Embrace the Chaos

Tomorrow is the last day of holidays before my 3 kidlets head off back to school and I start my rounds of furious hat-swapping. I’ve loved being home, I really have. At times I’ve wished kids came standard with a mute button… but I doubt I’m the only mom on the planet who has hankered after that. So… school term: by now I know what I’m in for… early mornings, synchronizing schedules of who has to be where when and with what, making sure they are fed along the way (a few times a day)… homework and tests, good teachers and scary teachers… eisteddfods and ballet exams and so on and so on. 

Its a little daunting to get back into real life, but the best part is – I get my brain back! For a  few hours a day I won’t be MOOOOOM!!’d at mind numbing five minute intervals. The rest of the day is a glorious smoosh of fetch and carry and listen and laugh and council and shutup and referee and correct and leave be. But… I get my brain back! Did I mention that already?

Amidst the happy chaos of home and family, I’m looking forward to pockets of tranquility, rich silence and brainspace in which ideas can stretch their fingers and toes, rooting into the sandy soil of reality but stretching up way beyond where I can see, to touch the far edges of impossibility. That place where hopes and dreams live.

I’m going to embrace the chaos and the quiet, and then see what comes out of my fingertips. It’ll be fun, don’t you think?  

 

Shhhhhhhhh!

My house is quiet. Everyone is safely tucked in bed dreaming whatever their day-weary brains are regurgitating for them. Me? I think I’m going to let my brain dribble out through my finger tips. Just a little.

My house is tidy. I’ve done a bit of admin and some other bits that needed me and I think its time to give in to the urge I’ve been pushing to the back of the queue all day.

My house is not all that I’m about. So I’m going to lose myself inside my head and watch my how my characters deal with all the rubbish I’m about to throw at them. Nothing like a bit of conflict to keep readers reading.

You see if I can claim 600 words and make them mine in the next 1,5hrs – I will have met my goal for book 2 for this, the first week of 2012. I should get on with it then…

Shhhhhhhhhhhh! #amwriting #amhappy

Cross-training for writers

 

How are you all today? 3 days into 2012 and so far? What a great year! *insert cheeky grin*

My last post was very broad and general – if it were a behind, it would not fit into the average aeroplane seat. We all know that the more specific your goals are, the more chance you have of hitting them – rocket science 101 – so I thought I’d focus my attention on the biggest conundrum … writing.

I’m hoping at this point, that some seasoned campaigners will chip in with some golden advice gleaned over years of consistently meeting deadlines with obedient words that line up and jump through whatever hoop they are pointed at. The big question is this: just how do you keep multiple projects moving at the same time?

For me, the biggest downfall has been this: if it comes with a deadline, it gets first priority. (Self-imposed deadlines don’t count, not in my life anyway… trust me, I’ve tried!) 

At first glance this is a no-brainer. The problem is I seem to end up serving back-to-back deadlines. So the projects that are closest to my heart get left choking in the dust of those who come under the banner of ‘finish-by-such-and-such-and-we’ll-pay-you’.

The other part of the challenge of keeping multiples moving is switching track in my brain. To hop between a quiz on ‘What Kind of Friend Are You’ (written in a funky up-beat manner to suit 20-30ish savvy modern women), to a short story challenging young people to stay pure and avoid a devastating clash with HIV (written for english second language learners – i.e. ULTRA simple language / no contractions…) to a humour piece involving our feline friends and then – the thing that makes my heart happy – get lost in the world of book #2.

HA! I love my life!

As I was writing that paragraph, it hit me. To survive and thrive – and dare I say it… make money – as a writer in this era, it’s essential to cross-train. You can’t just be cardio fit. You can’t just have a body that is superbly conditioned. And you certainly can’t be pure muscle.  The writer who will be succesful with whatever opportunities come his/her way, is one that can mentally track-hop without derailing.

And with that, my littlest is awake and I must go be mom. That’s her in the picture above – today’s inspiration for us…

We stand peering across the gleaming waters of 2012, full of the unknown… but also teeming with promise and opportunity.

Bring it on!

 

Hopes & challenges… fertile soil for the DREAMS of 2012

Writing a new book? Not a problem. Cranking out a few articles per month? Completely do-able. Getting through my last 4 kid’s writing course assignments… Lovely fun. Working two jobs, being mom to 3 growing girls, being wife and home-maker? It’s part of what I’m built for. I could go on…

My big challenge is to fit it all into one life.

And I guess that’s where grace comes in. I can trust my Heavenly Daddy to order my days. After all, He is the one who put these longings, desires, dreams and hopes inside of me and set them all ablaze with His vision. Surely He is able to make sense of it all?

So I’m going to walk the tightrope of hope, knowing that when I fall short and fail – there is a safety net of grace that will not simply catch me, but this magnificent grace will bounce me straight back up and onto the rope again. In the words of an old Neil Diamond song – pretty amazing grace!

What challenges are stomping the earth and snorting at you this new year?

Holes in my head… *insert happy face here*

 

I finally know that it is true. There are holes in my head, the size of swiss cheese. But it’s okay.

You see this morning I started novel #2. Where is novel #1 you might ask? On the shelf. For now. I had always harboured a secret hope that I wouldn’t be amongst all those authors who would admit that by the time they had written book 3 or 4, they had learned enough about the craft to get published.

Right alongside that hope, was a sneaking certainty that that would, indeed, be the case. And so I’m embarking on my dream, part 2. A ‘fools errand’ if you will. My writer friends will understand. So will my friends who are dreamers and visionaries.

 And you know what? I have learned so much and I’m ready for this. 

What are you dreaming about? Hoping for?

What is stopping you?

 

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Ok, so its been a while since I last posted.

There is good news, bad news and some ugly news. The bad news?

It’s been a while since I last posted.

The good news? I’ve been scarce because I’ve been caught up in a writing project for these lovely people: http://onehope.net/ I guess you could say I haven’t been writing because I’ve been writing.

I am also busy writing a booklet for these lovely people: http://www.icdf.com/

The ugly news? My bed is sulking from neglect. And the bags under my eyes are growing daily.

Watch this space, I’ll keep you posted!

X

Hey! Hush and wait your turn.

Its quite normal for me to have 3 small people, AKA my kids, all talking to me at the same time at any given time of the day or night. Sometimes my brain successfully follows all three threads, and can produce reasonably intelligent responses at more or less the right times. Other times? Well, lets just say I’m not that successful. But lets not make this about the fact that I haven’t managed to massage manners into my childrens brains yet, ok? Thats NOT the point. Read as – beyond here, be dragons… back off and nobody gets hurt.

The scary thing is, my kidlets aren’t the only voices bouncing around the space between my ears. No no… there is also a continually writhing chorus of assorted hairy critters all clamoring for my attention.

Ideas.

Ideas for things I want to write.

Ideas… There’s that piece I want to write for a crafty mag that seems open to humour pages. And don’t forget the growing collection of uber-catchy kiddy book titles… hmmm my fingers itch at the very thought. Chicken Soup for the Soul < about five possibles here. Even as I’m writing this blogpost, they are lurking there in the background, squirming and elbowing for a spot centrestage in my brain.

And I’m valiantly attempting to teach them some manners too and its proving pretty darn tricky. Get back in the queue, pipe down and wait your turn. Hey! You there! Travel article, get back here! You are NOT allowed to dribble out my earhole. Stay put and shoosh. If you’ll all just hush up, I’ll get to you sooner.

And so I’m left with a waiting room full of restless thoughts. Ideas that are clamoring to be written. And they are going  to have to just hang in there and wait a bit longer. Why? Cause my have-to’s need writing too. And I’m not complaining.

As all my writer friends will agree, rather a brain full of ideas that your fingers can’t move fast enough to process, than an orderly brain – swept and tidy, that leaves ones fingers twitchy and bored.

Its a simple equation really… messy brain + busy fingers = happy writer.

Ok everybody, line up. Its bedtime and I don’t want you all tiptoeing through my dreams again like last night…

Why I Want to Write Books

Pic borrowed from www.socialmediamom.com

We got back from the library a few days ago and I got a punch in the gut that has me in a headlock. We get 19 books at a time and my 13yo disappears for two days only to re-emerge and ask what she’s supposed to read now. I was ironing in the room when she came through with her eyes sparkling, “MOM! You have got to get me more of this writer! She is wonderful!” With that, her nose buried itself in the pages and she was gone again.

 
WHAM! Right there, in the tender spot that I’ve been furiously ignoring for so many months.
 
I want to write.
I want to write books that make young girls eyes sparkle as I fill their heads with Truth that can shape their destiny.
I want to wield words to gently peel open the hearts that have frozen and plant tiny seeds of Hope.
 
I want to write.
and be read.
 
Thats pretty much all there is to it.
 
 
 
 
 

Life’s little luxury…

So I haven’t blogged for …

2 WHOLE MONTHS!

Grief. What is happening to my life? I got to thinking the other day… Do I actually have the luxury of determining my own priorities? It certainly doesn’t feel like it.  Rather, it seems I’m at the beck and call of everything and everyone else around me. Hmmm…

Then again, take one life – sprinkle in 3 children, add their schools / sport / extra murals, stir in a rich dollop of husband with a photography business and an unquenchable desire to do 8 day cycling events…  Measure in a smattering of the need to earn money and the joy of being part of our local church body. Crack open a house that needs cleaning, washing & ironing, dishes that need doing… some animals, extended family… a dance group that are sponges for new choreography… a body thats getting older and needs more exercise now than ever (not that I’m getting to that right now either) and top it all off with a burning passion to write… and write a lot.

How much choice do I really have?

I guess I could sleep less?

I seriously don’t have the answers. So all I can do is throw myself hard at God’s abundant grace and trust Him to make me useful in whichever part of the batter He pleases. After all – only the things I do in obedience have any hope of being fruitful and useful – of being batter that rises to it’s full height and makes a good cupcake…

Can I choose my priorities? The truth is I did already…

when I said … I do

when I said … dear Lord, I really want a baby

when I said … Lord – use me, wherever… whenever and however it pleases you.

And He is! And that is enough for me.

Write for free?

So here is the conundrum for freelancers…

You make a living by the words you successfully manage to string together. So do you ever write for free? No charge… Gratis…

The first unsolicited article I wrote for All About Cats (a humour page) got me a polite email, informing me that they already had someone contracted to write their back pages and that they wouldn’t be able to use the article as they didn’t have the budget to pay me. The piece was aimed at a very specific market and I didn’t fancy my chances of placing it elsewhere.

So with bills to pay and a starving wallet, I did something rather odd. I wrote back saying they could use it at no charge. That piece was used, not in the regular monthly mag, but in their 2007 Annual. A year later I got an email requesting a piece for the 2008 Annual. Not only that, but they wanted to know if I would consider becoming their contracted (i.e. paid) back page writer for the following year.

It is now 2010 and I’m still writing for them. Sewing and reaping – it’s a very real principle.

I won’t bore you with all the gory details – but I’ve seen this principle work time and time again.

So my wallet is getting a little chubbier, I’ve got myself a few more regulars and yes – I will write for free when those moments hit.

How about you?