THE HAPPY WRITER, THE SLOW WRITER, THE NO WRITER

Castle a Happy Writer

I was reading a post by Nathan Bransford again recently entitled, Ten Commandments for the Happy Writer My favorite comment on his post is #1. Enjoy the present.

This is probably one of the biggest problems I see as a counselor in many people’s lives today. Too many of us miss the joy of the present. If we're writers then we are usually striving for publication and if we're published then we're hoping to be published again. Maybe we're looking for an agent or just the right publishing house. We’re either planning ahead or ruminating about the past. And speaking of the past, one of the best lessons any of us can learn from is the scene between Rafiki and Simba in The Lion King..

Rifiki is thinking

Adult Simba: I know what I have to do. But going back means I'll have to face my past. I've been running from it for so long.
[Rafiki hits Simba on the head with his stick]
Adult Simba: Ow! Jeez, what was that for?    
Rafiki: It doesn't matter. It's in the past.                 
[laughs]
Adult Simba: Yeah, but it still hurts.
Rafiki: Oh yes, the past can hurt. But from the way I see it, you can either run from it, or... learn from it.
[swings his stick again at Simba, who ducks out of the way]
Rafiki: Ha. You see? So what are you going to do?
Adult Simba: First, I'm gonna take your stick.
[Simba snatches Rafiki's stick and throws it and Rafiki runs to grab it]
Rafiki: No, no, no, no, not the stick! Hey, where you going?
Adult Simba: I'm going back!
Rafiki: Good! Go on! Get out of here!
[Rafiki begins laughing and screeching loudly]

Lion King Video- It's in the Past

I’ve been striving this year to become a satisfied, contented, focused writer. I love what I do. I think sometimes I tend to get so wrapped up in everything that’s on my plate that the first place I turn to take out my frustrations is my writing. That’s probably because it demands so much of my time. But maybe it demands so much of my time because I’m A REALLY SLOW WRITER. And I’m coming to terms with the fact that it’s okay. I’m learning from the past. 

What can we learn from turtles? I wrote a post about that once. :)

Turtles have:

1. A hard shell-for protection. That hard shell is something all writers must develop to protect ourselves from rejection. Let’s face it, I don’t think too many of us look forward to getting rejections from potential publishers and agents. We have to find ways of coping with rejection so we can move on and continue to write what is important, entertaining, encouraging, and meaningful.

2. A slow and steady gait. You know the old story of the tortoise and the hare. Who won that race?

3. Pull that head inside. Turtles can pull their heads in (but not the Green Sea Turtle) and protect themselves that way as well. I also think that’s a turtle’s way of sleeping and thinking or possibly avoiding Rafiki's stick.

4. The belly of some turtle's is soft. That happens to us as writers too if we don’t get our exercise. Some Green Turtles can weigh up to 700 pounds! I bet some types of turtle or tortoise weigh even more.

You’d think after being a social worker and counselor for more than thirty years that I wouldn’t struggle with all this stuff. But I’ve figured out recently that if you’re not struggling with something you might be dead or at least not living as fully alive as you’d like.

So I’m on a quest. I’m always on some kind of quest.:) This time it’s to discover what really makes for happy, focused, contented writers. I’ve shared a little of what I think. Now, I want to know what you think, what you're experiencing, what's working and what's not working. I’ve looked up a few interesting posts. Read one or all of them if you have time.

10 Things I Wish I Would Have Done Differently

The Unfinished

Quit-Writing-10-Ways-To-Be-Happy-and-Successful-As-Writer-of-Modern-Poetry

 

Can Writers Be Happy?

What Happy Writers Do

I know one thing for sure. When I’m not writing, I’m not happy. Yes, writing changes a bit when we get published. Okay, it changes a lot, and if we let it grab us around the neck and give into our fears we will be NO writers and not writing. So whether or not you are published keep writing, and while you are on this journey find ways to share your knowledge and power with other writers.

So what kind of writer are you? Anything ring true for you here today?

And as Rafiki would say, “Good! Go on! Get out of here!”

Women of Faith and Scott MacIntyre

I Am Hope is stuck in my head. That's a good thing. I went to the Women of Faith One Day with a couple of friends in Cincinnati on the 14th. I hadn't been for a long time. Sheila Walsh was awesome and inspiring, Ken Davis was hysterically funny and inspiring, and Scott MacIntyre knocked my socks off with his singing and his awesome attitude.

I didn't watch American Idol when Scott was on the show so I really didn't know who he was and didn't know his history. He shared with us about his blindness from birth and what he can see is like looking through the tip of a straw. He also shared that he was a kidney recipient and my guess is that he probably shares that in his book, By Faith, Not By Sight: The Inspirational Story of a Blind Prodigy, a Life-Threatening Illness, and an Unexpected Gift.

My husband and I worked on separate dialysis units in different hospitals for many, many, years with patients who were awaiting transplant, living with the difficulties of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. To say it's a difficult time is a gross understatement. I applaud Scott, he's come a long way, he announced that he was married and that his wife was with him on the tour. So if you need inspiration to get you through a rough season you will find it within the songs, music, and words of Scott MacIntrye. 

And don't forget to Donate Life. Those of us who have worked on dialysis units or in transplant centers know how important this is, but it's the patients and families who understand the meaning of the word gift better than most.

Who or what inspires you?