Category Archives: General
I find it funny …
… how I wrote about the issue of time–holding onto it, making the best use of it, and not getting it back once it’s gone. Back then, I thought I didn’t have enough of it in order to do all the things I needed (or wanted) to accomplish. At the time, I worked 3.9 hours a day. I had at least four hours of time to myself, sometimes more. Did I really think I needed more of it? Looking back, I don’t see what I had to complain about.
Last August, two weeks before school started, I was asked to take a new position in the school office which meant more hours. I was delighted. This change meant more money in my family’s coffers and a nice change of scenery. Call me crazy, but I love office work. Though I miss not seeing the students as much as before, I’m loving my new job. But at the same time, I’m struggling with the challenge of not having the time for all the things I took for granted not so long ago.
I miss my leisurely trips to town 30 miles away to grocery shop and cruise the isles of Walmart.
I miss working out in the yard for a good three hours and still have time to take a shower before picking my daughter up from the after-school program.
I miss visiting friends and family who live far away on Facebook.
I miss writing.
I haven’t even looked at my current manuscript in weeks … no, months.
But I see things looking up. There’s been a new development at work. The superintendent informed me the school office will close at 1 pm on Wednesdays since it’s minimum day. I never thought I’d be so happy to have a mere four extra hours in a week. On top of that, they had me leave at noon last Monday and Tuesday.
I had so much fun on those days clearing off the top of desk at home, cleaning out a closet, taking a bunch of stuff to Salvation Army, and enjoying a leisurely trip to town.
Maybe next week I’ll do some writing.
Until next time,
Making some changes …
After chatting about blogs with a fellow Christian author, I came to the conclusion that my own blog would be more effective and relatable if I switch the focus from teaching to simply sharing my journey as a writer, mom, and small-town gal. I don’t consider myself an authority on the writing craft and see no harm in sharing what I know with others, yet I find myself struggling with the fact that some may balk at my wanting to teach. When I started this blog less than a year ago, I was excited about the things I had been learning. There’s so much to know and since I felt overwhelmed at times, I knew other emerging authors felt the same. I wanted to reach out to them.
As I explore blogs authored by other individuals, I’m discovering the most successful sites are those whose owners are sharing more of themselves, their lives, and their ambitions. They write about the everyday happenings within the walls of their homes or the boundaries of the towns in which they live. The ups-and-downs of living grace their pages and come alive, they make us think, they make us laugh. Sometimes they even make us cry.
I want a blog like that!
I’m pushing aside the self-induced notion that my life isn’t exciting enough to write about. What I consider mundane, someone else may find new and exciting. Like the pretty green frog I discovered in one of my flower pots. Big deal, right? I live out in the sticks and see my share of frogs, but this one captured my attention enough to run inside the house to retrieve my camera. This little guy was special. Why? Because I didn’t notice him at first because he blended so well with the leaves of the petunia. When I finally noticed him, he didn’t look real. I watched him for a moment, marveled at his beauty, and thanked God for creating him. He’s just a simple frog, but I found him new and exciting.
Maybe my simple, mundane life can be new and exciting too.
We all have something to offer. God created each and everyone of us special and He tossed the mold after He made us. If today’s post accomplishes one thing, I hope it would be that you will realize your unique qualities. What you may consider boring and unattractive, someone else will find new and exciting. There’s a pretty green frog waiting to be discovered.
Maybe I should have titled this post “Pretty green frog”.
Until next time,
Time
Oh, to live in a world without time. To sleep when I’m tired and to wake when I’m completely rested with no regard to time.
There is no such world.
From the moment we’re born, time is officially recorded and our existence is forever measured in days, weeks, months, and years. We simply can’t escape time. Everything we do is influenced by when and for how long we spend doing it.
Time is precious.
Once it’s gone, we can’t get it back. While we wish we had more of it, we continue to waste it. One of the most important lessons we need to learn is how to best use the time allotted us. Time for ourselves, time for friends, time for charity, time for labor, time for family, and above all, time for God.
In order to use our time wisely, we must learn to say “no”. This has been a hard lesson learned for me. It took a bad case of stress and near melt-down for me to realize I needed to let go of a few things. Let me tell you, it’s not easy. By nature, we want to please and we don’t like letting people down. But there are only so many hours in a day and only so much energy our bodies can put out. We need our rest. I wasn’t getting much.
Things started to suffer in my life. I quit writing–something I dearly love to do. I started to resent things, even church. Not a good thing. The weather didn’t help. Here in the Northern California foothills, last winter was long, cold, and wet. Normally I like winter, but this year it really got to me. I lacked energy, motivation, patience, and heart.
Finally, it hit me. Or rather, the Lord did. In His gentle, subtle nature, He told me to let go. Let go of the things that weren’t building me up as a Christian and in turn, building up others around me. Slowly, I resigned from positions causing the most stress. When another expired, I gladly bid it farewell without looking back. I took stock of what was most important spiritually, emotionally, and physically. God comes first, I reminded myself, so I asked Him for guidance. I should have done this a long time ago. Time once again played a factor and I let it slip by. Thankfully, with God, time is not an issue. We can come to Him as we are, whenever we want. He’ll wait for as long as it takes and will take us to Himself, no questions asked.
I’m still working on making the best use of the time given to me. The long, cold winter of lost time has past and now the summer looks bright and hopeful. I’m even posting in my blog again.
It’s good to be back.
I was interviewed!
Every now and then I’m asked to be featured on another author’s blog. I should have posted this earlier so you all would’ve had a chance to win a copy of my book, but a nasty cold kept me down for a few days. If you’re interested in checking out my interview, here’s the link:
http://katieslegacy.blogspot.com/2011/01/blogiversary-party-day-4.html
The author of this blog, Katy McCurdy, is a delightful young lady, so consider following Legacy of a Writer after you read the interview.
Taking a break from writing
I don’t know about you, but the Christmas season is a busy time for me. With holiday parties, school functions, and family gatherings to attend–not to mention shopping for gifts–writing has been shoved to the back burner. After participating in NaNoWriMo and writing 50,000 words in less than 30 days, I can use a break. Christmas is a nice reprieve, so I don’t mind putting aside my manuscript for a few weeks. In fact, it’s a good idea no matter what time of year to set aside your writing for a period of time. When you look at it again, you’re looking at it with a fresh prospective.
I found myself stressing a little about not focusing on my latest novel. I haven’t so much as glanced at it since the first of November. Realizing the world wouldn’t come to an end if I didn’t work on it, I made a deal with myself to start anew come January. I let myself off the hook and it feels great.
As long as our priorities are in order, I think we all could benefit from not being so hard on ourselves when we fall behind in areas that are not so important. Don’t fall short when it comes to our relationship with the Lord; be responsible when it comes to our families and our jobs; and keep the bills paid in a timely fashion. Everything else can take a backseat if it causes stress and makes a negative impact on our spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being.
Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Christ, and to count our blessings. Despite the state of our economy, we still have tons of blessings to be thankful for. It would take me an eternity to list everything I’m thankful for, but right now I’ll just say, “thank you, God, for my husband, my daughter, my job, our home, my family, friends, and the talents you’ve given me to share with the world.”
One of the many blessings I’m counting: my daughter, Michelle
Merry Christmas, everyone!
There Are Some Great Blogs Out There
I’ve been actively networking on the internet for over three years now. During this time I’ve run across some great blogs that not only provide useful writing tips, but encouragement as well. Some authors even share personal anecdotes on their blogs, a reminder that that even the most celebrated novelist is human like the rest of us.
Blogs authored by writers usually fall into three main categories: teaching, showcasing other authors (including book reviews), and encouragement. What I like about the blogs I follow is the fact that the authors have been in my shoes. They had to start at the bottom before making their way up the ladder to publication. They remember what it’s like to be a new author and are willing to share what they’ve learned along the way. I like to think of these blogs as personal writing tutors. After a while, the people who write them begin to feel like old friends.
The best way to get connected to blogs is to join online writing groups or social sites. Start networking with authors who share similar interests and genre. You’ll find that many of the writers you meet own a blog, or know of someone who does.
Many of the blogs I discovered came to me by word of mouth. Writer friends would either recommend the blog, or would announce their involvement in one. Many have contests that entice readers to visit their blog. I followed many this way and even won a few books.
The following are just a few of the blogs I currently follow:
Faith, Fiction, Fun and Fanciful
There are many, many more great blogs out there, but this short list will get you started. Pay them a visit, and if you like what you see, “follow” their blog and tell them The Country Author sent you!
NaNoWriMo
No, it’s not a greeting from another planet. It’s short for National Novel Writing Month. It’s that crazy time of year when authors dare to commit themselves to writing 50,000 words in 30 days.
I learned about NaNoWrimo back in 2007. Eager to prove myself as a dedicated writer, I jumped in with both feet (along with my computer, nimble fingers, a quiet room, and a cup of tea) and accepted the challenge. Although I started a week late, I managed to exceed the 50,000 word goal. I patted myself on the back and downloaded the cute little “winner” badge to display on my new website.
2008 was not a good year for many reasons. The last thing I wanted to do was force myself to spit out that many words in such a short time. Fortunately, when November of 2009 rolled around, I happily joined in. This time I was under the gun to finish within 20 days. Weekends were (and still are) 
reserved for family time; therefore, the computer stays off. We also planned to go out of town to spend Thanksgiving with family. Since I have a desktop computer, I’m “computer-less” every time we leave home. These issues did not prevent me from once again achieving my goal. Another “winner” badge!
This year I’m aiming to get this thing done in twenty days. I did it before, I could do it again. Here it is day #3 and I’m already at 7,614 words. I figured if I can do at least 2, 500 words a day, I would have no problem reaching 50,000 by Thanksgiving week.
If you’re unfamiliar with NaNoWriMo, check out their website. This exercise in total writing abandonment and bliss is great for new authors and multi-published writers alike. It’s fun to do because you’re not expected to edit your work. Just write whatever you want. Editing comes later. In many cases, manuscripts hastily put together during NaNoWriMo become great books. I have high hopes for mine.
Why don’t you give it a try? You’ve got nothing to lose. It’s only been a few days, so you can easily catch up if you start tomorrow. If you don’t make it this time, don’t despair. Consider this year a trial run. Besides, it’s good practice whether you put out 100 words, 1000 words, or 50,000 words.
Happy writing!
I’m back!
Most bloggers know that in order to get the best search engine rankings, they need to post at least once a week. Well, I failed miserably in that regard. Will I lose sleep over it? Nope. The reason I didn’t post since the first week of October was totally out of my control. My computer fell ill. When the first symptoms made themselves known (weird noises, squiggly bars on the screen), I feared a disk crash. What made matters worse, the computer froze, preventing me from backing up my precious files. I powered my PC off, then turned it back on after a few minutes. It rebooted and allowed me to work for about an hour and a half. During that time, I came to the conclusion that my PC wasn’t so sick after all, that is until the squiggly bars came back and my computer froze. I shut the thing off and called it quits for the night. In the days that followed, the problem only got worse. I finally took it seriously and backed up my important files just in case. I’m so glad I did because after that, my computer worked for only ten minutes before freezing up for good. Once I shut it off, I couldn’t get it to start up again.
I took my PC into town to the local computer repair shop. They phoned later with the good news that the RAM card had slipped out of place. The computer guy showed me how to replace it if it were to happen again. What I thought was a huge, expensive problem, turned out to be minor. The shop didn’t charge me. Double blessing.
I learned an important lesson through this and that is BACK UP your files regularly. I have hundred of pages of manuscript residing on my hard drive. An author’s worse nightmare would be to lose months of work. It can almost compare to Kathy Bates setting James Caan’s completed HAND-TYPED manuscript on fire right in front of him. I felt his pain. At least we don’t have to worry about fans like Kathy Bates’s character in Misery, nor do we have to pound out our books on typewriters. Computers are awesome tools for authors, but they aren’t perfect. Anything can happen.
Back up your files, my friends. You’ll be glad you did.
Author PhD: Do I need a college degree for this?
As I meet other authors, I find that very few have any formal training in creative writing. I know a few authors who have a journalism background and have achieved a degree in this field of work. It seems natural for someone with this kind of experience to gravitate toward writing novels, however, most authors I’ve crossed paths with come from professional careers totally unrelated to writing.
The great thing about becoming an author is that you’re not expected to have a series of letters following your name. If you can wow a reader with your words, you’ve got what it takes. This is not to say that you shouldn’t consider seeking an education to improve your writing skills. There’s always room for improvement no matter how good you or others think you are. The worse thing any author could do is get to a place where he or she feels they know all there is to know. The literary market is always changing. It ebbs and flows as readers’ interests change, what is fashionable at the time, and what’s newsworthy. A smart author must keep a pen in one hand and an ear to the market. Know what readers want and then find out what publishers require in order for you, as an author, to deliver.
So, if not college, then what? There are so many opportunities to learn and grow as a writer. For starters, you can network. That’s what I do. If you’re reading this blog, then you’re well on your way. Internet access opens up a world of opportunities to network your heart out. There are social sites where you can introduce yourself and your writing, there are blogs authored by literary professionals, and there are sites designed exclusively for writers. As you get acquainted with these websites, blogs, and forums, you may find that many offer writing workshops, webinars, and other venues for improving your skills. One of the first writing sites I joined was American Christian Fiction Writers. There is a fee to join, but the wealth of information it offers is priceless. In addition to the internet, consider purchasing books on writing. Look into classes offered by a local college, join a writers group, or attend a weekend workshop. If you can afford it, attend a writers conference. Humbly, I’ll admit that I have yet to attend a conference, but someday, as God provides the resources, I’ll have the opportunity to attend one. Hopefully, this will cheer you up if you’re like me and haven’t been able to go.
As an author with just a few years under her belt, I’m thankful that all I need to pursue my creative interests is the ability God gave me to do so. I don’t need an AA, BS, MS, or PhD after my name to put my thoughts on paper, fulfill my dreams, and accept God’s call.
What are your thoughts? What formal training, if any, have you had before you became a writer? Did you simply get a spiritual thunk on the head (sort of a wake-up call from God) like I did before I realized God gave me a gift to write and I should do something with it? I’d love to hear from you!
Don’t Fight The Urge
When is a good time to write? Early morning before the rest of the family awakes? Noon, during your lunch break? Evenings, after the day’s activities are behind you?
Most authors know that inspiration can hit at any time, and not always when it’s the most convenient. Have you ever struggled for hours in front of your computer trying to come up with the perfect cliffhanger only to have it hit you at three in the morning, waking you from a dead sleep with no pen and paper close by and you’re too tired to get up and write it down? Or, perhaps you’re in the middle of a business meeting and your mind wanders to your latest manuscript, then suddenly the writer’s block that plagued you for the last two weeks is gone and all these ideas pop into your head. What do you do? Our creativity can peak at the oddest times, but there are ways to work around it. Don’t fight the urge to write. Losing a few minutes of sleep is worth getting up and writing those thoughts down. Getting them out of your system just may give your mind the rest it needs. Keep a notepad and pencil on your nightstand so you’ll be prepared for those middle of the night mind forays. When you’re stuck in a meeting or in class, getting up out of your chair to write down your thoughts isn’t what I’d recommend. However, you might be able to inconspicuously sneak a few words on paper, or wait until you have a break. A small notebook is a must-have tool, just don’t get it mixed up with your homework or business paperwork, and don’t allow your writing to cause inconsideration of others.
There is a season for everything under heaven, including writing.
Can you think of other times the urge to write may happen? While grocery shopping? When driving to and from work or school? During a phone conversation? Sometimes we can excuse ourselves long enough to jot down a phrase or two, but often we can’t. As Christians, we need to ask God to help us remember the ideas we get. Praying before we sit down to write should become a habit. As we learn to listen to God, we’ll hear Him tell us WHEN to write, and how we can retain those ideas when we aren’t able to put them onto paper.
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