You Are Not a Bulldozer

Every once in awhile, my writing life starts to feel like an assembly line, like my stories are widgets I'm just churning out. This happens when I stop paying attention – attention to the craft, to creativity, to passion and to purpose. And, to my regret, I haven't been paying attention for longer than I care to admit. 

But this past summer, I found my way back to myself and to my writing, and earlier this month I read an excellent blog post by Annie Neugebauer over at Writer Unboxed - "Advice to Writers Who Are In It" - that reinforced a lot of what I recently realized. Here are a few highlights that struck me: 

On working harder – "What matters is that you do your best work as often as you can without burning out. When you're mid-project, you need to be deep, deep in your high-effort zone every work day for a good chunk of time. It's not about what other people are doing or can do; it's about what you can do."

On thinking more deeply – "Thinking is valuable. I'm not trying to sound condescending, but we often forget that. In a society that tells us we have to be proving concrete output to be productive, it's easy to bypass that nothing-to-show-for-it part of the process where we stop and really think. Think hard. Think deep. Think for a long time, if you need to. It's what ultimately makes your work great. Thought. Don't let the word count bogies convince you you don't have time for it."

On not barreling through – "Sometimes we need to "power through," yes . . . But for the love of all things literary, stop barreling through. You're not a bulldozer; you're a writer. Writing isn't always a thing you can muscle. Willpower, maybe, but not the craft . . . Sometimes slow is faster in the end."

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How's your writing life? Are you working harder, thinking more deeply? Or have you been barreling through? Can you guess what the tortoises' favorite part of this post is? 

How, Not What

I have two excellent posts I'd like to share with you all. 

The first - "A Writer's Manifesto" - is by Julie Duffy. You might know her, as I do, from StoryADay, but she wrote this for Writer Unboxed. 

"A writer’s manifesto is a highly personal document that,

• Is about your identity as a writer.
• Gives you a unified sense of what you want to achieve in all your writing.
• Transcends genres and projects.
• Is more motivating than individual goals."

She not only shares her own manifesto, but she also gives guidance on how to create our own. I wrote one up for myself and put it on my bulletin board. I look at it every day, and it does exactly what she says it does. 

"When you find yourself struggling, ask yourself how you want to be writing. Not what characters or stories or subjects you’ll tackle or how you’ll make this scene perfect, but what you want to achieve with your writing. Pick up your manifesto and ask how you can make today’s writing align with your values."

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Now, any post that starts off referencing actor Bryan Cranston as dentist Tim Whatley from Seinfeld has me hooked. So, of course, I kept reading James Scott Bell's "What Bryan Cranston Can Teach Writers" over at The Kill Zone.

Bell talks about Cranston's autobiography, A Life in Parts, where Cranston talks about his acting career and the moment he started focusing on the process and stopped focusing on the outcome. Bell relates it to writing. 

"You’re not here to get something, 

you’re here to give something—

entertainment value to a reader."

An excellent reminder! 

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Do you have a writer's manifesto? Plan on creating one? Are you able, for the most part, to focus on the process and let the rest go? 

You Can't Handle the Truth!

Or so says Jack Nicholson as Col. Jessep in the movie A Few Good Men. Oh, but I disagree Col. J! I think we writers can handle the truth just fine, thank you very much.

Hmm, okay, maybe not. But at least we can handle these "25 Truths About the Work of Writing" written by Greer Macallister over at Writer Unboxed.

Like the first two:

1. Writing is the easiest work you'll ever do, more joy than labor, a flurry of words pouring from your fingers onto the page so beautifully and smoothly you're more witness than worker. Some days.

2. On the other days, it's so hard and slow and, yes, laborious, that you feel you must be doing it wrong because if it's this hard how could anyone possibly force themselves to do it?

My favorites:

16. Everyone works differently. You don't have to write every day or write what you know or stick to any other particular process that happens to work for other people. Even if it works for a lot of other people. All that matters is whether it works for you.

22. How you feel about the work of writing will change over time because you change over time. Don't be afraid to change your process or your goals. Something that worked for you 10 years ago may not work anymore. Explore. 

But the truest truth of them all?

7. It's work and it's magic and it's a mad alchemy.

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Do any of these truths - or others from the full post - ring true for you? (I'm smack in the middle of Number 22 myself. This is one of the reasons I'm now keeping a looser blogging schedule.) How is your writing - or other creative work - going?

How the Magic Happens

I'm in the mood for some fun and Sarah McCoy's post - Magic Cloaks, Lucky Charms, and Other Writerly Superstitious Habits - over at Writer Unboxed provides that and then some. The following just totally cracked me up: 

"....it got me thinking about the superstitious patterns of our writer tribe. Some we admit. Many we keep secret. But Writer Unboxed is a safe space of honesty and acceptance, so I’ll crack open my nut first... I wear a cape when I write. Technically, it’s a red tartan robe that my mother gave me. My husband refers to it as the “get-off-my-lawn” old man robe." 

Ms. McCoy continues talking about other superstitions of our tribe. Here are some examples from her post - 

"Isabelle Allende begins all her novels on the same day: January 8th...While A.J. Jacobs walks on a treadmill and Dan Brown hangs upside down to cure his writer’s block. Poet Edith Sitwell gets inside a coffin to focus her mind...." 

She also asked about superstitions in a forum of contemporary writers -

"M.J. Rose: I have to play Gregorian chants when I write each draft of the book. I have to buy one [lucky charm] for each book. 18 books – 18 lucky charms.  I have to sleep with the ARC under my pillow one night.

Elizabeth Bell: I like to burn a scented candle appropriate to the scene I’m writing. On a beach? Ocean-scented candle. In a rose garden? Rose-scented candle, etc.  I also like to wear something my characters are wearing, such as a Victorian-style chemise or a saint’s medal."

It got me thinking about my own writing rituals. At first I didn't think I had any, but then I realized they're so ingrained I don't notice them anymore. Like, I always write in my office. I'll daydream, brainstorm, jot notes, etc. other places but actual writing? My office, my desk, my laptop. I also have a certain mug and spoon - both gifts from my husband - that I use for my morning coffee. Etched into the spoon are the words "What will you create today?" Answering that question usually keeps me focused and on a good track for the day. And isn't that what good rituals and superstitions do?

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How about you all? Any writing superstitions you want to share? Do you wear bunny slippers? Dance around to a special song? Eat a certain number of Cheerios or peanut M&Ms? Pet a tortoise or two? Do you plan on starting your own writing ritual?

To Count or Not To Count?

Steven James wrote a great post - "From 2000 to 300 - Why You're Writing Too Much" - over at Writer Unboxed about writers and word counts.

"The whole paradigm strikes me as an odd way to go about producing works of art . . . I should say, I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong about the technique, but I do think it can be restrictive, arbitrary, and doesn’t take into account the realities of the unforeseen, the bursts and surges and bubbles of creativity. In short, I think it puts an artificial constraint on the artistic process."

Whew! I'm not the only one struggling with making word count goals work. It's a shame, too, because I love the idea of visual progress - a stack of pages, a neat row of numbers. I want to feel like I accomplished . . . something. 

Now, this concept of word count works for me during NaNo, when I attack that first draft with the energy, focus, and intensity of a tortoise hunting a banana. In my normal writing life, though, I am much slower, more deliberate. I delve into characters' backstories, layer subplots, travel back and forth in time, move from notebook to computer. Some days, the only words I write are scrawled on my mind's notepad with invisible ink. 

So, instead of feeling bad that word count goals don't work for me, I'm going to remember the following:

"In short, strive for quality, not quantity. Rather than tracking word count, make sure every word counts and create work you can be proud of and that will entertain and impact readers for years to come."

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Do you use word count goals to keep your writing on track? Or do you use some other method? Does it depend on the project? Do you usually feel productive or do you constantly think you're not doing enough?

There Might Be Dancing . . .

I love to get books - and gift cards for them! - as gifts. When books I request from the library are ready to pick up, I want to rush over, scoop them up and bring them home. And I probably get waaaaay too excited when a favorite author has a new book coming out. (There might even be some dancing involved. And not by the tortoises.) 

But I thought of those things as a reader, not so much as a writer. Until now.

In Natalia Sylvester's post, "18 Writing Lessons to Carry Over into 2018," at Writer Unboxed, she says - 

WHEN YOU THINK OF YOUR AUDIENCE,

DON'T THINK ABOUT WHO'LL BUY YOUR BOOK.

THINK OF WHO WILL READ IT

AS IF IT'S THE GREATEST GIFT.

It shifts the focus. It's no longer about what we as writers can get from our readers but becomes more about what we can give to our readers. And what can we give them? So. Many. Things. In the pages of our stories, we offer adventure, romance, new friends, mysteries to solve, trips to the past and to the future and to places incredibly different from our own. 

And in my case, I (hopefully!) give my readers goose-bumps and heebie-jeebies. (Okay, the real gift is that no one has to see me dance. Other than the tortoises, and they just hide in their shells until it's over anyway.) 

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So, what do you give your readers? Do you get excited about books? Are you a good dancer? 

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I'm taking a short blogging break. I'll still check in, but no new posts until Wednesday, February 7, when I will once again be co-hosting IWSG. 

Go the Distance . . . Then Keep Going

Many of us have been at this writing gig a long time. Some of us, a very long time. (Hello, gray hair! Where did you come from?) We often worry about not writing quickly, not having enough work out in the world. We worry that if too much time elapses between one published work and the next, our readers will forget about us.

Sure, this is possible, but "Publishing Moves On. Do Readers?" by Jael McHenry over on Writer Unboxed makes an excellent point. Even though "publishing coverage is about the new" that isn't always the case for readers.

She talks about how her debut novel was published six years ago, but she still hears from readers today. Even now, "...the book lives on in thousands of copies in thousands of places: on readers' nightstands and bookshelves, in Little Free Libraries, for sale at used bookstores and in church basements, and, of course, eternally available in e-book with just a few clicks."

I absolutely relate to this! My flash fiction collections have been out for a few years now, but just the other day, I heard that a family member and two blogger buddies recently read and enjoyed my work. I was thrilled!

So, please don't beat yourselves up or rush your work or think your words, your stories don't matter. They absolutely do. Like Ms. McHenry says -

"I'm here to say this: whatever happens, you'll have readers. You may hear from them and you may not. They may number in the thousands or the hundreds or the dozens or the ones. But any book that you put out into the world will have a life longer than you can know, and it'll touch people in ways you never foresaw."

Shake It Up!

It's not news around here that I'm a big reader. If I don't read every day, I get cranky. My "To Read" list is more pages than I care to admit here, again. (If you really want to know, check out Lists Gone Wild.)  

Now, I usually say I read across genres and categories but when I looked back at the books I'd read so far this year, I realized this isn't as true as I thought. My go-to genres are historical fiction and mystery/suspense/thriller, in adult and YA/MG categories, and these dominated my choices by far.

After reading an excellent post over at Writer Unboxed - Learning from Reading: Change Up Your Patterns to Gain More by Annie Neugebauer - I realized I'd fallen into a reading rut. 

"So my suggestion for writers today is this: change up your reading habits.... If you always read within your writing genre, bust out. If you stick to literary or commercial fiction, try swapping them. Try mixing them. Risk reading a few things you may hate, because that’s also how you find brand new things you love. (And even things we hate have things to teach us.)

Switch up not only the types of books you’re reading, but the format. Always read paperback? Get an e-reader. Always read digital? Try listening to an audiobook...." 

Excellent ideas! So, while I've read - and enjoyed! - a few novels outside my usual genres, like Abby Fabiashi's I Liked My Life (women's fiction/contemporary fiction) and Alex George's Setting Free the Kites (literary fiction/contemporary fiction,) I'm going to make a more concentrated effort to try new genres and formats.

"Experiment with what you’re reading together, too. For years I was utterly convinced that I could only read one book at a time.... Nowadays I routinely have 3-4 books going at once: a paperback novel or collection of shorts, an audiobook, a book of poetry, and a nonfiction book (usually writing craft or research). This strange assortment has inspired some of my finest ideas." 

Every once in awhile, I'll add a nonfiction title or a story collection to the novel I'm reading but I usually stick with flipping through magazines. But nothing says I can't settle in with a poem or two instead, right? 

Ms. Neugebauer's post has lots of other ideas - too many to mention here! - and I recommend giving it a read. And, in case you can't decide which of her tricks to try, take heart:

"I admit to my stubbornness and foibles here because each time I settled into a pattern, I was convinced I’d found the right one. I realize now, looking at it with a wider lens, that that’s because it was the act of switching up my pattern that sparked the good stuff. Every single reading method, practice, format, and habit is valid and valuable – but none so much as trying them all." 

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Are you ready to shake up your reading habits? What will you do first? Anything you'd like to recommend - author, title, format?

Get on Track! Writing Books and Links to Guide, Inspire and Motivate

This past summer, I came across some wonderful posts (and books!) about writing that really hit home for me. I'm sharing them here in the hopes we can all stay on a good track - or get on one! - for the rest of the year and into the next. May you come away from reading them with the same inspiration, motivation and guidance that I did! 

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If you've lost your writing mojo, check out Anna Elliot's post over at Writer Unboxed - When the Spark is Gone: 4 Ways to Bring Back the Joy of Writing: 

"But we all have experienced those hard days: times when we feel like we’ve lost the spark of delight in what we’re working on. It might be a scene, a chapter, or an entire book that suddenly feels flat or empty or just lifeless on the page."

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If you're trying to figure out where you'd like your writing career to go, these two posts from Pretentious Title can help:

Author Career Planning: "I'd like to talk about career planning. In my opinion, the trad vs self publishing choice is just a microcosm of figuring out a real career path for yourself."

Know Thy (Publishing) Self: "Because the truth is that both trad and self publishing have horrible pitfalls and incredible heights. Neither of them is easy and nothing is guaranteed. So how do you know which is right for you?" 

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I can't say enough good things about Lisa Cron's book Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence. I'm now reading her new one, Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages that Go Nowhere.) Oh. Yes. Please.  

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And now . . . some inspiration! Bear with me, I'm going all Fan Girl (wait, am I too old for that? Or should it be Fan Woman?) I am a huge fan of Mindy McGinnis - the 2016 Young Adult Edgar Award Winner! - whose new book, The Female of the Species, is out September 20th.

Guess how long it took this book's journey form beginning to bookstore? 15 years! In A Picture of a Thousand Torments, Or: A Literal Pile of Rejection Letters, Mindy says, "I'm sharing all of this with you not as yet another example of "never give up," but rather, "never stop improving." If I had continued to query for fifteen years but never bothered to improve my craft, I guarantee I would still be receiving rejections." Read her post. Please.

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(I didn't receive any compensation for mentioning these links or books. I just liked them and wanted to share.)

Midweek Miscellanea - Monotasking, Poets, and Minions

I recently read two excellent - and somewhat related - posts over at Writer Unboxed: 

Liz Michalski's "That Crazy Friend" discusses the distraction of social media -"Shortly thereafter I realized that if the Internet took human form, I could arrest it for stalking."

Therese Walsh's "Monotasking: The Forgotten Skill You (and I) Need to Re-claim, ASAP" talks about our struggle to focus - "Our minds have become fragmented because we are living fragmented lives."

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And speaking of being distracted and not focusing. . . have you ever wondered "Which Famous Poet Are You?" Me neither. But I still took this fun quiz and found out I am most like Emily Dickinson.  

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And more distractions . . . a whole YouTube channel of Minions! Swing those pants, baby!  

Looking Ahead - Links

I came across two excellent posts that I wanted to share with you all. I thought these were particularly appropriate now, as the new year begins and as some of us are reevaluating how we live and how we write. 

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Over at Writer Unboxed, Lisa Cron's "How to Become a Writer" is a great reminder of how we often need to sacrifice in order to achieve, how the changes we need to make are not always pretty but still necessary in order to go after our dreams. Here's an excerpt: 

"Today I'm talking about something else: having the power to change your life in order to have a shot at writing anything powerful at all. Most of us try to avoid, put off, or pretend we don't need to make any changes in order to write a book - but we do."  

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Also at WU, Jan O'Hara's "Minimalism When Writing Fiction" made me think about having less so I could do and achieve more in my life and in my writing. 

"...I'm not speaking of minimalist literature...but rather a lifestyle in which one aims for a mindful pattern of consumption so that you're not trading valuable time and energy for possessions you don't prize. 

Nor am I claiming to be a poster child for the minimalist movement. (As if.) But I was and remain at a point in my life where the message was welcome and necessary if I was to keep on writing fiction." 

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I hope these posts speak to you the way they did to me. 

The Thief, Some Science and a Couple of Contests

I don't know about you all, but this has felt like one loooooong summer to me. I am so ready for Fall! But, before we say goodbye to August, I wanted to share some things you might find interesting....

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I am a HUGE fan of Markus Zusak's The Book Thief. I read it years and years ago, fell in love with it, then promptly sent Mr. Zusak a gushing, geeky fan email to which he very kindly responded. So, when I heard TBT was going to be turned into a movie, I was nervous, torn between wanting to see it and not wanting to see it...until I saw the movie trailer and fell in love with it all over again. I don't even care if it's different than the book - the movie looks amazing in itself.

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Kate, over at My Next Life, is running a custom art contest. She just finished up a project and she's "dying to create something else." Lucky for us! You've got some time - winner announced on September 25th - but don't wait too long. Head on over and check out how to enter. (No worries - it's really easy!)

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Lisa Cron wrote a fantastic post, "6 Ways to Make Sure Your Reader's Brain Syncs with Your Protagonist's Brain," over at Writer UnBoxed. I've been trying to apply her Wired for Story to my WiP but her book is so meaty that I think I'm just going to sit and read it through, absorbing as much as I can first. 

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Did you know that literary agent Janet Reid runs flash fiction contests? I'm not sure when her next one will be, but keep an eye out. The contests are a lot of fun and a real creative challenge. I love seeing what everyone comes up with - the talent out in the blogosphere is amazing!

And under the "toot my own horn" category, two of my entries received recognition: 

For "A Dangerous Fiction" Contest = Special Recognition for Entries that had a Wonderful Line

For the "Gone Fishin'" Contest = Not Quite A Story But Just Glorious Imagery 

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Are you ready for Fall? Do you plan on reading - or re-reading - The Book Thief? Will you see the movie? Going to enter Kate's contest? How about Ms. Reid's next one? Have you read Wired for Story?

From Blog Blitzing to The Walking Dead Comes Alive: An Eclectic Post

Here are some things you all might find interesting.... 

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Have you signed up for DL Hammond's Blog Blitz yet? 

I joined early on and it's been so much fun surprising totally unsuspecting fellow bloggers with a day of focused support and encouragement. I've met some great bloggers through the Blitz, like Dana at The Daily Dose, whose Friday posts ALWAYS make me laugh.

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Some book and writing related posts for you:

Over at Writer Unboxed, Robin LaFevers does it again - she talks about how fear affects creativity in "The Uninvited Guest" and then how we have to watch out for ruts in our writing life in "When Nothing Goes Right, Go Left."

I am a big fan of Hugh Howey's The Silo Series - WOOL introduces the silo. SHIFT is the story of their beginnings, and DUST - out this month! - will chronicle their undoing. This post, "Two Years...," shows how much a great story, good writing and a lot of hard work can make dreams a reality.

Literary agent Janet Reid's post, "The Shoe Test," is a great reminder to take out all those unnecessary words in our writing. Check out the comments, too - they're a hoot!

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And this...well, I don't know whether to cry with delight or to scream in total fear.

(The video is short and shows a bit of what went on during the last TWD - Halloween Horror Nights. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go hide under the bed....)

From the AMC website:

"Fans of AMC’s The Walking Dead will have a chance to walk in the footsteps of human survivors when Universal Studios Hollywood andUniversal Orlando Resort debut all-new terrifying mazes inspired by Season 3 of the critically-acclaimed, award-winning television series at this year’s “Halloween Horror Nights” events beginning Fri., Sep. 20...

Universal Orlando is also dedicating its entire “Halloween Horror Nights” street experience to The Walking Dead – making this the first time ever that all of the scare zones throughout the park will be themed after a hit television series. Guests brave enough to walk the streets of Universal Studios Florida will encounter iconic scenes from all three seasons of the hit show — including the perilous city of Atlanta and Hershel’s dismal barn — and fleets of blood-thirsty walkers who are hungry for their next victim."

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Are you a member of The Blitz team or do you plan on joining? Are fear or ruts stalling your creativity?  Are unnecessary words bogging down your writing? Are you a fan of The Silo Series? And does the idea of The Walking Dead coming "alive" freak you out as much as it does me? 

Book Notes and Writing News from Around the Web

Here are some notes and news I thought you all might be interested in....

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Khaled Hosseini's new novel, And the Mountains Echoed, comes out May 21st. I have no idea how he's going to top The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, but if anyone can do it, he can.

I absolutely loved Beth Hoffman's Saving CeeCee Honeycutt so I am counting the days until May 28th when her second novel, Looking for Me, comes out.

And June brings both the heat and the chills with two creepy novels  - Joyland by Stephen King and Always Watching by Chevy Stevens (whose novel, Still Missing, continues to haunt me years later!)

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Want a hilarious look at the writing and/or cleaning process? Check out Nathan Bransford's post, "How to Do Your Chores in 12 Easy Steps."       

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Two great posts on Writer UnBoxed - 

"Clawing Our Way Back to the Creative Center" by Robin LaFevers talks about having to disconnect from the real world in order to connect to her writing.

"The New Era of Self-Publishing" by Allison Winn Scotch is a great post about how she, a traditionally published author, is considering self publishing her next novel. The discussion that follows  in the comments of her post is civil and thoughtful.

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This actually has nothing to do with writing but since it's on author Joshilyn Jackson's blog, I'm counting it. Besides, it totally cracked me up - "The Third Piece of Unsolicited Advice Drops." 

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Looking forward to any - or all - of those novels? Going to check out any of the links? Is there anything you've come across lately that you'd like to share in the comments? 

Writing News and High Wire Walking

Here are a few writing notes and two fun videos I thought you all might enjoy... 

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Author and former literary agent, Nathan Bransford, is planning to self publish a guide to writing a novel. He's going to blog about the self publishing process along the way. I can't wait to read both the guide and the posts!

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Here's another wonderful Robin LaFevers post, The Play's the Thing, from over at Writer UnBoxed. It's all about the need for play in our writing. She includes some excellent examples of what she does, like making collages and writing travel journals in a character's voice.

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About a month ago, Nik Wallenda did a high wire walk over downtown Sarasota. He was about 200 feet up, walking on a wire the width of a nickel , with wind gusts of about 25-30 MPH. No net. No tether. My husband went to watch - along with about 10,000 other people! 

But, for all of us who weren't there, check out the following two videos.The first one shows what the walk looked like from the audience. The second one shows what it looked like from Nik's point of view! He had cameras on the pole he carried. Plus, you can hear the conversation between Nik and his father and team as Nik walks.

Book Notes and Writing News From Around the Web

Some writing news and and book updates I thought you all might be interested in...

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In honor of Women's History Month, The Book Case had a great post about 11 female authors to watch for this spring and summer. I've already added two books to my TBR list!

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Stephen King's new novel, Dr. Sleep, won't be out until September 2013, but the cover has been revealed and I am not ashamed to tell you, it is already giving me nightmares!

Plus, here's a great interview on EW.com with King about this sequel to The Shining. And, if you can't wait until September, check out King's Joyland this June!

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The NaNoWriMo blog posted an interview with R.L. Stine: On Writing Addiction, Challenging Himself and Thrillerfest.

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I bookmarked this post from Writer Unboxed back in January and it's one for the "keeper file." In Embrace the Naked, Robin Lafevers reminds us how - "The act of writing is not only about claiming our truths, our selves, but having the courage to not apologize when we do. Our writing is where we need to be our bravest and most fearless selves. You can’t write your best work if you’re not all in—and once you’re all in, you’re vulnerable. We don’t serve our audience—our true audience—by holding back."

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Will you check out any of the books by those female authors to watch? Are you planning on reading either/both of Kings books? Are you a fan of R.L Stine? Planning on attending Thrillerfest? As a writer, do you "bare all" on the page? 

Writers and Writing from Around the Web

During my Internet travels over the past week or so, I came across a few things you all might enjoy -

* Two excellent posts on the Writer Unboxed site are excellent reminders that it's all about the craft, all about writing the best book (or story or poem etc.) we can. Check out "A Promotional Strategy for Overwhelmed Introverts" by Robin LaFevers and "The Importance of a WOW Book in an Overcrowded Marketplace" by MJ Rose.

* UMass Lowell kicked off their Chancellor's Speaker Series with a very exciting first speaker - Stephen King. You can read a bit of background about the event and King here. And, you can watch/listen to the whole thing online here! I haven't gone through all of it yet myself - you can click on individual clips, like him reading a brand new short story! - but I've enjoyed it so far. Even if you're not a fan of the horror genre, King always has excellent writing advice.

* Since I celebrated a relatively big birthday in 2012, I found this article/slideshow, "Authors Over 80 Who Shun Retirement," particularly inspiring. You're never too old to be - or stay! - a writer.

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Planning on writing past "retirement age" like those over 80 folks? Excited about the King talk? Do you sometimes feel the craft of writing gets overshadowed by the fast paced pressure to get our work, our words, out there?

* Final Vote!! * The Writer Unboxed Summer Flash Fiction Contest Finalists

The Writer Unboxed Seven Sizzling Sundays of Summer Flash Fiction Contest is now over and the final vote is in your hands! (This is the closest I will ever come to being on American Idol or So, You Think You Can Dance. You're welcome.)

All the finalists' stories are up, waiting to be read/re-read and voted on - there's a poll at the end of the post. 

Of course, I would love it if my story, "In Pursuit of Pretty Things," is your favorite but if it's not, that's okay. Just go ahead and vote for whatever story moves you the most, the one that makes you laugh or cry or gives you the creeps. But don't wait too long - you only have until Wednesday!

Thanks to Writer Unboxed for running the contest and thanks to everyone who reads and votes!

Contest Reminder and Update

Hey, everyone - just a reminder that the Writer Unboxed Flash Fiction Contest Week Three is going on right now! Head on over and check out this week's prompt. You only have until early Wednesday to sub your entry so don't wait too long . . .

And, I am thrilled to say, my story, "In Pursuit of Pretty Things," made the Top Four for Week Two! This means it will go on to compete in the big final vote in early August. (If you'd like to read it, you can find it here, at about #64.)

Call Out For Submissions: Writer Unboxed Summer Flash Fiction Contest

I can't remember how I first came across the Writer Unboxed blog but I'm so glad I did. Run by novelists Therese Walsh and Kathleen Bolton, it is informative and inspiring, with amazing author interviews and guests posts (I recently read one by none other than literary agent and author, Donald Maass!)

And in addition to all that good stuff, Writer Unboxed is running their Summer Flash Contest. You can find all the information and rules here, but I'll give you a quick rundown:

- Each Sunday (until August 5th) they'll provide a visual prompt
- You have 72 hours (until Wednesday, 7 am EST) to create a story (250 words or fewer) and post it in the comments section of that week's contest 
- The top three stories from each week will be chosen based on "Likes" and the judges' discretion
- On the seventh Sunday, there will be a roundup of all the top stories 
- First, second, and third place winners will be announced and awarded some pretty nifty prizes

Weeks One and Two have come and gone but there's still time, so make a note to check every Sunday to see that week's prompt. Good luck!

[I missed Week One myself but my entry for Week Two is here (about #64) - it's called "In Pursuit of Pretty Things" if you'd like to check it out. If you enjoy it, or any of the other stories, go ahead and "Like" them! It would be much appreciated.]