Posted in Likes, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, creativity, Fiction, genre fiction, inspiration, Motivation, Thoughts, Writers, writing on January 29, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Action is hope. At the end of each day, when you’ve done your work, you lie there and think, Well, I’ll be damned, I did this today. It doesn’t matter how good it is, or how bad—you did it. At the end of the week you’ll have a certain amount of accumulation. At the end of a year, you look back and say, I’ll be damned, it’s been a good year.
— Ray Bradbury
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Posted in Likes, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, genre fiction, inspiration, Motivation, Thoughts, time travel, writing on November 4, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Exactly one year ago today I decided to do a little time travel. You may remember I mentioned a site called FutureMe, an easy and fun (and free) way to write yourself a letter to be delivered at some time in the future.
My letter arrived this morning, delivering a boost from NaNoWriMos past.
Thanks, Past Me, I will.
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, Motivation, Thoughts on January 8, 2022| Leave a Comment »
“If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.”
― H.G. Wells
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Posted in Likes, Writing, tagged #365Ways, inspiration, Motivation, Thoughts, time travel, writing on November 4, 2021| 2 Comments »
Some of what I do in this blog is about leaving notes to myself, because I want to remember a recipe or an idea or an event.
Don’t have a blog? Continually misplace your diary? Wish Post-It notes were harder to lose? Want to give Future You a pep talk or notes on a brilliant idea or the memory of the most beautiful thing that happened to you today or a reminder of why you should stick with that challenging long-term goal?
You’re in luck.
FutureMe: Write a Letter to your Future Self
Does what it says on the box.
Decide what you want to write, when to send the letter and whether to make it public or keep it private. I sent myself a little NaNoWriMo encouragement for next year. Not sure what to say? Check out some of these public letters.
Is this time travel? No, but it’s the closest thing we have at the moment so I’m making the most of it!
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Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, advice, Motivation, quotes on April 24, 2021| 1 Comment »
I ran across this bit of text and don’t remember its origins. I *think* I wrote it as a summary after watching one of Carol Dweck’s TED talks on learning and the growth mindset, but I can’t be sure (apologies if I missed the author). Still seems like good advice.
A motivation problem is solved by thinking (convincing yourself that something is important). A follow-through problem is solved by not thinking (don’t deliberate, just act).
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, ideas, Motivation, projects, quotes, Spring, work on April 8, 2021| Leave a Comment »
“Spring is the time of plans and projects.”
― Leo Tolstoy
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If only it were that simple!
Photos by Gabriel Jimenez, Markus Spiske, Tobias Stonjeck
Posted in Favorites, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #crapweek, Motivation, paradox of choice, weird, writing on March 5, 2021| Leave a Comment »
It’s been a weird week.
I’d planned something else for today’s post but the website I needed is down. Or just hates me, which is the same thing.
Instead, let’s talk about motivation. And how I don’t have any at the moment. I’m a little stuck when it comes to writing, and while other work is getting done, on that front I’m just… stuck.
I’m sure I’m not alone, and it can help to remember that.
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I’m reading, way too much. Not possible, you say? Well, honestly, I’d agree you most of the time. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love to read (thanks, parental units!). It serves me well most of the time, and of course you have to read well in order to write well.
Input is good but there must be output as well. And right now the balance is a bit off.
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I am hesitant. That’s a fairly accurate word for it, I think. Asking which direction to go, what steps to take, what story to tell? It’s called the paradox of choice, as in, having too many options makes it harder to make a decision, not easier. This concept is typically applied to decisions about things like breakfast cereals, but it works here too.
So, what to do?
Maybe I’ll limit myself to a certain genre, or length, or story model. Or maybe I’ll make a rule to follow. (I actually like doing that, it does make life much easier. As in, Monday, Wednesday, Friday I work out. No questions, no time spent planning, no wasted brain power trying to wiggle out of it;)
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It helps that today is Friday, that most wondrous of days. Mr. Man will be home soon and there will be laughter and warmth and frosty adult beverages for all. And so long as I keep moving, keep doing, keep trying, I’ll still make progress. Even when things get weird:)
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, creativity, Motivation, productivity on March 2, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Today, do something amazing.
…
And the more I learn about creativity, productivity, and motivation, the more I realize that the most important word in that sentence is “today.”
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Posted in Other, tagged #ThingsILike, inspiration, Motivation, quotes, Thoughts on March 18, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way.
— Abraham Lincoln
J.R. Johnson 
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