Category: Journey
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Reach…
Today and on and on down the writing road, I am reaching for a lofty goal: finish draft one of novel two, while doing the heavy lifting of pushing novel one out of the nest. I’ll have to spend double time on both projects, lest one be remaindered to the bottom drawer of the desk…
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Misbehaving Characters…
More on character reveal. Imagine sitting in a lovely park, chillin’ to the chirping birds, rippling stream and smelly flowers turning to the sun’s warmth. Tart apple juice dribbles down your chin. A stranger sits on your bench (you’ve claimed it for a time). Maybe you engage in friendly conversation. Maybe you jot impressions in your notebook:…
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What the Heck?…
Beta reading is a tough but necessary process on any publication journey. While staying true to your original intent, protecting your writer’s voice, and reminding your fragile writer’s ego that your work has a purpose and place, you must assess the value of every comment shared. Case in point; I have read through novel number…
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Seventeen Minutes…
What brings you joy? What would you choose to do if you were magically given two extra hours one week? For me it would be active music (passive music is always in the background). Perhaps you know the moment you put an instrument aside, promising to return because the learning curve got a little slippery.…
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Saying Yes…
I’ve been practicing saying yes to things. I don’t always feel adequate or prepared, but in every case, the outcome is beyond my expectation. Saying Yes pushes fear aside and makes room for joy. The Joy of Djembe Drumming ensemble recently played at the Children’s Museum Houston in honor of Black History Month. When our…
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The Learning Years…
What time in your life you would declare the learning years? Personally, this present moment is deeply rooted in gaining new skills. Granted, without formal schooling and real lessons, these years would be muddled confusion. Decades of formal classes, managing life in general and reading shelves of books that educated, entertained and inspired, have prepared…
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Floundering Founder…
Lifelong learning can be hard. And frustrating. Best to remain in kindergarten where there are snacks and nap time and the hardest thing you have to do is tie your shoes. My dad was a lifelong learner; he died at 95 with 1500 books waiting on his kindle. Like him, I itch to learn so…
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Big Girl Pants…
I hate these baggy, grown-up Big Girl Pants. I’d rather be lounging in my jammies. Wrapped in well-worn flannel can make me feel like the status quo is where it’s at, where I want to be. But then why the heck have I been writing and rewriting a novel for years? Jammie pants will not…
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And the Winner is…
Raise your hand if you have written a novel. Put it down if it has been published. Congratulations, you have done the work of writing, rewriting, editing, revising, pitching, promoting, suffering rejections (or worse, crickets) and/or followed the steps to self-publishing. Those of you with your hand still in the air, raise it higher if…
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My Writing Closet…
All this talk of flamingos is not to suggest that us writers are special or flashy or beautiful or tall and graceful but to illustrate how we feel out of place at times. I hope you belong to a group of like-minded writers who also enjoy the creative act of filling their digital files with…
Patty Mayeux Blog 