Howdy, y’all! Deb Kastner here, excited to be today’s Rocky
Ridge counselor. I’m so excited to be meeting you here at the stable, ready to
take our trail ride with our knowledgeable wranglers--Jace, Thomas and Zeb as
our guides. You won’t want to miss taking in all the sights in this beautiful
area and in my opinion, there’s no better way to enjoy nature than on
horseback.
Oh, but yeah—this is a writing retreat. Well, hey, we can
multi-task, can’t we? While you’re out breathing the fresh air and hearing the
calming clip-clop of the horses’ hooves, you can pray about your future, dream
about your writing and envision reaching for the stars.
(Speaking of stars, the evenings around here are amazing,
aren’t they? Without the city lights dimming the sky, billions of stars and the
Milky Way suddenly appear. Gorgeous!)
As we ride I
hope you’ll look at your writing a little differently than you have before.
If you’ve been writing for any length of time, you’ve
probably heard of GMC, Goals, Motivation and Conflict. Applied to your main
characters, GMC fleshes them out to be three-dimensional people readers care
about.
But today I’d like to talk to you about a different way to
use GMC. On yourself. That’s right. I’d like to turn the tables on you and ask you what your Goals,
Motivations and Conflicts are in your writing (I do this with my life, as
well.)
Your characters need good, solid goals to make a story hold
its framework. They need something important that they are willing to fight
for, both internally and externally. Can the same thing be said of your
writing?
Do you know why you
write, what’s important to you? There are as many answers to that question as
there are authors, so I want you to take time and search your heart. To honor
God? To make a living? Make a bestseller list? Because you can’t not write? All of the above and then
some?
What will happen when you hit a fork in the trail? Which way
will you choose to go? In the best of all worlds, how do you see yourself in a
year? Five? Ten? Allow yourself to dream. You want to make goals that are
specific and measurable, but I encourage you to stretch yourself and reach for
the stars.
Once you have an idea where you see yourself going, check
out the trail heads and start where it makes the most sense to you. A specific
traditional publisher? Jumping into indie?
When you’ve figured that out, you’ve got to find your
motivation. For many writers, even those like me who have published over 30
books, struggle with motivation, especially, for me, at least, at the beginning
of a project. Sure, I’m excited to do something new, but at the same time, I
have this little imp on my shoulder, nagging at me. How did I ever believe I
was an author? I can’t write a whole book’s full of words. No one wants to read
what I write. I’m a fraud.
Then there are good writing days and bad writing days.
Sometimes the words flow so fast I can’t keep up with them. Woo hoo! I want to
sing, and dance and spin like a fairy. (You don’t want to see that. Really, you
don’t.) And sometimes it’s downright painful to write even so much as a single
word. I call it bleeding on paper. Those days are tough, and every writer I
know has them.
What make them a writer
is that they write anyway, no matter how they feel. They know why they are
doing what they are doing and it motivates them to write even when they don’t
feel like it. They are consistent. Successful authors have found a trail that
takes them where they want to go. You can only set aside fifteen minutes a day?
Use them. Five hundred words? You’ll reach the end eventually, right?
There’s no secret sauce here, my friends. No magic wand. You
get on the horse, and you ride. If you fall off, you get back on. And then you
do it again, and again, and again.
Guess what? You improve. Pretty soon, it (mostly) feels
easier. And when it doesn’t, when you’ve gotten a particularly nasty rejection
(believe me, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a seeker or multi-published, it happens.
A lot.) or when you’ve flipped head-first over the neck of your horse and
landed on your patootie, you groan, get yourself back on your feet, brush
yourself off, and climb back on. I give myself twenty-four hours to grumble and
sniffle, and then it’s back in the saddle and heading down the trail.
It’s motivation that gets you from the trailhead to the end
of the trail.
Aaaaannnnddd then there is conflict.
I’m sure every one of you has a “but.” (No, not the one you
landed on when you fell off your horse.)
Life. Is. Difficult.
If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Some years are WAY tougher than other
years. Big stuff, like when my sweetheart had a double stroke, and little
stuff, like yesterday morning on the way to church when I managed to twist my
lower back getting into the car from the sidewalk instead of the garage. Yes, I
am that talented. After two hours of eye-ball crossing pain singing in the
church choir, I gave in and went to urgent care. A week of taking it easy and
popping handfuls of ibuprofen is now in my future—but so is finishing a
novella.
There are some conflicts that I legitimately put before my
writing, which is also my day job, lending added pressure. I was a physical and
emotional mess when Joe had his double stroke. I didn’t write until he was
safely tucked away in a physical therapy hospital. I did write through my back pain. I have
chronic migraines, so if I waited until I was pain free to write, I wouldn’t
have a single book written.
But I have goals. Motivation. So when the conflicts come, I
am ready to fight back. Sometimes my books are better for it. Sometimes God is
providing a lesson I need to learn before my characters can.
So now you know my secret—GMC.
There’s one last thing I want
to say before we part ways. Riding—er—writing—is
awesome. A beautiful journey with unimaginable joy along the way. Don’t forget
to stop and take in the scenery. The end, whatever your end happens to be, is
fantastic. But getting there is half the fun.
I would love to hear about your GMC, and how you find ways to enjoy the ride.
Hi Deb
ReplyDeletewhoo hoooooo! I'm along for the ride with handsome cowboys as part of the view.
What a great post! I've never thought about my personal GMC. I'm going to need to sit down and figure that out so I can better focus on where I want to be - because, honestly, I've been sort of pantser-ing my life lately. Yeah... not working bad, but not good either, just meh. Life is too short to be "meh". *sigh*
Thanks for being today's counselor. I'm off to get some food in my belly and wrangle a snack for on the trail...
AWESOME POST!!! Might get those 500 words in before the trail ride. (I'm starting with baby steps this retreat)
Didn't she do great??? But if you've written as much as Deb has, you know that you've got to put in the time... and figure out which trail you're ridin'!
DeleteI'm also a pantster in work and life, but I've learned the hard way with both that a little plotting really helps.
DeleteThis is good stuff, Deb. There are so many things that could swamp me, even now (even now with kids grown and out of the house and myself semi-retired). We have to keep our motivation and goals in sight, and deal with the conflicts.
ReplyDeleteI'm working on the second book in my inspirational Christmas romance series and it's going really well. Since it's a sequel, I'm further developing characters from the first book and putting them in a situation that arises logically from the first book and who they are. So it's not that hard right now. But I'm getting it done and working hard for the time that I will inevitably hit the wall. Walls WILL be hit.
It's easy to get discouraged. That's my take-away from being a Villager and coming here. Even published authors get discouraged, and have horrific things happen to them, a line closing, an editor or agent leaving the business. This is not for the faint of heart.
Kathy Bailey
Kathy, I often get the second book of a series done before I'm done editing the first book, and that's a huge help in getting the threads tied up neatly...
DeleteI think you're mighty smart!
I love it when the words flow. Doing a sequel is a great way to keep the momentum going. I don't think it hurts to acknowledge walls will be hit, and plan as best you can what to do when that happens. Climb back on the horse. Sometimes even happy life events change the landscape. My sweetheart is retiring this month and I know that's going to knock some trees into my path--so I'm practicing jumping over trees now, figuring out where and when I'll be writing and making that Do Not Disturb Unless You Are On Fire sign.
DeleteMornin' Deb!
ReplyDeleteWhat terrific motivation first thing this morning! You offer so much wisdom packed into one post.
I'm holding onto your advice to take 24 hours to moan and grieve the rough spots then get back in the saddle. I've also found that as I write a story, God is writing mine. In writing the manuscript now sitting on an editor's desk, while I wait and try not to worry, God had a huge lesson on forgiveness for me to learn before my heroine could do the same.
You've motivated me this morning! Thank you so much. :)
I think God works in a special way with us writers. I often don't even SEE the theme of my story until I've reached the end. And then I'm like, "Um, yeah, Lord, I get it."
DeleteI agree. The theme often bleeds itself into the first draft. :)
DeleteGreat post Deb. And s what I needed to hear. I so know about all the life events that can get in the way. I've been through a bunch. And like you said, they actually make for better writing. Maybe because the writing was an escape. I'm actually having more difficulty when things are going great. I get too side-tracked with fun. Hubby is in charge of fun and he is very good at it. He gets us involved in so many fun activities, but that plays havoc on my writing time.
ReplyDeleteWe kayaked down the Deschutes River the other day. That was supposed to be a two hour deal but we ended up taking most of the day. Terribly fun and exciting as a bald eagle swooped down right in front of us. We also saw deer, great blue herons, osprey, lots of fish and baby ducklings. Seems late in the year for baby ducklings, but the winter was so harsh here. I digress. And btw if you have a hankering for some river travel, the Salmon River of No Return is just north of us here in Idaho. I"ll go if any of you want to take a side trip.
See what I mean? I'm too easily distracted when life is going good.
I like your idea of setting a GMC for myself. Think I'll go for a ride and think about that. I like the pinto. Great horse photos btw
I completely agree, Sandra. Writing is the best escape when life gets tough. Great post, Deb!
DeleteOh, that kayaking sounds so much fun. I had a whole list of "what I will do later" that has had to be modified due to Joe's stroke. No more long hikes in Estes Park. But he can still sit on a saddle. And I'm not complaining. I have Joe, and that's all that matters.
DeleteAll of the horse pictures are courtesy of my sister's animal rescue, Happy Haven Farm and Sanctuary. And the cowboys--well, anyone who knows me at ALL will guess those guys are my singin' cowboys, The Texas Tenors. They can ride, too, so I thought bringing them in as wranglers would be fun. Names have been changed to protect the innocent.
You all make it sound like writing is NOT part of life! Can't life itself complain that your writing is intruding on your smelling the roses?
DeleteBtw: Is that horse a pinto or a palomino? Could someone get one of those cowboys to put a caption under the horse photo to tell us what kind of horse it is? We had a big Appaloosa breeding ranch just down from my house in the country. Do they have any of those at the ranch?
Good point, Vince. Sometimes writing does interfere with smelling the roses, especially on deadline. The horse is definitely a pinto, which is based on coloring and not bloodlines. He may be a paint horse, as well, if he has paint/quarter horse/thoroughbred in his pedigree.
DeleteSandra, that kayak trip sounds so fun! But I have to ask - was that a virtual trip or physical? :)
DeleteThe horseback ride was virtual. The kayak trip was REAL. Absolutely gorgeous. I will post a couple photos on my facebook page. s
DeleteYou have a great point Vince. Sometimes the writing is the part of life getting in the way. LOL. But a terrific part of life. Just like so many of our "parts of life" end up being.
Deb, so happy hubby can ride. What a blessing and yes, some bucket list items go by the wayside as life goes on. I always wanted to sky dive, but with my older fragile bones, I think I'll pass this lifetime anyway. LOL And truthfully, I'm a big chicken when it comes to heights.
Hi Deb- I write because I can't imagine not writing. My motivation is that God has given me so much to share and I love to share it. My conflict is two fold- I have a blog that is not fiction- it's concerned with helping riding instructors improve their teaching skills. I've written it for about 10 years and sometimes inspiration is not running off my fingertips and it becomes work. And now I'm developing lessons to sell on line. So when it comes to writing I adore the fiction and would rather spend my time there but the other is closer to paying the bills and is also a big part of what God has called me to do. And then there are my horses who take considerable time to care for and ride. The problem with my conflicts is that I actually love doing it all and I just need to toughen up and live with a schedule. And I'm trying to figure out exactly what makes it all a business because I always pour myself 24/7 into what I do. And as far as the money thing goes, I'd love to earn a living with my writing but it has nothing to do with why I write
ReplyDeleteAnd hey! Thanks for asking because sometimes things work out once you write it all down. Blessings
What a fascinating topic to share with the world! It sounds like you're one of those who are balancing multiple businesses. With the right motivation it can definitely be done, but as you said, scheduling is key. I think perhaps you can use your fiction as a reward for all the hard work you are doing on your blog. All writing is hard writing, but aren't we blessed to be doing what we love, whether we get paid for it or not?
DeleteHow wonderful that you have a career that includes writing and horses. Sounds fascinating. Now we know who to go to for horse info. Right? l
DeleteSometimes not needing the money to write interferes with the motivation. For me anyway. I was much more motivated when I wanted to quit my day job. Now that I'm retired, I'm finding the motivation tougher to stir up. But every time I think I will stop writing, someone makes a comment that lets me know it isn't time yet. (Usually Vince-chuckle)
Just wrote Most Of A Chapter for my WIP. Combination of retreat inspiration and not much else going on this week, yay. I'm going to work on their First Kiss scene, yummy, and then go out for a while. Will be back later.
ReplyDeleteKB
I'm happy to hear you'll have time to throw yourself fully into this retreat. There are a lot of awesome times coming!
DeleteFirst kisses always feel awkward to me because I feel like I'm a peeping tom, LOL. *Blushing* I feel every nuance of both the hero and heroine's emotions as well as seeing what's happening from the outside, so I breathe a sigh of relief when I can move on.
congrats. Enjoy your outing.
DeleteLife does get in the way, but it isn't today, so I'm seizing the day. It rhymes!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement, Deb. It's good to hear how other people can keep working, even when life is difficult. I tend to quit when that happens, so I need to work on that. Right now I am near the end of my first draft on my first novel. I am having difficulty with it because I am at the point of tying up the loose ends and I feel like it's just boring. I can't even get the words down. That is my inner editor fighting me. So I guess that's my conflict.
ReplyDeleteIt's more frightening than most folks realize to finish a novel. Knock that little imp right off your shoulder and tell her to hush up! You're close to finishing a book. Do you realize how huge that is? Give yourself a big pat on the back and a hearty yee-haw!
DeleteWritng is a form of meditation for me! I love going to "that" place where time and space dissapear. It's addicting!!!! The work is in getting to that point!
ReplyDeleteEven after all these years, my hubby will interrupt me with a question and I will stare at him blankly. What planet am I on again? You want pizza for dinner? Sorry--busy nursing a lamb back to health in Serendipity, and it's so stinkin' cute!
DeleteDeb, your story is motivation for me. I read the section about conflict to my hubbie and said, "Wow. If I was in pain every day, I'd never write." So I feel inspired to fight back against the only MINOR conflicts in my life.
ReplyDeleteA day job in numbers which is sometimes ultra complex and sometimes takes more than 8 hours, BUT I work from home.
Days when I feel down, stupid, a horrible-writer, an impostor, BUT I am God's child and he gave me a talent to use.
Days when I can't think of ideas to flesh out my germ of a story or the ideas are taking me in the wrong direction for my germ-vision BUT God send brainstorming buddies. (SEE brainstorming blog page).
Thank you for the encouragement, Deb. All those books, despite your conflicts!
Pretty much all of us who write full time started out writing around a full-time job. I used to go in two hours early and write in my car before work, because, oddly, I am NOT a morning person and I knew I would crash just as soon as my day job was done.
DeleteHow do you separate your work-at-home day job from your writing? Write in a different room? On a different computer? Go out for coffee? I'm curious about this because I think I'd have trouble differentiating and getting my head "in the zone."
And by the way, you can just knock that nasty imp off your shoulder and tell her to stay off. You're an awesome writer because right now, this moment, God is working through you.
Deb, for my day job, I have an office and I sit at a desk. I have a laptop but use it with a docking station and monitor, as if it's an old fashioned desktop. Except for sometimes, if the weather is nice, I take the laptop portion outside and work on the patio.
DeleteFor my writing, I write in a cozy recliner in our bedroom, using a different computer, an Apple laptop. I don't even use a mouse, just the pad on the keyboard. There's something about the recliner that helps me switch gears from all business to dreamer. And so we recently bought me a second, smaller recliner to squeeze into my office for those nights when I just have to have quiet and the hubster has to watch something with loud shooting. :)
Dana, I love how you have managed to use a prop to switch writing gears. Great going and good advice for us.
DeleteDeb, what a powerful tactic! This turning GMC on one's self puts things in sharp perspective.
ReplyDeleteFor now, my goal is to bring to light some of Mississippi's lesser known history through fiction, of course with a love story and faith journey woven in. Motive: because the state is mostly known for two or three stereotypes, and I'd like to do what I can to broaden that picture.
Conflict: fear of cliche motives and conflict in my fiction, constant imposter syndrome, weak discipline to write when it's inconvenient, expectations for marketing current book.
Thank you for encouraging us, Deb! I can see my conflicts are small compared to what many muscle through to make wiring work. Plus, knowing what conflicts I'm up against helps me strategize to defeat them!
I've enjoyed this trail ride more than I thought (slightly afraid of horses due to some past experiences), and today has helped me face up to some of my fears!
Oops! *Writing not wiring. Ha!
DeleteOops! *Writing not wiring. Ha!
DeleteGlad I could help you face your fears--I *love* the name Imposter Syndrome. Giving it a name weakens its hold. Gets right to the heart. Strategizing against conflicts is the main reason I use this method in my writing life.
DeletejWow Natalie, I share some of the same fears, especially the marketing prospects. yikes. I'm with Deb. Love the Imposter Syndrome thing. Too funny.
DeleteThank you for your challenging words. I admit that my style of writing often lends itself to feast and famine. I get loads done for retreats- virtual,real,and when family or I am out of town and on my own. On a daily basis of normal routines I need to overcome and set up a spot for a writing routine. I have managed to at least establish a daily journal routine and find my characters and stories building through that but I know I need to look for another time to put things into the computer and into the plot. Thanks again for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Deb. I sent the family to the beach this afternoon, and I've got a quiet house to write in.
ReplyDeleteOne of my goals is to be more consistent. Write consistently every day. On that note, I'm heading to my WIP.
I still struggle with consistency because my life changes day to day and I am not Ruthie. I only wish I could get up in the wee hours and make a lick of sense. The older I get, the more of a night owl I've become.
DeleteDeb, thanks so much for the exercise! Time to write is a conflict for everyone, I'm sure--but it's not as big a factor as lack of confidence. I can't achieve my goal if I don't write, but there are times when the devil tells me that nobody needs to hear my voice. "Iron the napkins," he whispers. "Your ideas are lame."
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Chris. I wish I could tell you the confidence thing went away with time, but for me, it hasn't. I have to forcefully pray and fight through those feelings. Knock that imp off your shoulder and tell her you've got this! And I agree with other posters that paper napkins are your definitive answer.
DeleteThat's strength! Thanks for caring--it means so much. I'll keep praying and putting down words.
DeleteYou said it all in a nutshell, Chris...enough time and lack of confidence. I get it. I've found that sitting in front of my laptop doesn't spark ideas for me, so I've turned to writing everything in longhand first. I own many pencils with no tops to them! I don't erase, just write, and then cull the best when I transfer my scribbles to WORD. My CP constantly tells me, "if writing was easy, everyone would be doing it". I believe it.
DeleteGood post, Deb, and a wise words to any writer. We have to know where we want to go before we can get there!
ReplyDeleteChris Bailey, I just read your comment. Oh, that vicious devil and his impish whispers. Guess what? He does it to those of us who've been making a living at writing for a long time. Really. Ignore him. And buy paper napkins. lol
Such wise advice about the napkins! Or whatever it is that the devil uses to sidetrack you from your true purpose. Get thee behind me, Satan.
DeleteLOL! I'm trying to be a good steward of the earth! Thanks for the encouragement! But--the imp isn't moving out? Well. Steeling myself to write on.
DeleteToo funny. But so true. Keep the imp at bay and use the napkins. Just don't bother to iron them. Or get some perma press napkins. That's what I do.
DeleteThis was pure gold for me today, Deb, because I've never thought of applying GMC to myself! I'm going to have to sit down and journal on that and I'm sure it'll be insightful. And as someone who suffers from chronic migraines myself, I'm in awe of how you've accomplished so much writing! I have one today because we've got a thunderstorm system coming through today and tomorrow and after two weeks of no pain, I'm in agony today. If you have any tips for getting past the pain I'd be open to hearing them. I think St. Paul might've suffered from them too, do you think they were his "thorn in the flesh"? My conflicts are definitely lack of confidence and perfectionism. I swear they're two sides of the same coin as weird as that seems. They need to be prayed through over and over! And Chris Bailey, I'm with Linda Goodnight on the subject of napkins - paper all the way my friend!
ReplyDeleteWe've been having one nasty thunderstorm system after the other. Morning starts out sunny and by early afternoon it's clouded over and my head is a mess. I wish I had some advice on working through migraines. I have tried everything under the sun and then some to get rid of migraines, medical and otherwise. I pop an Amerge, which is the only med that (kind of) works for me when I get to where I can't stand it anymore, but mostly, I just hang onto the saddle horn and work through it. I hope you find something that works for you.
DeleteMaybe you know this...diet drinks and flickering lights can cause migraine. A friend of mine just got rid of all her curly light bulbs on Dr orders and hasn't had a migraine since. Mine went away when I have up diet drinks.
DeleteGave up not have up.
DeleteFluorescent lighting is one of many things that will set off a migraine in my world. I don't use them in my home but nearly every store has them. I heard diet drinks were bad for migraine but I don't drink them now so I'm good. Thanks for the hints.
DeleteSpecial Riding Request: Do they have any horses on the ranch which come down when the rider is coming down? The horses I've ridden seem to always be going up when I am coming down.
ReplyDeleteI'll ask the guys for advice. My experience with falls (and there have been several) have always been hilarious (at least later, when I'm telling the stories) rider errors, and I consider myself an intermediate rider. I'm grateful to have always had horses that respond well when they suddenly have a strange person hanging upside down on their neck. Or nearly underneath but still in the saddle because the cinch wasn't tightened enough. (True story in Campfire Girls camp when I was in elementary school. I was too introverted even to call out to the counselors in my distress so I rode that way for much longer than I'm sure the horse would have liked.)
DeleteVince, a mule is a very smooth mover. They are narrower through the shoulders and move more like a runner, while a more muscular horse moves a bit like a body-builder. As long as you're riding a virtual mule.
DeleteIf you are riding a real-life mule, don't. To put it in poetic terms, when they are good, they are very, very, good, but when they are bad, they are horrid.
I will admit I am struggling right now. Health issues from all sides and doctor's appointments nearly every day, I've continued as I can, but the lack of sleep because I stop breathing in the night is wearing me out. I am so glad I have the Lord and he understands. I so want to do it all, but once I have the sleep study done in a week. and then the 2 weeks for the doctor to read the report and then wait on another appointment, perhaps soon my life can get a little more back to normal. Something tells me that what I have been going through may appear at some point in a book.
ReplyDeleteThis has all caused me to feel overwhelmed.
Wish I could have gone on the trail ride earlier. Hopefully the lessons I took for how to ride horses at a Christian camp where I was a counselor out West back in 1992 would come back to mind because I was afraid of horses due to an experience when I was a child. I enjoyed it once I knew how to control the horse.
I really do hope to be able to be back to my normal writing routine by October.
Even with all this I have tried to write at least something every day even if it is just 100 words.
I will add that even though I haven't gotten much written I have been thinking about where I want the stories to go so I will be prepared to write when my life and health allows.
My heart goes out to you! I can't concentrate without enough sleep. I'll hold you up in prayer
Delete.
Thanks for the prayers.
DeletePraying for your health, Wilani.
DeleteHey Wilani, 100 words adds up. By October, you'll have a good start under your belt. Always praying, dear one. Hang in there.
DeleteHi Deb,
ReplyDeleteThank you for making me think about this. My immediate goal is to be more disciplined about my writing. That's where the conflict gets in the way--fear.
I'm still often beating myself up with perfectionism. Sigh. I would like to be
a more prolific writer and at times I have been, but it's a struggle.
My motivation is to become a better writer and I suppose to move forward in my writing career! But I am thankful for what I've been given and want to write stories that please the Lord, not just me.
I just scrapped a novelette i was writing for giving away as a freebie for those who pre-order my novel coming out in October. So I started a brand-new one last week. After that I have a bigger project looming--to tackle my third novel about a small town in Michigan.I don't have a contract for so need to make deadlines for myself at some point. Sometimes I find that hard to do. Any suggestions?
Anyway, thanks for having this retreat. I hope to get more writing done the next couple of days.
Enjoyed the company as I read through the above comments. And sometimes it takes over in the form of ministry. I often wrestle with the my day job, which is church receptionist/graphic arts/etc. Often spills over into what should be off duty time. Yet I see God over and over use these times to teach me patience and relationships. All things I can use as an author.
ReplyDeleteMy goal right now is to edit my WIP and learn all I can about the craft of writing.
Thank you for the retreat. Looking forward to each days lesson and discussions. May not comment often but will be looking in and finding those M & M's.
I love the concept of GMC, Deb! Thanks. Also, I'm a little rusty on a horse, so may need to add an extra workout in today to stretch out those sore muscles. :)
ReplyDeleteMy immediate goal is to build up my businesses by helping others to reach their writing & fitness goals.
My motivation is to get stronger & to help my family financially.
My main conflict is finding the time or having better time management to complete my projects and be present to my family.
Time management is always an issue, isn't it? Wait till you get older. It goes right out the door. LOL
DeleteMy GMC helps me with time management. But at the end of the day, it's just doing what you know has to be done. (Says the Master Procrastinator)
DeleteDeb, your successes through all the adversity makes my life look like all TV and bon bons. God bless you for accomplishing so much, and sharing it with us to give other writers hope and inspiration.
ReplyDeleteYes, I have had troubles in my life. You don't live as long as I have and not experience some turbulence. When I accepted Christ as my savior at the age of twelve (My brothers and I were in a children's home, and the separation from them was heartbreaking for me), he told me he would be with me during all those rough times, and he hasn't let me down once. Even if I thought he did, he was there. I've cherished his love for me every day, and try to learn from every hurdle in my life.
As far as GMC in my life, my goal is to finish my WIP by the end of the year, the motivation is to enter it in the Golden Heart, and the conflict is making the time to write, procrastination (I'm the Queen), and my arch enemy the inner editor (among other things). Now, these may sound like excuses, but they are very real symptoms to me, and it seems like to other writers as well.
As I've said on my own blog...I wish all the words I've just written were part of my manuscript, then I'd be that much further ahead!
Thanks for an awesome post, Deb.
Blessings,
Marcia
I can't imagine what you went through being separated from your brothers. My heart breaks just thinking about it. I love the word turbulence for the ups and downs of life. Like a plane that suddenly drops and the air masks come down.
Delete