So many weeks have gone by and I’ve done NO work on my book! It is very discouraging and causes me to have even more respect for anyone who actually finishes writing a book…a short story…an essay…even a blog!
I just began reading “Pen on Fire” that is supposed to help busy women who can’t find time to write – I can’t even find time to read the book!
Keep a close watch on this blog – I’ll be sharing some of the ideas from the book and hopefully it will help us all.
What a great weekend at Ruby Lane Books! We were fortunate to have Texas author Bill O’Neal (and his wife, Karen) in the book store signing Bill’s new book. “The Johnson-Sims Feud” is a continuation of a story at the end of “The Bloody Legacy of Pink Higgins” that Bill published a couple of years ago. It was fun to visit with all the folks who came to buy a book and meet Mr. O’Neal. This is why I love this business!
Abraham Lincoln said: “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Today I will be happy!
I will try to live through this day only and not tackle all my problems at once. This idea is helpful for writers and other artists. We tend to look w-a-y ahead and come up with many reasons why our idea probably won’t be successful! Just for today, let’s don’t do that!
I found a bookmark in one of the books in the store that has several “Just For Today” thoughts. All are great so I want to share them with you via this blog.
If you haven’t yet discovered the author Jodi Picoult, I’d encourage to read one (or several) of her books. Stephen King has said of Picoult, “Picoult writes with unassuming brilliance.” A couple of her books have been made into movies: My Sister’s Keeper and The Tenth Circle. One of my customers told me she had heard that Picoult’s books were sad. I would say they are deep, intelligent and yes, there is sadness; however, there is also an enormous exploration of human behavior and response to the things that life throws at us. My only problem with this author’s books is that I am inclined to stay up all night to finish one!
If you’re interested in writing, one of the best things you can do is read books that are well written. Jodi Picoult’s 18+ books certainly fit in that category.
When I first saw this short piece of advice I immediately applied it to situations that require compromise or “giving in.” However, after more thought I believe it is good advice for writing.
As writers, if we yield gracefully to our creative center, our writing comes much easier and most likely will be stronger. Try this: get comfortable, have your favorite journal, notepad, whatever (not laptop!) and a really good pen. Now…consciously yield gracefully to whatever your creative self is telling you. Don’t worry about editing or punctuation; don’t even think about what anyone else will think of what your writing. Simply…write.
If you give this a try, send me an email and let me know about your experience. To successfully “yield gracefully” you may have to try more than once; however, if you keep working at it (gracefully) it can become your usual writing attitude and that, my friend, will be very satisfying!
Lubbock author Dolores Mosser will be in the store Saturday, June 5, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. reading from her children’s book “A Train Story.” In addition we now have picture post cards of Post and Ruby Lane Books in the store – photography by yours truly! Tomorrow is Old Mill Trade Day Downtown in Post – we have over 30 vendors signed up to line Main Street. So come to Post and have some fun!
Just finished “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls. Wow, that is a good book! My daughter loaned me this copy – I’ve ordered some for the store, but don’t know when we’ll have them. This is a story that stays with you – makes an even greater impact because it is the author’s memoir. I had to keep reminding myself that it was not fiction, but really happened. Give it a try – if you want me to save you a copy or ship you a copy, email me at info@rubylanebooks.com. Hope you have a great Memorial Weekend!
Visit pandleprowriters.org to learn more about a writer’s conference June 25 & 26 in Amarillo. I’ve attended this group’s conferences before and they are great! The theme is “From Inspiration to Publication.” Looks like some excellent speakers/presenters plus it is always fun to be with other writers. This conference gets a gold star from Ruby, the resident cat at Ruby Lane Books and it isn’t easy to impress Ruby!
Some days we just need a boost, something to inspire us. In my opinion this short video on you tube will do the tricK:
I hope you’ve had a great Sunday and have a plan to get some serious writing done this week.