This week, I struggled to find my desk, struggled to write. Life has different ideas about my plans. My challenges won’t deter me, I will write. I find a pocketful of minutes, a chair and realized my unscheduled writing session is ‘now’. Balancing my laptop on my knees, ignoring distractions, I work. My surroundings fade from my field of vision, I concentrate on my screen, and I hear the story I am writing. I write until my pocket of precious minutes expire.

This week waiting for my muse to arrive is a luxury I can’t afford, and yet I found inspiration. I found the discipline to write no matter the circumstances. It doesn’t matter if my writing is good.  I have done my best to meet my daily obligation and the promise I made to myself.

How have you overcome your writing obstacles this week?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I have seen experts in their field. They know what they know. It is part of their DNA. But they are also prone to taking their knowledge for granted and they erroneously assume what they know is common knowledge. They assume there is nothing special or unique about their knowledge. It’s the old ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ adage.

It is true for writers as we take our knowledge base as common knowledge. If we can force ourselves to see the big picture, we may gain access to our unique perspective. But we still must overcome inertia. When we chase a new piece of knowledge, a spark replaces the inertia.  The spark is infectious, it seeps into our writing and we write with excitement and emotion. Our reader becomes infused by our quest and the spark spreads.

What do you want to know?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The discipline of writing every day teaches many lessons. Some days you fill the writing session with wonder.  You look forward to the writing time, words flow onto the page and the process seems effortless. Other days you don’t want to write, but as you sit typing, the words flow, and you write more than you would have imagined. There are days when despite your best efforts the words are crap.

Discipline makes you strong and you battle through, working and writing until you reach your daily goal. The chances are when you edit those hard-won words you find gems you didn’t recognize when you wrote. Truth is, even the words you wrote on a good day may be crap. Regardless, they are words on the page. Words you can edit. Words you can polish and shine to reflect your best story.

How is your writing discipline developing?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I work on a word count basis as well. However, my daily word count is nowhere near three thousand words a day. Not yet anyway. My current daily word count comes in at 12% of Cassandra’s three thousand words.  When I first began along this path, I was lucky to manage one hundred words. My writing was sporadic, and it was rare for me to write on consecutive days.

I have made progress in the last six months. Now, missing a day is rare. If I skip a day, I make up the difference. My daily word count has tripled and keeps increasing. Continuing this trend, I will soon surpass my total 2018 word count.

What will you get done today?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Monday morning signals it is time to face the music. Weekend fun can deplete the reserves. Time to adult, cave to the pressure of responsibility and take care of business. This has been my continual dilemma. They say, “do what you love”, while harsh reality reveals love seldom puts bread on the table. They say, “follow your bliss”, but bliss seldom provides clothes to wear.

I wait for my lottery winnings to arrive, and I write when I can. I steal moments, working and writing while others play and I slowly add to my novel, honing my craft. My novel will take as long as it takes, it is my labor of love.

How is your progress advancing?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Maybe it is the beer. Perhaps it is the fact February is in the rearview mirror. It could be March Madness’ crazy NCAA bracket selection process and the thrill collegiate basketball games. There is also the Stanley Cup playoff, and your favorite spring training camps. Whatever it is, March cranks up the heat and St. Patrick’s Day is the axis of change.

I’m looking forward to a plateful of corned beef, cabbage, and mashed potatoes, followed by the transformation of winter’s dreams.

Wishing you all the best on this St. Patrick’s Day.

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Encouragement can fortify our journey towards our most ambitious goals. With our heads buried in details, slogging from task to task, attaining our goals can look impossible. Consumed by my to-do list, the goal fade. I have planned, structuring my daily list to push step by step, inching closer to my goal. I am free to forget about goals and big pictures, I can focus on my work and concentrate on the task before me.

When the going gets tough, when my tasks are never-ending, when I would rather binge watch reruns of “The Crown”, I persist. When I fear I am not smart enough, or talented enough, or strong enough, I persist. Day follows day, and I persist.

How will you persist today?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Einstein is among the brightest minds of the last century. The value he places on fantasy in this quote is shocking. However, “fantasy” is defined as “imagining things which are impossible or improbable”. When Einstein allowed his mind to consider alternate possibilities, he created a world where time and space were no longer absolute concepts. In his imagination, time and space were relative to a frame of reference.

We need not understand the math, to appreciate its value. Letting our minds consider the impossible and the improbable is freeing. It allows us to create worlds where improbable coexists with impossible in ways which feel logical.

Will you allow your genius freedom to fantasize today?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I possess a kingdom like Alcott’s. It is a hidden kingdom, full of deep thoughts, raw emotions and heartfelt feelings which are kept under lock and key. The kingdom’s inhabitants are unruly. They laugh uncontrollably, they weep, they scream from anger and frustration, and they love with every ounce of their souls.

The warden of the kingdom has a daunting task. The warden must keep them contained, quiet and hidden. Perhaps the warden should let them run free, their reward for good behavior.  Released to the wild, we can observe their reactions, capture and capitalize on their emotions. These emotions, thoughts, and feelings are brilliant fodder for when I am writing.

How do you access emotions for your writing?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Do you gaze at a brilliant blue sky as clouds drift by, and imagine pirate ships, cannon fire, and pirates swinging from the yardarm? Do you see the white fluffy bunnies chewing dandelions and carrot tops they stole from Mr. McGregor’s garden? I spy an elephant ankle deep in a river, using its trunk to splash water on its back. I have watched clouds run from the approaching storm and wondered if they found a place to hide, or were they swallowed whole by the black, rain-laden storm clouds.

Maybe the night sky conjures images of galaxies light years away and extraterrestrials orbiting their planet. I see a star plastered on a black velvet sky. I wonder if someone far away is seeking answers from this same star. Are they alone, frightened, in need of a friend?

What worlds do you imagine when you look upwards?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer