National Novel Writing Month

T.G.I.F. – Gratitude Friday

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gratitude

The Week’s Top Three:

3.)  Completing the first draft of my book Shear Madness, which I began in Camp Nano this past July, and beginning to loosely plan the second in the series, Brush with Death, for NaNoWriMo next month.

2.)  That first sweet, juicy, crunchy bite of a Honeycrisp apple on a fall day. Mmmmmm…they are the best! 🙂

1.)  My son calling so happy to tell me that they just closed on their first house, asking if we wanted to come and see it that evening, and my baby granddaughter getting so excited when she saw papa and grandma pull in the driveway of her new home. Melted my heart then and there. 🙂

What tops your list this week?

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”  – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Same Blog, New Look

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Sunrise in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India

 

 

 

 

 

I decided my blog needed a facelift. Something lighter, brighter, and airier–is that even a word?  🙂

I’m back to blogging after the intensity of NaNoWriMo and the week of basking in the afterglow.  I’m working with an editor on my novel, The Inheritance, I’m looking forward to the first revision of The Last Resort, the first draft of which was written during this past NaNo, and have begun writing my Memoir.  In order to make time for these works in progress, in addition to working a full-time job and making time for my family–the most important of all–I’ve concluded I need to make a change to my blogging schedule.  I will be posting one original post on Wednesdays and a meaningful, thought-provoking quote over the weekend.  This blog and my blog community has become a special and important part of my writing life, and I’m looking forward to this new change.

I used to fear change, but as I’ve grown more confident in who I am, a child of God and the daughter of a King, I welcome change as new opportunities to enjoy and conquer, revealing a bright horizon.

All is Grace.

NaNoWriMo 2013

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NaNoWriMo is over for this year, and I reached my goal of winning–two years in a row.  While I thought I would be looking forward to taking a bit of time off from writing, instead it made me desire to adhere to my writing schedule even more.  Writing is blissfully fulfilling to me.  It’s what I do for fun, for peace, for growth.  And I believe God gave me this gift for a purpose–to honor Him.  And I am humbly grateful He chose little ole’ me to honor Him.  What a gift! 🙂

2013-Winner-Facebook-Cover

“Relax. No, celebrate. You were meant to be on this road you’re walking. And because others have walked it before, you can do so as well—if you do not give up.

What we all have in common is our desire to tell a well-crafted story. To create characters and worlds that stand the test of time—be it one month, five years, or a hundred. So do you. Tell your story.”

— Sharon G. Flake, on soaring.

All is Grace.

Short Hiatus

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NaNoWriMo Day 3

With NaNoWriMo beginning in exactly three hours, I’m taking the month of November off to focus on my NaNo word count.  Here’s wishing everyone a beautiful November.  And to all my NaNo friends and cohorts, God willing, we will connect again 50,000 words later.  Write, write, write.  And most of all, enjoy the places your imagination takes you.

Winner-100x100-2

All is Grace.

 

Transition From Planning to Doing

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It comes too easy for me to be in a perpetual state of planning. My day. An idea for a book. How to maximize my ability to serve. How to arrange my work area to best accommodate the reading or writing I “plan” to do. What I can do to be a good friend, good wife, good mother, good child of God. How to begin a blog. Oftentimes I find myself too exhausted from the planning phase to move into actively doing what I’ve spent so much time planning. The underlying reason? Sheer fear. Fear of not performing to a level that meets the expectations I  place on myself, expectations that rise above anything I would ever expect from anyone else. Also, fear of failure. After all, I can’t fail in the planning phase, right? Wrong!

We fail when we don’t act according to the gifts God has so generously blessed us with. I still plan my day, but I’ve learned to be more realistic with how many hours are in a day and strive to use those hours wisely. Service work has been chosen by what God has so graciously placed on my heart, a passion for children. Had I not transitioned out of the planning phase, I wouldn’t have attempted NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this past November, creating the first draft of a novel that’s been burning within me for so long. It would have still been a thought. And I wouldn’t have began this blog, something I’ve spent far too long planning so it would be perfect. But I’ve learned to be a little more gentle with myself. Perfection is no longer a burden I place on myself. Doing my best is good enough. And as long as I do my best, I cannot fail.