This.
This is why, and how, and because. It is the motivation, the knowledge, the encouragement.
Every time one of my friends has the privilege of making such an announcement, I am encouraged. Because I KNOW that one day soon I will make one of my own.
It is announcements like this that remind me to never, ever give up.
Back to work!
*In case you didn't click both links, they're different--TWO of my friends had big announcements this week. You should check them out. Seriously.
Showing posts with label motivations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motivations. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
A Fleeting Moment
The other day I was driving past a cemetery and a song came on. It had this really amazing piano refrain, and the singer had a soft, rugged voice as he sang about starting over—or something like that. Since we were between rainstorms (like, literally in the twenty minutes between), I had the convertible top down, and little bits of cottonwood tree fluff swirled around in the air.
I slowed the car, gazing over the headstones and multi-colored flowers, and realized that a cemetery is not really the scary, zombie-ridden place we thought it was as kids. Actually, it’s beautiful and sacred because it is the one common place where an entire community lays loved ones to rest. And I was inspired. Scenes in two different books will probably come out of that inspiration.
It wasn’t the kind of feeling that can be forced, but one that comes unbidden, in that perfect moment that embeds itself in your memory and changes you, even though you weren’t doing anything to deserve it.
Sometimes inspiration is like that. Momentary. Fleeting. A throbbing ache that reaches up and grabs you by the throat and squeezes. (Feel free to change my description to one that fits you more accurately. Perhaps you prefer something more like: A 200lb boulder that slams into your chest and steals your breath, your very soul…) And in that moment, you just know you have the power to change the world, or at least the thinking of one person in the world.
That moment, my friends, is a gift. When you find one of those, be very careful and please don’t waste it.
What moments have inspired you lately? And what will you do with that inspiration?
*Don't forget to enter to win a hard cover copy of The Forgotten Locket.*
I slowed the car, gazing over the headstones and multi-colored flowers, and realized that a cemetery is not really the scary, zombie-ridden place we thought it was as kids. Actually, it’s beautiful and sacred because it is the one common place where an entire community lays loved ones to rest. And I was inspired. Scenes in two different books will probably come out of that inspiration.
It wasn’t the kind of feeling that can be forced, but one that comes unbidden, in that perfect moment that embeds itself in your memory and changes you, even though you weren’t doing anything to deserve it.
Sometimes inspiration is like that. Momentary. Fleeting. A throbbing ache that reaches up and grabs you by the throat and squeezes. (Feel free to change my description to one that fits you more accurately. Perhaps you prefer something more like: A 200lb boulder that slams into your chest and steals your breath, your very soul…) And in that moment, you just know you have the power to change the world, or at least the thinking of one person in the world.
That moment, my friends, is a gift. When you find one of those, be very careful and please don’t waste it.
What moments have inspired you lately? And what will you do with that inspiration?
*Don't forget to enter to win a hard cover copy of The Forgotten Locket.*
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Dreams, Motivations, and a Spotlight
Here it is Thursday, and already I'm lagging behind on a plan I made only last week. Don't worry, though, I have an author to spotlight and will get to her and her work short order.
I've been thinking a lot about dreams. Not the kind that come to us as we're asleep, (or while other people are asleep if you're Janie in the book, Wake by Lisa McMann. Great book, by the way) but rather, the kind that float into our minds during waking hours. The dreams we have for life and love, and that some of us set aside for other things once we get married and start having children. Or we set them aside for a job, or other obligations, thinking we'll get to them later.
Why do we do this to ourselves? What are we waiting for? There will always be lots of reasons why we should put off the things we want most in life. The trick, I think, is looking past those reasons to find the other list. The list that reminds us why we should get started right now. Now I'm probably sounding melancholy. I actually wrote a whole blog about this topic over at LDS Writer's Blogck. Click here to read it. Don't worry, I'll wait...
*hums a tune*
On to other topics. I've noticed a trend in the YA market lately, and it's one I love. I'm becoming addicted to books written in present tense. First person, third person--it doesn't really matter which. I like them both, depending on the author. I've decided that the reason I love it so much is because everything that's happening in the book feels so much more immediate, more pressing. And the immediacy makes me loathe the idea of putting the book down. So I end up reading present tense books super-fast. I get nothing else done. But I've read a lot lately. Hey, it's part of my job to keep up with the market. So, technically, reading = working. I also wrote a post about this topic at Writer's Fortress. Click here to read that post. Again, I'm willing to wait...
*Drumming fingers*
Are you back yet? Good. Now I have a quick question before I get to the spotlight. What motivates you to write? Or, if you're not a writer, what motivates you to do the things you love--or the things you hate but can't stop doing? (There are days I hate writing. Loathe it. But I still do it.) Does something drive you to continue on, even when you're continually rejected, frustrated and criticized? For me, it's my dreams of the future. Hope. For tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, five years from now and on. Not that I'm patient, mind you, I'm totally not. But I have all these hopes, and I know that none of it will happen if I don't do something about it. So I am driven to continue on. No blog post about this topic, by the way. Just a random stray thought.
Oh, but tomorrow, I'll be a guest blogger on the Daydreamer blog. Drop by and say hi! Maybe I'll blog about hope and drive after all. Or friendship. Something.
Today's author spotlight: Christine Thackeray
Christine currently resides in Newberg, Oregon and is the mother of seven amazing children. The oldest two boys are on missions. She graduated from BYU with a B.A. in English in 1986, thanks to her devoted husband (hah, long story and this is the short answer.)
Daughter of author Jaroldeen Edwards, Christine has always loved writing, but more than writing itself she loves the sharing of ideas. As a young mother she was a frequent contributor to the local newspaper. Later she designed a number of brochures for the town of Fairview, used to welcome new residents. She has participated in a number of technical writing projects including a nation real estate study and several university studies. She has also written numerous Roadshows, Christmas Programs and Young Women's events.
After her youngest went to kindergarten, Christine decided to try writing her first novel. Surprisingly, it was accepted by CFI for publication in the spring of 2008 which has opened an exciting new chapter in her life.
Her novels include:
The Crayon Messages:
A Visiting Teaching Adventure
and
C. S. Lewis: Latter Day Truths in Narnia
and
Her upcoming release:
Lipstick Wars (second installment in The Crayon Messages series.)
To learn more about Christine Thackeray, visit her website or blog.
**The author of this blog has received nothing, nada, ziltch for spotlighting this or any other author. No free books, no money, not even any praise. This program is done solely with my discretion and out of respect for the authors discussed, and sometimes friendship—but not always. Sometimes, it just feels like a good thing to do. Nuff said.
I've been thinking a lot about dreams. Not the kind that come to us as we're asleep, (or while other people are asleep if you're Janie in the book, Wake by Lisa McMann. Great book, by the way) but rather, the kind that float into our minds during waking hours. The dreams we have for life and love, and that some of us set aside for other things once we get married and start having children. Or we set them aside for a job, or other obligations, thinking we'll get to them later.
Why do we do this to ourselves? What are we waiting for? There will always be lots of reasons why we should put off the things we want most in life. The trick, I think, is looking past those reasons to find the other list. The list that reminds us why we should get started right now. Now I'm probably sounding melancholy. I actually wrote a whole blog about this topic over at LDS Writer's Blogck. Click here to read it. Don't worry, I'll wait...
*hums a tune*
On to other topics. I've noticed a trend in the YA market lately, and it's one I love. I'm becoming addicted to books written in present tense. First person, third person--it doesn't really matter which. I like them both, depending on the author. I've decided that the reason I love it so much is because everything that's happening in the book feels so much more immediate, more pressing. And the immediacy makes me loathe the idea of putting the book down. So I end up reading present tense books super-fast. I get nothing else done. But I've read a lot lately. Hey, it's part of my job to keep up with the market. So, technically, reading = working. I also wrote a post about this topic at Writer's Fortress. Click here to read that post. Again, I'm willing to wait...
*Drumming fingers*
Are you back yet? Good. Now I have a quick question before I get to the spotlight. What motivates you to write? Or, if you're not a writer, what motivates you to do the things you love--or the things you hate but can't stop doing? (There are days I hate writing. Loathe it. But I still do it.) Does something drive you to continue on, even when you're continually rejected, frustrated and criticized? For me, it's my dreams of the future. Hope. For tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, five years from now and on. Not that I'm patient, mind you, I'm totally not. But I have all these hopes, and I know that none of it will happen if I don't do something about it. So I am driven to continue on. No blog post about this topic, by the way. Just a random stray thought.
Oh, but tomorrow, I'll be a guest blogger on the Daydreamer blog. Drop by and say hi! Maybe I'll blog about hope and drive after all. Or friendship. Something.
Today's author spotlight: Christine Thackeray
Who is Christine Thackeray?
The Short Answer
Christine currently resides in Newberg, Oregon and is the mother of seven amazing children. The oldest two boys are on missions. She graduated from BYU with a B.A. in English in 1986, thanks to her devoted husband (hah, long story and this is the short answer.)
Daughter of author Jaroldeen Edwards, Christine has always loved writing, but more than writing itself she loves the sharing of ideas. As a young mother she was a frequent contributor to the local newspaper. Later she designed a number of brochures for the town of Fairview, used to welcome new residents. She has participated in a number of technical writing projects including a nation real estate study and several university studies. She has also written numerous Roadshows, Christmas Programs and Young Women's events.
After her youngest went to kindergarten, Christine decided to try writing her first novel. Surprisingly, it was accepted by CFI for publication in the spring of 2008 which has opened an exciting new chapter in her life.
Her novels include:
The Crayon Messages:
A Visiting Teaching Adventure
and
C. S. Lewis: Latter Day Truths in Narnia
and
Her upcoming release:
Lipstick Wars (second installment in The Crayon Messages series.)
To learn more about Christine Thackeray, visit her website or blog.
**The author of this blog has received nothing, nada, ziltch for spotlighting this or any other author. No free books, no money, not even any praise. This program is done solely with my discretion and out of respect for the authors discussed, and sometimes friendship—but not always. Sometimes, it just feels like a good thing to do. Nuff said.
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