A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT

A LITTLE OF THIS

This year has been one wild and crazy ride for me, and it seems it’s time to share just a little bit. The year began by purging my house of a lifetime collection of possessions, and by the time my husband and I were done in April, about two thirds of all we owned had been donated or sold. We also sold our house with no intention of moving into a traditional home or apartment. We moved onto our 35-foot sailboat. My husband retired in May, and our next step was to start our RV hunt, which did not go as smoothly as anticipated. Actually from the time we moved onto the boat, it seemed we had one challenge after another. But I won’t bore you with the details. Maybe another time. In July, we settled into our 43-foot RV just across the way from our boat. A beautiful setting. Yet, the challenges continued. We believe this month will be the last month of getting the creases out, and we can finally settle down and start traveling in November.

Did all this have an impact on my life as a writer? Oh yes. Big time! And even now that I’m finding my way in this new lifestyle, there are still challenges like inconsistent Internet, which drives me crazy. But, getting up each morning and looking out at the lake with our boat’s mast waving hello sooths my soul and all is well. I must also say that I’ve never seen so many beautiful sunsets in such a short time. Life is good.

In the midst of my madness, I was invited to write a guest post on maintaining your health as a writer. It took me a while to get around to it but it is finally here!

This month, I’m honored to share that Colleen Story is featuring my guest post HOW TO BALANCE AN OUT-OF-CONTROL WRITING LIFE on her blog and in her newsletter, WRITING AND WELLNESS: Putting the Power of You Behind Your Best Creative Life. I hope you’ll take a little time to read it and ponder the balance or lack of balance in your writing life. Thanks to Colleen for inviting me to be her guest.

A LITTLE OF THAT

Writer friends often express their struggles with rejection and the temptation to throw in the towel. So, I’ve been trying to post inspirational quotes here and there. I share a few of them below.

If you are thinking about or feeling like giving up, don’t do it! Hold your ground. “Victory is not won in miles but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later win a little more.”

– Louis L’Amour

“I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions, I have been entrusted to take the game’s winning shot . . . and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why . . . I succeed.”

– Michael Jordan

“Perseverance is not a long race: it is many short races one after another.”

– Walter Elliott

“Fall seven times, stand up eight.”

– Japanese Proverb

I like the following quote because it not only applies to us as writers, but it applies to the stories we write as well. Think about it. . . . “If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.”

– Frank A. Clark

This brings me to . . .

WHY ARE CHARACTER ARCS IMPORTANT?

In most picture books, the main character doesn’t just wander through the plot. They move through with purpose. They overcome challenges. And most importantly, the plot changes them. They learn from the events and challenges that the arc builds, and this is how they arrive at a satisfying conclusion/resolution. The tension and emotional core that the arc creates show the reader that the story is worth reading. It makes the reader care about the character and shows them why the story matters.

Whether fiction or nonfiction, if you’ve been told your story needs more arc, or it needs more tension, or it needs more heart, or it needs more focus, my Art of Arc picture book writing course will help you find what your stories need to take them to the next level. And it only costs as much as one professional critique.

Enjoy putting more balance in your writing life!