Dig In for the Long Haul! By Sally Shupe

It’s June. Where has the time gone? Seems like just the other day it was February. As I thought about this, I got to thinking about where I stood with the goals I’d set in January.

A Brand New Year!! by Sally Shupe

Who’s excited for a brand new year? Last year is in the past. This year is a brand new slate. What do you want to see you accomplish? Dream big! Everything in the past is gone, setting this year up to be a great launching pad into another year.

Take a few moments (But only a few moments! It’s time to move forward!) and think about last year. What didn’t work so well? Did you have a planner that didn’t keep you on task? Get a new one for this year! Did you want to get more things accomplished around the house, or lose weight, or be more active? Brainstorm ways to see that happen. Did you find if you had highlighted certain tasks that they got done in the timeframe needed? Get more highlighters, in different colors! Did you feel like it was just you swimming in a big pond and you wished you had someone in your corner, someone who would encourage you, ask about your writing (or whatever you’re working on), be interested in reading what you wrote? Take this year to find a critique partner, or a really good friend who you can bounce ideas off of, who will encourage you along the way. Need a running buddy so you’ll get out there and run? Find one! Need to lose weight but lose momentum? Find a group who will motivate and encourage you when you want that midnight snack.

However, for this exercise, keep most of your focus on what worked for you. Do more of that! Did setting an activity goal for each day or week make you more motivated to work out, walk more steps in a day, or get more things done? Did writing out a grocery list enable you to eat healthier and not come home with random junk food in your bags? Did having a critique partner keep you accountable and at the end of the day, week, or month the words were piled up in a great way? Then continue those traits into the new year!

Find what works and keep doing that. If something doesn’t work, change it. It’s your plan for success. There are as many different ways to accomplish something as there are people. What works for one person, or a dozen, may not work for you. Find what works for you. You want to be successful this year. You want to lose weight, get more things done, write more words, have completed novels to publish. Work out a game plan to get it done! This is a great new year for you to be who you wish to be. Work out a plan that works for you and watch this year be the year!

Sally Shupe lives in southwest Virginia with her husband, two grown kids, and a whole bunch of pets: five dogs, three cats, a rabbit, and birds at the birdfeeder (and the mandatory snowman when the snow cooperates). She writes contemporary Christian romance, with two completed manuscripts and others in progress. They are part of a series located in small town Virginia.

When Sally’s not writing or working full-time, she is a freelance editor for several authors who write fiction and nonfiction; students working on dissertation papers; a copy editor for Desert Breeze (now closed); a content editor for Prism (became part of Pelican); performs beta reading for various authors; publishes book reviews on her blog and with Valley Business FRONT’s monthly magazine; is a member of ACFW and ACFW Virginia; and loves genealogy, running, and crocheting.

Sally uses her love of words to write about God’s amazing love.

You Need A Goal by Sally Shupe

How is it November already? It seems like just yesterday I was sitting down, planning out my goals for this year, and very excited for the year ahead. And now I find the year is almost winding down. How did your year go? Did you meet the goals you set forth in January? Did you find goals that didn’t work and then set new goals?

I had a planner that I started using in January. I set goals regarding how many words to write in a week, brainstorm blog post ideas, find places to blog, come up with new story ideas, research agents, read a writing book a month, enter contests, participate in NaNoWriMo. Sounds very productive! After thumbing through the planner, I now realize I’d only written out how to meet these goals through February. My new goal is to be consistent!

Since this is the month of thanksgiving, I wanted to be intentional and thankful for what I’ve accomplished this year. One of my goals was met when I started blogging here monthly. Thank you for allowing me to do so! I also entered a contest and got feedback. Another goal I’d set, not related to writing, I’ve met each month as well. Then, my flashdrive broke and I had to set a new, fast goal. Recover my stories that were on there! I had sent some of the stories out to friends to read and so found several of them. The story I was working on I was able to get an earlier version of it, so another new goal is to work on it and bring it back to where it was. But at least I found a copy of it! If your story is only in one place, go right now and save it somewhere else as backup.

But the work doesn’t stop at writing out your goals. You can’t start a project and never finish it. Well, you can. But then you’ll have a hole in the floor, or the wiring showing in the walls, or a sink that overflows. By a dog named George. No, not really, but you get my point. (I wrote about the house-flooding dog in my previous post.) Anyway, you get the picture. Setting goals is for the purpose of completing them. If a goal ends up not working, you can change the goal as situations and circumstances change, but you have to have goals. Goals keep what you want to accomplish right front and center. Zig Ziglar said if you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time. That is so true with writing. Goals keep us writing when everything else comes at us and wants us to quit.

If you’ve met your goals so far, great job! You’ve made it this far, only two more months to go. You can do it! If you haven’t, you’ve got two months to uncover those goals, dust them off, and work on them. Consider what’s kept you from meeting those goals. Something beyond your control? Don’t fret about those. The ones you have control over, go after them! If you find a goal that won’t work, change it to something that will. But have a goal. This year still has two months left to make your goals a reality. You can do it!

If you need a critique partner, someone to share your writing accomplishments or struggles with, a writing partner, an encourager, a NaNoWriMo buddy, contact me. Send me an email or contact me on social media. I’m on NaNoWriMo as sallyshupe. Writing can be lonely, as it’s just you and a piece of paper, or a screen, or talking into Dragon Naturally Speaking software, but it doesn’t have to be. Reach out to others. We’ve all got different gifts and abilities, and we’re all on this road together.

Now go forth and write. You’ve got two months. Unless you’re doing NaNoWriMo. That gives you like four months in one, right?

Sally Shupe lives in southwest Virginia with her husband, two grown kids, and a whole bunch of pets: five dogs, three cats, a rabbit, and birds at the birdfeeder (and the mandatory snowman when the snow cooperates). She writes contemporary Christian romance, with two completed manuscripts and others in progress. They are part of a series located in small town Virginia.

When Sally’s not writing or working full-time, she is a freelance editor for several authors who write fiction and nonfiction; students working on dissertation papers; a copy editor for Desert Breeze (now closed); a content editor for Prism (became part of Pelican); performs beta reading for various authors; publishes book reviews on her blog and with Valley Business FRONT’s monthly magazine; is a member of ACFW and ACFW Virginia; and loves genealogy, running, and crocheting.

Sally uses her love of words to write about God’s amazing love.

Crossing the Canyon by Marie Wells Coutu

Planning for a recent family trip to the Grand Canyon started because my husband wanted to run rim-to-rim for the second time. That means starting on the North Rim, running down into the canyon, across the Colorado River basin, and (mostly walking) up to the South Rim—in one day.

This excursion is not for the ordinary hiker. It takes planning, training, mental toughness, and excellent physical conditioning. (In other words, it’s not for me!) But our daughter-in-law, who is also a marathon runner, was up for the challenge.

That journey across the canyon had similarities to my journey as a writer:

1. It started with a goal. My husband and daughter-in-law wanted to accomplish the goal for no other reason than to say, “We did it!” I became a writer (and I imagine you did, too) because of a passion inside me to tell stories, which evolved into a desire to be published so that others could read my stories of redemption and hope.

2. It required preparation and training. They each spent hours running, working out, practicing going up and down steps and hills. (There are a lot of steps on the mile-high descent and ascent.) As a writer, I’ve needed a lot of training and studying. And each new book requires preparation as I develop my characters and think through my plot.

3. There were obstacles, including some painful ones. My husband fell twice, once into a cactus that left its needles in his arm. He still bears scabs on his knee and legs where the rocks scraped him. Becoming an author also features many obstacles and sometimes we carry the scars with us: limited publishing spots for new authors, a plethora of competing books, criticism and negative reviews, lack of sales, competing priorities, and, at times, plain old discouragement.

4. Turning back was not an option. Once they started down the trail, their “support team” left to begin the drive to the South Rim to pick them up. Returning to the North Rim would have done no good and would have meant failure. Sometimes as writers, it’s tempting to give in to discouragement and abandon the dream. But we have to persevere, to keep our eyes focused on the goal, if we have been called to write.

5. The trip is more rewarding and successful if not attempted solo. Because they traveled together, they could urge each other on, share the experience, and celebrate completion together. I have writer friends who have cheered for me from the beginning—and I continue to make new friends along the way. Those who “finish” first—by getting an agent or a publishing contract—reach back to encourage, offer a hand or peptalk, and provide advice.
When you get discouraged about your writing career, remember what Paul wrote to the Galatians, as paraphrased in The Message:

“You were running superbly! Who cut in on you, deflecting you from the true course of obedience? This detour doesn’t come from the One who called you into the race in the first place” (Gal. 5: 7-8, MSG).

He concluded the chapter with this admonishment:

“Since this is the kind of life we have chosen . . . let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original” (Gal. 5: 25-26, MSG).

No matter where you are on your writing journey, keep on keeping on. It’s the only way to cross what may seem like a canyon before you.

The journey across the Grand Canyon had similarities to the writing journey. @mwcoutu @MaryAFelkins #amwriting #writingtips

Marie Wells Coutu finds beauty in surprising places, like old houses, gnarly trees, and forgotten treasures. When she’s not writing about finding restoration and healing through God-designed journeys, she enjoys taking broken things and making them useful.
She is currently working on historical romance novels set in the 1930s. One manuscript won the 2019 Touched by Love Contest and the 2019 Sheila Contest, and a second novel also won in the Sheila Contest.
Her published novels are women’s contemporary fiction. Her debut novel, For Such a Moment, won the Books of Hope Contest. The Secret Heart, her newest release, and Thirsting for More, the second book in the series, were finalists in several contests.

You can find more about Marie and her novels on her Facebook author page and her website, MarieWellsCoutu.com,
Follow her on Twitter @mwcoutu or on Amazon.

Find You and Do It Well by Sally Shupe

Welcome! Today is my first time blogging as a regular contributor here on Seriously Write. How exciting is that?! Thank you so much for having me here. I enjoy writing and sharing words of encouragement. I’m so honored to get to do that right here! I look forward to seeing you every 1st Thursday.

I have been so excited to share with you today. My hope is that my journey will encourage you in your writing journey. Writing can be a lonely job. But when we gather together, there is camaraderie, encouragement, hope, lasting friendships.

My writing journey seems to have taken a back seat to other pressing life events. It didn’t happen overnight. It didn’t happen all at once. I didn’t even realize it had happened. One day, I just realized I hadn’t been writing. Have you been there? Floating along and then all of a sudden realize you’re not doing everything you need to be doing? That’s where I was. Work, home, church, family, projects, everything was taking over my life, and my writing was taking a back burner. So what did I do? I’m so glad you asked!

I discovered I had gotten discouraged. Not having an office to write in and a set place to write, not being able to block off 3 hours of time to write every day, not being able to consistently write 1,000 words a day had taken the joy out of my writing. But you know what? We have the best job ever. We can work wherever, whenever. All we need is our imagination and pen/paper or a computer.

If writing is your calling, you can do it! Pick up that pen and start writing. Turn on that computer and start typing. Make your dreams come true starting now. Everyone is different. Everyone has different writing styles. Some write every day; some write on weekends, or only a few minutes a day. Some already have a contract; others are writing in anticipation of getting a contract. Get your imagination flowing, keep pen and paper with you at all times. Stuck in line at the grocery store? Pull out that piece of paper or your phone and plot out the next scene in your story, nail down the descriptions, goals, motivation, and conflict for your characters. Watching a movie? What do you do during the commercials? (Unless you skip them!) Plot out the next chapter in your story. Work on your synopsis. Can’t figure out how to get your characters from point A to point B? Use the commercials to jot down scenarios, and by The End, you just might have figured it out.

There are as many different ways to write as there are snowflakes. (Do you love snow? I love snow!) Your office might be your dining room table, or the arm of your chair, or a nice shady spot on your back porch. You may be able to write 500 words a day or more, or you may be able to write a few words at a time. But those words add up over time. The key is consistency. If you write 20 words a day, that’s 20 words you didn’t have before. Each one’s habits are different, but they are your own. What works for you may not work for someone else. What someone else does, may not work for you. Find you and do it well! No one else can be you. No one else can write what you write. Someone needs to read your words, but that will never happen if you don’t write them. Your mission for today: Go write!

Sally Shupe lives in southwest Virginia with her husband, two grown kids-a daughter still at home and a son nearby, and a whole bunch of pets: five dogs, three cats, a rabbit, and birds at the birdfeeder (and the mandatory snowman when the snow cooperates). She writes contemporary Christian romance, with two completed manuscripts and three more in progress. They are part of a series located in small town Virginia.

When Sally’s not writing or working full-time, she is a freelance editor for several authors who write fiction and nonfiction; students working on dissertation papers; a copy editor for Desert Breeze; a content editor for Prism (became part of Pelican); performs beta reading for various authors; publishes book reviews on her blog and with Valley Business FRONT’s monthly magazine; is a member of ACFW and a PRO member of RWA; loves genealogy, running, and crocheting.

Sally uses her love of words to write about God’s amazing love.

Connect with Sally:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sallyshupewritings/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SallyShupe1
Blog: http://sallyshupe.blogspot.com/
Email: sallyshupe1@gmail.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sallyshupe1/
Website: http://sallyshupeseditingservice.weebly.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-schreiner-shupe-8217a639?trk=hp-identity-name

How A Daily Word Count Gave Me Freedom by Heidi Chiavaroli

I might be the only author who does this, but I can’t resist reading—just one more time!—the final, official copy of each of my novels. Part of me needs the reassurance that there are no glaring mistakes. Another part of me just wants to experience the novel one more time, as a reader soon will.

As I read The Hidden Side that one last time, I couldn’t help remembering the frantic writing that came with being on deadline for my second novel. The idea for this story came late, and I was adamant about not asking for an extension on my deadline. So I wrote. And wrote. And wrote.

Truth be told, the emotional intensity of this novel, which involves a family’s worst nightmare in the form of a school shooting, helped me to write quickly. I was emotionally invested in the characters and I wanted to see their journey complete as quickly as possible.

Yet I was a bit crazy as I wrote. Entirely tied up in the story, I was so preoccupied with it I often felt only half-present with my family, even on the weekends. I was too busy writing to have much time for living.

This year, as I sat down to write my next novel on deadline, I again wondered how I’d accomplish it (and with a new novel being released in the midst of it all!). I didn’t want my life to be filled with constant seasons of craziness, as it seemed it might if I was going to continue in this publishing world. With that in mind, I forced myself to sit down, and get organized.

I took out my calendar and chose a date two months before my deadline to finish  the story. (I wanted to leave ample time for edits.) Then I figured out how many words I would have to write, Monday through Friday, to accomplish this goal.

I cannot tell you how much freedom this gave me. To know that getting those 1,600 words in a day was my job—my responsibility—gave me immense liberty and released me from much stress. Once I completed my words each day, I was free to do chores or relax or read or whatever I needed to refuel my mind. And while my weekends weren’t completely free due to promotional efforts, they were lightened. I was living. Not just writing.

Two days ago I wrote THE END on my newest manuscript. I have two months to edit it before handing it in. This seems doable! I’m thinking I’ll stick with this method in the future. J

You know, this writing life is amazing. But it’s also often a wild, untamed thing. As creative people, we can be tempted to write only when the mood strikes us, or when we feel inspired. But as writers pursuing a serious career, we must set guidelines and get organized. A little bit of structure can provide a lot of freedom.

Do you give yourself a daily word count? How do you balance writing obligations with family obligations?

The Hidden Side:

New York — 2016

Every day Natalie Abbott offers sage advice to hurting listeners on her popular radio program. But away from the comfort of the studio, she struggles to connect with her family; with an out-of-control daughter and an uncommunicative and isolated son, Natalie takes solace in the daily woes of others, turning a blind eye to the pressing issues mounting at her doorstep. Her carefully constructed world implodes when a member of the family commits an unspeakable act. Known as the woman with all the answers, for the first time Natalie questions her way forward.

New York — 1776

Mercy Howard watches in abject horror as the man she loves, her fiancé Nathan Hale, is arrested and hanged as a spy. When asked to join the revolutionary spy ring in Manhattan, Mercy sees an opportunity to avenge Nathan’s death. But keeping her true loyalties hidden grows increasingly challenging as the charming Major John Andre of the King’s Army becomes more to her than a target for intelligence.
    
Mercy’s journals offer comfort to Natalie from across the centuries as both women struggle with their own secrets and well-kept shame—and wonder how deep God’s mercy truly extends. 

Amazon Buy Link The Hidden Side

Heidi Chiavaroli began writing eleven years ago, just after Jesus had grabbed hold of her heart. She used her two small boys’ nap times to pursue what she thought at the time was a foolish dream. Despite a long road to publication, she hasn’t stopped writing since! Heidi won the 2014 ACFW Genesis contest in the historical category. Both her debut novel, Freedom’s Ring, and her sophomore novel, The Hidden Side, are 4½-star Romantic Times Top Picks. Freedom's Ring was also a Booklist Top Ten Romance Debut. Heidi loves exploring places that whisper of historical secrets, especially with her family. She loves running, hiking, baking, and dates with her high-school sweetheart and husband of fourteen years. Heidi makes her home in Massachusetts with her husband, two sons, and Howie, her standard poodle.

Links:

Website: www.heidichiavaroli.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeidiChiavaroli.Author/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeidiChiavaroli
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16080793.Heidi_Chiavaroli
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hchiavaroli/boards/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidichiavaroli/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heidi-chiavaroli

 

Reading, Writing, Reaping by Sally Shupe

Thank you so much for inviting me to Seriously Write! It’s an honor to be here. I look forward to talking with you today.

Did you pick a word for 2018? My word is reaping. At first, I wasn’t sure what to make of this word. It sounds like a non-active word, a passive word, one where you sit back and wait for something to happen. How could that be my word, as the whole point to a word is doing something, learning more about it, and putting it into action?

I discussed this with a friend of mine (Hi, Sherrinda!) and she encouraged me to look into this word further. So I did. 

First, I looked in the dictionary. The definition of reaping is: to cut, to gather a harvest, to get as a return. 

Sherrinda had commented: I love the thought of gathering in...taking in what is good...what is best...what is fruitful, and leaving behind the stalks, the chaff, the unnecessary. It's like culling out while harvesting the bounty. 

So far, reaping meant to me, to get as a return and leaving behind the unnecessary. Now the word is active! It’s something I can do and act upon. I’m supposed to be writing, but I can’t reap (be published) without actually writing. And I can’t be distracted by what is going on around me. Each journey is personally specific. 

Then, I looked up some scriptures that talk about reaping. I found a bunch of scriptures but two stood out: 

Ecclesiastes 11:4-He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. If you spend your time watching what’s going on around you, instead of working, you won’t reap. 

2 Corinthians 9:6-But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Your reaping is tied to how much work you put into it. If you put in a little work, you get a little back. If you put in a lot of work, you’ll get a lot in return. 

Finally, a song has been speaking to my heart. Take Courage. “Take courage my heart, stay steadfast my soul, He’s in the waiting. He’s in the waiting.” In our Christian walk, God is in the waiting. That’s where we learn who God is. It’s the same with our writing. When we’re waiting to be published, it’s not an inactive time. We’re busy writing, getting the next story ready, and the next. Studying craft. Making connections. Making our story stronger. So when publishing time comes, we’re ready. 

One thing that keeps coming back to me about my word reap is when Boaz reaped he left some for Ruth. Not the scraps but stuff she could reap as well. In our writing journey we do the same when we reach out to help others either with inspiration, encouragement, or sharing knowledge. I’m eager to see how God uses this word in 2018 in my spiritual walk and in my writing. 

This word also ties in with my word from last year: expectation. When you’re expecting company, you clean house. When you’re expecting a baby, you prepare the nursey. You’re not sitting around doing nothing. You’re planning, strategizing, setting goals. You can’t read 300 books in a day. You have to plan throughout the year to do that. You can’t write a book in a day. You’ve got to break it down, tackle it throughout the year. Once you have those daily, weekly, monthly goals in place, and DO them, then you can reap. But you have to put forth the time first. 

 

I have been writing consistently, setting clear goals, and now have three critique partners in place. Just as I’d make a grocery list in order to get groceries to prepare dinner, I write now to become published later. 

 

What about you? What’s your one word for 2018 and how has it affected you so far? What do you do during the waiting times before reaping? How have you been working toward your goals so far this year?

Sally Shupe lives in southwest Virginia with her husband, two grown kids-a daughter still at home and a son nearby, and a whole bunch of pets: five dogs, three cats, a rabbit, and birds at the birdfeeder (and the mandatory snowman when the snow cooperates). She writes contemporary Christian romance, with two completed manuscripts and three more in progress. They are part of a series located in small town Virginia.  

When Sally’s not writing or working full-time, she is a freelance editor for several authors who write fiction and nonfiction; students working on dissertation papers; a copy editor for Desert Breeze; a content editor for Prism (became part of Pelican); performs beta reading for various authors; publishes book reviews on her blog and with Valley Business FRONT’s monthly magazine; is a member of ACFW and just recently became a PRO member of RWA; loves genealogy, running, and crocheting. 

Sally uses her love of words to write about God’s amazing love.

Connect with Sally:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sallyshupewritings/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SallyShupe1
Blog: http://sallyshupe.blogspot.com/
Email: sallyshupe1@gmail.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sallyshupe1/
Website: http://sallyshupeseditingservice.weebly.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-schreiner-shupe-8217a639?trk=hp-identity-name
 

Goal Setting by Susan Tuttle

Happy 2018! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. As always, it went by way too fast, and now the decorations, holiday music, and wonderful treats are all packed away. It’s time to stare down this new year and set some goals.

You can plan out a month-at-a-glance or a year-at-a-glance. Write out your must-do’s and fill in around them with dedicated writing time. Let your goal be a certain number of minutes, a specific word count, or a manuscript you want to finish. Whatever it is, you need to set a concrete goal so you have something to shoot for. Think about any sport there is, the athletes have a specific end goal that they are focused on. This shapes everything they do and keeps them on track for success.

And make sure your goal stretches you without being unattainable. If you know that your writing time is limited, don’t decide you’re going to write three full-length novels before summer. However, if you know that you are a fast writer with extra time this year, maybe add one additional novella or short story into the mix. Also, set at least one of your goals in an area that is brand new to you. Research into a genre you’ve always thought of trying. A new marketing strategy that you’ve wanted to employ. Reading a craft book to strengthen one of your weaknesses. Or attending a conference.

Whatever it is, take a few minutes to set up your path for the year. If your ultimate goal is to publish a book some day, you’ll need to set little ones to meet along the way. What better time than the beginning of a new year full of new possibilities?

Susan L. Tuttle lives in Michigan where she’s happily married to her best friend and is a homeschooling mom of three. She’s firmly convinced that letters were meant for words, not math, and loves stringing them together into stories that inspire, encourage, and grow women into who God created them to be. Romance, laughter, and cookies are three of her favorite things, though not always in that order. You can connect with Susan at her blog, Steps, Facebook, or Twitter.

 

Staying Motivated by Rachel J. Good

We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand — and melting like a snowflake. Let us use it before it is too late.”    ~Marie Beynon Ray  

As snow falls here in the Northeast, blanketing us with white so deep we have no choice but to stay inside, it’s a good time to ponder our goals. Back in January, when the year was new and shiny, many of us made resolutions. Often by now, we’re off track, and all those promises we made to ourselves seem even farther from reach because we’ve also lost our motivation. The passion that birthed those resolutions has long since died. And that makes it easy to forget our dreams and plans, to let the pressing details of everyday life keep us stuck. 

We have so many commitments, we have little time to squeeze in the things that are dear to our hearts. Perhaps an emotional or physical crisis is draining our time and energy. Once this is over, we tell ourselves we’ll make time for writing. But before that difficulty passes, another takes its place, and soon we’re spending all our time dealing with emergencies. We shelve our dreams, but it’s “only for now,” we promise ourselves. We’ll get back to it someday, but soon a few days stretches into weeks, months, or even years. 

So how do we stay motivated once reality has set in, and we’re not finding time for our writing or other important projects?

One of my favorite pieces of advice is to look back for motivation and forward for inspiration. Planning and dreaming can inspire us to move ahead, but looking back can be valuable to see how far we’ve come. I’ve found it’s often the perfect solution to getting unstuck.

The key to looking back is not to beat yourself up over uncompleted projects, but to remember your past successes. Even if it seems these have been few or nonexistent, reframe your past from a positive perspective.

For many years, my only progress consisted of stacks of rejection letters, half-finished manuscripts, and a brain full of ideas. Although I put in work, I didn’t feel a real sense of accomplishment. Now I wish I could go back and appreciate those achievements, because if it weren’t for those years of drudgery and disappointment, I wouldn’t be published today.

So wherever you are on your journey (whether in writing or other pursuits), honor the hard work you’ve put in — even if it didn’t bring the rewards you hoped. Find a way to keep track of what you’ve done and celebrate the small milestones along the way. Rejection letters indicate you’ve been submitting, partially finished manuscripts prove you’ve been writing, doodles in your sketchbook show you’ve been drawing. Yes, you may not have gotten as far as you’d hoped, but rather than looking at where you expected to be, rejoice in how far you’ve come. You’ve made progress, and that’s the most important thing.

Another way to look back is to ask yourself what you wish you’d accomplished at the end of your life. So many times, we forgo the important things for the petty. How valuable are the activities taking up your time each day? Would you rather spend your time sweeping dust bunnies in the guest bedroom or touching lives with an important message? Thinking in terms of an eternal perspective can also be motivating.

And as the quote (and the Bible) reminds us, we have no guarantee of tomorrow; the only time we have allotted is now. This point was driven home to me this week when a beloved writer I know lost her battle with cancer. Although those of us who knew her mourn her loss, we’re grateful for the books she’s left behind – books that still have the power to change lives for years or even generations to come. What about you? Are you waiting for someday? If God has given you a message to share, do it now. Don’t put it off until it’s too late.

 

Inspirational author Rachel J. Good writes life-changing, heart-tugging novels of faith, hope, and forgiveness. She is the author of several Amish series in print or forthcoming – Sisters & Friends series, Hearts of Amish Country series, and Love & Promises series – as well as the Amish Quilts Coloring Books. She also writes the contemporary inspirational series, Hope Chapel, and the first novella in that series, Angels Unaware, recently released. Her March release, Buried Secrets, is on blog tour with Celebrate Lit. You can connect with Rachel on Facebook and her website.

Links

www.racheljgood.com
https://www.facebook.com/racheljgoodnovels/
https://www.facebook.com/people/Rachel-J-Good/100009699285059
https://twitter.com/RachelJGood1
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14661177.Rachel_J_Good
https://www.pinterest.com/racheljgood1/