Every so often I get this feeling I should back away. Alleviate the pressure having a blog creates. Give a little space, with which often comes a greater perspective of vision, and where things need to go in the future.
A break is good, everyone should take one occasionally.
It just occured to me that now is a good time for me. What with the end of school near for my kiddles, that other job, and the completion of the current draft of my work-in-progress (a novel) within sight, now's as perfect a time as any.
I'll be back. Promise you won't go anywhere in the meantime?
Happy May, friends!
Showing posts with label break. Show all posts
Showing posts with label break. Show all posts
Monday, May 9, 2011
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The Last Vestiges of Summer Vacation
Two weeks. It's all we have left, before school starts.
We've an out-of-town wedding to attend (and family to see). A float trip, riding and rowing, sweltering and splashing. Vacation church school, which my husband and I are spearheading (ack!). And, hopefully, a day we can squeeze in the state fair, which has become a tradition with our kids.
There are dinners at which to gather, and things to bake and prepare, shopping to do. Swims in the pool before it's too late, lake waters to float upon, games to play, books to read, before summertime sets.
Two weeks.
I'll be back August 18th or so...
We've an out-of-town wedding to attend (and family to see). A float trip, riding and rowing, sweltering and splashing. Vacation church school, which my husband and I are spearheading (ack!). And, hopefully, a day we can squeeze in the state fair, which has become a tradition with our kids.
There are dinners at which to gather, and things to bake and prepare, shopping to do. Swims in the pool before it's too late, lake waters to float upon, games to play, books to read, before summertime sets.
Two weeks.
I'll be back August 18th or so...
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
TTFN
I decided just now, as I stretched out on my bed, soaking up an unusual quiet of evening, that I'll be taking a short break. I'm due again, though it's not been long since my last hiatus, and my soul needs it.
I'll return next Monday for something called Spreading the Awesome.
Until then, take care.
I'll return next Monday for something called Spreading the Awesome.
Until then, take care.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
We Interrupt This Break...
So we're in Florida. Our vacation plans were timely; I needed the escape, and the disconnect.
Yesterday we went to Disney World's Magic Kingdom. It was the perfect day with the perfect crowd. Prime people-watching, you know.
Near night's end, we rode It's a Small World After All. And by rode, I mean braved. Because it's a long, repetitive horror of a ride. But you do it for the kids.
Which is why I was intrigued by the woman who sat in front of us. She was in, I'd say, her mid-fifties. And she rode with no one but herself. Naturally, I was curious about her circumstance. Had she come to the amusement park by herself? Or separated from her family or friends for just a few minutes, to cruise the ride no one else dared go on?
I concocted a whole story, of course: She was a writer, on the premises for research. To see, to feel, to listen with intensity. Because she was writing the next big scene in her novel--where say, a child goes missing from the ride's line, or a man, romantically frozen for years, proposes to his girlfriend in the least likely of places--and she needed to build her reservoir of experience.
Because I do that. Put myself somewhere for the sake of the craft. To build on my experiences, to write about or pull from later. Have you done that?
What have you done to build your writer's (or life's) reservoir?
Yesterday we went to Disney World's Magic Kingdom. It was the perfect day with the perfect crowd. Prime people-watching, you know.
Near night's end, we rode It's a Small World After All. And by rode, I mean braved. Because it's a long, repetitive horror of a ride. But you do it for the kids.
Which is why I was intrigued by the woman who sat in front of us. She was in, I'd say, her mid-fifties. And she rode with no one but herself. Naturally, I was curious about her circumstance. Had she come to the amusement park by herself? Or separated from her family or friends for just a few minutes, to cruise the ride no one else dared go on?
I concocted a whole story, of course: She was a writer, on the premises for research. To see, to feel, to listen with intensity. Because she was writing the next big scene in her novel--where say, a child goes missing from the ride's line, or a man, romantically frozen for years, proposes to his girlfriend in the least likely of places--and she needed to build her reservoir of experience.
Because I do that. Put myself somewhere for the sake of the craft. To build on my experiences, to write about or pull from later. Have you done that?
What have you done to build your writer's (or life's) reservoir?
Friday, March 19, 2010
Vacation, All I Ever Wanted
It's time for a break, for a little gettin' away.
I may pop in over the next ten days, may not. I'll be gone until something needs writing about.
Be well.
I may pop in over the next ten days, may not. I'll be gone until something needs writing about.
Be well.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Hey Howdy and How Do You Do?
It's been awhile, hasn't it?
But I had to break away. It was a need to define my writing processes, and put to use what I discovered.
I learned some pretty pertinent stuff, like that I write better when I edit as I go - that is, take time to really make sure I'm saying what the story begs of me any given moment, instead of rushing through, just for the sake of getting it out no matter its quality. That works for some; I understand now, not me.
I realized it's best to keep my projects quiet. My momentum is steadier, and I hold up better to my own expectations and accountabilities than I do to those of others. That said, I've omitted the word count statuses in the sidebar, and plan to post only generically about my WIPs - at least during the creating and writing stages.
My output spikes when I write during morning hours, and if I change up my location every few weeks.
What I've always known is, my dependence on your support and encouragement is high. I couldn't write and dream if I didn't have all of you lifting me up and helping me along. And that won't change.
Have you ever taken the time to really discover who you are with your writing? What methods do you identify with?
But I had to break away. It was a need to define my writing processes, and put to use what I discovered.
I learned some pretty pertinent stuff, like that I write better when I edit as I go - that is, take time to really make sure I'm saying what the story begs of me any given moment, instead of rushing through, just for the sake of getting it out no matter its quality. That works for some; I understand now, not me.
I realized it's best to keep my projects quiet. My momentum is steadier, and I hold up better to my own expectations and accountabilities than I do to those of others. That said, I've omitted the word count statuses in the sidebar, and plan to post only generically about my WIPs - at least during the creating and writing stages.
My output spikes when I write during morning hours, and if I change up my location every few weeks.
What I've always known is, my dependence on your support and encouragement is high. I couldn't write and dream if I didn't have all of you lifting me up and helping me along. And that won't change.
Have you ever taken the time to really discover who you are with your writing? What methods do you identify with?
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Lovely Lull
lull (noun) : a temporary pause or decline in activity
...just for a few days.
I'll return soon.
Be well.
...just for a few days.
I'll return soon.
Be well.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Pseudo-Sabbatical
I've made the decision to temporarily suspend posts here at Something She Wrote.
Today I got word that my grandmother is in the hospital with a potentially serious condition, and one of my uncles passed away this morning. All this follows closely on the heels of a hospital stay for someone of great importance in my life. Combined with everything mentioned in today's earlier post, I'm a bit overwhelmed.
I'm going to take a break from all things intrawebs. I've got to regroup and wrap my head around the things that have been happening. I'll miss our online connection and your feedback, and I'll miss reading your blog posts, too.
But I won't be gone indefinitely; just for a few days or so. I wish you all the best with your writing, and everything else, in the meantime. I'll be back soon.
And thanks for your support and prayers.
Janna
Today I got word that my grandmother is in the hospital with a potentially serious condition, and one of my uncles passed away this morning. All this follows closely on the heels of a hospital stay for someone of great importance in my life. Combined with everything mentioned in today's earlier post, I'm a bit overwhelmed.
I'm going to take a break from all things intrawebs. I've got to regroup and wrap my head around the things that have been happening. I'll miss our online connection and your feedback, and I'll miss reading your blog posts, too.
But I won't be gone indefinitely; just for a few days or so. I wish you all the best with your writing, and everything else, in the meantime. I'll be back soon.
And thanks for your support and prayers.
Janna
Friday, July 18, 2008
Drumroll, Please...
Okay, really, that's an unfair post title. I know it's nowhere near as exciting for my readers as it is for me that I'm about to explode with joy over my roadtrip.
(How's that for a run-on?)
I'll be leaving in a few hours, and I'll not have internet access for the duration of the weekend. Well... in all actuality, I could hop on my friend's computer, but I'll be using the next few days as a break from everything, my online endeavors included.
Although, I will be taking Sally along. Just in case I get some downtime and inspiration strikes for Novel 2. A writer must always have the means with which to write, no?
Hope you all have a great weekend, and I'll post again next week.
Man, I'm so excited. A round of Starbucks on me!
(How's that for a run-on?)
I'll be leaving in a few hours, and I'll not have internet access for the duration of the weekend. Well... in all actuality, I could hop on my friend's computer, but I'll be using the next few days as a break from everything, my online endeavors included.
Although, I will be taking Sally along. Just in case I get some downtime and inspiration strikes for Novel 2. A writer must always have the means with which to write, no?
Hope you all have a great weekend, and I'll post again next week.
Man, I'm so excited. A round of Starbucks on me!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
A Break From The "Serious"
With 9 queries out, I'm taking a break. I don't want to get too many sent out and exhaust my agent search this early, so I've got to force myself to think about other things.
Yeah, right.
Got any suggestions?
In the meantime, the latest installment of my column came yesterday. It's a smaller, local publication, so there's no link to give, but I'll post it here. Should be good for a distracting laugh (at my expense). From Every Mom's Column in The Buzz, Summer 2008 edition.
***
I think I might quite possibly be the clumsiest person ever. Sometimes I know the origination of and reason for an injury, but often times I find surprise bumps or bruises and wonder, “How’d that get there?” I’ve rammed into open doors (car and cabinet), smooshed fingers (and not just my own), fallen on the steps (going up and going down), and done other silly things… like land face-down on the floor because a teeny—but sneaky—swatch of carpet tripped me up. It’s a wonder—a big wonder—I’ve never broken a bone. I’d knock on wood here, this second, but likely I’d wind up hurt.
What got me thinking on this was an MRI I had recently. MRI, in my case, stands for Motherhood-Related Injury. It’s an injury I’ve sustained merely because I’m a mother. A clutzy mother. And it directly (or indirectly) relates to a kid (or not).
The night was seemingly moonless and pitch black, filled with slumbering quiet. I was fast asleep, perhaps dreaming of iced mochas or the clearance rack at Target, when my heart jolted me awake.
“Mommy! MOMMY!”
It was my toddler, crying hysterically from the top of the stairs. Panicked from my bed, I hastily grabbed my glasses from the nightstand. Throwing them up my nose, I rounded the bed, aiming to breeze through the family room to the stairs. But in my groggy—and I can’t stress this enough: clumsy—state, I cut the corner a smidge too closely. Just there, where the wall extends adjacent to my door, housing a built-in bookshelf, I met the flat, solid expanse with a great, loud force.
WHAM!
My body bounced backward and my glasses sprung from their perch, landing—surely broken, I thought—off in the distance. My hands found my poor nose as I bellered into the night, “I think I broke my nose!”
My husband, none too concerned with yet another of my self-inflictions, snuffled a bit and rolled over. Grumbling and hurt, I righted myself, retrieved my glasses (still intact!) and continued—ever so slowly—to the stairs.
In the few seconds between my collision and the journey upstairs, wouldn’t you know it, my daughter calmed herself. So I tucked her back into bed and made my way to the closest mirror. Just what I’d suspected: My nose had had a good battering. I doctored it up, hoping to keep any swelling or discoloration at bay. And as it turned out, by morning time I had very little to show for my midnight accident. Just a small boo-boo with some tender, very faint bruising. It was hardly anything to wink at, and I couldn’t get compassion from anyone.
Which, in all actuality, was just as well. I’d rather keep such incidences quiet, since they’re so embarrassing. So you’re sworn to secrecy. Share the details of this MRI with no one. It’s just between you and me…
***
ETA: Refreshing Yahoo every three minutes to check my inbox for query responses isn't a productive way to spend my time, is it?
Yeah, right.
Got any suggestions?
In the meantime, the latest installment of my column came yesterday. It's a smaller, local publication, so there's no link to give, but I'll post it here. Should be good for a distracting laugh (at my expense). From Every Mom's Column in The Buzz, Summer 2008 edition.
***
I think I might quite possibly be the clumsiest person ever. Sometimes I know the origination of and reason for an injury, but often times I find surprise bumps or bruises and wonder, “How’d that get there?” I’ve rammed into open doors (car and cabinet), smooshed fingers (and not just my own), fallen on the steps (going up and going down), and done other silly things… like land face-down on the floor because a teeny—but sneaky—swatch of carpet tripped me up. It’s a wonder—a big wonder—I’ve never broken a bone. I’d knock on wood here, this second, but likely I’d wind up hurt.
What got me thinking on this was an MRI I had recently. MRI, in my case, stands for Motherhood-Related Injury. It’s an injury I’ve sustained merely because I’m a mother. A clutzy mother. And it directly (or indirectly) relates to a kid (or not).
The night was seemingly moonless and pitch black, filled with slumbering quiet. I was fast asleep, perhaps dreaming of iced mochas or the clearance rack at Target, when my heart jolted me awake.
“Mommy! MOMMY!”
It was my toddler, crying hysterically from the top of the stairs. Panicked from my bed, I hastily grabbed my glasses from the nightstand. Throwing them up my nose, I rounded the bed, aiming to breeze through the family room to the stairs. But in my groggy—and I can’t stress this enough: clumsy—state, I cut the corner a smidge too closely. Just there, where the wall extends adjacent to my door, housing a built-in bookshelf, I met the flat, solid expanse with a great, loud force.
WHAM!
My body bounced backward and my glasses sprung from their perch, landing—surely broken, I thought—off in the distance. My hands found my poor nose as I bellered into the night, “I think I broke my nose!”
My husband, none too concerned with yet another of my self-inflictions, snuffled a bit and rolled over. Grumbling and hurt, I righted myself, retrieved my glasses (still intact!) and continued—ever so slowly—to the stairs.
In the few seconds between my collision and the journey upstairs, wouldn’t you know it, my daughter calmed herself. So I tucked her back into bed and made my way to the closest mirror. Just what I’d suspected: My nose had had a good battering. I doctored it up, hoping to keep any swelling or discoloration at bay. And as it turned out, by morning time I had very little to show for my midnight accident. Just a small boo-boo with some tender, very faint bruising. It was hardly anything to wink at, and I couldn’t get compassion from anyone.
Which, in all actuality, was just as well. I’d rather keep such incidences quiet, since they’re so embarrassing. So you’re sworn to secrecy. Share the details of this MRI with no one. It’s just between you and me…
***
ETA: Refreshing Yahoo every three minutes to check my inbox for query responses isn't a productive way to spend my time, is it?
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Kicking Procrastination To The Curb
Rumor has it there's another meme floating around. Alright, it's not exactly rumor. Michele Tune at Writing the Cyber Highway told me about it. And she's asked me to get involved, to boot. This one entails providing 7 tips for ridding your writing life of procrastination. So, though I know my tips and tricks may not work for everyone, here are my chosen dilly-dally busters. Meanwhile, I'm gonna try to figure out what, exactly, "meme" means...
1) Blog About It. Are you having trouble finding motivation? Post your concerns. The mental and physical process of getting it (the problem) down and defined may be enough to kick-start your juices. Not to mention, your network of fellow bloggers can both empathize, showing you you're not alone in the world, and encourage, providing you with the added support you may need to get going.
2) Let's Get Physical. Thank you, Olivia Newton-John, for now I'll be singing your song (sans leotard and headband, of course) all the live-long day... There's something to be said for a few minutes of exercise. Truly, I think there's actually some kind of endorphin or hormone or gas or somethin' that's given off when you're heart rate has been increased while exercising, and it proves to serve your creativity. But though I don't know much about biology, I agree that the process of working out your bodily kinks and energizing yourself can boost your thoughts and get you geared up for your stalled project. So get hoppin'! Or running. Or jazzercising. Whichever. (I like Kathy Kaehler's Get Fit Class on DVD, found in the bargain bins of Target for $2.50. Really.)
3) Strike A Balance. I know this is a recurring theme with me, but I can't speak enough of balance. If all areas of your life (for me they're God/my faith, family/home, and writing) are evenly considered, your mind will be at peace. Then, you'll be prepared (and ready!) for those writing-related thoughts to come ahead full-steam.
4) Take A Break. If you're really having that much trouble, it means a break is in order. And you can fulfill this need in a number of ways, all across the spectrum. It could be that all you need is an afternoon to yourself, doing something you love, just for you. Go antiquing. Or visit the gym. Or try quail hunting. (Mmm. Quail...) Or, if a greater respite is needed, keep your writing tucked away for several days or weeks. Go away if you can. Whatever your pleasure, the rejuvenation it provides you may be what your mind needed to get back on track.
5) Arm Yourself With Resources. If you can't actually make yourself write, immerse yourself another way. Keep handy a list of helpful websites, a stack of great books that get you in the mood. Ahem, for writing. Give yourself some time to absorb the information within. Eventually the bug will bite, and you'll be getting your own words out again before you know it.
6) Take Out Stock In Mead. I seriously keep notebooks everywhere: one in the kitchen, bathroom, at my desk, on my nightstand, and in The Burgundy Turd. Er, um... my van, that is. It's hard for me to keep up with and drag just one around, and this ensures that whenever inspiration hits I've got a method with which to capture it. Then, next time I sit down at my computer, I have some notes to get me started. With any luck, the idea will flow and culminate for me, without cause for procrastinating. And it may for you, too.
7) Sweat The Small Stuff. Okay, I'm not trying to argue the concept behind the books of a similar (but opposite) name. I just mean that life is full of teeny, tiny (though also giant and hard to ignore) bits of fodder. Be aware of your happenings, your surroundings day-in and day-out. We're supposed to write about what we know, write? I mean... right? So use your daily life as inspiration; you know that better than anything else. All the small things, if approached well, can turn into something grand at the hands of a writer.
And again, this is one of those "Tag! You're it!" type deals. Can I tag myself, times 7? 'Cuz then my work is nearly done. No? Okay...
Well, I don't think I've got seven people in queue who haven't already been tagged by me. There are some from whom I'd love to get tips, but I hesitate to hit 'em again. So - maybe this is a cop-out - if you read this and you've like to share your own 7 tips, have at it. (Please let me know via comment that you've done so.) And good luck!
1) Blog About It. Are you having trouble finding motivation? Post your concerns. The mental and physical process of getting it (the problem) down and defined may be enough to kick-start your juices. Not to mention, your network of fellow bloggers can both empathize, showing you you're not alone in the world, and encourage, providing you with the added support you may need to get going.
2) Let's Get Physical. Thank you, Olivia Newton-John, for now I'll be singing your song (sans leotard and headband, of course) all the live-long day... There's something to be said for a few minutes of exercise. Truly, I think there's actually some kind of endorphin or hormone or gas or somethin' that's given off when you're heart rate has been increased while exercising, and it proves to serve your creativity. But though I don't know much about biology, I agree that the process of working out your bodily kinks and energizing yourself can boost your thoughts and get you geared up for your stalled project. So get hoppin'! Or running. Or jazzercising. Whichever. (I like Kathy Kaehler's Get Fit Class on DVD, found in the bargain bins of Target for $2.50. Really.)
3) Strike A Balance. I know this is a recurring theme with me, but I can't speak enough of balance. If all areas of your life (for me they're God/my faith, family/home, and writing) are evenly considered, your mind will be at peace. Then, you'll be prepared (and ready!) for those writing-related thoughts to come ahead full-steam.
4) Take A Break. If you're really having that much trouble, it means a break is in order. And you can fulfill this need in a number of ways, all across the spectrum. It could be that all you need is an afternoon to yourself, doing something you love, just for you. Go antiquing. Or visit the gym. Or try quail hunting. (Mmm. Quail...) Or, if a greater respite is needed, keep your writing tucked away for several days or weeks. Go away if you can. Whatever your pleasure, the rejuvenation it provides you may be what your mind needed to get back on track.
5) Arm Yourself With Resources. If you can't actually make yourself write, immerse yourself another way. Keep handy a list of helpful websites, a stack of great books that get you in the mood. Ahem, for writing. Give yourself some time to absorb the information within. Eventually the bug will bite, and you'll be getting your own words out again before you know it.
6) Take Out Stock In Mead. I seriously keep notebooks everywhere: one in the kitchen, bathroom, at my desk, on my nightstand, and in The Burgundy Turd. Er, um... my van, that is. It's hard for me to keep up with and drag just one around, and this ensures that whenever inspiration hits I've got a method with which to capture it. Then, next time I sit down at my computer, I have some notes to get me started. With any luck, the idea will flow and culminate for me, without cause for procrastinating. And it may for you, too.
7) Sweat The Small Stuff. Okay, I'm not trying to argue the concept behind the books of a similar (but opposite) name. I just mean that life is full of teeny, tiny (though also giant and hard to ignore) bits of fodder. Be aware of your happenings, your surroundings day-in and day-out. We're supposed to write about what we know, write? I mean... right? So use your daily life as inspiration; you know that better than anything else. All the small things, if approached well, can turn into something grand at the hands of a writer.
And again, this is one of those "Tag! You're it!" type deals. Can I tag myself, times 7? 'Cuz then my work is nearly done. No? Okay...
Well, I don't think I've got seven people in queue who haven't already been tagged by me. There are some from whom I'd love to get tips, but I hesitate to hit 'em again. So - maybe this is a cop-out - if you read this and you've like to share your own 7 tips, have at it. (Please let me know via comment that you've done so.) And good luck!
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