Welcome back speaker and author B.J. Taylor as she shares words of encouragement this Fortifying Friday.Fly With Me
When the professional photographer set up a fan and started blowing my hair around I wanted to yell STOP. Wind-blown hair, flying all over the place—that’s just not me. It felt uncomfortable. It felt like I wasn't in control--every strand of hair wasn't perfectly in place. It felt, well, different. But I told myself it was okay to stretch, to take a leap of faith, to stick my neck out . . . to blow in the wind. So I let her take the shots. And I looked at them when she was done. Hmmm . . . I liked it. I was out of my comfort zone, but it felt kind of good.
There's a saying: If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got.
I wondered if I was in a comfort zone with my writing. Reach out and try new markets? That would be too scary. Speak at a women's event? Duckbumps would break out all over my body. Write a novel? Too daunting to even think about.
But what are you getting by doing what you've always done? You’re getting the same thing as always. So for 2010 will you join me? Let's take some chances, fly with the wind, dare to risk. Let's stick our necks out. Here's a list of some of the things you might try:
* Write a book proposal for that idea you have.
* Speak at an event, or join a speaker's bureau to get your feet wet.
* Make an appointment to talk to an editor or agent at a conference.
* Submit to three new markets.
* Begin to work on your novel (you know you've been thinking about it).
* Take a class to beef up your writing skills.
* Join a writers group.
* Attend a conference this spring.
What else can you think of that is outside of your comfort zone? It might be a little scary, and feel quite new and uncomfortable, but pretty soon, if you keep doing it, you'll become more and more at ease with stretching, growing, and blowing in the wind.
Fly with me in 2010. We’ll soar to new heights.
Happy writing and blessings on your work.
bj.taylor@verizon.net
Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference March 26th to 30th. This is the best conference on the west coast. Wonderful food, a fabulous mountain setting with pine trees that touch the sky, opportunities to talk one-on-one with published authors, editors, agents, and numerous classes that will help you hone your craft. I’ll be teaching two classes: “Writing for the Guideposts Contest” and “Writing Personal Experience Stories That Sell.” Make this the year to invest in your writing career. http://mounthermon.org/adult/professionals/writers-conference
B.J. Taylor is an award-winning author and a special correspondent/writer for Guideposts and Angels on Earth. Her publication credits include contributions to John Gray’s Mars and Venus in Love, twenty stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and many other magazines and newspapers including Writer’s Digest, Romantic Homes, Victorian Homes, and Lexus. She was chosen as one of 15 writers invited to attend Guideposts Writer’s Workshop in Rye, New York in October, 2004, and is a faculty member at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference where she speaks on writing inspirational stories. B.J. belongs to three writers’ groups: two face-to-face and one online. She is working on her second novel in a three-book series, which is all about dogs and the people who love them (B.J. calls it dog-lit). She lives in Southern California with her husband, dog Rex, cats Red, Diamond and Bear, and a Beta fish named Fish Face.
B.J. Taylor – Author http://www.bjtayloronline.com/
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