Take the Leap

photo by John Bach. all rights reserved. This is my daughter. Wow, right? I guess you can tell she never lets “what if’s” slow her down.Everytime I see this picture, it reminds me to focus on the joy of jumping — not the fear of landing. Apply this to your writing. C’mon. J u m p.

Winners?

Do you need a little writing-oriented chuckle? Check this out:Since 1982 the English Department at San Jose State University has sponsored the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, a whimsical literary competition that challenges entrants to compose the opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels.The winners are posted here: http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/2012win.html  and are quite funny — and well… Read more »

Blog Post Housekeeping

I’ve heard recently that some readers of this blog were having trouble receiving posts. I’ve swept away the old service and am now using Feedburner. If you want fresh content delivered straight to your inbox (and I hope you do!), sign up by clicking the “Carrie A. Pearson’s Blog Post” line in the right hand column. Let me know… Read more »

25 Things Writers Should Stop Doing Re-Post

Occasionally, I act in haste. I just want to get it done, check it off my list – whatever ‘it” is. So I waited awhile before I posted this link to be sure it was the right thing to do. The post, by author Chuck Wendig , is full of  insights for writers and I keep going… Read more »

Writing is Not a Profession

As I struggle with revisions to my midgrade historical novel, I am struck by how perfect the following quote is: Writing is not a profession, after all; it’s an obsession, a long-term sentence in a rubber room of uncertainty and doubt.                                – New York Times Notable Book winner, Mark Ribowsky

Loving This Quote

“Write like you are drunk. Edit like you are sober.”                        — Tamra Tuller, editor, Philomel Books

As George said, “Stay the course.”

The SCBWI-MI listserv group is discussing motivation and rewards. How do you keep yourself going during writing and revision? If you are like me, a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards are the ticket to keeping my BIC (butt in chair). Refer to photo to the right. 🙂

Words of Wisdom about Nervousness

For those of you about to do something that makes you nervous (public speaking, sending out your first manuscript, doing a book signing, etc.) Maria Sharapova, tennis star, has this to say, “If I’m nervous, it means I had to work hard to get there, whether it’s playing in a tournament or speaking at an event…. Read more »

Circular Reasoning

I’ve realized the theme for my new picture book manuscript, EGGSTRA CRAZY DAY, could be the theme for most of the major events of my life: ….Sometimes the unexpected turns out way better than ever expected…So, being open to the unexpected is a very good thing.