Awake to Your Dream

The hardest thing about writing is … writing!

Surprised?

Well don’t be. It is such a common problem. Seriously, I hear it all the time, ‘I want to be a writer. I’m going to write. I will write.’ And each time the excuses become more and more elaborate and more and more creative and in some ways like a story in itself, with plot twists, dramatic scenes, interesting dialogue and a main character with huge obstacles to overcome. But you’re not like that are you?

People like the idea of writing and being published but very few are willing to work at it. Writing is a lonely toil and can be very frustrating. However, it can be therapeutic and fulfilling and an escape into a world that is only yours. Writing is a craft and the only way to learn the craft is to practice it. The answer is to find the time and to find the space and to write every day. There are no short cuts to success.

So, do it. Write for yourself, write because you need to, write because your idea is calling you, and write for your dream.

Remember that writers write and dreamers dream.

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Writer’s Quotes – Sidney Sheldon

A blank piece of paper is God’s way of telling us how hard it is to be God.

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Word of the Day – abrazo

Definitions for abrazo – noun [ah-brah-thaw/saw]

1. Spanish. An embrace – used in greeting someone.

He had watched them embrace many times before—warm, friendly, safe—but now he noticed the abrazo lingered, first arms and then eyes and he suddenly knew she was gone.

 

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Writer’s Quotes – Ayn Rand

Words are a lens to focus one’s mind.

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Take Note & Note-Take

 

Take note, it’s our job to listen and our job to learn,

to follow where life leads, around every turn.

It’s our job to see the world with a curious eye,

to dissect and analyse and find out why.

It’s our job to hear what hasn’t been said,

from a look or a nod or a pat on the head.

It’s our job to pause and smell the fresh air,

ahhh … a trigger of memories everywhere.

It’s our job to taste life’s luxuries, to absorb its flavour,

to be present and focussed, so our lives we can savour.

It’s our job to accumulate, then blend it to share,

a part of who we are, our souls laid bare.

Take a sprinkle of imagination, and add your experience with a shake,

let your ideas cultivate your soul and words your destiny make.

So, note the green at your feet or the blue of the sky,

feel the wind on your face, observe the plane up high.

Note the expression from a child, ‘Where is my dad?’

a mum’s lonely silence … an ache to fix their sad.

Note the idle conversation to keep issues at bay,

from a new forbidden passion, a couple’s love gone astray.

Note a twinkling of a star, to the rising of the sun,

from the mundane activity, to a child having fun.

Note the sparkle of a rainbow, the gentle kiss of snow,

the churning of the sea, a full-moon glow.

From mountains and valleys, from places hot and cold,

learn who you are from the young to the old.

So take note of it all, it’s the little things to observe,

and note-take this advice for your legacy to preserve.

 

 

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When You Wish Upon A Star

When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you.

I believe that when you wish upon a star, if you are sincere enough and trusting enough and hard working enough, your dream will come true.

You will find that the hardest thing about writing is … writing, and the hardest thing about dreaming is … believing.

Hard work and belief make dreams come true.

Surprised?

Well don’t be. It is such a common problem. Seriously. People want the reward without the work. I hear it all the time, ‘I want to write. I’m going to write. I will write.’

And each time when I ask, ‘Well, what have you done?’ Excuses are launched with timely precision and become more and more elaborate and more and more creative and in some ways like a story in itself, with plot twists, dramatic scenes, interesting dialogue and a main character with obstacles to overcome. Their noses grow until embarrassment reddens cheeks and honesty prevails, just like Pinnocchio.

I’ve been lucky enough to have several writing dreams come true. But I say to you, Writer, dreams and success comes with hard work. There are no short cuts. Listen to your conscience and let it guide you. It knows who you are.

So, if you like the idea of writing and being published but aren’t willing to work for it, then when you wish upon that star, you will sadly wish for who you are.
Writers write. Dreamers dream.

What do you wish for?

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Love Writing

By now, most of us would have experienced the feeling of being in love.

C’mon, guys, you know the feelings I’m talking about—the fast beating of your heart, sweaty palms, that lasting smile that carries you through the day until you see that person next, the way you notice the little things like subtle facial expressions, particular fragrances, the way the light bounces off hair and eye colour, the softness of lips when pressed to yours, the feeling of fitting together perfectly. That’s the power of love, and the feeling is magical.

For some, love is fresh and alive and happening at this very moment, and for you I say, woo hoo! Yes, celebrate it, savour it and capture it any way you can. Follow your heart. Don’t analyse it, simply go with it.

For others, love may be a distant memory archived away or placed carefully into a time capsule, accessible only when that trigger—photo, song, movie, place, phrase etc.—transports you back and forces you to retrieve and remember those feelings from that time, that place, that person.

Now, writing should have that same affect on you, especially if you love it and love what you do. Do you love writing?

If you love writing, you should have the same feelings towards it. Writing should bring that same enthusiasm and passion to your work. Your words should have that same energy flowing through your prose and narrative, intoxicating your senses so you can think of nothing else but that idea, character, story or manuscript. It should draw you deeper and deeper and consume every part of you, and it should grow on you and mould into you until you feel at one with it. Your words should resonate with your readers, helping them feel all that is you.

If you can do that then you are well on your way to a perfect love affair, where true love exists, where dreams become a reality and fairytale endings are not just imaginary ideas, but where your story has no other conclusion but to end happily ever after.

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Experience Writing

At this point in my writing life I am comfortable with the experience. Sure it’s hard work and all consuming, emotionally draining, at times un-rewarding, seemingly endless and sometimes downright frustrating. But between the grey of dark cloud there is light, and from the fierceness of a storm there is sanctuary, and from the downpour of rain there is shelter.

Only by pushing through—by keeping on or by soaring above—do you see golden colour, do you appreciate calm, and bask in warmth. Keep going. Reflect always, analyse often, but never stop looking ahead. Your dreams await you.

Keep writing. Don’t ever stop. Forge through the grind of repetitive routine to bring characters to life, worlds to attention and stories that only you can tell to make a difference. Use your words to entertain, to bring happiness to those who can’t bear to smile, to help others laugh, to distract amidst adversity, to sympathise or uplift during sorrow, to bring understanding or evoke thought, to bring joy and light to darkened corners, to express love to someone, and to show the essence of you. What a gift! Only you can do this. Your words are the lifeline that somebody hopes for, words they need to cling to for safety or fulfilment, words to help transport or escape—words that can change lives.

 

Tell me your writing experiences.

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