Do any of you use the Bylines Writer's Desk Calendar? I did so in 2008 and purchased it again for 2009. While it has been extremely helpful to have a calendar specifically for my writing and writing-related activities, the snippets of information gained from the authors' interviews have been awesome. One particularly good one recently was that of Cindy Allen, a writer and pilot who lives in Missouri. In her interview, she talked of sleepwalking through the motions of daily activities and reminding herself to be aware of the present.
She says..."Walking past story ideas happens when the brain is on autopilot. I've found that writing realistic stories begins by disconnecting the autopilot and actively observing life around me."
Reading this created a profound, "duh" moment as Margie Lawson would call it. All too often, it is so easy to get caught up and carried away by life's events and activities rather than paying attention and using them to our advantage. I, for one, am very guilty of switching my writer's hat on and off and not paying attention to the present and all it offers. So, I am going to make a concerted effort to focus on the present and pay attention to the story possibilities around me regardless of which hat I am wearing at the moment--writer, speech path, mom, wife, etc. Here's to the demise of my brain on autopilot! Thank you Cindy Allen and Sylvia Forbes for putting together such a great planner.
Showing posts with label Margie Lawson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Margie Lawson. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Perfectionism
I seem to be harping lately on all these "self-defeating behaviors" as Margie Lawson would call them. I started my day off reading the following quote by Anna Quindlen:
"The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself."
I think this holds true in many areas of life though it is writing to which I am currently applying it. It is so true that one must throw oneself out there and take that risk in order to see where it leads. I've a tough manuscript I am working on currently that is a huge challenge. I'm finding myself stagnant sometimes for fear of not doing it justice. The above quote was helpful this morning--I had a "Duh" moment when I read it, another of Margie's terms. It isn't necessary to be "perfect" to just write. I need to just write. As I tell my daughter, "you can't hit the ball if you don't swing the bat!" Duh! I'm going to step up to the plate and see if I can round the bases. I'm hoping for a home run, but we'll see where it leads. I'm up for the challenge.
As Anne Lamott so aptly puts it in Bird by Bird, "Perfectionism...will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft." At this point, I don't care if my first draft is shitty; I just want to complete my first draft and continue the process of becoming myself.
"The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself."
I think this holds true in many areas of life though it is writing to which I am currently applying it. It is so true that one must throw oneself out there and take that risk in order to see where it leads. I've a tough manuscript I am working on currently that is a huge challenge. I'm finding myself stagnant sometimes for fear of not doing it justice. The above quote was helpful this morning--I had a "Duh" moment when I read it, another of Margie's terms. It isn't necessary to be "perfect" to just write. I need to just write. As I tell my daughter, "you can't hit the ball if you don't swing the bat!" Duh! I'm going to step up to the plate and see if I can round the bases. I'm hoping for a home run, but we'll see where it leads. I'm up for the challenge.
As Anne Lamott so aptly puts it in Bird by Bird, "Perfectionism...will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft." At this point, I don't care if my first draft is shitty; I just want to complete my first draft and continue the process of becoming myself.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Defeat Self-Defeating Behaviors by Margie Lawson
On the advice of a dear friend (thank you, Donna!), I ordered Margie Lawson's lecture series, Defeat Self-Defeating Behaviors. Margie offered this course online, but I missed that deadline. I was able to order the lectures and download them which I would highly recommend for any of you out there struggling with self-defeating behaviors.
Margie's course is broken down into a welcome, nine lectures and a wrap-up. The course as a whole talks about numerous self-defeating behaviors--procrastination, perfectionism, time mismanagement, poor goal setting, just to name a few--and how we can deal with and conquer them in order to be best and most productive we can be. I don't want to give too much away as I think you should all consider this (very well-spent $20 for me) but did want to share just a couple tidbits of wisdom from the lectures I found particularly inspiring. "Think positively." "Set yourself up to succeed." "Get refreshing sleep." "Exercise daily." "SDB's are something we do, not something we are." "Live the life you choose today." I really can't reiterate enough what a wonderful and enlightening course Margie provides.
Margie takes you through a series of exercises and situations that lead you to try to defeat your self-defeating behaviors. She also provides author interviews at the end of each lecture which help you see and hear how other writers struggle to overcome their own self-defeating behaviors. I know both helped me considerably.
If you want to visit her website yourself or look into obtaining the lecture series yourself, go to www.margielawson.com or email Margie at margie@margielawson.com.
Margie's course is broken down into a welcome, nine lectures and a wrap-up. The course as a whole talks about numerous self-defeating behaviors--procrastination, perfectionism, time mismanagement, poor goal setting, just to name a few--and how we can deal with and conquer them in order to be best and most productive we can be. I don't want to give too much away as I think you should all consider this (very well-spent $20 for me) but did want to share just a couple tidbits of wisdom from the lectures I found particularly inspiring. "Think positively." "Set yourself up to succeed." "Get refreshing sleep." "Exercise daily." "SDB's are something we do, not something we are." "Live the life you choose today." I really can't reiterate enough what a wonderful and enlightening course Margie provides.
Margie takes you through a series of exercises and situations that lead you to try to defeat your self-defeating behaviors. She also provides author interviews at the end of each lecture which help you see and hear how other writers struggle to overcome their own self-defeating behaviors. I know both helped me considerably.
If you want to visit her website yourself or look into obtaining the lecture series yourself, go to www.margielawson.com or email Margie at margie@margielawson.com.
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