Some of our best writers . . .

I've been reading a lot lately - some of the finest literature out there.  I've also been reading a few other things.  For instance, there are reviews on amazon.com of some sugar-free gummy bears.  The reviews are hilarious - we're talking laugh-so-hard-you'll-start-crying hilarious.  I've been reading those as well.

Now, I certainly don't want to dismiss the hard-working authors out there, but those reviewers are brilliant!  After reading a few reviews, I began to wonder if some of them aren't fabricated.  But even if they are, the vivid language and imaginative metaphors are so well done that who cares!

Next week I'll be back to saluting the hard-working authors in our lives, but for this one week, I've got to say, "Hat's off to the amateur reviewers out there!  Keep up the good work."

Cleaning House

I've been doing a lot of cleaning and organizing the last couple of weeks.  It's a good feeling to sort, file, and discard accumulations.

I've also been reading a lot of books lately.  All of them have had good story lines, but some of them were a little cluttered and disorganized.  I have to admit that the disorder got to me.  I hesitate to recommend those books simply for that fact alone.  To me, that is the difference between a good book and a great book.  Who wants to be distracted from a good tale by literary, neglected "dust bunnies"?

I don't think that I mentioned that I just finished the major edit/rewrite of my book, "The Apple of My Eye."  I hope I haven't left any half-eaten apple cores behind.

 

A Pebble in My Shoe

Have you ever had a pebble in your shoe?  It is such a small thing, but such a huge irritant.  In life, those irritants come in many forms; I'm sure there is no need for me to list them.  Sometimes we can take off our "shoe" and eliminate the offending item, and sometimes we can't.

The familiar "Serenity Prayer" attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr is:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

This is what much of life is about.  If we cannot remove a pebble, we have to learn how to live with it, or look for change at a different time and in a different place.

Good books will actually insert those pebbles into the story.  They seem little and insignificant, and yet they don't sit right with us.  They irritate.  But with a masterful stroke, at the right time and place they are removed or resolved.  It is then that we realize they were placed there on purpose, for a specific intent.

On the other hand, poorly written books at times unintentionally have pebbles which are never removed.  All they do is irritate.

I believe that our lives often have intentional pebbles.  They help us learn and grow.  They have a purpose.  I heard a man yesterday say, "A smooth sea does not produces a skilled sailor."  So maybe in life (and books) it is best not to ask for a smooth journey, but a successful and satisfying one instead.

Paying It Forward

This last week was an amazing week!  I finished the major edits/rewrites of my book.  I am now actually ready to send it off and hopefully find a willing publisher.  It's a great feeling!

But what also made it great was a conversation I had last night with another aspiring writer.  I was able to offer words of encouragement along with a few suggestions.  It prompted thoughts of when Kristen Gough, another writer, offered support and gave me pointers when I began my own crazy writing adventure.

This world really is a better place when we all try to help each other.  I have been incredibly blessed by the kindnesses of others.  Hopefully, I in turn, can bless the lives of others.  Looking for opportunities to do just that is, I think, a great way to begin this new year!