In this final week we acknowledge the mysterious spiritual heart of creativity. Creativity requires receptivity and profound trust.

Creativity requires faith. We all have an inner dream we can unfold if we will just have the courage to admit what it is, and the faith to trust our own admission. Trust your self, trust your passion, trust your God. He has created a path for each of us. When we are on the right path we have sure-footedness.

Mystery is at the heart of creativity. When we say we want to be creative we mean that we want to be able to be productive. To be creative IS to be productive but we must be cooperative with the creative process.

Perhaps we have forgotten about our hidden creativity. This is the purpose of writing morning pages and taking artist dates – to discover our creativity within. This is the process we have been going through for twelve weeks. We must be determined and not let anything or anyone discourage us.

The first task this week required me to write down any resistance, fears, angers I may have about going on from here. When it comes to my bucket list the resistance is caused by lack of money.

I am angry at myself for letting my creativity dwindle. I have procrastinated, made excuses, distracted myself, let others control me. It is time for me to be free. Free to be me. Let my creativity flow.

My fear is that my life will come to an end before I get to accomplish any of my dreams and goals. I am afraid there is not enough time and money to accomplish them all. I feel I waited too long. I am almost 50 and feel unfulfilled.

I also fear that I may have lost the passion. Is there something else holding me back? Self-sabotage? External sabotage? Lack of support?

I re-examined my areas of procrastination. I wrote a short story last week and it took me another week to get around to typing it. And then I didn’t print it out until I was on the way out the door to go to my writing group. I shared the story with my group and received some input. I will be submitting the short story to a local contest. I haven’t done that in a few years so I am happy about that. Even these weekly reviews have been typed a couple of days later than when I first started sharing my journey. But sometimes life DOES get in the way.

I still haven’t de-cluttered the basement. We renovated the kitchen this past fall. We had a dumpster in the driveway and to make the most of it I did a lot of cleaning out of storage areas so I think I am a little “cleaned-out”. But I will do it. And I still haven’t finished my vision board. I have the pieces, just need to cut and paste. Perhaps with my dreams in front of me I will be more motivated.

I reviewed a list of negative beliefs provided in week #1. Out of 20 of them I circled 8 that apply to me they are:

I will go crazy.

I will abandon my friends and family.

I don’t have good enough ideas.

I will have to be alone.

I will never have any real money.

I will die.

I will have only one good piece of work in me.

It’s too late. If I haven’t become a fully functional artist yet, I never will.

So I still have some work to do. I followed these up with some affirmations:

I am a creative person.

I will not allow my creativity to be stunted.

I will take the time to allow myself to be creative.

I am confident in my abilities.

I have dreams I deserve to have come true.

I will actively pursue my dreams.

I will nurture my creative self.

I created a God Jar. I wrote down on slips of paper individual prayers of mine. I looked for a jar but decided to use a can, somewhat like a coffee tin. I used address labels to stick on the front “God Jar” and “In this can, I leave in God’s hands”. Honestly, I didn’t even notice the rhyme until after I put the stickers on the can. The can sits next to my bed and when I say my prayers at night I point to it. All my prayers I leave in God’s hands.

I found myself writing to-do lists in my morning pages. This is what I need to do to accomplish my goals. Writing them down is tool to making them happen, just like writing down your dreams will make them more likely to come true.

I did come across a dilemma this week. I wondered whether I should actually be writing a novel. Should I start a blog? Wouldn’t a blog take up too much time – valuable time away from working on my novel? Or perhaps I should give up the published author dream and do book reviews. I love to read and have written a few reviews. Many people do book reviews for a living using their blogs to showcase them. I prayed on this and I am still determined to finish writing that novel and get it published.

So I have come to the end of my Artist’s Way journey. What will I do without my weekly meetings with friends? What will I write every morning without tasks to respond to? I will continue to write about my life and my writing life. And, after a couple of weeks’ break, I will be continuing the process with Julia Cameron’s next book – Walking In This World. So you haven’t heard the end of me yet. I will be writing weekly reviews of part two of my journey. But for now, I will push myself to get back to my novel – after I edit my short story and get it in the mail before the contest deadline.

Affirmations:

God will guide me.

No more excuses.

Taking time for myself will make me a happier, more productive person.

I can turn negative comments into positive results.

This week we examined the ways in which we must nurture and accept ourselves as artists. We focused on exercise and self-nurturing.

We must accept who we are. We are artists. Money does not validate who we are. If we want to paint, we paint. If we want to write, we write. If we want to sing, we sing. Not allowing ourselves to be our creative selves will only make us unhappy. It is important to surround ourselves with people who nurture our artist and not sabotage us.

Creativity is a spiritual act; it is not a business, although it may generate much business. We cannot stop creating because we don’t have the money or it doesn’t bring in the money. We must follow our passion. How many people are working in jobs they hate because they didn’t follow their passion?

Exercise can stimulate our creativity and spirituality. Building an Artist’s Altar helps stimulate motivation. If you cannot create an area to be your special working place, then rituals like burning incense, listening to certain music, or holding a smooth rock can stimulate your creative senses.

We were asked to list five ways to nurture ourselves. Planning a vacation is a great one and something I did try and do, but hubby put the kibosh on that due to financial constraints. However, I do think we will still go away, just not my dream trip to Hawaii. I was going to buy myself some flowers, but hubby bought some for me. Syncronicity. I still haven’t finished my vision board. I have all the pieces cut out I just have to paste them on the Bristol board. I got Wii Fit for Christmas and have made some use out of it. I need to do it more often because it is exercise, it is creative and it is fun. We need to make time to play.

I had to be honest with myself as to what changes I have made over the last 10 weeks. I have made small changes to my television viewing habits and in allowing the internet to totally distract me. Small changes will eventually become bigger I hope.

I created a wish list. Two things on my wish list are a trip to Hawaii and a week-long writing retreat. Coincidentally I received an email about a week-long writing retreat in Hawaii. I looked into it but it seemed like a lot of money and I would be with people I don’t know (something I’m still not used to doing – stepping out on my own). I had the opportunity to take a beading class but the time conflicted with my soccer schedule (coaching, not playing). I want to lose weight and the doctor confirmed that I need to do so. Yes, she says I am one and a half inches over-waist.

We were asked to re-think the God concept. Does God support our creativity? I believe so. I did go off on a writing tangent about personal things that have been going on in my life and wondered where God was during all this. But then I read the book “Heaven Is For Real” by Todd Burpo. It is the story about a 3 year-old boy who, while having surgery, left his body and went to heaven. This true story left me in tears and renewed my faith in God.

I know you are waiting to hear about my ‘Ah-ha’ moment. Because I have changed my television viewing habits, one evening I shut down my computer early and took a notebook to bed. I ended out writing a short story. The next morning, while writing my morning pages, I checked online for the rules of an upcoming short story contest. I got distracted with emails, contests, Facebook and such, as always. Because I was writing at the same time, I wrote this:

“Is it any wonder I don’t get any writing done? I’m not making it a priority, or at least not being disciplined. I allow myself to be distracted. Why is this such a problem? Am I constantly searching? Searching for that something to bring me happiness? Wow! I think I just discovered something about myself. This is profound and eye-opening.”

It is true. I spend a lot of time entering contests. I win a lot of contests but I am still waiting to win something big.

I followed this with another task – writing a letter to my artist self.

“You have a great talent and you are wasting it. You are looking for something to bring you happiness. I thought writing made you happy. Will success in writing bring you the ultimate happiness?”

“Writing makes you happy. You need to keep telling yourself that writing makes you happy, that you are a good writer, that you will be a successful writer. Positive thinking begets positive results. Waste not another minute searching for something you already have.”

So there it is. Happiness is within me. I am searching outside myself for something to make me happy when it is within me if only I would recognize it and nurture it.

Affirmations:

I will stop feeling sorry for myself and do something for myself.

Dreams can come true.

I deserve to have and accomplish my dreams.

Happiness is within me.

I still remember the beginning, when I first started out on Triond. I simply didn’t know what to write about, never mind my actual writing skills. My very first article on Triond was “The challenge of being self-sufficient” written in February 2009.

One of my most popular articles by far has been the one about the monks: “How monks spiced their days up by brewing and drinking beer“.

Another big hit was the article on windmill design I wrote in 2009 as well: “Windmill design – from the middle ages until today“. 

Picture via Court J Lee.

In the meantime, I’ve reached another milestone last month: In December 2011 more than 1000 people viewed my content within a month. It took me a while to get there, but it has been worth the effort.

Although the payments have been not abundant splashings of Dollar notes, but reliably regular events. And yet, I’m not doing it for the money. If you’d do it for the money, there might be other, more profitable opportunities. There is another reason why I keep writing on Triond. And that is the community of writers.

Let me express my gratefulness to all Triond users who became my friend, and made the effort of reading and commenting on my content. The community idea is probably the biggest value I’m getting out of the Triond community. It’s you, the reader, who gives me the most satisfaction, the reason why I keep going.

You can be a successful writer on Triond as well – publishing is easy, and you can even earn some money with it. Simply start by using this link, and you are in it.

I miss writing.  I’m at a point in my life where I need to take into consideration what I have, who I am, and what I want to do.  This is crucial, and reflection upon what’s going on in my life has always been just as important to me.  I fear losing my bearings.

I want to write again.  I am envious of those who write often and seem to have infinite amounts of creativity.  Where does it come from?  How do you re-spark this type of thing?

Writing for me was always a release when I was depressed or just unhappy (there is a difference!).  I’m not at that kind of point in my life.  Luckily, I’ve moved on and was able to get my head above water.  So what now, I ask.  What do I do?  What do I write about when I am fearful of going back to such a dark place, yet seek renewing the deep passion I had for writing.

Well, I suppose all I can do is start off small.  My niche will come to me.  I am not sure what I’ll start trying to write just yet but what’s important is that I do make the effort.  I am afraid, excited and anxious all at the same time.  I hope the results are decent at best.

Week 9 found us facing the internal blocks to creativity: Fear, Enthusiasm, and Creative U-Turns. We examined how we could blast through the blocks.

Fear is a major block. What are we really afraid of? Afraid of failure or success?

Enthusiasm wanes due to lack of discipline and Creative U-Turns are, again, excuses we make for ourselves to not do what we should due to doubt or lack of confidence.

Any resentment I have towards my novel is due to the editing process and a few bits of advice which left me doubting myself. I am afraid I will not be able to make this novel longer than a novella, that adding more will seem like filler. I am afraid that the sex scenes are too graphic and go against my Christian values and that deleting them altogether will take away from the message I want to convey.

I am afraid I will never finish my novel.

We were to review what we have gleaned so far answering the questions: What have I consistently been complaining about? What have I procrastinated on? What have you allowed yourself to change or accept?

I am happy to have been able to pinpoint the blockage towards my novel and I explored some more ideas for the sub-plot.

I am happy to have explored different creative outlets.

My biggest complaints have been about the demands of my family on me preventing me to do what I want. I don’t know whether I am sabotaging myself or whether life is sabotaging me. I must learn to prioritize and put aside a certain time each day for writing. I do all I have to do and then come the end of the day I am too tired to write or edit. I need to put writing ahead of other things. I have not missed a day of writing morning pages, but as I look at all that I do in a day I realize I have to make changes. Some things have to go completely.

I created some goals. I will have my novel finished and out to publishers and agents by the end of the year. I plan to have the edits done by April 1st. I must de-clutter my work space.

Unfortunately I have been dealing with a lot of fatigue lately and not accomplishing much of anything. However, one evening, despite the fatigue, I did some exercising on Wii Fit and found myself not as tired afterwards. Exercise is another priority I have to make in my life, as well as getting a decent amount of sleep every night.

Affirmations:

My novel is a priority.

I am God’s child. I have an obligation to treat myself well.

Taking care of myself is a priority.

I can do it.

We all do it.

Whether you’re eligible for your pension or if you’re still in high school, the chances are, you write on a daily basis. For some of us, like myself, writing is important to our livelihood, we need to be the best writers we can be in order to make ends meet.

Others write for fun.

Whatever the reason for your writing, it’s incredibly important that you be at the very pinnacle of your game and I am about to tell you the single most effective and useful way to becoming a better writer.

Are you ready? Hold onto your seatbelts…

WRITE.

That’s the answer, that’s the ultimate way you can become a better writer.

It seems obvious doesn’t it? And I promise you this isn’t a joke.

Write every day, write on the bus, write on the way to work, write when your hand is tired and you feel like you can’t write any more (though I suggest you try typing instead in that instance). Think about things you could write at dinner, on the toilet, in conversation.

Write whenever and wherever you can.

And then when you’ve finished writing, go back and read all of that work. It might be terrible, it might be brilliant. As long as you can identify the mistakes that you’ve made in your writing, you can become the best writer that you can be.

1. Dean Wesley Smith: Learn about the craft and business of fiction writing from an experienced pro.
2. Kindle Direct Publishing: Upload your e-books to start your career as a writer.
3. Nathan Bransford, author: A former literary agent turned novelist offers regular news on the publishing world.
4. Ralan.com: Looking to sell a story? Start your search for publishers here.
5. Scrivener’s Error: A great site for beginning your search into legal matters concerning writing.
6. Lightning Source: Want your own books printed in a flash? If so, you might want to work with this company.
7. Absolute Write: There’s a little bit of everything here for every kind of writer.
8. Publetariat: If you are considering becoming a self-published author, this is the site to get you started.
9. A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing: Author J.A. Konrath’s blog pulls no punches as it examines his journey as an author and informs writers of what to expect along their own journey.
10. Duotrope Digest: One of the best sites to look at when considering selling your stories, poetry or novels.
11. Red Adept Reviews: Want your books or e-books reviews? Ask Red Adept.
12. Kindle Nation Daily: Find out what’s new and what’s free in e-books for the Kindle. And writers can do a little advertising here to spread the word about their own e-books.
13. Smashwords: Here’s the place to upload your e-books and have them distributed to a wide range of retail sites.
14. Publisher’s Weekly: More than 100 years old, this magazine keeps readers and writers and everyone else in the book business informed of all the book news. Plus there are plenty of book reviews.
15. Holly Lisle: This author’s site is one of the most extensive on the Web concerning information beginning fiction writers need to know.
16. Triond: Yes, it’s a content farm, but it’s one of the few content farms that allows fiction. Those just starting out writing fiction can start at a place like Triond to to build their confidence and possibly an audience.
17. Tor.com: This is the official site for science fiction and fantasy publisher Tor Books. Mainly a site for readers, writers can also learn a lot here.
18. The Passive Voice: If you are about to sign a book contract, you should probably check out this site first. Then hire an IP attorney.
19. Writers FM: Yes, it’s an online radio station for writers! Give it a listen.
20. PubIt!: If you want to publish your own books for the Barnes & Noble Nook e-reading device, this is the place to go.
21. IndieReader.com: Here’s the site for finding out all about indie authors and indie books.
22. Kristine Kathryn Rusch: If there is any one author’s website you need to check out regularly, this is the one. Here you’ll learn how to be a business-savvy writer, as well as picking up a few tips on improving your craft. There’s even some excellent short fiction for free.
23. Writer Beware: If you are a writer worried about getting screwed over, this is the group that will let you know about scams and such.
24. KindleBoards: Mainly a forum for readers and those who love the Kindle, plenty of authors hang out here.
25. National Novel Writing Month: Challenge yourself to writing a novel in a single month. What month is that? November.
26. CreateSpace: If you want to see your books in print, one of the popular self-publishing sites is this one, working with the folks at Amazon.com.
27. Apex Publications: Fans of dark science fiction can find plenty here to read, but there’s also much for writers to learn on this site.
28. Eugie Foster: This prolific writer offers other writers plenty of reasons to visit her website, including lists upon lists of markets.
29. Anthologies Online: Interested in selling your short fiction to anthologies? If so, look no further than this website. Here you can find all kinds of information about upcoming anthologies and what kinds of fiction each is seeking.
30. Rogue Blades Entertainment: Fans of heroic fiction, especially fantasy, can find plenty to enjoy at this site, but so can writers.
31. Writer’s Digest: Since 1920 this magazine has been providing writers with interviews, market listings and tons of other information.
32. Kindle Author: Want to keep up with the new and hot indie digital authors and their e-books? If so, this is the website for you.
33. XinXii: Proclaiming itself the “leading online marketplace for all kind of written works,” this site is another venue for digital authors to sell their material, with a focus on the European market.
34. Preditors & Editors: This is likely the No. 1 watchdog site on the Web for writers. But this site does much more than warn writers off of potential scams and such. It also provides so much information about writing that it could fill several books.
35. AgentQuery: If you are looking for a literary agent or agency, this is the site to begin your search.
36. Scribophile: Writers often depend upon critique groups to help flesh out their work, but sometimes a writer has a hard time finding such a group. Well, your troubles are over. Scribophile offers critique groups, forums and more.
37. Publishing Perspectives: Keeping up with the international markets and publishers is the name of the game at this website.
38. Trigger Street Labs: Feedback and possible exposure are the names of the games at this site, along with a chance to have your work seen by some real professionals.
39. Scribd: Think of this site as another e-book upload site, but not exactly. Instead of e-books, Scribd uses its own technology to allow users to read documents online and one smart phones.
40. Writers’ Conferences & Centers: It’s not always easy to find a writing conference in your region, but this site makes searching for such quite simple.
41. How to Publish a Book: Sometimes beginning writers don’t know how to go about getting a book published, and this site covers the basics.
42. Book Marketing Buzz: Writers often have a difficult time promoting their works, but this site can provide advice and articles to get you going in the right direction.
43. The Prompt Writer: Sometimes you just don’t know about what to write. The Prompt Writer can give you tons of ideas, and it can help come up with ways to brainstorm.
44. Query Shark: Sooner or later fiction writers all have to write query letters, which most dread. But the Query Shark site offers plenty of information about how to improve your query letters.
45. David Gaughran: Let’s Get Digital: This isn’t just another writer’s blog, but a serious blog that gets indepth about indie publishing/self publishing. Worth watching.
46. Fiction After 50: A blog for older novelists looking to forge ahead.
47. The Book Designer: Too often writers don’t think about design, which is a mistake. Good design can help draw potential customers and readers.
48. Fictionwise: Run by the folks at Barnes & Noble, this is one more site where indie authors can sell their digital works.
49. United States Copyright Office: Any writer in the U.S. interested in learning about protecting their works needs to check out this site.
50. OneLook Dictionary Search: This search engine for dictionaries pours through more than 1,000 online dictionaries in at least six different languages to find your word.
51. Critique Circle: If you are having a difficult time finding readers to critique your own, you probably want to give this site a try.
52. The Writer’s Guide to E-Publishing: Looking for a one-stop shop to find answers to all your questions about e-publishing? This just might be the place.
53. AuthorsDen: AuthorsDen is an online community where writers and readers can come together to communicate and share with one another.
54. GoodReads: This is a social network, much like Twitter or Facebook, except its focus is upon reading and books. Here writers can promote their work and reach out to readers.
55. Aaron Shepard’s Publishing Page: Most authors don’t have the time to provide their personal knowledge to other writers and readers, but Aaron Shepard has taken the time.
56. Shelfari: Make your own virtual bookshelf, do a little promotional work, talk to readers and fans, all at Shelfari.
57. Backspace: More than just a networking site, Backspace offers plenty of chances to pick the minds of professionals in the publishing business.
58. Step-by-Step Self-Publishing: The list of book reviewers alone makes this site worth following.
59. Kickstarter: A unique website that helps artists find investors, such artists including writers.
60. Nookboards: Writers, don’t ignore the Nook or its readers as a possible market. Keep up with all things Nook at this site.
61. Authopublisher: This self-publishing blog stands out as a little different from most others, offering fresh ideas for writing and marketing.
62. The Independent Author Network: Become a member and reach out to your peers, other writers, while also promoting your books and e-books.
63. Writers Write: There is so much information for writers to be found at this site, it’s difficult to know where to begin. Let’s just say there’s a bunch of information here worth your time.
64. LibraryThing: Books, books and more books! Keep up with books. Read what others say about books. Create your own list of books. Write about your favorite books. Did I mention this site has a lot about books?
65. The Savvy Book Marketer: Yes, there is material for sale here, but there’s also tons upon tons of articles offering free advice about promoting books and e-books. Check it out!
66. Textnovel: Ever think of writing a novel on a cell phone? And letting others read it on a cell phone? Textnovel can show you the way. And you might win $1,000.
67. Guerrilla Wordfare: Author Lizzy Ford’s site offers tons of tips for independent writers searching for ways to navigate the world of online promotions.
68. The Writer Magazine: Published since 1887, this is the oldest magazine about writing still being published.
69. Stormwolf.com: If you are a fiction writer, you want to learn from the pros, right? Then check out the website of New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole.
70. Publish Your Own Ebooks: This one site gathers together all kinds of important news and informational articles for self-publishing e-book authors.
71. authonomy: This site from publisher HarperCollins is an online community for writers and readers. Writers can get feedback, and there’s always the possibility of professional publication.
72. Operation E-Book Drop: Give back to the troops by offering coupons for free versions of your e-books.
73. Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America: Not just for those who pen fantasy and science fiction tales. This organization’s website has all kinds of helpful information.
74. Poets & Writers: This is more than just a magazine or a nonprofit organization. Poets & Writers is practically a way of life for those of us with a more literary bent.
75. Kindlegraph: One of the more unique websites out there, this site actually allows authors to provide digital signatures on e-books for readers.
76. Publishers Lunch: If you’re looking for one stop online to find all your book industry publishing news, then this is the site for you.
77. Evil Editor: Check your ego at the door and prepare for some hilarity. This blog can be brutal, but it can also be educational.
78. Inkygirl: Learn all about writing for young people and illustrating from an experienced pro.
79. Book-in-a-week: If you need an extra push to make you a more productive writer, then this might just be the website for you.
80. Author Tech Tips: Don’t be afraid of new technology. As a writer, you can learn the basics through this site.
81. Self-Publishing Review: This one site contains all the tips, news and other information a self-publishing writer could want, including forums for meeting one’s peers and making friends.
82. DearEditor.com: Ever want to ask an editor a question? Here’s your chance. Just check out the site and send your question.
83. Scribblerati: It’s an online social network just for fiction writers. All genres are accepted. Sign up for a membership.
84. Bookfessions: Just a fun little site to read others’ private confessions about books they’ve read. Sometimes funny, sometimes touching, you have to see it to believe it.
85. Storybook: More software than a website, Storybook helps fiction writers outline their work, keeping track of scenes, characters, and more.
86. Write 1 Sub 1: Think you have what it takes to write one story for each week of the year? You’ll never know unless you join this site and try.
87. Bad Agent Sydney T. Cat: Since anyone can be a literary agent, a cat decided to take the job. You read that correctly. And Sydney’s site offers plenty of important information concerning literary agents.
88. Fifteen Minutes of Fiction: Take part in some projects that could help you find time to write each day.
89. YATopia: Eight Young Adult literature writers come together to share their knowledge and experiences.
90. ePublish a Book: This is the site where beginning writers and self publishers need to start. Plenty of information and help is available here.
91. Grammar Bytes!: Think you know the basics of English grammar? Test yourself and find out. You might discover you need to brush up on a few things.
92. Writing Forward: This site offers a little bit of everything and covers a lot of ground. It’s especially helpful for beginners who need help with the basics of creative writing and poetry.
93. Writer Unboxed: I think of this site as sort of like Huffington Post for writers, but without all the politics.
94. Writing.com: Where to begin? This site offers so much to writers, you’ll just have to spend a few days (yes, days!) looking it over to find everything it can do for you.
95. Funds for Writers: Yes, it is possible to make money as a writer, and this site can send you in the right direction. Or is that write direction?
96. Novel Spaces: Discover writers and books with which you are possibly unfamiliar, and learn about other genres and styles of writing.
97. Write It Forward: Want advice from an old pro at the writing game? Look no further than Write It Forward, the blog of NYT bestselling writer Bob Mayer.
98. Online Etymology Dictionary: Need to know the history of a word? Look it up here. Especially helpful for historical fiction writers.
99. Storyfix.com: Author Larry Brooks is known for teaching at writing workshops, and you might one to consider attending one for advice.
100. Author Ty Johnston: Yes, my own blog. It has plenty of personal stuff, but also much for budding writers, like this list, for instance.

The first set of questions asked here referred to what in our past may have us blocked today. In other words, what negative memories from family, friends and teachers discouraged us from following our dream? These play a part in our early conditioning. Were we told we were no good at what we did? Were we told that art doesn’t sell? Were we told our work wasn’t promising or that we didn’t have the talent?

In examining the questions pertaining to this theory, I came up empty. I was not drawn to writing as a child. I loved to read, yes. But writing was not something I came to until later on. I had no one encourage or discourage me. This task had no affect on me, but I am sure it is pertinent to a lot of people and the affect on their creative blocks.

Also, in order to achieve our goals we must work on our goals. In order to sell a screenplay you have to write one. In order to write one you must come up with the idea and then commit it to paper, one page at a time. The work will not happen by itself.

We were asked to examine our goals and what we had to do in order to achieve them. This is where my major breakthrough came for me this week. Obviously, I have to put my butt in the chair and do the work. One of my blocks has been in the area of a sub-plot for my story. My story is too short and I was asked if I had a sub-plot. The answer was no. I tried to work on one and a fellow author told me it sounded just like filler and that I shouldn’t attempt a sub-plot.

In examining what I had to do to achieve my goals I found myself writing ideas for the sub-plot. I came up with thoughts for different scenes to be weaved into my story. I am very excited about this and anxious to get back to writing. Unfortunately I have not done this because, well, the kids are home on Christmas break and I don’t have the house to myself. This may be an excuse but it is also reality. I cannot focus with all the hub-bub going on in this household right now. This led me to the decision that I must get my house in order, relieve the stress and fill our home with love and fun again.

There are other parts of my story that have held me back and I know where to work on them now, just not sure about the how.

Getting back to the childhood question, though I may not have been bitten by the writing bug yet, as the youngest of five I did feel I was not encouraged or DIS-couraged to do anything. I was left on my own. Television, baby dolls and Barbies were my source of entertainment – all creative outlets by the way. I was asked to describe how I would have like to have been nurtured. Instead I wrote about how I nurture my own children because I am very supportive and encouraging in everything they do. I have exposed them to different activities (not all at once) and they have chosen the ones they like the best and stuck with them. I have been there encouraging them on every step of the way.

I explored other things I would like to do and what prevents me from doing them. Do they cost money? Are they expensive? Can I do them alone or with somebody? Are they job related? Is there a physical risk? Fast-paced or slow? Mind, body or spiritual? The end result here is to stop making excuses. If none of the above questions can be answered in a way that prevents you from doing any of the things you want to do, then you have no excuse.

As someone in our group pointed out en-COURAGE and dis-COURAGE are connected to bravery and strength. Having been discouraged we have been depleted of our bravery and strength to continue on. Find a group of encouraging friends to help give you the strength to achieve your goals.

Affirmations:

I can and will finish writing my novel.

I deserve to live an exciting life.

I am more creative in a happy space.

I can get my house in order.

Make no excuses. Do what you want.

Author Ty Johnston

Yes, I’m ending this series by recommending my own blog. Why would I do this? Is it not a bit shady to do so? I think not. After all, my site does have plenty to offer fiction writers.

If nothing else, you can always take another look at this series, 100 Sites for Fiction Writers. If you would to know about books that have influenced me as an author, you can check out my 100 Days of Fantasy series (here’s a tip: not all the books are of the fantasy genre, but have influenced me as a fantasy writer).

I blog often, usually several times a week, at least, and sometimes every day. Almost everything I blog about has something to do with fiction writing, from the personal to the professional. Here and there I offer advice or tips, but sometimes I just voice my opinion. My site is not in depth about the craft or business of writing, so please don’t expect tons of articles on how to better yourself as a writer, though I do touch on such here and there.

From time to time, other writers appear as Guest Bloggers, and I’ve been known to go on the occasional Blog Tour. This way my readers get a chance to discover other writers, and those new to me get to discover … me!

I also do Interviews of others working in publishing, and from time to time I am interview myself.

Admittedly, my blog is a bit hit and miss. I don’t have a long-term set agenda, but often will have a series or a short-term agenda. You can also find out about my past and current writing projects, my novels and short stories, and about my upcoming works.

I hope you enjoy! And I hope you’ve enjoyed this series about websites for fiction writers.

Online Etymology Dictionary

If you are reading this, my guess is you are a fiction writer, someone who wants to write fiction, or someone at least with some interest in fiction writing. Let’s just say, then, that somehow or other you have interests in writing. Which means you also have an interest in words since, after all, we all write using words, regardless of the language.

An interest in words can take many different forms. Some of us are interested in how words are used. Others have an interest in how words are shaped, how they are formed. Still others have interests in the particular history of words. Me, I’m kind of interested in all of the above, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Because of my interest in words, I’ve found the Online Etymology Dictionary quite interesting. As a writer, I’ve found this site quite useful on occasion.

If you don’t know what “etymology” is, don’t worry. It’s a long word, and not necessarily a common one among everyday speakers of the English language. Basically, etymology is the study of the origin or words.

As this series of articles is about writing, you might be asking yourself, “Well, an etymology dictionary sounds interesting, but how can it help me as a writer?”

Let’s say you’re writing a historical piece, a short story or novel that takes place hundreds of years ago. You want to use a particular word, but it sounds kind of modern and you are not sure whether this particular word was even around during the time period of which you are writing. How do you find out? You turn to the Online Etymology Dictionary, of course.

This website can be a boon for historical writers, or for those who write in fantasy, a genre often based in historical or pseudo-historical worlds and times. Even thriller writers could stand a little study in etymology, especially if they are writing stories taking place during the gangsters’ heyday of the 1930s, or any other time period.

The Online Etymology Dictionary is also easy to use. Go to the site and you’ll see a search window right in the middle of the screen. Type in your word, hit “OK,” and suddenly you’ve got an extensive list concerning the history and usage or your particular word. There are even listed historical records of when a word was first used.

If you’re like me, you can spend hours upon hours at such a site. It can be fun and helpful, especially to writers.

More writing links

100 sites for fiction writers: #95 – Funds for Writers

100 sites for fiction writers: #96 – Novel Spaces

100 sites for fiction writers: #97 – Write It Forward