I'm Baaack! Motivational Monday

Hello all!

It's nice to be back blogging. I didn't think I'd like to blog, but I figured I should learn the ropes, along with Twitter (which btw, I'm up to 58 followers!). I still find myself having no idea what to say on Twitter, not knowing if I'm overstepping any bounds if I just hop into someone's conversation, so it's still kind of awkward for me.

But blogging is different. Just me and my thoughts. It's nice.

Anyway! WriteOnCon! Awesome! So sad it's over! Okay, I'm done, but seriously, it was pretty cool. This was my first year checking it out and I learned so much. One of the "speakers" I found most helpful, wasn't about queries or pitches or anything technical. It was about walking.

Yes. Walking.

 

CC Image Courtesy of Loop_oh on Flickr

Okay, it wasn't only about walking, but about people watching, and realizing no two people walk the same. So why should any two people write the same?

Check it out. Jocelyn Davies is one clever cookie. Writing and Walking

This piece not only spoke to me, it screamed, calling me and pulling me out of a major funk. We all have moments (at least I hope I'm not the only one) when we think our work sucks. When we think we're not good enough. Well, I was going through one of those periods and it didn't help I was reading The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson. It's beautifully written, the protagonist is uniquely loveable and strong, and well, I'm love, love, loving it.

But as I was love, love, loving it, it made me reevaluate my own MS. Did my protag. have enough of a voice? Were my sentences too clunky? Did I include enough emotion to break through and touch the reader?

I was in a funk people. It was so stinky, I was about ready to hurl my MS into a fiery abyss (send it to the trash file on my laptop)!

Then I read the article by Davies and it was just what I needed.

I shouldn't feel the need to live up to someone else, some other book. I should write what I'm inspired to write, how I'm inspired to write it. Is it some epic, world-altering masterpiece? No. Is it something I would enjoy reading and am proud of? Absolutely.

Don't get discouraged. Don't pull out the yard stick and measure yourself against anyone else. Do you. Be you. Stay true to your vision. Don't be afraid to go your own unique way.

CC Image Courtesy of mhumphrey on Flickr

 And that my friends, is how I stayed motivated.