Staying Calm

It is not easy staying calm and focused amidst this period of world crisis. It is not easy to be positive and just say it will be over soon. It is not easy yet we must try. We know it will be over but in the meantime for many there is heartbreak, tears and shattered lives as people mourn the loss of loved ones.

For our sanity we must find an outlet to take our mind off what is going on. My outlet is writing. I find it therapeutic, a pleasant escape if only for a few hours per day. Whatever you enjoy doing use that as your outlet to bring a sense of normalcy to your life as we wait out this storm. Please stay home and keep safe.

Palm Sunday

Today is Palm Sunday and across the world this event would have been celebrated. However the world is experiencing a new normal, where social distancing is necessary to fight this virus. Good Friday will be no different. However we can each try to celebrate in our homes. Try to ensure that your life remain as normal as possible. I know it seems we are fighting a battle with no end in sight. But it will be over. Perhaps not today or tomorrow but it will, and we will look back and remember that by the grace of God we survived.

Hope

Hope is the light that shine through the darkness. Hope is believing the sun will shine through the dark ominous clouds. Hope is knowing that no matter how dark the night is morning will come. Hope is believing that no matter how bad things look right now we will get through it, we will survive.

Be Creative

You may be at home unable to go to work, but do not despair. For those writers who usually work full time, take this opportunity to let those creative juices flow. That novel you couldn’t find the time to finish, do it now. Find the silver lining in the midst of this battle. Keep your mind occupied. It will ease some of the stress. Keep safe. Good luck and happy writing.

First Drafts

This quote from Bernard Malamud describes first drafts perfectly.

First drafts are for learning what your novel is about. Revision is working with that knowledge to enlarge and enhance an idea to re-form it. The first draft of a book is the most uncertain-where you need guts, the ability to accept the imperfect until it is better.

Bernard Malamud

Write First; Edit later

It doesn’t matter how bad your first draft is, or how many errors you make. No one will see it but you. When you have that burst of inspiration and the words flow faster than you can type or write them, don’t stop to correct a spelling or a punctuation, just write. Don’t try to make every sentence or ever paragraph perfect. As John Dufresne says, “The purpose of the first draft is not to get it right, but to get it written.“

Writing Dialogue

Black Vintage Typewriter

When writing dialogue, keep it short and meaningful. Do not write long drawn out sentences that are unnecessary. Your dialogue should be consistent with your character’s voice. It should be clear to the reader who the person is speaking to. The words should flow naturally. When in doubt that your dialogue sounds natural, read it out load. Good luck and happy writing.

Maintain a Positive Attitude

Maintain a positive attitude even when things are not going your way. Perseverance is often necessary when pursuing your dreams. Avoid dream killers, those who tell you that you can’t, it’s not feasible, it’s not realistic, when they have never even tried it. Never take advice from those who have already given up without trying because they are among the first to shoot your dream down. You may have heard this before and it’s true, the first step towards success is having confidence in yourself. You have to believe in YOU.

People of the World

The world is big. The world is wide. Made up of many
countries, some with borders on every side.
Some countries are friends. Others are enemies, and there are moments when it seem we are on the brink of war. When nature strikes we come to acknowledge that we are more connected than we realize. The people of the world need to get along. We must help each other. Together we are strong.

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