A Little Inspiration

I'm not quite sure why this week has seemed particularly dreary (maybe it's the gray skies that won't let go around here), but I'm feeling the need for a pick-me-up.  So I give you, quotes of inspiration thanks to Pinterest.  I hope you find them as uplifting and encouraging as I do.

Source: tealcheesecake.tumblr.com via Jen on Pinterest

Momspiration

By which I mean Mom Inspiration, not perspiration.  ;)

It has been a little over a week since Super Spawn started his private violin lessons, and the little guy has impressed me more and more each day.

I'm not talking about technical proficiency or anything here, his bow hold is far from perfect, but I'm talking about dedication.  My four-year-old son practices for 20-30 minutes every night, no complaint.  He listens to the CD of music he'll be learning over the next year for a minimum of an hour a day.

And he never complains.  Quite the opposite, he enjoys it.

Honestly, if I forget to turn his music on as soon as he gets in the car, he reminds me.  I'm just amazed at the level of devotion he is already showing toward his violin, and it's more than a little inspiring.  He enjoys doing it, looks forward to it even, and then follows through and puts forth the effort to learn something new.

Each of his lessons, his teacher has started by asking him, "Super Spawn, do you still want to learn to play violin?"  To which he responds by jumping and yelling, "Yes!"

When I sit back and think about it, I get a little hot in the face.  I mean, I love writing.  I love building stories and crafting characters and everything that comes along with it.  But do I practice every day with excitement for what I'm doing?  No.  And maybe I should be.

I'm making a resolution in front of all of you, my lovely followers.  From now on, I am going to approach my writing like Super Spawn approaches his violin -- with love, excitement, and dedication.  I won't look at it as work, but as an enjoyable time I get to spend doing something that makes me truly happy.

What about you guys?  Want to join in on my pledge?

My name is Holly, and I write for the love of it.  Do you?

Practice Makes Perfect

It has been a busy week in the world of Holly.  We're gearing up for moving into the big 4-K class on Monday with Super Spawn, starting violin lessons (along with daily practice sessions), Write On Con, end of year party cupcake baking and, you know, sleep.

Thanks to Erinn, I didn't miss this amazing video, hosted by Write On Con, done by Beth Revis.

Then last night Super Spawn had his first official violin lesson -- complete with a mile-long list of things to practice for next week -- and between the two, my mind started churning.  While I was coming up with ways to encourage practice for Super Spawn, and keep it from turning into a battle, I realized something about writing.

When you're in the middle of drafting with no end in sight, your last book didn't work out quite like you hoped... Sometimes the grass on the couch in front of the TV looks a whooooole lot greener than the stuff on the computer screen.  Which is kinda the same battle I'm gearing up for with Super Spawn, at least to start with.  There's tons of stuff you'd rather do than sit and practice something that feels endless, right?  I mean, I've been there.

We've talked before about rewarding ourselves for hitting milestones.  Completing a draft, finishing revisions, whatever.  I think that's great -- and it's something I do for myself.  But I also think it's important to celebrate the small victories.  I practiced (wrote) for 30 minutes tonight, I deserve ice cream.

Even then, the real reward for our devoted writing is improvement.  Just like Super Spawn's bow hold will get better and better each day, so will our prose, and that's the best reward of all.  Because one day when the Spawn is standing on stage for a recital, playing his Twinkle variations, he'll be glad he spent that time with his violin instead of the TV, even if it takes him years to get to that point.

And one day when you're holding a shiny book in your hands, you'll be glad you did the same.

Happy writing, guys.  Don't give up.  :)

Motivation for Monday

Mondays always seem to be my slowest moving day of the week.  My brain wants to remain in relaxed weekend mode, and my day job (er, and my MS) wants me to get off my butt and get to work!

So, I thought for this most unmotivated day of the week, I'd share some things I use to kick my motivation (and my writing) into high gear.

Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. ~ Winston Churchill

I write for the same reason I breathe - because if I didn't, I would die.  ~ Isaac Asimov

What gets you motivated to dive into work?

Road Trip Wednesday -- Picture This

The topic on the YA Highway this week is:

Share some images that inspire your WIP(s). 

I have two projects I'm in love with right now, so I'll include pictures for each.  I haven't told many about my newest WIP, so you'll get a tiny taste of what it could be about.  :)


My new WIP, which I'm calling (right now) Once Before a Time:

    

Happily Never After:

 

 

Cartoon Inspiration

You've gotta love kid movies.  Super Spawn has been into Kung Fu Panda lately, and I'll admit -- it's pretty darn cute.  We were watching it last night for the billionth time, and I was staring at my screen trying to come up with a descent post for you guys when Shifu delivers this little jewel of a line:


"You will have the one thing that no one else does."

Pretty much what's going on is the bad guy has defeated the five masters, and Shifu said that Po (the panda) is the only one that can defeat him...because he has the one thing that no one else does.

I think this applies to a lot of parts of life, and writing especially.  Each of us have different takes on stories, different ideas and approaches to telling them.  We each bring something special and unique to the table.

So why should we stick to this arduous journey of becoming published authors when the market is so tough?  What makes us special enough for that?  We each have something that no one else does -- and we need to share it.

Keep writing, keep dreaming.  I can't wait to see the world the way you do.  <3

Road Trip Wendnesday -- You Inspire Me

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.





This Week's Topic:
Who in your life has most inspired your writing?   

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 1)  My son - he inspires me to be everything I can and more.  He reminds me of all the good in life, and keeps me guessing at what may come next.  He also helps me remember to slow down and enjoy the small things in life.  And all of that translates to my writing.

2)  My sister - she kicks my butt and makes me keep going even when I feel defeated.  She reminds me how much I love writing, and how important it is that I keep going.


3) My brother - though he isn't here to inspire me directly, Robby's death reminds me every day that life is short.  My brother inspires me to go for my dreams now because there is no promise of tomorrow.

What about you?  Who inspires your writing?

Playlists of Awesome

So, I was adding to my playlist for writing this weekend.  I've come to enjoy writing to these happy, peppy girl songs.  I don't know how else to describe them, but anyway, I found a song as I was browsing itunes that made me think, "Um, was this written for HAPPILY NEVER AFTER?"

I was giddy when I found it, so of course I have to share with you.





"Heroes & Thieves" by Vanessa Carlton

Well, disaster it strikes on a daily basis
And I'm looking for wisdom in all the wrong places
But still wanna laugh in disappointed faces
And you can't help me
I'm blinded by these

Heroes and thieves at my door
And I can't seem to tell them apart anymore
Just when I've figured it out
Darling it's you I'm without

Well I'm stubborn and wrong,
But at least I know it
I keep movin' along
And hope I can get through this
But maybe this song is the best I can do it
So I'm patiently waiting on these

Heroes and thieves at my door
And I can't seem to tell them apart anymore
Just when I've figure it out
Darling it's you,
Darling it's you oh,
Darling it's you

I'm without your comforting logic like
These days are the ones I'll miss
And I seek a solitude
That I can't find without you

Well it seems like I'm getting closure somehow
A flicker of peace that I finally found
Thank you for believing in me now
Cause I do need it

Give me a year or two
And I'll mend my ways
And see these mistakes
And when I see the truth,
Darling trust me, when I can see
I'll be coming back
I'll be coming back to you

These heroes and thieves at my door
And I can't seem to tell them apart anymore
Just when I've figured it out
Darling it's you oh,
Darling it's you oh,
Darling it's you I'm without

Behind the Mask

I'm putting my book recommendation on hold this week.

Susan posted an amazing and thought provoking post on Let The Words Flow yesterday that I want to chime in on.  She opened up about depression, and how social media tends to cause us to hide when we're feeling sad.  Nobody wants to read a whiny tweet, etc. And in the face of all the happy tweets and happy blog posts, maybe it even makes us feel inadequate.

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But, you know what?  Sometimes, people are sad.  And sometimes, you need to talk about it.

I've been in the trenches of clinical depression before.  It's a dark and lonely place.  There was a time when I wasn't sure I'd ever make it out of that abyss.  I did...eventually...after years of searching the depths of who I am.

The thing that pulled me out?  Writing.

Know what can send me right back down that spiral?  Anything.  It's a daily battle I fight, and one I suspect I will fight for the rest of my life.  And that's not something I need to feel ashamed of anymore.

I try very hard to always be positive and happy in the face of social media -- heck, even around my family and best friends.  I never want to be the downer.  But in my past, that kind of outlook has done nothing but hurt me.  So maybe it's time to take the blinders off.

It's easy to beat yourself up over feeling sad.  Being in the industry we are, and the necessity of having an online presence, only adds to those feelings. 

So-and-so got an agent in only 24 hours, without querying!  It's not fair!  I'm one rejection away from the pill bottle.  What am I thinking?  I'll never be good enough. *

Turns into...

 I shouldn't be jealous, I know my turn will come.  Why am I so shallow? Gah, I hate myself for thinking that way! *

A vicious cycle, to say the least.

Then you read all the advice that says you should always be positive on your blog and Twitter!  Always wear a shining, happy face!  Be yourself, but only your happy self.

But it's not that simple.

Slapping on that happy face for the world is exhausting.  Sometimes you need to say out loud, "I'm sad!  I need someone to talk to!"  And that's okay.  Please, for the love, if you feel lonely and sad and like you can't reach out to someone, EMAIL ME!  Because I've been there.  Heck, I am there.  I'm sad too.  My life is not a perfect place to live.  The grass is no greener here than there and, in fact, is looking quite brown today. 

It's okay to admit that not everything is sunshine and daisies.  Even if, on the outside, your life looks it.  Because life isn't always bright and blooming.  Sometimes the skies darken, and it's easier to cope with it if you know you're not alone.


So, lovelies, I'm taking a stand right next to Susan.  It's okay to be sad, and it's okay to talk about it.  It's not about whining or wanting attention.  It's about our health, our feelings, and our needing support.  No more pretending.

*These are dramatic examples, of course, but you guys get the point I'm making.  Right?  You're smart like that.

First Story

I had a proud mommy moment when I picked Super Spawn up at school the other day.  The teachers commonly display the kid's artwork in the classroom's windows, so as I walked in, I took a gander at the newest pictures.

Their theme was Dr. Seuss that week.  The teacher had the kids draw a picture and then tell her a story about it.  She wrote their stories on the bottom of the pictures.  (Hey, they're only three, they can't write yet.)  Most of the kid's pictures had a single sentence beneath their precious drawings.

But not Super Spawn.  Here's his:

 

It says: "Once upon a time there was a little boy.  One day there was a cat in the hat a one and a four.  Once upon a time there was a jump!  The cat in the hat clean up."

My heart melted to a puddle of mush right there in my chest.  I told the teacher as I walked in the classroom how much I love the kid's stories, and she went on to say, "Super Spawn is such a great storyteller!  He makes up the funniest stories for me!"

I don't think she could have given me a bigger compliment.  I just had to share.  This one is getting framed for my office wall.

Think Positive Thoughts

You know, they say you should surround yourself with things that inspire.  Who "they" is, I have no idea, but it sounded good.

I follow this philosophy no matter who said it first.

My office is a goldmine of inspirational quotes, artwork, pictures, and such.  I spend most of my time there, so why shouldn't it be the place that houses my inspiration, right?

Right.  I'm so glad you agree.

Sometimes it surprises me how much it works.  I'll be staring out my window (I'm easily distracted), thinking about what project to tackle next, and BAM!  Solution to all my plot problems hits me.  I give credit to the plants and the gorgeous sunshine that floods my office every day.

 

Another day, another hour, I'll be sitting at my desk frustrated by paperwork or some other necessary task and I'll look above my computer screen where this hangs:

 

"Why, yes.  Yes, I will," I think, and carry on my task with a lighter heart.

 

I have a lot more of these in my office, but I won't bore you with pictures of them all.  The point is that if you surround yourself with positive inspiration, it makes it harder to be discouraged.

Do you do this?  Do you have quotes or pictures that inspire you stashed around your living space?

Write on, lovelies.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Analytics and Speaking Up

I was pursuing my Google Analytics page the other day when I came across a search term that someone found my blog by.  It was:

"Finding Your Voice"

Naturally my mind jumped into Super Writer Mode and went to town with details of why someone would run a search like that through Google.

Perhaps that someone needed a little encouragement.  Maybe they needed to speak out against someone or something, but were scared to do it.  Struggling with identity.  Struggling with self-doubt.  In an abusive relationship...you get the idea.  There are a million possibilities.  Either way --

I've been that someone before, and it both saddens me and brings me joy that they would find my blog with such a term.  It makes me sad to think of all the people out there (especially teens) who haven't found their voice, but it makes me SO happy that they would find my blog -- and maybe a little encouragement.  One of my long-standing life goals is to make a difference in the lives I touch, and I hope this is another way I can do so.

Whoever you are out there in internet land, I hope you get this message:

Speak up.  Don't be scared, and don't discount yourself.  You have something valuable to say and you should say it.  I support you.  Most of all, I believe in you.

I wish someone had said the same thing to me when I was younger.

Nightmares

Do you ever have nightmares that you wake up and swear are real?  Dream horrible things that you just can't shake for days?

 

I do.  Especially when Super Spawn is away.  (Which doesn't help my anxiety level there.)

I have these vivid, horrific dreams where my worst fears are realized.  I'll wake in a panic, soaked in sweat, my heart racing.

And what's the first thing I do?  Run for a pen.  lol

Those feelings, that terror, is so overwhelming and so real I always feel like I've got to get it on paper.  I'll need it one day when I'm trying to evoke these feelings in my stories, when my characters are experiencing these events.

I don't like to be scared.  I'm sure not many of you do either.  We'd all much rather live a blissful life full of rainbows and sunshine and kittens.  Truth is though, life happens.  Bad things happen.  And we have to take inspiration from where we can.

Nightmares fuel my inspiration for writing the hard things, and Super Spawn fuels the good.  What about you?  Where do you find those emotions to write the hard stuff?

When You Fall

There are plenty of sayings I could link to falling down and getting back up again, but we've all heard them.  Probably so many times that they no longer carry the same weight.

I took a literal tumble yesterday down about eight cement steps outside my office.  Yeah, ouch.  Luckily I didn't do anything more than earn myself some bruises and scrapes.  But, naturally, it had me in a contemplative mood all night.  Because that's just how I am.  Always trying to find the lesson, the deeper meaning to things.  ;)

There are more than the physical tumbles and falls we make over the course of a lifetime.  Especially as a writer.  One day we may be flying high on the devotion we feel to a project, and a rejection letter later -- well, we're face first on the pavement writhing in pain.

Dramatic example?  Yes, but it paints the picture.

Over and over again we may tumble and fall over the course of our writing careers.  It may be breaking into the market that proves most challenging, or it could be that tenth novel you can't get just right.  Whatever your place in this community, we're all gonna stumble and fall sometimes.  The important part is to reflect on it, to learn from it so that the experience will make you stronger.

And it really will.  While rejection or a critique may hurt, they will only make you a stronger writer in the end.  So get up, dust yourself off, and reassess the situation.  It's okay to wallow for a while, and by all means cry, but then get back to work and make it better.

Do you know what day it is?

We interrupt this blog post for an announcement that will shock the nation, send old men into hiding, and make young children cry (with glee). 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part one releases this Friday.  I repeat, this Friday!

Who has their tickets?  Me, me, I do!!  Unfortunately, I don't get to go to the midnight showing *shakes fist at sky* as I have a Super Spawn that must be attended to.  But I will be going Friday night...to the IMAX showing.  HOORAY!!!!!

So, for today's post I want to know:  Which Harry Potter book has influenced you the most, either as a writer or a reader, and how?

For me, it was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  It was, admittedly, the first book I read in the series.  I had seen the movies, and loved them, but never picked the books up.  When I picked this one up, my life was changed forever.  Seriously.  No melodrama intended.  I fell in love all over again with the art of words.  It drew me back to where I had been a few years before, back before a major life catastrophe.  It was like finding a long lost friend.

So much happens in OOTP, and Harry is forced to deal with more than ever before.  There's the betrayal he feels from Dumbledor, Ron and Hermione, there's always drama at Hogwarts, Voldemort is back, and then the unthinkable happens: JKR kills one of her lovelies.

I cried and cried and cried.  I cry every time I read it, and every time I watch the movie.  (It's my favorite movie out of all of them so far, so I watch it a lot.)

I'm not exaggerating at all when I say Harry Potter helped me find myself.  Because he did.  I've read the books over and over and over again through the years, and I'll never stop.  He reminded me of my love for reading, my love for words, and eventually he led me back to writing.

Maybe a little random

**Edited to add:  You must go over to Susan's blog today for her Big Announcement!  Plus, she's giving away lots of cool prizes!!**

Okay, so if you've been following this blog for a while you know I get random sometimes.  Welcome to another episode of Holly Randomized!

On my drive down to the conference I heard this song as I was breezing through radio stations, and it caught my attention.  First because of the happy, bouncy music, but then the words grabbed me.

Lyrics:
...
How did we stay so long together?
When everybody, everybody said we never would
And just when I, I start to think they're right
That love has died...

There you go making my heart beat again,
Heart beat again,
Heart beat again
There you go making me feel like a kid
Won't you do it and do it one time?
There you go pulling me right back in,
Right back in,
Right back in
And I know-oo I'm never letting this go-ooo

I'm stuck on you
Whutooo whutooo
Stuck like glue
You and me baby we're stuck like glue
Whutooo whutooo
Stuck like glue
You and me baby we're stuck like glue

Some days I don't feel like trying
Some days you know I wanna just give up
When it doesn't matter who's right, fight about it all night
Had enough
You give me that look
"I'm sorry baby let's make up"
You do that thing that makes me laugh
And just like that...

There you go making my heart beat again,
Heart beat again,
Heart beat again
There you go making me feel like a kid
Won't you do it and do it one time
There you go pulling me right back in,
Right back in,
Right back in
And I know-oo I'm never letting this go-ooo
...



So what does this have to do with anything?  Leave it to me to think of the most abstract meaning.  It totally reminds me of my relationship with writing!  When I start to feel down, feel like my writing is the worst it could possibly be, something happens that makes my heart beat again.  It reminds me how much I LOVE writing.  I remember how great it makes me feel, and it's all better again.


Some days you want to just give up, then you have this great idea -- maybe a really stellar paragraph or a shiny new idea -- and your heart pitter-patters again with that excitement, that love.


I'm right, aren't I?  :D


Here's the music video, the band is Sugarland and the song's title is "Stuck Like Glue."

This is for YOU

This post is for YOU.  Yes, you.  The one reading with the eyes, and the face, and the hair.  This blog post is for you.

It's to tell you that I think you are a really great writer.  It's to tell you not to give up.

I want you to know that I believe in you, and that even if your writing is hard right now, you'll make it through.

You can do it.  Whatever it may be.  And if you need a friend to lean on, I'm here.

For real. 

Sometimes we all need a little inspiration.  We need to know someone, no matter how removed, is in our corner cheering us on.  So, my lovelies, I want you to know I'm here.

I feel like as a blogger, writer, mom, and person I can offer more than just snippets of my thoughts every day.  I've met some pretty awesome people through blogs and online forums in my life, and I want to give back some of the love.

So, I want you to know, if you're having a rough day and need a bit of encouragement, send me an email.  Post a comment.  Whatever.  I'll respond.  And whatever the issue may be, you can know for sure someone is rooting for you.

JK Rowling on Oprah

So did you guys watch the interview of JK Rowling on Oprah last week? I watched it online once I got home from work.

Seriously, I cried.

I never realized how many parallels there were between my life and Rowling's. She was a single mother, escaped from a bad marriage with a tiny baby. There wasn't always enough money.

Then there was an idea -- a spark that set a flood loose in her mind. And so came Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Six months into writing, Jo lost her mother. In the interview she says that her mother's death is reflected on every page of the Harry Potter series.

I found the interview so incredibly inspiring.

I'm a single mother who escaped an awful marriage with a two-month-old baby. I moved in with my mother because I couldn't afford to support us on my own.

Then there was an idea. A light bulb came on. I started writing Emerald's Keeper long-hand in a $0.10 spiral notebook.

My younger brother died a month after I started writing. And on every page of Emerald the way his death affected me is reflected.

It's so hard sometimes to be positive in the face of so many challenges. But thanks to Jo's interview I feel a new sense of invigoration. Determination.

She reminded me that through hard work and perseverance, anything is possible.

So I'll keep my chin high and one day, someday, everything will look a lot brighter.

Inspiration for a Friday

Well, I was trying a new feature to post for today, but I'm not thinking it's going to work.


Here's what I want to know: What keeps you going? What inspires you to hit send one more time for yet another query? What keeps you writing when the going gets tough?

I'm preparing myself...the rejections are bound to come. That's just part of being a writer.

But I want to make the best of it. I don't want to let it get me down.

What are your tips, tricks, and ideas?

I'm planning to dive head-first into my next WIP. That alone is inspiring.

Friday Inspiration

I had this post all planned out, written, and ready to go. Then life happened.

I was chatting with the illustrious Susan (my crit partner) the other day about where we find inspiration for our stories. She mentioned that music gave her inspiration, and for me...it doesn't. At all. Which seems strange because most writers I know have playlists for their novels and everything.

So, I was thinking about where my inspiration comes from. Various places and blah blah blah. Then Wednesday...and...all I can do is tell you what happened.




My phone rang at 4:55, just before I left the office. I didn't answer it. So when I got in my car and saw it was my mom, I called her right back.

I could tell something was wrong by the way her voice shook. She started with, "Super Spawn is fine, I just talked to the sitter."

At that moment I nearly made the turn to head toward the Hospital. I knew something horrible had happened.

My mom was struck by lightening while standing in her kitchen. It came in through the french doors and struck her in the shoulder and shot out her fingertips.

October 5, 2009 my 19 year old brother died by being accidentally electrocuted on the job. So, naturally, all I could think was, "It happened again. I've lost my mom." My mind wouldn't process the fact that Mom was fine and on the phone with me. It only saw Robby and the horror of what we went through just a few months ago.

I freaked out.

But that wasn't all.

The neighbor had been struck by lightening at exactly the same time, in exactly the same way as my mom.

But that wasn't all.

The neighbor 2 doors down -- her 16 year old son was struck, and their house was burning down.

All of this happened at exactly the same time, to three houses that sit side by side. There were only minor injuries. Luckily the mom of the kids in the burning house had just gotten home, and was able to get them all to safety before the flames engulfed them. I hate to think how different the story could have ended.

But you know, it just made me shake my head in wonder. I don't need to look any farther than the day-to-day happenings in my life to find inspiration for even the most unbelievable stories. Because my life is full of the unbelievable.

I'm just so thankful this time we get a happy ending. As sad as it is to lose a house -- it could have been so, so much worse.