Minute list: Super Bowl

Let's do a minute list. You know the drill. I give you a list of words, you copy the list into comments and write the first word that comes to your mind to describe each word. Mine are in ( )s.

Stadium (packed)
Field (groomed)
Quarterback (husky)
Fans (loud)
Goal (field)
Team (determined)
Seats (hard)
Cheerleaders (bubbly)
Football (slippery)
Hot dog (cold)

Slideshow of some writing quotes

Go ahead, put your baby in the corner

 Sometimes, you just have to go with the flow. Like today. When I got to church, I learned our pastor hadn’t been feeling well. Long story short, he was kept overnight in the hospital for observation. Of course, not having a pastor meant not being able to do certain parts of the liturgy, including Communion. So we did the parts of the service we could and skipped the parts we couldn’t. And you know what? It wasn’t the end of the world. We survived.

So often in life we're not able to shift gears quite that easily. Why? I’m not sure. Maybe we’re creatures of habit, find comfort in routines. But I've found that often when the unexpected happens, good comes out of it. I don’t mean to imply that I’m glad Pastor Greg was ill, but I’m proud of the way the congregation handled his unexpected absence. Their actions speak volumes. 

So how does this relate to writing? 

Our writing reveals a lot about us

Truth time here. I've never had self-esteem issues. I’m confident and outgoing.  But when it comes to my fiction, I’m sometimes insecure. My agent, Terrie, and I discussed this recently. She knows that I sometimes need her reassurance that my writing is good, that my work will be published.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my insecurity as it relates to my writing. When I write, I’m tapping into the remote corners of my being -- my thoughts and feelings and emotions few are privy to. And my life experiences -- the good and the bad.  I’m revealing a lot about myself.

Growing up, my father always told me, “You’re too sensitive. You need to toughen up.” Sorry, Dad. It never happened. I am who I am. I feel deeply and love completely. And when I write, it’s my sensitivity that empowers me to tell stories that will hopefully resonate with others. I want to connect with them in ways they never expected, move them to think and feel and care.

In everything I write there’s a part of me. And, just like the new kid in school who hopes to be accepted and loved, I yearn for that. And yet, people might hate what I write. It’s the fear of them rejecting my work that fuels my insecurity, I suppose. No one likes rejection. And no matter how seasoned we are, it hurts when someone doesn't like our work.

Now, that's something I need to toughen up about. We all want everyone to read our work and love it. Truth is, not everyone will.

MLK poll

poll by twiigs.com

Read on for answer

Remembering MLK and his words

‎"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." 
--MLK

I'm in love with WIP

Follow me on Twitter and check out more of my writing tweets.

I feel like I'm falling in love for the first time. Excited about the possibilities. Unsure of where #WIP will take me.

When writing shocks

Sometimes, my writing shocks me. Has this ever happened to you? You write something and then when you read it you’re like, I can’t believe that came out of me.

Once, I wrote this horrific rape scene. Afterward, I was embarrassed. Interestingly, a beta reader contacted me after reading the passage to make sure it was fiction. It seemed that real to her. I assured her that I had never been raped. Still, I was sort of, kind of happy that it seemed so real that she called to make sure I was OK. 

Quote of the day

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
― Maya Angelou

Minute list: Winter

It's been awhile since we've done a minute list. You know the drill. Copy and paste the list into comments and write an adjective after each word. Mine are in ( )'s. This exercise shouldn't take more than a minute.

Snow (melting)
Tree (naked)
Beanie (pink)
Lips (blue)
Boots (leather)
Soup (thick)
Night (scary)
Gloves (tattered)
Snowman (lopsided)
Road (icy)

Fiction writing contest

There's still time to enter the 2013 Central PA Magazine Writing Contest. Entries must be original, unpublished, works of fiction and cannot exceed 1,500 words. Entry deadline is Jan. 31, 2013. There is no fee. First-place winner receives $500 and runner=up, $200. Good luck to all who enter.