1. No matter how hard you try to please people, someone is inevitably disappointed, let down, or frustrated. I’m far better off doing what feels right to me, and hoping that others understand, but letting it go when they don’t.
2. Turning 18 or 21 doesn’t automatically make a person an adult. It is thoughts, actions, and behaviors that make us that. On the flip side, turning 40 or 50 or 85 doesn’t necessarily make a person old either. Same thing goes, even if our bodies are a little more wrinkled and worn.
3. You can’t plan for everything. Sometimes things come up. You aren’t prepared. Best thing you can do is roll with it, keep your priorities in line, and smile as much as you can.
4. Everyone gets discouraged at some point. Everyone. If you see someone who needs a pick-me-up, jump to help. You never know when you’ll be next and that person (or someone else) will be returning the favor.
5. Really strong, intense emotions tend to shut down your brain, then restart it again with a new perspective (even if that restart takes a few months). At the point of restart, a waterfall of wisdom might flow in. Be prepared to catch it.
6. Always wear a helmet.
7. Be careful of the things you do and say to others. You have no idea what is happening in their lives, how your actions or words will affect them now, or in the future.
8. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Also, it makes your house get, then stay, clean for a long time.
9. Sleep is for the tired, but caffeine is for the determined.
10. You can make friends, a home, your bed, but no matter what you do, you cannot make up for words left unsaid. Tell the important people in your life that you love them as often as possible. You never know when your most recent words will turn into your last ones.
What important lessons did you learn last year?
Showing posts with label 2010. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2010. Show all posts
Monday, January 3, 2011
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas. I hope your day is filled with joy, laughter, and love. I hope this video is a small reminder of the reason we celebrate this joyous day.
Joy, joy, joy!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Things I Learned at Storymakers 2010
By Nichole Giles
I spent last weekend at the conference of awesomeness—the LDStorymakers 2010. This is my very favorite conference of all time, for several different reasons, but mainly because after six years of attendance (or is that seven?) I feel like these people are my second family, and the conference is a giant reunion.
As much as I’d love to share all my notes, the classes are copyrighted. And truthfully, you kind of had to be there to get the fullness of everything. But what I can share with you are some thoughts and quotes from the classes I attended, and those incredible authors who taught them.
These are the things that affected me enough to stick in my mind, but not necessarily in any particular order:
“Anything that gets people to read is a wonderful thing.” ~Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary Agency
“Writing a query is hard, but you can do hard things.” ~Elana Johnson author of From the Query to the Call.
“Writing is work, even when it’s fun.” ~Aprilynne Pike, author of Wings
“Believe in yourself, and find others who believe in you too.” ~ Laura Rennert (I went to two of her classes.)
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” ~Dave Wolverton (aka David Farland) author of the Runelords series, In the Company of Angels, and so many other books I can’t possibly list them all.
And finally, a thought given by Dave Wolverton at the Whitney Awards ceremony. (I didn’t write it down, so this is as I remember it. Definitely not verbatim.)
“Doctors spend years going to medical school, but for some reason, writers expect to be published right out of the gate…the difference between learning to be a doctor and learning to write is that medical school has teachers and instructors and college texts to teach them medicine and writers are all on their own.”
And.
“You can make a living as a writer.”
Do you need more than that? Yeah, I didn’t think so.
My advice for the week? If you want to be a writer, go out of your way to attend conferences as often as possible. Consider it medical school for writers, and justify it by reminding yourself that you need all the training you can get, whenever you can get it.
Oh, and check out my totally awesome friends. Our writer's group has certainly grown this year! This is only some of us. I love these people!
I spent last weekend at the conference of awesomeness—the LDStorymakers 2010. This is my very favorite conference of all time, for several different reasons, but mainly because after six years of attendance (or is that seven?) I feel like these people are my second family, and the conference is a giant reunion.
As much as I’d love to share all my notes, the classes are copyrighted. And truthfully, you kind of had to be there to get the fullness of everything. But what I can share with you are some thoughts and quotes from the classes I attended, and those incredible authors who taught them.
These are the things that affected me enough to stick in my mind, but not necessarily in any particular order:
“Anything that gets people to read is a wonderful thing.” ~Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary Agency
“Writing a query is hard, but you can do hard things.” ~Elana Johnson author of From the Query to the Call.
“Writing is work, even when it’s fun.” ~Aprilynne Pike, author of Wings
“Believe in yourself, and find others who believe in you too.” ~ Laura Rennert (I went to two of her classes.)
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” ~Dave Wolverton (aka David Farland) author of the Runelords series, In the Company of Angels, and so many other books I can’t possibly list them all.
And finally, a thought given by Dave Wolverton at the Whitney Awards ceremony. (I didn’t write it down, so this is as I remember it. Definitely not verbatim.)
“Doctors spend years going to medical school, but for some reason, writers expect to be published right out of the gate…the difference between learning to be a doctor and learning to write is that medical school has teachers and instructors and college texts to teach them medicine and writers are all on their own.”
And.
“You can make a living as a writer.”
Do you need more than that? Yeah, I didn’t think so.
My advice for the week? If you want to be a writer, go out of your way to attend conferences as often as possible. Consider it medical school for writers, and justify it by reminding yourself that you need all the training you can get, whenever you can get it.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Last Post of 2009, and One Resolution
I realize I've been a bit lax in my posting this week. True, it's been rather on the busy side for most people, but still you'd think I could find enough time to post a short blog, right? That's what I'm doing right now.
Christmas was wonderful with my family, even though it zoomed by so fast. I think that's the hazard of having so much going on in life. It seems to just fly right by. Here it is New Year's Eve, and the last day of 2009 and I have no idea where this year has gone. But that's okay. It's been a good year, and I'm positive that 2010 will be even better. We'll start it off by hanging out at a family party tonight, then we'll drive over to the mall to see the city fireworks at midnight, and then finish things off with pie and hot chocolate at Village Inn--the only restaurant in town we're positive will still be open. (We know this from experience from the last two years.)
It will be a fun night, and a great way to start off 2010. I'm not listing my resolutions here yet, but if you want to read about my thoughts on the matter, check out my post on LDS Writer's Blogck today. I also blogged about making attainable goals and resolutions on Monday at the Writing Fortress.
By tomorrow, I'll have finished the final-final-final edits on The Sharp Edge of a Knife, and will have them turned in to my publisher for typesetting. Then I'll have a short break (a real break from life which I will post about later) before I get the galleys and send it off to print. Yahoo! Can't wait for this one. When that's all said and done, back to all my other projects. Expect to see a blurb posted here in the next week or two, and possibly some teaser art.
Also, for those who read my post about this and were wondering, I did exchange gifts with my siblings. I made cinnamon roasted almonds (the ingredients for which I already had on hand) and gave each of them a bag. My parents got wooden photo cubes with school pictures of my kids. So, I wasn't the Grinch, I didn't spend a lot, and it didn't end up being that big a deal except that most of the plans for spending family time together fell through. Bummer. I guess there's always next year. But the almonds were a hit, and the photo cubes a favorite gift of my parents.
And now, I'm off to see a movie with my family before we go our separate ways. (Yeah, my oldest two are going to parties. Eeekk!) I hope your New Year's Eve is fantabulous!
Happy 2010. Let's make it unforgettable.
Resolution #one: Learn how to use TweetDeck so it posts to all my social networking sites.
It will be a fun night, and a great way to start off 2010. I'm not listing my resolutions here yet, but if you want to read about my thoughts on the matter, check out my post on LDS Writer's Blogck today. I also blogged about making attainable goals and resolutions on Monday at the Writing Fortress.
By tomorrow, I'll have finished the final-final-final edits on The Sharp Edge of a Knife, and will have them turned in to my publisher for typesetting. Then I'll have a short break (a real break from life which I will post about later) before I get the galleys and send it off to print. Yahoo! Can't wait for this one. When that's all said and done, back to all my other projects. Expect to see a blurb posted here in the next week or two, and possibly some teaser art.
Also, for those who read my post about this and were wondering, I did exchange gifts with my siblings. I made cinnamon roasted almonds (the ingredients for which I already had on hand) and gave each of them a bag. My parents got wooden photo cubes with school pictures of my kids. So, I wasn't the Grinch, I didn't spend a lot, and it didn't end up being that big a deal except that most of the plans for spending family time together fell through. Bummer. I guess there's always next year. But the almonds were a hit, and the photo cubes a favorite gift of my parents.
And now, I'm off to see a movie with my family before we go our separate ways. (Yeah, my oldest two are going to parties. Eeekk!) I hope your New Year's Eve is fantabulous!
Happy 2010. Let's make it unforgettable.
Resolution #one: Learn how to use TweetDeck so it posts to all my social networking sites.
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