7 Things I Learned from My Dogs...A Dog Blog

Disney and Riley are Jack Russell Terriers, and life at my house is always an adventure. They have two settings, warp speed or sleep.

Here's what I've learned from them...

1. Live in the now. Today is what's important. The past and future don't matter as much.

2. Play hard. Life can't be all work. Everything is a game to a Jack.

3. Nap when you need to. You need to recharge every once in a while.

4. Don't waste a beautiful day inside. Go outside and have fun.

5. Know when it's time to cuddle on the couch with a good book.

6. Bark if you need to, but not too much.

7. Wag and make friends. Relationships are important.

Riley's new bone...

Disney likes to sit at the kitchen table...

Squirrel!

When Life Cuts into Your Writing Time

Life is busy most days. I had dental surgery last week, and the recovery knocked me out of my normal routine. I work full-time and have family and other obligations. Sometimes, it's hard to stay motivated and find time for writing. (Then I feel guilty for not writing.)

These are my eight ideas for squeezing in more writing time.

1. I joined a monthly critique group. Find one that fits your needs and schedule. Don't over extend yourself with multiples. This gives me a monthly deadline and keeps my writing projects on track. Plus, it's an incredible motivator. I always leave my writing events recharged.

2. I use my lunch hour at work to write, outline, edit, or blog. I get five hours of writing a week this way.

3. Take a good, honest look at the time you're watching TV/movies or cruising the internet. If you give up an hour a day, that's seven extra hours of writing time a week.

4. I do like some TV, but I record the shows, so I can speed through the commercials. I also combine my TV time with my pursuing the internet time. I can multitask.

5. I set a blog schedule. I randomly posted and noticed that my site numbers looked like a rollercoaster. I committed to one new blog post a week, and I now have a routine for reposting links. Again, it gives me a deadline each week, and my statistics are vastly improved (and consistent).

6. I get up early even on my days off. You'll be surprised at how much you can get accomplished. I use the quiet time to write. If the evening or wee hours are better, do what works for you.

7. My company offers an alternative work schedule. I added an extra hour to my work day, but I get every other Friday off. I reserve those for my writing days.

8. I love projects, crafts, traveling, and causes. I loved being involved in events and on the go constantly. I had to look closely at my schedule and where I was spending my time, and I had to jettison a few things to commit to my writing projects.

Life is hectic, and there are days where I wrote only a couple of paragraphs. Don't get discouraged. (That's easier said than done.) Keep writing. Just keep writing.

Find the support and encouragement you need and get rid of the distractions.

8 Things I Learned from Stephen King's ON WRITING

Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is the best book about writing that I've read. Several writer friends who I served on panels with recommended it to the audiences when they were asked what books have helped them. I hadn't read it, so I ordered a copy.

The book is frank, creative, and packed with real writing experiences and examples. It doesn't matter what genre you write.

These are my major take-aways:

1. "Good writing is often about letting go of fear and affectation."

2. "The best form of dialogue attribution is 'said.'" (Don't be creative with the attributions.)

3. "The road to Hell is paved with adverbs."

4. "I'm convinced that fear is the root of most bad writing."

5. "If you want to be a writer,  you must do two things above all others. Read a lot and write a lot."

6. Turn off the TV. Get rid of the distractions.

7. Write everyday.

8. Research is "a specialized kind of back story." It belongs in the background.

If you're going to invest in books to help you improve your craft, this one needs to be in your library. And if I could only have one book about writing, this would be it.

The Nine Favorite Book Challenge

I was challenged recently to list my nine favorite books, and it was harder than I thought. I have a list of hundreds. I also have had favorites at different points in my life. Here they are by decade/age.

The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone

This was my favorite book as a toddler. I am first generation Sesame Street, and Grover was always my hero. Now that I think about it, this one was a mystery too.

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

I checked this book out of the Woodstock Elementary library every two weeks for months in the second grade.

The Crooked Bannister by Carolyn Keene

In the 5th grade, this was my favorite of all the Nancy Drew books. It had a pun and a plot twist that I loved. My friends and I raced through the collection at the public library. Then we read all of the Hardy Boys and Alfred Hitchcock books.

The Ransom of Red Chief and Other Stories by O. Henry

I was introduced to O. Henry in the sixth grade by Mrs. Todd. I have always loved stories with twists at the end. O. Henry is still one of my favorites.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I read this the first of many times in the eighth grade in Mrs. Buffington’s class. I fell in love with Scout, Atticus, Boo, and all the rest.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I read this the first time in the eleventh grade in Mrs. Bates’ class. Then we watched Robert Redford in that pink suit. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read this over the years. (Leonardo DiCaprio is good too, but the Robert Redford version is a classic.) Plus, Billy Idol's "Eyes without a Face" came out that year, and I've always linked that song with the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

We read a lot of good books in high school. I loved the mystery in this classic and the symbolism.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Path

I read this in several undergraduate courses, and it resonated with me in my college years. Plath’s tragic ending made it more poignant.

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum

I read this early in my work career, and many of his points were dead on.

I was very fortunate to have parents, grandparents, teachers, and librarians who encouraged reading and suggested great books. What are your favorites?

More Hashtags for Writers

Here are some great hastags for writers. (The hashtag is also known as the octothorp, pound sign, number sign, or tic-tac-toe board for those from other generations.) 

For additional exposure and conversations, make sure to include one or two with your tweets. But don't overdo it.

If you don't see your genre, use Twitter's search feature to find thousands more.

• #AmEditing
• #AmRevising
• #AmWriting
• #ArchiveDay
• #Author
• #Author RT (Author Retweet)
• #Blog
• #BookMarketing
• #BookWorm
• #Books
• #Editing
• #GetPublished
• #GreatReads
• #IndieAuthors
• #IndiePub
• #Mystery
• #Promocave
• #PromoTip
• #Reading
• #ShortStory
• #WeekendBlogHop
• #WeekendCoffeeShare
• #WIP (Work in Progress)
• #WordCount
• #WriteGoal
• #WriteMotivation
• #WritingBlitz
• #WritingPrompt
• #WritingTips
• #WWWBlogs

These hashtags are tied to specific days.

• #Caturday (For Cat Lovers on Saturdays)
• #FlashbackFriday
• #FF (Follow Friday)
• #FollowFriday
• #FridayReads
• #IndieTuesday
• #IndieThursday
• #MondayBlogs
• #StoryFriday
• #SundayBlogShare
• #TeaserTuesday
• #TBT (Throwback Thursday)
• #ThrowbackThursday
• #TipTuesday
• #WW (Writer Wednesday)
• #WriterWednesday

10 Cool Tools for Authors

Here are some useful websites that I've used recently. They're great for writers...

Dictionaries and Such

• Acronym Finder is great to translate acronyms.
• AmosWeb has thousands of definitions for economic terms.
• NetLingo will help you stay hip to internet and chat terms.
• Computing Fundamentals has a great list of computer, technical, and geek terms.

Research

• Bartleby is the site for literary references, author information, and quotes.
• Library Spot is a centralized reference center.
• IPL is the Internet Public Library.
• The Post Office has a Zip Code finder.
• The Social Security Administration has a list of the top baby names for each year. This is great for choosing character names.
• Adobe's Kuler allows you to choose a color and it provides palettes of color combinations. This is great if you're working on a brochure or website.

What I Learned from David Casullo about High-Energy Cultures

I read a lot of books on leadership and customer service. David Casullo's Leading the High-Energy Culture is a good reference for new or seasoned managers. But his life lessons also apply to writers. Here's what I learned...

1. "Raise the Bar" should be your rallying cry for yourself and your team.

2. Energize those around you.

3. Communicate clearly and with purpose and passion.

4. Behave consistently with your values and beliefs.

5. Know the lay of the land at your organization and adapt as you need to.

6. A successful leader demonstrates Character, Commitment, Competence, Courage, and Communication.

7. People are fascinated with secrets and mysteries. As a mystery reader and writer, this was my favorite.

8. Focus on face-to-face interactions. Important information should be delivered face-to-face and not through email or texts.

9. Communication is an art and a science.

10. Simple is hard. People don't have time for elaborate explanations. It takes longer to craft your communication for your audience.

11. When people remember your story, they remember the point, and they remember you.

What I Learned from Starbucks and Joseph Michelli

My niece landed a job recently in a Starbucks, and it was interesting to hear about life as a new barista. Coincidentally, I finished Joseph A. Michelli's Leading the Starbucks Way: 5 Principles for Connecting with your Customers, Your Products, and Your People. Check out his website and blog.

1. Love, Humanity, and Humility should be your performance drivers.

2. If you don't have passion for your product or service, why should your customer?

3. Your customer service behaviors should include anticipating, connecting, personalizing, and owning.

4. You need to cherish and challenge your legacy. It's not just today's sale.

Michelli's book focuses on customer service and leadership, but the advice works for writers who are trying to market their work.