A Vivid Tapestry Created by the Voices in My Head – Daily Quote

October 20, 2020October 19, 2020 / JoHawkTheWriter / 8 Comments

i-have-so-many-different-projects-i-hear-voices-in-my-head-the-characters-talking-all-at-once-and-i-have-to-write-to-make-them-stop.-eli-rothd

I am home alone when I hear a strange noise downstairs. It is a break-in, the neighbor’s crafty cat. No, I see three black-suited men who I noticed following me this week. Wait, maybe it is a homicidal maniac with a knife. In reality, it is the dishwasher beginning its pre-programmed cycle. The next morning, as I shower, I overhear two peasants discussing their plans to depose the evil king. On my drive to work, a voice concocts an elaborate story. The narrator describes the setting, while the characters inform me of the challenges they will face.

No, I am not crazy. Yes, I hear and speak to voices. They fuel my active imagination and provide details for the stories I write. I depend on them, using them as an essential part of my writing process. They are integral to discovering my character’s motivations and desires. They direct the plot, and they challenge me when I want them to do something out of character. I use these internal conversations to get into their head.

When I sit down to write, the words flow. Telling their stories makes them happy. There is one voice I avoid. I know it almost before it speaks, the voice of self-doubt. I smash it with my boot, squash it like a bug.

Do your characters speak to you?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 20

October 20, 2020October 19, 2020 / 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 294 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

A Blown Deadline Doesn’t Make You A Failure — All Is Not Lost – Daily Quote

October 19, 2020October 18, 2020 / JoHawkTheWriter / 5 Comments

-was-in-my-20s-when-i-started-writing-my-goals-down-assigning-each-a-date-that-i-would-achieve-them-by.-i-was-amazed-when-i-started-reaching-these-goals-by-the-date-i-had-listed-on-them.

I don’t recall my first attempt at written goals. I remember having detailed lists when I was in high school. The habit followed me to college. Over time, I refined the format and changed my process to better suit my needs. It has become part of my DNA. Like Howe, I notice when I write my goals and commit to completing them, they get finished. Magical, right? I prefer to think of it as a hyper-focus.

It may be a well-established habit, but it requires dedication. Today, I find myself behind on a deadline. The date has passed, and I cannot remove it from the list. I have good news. The task is more than half done, and I have reached my anger point.

Anger is a great motivator, and I am more determined to finish. Knowing myself, I suspect a few late nights and a big push in my future. I also set a new completion date. If I succeed, I will complete the project one week later than initially planned.

How do you cope with missed deadlines?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 19

October 19, 2020October 18, 2020 / 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 293 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

My Sunday Morning Commitment to Creating My Weekly Writing Schedule – Daily Quote

October 18, 2020October 17, 2020 / JoHawkTheWriter / 8 Comments

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I keep a daily schedule listing the items I want to accomplish. It is my Sunday morning ritual. I wake early, and while the household is still quiet, I sit with my coffee and my planner and create a detailed strategy for completing the coming week’s projects. I make entries from Monday to Sunday, dutifully blocking an hour each day to write.

And life laughs at me. Phone calls, text messages, hunger pains, dirty laundry, tv programs, and a thousand other diversions conspire to distract me from my best intentions. They are tests, each designed to challenge my commitment to my stated goal.

I find myself engaged in the excuse removal business. I schedule laundry time, plan meals, silence the phone, and other notifications. When my scheduled writing time arrives and laundry beckons, I refer the request to its scheduled time and push the beast out the door. Leaning hard on the door, I block the other diversions and attempt to summon my muse by writing.

Is your daily writing time scheduled?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 18

October 18, 2020October 17, 2020 / 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 292 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Honor Your True Self by Ignoring Other People’s Good Advice – Daily Quote

October 17, 2020October 16, 2020 / JoHawkTheWriter / 6 Comments

the-easiest-thing-to-be-in-the-world-is-you.-the-most-difficult-thing-to-be-is-what-other-people-want-you-to-be.-dont-let-them-put-you-in-that-position.-leo-buscaglia.

Often the most difficult tasks to achieve, masquerade as the easiest. As we struggle to succeed, it is easy to compare our skills and our progress with everyone else. We listen to advice from teachers, family members, and friends without realizing their advice represents their choices. If we neglect to choose our path in favor of a consensus, we lose ourselves. Doubts cloud our judgment, and we succumb to our insecurities and fears.

Honoring our authentic selves means determining what matters most. We must place less reliance on the opinions of those around us since trying to satisfy everyone is a guaranteed way to please no one and to make ourselves miserable in the process. Regardless of our choices, we will never gain everyone’s approval. Releasing the need to subjugate our genuine desires is an important step towards discovering who we really are.

How will you be true to yourself today?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 17

October 17, 2020October 16, 2020 / 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 291 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Eat, Drink, and Be Scary, for Tomorrow We Write Horror Stories – Daily Quote

October 16, 2020October 15, 2020 / JoHawkTheWriter / 2 Comments

i-love-that-in-celebrating-halloween-we-can-get-lost-in-the-magic-of-make-believe-and-fantasy-no-matter-what-age-we-arenatalya-neidhart

The invasion began when I turned the calendar to “October.” Orange lights appeared along the eaves of the house across the road, followed by a gigantic glow-in-the-dark purple spider. Down the street, zombies began clawing their way from the depths of a front lawn. Another home has become the nightly haunting of a huge, ephemeral, floating phantom lady, her robes flapping in the breeze as she collects falling red leaves in her tangled hair. The entire neighborhood has become overrun with skeletons, dried cornstalk sheaves, and glowing orange jack-o’-lanterns.

Then there are the witches. In the cul-de-sac, three shadowy sisters stir a bubbling brew in an ebony caldron. Next door to the zombies, in a horrific accident, a novice crash-landed into the doorway. Her pointy shoes, green and black stockings, and broken broom create a gapers block, and the neighborhood walkers point and giggle. An old crone terrorizes the corner, harassing the ghost girl and the unaware.

Their stories run amok, and I chase them, trying to record as much detail as possible, preserving the magic in my notebook that is already bursting at the seams. There is a natural urge to pack, store, and prepare for the long winter nights. When the snow flies and the winds howl, I will sit next to my fire and write.

What is your favorite aspect of Halloween?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 16

October 16, 2020October 15, 2020 / JoHawkTheWriter / 5 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 290 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer