Daily Failures are Not Reasons to Doubt Your Eventual Success – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

the-height-of-my-goals-will-not-hold-me-in-awe-though-i-may-stumble-often-before-they-are-reached.-og-mandino

It is easy to get discouraged. We make plans to improve our lives, to alter our trajectory, and help others. The moment we set our intention to change, the universe takes notice. Those higher powers believe they know best, and everything is running fine. Who are we to step out of line and mess with perfection?

Overcoming pushback is difficult. It requires concentration and determination, regardless of the goal’s size and complexity. Whatever the intended objective, the strength needed to crush inertia and gain momentum is substantial. With that in mind, I plan to beat trends, upset my status quo, and trick it into submission. I’m not above playing dirty if I must. I won’t be wasting my time and energy on small goals I plan on reaching for the stars.

Have you set lofty goals?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – November 6

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

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 311 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. November and NaNoWriMo begin on Sunday, and I need to incorporate the challenge into my routine.

Will you participate in NaNo? Do you have a plan? What can you achieve in the next few weeks?

Let us know in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

November 5 Day 5 of NaNoWriMo 2020

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

nano-2020-writer-

Another day of slow progress. Yesterday added only 366 words to my total. I’m not complaining, I know I will get a break in my schedule in the coming days. Until then, I keep moving forward.

Are you writing for NaNo?

How is Day 3 progressing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Find Your Optimal Moments for Capturing Inspiration – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 6 Comments

when-i-am-traveling-in-a-carriage-or-walking-after-a-good-meal-or-during-the-night-when-i-cannot-sleep-it-is-on-such-occasions-that-ideas-flow-best-and-most-abundantly.-wolfgang-amadeus

Ideas are as numerous as raindrops on a wild, stormy night. Capturing a decent concept is as elusive as catching lightning in a bottle. Creativity on demand is challenging. Commit to completing your first draft, they say. Count your words, keep pen to the page until you reach your goal. Rinse and repeat: day after day, after day. It is easy, right?

It might be if stringing random words together constituted excellent writing if interesting plots lines materialized from thin air and fascinating characters knocked on your door. We are human, not magicians, so we seek inspiration everywhere. When the lightning strikes, we hold it tight and write late into the night.

When do your ideas flow?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – November 5

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

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 310 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. November and NaNoWriMo begin on Sunday, and I need to incorporate the challenge into my routine.

Will you participate in NaNo? Do you have a plan? What can you achieve in the next few weeks?

Let us know in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

November 4 Day 4 of NaNoWriMo 2020

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 7 Comments

nano-2020-writer-

When you work on something every day, it eventually becomes easier. Practice makes perfect is the saying. While I don’t believe in perfection, there is a certain satisfaction in seeing positive progress.

Gritty determination got me through yesterday, and when I finally sat to write, I accumulated 830 words. Yes, I realize I didn’t reach the daily target needed to hit my NaNo goal. Yes, I understand the math says I must double my output to reach the month’s goal. But I am working on developing a trend.

That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

Are you writing for NaNo?

How is Day 3 progressing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Listen to Your Inner Artist and Discover the Language of Art – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

im-an-artist-because-of-how-i-do-things-not-because-im-trying-to-be-one.-the-dream

What makes art, art? What criteria elevate mere mortals to the exalted title of  “artist?”

It is a question august scholars have grappled with, argued, defined, and debated. There have been entire books written on the subject. Some say if you call it art, then it is art. Experts stipulate art must be beautiful, or they impose conditions that demand skill, training, and sophistication. Each requirement is open to interpretation and personal preferences. I have not found the committee that makes the final determination.

I regard art as a vehicle used to convey information, a concept, a belief, a thought, an emotion — feelings. An artist creates. They mold a mishmash of disparate materials, manipulating them to construct an extraordinary means of communication. Not everyone understands the artist’s language, but still, the message can change everything. I don’t get caught up in labels and titles and hair-splitting nuances. Instead, I like to do, produce, invent, and dream of possibilities.

A magnificent trait I see in people calling themselves artists is their ability to solve problems. They challenge the limits of the status quo, stretch the imagination, consider the impossible, and transform the intangible into a reality they can share with others. They approach common concepts from unique perspectives, and they take deliberate actions that force them to face their fears. Confronting what terrifies them is easier than not taking any action. I believe the soul of an artist dwells inside every human. It is our mission to find our distinct voice, listen, and dare to create magic.

Why do you create?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – November 4

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

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 309 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. November and NaNoWriMo begin on Sunday, and I need to incorporate the challenge into my routine.

Will you participate in NaNo? Do you have a plan? What can you achieve in the next few weeks?

Let us know in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

November 3 Day 3 of NaNoWriMo 2020

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 2 Comments

nano-2020-writer-

It is almost inevitable. You devise a fool-proof plan, ratcheted your excitement level to the stratosphere, organize, arrange, and just as you sit to write, it happens. The world comes barging in your door, heaping loads of problems, questions, disputes, troublesome issues, general headaches on your plate. Of course, you are the only individual on the entire planet capable and smart enough to resolve everyone’s dire dilemmas.

Welcome to my Monday. It was a test. They were the obstacles I needed to surmount to prove that nothing was going to stop me from reaching my goal. It requires setting boundaries (for real, I’m not kidding) and sticking to your plans. Despite the distractions, I eked out 311 words. Today offers a clean slate, a locked door, and threats of bodily harm if they dare to intrude on my solitude.

Are you writing for NaNo?

How is Day 3 progressing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Chucking Your Long List of Must Do, to Do One Thing – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 6 Comments

do-not-wait-the-time-will-never-be-just-right.-start-where-you-stand-and-work-with-whatever-tools-you-may-have-at-your-command-and-better-tools-will-be-found-as-you-go-along.-george-herbert

I have seen the endless prerequisites required to become a successful author. You must get an agent, submit your work, set up your platform, suck it up as they reject your work, start a newsletter, cultivate your voice, love reading, build your street team, read everything in your category, manage your brand, decide on your genre, learn your craft, daydream, and find your compelling reason for writing. What am I forgetting? Oh yeah, you also need to create something brilliant. The list is long, daunting, and impossible to master in a short timeframe. No wonder people quit.

I’ve made a radical decision. I plan to ignore the mandatory requirements and helpful advice, opting instead to compose stories. There is a saying that states, “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” I trust the devices and skills will arrive at the point in my journey when I need them. I intend to keep an open mind, learn whatever I can today, and continue to write with the tools at my disposal. I have decided the only prerequisite needed to become a published author is to write.

What is your favorite writing tool?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer