How to Make a Blogger's Day

The first rule of blogging?  Don't blog about blogging.  Rebel alert!

We bloggers are a curious sort.  We write about deeply personal, vulnerable things one day... and the next we give you tips on maintaining the habit of flossing your teeth.  Well maybe that's just my blog.

Really no matter what we write about, we have one innate desire... we want someone to read what we've written!

Here's how to make a blogger's day:

Comment

I LOVE COMMENTS!  I want to know that you were here... I want to interact with you.  I want to know my words are not just floating around out there in cyberspace.  Lost and lonely and calling out to be rescued...  Reading a comment on my blog is like chocolate and wine for my bloggy soul.

Share 

It's a rule you learned way back when you were 3... share.  If you like what you read... share.  There are some cute little buttons at the bottom of each of my posts so you can easily get the word out on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest ... etc. Go ahead and share the love!

Start a conversation

Send me a tweet asking a question. I'll respond I promise.  Post a respectful thought or two on my Facebook page and ask for opinions...  I'm confident they'll roll in.
  

Encouragement

So many of you have let me know that enjoy my rambling writing around here and it lifts my spirits and pushes me forward.  Thank you for your kind supportive words...

Send chocolate

Or make me dinner... or coffee... or... Well hey a girl can try right?  

Bloggy friends chime in here!  What would make your day?

3 Simple Techniques for Overcoming Writer's Block

Writing... it can be a thrilling experience... when the words are flowing from your brain to your rapidly click clacking finger tips on the laptop keyboard.  Your inner cheerleader is shaking her pom poms shouting "Yes! This is really good stuff! Keep going!"

Writing... it can also be a major bummer... when the words aren't flowing... or they flow,  but they are all CRAP!

Here are some simple ways to bust down that writer's block and get your creative mojo back:

Find another art

I'm not suggesting that you pack it in and quit writing... just find a different art for an hour or so. 

• Grab your camera and head outside to snap a few photos
• Sketch your sleeping dog
• Rearrange your furniture
• Organize a drawer
• Crochet a coffee cozy

Art doesn't have to be something you will display for the world.  It can be as simple as cleaning your bathroom sink so that it makes you smile the next time you brush your teeth.

Don't let your pencil leave your paper for 10 minutes

I was listening to The Sunday Edition on CBC radio and Michael Enright was interviewing Wally Lamb. They just happened to be talking about the craft of writing.  Lamb has not one but two books (I Know This Much is True and She's Come Undone) that were chosen by Oprah Winfrey to be part of her book club... so when he started doling out writing tips on the radio I was all ears.  One of the things he said was that when his writing students would come to him and say "I don't know what to write" he would tell them to just start writing and not let their pencil leave the paper for 10 minutes.  So you just write:

Today is boring.  The dog is drinking water right now. I wish I had something yummy to snack on...

Eventually you stop writing the meaningless garbage stuff and your brain comes up with something decent.

Read someone else's work

I didn't say copy someone else's work... but ideas are born from ideas. And sometimes it's a good idea to use someone else's thoughts to springboard off of.  How do you think bucket lists became popular? It's ok to come up with your own list or weigh in on another writer's piece. 

 What are your tips for getting over writer's block?  How do you get your creative juices flowing?

Linking up with

9 Interesting Things to Journal About...

 Psst... come closer... I have a secret to tell you...   Are you ready?  This just might revolutionize your life... make sure you are prepared for this...

Ok here it is... That pretty journal you have... the one you have been saving because it's just so beautiful... that lovely notebook with the blank pages you can't bring yourself to write on... it's ok...

You can write in it.  The outside will be just as pretty...
And if you write in it you will transform it... you see right now it's just a bunch of blank pages... but you have the unique opportunity of turning it into a treasure.

Here are a few ideas on how to fill those pages:

1. Answer those questions that some authors put at the end of the chapters in their books.
2. Doodle around your favorite quotes or doodle your prayers. Sybil MacBeth at Praying  in Color has some super cool examples of this.
3. Write letters to people that you would never actually send them.
4. Make a list of things you think are beautiful.
5. Write about people you admire and why you admire them.
6. Brainstorm: What do you think about when you hear the words : Love, passion, conversation?
7. Create a plan... Dream a little... Get outside of your comfort zone!
8. A record of the best part of each day. 
9. Get to know you... It's your journal... write about your favorite food, song, place... anything!  Adventures is Journaling has a really cute printable to get started. ( You can glue it into your pretty journal...)

Do you journal?  Do you have a journal that is just too pretty to write in?

In Which I Make an Announcement...

Some of you know that I have been dabbling in fiction writing... This was something I loved as a child and a teen... but I shelved it for a long time...  

I recently finished my first short story and I had been trying to figure out how to actually put my work in front of readers... Then a glorious, wonderful, ridiculous, scary idea popped into my head one night at bed time... because of course that is when all glorious, wonderful, ridiculous, scary ideas tend to show up.

A new blog... And so faithful (and not so faithful) readers may I introduce to you...

Affection for Fiction

"This is a space to hone my fiction writing craft… share my favorite works and maybe inspire with a few writing prompt link ups… I would love for this to be an online meeting place for a writing community."

Please please please feel free to stop over... read... share and leave comments.

Oh an don't worry I will still be writing here at Goats Milk Lattes as well.

I Write Everywhere Man...

So I am currently working on my second short story since April... My mama read my first one and she said it's good so I felt worthy of writing fiction again.

My hope is that eventually I will have a collection of stories and maybe some poetry to bind onto a book for my children... and maybe convince my seriously talented baby sister to create some cover art for said book.

So for now I write in sneaking opportunities... Sometimes it looks like this:

Children playing Duplo on the same coffee table I am resting my feet on... Other times my space looks like the kitchen island... and on the rarest of lovely occasions it looks like STARBUCKS!

 (Note: If you are at Starbucks and notice a woman with a cute pixie cut and amazing glasses sitting with her laptop open in front of her, please keep the number of  loud cell phone conversations to zero! You know just sayin').

I'm sure my space will look like lots of other places as I carry on this prose pilgrimage.  Where do you write?

Write Crap...

A fellow homeschool mom Teresa from Capturing the Charmed Life posted a list titled You Know You're a Homeschooler When...

Number 4 on her list caught my eye... "The kiddos tell grandpa to “write crap” when you’re stuck for clever story ideas."

I am in a bit of a stuck place lately... I feel like some topics around here need a bit of a rest... and other topics swirling around in my head are either somewhat taboo... or not really my story to tell...

But over this week... for at least the next 5 days... in the spirit of practicing my art... honing my gift... and establishing my voice... I will write crap...

Feel free to join me!