Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Writer’s life”
Yes, I’m on deadline — several deadlines as a matter of fact.
I have two blog posts due tomorrow and I’m slogging away at a novella rewrite that’s due March 1.
Even so, here I sit with my TV tuned to the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Am I wasting my time? No, not at all.
I have no Olympian aspirations, but watching these athletes have taught me a few things that are transferable to the writing life.
I read something this week that gave me pause:
Your greatest test is when you are able to bless someone else while you are going through your own storm.
I pondered that for quite some time. It permeated my heart because life has wonderful moments of peace, joy and rapture sandwiched between the storms of life. It’s easy to get caught up in the trial of the moment and miss out on the blessing of reaching out to help another human being in need.
Or even worse, instead of reaching out, you could lash out at others when they share their teenie tiny little challenge with you. Doesn’t it always seem that right at the second you get the fortieth rejection letter, your crit partner calls and fusses because they only got a four book deal when they just knew they’d get six?!
If writing time continues to get crowded out by other demands, then ask God if this is the right season for you, or if you need to take a writing break.
When I was in high school, my brother ran cross-country on our high school track team in Florida. On the opposite side of the country, one of the most incredible runners of all time, Steve Prefontaine, was breaking all track records while running track for the University of Oregon.
Under the ground breaking coaching of Bill Bowerman (founder of Nike), Steve ignored personal pain and agony in order to get faster. When asked why he would put his body through such brutality, Steve answered, “To do less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”
Though Bill Bowerman went on cobbling shoes for his runner and later founded Nike, on May 30, 1975, Steve “Pre” Prefontaine was tragically killed in a car accident. But one thing’s for sure, he left it all out on the track. There was not a race inside him that day he’d left unraced. Not an ounce of running energy left unexpended.
You have a gift as well.
I had to escape. Get away.
For some reason my WIP just wasn’t coming together. And I am four weeks from deadline.
I had to start over… again.
Now I have a great office at home but between the internet, my husband and dog, and just all those little homey interruptions, I decided to break away.
I rented a room up at Teen Missions in Merritt Island.
I packed up, drove 40 minutes up the road and spent three days writing like crazy!
Here’s a few things I learned for making the most of your personal writing retreat.
1. Go some place near by. Traveling is emotional and physically draining. The closer your retreat to your home, the better. Make the retreat short rather than long. I left on a Tuesday morning and was plenty ready to return home by Friday noon.
