Richness of Friendship

“A good writer possesses not only his own spirit but also the spirit of his friends.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

I hope my friends see themselves in the person I’ve become and in the words that I write. I don’t get out much these days, but I do love my friends dearly. There’s a writer I forget who it is, but when I find him, I’ll share a quote from him who loved friendship more than romantic relationships. Friendship really does give you perspective in life. The good ones, at least, dare you to give up the narrow views you hold in exchange for a more expanded view. And if the relationship allows, you do the same for them. Life truly is richer with friends.

How a WiFi Outage Inspired My Writing

My WiFi went down this week, and honestly, that’s the longest this home has been without WiFi ever! I’m telling you this because I had to write midday, and wow, did it feel great! A different type of writing comes out of me midday with a piping hot cup of Joe next to me. If you haven’t noticed, I am quite ritualistic, but since summer has started, I’ve been able to play around with my blog in new ways. Writing at different hours, sharing a good morning post to connect on a positive note even if our days aren’t feeling so positive—I like it when someone tells me good morning. It just makes me feel better.

So do me a favor:

Switch up your writing routine.

Try doing something a little different with your writing routine let me know how you feel. Do you hate it? Love it? Did you get any new ideas?

The Vast World of Writing

You can say you’re a writer but once you dive in, it may take time to find your place.

There’s many ways for writers to thrive. Not all writers write books and articles for newspapers. Some writers write movies or radio shows. Some writers write blogs or website blurbs. Others write comic books or greeting cards. Some writers edit. All of it matters.

It’s hard to sum it all up in a paragraph so here’s a list.

  • Technical Writer
  • Copywriter
  • Novelist
  • Blogger
  • Freelance Writer
  • Journalist
  • Screenwriter
  • Journaling
  • Songwriter
  • Columnist
  • Grant writer
  • Magazine writer
  • Comic book writer

No matter which path or paths you choose, if you’re writing, you’re a writer. And the world needs your voice.

What kind of writer are you or do you hope to be?

Still finding your place? That’s welcome here! What’s one writing form you’re curious about?

I Signed Up to Be a Writer, What I Didn’t Know is…

I signed up to be a writer. What I came to learn is that the writing world is vast. Well, it felt like it grew and grew as I learned more about writing over the years.

I’ve dabbled here and there, but after experimenting, I’ve found my place in the world of novel writing, and I’ve been here for a few years now. I like it mostly because I think it fits my lifestyle best. I can twist and turn and pivot as I please. I can speed up and slow down. I can rewrite a million times, which doesn’t always feel good, but the fact that I can is liberating for me.

Before all this, life always felt so fast and big and requiring more of me than I preferred to give. I think it’s still all that, but now that I have my writing space, the world can be whatever it wants. In writing, I can fight, revolt, and use my voice to empower myself and eventually those around me. Writing, not as an escape but as a place to process situations and  better connect with the world around me.

Writing is my place in the world.

Have you found your place in the writing world?

Journey to Peace

“Peace is a journey of a thousand miles and it must be taken one step at a time.” -Lyndon B. Johnson

This quote is the perfect follow-up to my last post, Solitude is a process. I have a Sunday Solitude that has been developed for years into a day that gently flows me back to myself. When I tell you that everything is trying to tear you away from your most important connection, I mean everything. We have to set time aside to nourish our mind, body, and soul. Some of us have spent years learning to set boundaries. We spend time finding hobbies and making sure we nourish ourselves with good, healthy things. Now it’s time to incorporate that peace you worked so hard for into your solitude. If I had to find simpler words to explain what solitude brings you, it’s growing peace.

Do you take intentional solitude? Beach, nature walks, candlelit baths?

Solitude is a Process

“Strange, how rich it feels to be cleansed of all chatter.”  -Pico Iyer

When holidays land on Sunday, it throws off my entire week. Lol Solitude is a beautiful process for me. I’ve taken ideas from Julia Cameron, Hermann Hesse, and of course, we can’t forget Jesus. There’s some intention involved, but nothing more than I need. Adventure must lurk its creepy head somewhere.

Solitude is so important. Taking time away from it all is vital to the spirit of creativity: questions, responsibilities, advocating, and fighting for what’s right. I can just stop and think or not think and let all the chatter flow right through me until I’m no longer in charge of coming up with all the answers and responses.

Have you taken some intentional solitude this week?

Gentle Reminder

“Tyrants always fear art because tyrants want to mystify while art tends to clarify. The good artist is a vehicle of truth, he formulates ideas which would otherwise remain vague and focuses attention upon facts which can then no longer be ignored. The tyrant persecutes the artist by silencing him or by attempting to degrade or buy him. This has always been so.” -Iris Murdoch from Maria Popova’s The Marginalian

The good artist is a vehicle of truth, formulates ideas, focuses on facts, all this so it can no longer be ignored. I’ll be writing this down in my notebook.

What do you think?

Coffee Shop Vibes

“Some writers like to work in other places like coffee shops, but I can’t – I’d end up people-watching. And if I were at a bookstore, I’d be reading. Sometimes I have some music on, but usually I like it quiet.” -Julie Kagawa

I haven’t had a good writing session at a coffee shop in a long time. My question for you is, when you write, do you prefer to be alone, or do you think you do better in public spaces like coffee shops or libraries? I like it all, but getting work done in a coffee shop feels good for me. But it only feels good if I get some work done. If I don’t feel like I was productive, I get buyer’s remorse. Well, let me think about that. Maybe productive is not the right idea. It’s not always about writing thousands of words. Sometimes it’s making a valuable connection with a fellow writer or artist, or just gathering a collection of thoughts, or even getting a Pinterest mood board started.

Spark Joy

A story should entertain the writer, too.” -Stephen King

This is true for both writing and real life! From what I’ve learned over the past 10 years, it’s that whether you have tons of money or no money at all, it’s your job to find the fun in life. Don’t wait for this or that. Find ways to spark your joy. And I personally think the best joy is the kind you find inside yourself first and then share with others. Don’t try to share it with others before you find it inside first yourself; it doesn’t work that way.

Do you find joy in your writing? You don’t have to share the details, but also I love the details.