The Time is Passing Anyway

Lately I’ve Pondered. . . .

(from the newsletter)

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time 

it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” 

                                                                —Earl Nightingale

When we’re caught up in the day-to-day, drowning in an endless cycle of “responsibilities” (I mean, how many loads of laundry *must* a family of four produce each week?), it’s so easy to forget that time is passing. 

When I was younger, I knew I wanted to grow up and get married, but I’m not sure I envisioned anything past that benchmark. In another year, I will be staring down 40. The time is passing, and, looking back, I am grateful I have carved out a serious writing space in the last decade. Am I exactly where I want to be? Not necessarily. Because I find as I accomplish one goal, I immediately set another. I try to raise the stakes in my expectations for myself as much as I raise them in my stories. 

There’s still so much I want to do—so much I want to learn and make happen. But all I really have is today and how I choose to spend whatever minutes I can spare for myself when I’m not staring down a pile of darks or folding towels into thirds. Writing is the dream, and the time is passing anyway.

So the point to ponder is this: what’s your dream, and what’s keeping you from making it happen?

Don’t let time run out on you. 

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~

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Four Things About Characters

1. The character who is his own worst enemy makes for compelling reading. This doesn't mean readers will have patience with an idiot, but that we are willing to cut even a total moron at least *some* slack if he's working toward a goal.

2. Each character should have his/her own voice. The dialogue has to be true to the character, and the reader should be able to tell every character apart from the next.

3. Even the villain should be someone worth empathizing with. If there are power structures and believable motives at play, it shouldn't be hard for a reader to identify with the bad guy. No one is pure evil, after all. 

4. Avoid boring/uninteresting characters. People are rife with contradictions and quirks. As a writer, it's our job to find these in our characters and make them worth getting to know.

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~

No Failures, Only Lessons

Lately I’ve Pondered 

(from the newsletter)

There are no failures, only lessons. We either win or we learn. 

I don’t know who to attribute this aphorism to. There are many iterations of this idea spoken by any number of influential people. 

Nelson Mandela might come closest with: “I never lose. I either win or learn.” 

It’s a worthy endeavor, I think, to reframe the “failures” we experience as lessons—ways to grow, markers to gauge improvement, milestones on our journey. Because if we try and fail at something, but we learn something new to apply to next time (in that the failure could eventually lead to a success), is it even failing? 

Really?

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~

Five Things to Remember When Setting Your Goals

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's that time again!

Let's be real: 2020 was kind of a cluster. I'm holding out hope that 2021 will be better. So, if you're like me and want to accomplish all the things this year, here are five things to keep in mind:

1. Write the Goals Down

It's proven that just in writing your goals down, you're more likely to accomplish them. Make a list and keep it handy. (But don't overload yourself. Limit your list to the three to ten things you MOST want to accomplish.)

2. Make them Specific

Don't just say you want to "read more" or "write more." Write down how many books you want to read a week. Determine how many words you want to write a day, and which story (or stories) you want to write.

3. Create a Plan and Set Deadlines

What will it take to read a certain number of books in a year? Trips to the library? Penciling "reading time" into your schedule? If I wanted to read six books a month, that's one book every five days. With due dates, that's two individual trips to the library. The first and fifteenth could be designated library days. I could find a quiet place and read for thirty minutes after dinner every evening. . . . 

Get an action plan together.

4. Get Out of the Way

I fully believe that we are in control of our own destiny. I'm not a fan of assigning blame or even letting past events or situations affect our today and tomorrow. Don't sabotage your goals with a negative mindset. 

Believe in yourself.

And that voice in your head that says you can't? He's a liar. Tell him to shut the hell up. 

5. Remember WHY These Goals Were Set

Maybe it's to become more well-rounded. Maybe it's to step outside of a comfort zone. The "why" is just as important as the "what" and "how." This is what you will return to when the road gets tough. 

So . . . what do you want to accomplish in 2021?

Your goals don't have to be reading or writing-related, either. Make this the year you get healthy--both physically and spiritually. Make this the year you save for that trip. Learn that language. Work for that promotion. Make that career change. Go back to school.

Step into your "discomfort" zone. 

Live intentionally.

Figure out what matters most to you and make those tough decisions (if necessary). 

Get moving.

And, as always: Be Brilliant!

~Katie~