering.

    I just have too much stuff.

    So, I’ve watched some videos and gotten inspired. There are many good ones out there and fun to watch. But now is the perfect time to actually get off my butt and do it. I’ve done it before- as I’m sure many others have- but now that I’ve been cooped up in my home I want things neater and place made so everything is put away and has a home that isn’t the corner hidden by my bed or the closet floor.

    I know a few of my other friends are doing it now for various different reasons and I cheer them on. I’m not sure if donation places are open but luckily, I have a storage shed I can put them in until the world is back to normal-whatever that will end up being.

    Image of household items bagged and boxed ready to be given away

    This is a great beginning. Also, this is a good time of year since many of us are putting away our winter clothes.

    I’m getting a lot of satisfaction on doing this. I think, deep down, it’s because this is one aspect of my life I have total control over. And to be honest- I really do have too much stuff. So, I urge to join me. If nothing else, it’ll make room for all of our new stuff when we finally can go out and shop!

    Stay Safe!

  • Let’s Get This Party (re)Started! April Is the A to Z Blog Challenge AND Camp Nano!

    Image of A to Z Blog Challenge Participation Badge for April, 2020

    It’s almost April. And we’re in the midst of a global pandemic, causing unprecedented societal change. Our hearts go out to all those who have lost family members and loved ones, and all of us at Writer Zen Garden HQ send out a sincere and heartfelt wish that we come through this more together than ever before, build solid friendships, and take our writing to the next level. Writing can be a solace in dark times and, we believe, it will help us through this.

    For that reason, we are re-launching our website to coincide with two global events: the A to Z Blog Challenge and April’s Camp NaNoWriMo (note that the format for camp is now as “groups” on the main NaNo website).

    We’ll have more about both in the coming days, and watch this space for our first post come April 1. If you haven’t joined the discussion over in our Facebook group, please join us. All are welcome and there is no cost to join.

    Stay well, friends. Best wishes, and good health to you and yours.

    Namaste.

  • Y is for Yoga

    YogaSome of the benefits of Yoga are:

    • Increased flexibility.
    • Increased muscle strength and tone.
    • Improved respiration, energy and vitality.
    • Maintaining balance.
    • Weight reduction.
    • Cardio and circulatory health.
    • Improved athletic performance.
    • Protection from injury

    While I love Yoga…I really do, in this instance I’m using it as a metaphor for writing. Now how can you apply these wonderful benefits to your writing.

    Increased Flexibility – Whether you are trying to finish a book or trying to find a home for a manuscript.  Its important to be flexible.  Life interrupts the writing process.  Sometimes your dream publisher doesn’t accept your manuscript.  It is important to be flexible, remember the important thing is to try again, to be stronger and not break.

    Increased Muscle, strength and tone – Have you heard the phrase “Use it or Lose it”?  Writing frequently, dare I say daily, increases your muscles.  If you type on a keyboard, you will type faster due to muscle memory.  If your write daily in a journal, or on a manuscript, poetry, etc., your process is strengthened,  and the tone of your work improved.

    Improved Respiration, energy and vitality – Just Breathe.  When you are blocked or your just not feeling it, take a break; A breath if you will, and work on another creative project.  Often times when I “scrapbook” or when I’m cooking, I get ideas for my story.  Writing without other creative outlets can drain your energy.  You need to fill your creative mind.  This will give you vitality, and passion for all your creative works.

    Maintaining Balance – As with all things in life, writing is also a balancing act.  When you are an Aspiring Writer, you are balancing work, writing, and whatever life throws at  you.  These same things apply when your are published as well, and then you get to add in promotions, book signings, blog tours, etc.  It’s important to try and balance to the best of your abilities, and what is important to you.  I still work full time so my priorities are Family, Work, Writing.  I know, writing is in there last, but it is where it fits today in my life and I still manage to find balance.

    Weight Reduction – Okay writing won’t make you thinner.   But you may need to think about making your book thinner before sending off for publication. 🙂  Basically, “Cut the Fat”.  You want your book to be a lean, mean, selling machine.   Not to say you should write short stories, but make sure your 155,000 word novel doesn’t have redundancies in it.  Be sure you are using strong vs. passive language, and it is the very best it can be before you publish.

    Cardio and circulatory health – Go with the flow.  When life throws you an obstacle, handle it and then get back on track.  In my opinion – not all writers can deal with life crisis and write.   I’m one of those writers…life’s challenges often derail my writing.  However, some authors excel at it – Using their writing as a tool to deal with life’s issues, or utlizing it as a means of escape.  Whatever writer you are – Go with the flow.  There is no right or wrong answer to how, or when you write.

    Improved athletic performance – Over time all writers seems to innately learn things about craft, genre, editing, publishing, and other business items.   Not all writers will be good at all things, and some writers can zero in on one thing.   We learn to spot passive voice, or what genre a book falls into.  We can craft perfect prose, or create a list of potential publishers with ease.  What we don’t know, we learn from others.  The point is…we improve over time and not just at putting words on a page. We become literary athletes and excel in our performance of specific tasks.

    Protection from Injury – Remember that rejection letter, horrible review or jealous writer who made it personal?    Writing doesn’t protect you from these initial injuries,  but writing groups and fellow authors often support those who fall down.  I belong to three groups, and all are very supportive.  RWA – Romance Writer’s of America Online Chapter, F-M Word Weavers – A local writing group and this group Writer Zen Garden.  For any of my rejection letters, bad reviews or other slight I may have felt, there was a support group for me.  They helped heal my wounds, cherish my soul and free my creative spirit to move past the hurt.

    Yep, I love Yoga, I think I’ll go do some poses to get some of the benefits.

    ~Tina

     

     

     

  • Q is for Writing Quotes

    One of my most recent addictions is Pinterests. I love browsing quotes and there are so many! Inspirational and motivational quotes for the days when I feel I need a boost to get into the writing zone. Funny quotes for the times when I need that laugh to keep me going through the next writing hurdle. And the advice infographics that help me when I feel a little stuck. There’s everything there, and I complied tons of boards. For the purposes of this post, I’m going to share only the memes I created.

    For every time someone tries to tell you to be a realist:

    Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars. ~Les Brown
    Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars. ~Les Brown

    For the times people ask you ‘why do you want to b a writer?’:

    I write because I don't know what I think until I read what I say. ~Flannery O'Connor
    I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say. ~Flannery O’Connor

    For the times when we need an affirmative boost of reassurance:

    If we had to say what writing is, we would define it essentially as an act of courage. ~Cynthia Ozick
    If we had to say what writing is, we would define it essentially as an act of courage. ~Cynthia Ozick

    My favorite writing quotes for when I’m feeling as if I’m not going to make it to The End:

    A writer is a writer, not because she writes well and easily, because she has amazing talent, or because everything she does is golden. A writer is a writer because, even when there is no hope, even when nothing shows any sign of promise, you keep on writing anyway. ~Junot Diaz
    A Writer is a Writer

     

    And if you’re looking for some more quotes, I have some on my website, on my Pinterest account, and if you feel like taking it to the next step I recommend Sarah Andersen’s funny webcomics.

    What about you? Do you have favorite writing quotes?

  • E Is For… Event – Camp NaNo


    Besides posting some A to Z entries here and the entire alphabet for my Darla M. Sands blog, I am also endeavoring to meet another writing challenge. The Office of Letters and Light, hosts of November’s National Novel Writing Month, provide still more opportunities for writer’s to test themselves. Camp NaNo happens in both April and July, I believe (can’t stop to research details now!).
    The rules are much less strict than for NaNoWriMo, and contestants can even set their own word count. I, however, decided to go for broke and attempt another fifty thousand during the month just as in November. Wish me luck.
    What are you writing today?

    –

  • Shaking Things Up – Darla’s Writer Wednesday

    Tired of feeling like a lump, I recently discovered the joys of working out. I’m learning as a novice that increased fitness relies on alternating exercises. No surprise there.  No doubt circuit training has its place, too – set routines using the same equipment for X number of workouts. Switching seems to suit me well right now, though, especially as it keeps things more interesting.
    Of course, “interesting” sometimes translates to wandering around until I find the correct machine. All devices are numbered, but some sadistic soul made sure their placement follows no pattern.
    Anyway, the same principal applies to my writing.  (um… not the numbers, and usually not the sadism… ahem…)
    Point being, I find my productivity remaining satisfactory with variation as the key. Whether editing or writing anew, I sit down to a document every day now. And breaking from a frustrating dry spell feels fantastic.
    Flexing my muscles, on the page and in the fitness center, is something I intend to continue. I hope you’ll join me in creative reshaping. Whatever my future brings physically, though, I promise right now that I will never, ever refer to my upper arms as “guns”.
    What gets your creative juices flowing?
    –

  • Writing Tools and Tricks for Getting on the Page



    Wisdom abounds about writing goals – so many words written a day, keeping certain routines, having accountability.  Many kindly authors will share their valuable tips when asked.  Yet each individual is different.  To this day none of these ideas have worked for me.
    Once the glorious bustle of November’s National Novel Writing Month ends, so does my grand output.  Good habits fall by the wayside and my output trickles to little or none.  I don’t necessarily even wallow in editing.  Some of my novel manuscripts have remained untouched since the day I met that year’s NaNoWriMo goal.
    This time I wanted to continue the joy of storytelling beyond November.  So far, I have.  As you can guess it hasn’t happened through goal setting, at which I’ve never been particularly good.  Nor have I set a particular routine.
    The madness in my method seems to tie more into what many experts suggest to help break a habit.  I’ve shaken things up this time.  Routines are being broken.  Times, locations, even methods have been altered according to whim.
    No longer do I feel the need to get my writing done early in the day.  The day is far from over by afternoon or evening.  Why not save the best for last?  Yet if I wake with inspiration from a dream, I may certainly get the words down before they’re lost.  The words may be recorded in a notebook, Microsoft Word, or the Scrivener software I recently purchased.
    I also have been writing out some character and setting sheets in Scrivener, adding more topics as I go.  I usually just carried details around in my head.  Besides cementing a few characteristics, I’ve found myself learning new things about my fictional peoples/places.  And it’s been a pleasure getting to know them, whether those details make it into the story or not!
    As for one huge change, I went to some write-ins during NaNoWriMo and blessedly got invited by some nice folks to year round gatherings.  I’ll be going to one tonight, in fact.  I just have to decide which project I’ll open.  Edit the latest novel or write something new?
    On that note I’ve also rekindled my love of short stories.  Somehow, they seemed inferior to novels.  How could I consider myself a writer if I wrote tales under a few thousand words?
    I seemed to have forgotten some famously beloved short story collections.  And as several wise folks have told me: the fact I’m writing makes me, by definition, a writer.  I hope you’ll join me and dive into whatever speaks to your heart.

    Happy Writing!

    –

  • Darla’s Writer Wednesday – Dabbling with Drabbles


    Many years ago I discovered a website through which people shared their stories.  I met some really great people and read some remarkable fiction.  Another unexpected discovery turned out to be learning a miniature story format termed the drabble.
    Each drabble should be a mere one hundred words and sketch a complete scene.  Some readers and writers despise them.  I became addicted, which is not necessarily a good thing.  But positive results have stayed with me to this day.  For one thing, pithy storytelling can be some of the best.
    (Flowery language certainly has it’s place, though; don’t get me wrong.)
    In addition, I have learned to tackle the challenge of National Novel Writing Month a hundred words at a time.  The concept is no different than taking baby steps, of course.  Still, it works for me.
    On that note, I better get back to my NaNoWriMo story.  There are about five hundred more words to go before I reach today’s goal.
    Oh, and if you decide to adopt my ploy, try not to be obsessive about counting.  ~grin~  Stopping to constantly hit alt→ t → w in Microsoft Word contributes unproductive key strokes and takes time away from the actual composition.
    Happy writing!
    –