Menna Van Praag's Blog, page 26
February 28, 2014
“When you stop having dreams & ideals – well, you might as well stop altogether.” ― Marian Anderson
Many years ago I befriended a chap who shared my literary dreams. One day we made a pact to finish a first book. That night I began. The next night I continued. Hope surged through me, passion tingling at my fingertips as I picked up my pen. I was dreaming and, at long last, I was actually acting upon my dreams. A month into the pact, halfway through my first draft, I realised my friend had stopped writing and started making excuses. He was too tired, too busy, too something or other. I cajoled and encouraged, I tried to inspire. But it was no use. I finished my book. Then another, and another. It was many years before I was finally published but, on that day, I thought of my friend. He was still talking about wanting to be a writer, but really he’d given up. And I knew then that, when you stop dreaming you might as well stop altogether.
Pic: I wrote this tonight while sitting in the cafe of my local lovely cinema – this was the program next to me: dreamy!
February 27, 2014
“You can’t change the music of your soul.” ― Katherine Hepburn
You can’t change who you are. Not the bone & marrow of you, not the deepest desires of your spirit & the passions of your soul. When I was younger, full of self-doubt, I tried to change myself. Writing wasn’t a particularly easy profession to pursue, so I strived to shape myself in a more sensible direction, to persuade my heart it could be happy doing other things with its one life. When I finally gave that up, I was overcome with relief. Yes, I was scared too, terrified I’d be struggling & unsuccessful for the rest of my life. And yes, those years in the writing wilderness weren’t easy. Ultimately though, it didn’t matter. For, as long as I’m playing the music of my soul, everything else is all right.
Pic: new collage for my new book!
February 26, 2014
“Nearly every glamorous, wealthy, successful career woman you might envy now started out as some kind of schlep.” ― Helen Gurley Brown
When I was a wannabe writer I compared myself to all the writers I most admired. I despaired that I’d ever write anything touching the lofty heights of their gorgeous sentences & beautiful stories. It’s a shame published writers don’t share their first drafts. It’d be a wonderful public service to those who want to follow in their footsteps. HOPE STREET went through 26 drafts over two years. Many authors take ten years to finish a novel, which isn’t so long considering that most artists/actors/singers schlepped their way to success over many years. It’s wise then, when you’re still in the early stages of your chosen vocation, not to compare yourself to those who’ve already achieved what you want to without first realising what they did to get there.
Pic: working on something secret & exciting – with the help of hot choco & banana bread 
– more on that soon…
“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love & inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” ― Ella Fitzgerald
I believe in love & inspiration. I believe in passion & true desire. I believe that if a person follows the gentle urging of their heart then they’ll find success doing what they want to do. Now, it might take many years & it might not bring great riches, but then that isn’t the point. Wanting to be wealthy is quite a separate thing from wanting to do the thing you love. Babe Ruth said he’d have played baseball for food stamps, he simply loved doing it more than anything else. I feel the same way about writing. And, if that’s how you feel about whatever it is you really want to do, then you can’t go wrong.
February 24, 2014
“You are your own best thing.” ― Toni Morrison
We often don’t see our own gifts, we usually don’t realise our own power. So it helps to employ the compassionate, honest eyes of friends or mentors – people we can trust to see the truth & show it to us. But, even then, to be told that we’re brilliant & amazing can, strangely, be a hard thing to hear. How easy is it, after all, to hold the gaze of someone who loves you for a long time? Most of us have a low threshold for such intimacy & adoration. And yet, if we can’t let love in, then life will never work out the way we want it to. But, with practice, we can begin to believe that we are indeed our own best thing.
Pic: the brilliant & amazing Clare Rosen photography.
February 23, 2014
“I’ve been scared every moment of my life & I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.” ― Georgia O’Keeffe
I used to think that successful people aren’t scared. I believed they achieved greatness because they were far braver than I. I imagined they had special reserves of fire that I would never have. For I couldn’t imagine speaking to audiences without passing out, or giving interviews without garbling my words. And I knew that being a successful author would involve such things. So I watched them enviously, wondering how they were so blessed with courage and why wasn’t I? Then I met a few & found out I was wrong. These people weren’t without fear, they simply didn’t let it stop them, which, of course, is very the definition of courage: to be scared and not let it stop you.
Pic: Dirty Dancing with the lovely Natasha – what fun!
February 22, 2014
“All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.” ― Helen Keller
Many people have experienced great suffering but overcome it all so brilliantly & brightly that they inspire us all. When I meet or read about such people I feel doubly blessed, once again awed by the power & beauty of the human spirit. People who overcome great suffering & triumph over great odds hold us all in their hearts. They show us what’s possible. They remind us we don’t have to give up hope. They inspire us not stop until we’ve fulfilled every single dream we have in our hearts.
pic: metaphorical & literal light beyond the metaphorical & literal mountains superbwallpapers.com
February 21, 2014
“I remember I used to half believe & wholly play with fairies when I was a child. What heaven can be more real than to retain the spirit-world of childhood?”― Beatrix Potter
This quote reminds me of the magic in writing & life. I believed in fairies as a little girl. I believed in everything. Every morning was an unfolding of endlessly exciting possibility. Life had no limits. I never wanted to let that go which is why I write novels about enchanted houses & everlasting love. If you keep the “spirit-world of childhood” within you, it’ll see you through many a difficult day. & I still enjoy half believing in fairies, even now.
Pic: a fairyland, via capital parent.ca on pintrest.
February 20, 2014
“Every so often I bump into stone walls & I pick myself up & climb over them.” ― Vivien Leigh
Without tenacity you’ll give up at the first hurdle. Or the 4th. Or the 50th. There will be many hurdles & the tricky bit is you don’t know how many. It’d be a lot easier if you were given a list at the beginning of your life so you knew in advance just how much tenacity you’d need to make it. Sadly, it isn’t so 
While I was wandering through a desert of disappointment – getting rejection after rejection for my writing – I loved watching films & reading books about people who never, ever gave up & ended up winning against all the odds. Cheesy films like Flashdance & The Matrix were firm favourites. When I self-published my first novel I watched it sooo many times & each time I felt reinvigorated to pick myself up & climb over the next wall!
Pic: the paperback of HOPE STREET arrived today! Out 26th March. Giveaways & comps coming soon…
February 19, 2014
“Connect. Connect. Connect.” ― E.M. Forster
When you’re embarking on or engaged in any life-changing endeavour it’s easy to get tunnel vision. I certainly suffered from this in the early days, being so immersed in writing that I neglected people. Now I know the vital importance of connection. Magic happens when you connect. Sweet serendipities you couldn’t possibly have dreamt of, or hoped for. I’ve met random people in cafes, lifts & queues who have changed my life. So, whenever you’re feeling stuck, just reach out to someone – perhaps a stranger who may change your life or simply brighten your day. Life is always better once you step outside your own head.
Pic: attending the premiere of 50 Kisses with the lovely Kristina Day.
