Unearth Your Unique Inner Voice for A Deeper Connection — Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 2 Comments

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Lately, a topic has been surfacing in my feeds: finding your writing voice. It is not something I had considered. So, I searched for explanations and directions, only to find the best advice disappointing. Comments included the usual lineup of admonitions ranging from write to read more, and my favorite, know your audience. While they have merit, they are insufficient in developing and allowing a voice to develop. Once again, I rely on my own devices to generate an approach to my newest problem.

Here is what I decided. To develop your unique style, you need to realize who you are. I am a numbers person who appreciates facts and logic. Concise, pointed writing resonates with me. I also enjoy surprising descriptions and singing words that embed themselves in your head like an ear-worm. My daily practice is a joy, and it doesn’t qualify as work per se. Those qualities must seep into my stories.

Sharing your creations to gain feedback is another necessary step. Good critiques can confirm when your message hits the mark and identify where it falls short. When you internalize additional information or write a new piece, it gives you knowledge, experience, maturity, and it changes you. As you change, your method of expression changes too. In time, you connect more deeply with the inner you.

Does your writing reflect your values?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – December 9

/ JoHawkTheWriter

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 344 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday?

My year-end countdown has begun, and what a wild ride 2020 has been. The adage says what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. I’m not dead, yet therefore I must be tougher right? The question becomes — How much can I accomplish before we ring in the new year?

It all starts with a well-conceived strategy, and mine includes a master list of 100 activities to help me reach my annual writing goal. It may sound impossible, but many items are almost insignificant and require fewer than 15 minutes to finish. They are micro-actions, minor jobs that, while they are crucial, they are the ones I repeatedly push to tomorrow.

My new resolution is to stop multitasking and instead concentrate on finishing one task before starting another. I have dedicated a cute notebook to collect random thoughts that often distract me from my current job. I aim to eliminate some low-priority habits and devote my time to higher valued assignments. Each evening, I will organize tomorrow’s calendar and schedule my most important activity in the top slot of my To-Do list. I pledge to complete that job before doing anything else. It means moving my daily writing session from afternoons to first thing in the morning. Well, second after my coffee, of course.

What can you achieve before the year’s end?

Let us know in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Overcoming Today’s Distractions and Adversities to Reach Your Annual Goals — Daily Quote 

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 4 Comments

the-important-thing-is-not-to-be-too-comfortable-when-youre-writing.-noise-in-the-street_-thats-good.-the-computer-goes-down_-thats-good.-all-these-things-are-good.-it-has-to-be-a-little

Everyone knows how a writer creates a masterpiece. They hibernate in secluded woodsy cabins, channeling Thoreau, as they cuddle next to a roaring fire, penning profound theories and communing with nature. Some writers become recluses, hoarding poetry in self-bound volumes, and sharing their creations with select friends and family members. Writer’s block frustrations dissolve in alcohol and abdicate their importance in the face of inappropriate behavior. Today’s modern incarnations frequent coffee shop drive-throughs, with laptops and earbuds, they compose caffeinated diatribes while sitting in their cars.

There is no perfect writing space. The challenge of putting words, sentences, and thoughts on a page is also what makes the process so rewarding. I scribble ideas on napkins, sales receipts, and the back of parking tickets. I pound my fingers on the keyboard while sitting in hospital rooms, doctor’s offices, and waiting areas. Notes appear on my phone when the mechanic repairs my car and in the quiet moments of mundane Zoom calls.

I have found a little difficulty, a bit of a struggle to overcome, helps hone my resolve and forces me to dig deeper, concentrate on my assigned task, and do the work. Some days I perch on my milk crate, with my laptop balanced on my knees, content with my makeshift desk. None of it matters when the narrative flows. Time stops, reality recedes, and for a while, I live in my fantasy world.

Do you have a favorite place to write?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – December 8

/ JoHawkTheWriter

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 343 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday?

My year-end countdown has begun, and what a wild ride 2020 has been. The adage says what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. I’m not dead, yet therefore I must be tougher right? The question becomes — How much can I accomplish before we ring in the new year?

It all starts with a well-conceived strategy, and mine includes a master list of 100 activities to help me reach my annual writing goal. It may sound impossible, but many items are almost insignificant and require fewer than 15 minutes to finish. They are micro-actions, minor jobs that, while they are crucial, they are the ones I repeatedly push to tomorrow.

My new resolution is to stop multitasking and instead concentrate on finishing one task before starting another. I have dedicated a cute notebook to collect random thoughts that often distract me from my current job. I aim to eliminate some low-priority habits and devote my time to higher valued assignments. Each evening, I will organize tomorrow’s calendar and schedule my most important activity in the top slot of my To-Do list. I pledge to complete that job before doing anything else. It means moving my daily writing session from afternoons to first thing in the morning. Well, second after my coffee, of course.

What can you achieve before the year’s end?

Let us know in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Tiny Steps Help You Keep Your Daily Habit – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 4 Comments

Keeping-a-habit-in-the-smallest-way-protects-and-strengthens-it.-I-write-every-day-even-if-its-just-a-sentence-to-keep-my-habit-of-daily-writing-strong.-Gretchen-Rubin-

Gretchen’s quote is brilliant. There are days I don’t want to write, or the day has been cray-cray, and it is late, and I want nothing more than to go to sleep. The magic happens as I write my one sentence, and suddenly I have written a paragraph or a few hundred words. They add up, fast.

Even if it is late, I try to make time to write. Sometimes I nod off and wake hours later with a glowing laptop screen and my face bearing the impression of the keyboard. It is a good thing I love writing.

How do you keep your writing habit strong?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – December 7

/ JoHawkTheWriter

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 342 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday?

My year-end countdown has begun, and what a wild ride 2020 has been. The adage says what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. I’m not dead, yet therefore I must be tougher right? The question becomes — How much can I accomplish before we ring in the new year?

It all starts with a well-conceived strategy, and mine includes a master list of 100 activities to help me reach my annual writing goal. It may sound impossible, but many items are almost insignificant and require fewer than 15 minutes to finish. They are micro-actions, minor jobs that, while they are crucial, they are the ones I repeatedly push to tomorrow.

My new resolution is to stop multitasking and instead concentrate on finishing one task before starting another. I have dedicated a cute notebook to collect random thoughts that often distract me from my current job. I aim to eliminate some low-priority habits and devote my time to higher valued assignments. Each evening, I will organize tomorrow’s calendar and schedule my most important activity in the top slot of my To-Do list. I pledge to complete that job before doing anything else. It means moving my daily writing session from afternoons to first thing in the morning. Well, second after my coffee, of course.

What can you achieve before the year’s end?

Let us know in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Returning to Morning Rituals to Improve Your Schedule — Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter

when-you-arise-in-the-morning-think-of-what-a-precious-privilege-it-is-to-be-alive-to-breathe-to-think-to-enjoy-to-love.-marcus-aurelius

Waking each morning represents my day’s primary challenge. Hitting the snooze button, and snuggling in my warm cocoon longer than I should, exacerbates my problems and creates additional challenges. I hate when mornings become afternoons, and I have accomplished nothing on my list. I have fallen into bad habits, going to bed past my reasonable hour and then using that to rationalize my late rising. This scenario is coloring my entire day, putting me in a foul mood, and hindering my progress on my goals.

Experience has revealed my prime productivity period is between 9 A.M. and 2 P.M. I’m fresher, more creative, and more likely to pursue my personal-passion projects during my sweet spot. It presumes I am awake, alert, and ready to work. A morning routine required to get me to that stage takes two or three hours. I need a change.

I am planning on adopting the schedule of extreme early risers, with a 6 A.M. target. I intend to address the things I have been neglecting, reviewing my scheduled daily tasks, and enjoying my yoga workout before it gets bumped for more urgent responsibilities. But first, I need my coffee.

Do you have a set wake-up time?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer