Fear of Writing

This Blog Has Moved!

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:22:00 +0000

Fortunately, this move should be a do-nothing situation for most subscribers.

The RSS feed will remain the same and email subscribers were also included in the move.

If you use Favorites, please delete your old bookmark for the Fear of Writing blog and add this one instead:

http://fearofwriting.com/blog

The only membership area I was not able to import was Google Friends Connect. If you'd like to join the new blog using Google, AIM, NetLog, Yahoo! or OpenID, please visit the new blog and look for the red Friends box in the right sidebar.

Look forward to seeing you at the new location! ~ Milli

10K Day: Live, While It’s Happening! - August 13

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:59:00 +0000

Note for new arrivals: The 10K Day starts on the morning of Thursday, August 13. Your exact starting time is up to you.

WELCOME TO ALL those plucky writers who are participating today!

This is the place to post your check-ins.

If you develop a case of writer’s block—or if you need some extra ideas about what to write—you’ll find links to inspiring resources compiled below.

DON’T FORGET TO HAVE REGULAR BREAKS!

You’ll regret it later (when you're feeling fried) if you don’t take regular breaks. Even if you’re on fire with your writing, take your scheduled breaks. Every two hours is recommended. Breaks are also for posting check-ins.

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST FOR YOUR CHECK-INS?

Comment moderation will be turned off for the day so your posts should appear right away. If you don't see yours, try refreshing your screen.

Keep check-ins fairly brief:

1. You can mention your word count if you want to. If you’d rather not, please provide a general comment about your progress thus far.

2. You can also describe what you’re working on.

3. Feel free to mention how you’re feeling and how the day is going for you.

4. It’s always fun to hear what people are drinking, snacking on or listening to.

5. Check-ins only. Please DO NOT post your writing! (The comment section will become unwieldy if people try to post stories/chapters from their novel.)

DON'T FORGET TO log out of forums, Facebook, Twitter, email, etc.

Go gettum, Tigers! – Milli

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RULES & TIPS

10K Day: Rules of the Game

Recommended Preparations

Survival Tips, Productivity Tricks

GOT WRITER’S BLOCK? TRY THESE . . .

Use the Whiplash of Your Inner Critic to Make It Across the Drawbridge

Here's an example of doing the above but with a fictional character instead, by our very own Patti Stafford (10K Day participant). Look for the second entry on this page; it's entitled writer's lament.

Four of Milli’s Fun 'Fertile Material' prompts

10 Tips for Using the Fertile Material Writing Prompts

New Writing Prompt: Sparkling Beasts & Glimmering Gods

Milli’s Zodiac Writing Prompts based on Sun Signs for Writers by our very own Bev Walton-Porter (10K Day Participant):

Aries / Taurus / Gemini / Cancer / Leo

11 Fun Writing Challenges from Sunflower Ranch (50-word challenges, but you could easily use any of these to write a short story)

MOTIVATIONAL ARTICLES

Writing Dialogue: Don’t Freak Yourself Out

How I Am Overcoming My Inner Critic and My Fear of Success by Lois Eighmy

A Writer Kissed by Inspiration

10 Things to Celebrate About Being a Writer

Rocky Balboa’s Speech to Writers

Writer's Block & the Raw, the Ugly, the REAL

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:24:00 +0000

By guest blogger Monica Dutcher

SOMETHING TELLS ME that vulnerability is the best prescription for writer's block. Because when I'm not over-thinking, not self-degrading, not remonstrating over word X versus word Y and simply not being so much of what unfortunately makes me, I deliver—I nail it.

For the past several years I've been building walls to protect my delicate and complicated psyche from any additional pain that could be induced by human interaction or life-changing opportunities. That said I haven't experienced much, haven't had many friends, haven't taken any risks, haven't even felt the wind in my hair.

Thank God for Robert, my husband of eight months, who I met online four years ago during an intense period of hermitude. He is my complete opposite, perhaps a manifestation of the alter ego I have kept caged up for so long. He has a motorcycle, has gone sky diving, has been hurt and loved by countless friends and significant others; he simply loves life.

The bottom line is this: I—(this sentence could easily and should be restructured to fit the subject “we”)—need to let my alter ego take over a little so that I can start writing uninhibited, with reckless abandon.

I want me—plain Jane, over-analytical, worrisome Monica—to slip into sedation. I don't want to filter everything that comes to my mind. I want whatever coming to my mind to run right through my fingertips and onto the page. That will of course require me to keep chiseling away at the walls I've bricked around my creative chambers, which need to be fueled by life's experiences and observations.

I must put myself out there and I need to let what I've bottled up wriggle free, no matter how scary or foul or offensive it might be.

The writer's block, the dam, has broken loose somewhat, but the filters are still there, allowing only the purest of minerals to pass. But I don't think writing is about purity. Purity makes for a peeked story. I think it's about the raw, the ugly, the REAL.

Life is the elixir of creativity and I need to do some more living; I need to let go of whatever personal vices I cling to out of detrimental habit. Maybe I will write something that is complete drivel and has no use in a potential article or book chapter—but the words will come out, liberated and giving a chance to the real words that have been hiding in the back of my mind to pass through the dam.

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MONICA DUTCHER is an enthusiastic writer working hard and waiting to hit her stride as a published author and sought-after freelancer for major consumer magazines. She graduated with a B.A in English from the University of South Carolina-Aiken, where she received the Oswald Freshman Writing Award and Kaplan Writing Award for Excellence in Expository Writing. As the assistant editor of Augusta Magazine in Augusta, Georgia, she has proved to her scientifically-minded mother/best friend that an English degree can be put to good use (although Monica secretly frets about not making enough money). Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Monica hopes her writing career doesn’t end in Augusta and would ultimately like to live in a city like San Fran, California. When she’s not writing, trying to snag freelance jobs, working on her book, trying to capture the attention of literary agents or worrying about the future, Monica spends time with her husband of 10 months and with her parents out on the tennis court. You can learn more about her at www.inkwellalley.blogspot.com.

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RELATED TOPICS

Inkwell Alley - Ya Gotta Be There!

Milli Thornton: Feature Friday at Inkwell Alley

10K Day for Writers: RSVP Page for Saturday, August 22

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:23:00 +0000

TO FULFILL A special request from writer and book publicist Mindy Lawrence, Fear of Writing will now be hosting a monthly Saturday 10K (in addition to our monthly Thursday event).

If you'd like to join us for our first Saturday (August 22), start here by posting your RSVP in the Comments section below.

Next step is to prepare yourself ahead of time so you'll have the best experience possible. Please read the prep material in RELATED TOPICS below. You'll find more 10K support info in the sidebar of this blog.

WHERE TO GO TO PARTICIPATE ON AUGUST 22

To participate, return to this blog on the morning of August 22. (Each writer determines his/her own start time.) You'll find a special post called 10K Day: Live While It's Happening! and that's where you'll be making your check-ins.

The Live, While It's Happening! post will give you quick pointers on what to post for check-ins, as well as lots of helpful resources—in case you need more ideas on what to write about (or in case you get fear of writing and need some help to get unblocked).

Please leave your RSVP/comments below.

See you on August 22! ~ Milli

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RELATED TOPICS

10K Day: Rules of the Game

See a “Live, While It's Happening!” page (includes check-in tips & writing prompts

See a 10K Day in Action (writers' check-ins)

Inkwell Alley - Ya Gotta Be There!

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 09:14:00 +0000

I'M THRILLED to introduce my new friends from Inkwell Alley, Monica and Sbass.

I asked Monica, the writer half of this artist/writer team, to share the vision for their blog and to provide submission guidelines for Inkwell Alley's “Feature Fridays.”

Here's Monica in her own words:

INKWELL ALLEY is a place where artists, writers and crafters can not only find repose and hobnob with other creatives, but also have a chance to showcase their passions and talents.

Our niche community is based on the premise “it's not who you are, it's who you can become.” As artists, we all have dreams—big and small—and it’s a challenging journey, one that cannot be tackled alone. Whether you’ve received rejection

from a publisher or whether your artwork received a curled lip from an esteemed watercolor painter, you and your work will have a chance at the limelight, a chance to inspire others, on Inkwell Alley.

FEATURE FRIDAY is an opportunity for followers of Inkwell Alley to introduce their talents, hobbies and passions, and share five fun, interesting and quirky characteristics about themselves that might even be unknown to their friends.

Your submission package should include a photo or illustration of yourself or something that you think is representative of your character; a brief bio, and five of those fun factoids, which can be elaborated upon for a paragraph or so (e.g., if you can’t stand prunes, explain why and maybe even offer a quick, couple-sentenced memory about a bad encounter with a prune).

I recently had the pleasure of writing for IA's Feature Friday and it was heaps of fun. I encourage you to visit today, become a Follower, explore the juicy content, and consider writing about yourself for their blog.

I've noticed that many writers subconsciously react to these types of opportunities with a false assumption:

That must be for other writers. I'm not published / not good enough / not famous enough to write for this.

If that sounds similar to one of your own mental brush-offs, I'd like to leave you with this quote from Woody Allen:

“Eighty percent of success is showing up.”

Visit Inkwell Alley

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RELATED TOPICS

Milli Thornton: Feature Friday at Inkwell Alley

Light That Bucket! ~ A Special Tribute to George & Lisa White

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:21:00 +0000

AS I'M WRITING this blog post, I'm listening to a special song called Light That Bucket by The Bucketeers. I'm also watching Facebook and CaringBridge.org for updates about a kidney transplant happening in Florida today.

My childhood friends from the 60's back in Great Falls, Montana—brother and sister, George and Lisa White—are bonding in a way most of us never have a chance to experience. Lisa is donating a kidney to George (it gives me goose bumps to write that).

The song Light That Bucket has become my symbol of success for George and Lisa's surgery. The Bucketeers are Tom Lash on guitar and vocals, Gary “Mr. Z” Zajac on washtub bass, and George White on banjo.

Yep, this is George's very own band!

Of all the songs they've posted on YouTube, this one is the best representation of the amazing spirit to live and keep on keepin' on. Every time I hear it I feel both entertained and uplifted.

Please join me in listening to Light That Bucket in honor of George and Lisa's swift recovery from surgery.

Light That Bucket was written by Tom Lash. Performed at River Roost on Merritt Island by the Bucketeers:

For those receiving this blog post by email: If the video doesn't show up here's the YouTube link where you can hear the song:

Light That Bucket

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June 20, 2009: Lisa got out of the hospital yesterday and already walked a mile with her husband Dan today. George will be out of the hospital tomorrow, in time for his 11-year-old daughter's birthday on Wednesday. Hooray!

And it's Lisa's birthday today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LISA!

Here's an article about George & Lisa in Florida Today:

Colleague gets a new lease on life - by Suzy Fleming Leonard

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RELATED TOPICS

CaringBridge Free, personalized websites that support and connect loved ones during critical illness, treatment and recovery.

It has been amazing to receive journal updates from George during the lead-up to the kidney transplant. And I've enjoyed being able to leave my comments on his updates. What a great way to stay in touch with someone going through an illness when distance separates. George has supporters on CaringBridge from all over the place; Toronto, South America, you name it!

10K Day: Live, While It’s Happening! - July 16

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:59:00 +0000

Note for new arrivals: The 10K Day starts on the morning of Thursday, July 16. Your exact starting time is up to you.

WELCOME TO ALL those plucky writers who are participating today!

This is the place to post your check-ins.

If you develop a case of writer’s block—or if you need some extra ideas about what to write—you’ll find links to inspiring resources compiled below.

DON’T FORGET TO HAVE REGULAR BREAKS!

You’ll regret it later (when you're feeling fried) if you don’t take regular breaks. Even if you’re on fire with your writing, take your scheduled breaks. Every two hours is recommended. Breaks are also for posting check-ins.

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST FOR YOUR CHECK-INS?

Comment moderation will be turned off for the day so your posts should appear right away. If you don't see yours, try refreshing your screen.

Keep check-ins fairly brief:

1. You can mention your word count if you want to. If you’d rather not, please provide a general comment about your progress thus far.

2. You can also describe what you’re working on.

3. Feel free to mention how you’re feeling and how the day is going for you.

4. It’s always fun to hear what people are drinking, snacking on or listening to.

5. Check-ins only. Please DO NOT post your writing! (The comment section will become unwieldy if people try to post stories/chapters from their novel.)

6. If you have any special revelations or remarkable experiences, please give the MINI-version. All of you are invited to write about your 10K Day on the Fear of Writing blog after it’s over. Save your juiciest anecdotes to base a guest blog post on.

DON'T FORGET TO log out of forums, Facebook, Twitter, email, etc.

Go gettum, Tigers! – Milli

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RULES & TIPS

10K Day: Rules of the Game

Recommended Preparations

Survival Tips, Productivity Tricks

GOT WRITER’S BLOCK? TRY THESE . . .

Featured Warm-Up Prompt Vintage Typewriters and Deviled Ham from our very own Tumblemoose (10K Day participant)

Use the Whiplash of Your Inner Critic to Make It Across the Drawbridge

Here's an example of doing the above but with a fictional character instead, by our very own Patti Stafford (10K Day participant). Look for the second entry on this page; it's entitled writer's lament.

Four of Milli’s Fun 'Fertile Material' prompts

10 Tips for Using the Fertile Material Writing Prompts

New Writing Prompt: Sparkling Beasts & Glimmering Gods

Milli’s Zodiac Writing Prompts based on Sun Signs for Writers by our very own Bev Walton-Porter (10K Day Participant):

Aries / Taurus / Gemini / Cancer

11 Fun Writing Challenges from Sunflower Ranch (50-word challenges, but you could easily use any of these to write a short story)

MOTIVATIONAL ARTICLES

Writing Dialogue: Don’t Freak Yourself Out

How I Am Overcoming My Inner Critic and My Fear of Success by Lois Eighmy

A Writer Kissed by Inspiration

10 Things to Celebrate About Being a Writer

Rocky Balboa’s Speech to Writers

10K Day for Writers: RSVP Page for Thursday, August 13

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:55:00 +0000

I'm posting the RSVP page early this time so everyone will know the date for the next event. — Milli

WANT TO HAVE tons of fun, hang out with a bunch of other writers and challenge yourself to break some mental writing barriers? Good. Then you've come to the right place.

If you'd like to join us for the next 10K Day, you can start here by posting your RSVP in the Comments section below.

Next step is to prepare yourself ahead of time so you'll have the best experience possible. Please read the prep material in RELATED TOPICS below. You'll find more 10K Day support info in the sidebar of this blog.

WHERE TO GO TO PARTICIPATE ON AUGUST 13

To participate, return to this blog on the morning of August 13. (Each writer determines his/her own start time.) You'll find a special post called 10K Day: Live While It's Happening and that's where you'll be making your check-ins.

The Live, While It's Happening post will give you quick pointers on what to post for check-ins, as well as lots of helpful resources—in case you need more ideas to write about (or in case you get fear of writing and need some help to get unblocked).

Please leave your RSVP/comments below.

See you on August 13! ~ Milli

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RELATED TOPICS

10K Day: Rules of the Game

Recommended Preparations

Survival Tips, Productivity Tricks

10K Day for Writers: RSVP Page for July 16

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:49:00 +0000

WHILE IT'S NOT mandatory to RSVP (and everyone from June 18 is considered pre-confirmed), it's still a fun way to get involved ahead of time.

It will also be easier for me to welcome you on July 16 if I know to expect you.

Thanks to @LoisEighmy from Twitter for requesting the RSVP page. We did have one for the June event and it was very popular.

Please leave your comment/RSVP below.

See you on Thursday! ~ Milli

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RELATED TOPICS

10K Day: Rules of the Game

Recommended Preparations

Survival Tips, Productivity Tricks

Fear of Writing Gazette: July 13 Issue Out Now!

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:01:00 +0000

TOPICS FOR THIS ISSUE:

— Editor's Corner: “Just Do It”

— Outwitting Your Inner Buzzard

— Mindy Goes Beyond Her Fear

— Saundra_M: The Ways We Fraud Ourselves (Especially Writers?!)

— Baby Steps: Fun Ways to Get Some Writing Done

— Would You Participate If the 10K Day Was Saturday Instead of Thursday?

— 10K Day: Where to Go Online If You Plan to Join Us on July 16

Click here to read this issue:

A Tale of Two Writers - Their Before & After Fear Stories

Happy reading!

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RELATED TOPICS

Subscribe to the Fear of Writing Gazette

The Reluctant Blogger

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 21:15:00 +0000

By guest blogger Saundra_M

MY THANKS TO Milli for asking me to do a guest post on her Fear of Writing blog. I am honored to be asked, especially since I’m new to blogging, although I have been writing and playing at writing since I was in the seventh grade. I’ve written a book and have had several articles published but had never seriously committed to writing as a career until this year.

Even though I enjoy writing, somehow I resisted starting a blog like a teenager resists good parental advice. I studied all those great how-tos and why-tos online . . . and sat on my duff for over a year, figuratively plucking petals from the daisy: should I?/should I not?

Of course I had my reasons for hesitating, the primary one being the big “Not Enough Time.” I am self-employed and single, with a house and large yard which I take care of alone. I have committed to writing a novel this year, and my greatest fear was that jumping into blogging would eat up too much time when I already have trouble staying on task with writing.

My second fear was that it would either sap my creative juices when I needed to apply them to novel making, or I wouldn’t be able to think of anything to write about. (Frankly, I am only wordless when confronted with a “should write” guilt attack.) My actual problem is settling on a subject at any given moment from the whole deck of ideas scattered across the table of my mind.

If we’re going to get really honest, I have to admit, the other big fear was my propensity to begin things and not want to finish or maintain them. I know this about myself. I have a lifetime of beginnings that were abandoned somewhere along the way. Fortunately, that didn’t apply to my kids, just projects: sewing, painting, woodworking, sculpture, writing, gardening, classes, and on and on.

I’m an Aries with Gemini rising. Aries is a great starter and an idealist but not known for finishing and hanging in there (ask Bev Walton-Porter, author of Sun Signs for Writers). Gemini is the butterfly: touch and go. This is just to let you know I do have my legitimate excuses and understand my proclivities.

So my challenge has been to make a Decision with a capital D. That’s when I jut my chin out and do the blood sisters act with myself, pledging to never, never quit until the quest is complete. It sets an internal will factor inside that feels like steel. Honest. It’s a melding of desire and determination that gives you backbone where it didn’t exist before, providing self-discipline and steadiness of purpose. It’s also a sense of mentally/emotionally burning the boats so you can’t weasel out and turn sail to easier waters of old habits. And how well I know that one!

That’s what I did when I went on an anti-inflammatory diet, not once but twice: a severely limited diet that eliminates much of what I usually eat. I have a sweet tooth and I love grains. I put myself through Christmas baking for my family (3 kinds of candy, 5 different cookies, pies and breads) and managed to not so much as lick a spoon or finger. I maintained it for nine months. This second time, it was to alleviate the excruciating pain of hip joints that lost their cartilage due to arthritis. It made a huge difference in just a few days: why would I go back?

That’s what I did when I wrote my book in nine months including 87 pencil illustrations. I stuck it out through a computer crash, two new hard drives and lost data, and a computer that refused to create a PDF file of the book until I changed a header font throughout the entire book the last day. I panicked on a regular basis, spent an embarrassing number of sleepless nights, and had nightmares that I would do all the work and not be able to sell it and wind up on the streets in my old age. Did I mention I have a vivid imagination?

But I kept writing and drawing. I kept scanning and plugging them in. I kept researching and tying it together. The day I put the CDs into the envelope with the hard copy and mailed it to a Missouri printer was a triumph for me. I had proven to myself I could write a book, and even leopards can change a spot or two when the situation demands it.

There is a wonderful quote by Goethe that I keep on the wall above my monitor:

“The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too. Whatever you believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, power and grace.”

It is true.

I published my first blog post on June 3 this year. I now have five posts and have set up a second blog I’ll launch this week. I’ve already written the first post for that one.

Editor’s note: I waited to hit the Publish button until the first post for her second blog was online. It’s official: Saundra_M now has two blogs! See Related Topics below for the link.

Yes, the novel writing is suffering in terms of time spent on it, but the blog has unleashed new creative juices that are spilling over into the novel. What I’ve learned is that sometimes what you resist the most is exactly what you need to do and the benefits will remain a mystery until you just do it.

Saundra_M

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SAUNDRA_M (aka Sandra Moore Williams) is a popular face reader and the author of Faces: What You See is What You Get. Currently writing her first novel, she's also an illustrator, painter, book designer and astrologist. At Milli's special request she authored an e-book entitled Face Reading for Writers, which is the enrollment gift for students of the Fear of Writing Online Course. Saundra_M blogs at Near and Now and FACEOLOGY.

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RELATED TOPICS

Saundra_M's Face Reading Analysis for President Obama

Writing Prompts Based on Sun Signs for Writers

Guest Bloggers: An Invitation

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:17:00 +0000

AT FEAR OF WRITING, guest bloggers come in all shapes and sizes. Some may be very experienced and some may not.

If you don't have a book or blog of your own, please don't assume you’re not qualified to write for this blog.

Even someone with severe writer’s block who hasn’t done much writing yet is welcome.

Would you like to be a guest blogger? Please explore the topics below and choose one that most resonates with you. When you’re ready to submit, you’ll find my email address at the end of this post.

Thank you. I look forward to your submission! – Milli

IMPORTANT COURTESY NOTE

I never enjoy having to say no to a submission. This can be avoided by making sure you've thoroughly read my submission guidelines. In other words, I only publish blog posts suited to my particular audience.

For new writers: The tips provided in my article, Etiquette 101: How to Contact a Writing Website, will help you gain insight into the submission process while still doing it in a friendly, accessible place.

Profile of My Audience

My readers are looking for a certain kind of help and encouragement. They usually have an immediate need to get back in touch with the joys of writing. They need to learn to have fun again!

They're often recovering from some kind of emotional wound (example: a harsh, humiliating critique or prolonged writer’s block) that has shut down their capacity for self-belief.

Experienced writers who show up often do so because they're feeling jaded—they want to play and feel creative again.

Fear of Writing usually does not give advice on freelancing or about how or where to get published. The crux of the Fear of Writing method is to provide easy, fun ways to get some writing done.

This goal is accomplished (among other approaches) with the Fertile Material writing prompts. Although I'm not asking you to write about the prompts, it would be helpful to at least check them out. By seeing the prompts, you'll instantly understand more about the Fear of Writing Philosophy.

Topics for Guest Bloggers

1. Some of the best blog material comes when you write about yourself and your learning experiences. Readers will love to learn from you—and possibly avoid some of the pitfalls you may have encountered.

Don't be afraid to include a seeming failure that you can (or already did!) turn upside down to find the silver lining. Here's an example from one of my own blog entries: Rocky Balboa's Speech to Writers.

2. The themes I tend to stick to for this blog include

(i) fear of writing/writer's block

(ii) creativity in general

(iii) inspiring others—and therefore yourself!—to get more writing done

(iv) coming out of the closet as a writer

(v) demystifying the intimidation factor of the literary world, the publishing world or anything else that might make us feel small as writers

(vi) a writing or creative success you've enjoyed that might inspire others to succeed *

[* Submissions that are blatantly self-promotional without providing value to my readers will not be considered.]

(vii) any revelations or breakthroughs that took place while participating in a 10K Day for Writers

(viii) tips or anecdotes about having more fun as a writer

(ix) anything that helps writers believe in themselves or remember that they're not alone in their fears.

Some good examples of these topics can be found on the articles page at my Website. There's a great one by Amy Anderson entitled The Writing Life: Fearing the Worst and one by me entitled The Healing Power of Your Writing.

Another good way to get a feel for what I like is to read blog posts from previous guests. You'll find links for some of those in the Related Topics section below.

Happy writing! ~ Milli

Locate Milli’s email address for submissions

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RELATED TOPICS

How I Am Overcoming My Inner Critic and My Fear of Success (Lois Eighmy)

A Writer Kissed by Inspiration (Raff Ellis)

Inside the Heart & Mind of Blogger Sunflower Ranch

Spiritual Short Stories – A Heartfelt Conversation with Chris Cade

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:14:00 +0000

INSCRIBE YOUR LIFE is the name of a new program in development by spiritual author and mentor, Chris Cade.

Fear of Writing has been invited to participate and 26 prompts were written for a special Fertile Material workbook. The new program will be released later this summer.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to get to know Chris and benefit from his upbeat views and methods, here’s an Internet event you can attend this week:

Inspirations of the Heart Radio
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
11:00am - 12:00pm Pacific

Spiritual author Chris Cade and host Catherine VanWetter will share a heartfelt conversation inspired by the many stories and authors Chris has reviewed and interviewed.

Chris runs several Websites, including Spiritual-Short-stories.com, where he shares hundreds of stories written by and for people like you. Chris is also getting ready to release his writing program, Inscribe Your Life, which focuses on using creative writing as a tool for self exploration.

Join Chris and Catherine for an upbeat, fun and inspiring hour. You are invited to jump in and join the conversation!

Bookmark this page to attend live via the Internet (see above for date and time):

Blog Talk Radio: Spiritual Short Stories – A Heartfelt Conversation with Chris Cade

One of Chris Cade’s favorite quotes:

“Live your life fom your heart. Share from your heart. And your story will touch and heal people’s souls.” – Melody Beattie

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RELATED TOPICS

Free Spiritual Writing Mini E-Course

Let Your Writing Light Shine

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:05:00 +0000

Excerpted with permission from WriteSuccess newsletter by Mary Anne Hahn

WriteSuccess Quote

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

—Marianne Williamson

From My Desk to Yours: Let Your Writing Light Shine

Hello:

I generally opt for pithier quotes than the one I selected for this issue, but as I skimmed through Web pages of inspirational words, this one stopped me dead in my tracks. I thought about editing it a bit, you know, making it a little shorter . . . but to me, every word of it counts.

If you skipped past it, I ask that you go back and read it. If you read it quickly, I urge you to take it in a second time more slowly. And if you're already familiar with the quote, I encourage you to take it to heart, perhaps even memorize it.
What is it about these words from Nelson Mandela that strike such a chord in me? From a personal standpoint, I often find myself “playing small,” justifying the mundane actions that I prioritize as necessary, while postponing the ones that just might make a huge difference in my life or in the lives of others. I don't tackle the great novel because what if I never finish it? I put off working on ideas I have to help certain kinds of writers find lucrative work because what if it fails? Or worse yet, what if it takes off and I don't have the energy or ability to keep it going effectively?

These self-doubts plague many of us on different levels. We writers, who so often bare our souls and expose our vulnerabilities, may wrestle with them even more than other people. When I journal about mine, I generally think that they stem from feelings of inadequacy and fear of failure. Or I sometimes wonder, who am I to pursue a greater destiny than the one I am currently living?

What captivates me about Mandela's words is the challenge that they present to all of us to be our best selves and give our lives and work our best efforts. He says in effect, “I dare you to step into your greatness. In fact, you not only do yourself a disservice by ‘playing small,’ you are letting down every single person who needs you.”

All I can say to that is, “Wow.” Because here's the thing—people need us writers for so many things. They need us to keep them informed, make them laugh, motivate them to make a change, guide them in learning a new process, entertain them, get their messages across, promote their products and services, influence others to take some action, or tell their stories for them. Rich and famous people need us, companies of all sizes need us, our readers need us. Ours is a marvelous, important profession. We must never think of it as being otherwise, or belittle our calling by placing it behind all other things on our “to do” lists.

For whatever reason, we've been called to be writers. Let's not “play small”—let your writing light shine.

Here's to your writing success.
Mary Anne

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MARY ANNE HAHN edits and publishes WriteSuccess, the free online ezine of ideas, information and inspiration for writers, as well as shares writing contest, news and job leads on Twitter. A freelance “writerpreneur,” she provides ghost writing and copy writing services to coaches and Web-based business owners. Visit writesuccess.com
to subscribe to her newsletter, or follow her Twitter updates at twitter.com/writesuccess.

Inside the Heart & Mind of Blogger Sunflower Ranch

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:59:00 +0000

By guest blogger Sunflower Ranch

I STARTED BLOGGING to redirect and sharpen my writing skills after a very long break to take care of my Dad after my Mom's sudden death. Now he's gone, too, and after a few months I began to blog. Though I've been blogging just a few months, I feel it has helped me tremendously. I'm still not up to going back to my unfinished creative projects—yet. But soon, I hope.

I've met an incredible amount of extremely talented and friendly people while blogging. Many are friends from OnlineAuction.com where I sell books and collectibles. They suggested I have a blog to help with my sales at OLA, and they've lent much support and encouragement from the very beginning.

I have also made many friends in the arts—writers, poets, painters, photographers, essayists—and political junkies of all stripes. Many are multitalented and belong in more than just one category.

These bloggers live all over the world, and yet, they are the kinds of friends I know would make wonderful next door neighbors.

I started blogging cold turkey—if that's a phrase I can use. LOL So, I guess I'd have to say, everything so far has been a learning situation and as time goes by, I hope, an improvement.

Seriously, though, I feel I've grown as a person, having the wonderful opportunity to get to know so many interesting people. I'm a stay-at-home wife and caregiver, so it's a little more difficult for us to maintain an active social life. I feel what I do on the blog is an extremely important part of my life. It's widened my circle of friends in the loveliest way!

Blogging is a two way street—if you share your thoughts with others, they will share with you. If you visit their blogs, they will visit yours. Someone has to take the first step and I've been on both sides—and it's fun. If I visit your blog and like what I see there—be it enthusiasm, raw talent, polished paragraphs, or cool pictures, I'll read more of your blog, usually sign up as a follower, and put you on my blog list.

I feel a long blog list is good for two reasons: 1) I can easily check my favorites again, and 2) new readers to my blog will also have a chance to visit the blogs I find interesting and find some that resonate with them, too. Then maybe they will join that blog, share with their readers, and become followers. I guess I just love the interconnectedness of the blogosphere.

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Sunflower Ranch's poetry, fiction, and non-fiction has been published in national magazines and on the ‘Net. For many years she designed, edited and published several innovative online literary magazines through Cayuse Press. She now is concentrating on blogging and screenwriting. She holds a degree from the University of Washington School of Drama and for many years was a popular director, actress and drama teacher in the Puget Sound area. Later this summer and early fall, she will be teaching “Blogging for Seniors” through Pierce County Libraries. She sells books, collectibles, and stuff for writers online at the Sunflower Ranch store. A wife and care-giver, she lives with her husband near scenic Mt. Rainier in Washington state.

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RELATED TOPICS

Sunflower Ranch & the Vespa Friendship Blogging Award

Milli's Picks for the Vespa Blogger Friendship Award (coming soon)

Skydiving as a Writer

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:41:00 +0000

By guest blogger Jimmy Hanson

10,000 WORDS in one day.

Now, normally this would make a person panic. Kind of like sky-diving, that thing where it looks awesome from afar but when you’re actually there looking out the window it suddenly hits you – wham! You’re a thousand feet off the ground and you’re going to fall the whole way back down.

10,000 words.

… Then again, honestly, who ever dared to call a writer normal?

I could have easily waved it off as a crazy venture done by other people and left it at that, especially since the date – June 18th – was a Thursday and I had to work. Regrettably that includes sitting behind a desk answering phones for a hospital for nearly 8 hours straight, which has absolutely nothing to do with what I really want to do [which is write, 24/7!!].

I also have a 4-year-old son who needs to be cared for, chores to be done, dishes to be washed, clothes to be folded, dinner to be cooked … the list goes on, more and more excuses for why I shouldn’t have participated in such a fool-hardy venture.

But still … the intrigue got to me. 10,000 words in one day.

Has a nice ring to it, and since I hadn’t been getting much writing done lately I figured, what could it hurt?

Actually, nothing. I planned my day around it: get up at 4 a.m., early even for me, so that I would have two hours of uninterrupted quiet time for writing. Go to work, and pad at what I could without being caught. Go to lunch, type away like a mad fiend at a nearby café. Return to work, pad a bit more; maybe get up to 2,000 words if I was lucky. Go home and persist, persist, persist. Stay up until the stroke of midnight, if I had to.

So what really happened? Woke up at 6:30, ran around like mad getting everyone ready for daycare and work and zipping out of the house at 7. Arrived at work, promptly forgot my goal in the mad-dash to get emails and calls completed. Remember only around 9 that I had planned to have at least started by then and start typing at an insane pace to get a decent amount in without being tagged.

Lunch – run an unexpected errand, and then write all speedy-speedy for the remaining 20 minutes. After work, convince husband why it is vital I have an hour after work to head to the café and work solely on reaching my goals and thrill at the instant, and unexpected, approval.

Stop at 10 p.m., feeling astonished and amazingly accomplished to have completed 6,723 words.

Wow. The number still resonates within me even a few days later. I wrote 6,723 words in one day.

On a random Thursday, in the midst of life and work, and other.

How many can claim to have at least even tried such a venture? The pride of being a part of it – of reading the check-in posts and sharing in the trials and tribulations of myself and others – is something that can never be diminished, never be taken away.

10,000 words in a day. Crazy? Maybe.

But so is sky-diving, and there are people out there that do it anyway, right?

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JIMMY HANSON is a bipolar creative writer who found her ultimate niche in paranormal romance. Her favorite pastime is taking her son on fantastical adventures, and curling up with her two cats and a delicious book or two. Jimmy blogs at Thoughts of a Fragmented Mind: a bipolar journal.

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RELATED TOPICS

See right sidebar for rules, suggested prep & other 10K Day info

Patti Stafford: 10K Day Guest Blogger

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0000

“Never listen to dumb inner critics.” – Patti Stafford

IT’S GOOD TO be back in the company of fiction writers. Of course I’ve only been here a few days, BUT I feel this is a good place for me.

I’ve been keeping company with bloggers and non-fiction writers. Not saying anything bad about them, it’s just a different genre and I enjoy their company too. I realized recently that you need to keep company with the type of writing you pursue, so as a fiction and non-fiction writer I get the privilege of keeping company with both groups – but I have to admit the non-fiction group isn’t always as community oriented as the fiction group.

There’s a special bond among fiction writers that I don’t think exists with other writers.

6/17/09 – Tomorrow marks the 10K challenge. I am up later than I wanted to be and didn’t get as much fiction reading in as I wanted, but I’m just going to go with the flow.

6/18/09 – Okay, so now it’s the day of the 10K challenge. At this time I’ve churned out 3,426 words of FICTION. Yay! The inner critic had been telling me I couldn’t write fiction any more. In three hours, after a three-year hiatus from fiction, I have proven that the inner critic is just dumb! Never listen to dumb people or dumb inner critics.

This has been a release. Not only has it sparked my passion for fiction, but I’m finding that I enjoy flash fiction. These are very short stories that just give a glimpse in time.

I stepped away from writing for a long time; not just fiction, but non-fiction as well. I didn’t like where my writing career was going or the low pay that a freelance writer sometimes has to settle for.

I write non-fiction for the money. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy it or wouldn’t write it without pay, but it’s my job so I have to attempt to make money at it. I finally got back into non-fiction writing some time ago and things have been going really well in that area. I’ve made connections that I never thought was possible, especially since I came back starting from scratch.

Not only did I start from scratch, but I had a name change during my hiatus – I was privileged to marry the first guy I ever fell in love with- 27 years later. He’s the one I never got over. So I started over with a name change and everything. I expected it to take much longer to build up my credentials and stuff, but surprisingly, when you have renewed passion, the universe seems to work in your favor.

Then the yearning for fiction started gnawing at me. I kept planning to get back to it, but the lure of getting paid per article was a little more important. I was so thrilled to find the 10K Challenge. As soon as I read Milli’s post about it – which was the same day I found her, her blog and the challenge, I didn’t hesitate. I didn’t tell myself I’d think about it, I just commented right then and there that I was in.

I had a blast participating. But I discovered it wasn’t just the writing fiction that I needed or got the most out of. It was being in the company of fellow writers whom I discovered need as much support and encouragement as I do. That’s one of the key elements that’s been missing.

I believe we all started with the challenge of writing 10K words that morning, but it ended up being more about the community feel and sharing our struggles and accomplishments throughout the day. For this reason I’ve decided to create a community group for this purpose.

I’m so glad I participated and got to meet a great bunch of writers. I hope our friendships grow and we can all support each other because, other than musicians, no one ever understands us or our passion.

We need each other. I think that’s why the 10K was such a success for all of us, regardless of the word count. The inspiration and being able to share that, with other writers throughout the day, was one of the best parts of it.

Thanks to everyone for making it such an Awesome experience.

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ABOUT PATTI STAFFORD

I am:
A Musician's Wife. A Freelance Writer. An Inspired Thinker. A Mom of Awesome Kids.
Therefore I write.
Find me at: PattiStafford.com

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RELATED TOPICS

Join Patti's new forum! ~ Writer's Support Group

June 18’s 10K Day Beat All Records for Massive Writing Fun!

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:22:00 +0000

YESTERDAY 16 WRITERS met on the Fear of Writing blog for the purpose of challenging ourselves to try to write 10,000 words in a day.

The numbers and creative breakthroughs generated by this day were phenomenal.

For instance, one writer who had to be at her job all day still managed to rack up 6,723 words. Another writer broke the sound barrier (or something on that level!) by producing an astonishing 15, 410.

But beyond word count were riches that cannot be reduced to statistics. ‘Bean’ had always wanted to write a book about her Boston Terrier, but he passed away before she could do it. Yesterday she broke the 10K barrier writing about her beloved Mikey Dog.

Freelance writer Patti Stafford earns her daily bread from non-fiction writing—so she was thrilled at the opportunity to reconnect with fiction writing. And Patti was so moved by the depth of camaraderie, she’s decided to start a forum where writers can connect in between 10K Days.

Saundra_M ran around town helping her daughter with various home-buying and moving crises (it’s an interstate move and son-in-law was away on a biz trip)—and then had to emergency-water 50 plants that had wilted in the Texas heat. But she still managed to write 3,050 words and found a new level of creative freedom while working on her novel.

Below is a list (in alphabetical order by last name) of writers who’ve reported their final word count. We all agreed that the spirit of the day was the ultimate reward—so everyone was a winner, no matter how many words they wrote!

Al from Oz – 10,250
Bean – 10,174
Down the Rabbit Hole – 8,030
Maria – 3,000
Barb D. – 3,091
Lois Eighmy – 15,410
Jennifer “Jimmy” Hanson – 6,723
Mindy Lawrence – 5,000
Saundra_M – 3,050
Beth Morrow – 10,642
Susan Smith – 4,878
Patti Stafford – 3,500
Milli Thornton – 6,319
J.R. Turner – 10,179

TOTAL WORD COUNT FOR THE DAY:

100,246

The total word count is probably higher than this—not everyone who participated posted their check-ins.

I believe the ultimate feeling to take away from a 10K Day is this: how much it proves that we’re capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF US!

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Note to participants: If I’ve got your word count wrong, or if you don’t appear on this list, please write to me and I’ll correct your entry. (I didn’t have a way to contact some of the writers.) You’ll find my email address by clicking on the profile link in the right sidebar.

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RELATED TOPICS

See the Check-Ins Posted During June 18's 10K Day

10K Day: Live While It’s Happening!

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:00:00 +0000

Note for new arrivals: The 10K Day starts on the morning of Thursday, June 18. Your exact starting time is up to you.

WELCOME TO ALL those plucky writers who are participating today!

This is the place to post your check-ins.

If you develop a case of writer’s block—or if you need some extra ideas about what to write—you’ll find all those 10K Day links compiled here.

DON’T FORGET TO HAVE REGULAR BREAKS!

You’ll regret it later (when you get burnt out) if you don’t take regular breaks. Even if you’re on fire with your writing, take your scheduled breaks. Every two hours is recommended. Breaks are also for posting check-ins.

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST FOR YOUR CHECK-INS?

Comment moderation will be turned off for the day so your posts should appear right away.

Keep check-ins fairly brief:

1. You can mention your word count if you want to. If you’d rather not, please provide a general comment about your progress thus far.

2. You can also describe what you’re working on.

3. Feel free to mention how you’re feeling and how the day is going for you.

4. It’s always fun to hear what people are drinking, snacking on or listening to.

5. Check-ins only. Please DO NOT post your writing! (The comment section will become unwieldy if everyone tries to posts their stories.)

6. If you have any special revelations or remarkable experiences, please give the mini-version. All of you will be invited to write about your 10K Day on my blog after it’s over.

Don’t forget to log out of forums, Facebook, Twitter, your email, etc.

Go gettum, Tigers! – Milli

P.S. As a ritual before you start writing, check out this poem from Sharon Kane written especially for my blog: The Gate Keeper. It can be used as a prayer to get in the right frame of mind for your 10K Day—in loving cooperation with the gatekeeper of your imagination instead of in a power struggle :~)

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RULES & TIPS

10K Day: Rules of the Game

Recommended Preparations

Survival Tips, Productivity Tricks

GOT WRITER’S BLOCK? TRY THESE . . .

Use the Whiplash of Your Inner Critic to Make It Across the Drawbridge

Here's an example of doing the above but with a fictional character instead, by Patti Stafford (10K Day participant). Look for the second entry on this page; it's entitled writer's lament.

Four of Milli’s Fertile Material prompts

10 Tips for Using the Fertile Material Writing Prompts

New Writing Prompt: Sparkling Beasts & Glimmering Gods

Milli’s Zodiac Writing Prompts: Aries / Taurus / Gemini

Writing for Spiritual Growth
(Free e-course! When you sign up you’ll get the first lesson right away—but the first lesson contains an audio interview; either save it for later or listen in advance so it doesn't cut into your writing time.)

7 Fun Writing Challenges from Sunflower Ranch

MOTIVATIONAL ARTICLES

Writing Dialogue: Don’t Freak Yourself Out

How I Am Overcoming My Inner Critic and My Fear of Success by Lois Eighmy

A Writer Kissed by Inspiration (helpful for memoir writers)

10 Things to Celebrate About Being a Writer

Rocky Balboa’s Speech to Writers

“The Gate Keeper” – a universal prayer for writers

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:43:00 +0000

Written lovingly for this blog by guest blogger Sharon A. Kane

FOR THE WRITING to come
I must wait till I am “ready”
I cannot write on command
I must obey my inner workings:
I watch the chaos slowly organize
I feel the ponderances take shape
I set the stage for the ritual of “letting down”
For the ritual of the Gate Keeper letting down the gate
In order to write I must have an agreement with The Gate Keeper
That she will let down that gate and let me descend
That dark, still creative pool
Trolling the depths for words and phrases and images

When the Gate Keeper is sure I can say the words:
“Thank you for guarding and protecting me from
judgement and pain and shame
Yes! Stand your post while I descend to the levels of treasure
Where there is no critic or judge
Only imagination, sureness of truth, sureness of self
Where I know who I am
I know my life lessons
I’m ready to manifest
I’m ready right now
I’m conscious right now
I am awake right now!”

the words start to come,
one by one
then a trickle
then a stream
ideas take shape
setting the stage for
humor with belly laughs
and gravity with tears
and wisdom with stillness
and words are streaming a stream sure of its direction
whooshing, scaling rocks, and boulders and fallen trees,
cool clear water moving fast
cooling the ambient air past forest orchids and painted turtles and
bugs, lots and lots of bugs
till it meets another stream
the words come even faster now,
the images almost too fast
I can’t write fast enough
ink to paper, suddenly slow but I write,
and the streams start swirling
spiraling tornados, white caps and foam
we hit the rapids, the paper my kayak, the pen my oar,
the ongoing mist misting my eyes my face
the words rush as rushing water,
these waves of truth emerging from my head my heart my soul
no longer aware if I will reach someone
or make the world a better place
Because I am in the center of my self in the center of my knowing
I am writing speaking sharing my truth my story my experience
My life lesson, My challenge, even My obligation to open my self to the hungry others ready to resonate and receive permission,
ready to take their next steps,
ready to taste the watery ride
that is theirs for the taking,

Just step into the kayak and pick up the paddle,
let the water float you until
the urge to dip into the water
enlivens your paddle-wielding arms

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ABOUT SHARON A. KANE
I am a musician, energy healer, gardener and experimental cook. Convinced I couldn’t write, I started journaling to cope with challenging life events. Writing became the medium to move through the emotional work in a gentle way. My writing became the safe haven for the voice of my inner self.

Sharon blogs at: sophisticatedpeasant.blogspot.com

Mindy Speaks Her Fear About the 10K Day

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:16:00 +0000

MINDY LAWRENCE of MPL Creative has kindly allowed me to reprint some remarks she had shared by email.

This might be helpful to others, so I admire her courage in allowing me to include her name on this post.

Also, I know a technique that Mindy—or anyone experiencing fear or writer’s block—can use to encourage a breakthrough. Watch for it in RELATED TOPICS at the bottom of this post.

Here’s Mindy:

“The closer I get to ‘10K Day,’ the more I am sweating. I haven't produced anything over 1,000 words in a long time. I reached for my copy of FEAR OF WRITING and held it, white knuckled, reviewing all the reasons to just let it fly.

“I've been starting one story after another and dead-ending after a paragraph or two. I get started but find nowhere to go from there. Maybe I shouldn't worry about the ‘where’ and concentrate on the process.”

UPDATE 6/18/09: Despite the fact that Mindy was deep into preparations for a trip she was taking the next day, she racked up 5,000 words during her 10K Day! During one of her check-ins, she said, "Eye opening things are happening."

UPDATE 7/6/09 “This weekend I wrote 2200 words on my novel. I attribute my surge in writing to the 10K Write. Now I have 7200 words on my book. I plan on having a manuscript completed by the end of the year if at all possible. Thanks, Milli, for priming my writing pump. — Mindy”

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RELATED TOPICS

Writer's Block? Use the Whiplash of Your Inner Critic to Make It Across the Drawbridge

Mindy’s writing blog

10K Day: Rules of the Game

Writer’s Block? Use the Whiplash of Your Inner Critic to Make It Across the Drawbridge

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:21:00 +0000

THREE DAYS BEFORE Christmas, 2003, I was sitting in Wired! coffee house with Theresa and Daniel, two members of the Taos, New Mexico Fertile Material Writing Circle.

We were in the throes of what we always do in these writing circles, which is to pick a writing prompts from my book, write for about 45 minutes, and then take turns reading our stories out loud to the group.

(Ironically, the prompt we were working with that day was “Schmuckdom Never Pays.”)

Over the years I've had tons of fun in the writing circles. But, like most other writers, it's not all wine and roses. That's when I have to remember to use some of my own techniques—or tricks I've picked up in my travels—to break myself out of the funny farm.

(By the way, how come it's never actually funny when you're in there?)

This particular day I used the trick where you allow your Inner Critic to speak. Not simply to speak but to slander you; to paint a grisly picture of how woeful you are as a writer.

I find that the less you censor it (even though it's mean and horrible) the bigger breakthrough you're likely to have.

And I did. After I wrote this drivel (see below), suddenly the clouds opened up and the sunshine of a story idea poured through. I ended up writing something funny and even feeling good about my story. My companions liked it too.

The thing to remember is this: You are never going to feel like you're about to have a breakthrough. I certainly didn't. My skin was crawling with self-loathing and I could not see a light at the end of the tunnel.

You just have to keep going and trust that your feelings will change.

Here's what I wrote that day:

“I'm the leader of my own writing group, a group that uses writing prompts I invented, but I sure don't *feel* like a writer. I feel completely unmotivated to come up with a story line.

“Theresa and Daniel are sitting across from me writing furiously . . . thank God at least my prompts work on the other members of the group. I'm only writing this crap so I won't distract the real writers when they see me staring blankly at the wall for the entire writing session.

“Teresa’s already on the second page of her story. Maybe the caffeine from my breve will kick in soon and I'll be struck with inspiration. Ha.

“If I could somehow rustle up a story idea I would try to do something different with the character Caesar—the Chihuahua that gives Mr. Schmuck such a headache.

“Now Daniel has also turned the page. And Teresa’s on page three of her story! Maybe I can content myself with watching others derive pleasure and value from my writing prompts. In that way it least, Fear of Writing has been a success, even if only on a small scale.

“On the way to our writing circle I stopped to rent some videos. The second one I picked out was Gaby, the true story of a woman who was born with cerebral palsy and could communicate only by wriggling a toe, yet she went on to become a best-selling writer. I feel like a failure already just from reading the blurb on the back of the movie. Here I am, with all my senses intact, all my limbs in working order and a book full of writing prompts—so what IS my excuse??

“Why can't I feel more joy when it comes to writing? Everything feels like an over-chewed piece of bubble gum.

“In the land of Schmuckdom, I rule.”

Not sure how much it comes across to the reader, but I was feeling shame and low self-esteem (low? make that rock bottom) as I wrote this. But after I wrote the last line, somehow my mood shifted. Suddenly I was on fire to write the story that came flooding into my mind.

I believe this technique works for the following reason: While your Inner Critic stretches out and revels in its power trip, the subconscious mind tiptoes gently and slips in under the cracks.

Once the imagination takes over, the balance of power has shifted. And that's all you need.

P.S. If you have a copy of Fear of Writing, you'll find the writing prompt “Schmuckdom Never Pays” on page 203. In the e-book, if you're using the arrows to move between pages, it's on page 213.

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RELATED TOPICS

Fear of Writing: for writers & closet writers

Fear of Writing: the e-book

10K Day for Writers: Rules of the Game

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:02:00 +0000

Mission statement:

The purpose of a 10K Day is to try to write 10,000 words. The spirit of a 10K Day is to liberate myself and celebrate my creativity.

THIS DAY IS for you, so do what works for you. But these are the rules that have proven to produce the best results:

1. No editing or rewriting.

2. No looking back over what you’ve written during the 10K Day.

3. No rummaging—either in notebooks or in your computer files—for writing you did some other time.

4. No research. Make it up.

5. Don’t fuss about the rules of writing. Just write.

6. Don’t fuss with structure. You can format, add chapter headings (or whatever) some other time.

7. No struggling. (“Allow yourself to be crappy.” — J.R. Turner)

8. Take a 15-minute break every two hours. Use this break to refresh your body, brain and spirit.

9. Report to your writing companions during your break. These “check-ins” should be kept brief.

10. No agonizing over your word count. Yes, the goal is 10,000 words, but not at the cost of your peace of mind. This is not a competition—not even with yourself! Have fun instead.

Adapted from 10K in a Day by J.R. Turner

* WHERE TO POST YOUR CHECK-INS *

A special blog post for check-ins is created for each individual event. You can see an example of that here (scroll to the bottom of the following article to see the check-ins):

10K Day: Live While It’s Happening!

To get an idea of the wide range of results (and how the important thing is the spirit of the day, not the actual word count) go here:

June 18’s 10K Day Beat All Records for Massive Writing Fun!

If you have any questions, my email address can be located by clicking on my Blogger profile (right column, under my photo).

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RELATED TOPICS

10K Day: Recommended Preparations

10K Day: Survival Tips, Productivity Tricks

More . . .

How to Cheat on a 10K Day

Results of My First Ever 10K Day

10K Day: Recommended Preparations

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:43:00 +0000

YOUR 10K DAY will be more successful if you take the time to do a little advance prep. Below are some tips adapted from the article 10K in a Day by author J.R. Turner. Jenny has been a wonderful friend to me over the years, and it was she who introduced me to the glories of the 10K Day.

Prepare the Minds of Those Who Claim Your Time

Your 10K Day is for you.

If you're typically not very good at setting boundaries for your writing, this is a good time to start. Whether you attain the goal of writing 10,000 words that day is not the crux of the matter. Granting yourself that day is.

Let your friends and loved ones know ahead of time that you’ll be unavailable, except for matters of urgency.

Do as much as you can to minimize routine chores. Get the laundry caught up the day before (or catch up on it after your 10K Day). Do important errands the day before. Provide something extremely simple for the family dinner and assign someone to cook it.

My husband always cooks dinner for us on a 10K Day. This is not as heroic as it sounds. I supply him with a bag of Bertolli Complete Skillet Meal for Two (look for this range in the frozen section of your supermarket). All he has to do is dump it in the skillet, cook it for 6-10 minutes, and then serve it up.

They're actually quite tasty. And I can't tell you how heavenly it is to sit down to a hot meal—prepared by someone else!—after all those hours of writing.

Now Embrace the Joys of Being Dispensible

You can tell people to leave you alone until you’re blue around the gills but it's really up to you to police it. The low-stress way of doing this is to let your calls go to voicemail (or turn your cell phone off), log out of your e-mail and do not respond to text messages.

Oh, yes . . . and close the door to your writing area if you have one.

If you need to be available for emergency contact (this is often the case with mothers), decide ahead of time how to deal with this. Ideally, you don't want to listen to the phone ringing all day—part of you will be distracted, wondering who it is. That's why it's best to think it through ahead of time.

Gather Your Materials

You've probably already decided what you want to work on that day. Make sure you assemble everything you'll need the day before.

For instance, if you're writing an historical novel you'll probably want to have your research notes by your side. But if there’s something you really need to research before you can write the next section, do this in advance. 10K days are not for doing research.

Remember, This is Fun!

If you’ve started feeling some performance anxiety, chill out. You’re supposed to enjoy yourself. You don’t have to show anyone what you wrote that day. And you have nothing to prove to the world.

So you only wrote 1,999 words that day? Maybe that was precisely the breakthrough you needed.

Be Kind, Unwind!

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RELATED TOPICS

10K Day: Rules of the Game

10K Day: Survival Tips, Productivity Tricks

More . . .

10K Day: Not Sure What to Write About? No Worries!

How to Cheat on a 10K Day

Results of My First Ever 10K Day

10K Day: Survival Tips, Productivity Tricks

wordnerd@fearofwriting.com (Milli Thornton) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:32:00 +0000

THOUGH FUN and rewarding, a 10K Day is very looooong. But you can take some simple actions to increase your staying power.

Furthermore, you can increase your productivity by eliminating some things you'd normally take for granted.

Start Your Morning Right

On the morning of your 10K Day, you should dress comfortably and eat a proper breakfast. I always start with two poached eggs and two slices of whole wheat toast.

Though you might be tempted to “save time” by skipping breakfast, trying to survive the day on snacks (especially if your snacks don't contain much protein) is going to drain your brain of energy big time.

Drink Plenty of Water

Another excellent way to fry your brain cells is to make them work harder than usual while letting them dehydrate. To avoid this kind of avoidable brain fog, drink water at regular intervals.

How to Magically Create More Time for Your Writing

Your family and friends are not the only distractions you'll need to tame. Are you addicted to Twitter, Facebook or the news channel? Does your idea of writing time involve reading posts on writing blogs and then leaving comments?

First, give a Viking-sized holler of courage:

RAAARRRGGHH!

Now log out of everything and turn off the TV.

You'll be amazed how much more writing you can get done without these time suckers!

Zen Writing

When you sit down to write on a 10K Day, you should rely solely on creativity, heart and courage.

J.R. Turner (the friend who introduced me to the 10K Day) advises that you should hide your hard copy dictionary and thesaurus. In addition, turn off spell check, grammar check and the thesaurus option in your word processing program.

J.R. says: “Eliminate as much as you can until it's simply you and the blank page—your imagination and the story, nothing else.”

It's not about finding the perfect word or creating flawless sentences. It's about losing yourself in your writing.

A Shower Late in the Day Can Work Wonders

From my 2006 article, Results of My First Ever 10K Day:

“By the end of the third session, I was royally burnt out. I really thought I wasn’t going to make it. I couldn’t imagine facing two more sessions and churning out another 4,000 words.

“I decided to have a longer break after the third session to try to revive myself. I took a shower, put on some fresh clothes and had something to eat. I was prepared to also go do something relaxing, such as read a light magazine—but to my surprise, by the time I was finished eating I was eager to dive in again.”

Stretch Your Body

Your poor body is going to suffer during a 10K Day. Being made to sit in a chair all day while you largely ignore its needs is not the kindest thing. You can do your body a great service by adding some stretches to your day.

Here’s a free (and quick to read) e-book about stretching correctly, complete with photos to illustrate how:

Stretches for Desk Jockeys by Robin Segal

Enjoy your 10K Day! — Milli

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RELATED TOPICS

10K Day: Rules of the Game

10K Day: Recommended Preparations

More . . .

10K Day: Not Sure What to Write About? No Worries!

How to Cheat on a 10K Day

Results of My First Ever 10K Day