Licking the Air

I don’t want to say my dog is retarded, but I think she might be. Every morning when Dear Hubby and I enjoy our coffee together, she licks the air. She’s a hunting dog, and her trainer said she has an amazing nose–one of the best he’s ever seen. Apparently, it’s so amazing she can taste our coffee fumes. Someday I’ll capture this on video and amuse the entire world with her quirk.

This morning, I’m sipping vanilla hazelnut coffee, which seems to be her favorite. Tasting the air appears to be a near-super power for her, and she’s been licking so hard for the last ten minutes her nose is starting to chafe.

Lick. Lick. Lick. Lick. Whine.

I think she whines out of frustration over not being able to fully satisfy her desires by tasting the air. I imagine it’s a bit like letting a chocoholic lick a chocolate silk pie and leaving it right in front of him. Unfair and frustrating.

Just like writers can feel when their hard work is denied a place in the publishing realm over and over and over again. We can just barely taste the air, but we can’t quite get full. Ugh.

So, what are your near-super powers when it comes to writing? What aspect of storytelling do you rock at? Is your nose getting chafed yet, or are you still able to stand up against the frustration that is the publishing arena? Are you ready to knock over the coffee mug or dive into the silk pie?

Curious minds want to know!

 

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Looking Forward One Step At A Time

In two days I get to go white-water rafting for the very first time. In five days Eldest turns eighteen. In nine days he moves into his dorm room and two weeks after that, I send my littles off to school.

It doesn’t matter what we have in front of us, as long as we have something to look forward to.

In life, it’s getting an education, securing a career, raising children and retiring comfortably. In writing, it’s writing a book, sending a query and getting published.

Yet, amid the myriad of dreams, goals and expectations we have for ourselves, things can get off track. I’m here to tell you that this is perfectly okay–as long as we keep something in front of us to motivate us. By our very nature, humans need emotional fulfillment. We need to accomplish things–large or small. We need to succeed.

But we often set humongous goals for ourselves and keep those so tightly focused in our minds that we forget all the baby steps along the way. We get so overwhelmed by this seemingly untouchable dream that we lose our spirit, our motivation and our passion. We let this unattainable goal press down on us to the point where it forces our failure rather than leads to our success.

Last week we vacationed with Dear Hubby’s family. All twenty-one aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents were there. During the course of the week, Eldest must have heard 2001 pep talks about his upcoming college endeavor. One had a huge impact on him and he relayed it to me on our way to his orientation.

His uncle pointed out that college is like a trip to California. You know where you will ultimately end up, but you can’t focus on that. You can’t look at the map of California and expect to arrive safely from across the country. Instead, you have to concentrate on what is directly in front of you–what you can see in your headlight beams. Because if you’re only looking at pictures of the beach, you’re going to crash right into the deer standing in your way.

When you feel overwhelmed by your life path, what do you do to slow it down? How do you keep focused and keep moving forward?

Curious minds want to know.

Imposter Alert: Writer or not?

Yesterday, a friend stopped by to pick up her boys.  I’d been watching her tykes while she finished out her school-year duties.  When she showed up, shoes stretched from one end of my seven-foot rug to the other.  This line-up translated into eleven kids. 

She joked about my revolving door and what that must cost in food (ten plates adorned our dinner table last night), laundry (thirteen beach towels were washed) and time cleaning (the broom is used only second to the toilet bowl scrubber).  She ended by saying I was a good mom.

Yet, some days I don’t feel like I resemble  a passable rendition of a mom.  Period.  Good doesn’t even enter my mind.  Surviving, yes.  Tired, sure.  But good?

Somehow, I’ve earned my Mom Imposter Certificate.  I’ve managed to fool the masses.

There are days when I feel the same about being a writer.  At times, I have it all under control.  I write.  Edit.  Learn.  Hone.  Read.  Plot.  Network.  I’m a veritable whirlwind of Writerhood. 

Other days I’m nothing more than a Writing Imposter Extraordinaire.  Oh yeah, I can fool anyone into believing I’m actually a writer.  Everyone but myself.  

My keyboard time consists of idle fingers or poorly constructed sentences.  I edit, only to refuse to save the changes I’ve made.  I’m hit with a new fact about the writing biz that makes me feel like a newbie penning her first word. 

A writer, I most definitely am not.

And yet, when someone asks, I smile at the shoes lined up along the rug of my life and feel satisfied.  For even an imposter has a job to do.  If we work hard enough at showing the world we are good moms and real writers, eventually we become what we practice.  Even if we’re tired and our muses are on vacation.

Are you a writer?  If so, how do you define this in the context of your life?  Is a byline your threshold for success or is the act of writing enough?  Are you an imposter?  If so, why do you feel this way, and what will it take for you to believe that you are, indeed, more than what you give yourself credit for?

Imposters want to know!

A Writer’s Guide to Commemoration Keepsakes

While in New Orleans with our youth group, the other director and I jotted down notes for the next time we brave a national gathering. 

• ID tags for backpacks
• Permanent markers for autographs
• Handmade trinkets to distribute to share the love with other participants

Often times the best ideas come through others. 

The online writing community is no different.  Small gems can be found in unexpected places.  While checking out my fellow bloggers yesterday, I uncovered one such gem.  Well actually, Lori Degman blogged about it and now I’d like to share it with you.

At her book launch for 1 Zany Zoo, the Cheerio’s contest winner had friends and family sign a copy of her book as a keepsake. 

What better gift to yourself, what better reminder of your hard work and what better affirmation of the support you have garnered along the way than receiving an autographed copy of the book you wrote?

Currently, I’m creating a shadow box as a visual reminder of my writing journey.

So far I have collected my positive rejections, my first byline article, my first check I earned through my writing, the floppy disk that my short story was submitted on, a horribly written picture book that motivates me to keep trying, an interview of me in the paper regarding my writing and my offer of representation for my chapter book.  I only need my Degman-style autographed book and my shadow box will be complete.

Commemoration Keepsakes of Your Writing Journey

• An autographed book by family and friends.
• A writer’s journey shadow box.

How will you commemorate your success?  Share your cool and unique ideas with the rest of the writing world and I’ll add them to the list.