Novel Update

Today I completed Chapter 3 of my NaNo novel.  As always, there seems to be some challenging days by the third day, and it happened again this year.  I was moving along smoothly from Chapter 1 to Chapter 2 and even into Chapter 3.  Then problems came up in my personal life.  (Isn't there always something that tries to stop you from reaching your goals?)  But by this time, I know things will come up to try to throw me off.  The key is not to let them, to push through somehow so I can finish what I set out to do.

It feels good to finish Chapter 3.  The furthest I've gotten in any book so far is Chapter 5, so that is my first mini goal.

Writing this first book feels like climbing a really hard mountain or something (I've never climbed a real mountain, like with a backpack and all that, but I imagine it feels kind of the same).  I've been conditioning to write this book for the past 2 1/2 years.  And I'm going to do it this time.  There is no turning back.  There is no stopping.  There is no obstacle to get stuck on.  Overcome! is the theme.

For a sneak peak at my first chapter come on over to Tablo and have a read.  Let me know your thoughts.  Also, check out the photo for the book cover below.

I have some great ideas I can't wait to try on the cover.  You won't want to put the book down once you get started.  

How to Get Encouraged and Follow Your Writing Dreams

Before you read this, I highly recommend clicking play on the video so you can hear the music as you read.

This morning I did something a little different.  I listened to some mediation/zen music while I read something inspirational.  The result was amazing.  I have read inspirational material before but struggled with allowing it to truly enter my mind and change and uplift my spirit.  This combo of music and inspirational words took the message straight to my heart and had me in tears in a second.   (Tears are actually a good thing.  They are one of the body's mechanisms to relieve stress.)

My reading was from Joseph Prince's book The Power of Right Believing: 7 Keys to Freedom From Fear, Guilt and Addiction, which you can find here.  (I highly recommend it, as I do two of his other books I have read, Destined to Reign and Unmerited Favor.  These two books broke me out of five years of depression and a life that was going nowhere.  All three of these books are available here as a bundle for less than the cost of buying them separately.  After all, who doesn't like a deal?)

The thing that blows me away about what Joseph Prince teaches is that every time I listen to him or read a chapter in his books or read one of his devotionals, I feel uplifted, as if Joseph Prince is on my side and God is on my side.  I have struggled for almost three years now with writing and wanting to write full time.  I feel like nobody understands me, but when I read from these books, I feel like I am not alone.  I feel like there is a Great Being cheering me on, who has even been the one to give me the idea to write full time.  I feel like He tells me, "It's going to be great!  You were meant to do this.  I gave you the desire to write and to be a writer full time because you have ideas that will change people's lives.  The world needs the ideas that are swirling in your head.  Write them down and the readers will come."

Every time I am encouraged.  So I just want to pass some of that encouragement on to you today by sharing my meditation music with you and by sharing a few words that spoke to me from Joseph Prince's book this morning.

"Friend, we have all been forgiven much.  The problem is, many don't know and don't believe this.  Give up on your own self-efforts to be righteous.  Give up on trying to overcome your own failings, mistakes, addictions, and bondages.  Be like the woman with the alabaster box of precious ointment [Read Luke 7:37-47 in the Bible if you've never heard of the story].  When you fail, don't run away and hide.  Come before His loving presence. Jesus already knows the guilt and condemnation that you are being tormented with.  Come with boldness and confidence like this woman did.  Feel free to weep in His sweet presence and simply worship Him.  Pour out everything that is on your heart to Him.  Don't worry, He will not heap more guilt, shame, judgment, and condemnation upon you.  He will show you His nail-pierced hands and remind you of the cross.  He will say to you, 'Your sins are already forgiven.  I have already paid the price for your sins at Calvary.  Rest in My forgiveness and love for you.'"

Joseph Prince's books have been a lifesaver for me because of their message of grace and hope.  But even if you are not at a time in your life when you can buy these books, you can still get this message of love and hope each day by subscribing to his daily grace inspirations here.  You will get an email every day with a message of hope that will lift you up, and before long you will find yourself making decisions that improve your life and take you in the direction of your dreams.

Embarrassed to Try Again?

Hello, I’m back!!--(aga-a-in)...(and again)...(and again, and again, and again).  You know those people who say “I’m a writer” and then you ask them a year later “So how’s the book coming?” and their answer is “I’m still working on it”?  Embarrassing, right?  Well, that’s kinda me.

Three weeks ago, my boyfriend and I relocated to a town an hour and ten minutes from the one we were living in (still no Starbucks here, but an improvement nonetheless).  We are still looking for a place, so meanwhile we are staying with my sister and her boyfriend.  I am sitting at my boyfriend’s new, barely used Mac PC that a friend just gave to him (see, I told you it was an improvement), and doing some writing at 6:30am.  Who writes at 6:30am??  I never thought I would.  But this idea came to me and just wouldn’t let me go, and in a house with four people I am forced to find my writing time when the others are sleeping.  And I’m not even a morning person.

I have had the privilege of not having to work for the past 22 months at a typical job so I could focus on my writing.  While I did spend a year and a half writing articles for the local newspaper about fun events like the town’s street festival or the upcoming season of the local corn maze (and am still doing so long distance for the next two months), I didn’t get much accomplished in the fiction department (my true passion) except for finding a thousand ways not to write and finish a novel.  (Maybe I’ll rename my blog!)

Now, the time to get a job has come.  There are no other options.  I have to do work for someone else and like it long enough to make it through this present financial crisis, write a book, and hope it becomes a bestseller so neither my boyfriend nor I have to work.  (That’s the best case scenario.  Making enough off of a book just to replace a low-income paycheck would be UNBELIEVABLE! at this point.)

Last night while trying to go to sleep, I was inspired, or I had had coffee too late at night, and I kept thinking of these ideas to write and to find more freelance writing work.  (Right now I am editing a friend’s book--for pay, mind you--so don’t you adoring fans get any ideas unless you have cash in your wallet.  And of course I’m talking to you in pure belief that you exist and are actually reading this.  I charge $12 an hour in case you’re interested.)  I finally took out my S Pen on my Galaxy Note II and began scribbling my thoughts.

The result:  a new boost of inspiration to get on the writing horse (riding/writing horse--pretty cool, huh?) again.  I thought “I will start my blog again, you know, the one about the writer’s journey to her first novel.  But perhaps I should start a new one, because this time the journey’s for real.  No false starts like the last two or three I pulled.”  But something in me said “It would be so much more real if you continued on the one that already existed.”  So I’m here this morning, writing something new for my old blog, confessing to everyone that I have failed--again; and I’m trying to continue--again.  I don’t expect anyone to believe me it’s for real this time.  I don’t even know if it is.  But I know I’m trying again, in spite of the embarrassment and possible re-failure.  (I can’t in good conscience call it just plain failure after so many times.)

So here I go to catalog my journey again.  I may not see you for another two months, or I may see you again tomorrow.  Either way, I’ll be back, embarrassment notwithstanding.