tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post1640188465536132223..comments2024-03-28T10:41:26.999-06:00Comments on Blood-Red Pencil: 3 Steps to Reinvigorating Your WritingDanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-29764497278431517382016-12-23T08:43:12.514-07:002016-12-23T08:43:12.514-07:00Wonderful advice, Shon. We too often get busy bein...Wonderful advice, Shon. We too often get busy being busy and not taking time for what is important for us as creative people. My critique partner has kept me on a dual-critique schedule for more than two years. So far, he's learned how to write better and I've finished two books, both of which will be out next year.<br /><br />I like your advice about doing what we can. I'm a huge believer in baby steps. From 250 words a day comes a novel at year's end.<br /><br />You'll get through this and come out a more motivated writer. I know you will.Betsy Ashtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06871010122475160477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-37540825024366123102016-04-16T21:32:20.311-06:002016-04-16T21:32:20.311-06:00I pray your writing skyrockets, too!I pray your writing skyrockets, too!Shonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-80482499583902007562016-04-16T21:31:56.666-06:002016-04-16T21:31:56.666-06:00You are so welcome, Linda!You are so welcome, Linda!Shonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-90777825478961267592016-04-16T16:18:33.802-06:002016-04-16T16:18:33.802-06:00Great post, Shon. I have been mentally and physica...Great post, Shon. I have been mentally and physically limited for almost three months, and now that I can do a little bit of exercise and a bit of writing, I find it hard to get back to my former Red Bull status. I appreciate your reminder that we can take much smaller steps. Hope yours go well.Maryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-73381783229403357082016-04-13T21:26:23.697-06:002016-04-13T21:26:23.697-06:00This is great food for thought, Shon -- especially...This is great food for thought, Shon -- especially since I've had to temporarily (I hope!) go back to work. No energy left for writing. So what did I glean from your article? "Do what you can." Baby steps do work when life injects itself into what you want to do. Thank you for that huge reminder.Linda Lanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16056682992943171805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-85975149032993136522016-04-12T13:10:40.780-06:002016-04-12T13:10:40.780-06:00Thanks, Polly, and that's really great advice,...Thanks, Polly, and that's really great advice, too. Sometimes, we get stuck thinking that there is just ONE thing we are to do, but it's possible to have two things, and probably helps a great deal for when or if a block occurs.Shonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-2321912946836964662016-04-12T13:08:52.720-06:002016-04-12T13:08:52.720-06:00Your story is an awesome one, Cara! Great motivati...Your story is an awesome one, Cara! Great motivation to keep on keepin' on. :-DShonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-10186677116391779732016-04-12T12:38:57.339-06:002016-04-12T12:38:57.339-06:00I do so know where you're coming from. Late la...I do so know where you're coming from. Late last year, I had a writing block. Living up to books I'd previously written and liked seemed impossible. I just wasn't getting anywhere. I had two books in mind I wanted to write. Started one and knew it wasn't where I wanted to go, so I started another, both follow-ups. How can I make them as good? Not only was I in self-doubt, I didn't have the motivation I'd always had. It just wasn't there. I worked on one, then when I didn't know where to go, I worked on the other. Changing made each book seem fresh when I went back to it. I thought it would be confusing, but it wasn't. I was surprised. I go on as long as I can--then start on the other one. I see Ashe's quote coming into play. I start wherever I am, use what I have, and do what I can. Then I switch. <br /><br />I hope your mojo returns, Shonell. Do something fresh to get the excitement back.Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-26880509308672840512016-04-12T12:27:13.918-06:002016-04-12T12:27:13.918-06:00This resonates Shonell: "Start where you are....This resonates Shonell: "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." I sometimes joke, "Despite my best efforts to fail, it appears I'm going to finish." The joke is about me not meeting my standards but pressing on anyway. <br /><br />Three things in my life have helped with that: 1) Early in college, I fell into a nonfunctioning funk for a month or three, and it scared me so much I promised myself I'd never spend more than a day there again before I moved forward on something-anything. 2) When I was a reporter, writer's block was grounds for termination, so although I sometimes wrote tripe, I kept going even when it felt impossible, and 3) I did a trek in the Himalayas that pushed me to the limits of endurance, and found that the trite was also true: I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, however painful, until I finished. <br /><br />Those events liberated me. I've been "starting where I am" ever since. Thank you for the reminder - the inspiration helps. :)Carahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04051728774050516027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-56016752164287622352016-04-12T08:20:39.418-06:002016-04-12T08:20:39.418-06:00VERY hard to find it, yes.
Thanks, Diana.VERY hard to find it, yes.<br /><br />Thanks, Diana.Shonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-55538624704425730492016-04-12T08:20:14.584-06:002016-04-12T08:20:14.584-06:00That is AWESOME that you've gotten back into A...That is AWESOME that you've gotten back into Awake, Morgan. Praying that the mojo continues to flow for you.Shonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-62617232274533922672016-04-12T08:19:44.099-06:002016-04-12T08:19:44.099-06:00I think I might have to put a BOLO on my muse. LOL...I think I might have to put a BOLO on my muse. LOLShonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-31235046696285974792016-04-12T07:38:47.401-06:002016-04-12T07:38:47.401-06:00It is easy to get out of the groove and very hard ...It is easy to get out of the groove and very hard to find it again. Good advice.Diana Hurwitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18216220574149672733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-17020001058005706162016-04-12T07:31:27.053-06:002016-04-12T07:31:27.053-06:00I know what you mean! I was on a writing hiatus fo...I know what you mean! I was on a writing hiatus for a while, concentrating on getting the house in order, and all kinds of other things. All of a sudden, the writing urge returned, so now I'm trying to make the most of it, and finish Awake, a book I started years ago. I also created a cover for it yesterday to keep me focused on finishing that book!Still, I want it to be done already. I'm too impatient these days!<br />Morgan Mandelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10118929301591850918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-15476055823734675722016-04-12T07:19:16.508-06:002016-04-12T07:19:16.508-06:00Understand your situation, Shon ... but don't ...Understand your situation, Shon ... but don't be too hard on yourself ... sometimes you just have to wait for the muse to visit.Christopher Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03667548312923348614noreply@blogger.com