Little Things

February brings with it so many conflicting emotions for me.

My mom's birthday falls in this month, but she no longer remembers that fact. The winter wind and chilly temperatures seem to burrow right through me, but Punxsutawny Phil taunts me with the idea that we still have more winter in store than I care for.

And while the days are getting longer—I no longer drive home from chauffeuring the children in the dark—summer seems just too far off to even adequately picture sunny skies and sandy, Michigan beaches (yes, Walloon Lake is already calling to me).

On days when the conflict gets to be too much, I look for the little things to get me through. Little things like:

A cup of hot tea

       Chocolate-covered pretzels

A new story idea

       Smiles from my kids

A kind word from a colleague

       A friend's triumph

The realization that it is, indeed a Friday.

I hope your Friday is going well and that you find what you need to make it through the next few weeks of winter.

Happy Writing!

~Christina

We Need Our People

A lot of writers say it's important to arrange a schedule and keep to it. Whether you write at the same time of day, commit to a certain number of words a day, or just grab ten minutes whenever you can--writing becomes a daily commitment. Habitual behaviors keep us well practiced in any field. I keep a schedule for myself that includes at least a couple of hours each weekday morning.

Life gets busier every year, it seems. Afternoons and evenings pile full of activities and commitments. I have two teenage children, three dogs, and an inability to choose between writing and music. Therefore, music gets the evening and writing gets the morning.

Problem: the Plot Sisters (my writing group) meet in the evening on the same night as I sometimes sub for a regional orchestra. This year, I have missed more than two straight months of Plot Sisters meetings. I haven't written much of anything. Sure, I keep up with their manuscripts, sending comments digitally in time for meetings I can't attend. During my writing mornings, I shuffle words around on my manuscript and make no progress.

I've been reading books, watching movies--even viewing Breaking Bad in its entirety because so many writers recommended it. These things distract, rather than inspire me. I have nothing to say. My manuscripts bore me, which is distressing. If I'm not interested, why would anyone else be?

With a little schedule tweaking, I make it back to the Plot Sisters. I'll have to skip one rehearsal a month in two different musical groups, but it's more than worth it. I've met with these women for five years now, and our relationship is important. At my computer, I write very little. Maybe it's a slump. I begin to wonder if I have the determination needed to continue.

Then, my turn comes. I have to share something. I scrape up a chapter here, a chapter there. They hang together somewhat. I felt inspired when I wrote them, but that feeling faded months ago.

We meet. They critique. Positive comments come in a generous and honest spirit. But the magic happens when they tell me what they don't understand, what doesn't work. They even tell me I've spent a whole chapter in a character's head and no action happens.

The light snaps on. Brilliant, lively, captivating. I know now what to do. I can fix all these problems. I feel glee--I've never spent a whole chapter in a character's head. If I could jump up and click my heels together, I would do it. This is progress!

And so, with thanks to my Plot Sisters, I have found inspiration again.

This post is a reminder: The screen gives us nothing. The schedule has no soul. We need our people.

P.S. Thanks to all five of you. I wouldn't have made it this far alone.~Jen

A Lesson in Grace

The last Plot Sisters' meeting of 2017 included a visit from local author, Linda A. Marshall, who came to talk with us about her book, A Long Awakening to Grace. The memoir recounts a period of twenty-two years, when "Linda grew in wisdom and strength as she grappled with her children's puzzling behavior and searched for the reason behind it."

Linda spoke about her evolution as a writer, citing journaling from childhood on to be foundational to her work.

     "Journaling truly is a spirtual practice," she said.

Aside from writing in journals, she also credited taking writing classes and being involved in writing groups (both in-person and on-line) to keep her accountable in her process.

Linda's humility in her writing and also her meeting with us is extremely evident. Her greatest desire is that she might help someone else who finds themselves in a similar circumstance. We asked Linda if her book had opened any doors and she candidly shared:

     "The doors haven't opened easily. Many times, I find myself banging on those doors," she said.

While struggling with her own acceptance of the life she and her children had been dealt, Linda explained that through her surrender she found a surprising gift:  being vulnerable and confronting her own fears while writing her memoir not only allowed Linda to convey an important message to others, but it also created a sense of personal freedom she never expected.

Thank you for visiting, Linda. We're looking forward to reading more of your work in the future.

~Cindy

Gratefulness

Thanksgiving is a great time to think about all that we're thankful for. But as one of my daughters' said, "Aren't we supposed to be thankful every day of our lives?"

My daughter, who will turn sixteen in January, uttered that statement in a somewhat snarky, only-as-a-teenager-can way. But she's right. We're supposed to be grateful for what we've been given every day, not just one day every year. And over the last several years, I've started my day with this mantra: "Every day that I wake up is a good day."

With the focus on the positive right from the moment I wake up, I've found that my days have changed. I no longer count the number of hours I have until I make it home from work or rue the number of minutes I have to spend in the car on Tuesdays driving my kids all over the city. My mind leans toward spreading the contentment I feel to others, and hope that with my cheerful countenance and can-do attitude, I might be able to turn someone else onto the thought that they, too, are grateful to be awake. Every. Single. Day.

That gratefulness spreads to my writing life as well. It's not the number of words I manage to get onto paper, or whether or not I've submitted enough in a week. Each story, blog post, or chapter is sufficient enough for me to say, "Thank goodness I could do that." Of course I have days where I'd like to get more accomplished, but I'm grateful for what I get done.

As we go into the thick of holiday season and the New Year, consider how starting your day with being thankful can change your life. You might just surprise yourself.

Happy Writing!

~Christina

The Book in the Mailbox

You might not know this, but I (along with many others) am a John Green fan. Knowing how much The Plot Sisters like books and writing, that statement might not be surprising. But it might shock you to know just how many times I've read and reread his books. (Actually, I'm not sure of the numbers, which means you'll just have to trust me on this topic.)

What is it about his books? Maybe it's the quirky characters or the witty dialogue, the Midwest setting or his themes. His books have so much to like—SO MUCH—that I've been waiting in a state of heightened anticipation for the release of his newest book, Turtles All the Way Down. I even pre-ordered a signed copy, which arrived in my mailbox today.

I skipped, literally, from the mailbox to my car, grabbed my belongings, and ran inside to open the package. Kiss the book, I did not. However, I will admit to inhaling a very large portion of the air that surrounded my newest acquisition. And then, despite the fact that I had a laundry list of items to take care of, I began reading.

I'll have to hold off on any judgment about the book until I've finished it, but I can say this: I've never read a John Green book as a writer, only as a reader. This time, I can't not read it as a writer, and I'm finding that like with many well-known, best-selling writers, Green gets away with things that I cannot.

For example:

1. Overuse of the word was/were: "Across the table from me, Mychal Turner was scribbling in a yellow-paper notebook. Our lunch table was like a long-running play on Broadway: The cast changed over the years, but the roles never did. Mychal was The Artsy One. He was talking with Daisy Ramirez . . ."

In fact, on the page I took that excerpt from (p. 2), I counted eleven instances of the words was or were. If Green had given just a wee bit more thought to the sentences, some of those could have been taken out.

2. Overuse of the pronoun I: "I pulled out my phone and . . . . I clicked over to the article . . . . I scrolled down farther to a list . . . . I reminded myself . . . ."

The paragraph from which those (incomplete) sentences arose consists only of five sentences, four of which begin with "I" and then a verb. As my editor likes to say, "Don't have pileups of declarative phrasing get in your way." Green's a good enough writer to again, take some of those out.

3. Introduction of a slew of characters right off the bat: This is no Game of Thrones, but in the first chapter alone, we meet or have mention of the main character, Aza, as well as Mychal, Daisy, Davis, Dr. Karen Singh, and Molly. In addition, we find out her friends call her Holmesy. Not too many characters, but in one fell swoop, the list might be a bit long.

Since I haven't read all that far, I'm stopping my critique here and now. The plan will be to read the book as a reader first, and then to go back and read it again as a writer. Green is a master; he can teach me quite a bit. But I need to be open to that learning and growing before I can expect to actually reap the rewards from such a teacher.

Happy Reading and Happy Writing!

~Christina

The In-Between Times

Yesterday, on the rainy September 2nd of 2017, I came to the realization that I feel stagnant. At this point in my life I am feeling the need to see progress. Tangible, visual progress. I feel like I’m going through life without much success. I’m sure we all feel that from time to time, but at this moment in my existence it is more evident.

I surveyed my home inside and out, did a personal internal inventory as well. I have several bare spots in my yard, a handful of craft projects in various stages of completion, two to three writing works in progress that have been immobile, and a small home mortgage I have come to define as burdensome.

Recognizing my earning for visual signs of growth I decided to take action. I recognized three projects in various stages, beginning, middle, and end and made mental and photographic evidence of each.

1) Beginning- I planted an all-in-one grass seed, fertilizer mix into two bare spots in my yard.

2) Middle- I made a trip to the bank to physically pay, by old-fashioned check, both extra principle and an early monthly payment for next moth (October). I need to see the number of  my home mortgage subside.

3) Ending-  I completed one knitted scarf that I'm replicating from my own existing scarf. 

During my fluster of action, I also made myself pause and took stock of the changes

and evolution that has transpired in my life in recent months and years. It’s very easy for me to lose perspective of the longevity of the journey and hone in only on the here and now.  

I’m hoping the growth of the grass from seed to blade will enable me to gauge the tiny increments of growth from beginning to end in a relatively short amount of time. And, whether it be in my writing, larger word counts of works in progress, or simply checking the bucket list of published, a decrease amount on my home mortgage as I implement a recent strategy to be debt free, I believe surrounding myself with visual results will encourage my soul. Starting is the first step to any successful endeavor, and the actual finishing is so satisfying, yet the laborious in-between times are where many people lose their way. I’m hoping my action steps aid me to reclaim the motivation and inspiration to make it to the finish line.

*I’m curious, how do you keep yourself engaged in the process of growth? If you read this blog, share some tips and insight in the comment section. I’m sure we all can use a little nudge. Thanks in advance.

 Forward,

~ Cindy
This post was originally published on Cindy's blog,
 finding me one day at time, Sept. 3, 2017. 

You're Worth It

Three activities I engage the most in are parenting, writing, and running, probably even in that order. Do you know what those activities have in common? Or rather, what does one need to possess so as to be successful in all three of those activities?

I'll let you think about that for a minute . . .

(It's not a trick question.)

Okay, time's up. I'm sure you can a find many suitable responses to my question, but in my opinion, it's necessary to be consistent in order to be a successful parent, writer, and runner.

I cannot even imagine what chaos would have ensued at our house if we hadn't established rules and boundaries or set up a routine when the kids were small. We've adapted, shifted, and changed those lines (actual bedtimes is a great example), but we're consistent in having them (that we have a bedtime at all).

With writing, I find that blogging is a consistent way for me to practice the craft. In those busy months when I don't have as much time to put my fingers to the keyboard, I get rusty. My sentences are more clunky, my mind less free. It takes longer for me to get back into the groove of writing than it would have if I'd just taken the time to sit and write a few minutes each day.

And the same can be said of running. Everyone who has tried to maintain an exercise regimen knows that the best thing to do is to stick to a schedule. Being consistent about running has allowed me to keep it in my life for the last twenty-six years.

Of course, it's easy to say to yourself, I need to be consistent. What if consistency isn't a part of your life? How do you fold it in?

Well, I'm no expert, but I'd say to start small and remember that you're human. Let's say you want to try to ride your bike more often. Look at your schedule, see what openings you have, and begin with once or twice a week. When you've tackled going that often for several weeks, throw in another day. The same can be said for any activity: schedule it in. See how it goes.

But keep in mind that you'll need to be prepared to make adjustments. With most folks, life can get in the way at times. It's okay if you don't get out for that Wednesday bike ride. Do you have time for a ten-minute walk instead? And if not, don't berate yourself. Make sure to go out at the next scheduled time.

It might take a bit of work and determination to incorporate consistency into your lifestyle, but if the activity is important enough to you, it's worth the effort. And guess what? You're worth it, too. (And in the case of parenting, your family is definitely worth it.)

Happy Writing!

~Christina