T.L. Gray's Blog, page 73
February 24, 2012
Guilty Pleasures
In the past, whenever I've spent a whole day lost within the pages of a great adventure, I used to feel guilty at the amount of neglect I gave to the real world around me. Well, I don't anymore. I observed how much those around me gave into their own guilty pleasures, seeing how much time they spent playing or watching sports, watching television, had their fingers wrapped around a video game controller, shopping at the mall, or hanging out with friends and realized we all give into the things that bring us pleasure. The problem is ... society wants us to feel guilty about that, impending this idea that we have to 'earn' those moments. Thus the reason we call them 'guilty pleasures'.
I've spent way too much of my life doing what I felt I was supposed to do, and not enough time doing what really brought me any joy or peace. In an effort to have nice things and live the American dream, I became and indentured servant and chased a career because it was what was expected. No one griped about the 16 hour days as long as the money poured in. I should have listened to my heart, gave more time to prayer and introspection, and then spent my time, energy and focus on doing what brought me fulfillment and completion, using the gifts I was given to cover the cost of everyday needs. I spent too much of my life just surviving the day. No matter how much money I made, the responsibilities always increased right along with the salary.
Being responsible doesn't mean giving up everything that brings a smile to your face. Being truly responsible is finding a way to use your gifts and talents, and protecting that freedom by and only gaining responsibilities that allow you to maintain the freedom. All work and no play really does make Jack a dull boy. In the end, what really matters is the quality of the life we led, not the quantity of what we've achieved. I don't want it said of me when I'm gone, "Well, she might have been miserable, but she was responsible." I'd much rather have it said, "She may have not had everything, but you couldn't tell it because she lived life to the fullest."
Today, I'm giving into my 'guilty' pleasure. I'm going to spend the day getting lost in my latest adventure, Hunter & Chase, and I can guarantee ... I won't waste one second feeling guilty about it.
Till next time,
~T.L. Gray
I've spent way too much of my life doing what I felt I was supposed to do, and not enough time doing what really brought me any joy or peace. In an effort to have nice things and live the American dream, I became and indentured servant and chased a career because it was what was expected. No one griped about the 16 hour days as long as the money poured in. I should have listened to my heart, gave more time to prayer and introspection, and then spent my time, energy and focus on doing what brought me fulfillment and completion, using the gifts I was given to cover the cost of everyday needs. I spent too much of my life just surviving the day. No matter how much money I made, the responsibilities always increased right along with the salary.
Being responsible doesn't mean giving up everything that brings a smile to your face. Being truly responsible is finding a way to use your gifts and talents, and protecting that freedom by and only gaining responsibilities that allow you to maintain the freedom. All work and no play really does make Jack a dull boy. In the end, what really matters is the quality of the life we led, not the quantity of what we've achieved. I don't want it said of me when I'm gone, "Well, she might have been miserable, but she was responsible." I'd much rather have it said, "She may have not had everything, but you couldn't tell it because she lived life to the fullest."
Today, I'm giving into my 'guilty' pleasure. I'm going to spend the day getting lost in my latest adventure, Hunter & Chase, and I can guarantee ... I won't waste one second feeling guilty about it.
Till next time,
~T.L. Gray
February 23, 2012
Revisiting Youthful Fancy
I love spending the day with two gorgeous young men, headed out on an epic adventure into the unknown - without a clue about what lay ahead for them - so innocent - so full of wonder - not hardened by the realities of life - lost in the realm of hope and possibility. Ah - there are some things about youth that I miss, but knowing what I know now about life, combined with what I've experienced, I wouldn't go back for anything in the world. The great thing about being a writer with a huge imagination, I can visit those youthful fancies in various spurts anytime I choose. I can't fathom a life for those who can't or won't do the same.
Well, I'm off to spend the day with Hunter & Chase, and afterwards a little time with Ria. See ya, later!
Well, I'm off to spend the day with Hunter & Chase, and afterwards a little time with Ria. See ya, later!
February 21, 2012
Writing Relationships
Yesterday was a great writing day. With every intention, I planned to do some editing and re-writes for my previously released novel,
The Blood of Cain
, which is soon scheduled to be released as a second edition, followed closely by the second book in the
Arcainian Series
, but my mind and heart kept drifting back to a story I had started late last summer called
Hunter & Chase
. It's like a summer fling I couldn't seem to get out of my mind. The whole time I was writing, my adrenaline was flowing, my heart was palpitating a bit faster than normal, and I wore a constant smile on my face. I was literally bouncing in my office chair, and I don't think the three cups of coffee had anything to do with it. I'm just so 'in love' with this story.
I'm not saying I no longer love my other novels, because I deeply love them all. I just think the chemistry, the flow, the pacing, the structure, and the excitement is just a little different with this one. The others feel more like my children, whom I cherish, but to bring them into this world was a great labor of love. This novel is like a flaming lover (though so far there isn't a love-scene anywhere in the manuscript - I don't write romance; I'm an adventure kind of gal) that has swooped in and swept me off my feet. If I was reader, I'd be head-over-heels for this story. We met my happenstance, not deliberately. We flirted over the summer, but previous obligations pulled me away. Yet, I can't get it out my mind. Every day I'm tugged a little bit more back toward my responsibilities, but my heart yearns for this adventurous escape.
So, what does a girl do? Does she let her hair down and allow herself to get lost in what could be one of the greatest adventures of her life, or does she buckle down, deny herself and do what is expected? If you know me, you already know the answer to that question. When you see the beaming glow on my face over the next few months, you'll know what it's all about. My question is: What about you? Are there any great flings in your future? If not - perhaps you should re-evaluate some things.
Till next time,
~T.L. Gray
I'm not saying I no longer love my other novels, because I deeply love them all. I just think the chemistry, the flow, the pacing, the structure, and the excitement is just a little different with this one. The others feel more like my children, whom I cherish, but to bring them into this world was a great labor of love. This novel is like a flaming lover (though so far there isn't a love-scene anywhere in the manuscript - I don't write romance; I'm an adventure kind of gal) that has swooped in and swept me off my feet. If I was reader, I'd be head-over-heels for this story. We met my happenstance, not deliberately. We flirted over the summer, but previous obligations pulled me away. Yet, I can't get it out my mind. Every day I'm tugged a little bit more back toward my responsibilities, but my heart yearns for this adventurous escape.
So, what does a girl do? Does she let her hair down and allow herself to get lost in what could be one of the greatest adventures of her life, or does she buckle down, deny herself and do what is expected? If you know me, you already know the answer to that question. When you see the beaming glow on my face over the next few months, you'll know what it's all about. My question is: What about you? Are there any great flings in your future? If not - perhaps you should re-evaluate some things.
Till next time,
~T.L. Gray
February 20, 2012
Who Are Your Friends?
Before I begin blogging my post this morning, I want to say "Welcome" to all the new subscribers to this blog, and hopefully as some of my new friends.
Speaking of friends - what is a friend? I've learned the definition to that answer depends on the person and the source of reference. Webster has one definition, the Bible has another, and we human beings have a plethora of interpretations somewhere in-between. I can't say what the answer is for anyone else. I can only answer for me. So, this morning - my post will revolve around my definition of a friend.
I love people, but I don't necessarily like everyone. While I find encouragement and enlightenment from some, I find depression and anger in others. Who we interact with on a daily basis has some bearings on who we are - not that we are a reflection of them, but by our response to how we allow them to direct, interact, and influence us reflects who we are. Some people reflect the best in me, while others bring out my worst.
I'm very protective of who I select as a friend. I choose to surround myself with people who challenge me to be a better person, and I run as fast as I can from those who wield the weapons to bring me down. My flight may not have anything to do whether I like you or not - but what I believe you'd bring out in me. When I was younger, I used to choose friends based on how they made me feel. Now that I'm a bit more mature, I first determine how I feel (or want to feel) and then choose to be around people who I can encourage, inspire and find encouragement and inspiration.
I no longer choose to be with someone so I can feel better about myself - other people don't have that power over me anymore. It's up to me. I'm happy with the woman I've discovered. I love her, and I can't explain the freedom that love has given me. I can confidently say that if another person never loved me, I'm still fully loved. Being loved, and knowing that I'm loved, has really changed my life and how I see the world and the people in it.
There wasn't a magic wand, a special prayer or a ritual performed that brought me to this place. It was a very long, very hard and very painful journey. The hardest part - was being completely open and exposed to the truth. Truth hurts - a lot. That's why we run from it as hard as we do, become it's often too hard to face - too painful, too embarrassing, and too humiliating. It wasn't until I stepped out of deception and learned to be brutally honest with myself that the spark of love begin to kindle inside me. I quit making excuses for my behavior, my choices and my fear, and started facing them. Instead of learning to beat myself down even more for my failures, I began to hope, to see potential for greatness among the broken and shattered pieces. I learned true forgiveness when I learned to forgive myself. I learned true mercy, when I wept for the person I had become. I learned true love when I learned to love the messed-up, broken-down and despicable creature I was. Love replaced my anger and shame.
I never want to go back to that dark place again, so I'm very careful and protective of the people I allow into my life. My heart breaks when I see others walking around in the pain that used to be my closest friend. But Misery wasn't a friend at all, only an enemy. Anger wasn't a comfort, only a sharpened piece glass under my skin. Hate wasn't a respite, only a disease that corroded me inside out. My new friends are Hope, Faith and Love, and the greatest of these is Love.
Till next time,
~T.L Gray
Speaking of friends - what is a friend? I've learned the definition to that answer depends on the person and the source of reference. Webster has one definition, the Bible has another, and we human beings have a plethora of interpretations somewhere in-between. I can't say what the answer is for anyone else. I can only answer for me. So, this morning - my post will revolve around my definition of a friend.
I love people, but I don't necessarily like everyone. While I find encouragement and enlightenment from some, I find depression and anger in others. Who we interact with on a daily basis has some bearings on who we are - not that we are a reflection of them, but by our response to how we allow them to direct, interact, and influence us reflects who we are. Some people reflect the best in me, while others bring out my worst.
I'm very protective of who I select as a friend. I choose to surround myself with people who challenge me to be a better person, and I run as fast as I can from those who wield the weapons to bring me down. My flight may not have anything to do whether I like you or not - but what I believe you'd bring out in me. When I was younger, I used to choose friends based on how they made me feel. Now that I'm a bit more mature, I first determine how I feel (or want to feel) and then choose to be around people who I can encourage, inspire and find encouragement and inspiration.
I no longer choose to be with someone so I can feel better about myself - other people don't have that power over me anymore. It's up to me. I'm happy with the woman I've discovered. I love her, and I can't explain the freedom that love has given me. I can confidently say that if another person never loved me, I'm still fully loved. Being loved, and knowing that I'm loved, has really changed my life and how I see the world and the people in it.
There wasn't a magic wand, a special prayer or a ritual performed that brought me to this place. It was a very long, very hard and very painful journey. The hardest part - was being completely open and exposed to the truth. Truth hurts - a lot. That's why we run from it as hard as we do, become it's often too hard to face - too painful, too embarrassing, and too humiliating. It wasn't until I stepped out of deception and learned to be brutally honest with myself that the spark of love begin to kindle inside me. I quit making excuses for my behavior, my choices and my fear, and started facing them. Instead of learning to beat myself down even more for my failures, I began to hope, to see potential for greatness among the broken and shattered pieces. I learned true forgiveness when I learned to forgive myself. I learned true mercy, when I wept for the person I had become. I learned true love when I learned to love the messed-up, broken-down and despicable creature I was. Love replaced my anger and shame.
I never want to go back to that dark place again, so I'm very careful and protective of the people I allow into my life. My heart breaks when I see others walking around in the pain that used to be my closest friend. But Misery wasn't a friend at all, only an enemy. Anger wasn't a comfort, only a sharpened piece glass under my skin. Hate wasn't a respite, only a disease that corroded me inside out. My new friends are Hope, Faith and Love, and the greatest of these is Love.
Till next time,
~T.L Gray
February 17, 2012
Author Interview & Give-A-Way
This is the following Author Interview & Give-A-Way posted today by Inspired Kathy at "I'm a Reader, Not a Writer" blog.
Check it out~ Friday, February 17, 2012Welcome back to Author T.L. Gray
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorTLGray
Website: http://www.tlgray.net/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/authortlgray
If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?
I'd choose the past. I don't like knowing what the future holds, because I like to experience each new day and forge my own path. I'd love to visit the past, mostly to see how much our historians and storytellers got it right or wrong.
What is one book everyone should read?
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen – everyone should at least once in their lifetime read a good love story.
If you were a superhero what would your name be?
T.L. Storyteller – I'd be like the old bards and tell the grand adventures, instilling the idea of heroism and bravery.
If you could have any superpower what would you choose?
The ability to increase the imagination. This world would be extremely bland without a good, healthy imagination. THEN, nothing is impossible.
Night owl, or early bird?
Early Bird – First I get my body moving and my blood pumping through exercise, while at the same time reading the latest adventure on my Kindle. These two in conjunction with each other get my brain and creative ideas flowing – making what I can get written or accomplished in the day ahead of me more than possible.
What inspired you to want to become a writer?
A world without a great adventure seemed unbearable, and I seemed to have a knack at story-telling. Writing just came natural to me, like breathing.
What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?
Read, read, read and keep reading. It's the greatest teaching tool for every writer. Never give up. Keep chasing that dream as if you were dying of thirst and it's the only thing that will quench it.
Can you see yourself in any of your characters?
A part of me is buried deep in all of them.
What's the best advice anyone has ever given you?
Love yourself, you're precious.
You have won one million dollars what is the first thing that you would buy?
I would start my own publishing company.
If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?
Unbelievable.
Finish the sentence- one book I wish I had written is....
Harry Potter series. I'd love to have been Harry's mother. I see myself as a mother to all my characters and stories, and that one I am so proud to have been just a glimpse. J.K. is surely very proud of her children.
If you had 24 hours alone how would you spend it?
With my husband and children – just doing something ordinary together.
What is you favorite way to spend a rainy day?
Curled up with a blanket, sipping on a large cup of coffee, and lost within a great adventure.
Milledgeville Misfits
Check it out~ Friday, February 17, 2012Welcome back to Author T.L. GrayRemember how late night ghost stories had you jumping at every shadow and sent you diving under the covers with every bump, scratch and screech in the night? Or how about those legends that took you away on a magical adventure where you overcame unimaginable obstacles to save the day?Blog: http://www.tlgray.blogspot.com/
More than likely, it was someone like author T.L Gray who told you the tales that got your imagination so stirred. The only difference, this spinner of tales has decided to write those stories down so everyone else can share in the experience.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorTLGray
Website: http://www.tlgray.net/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/authortlgray
If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?
I'd choose the past. I don't like knowing what the future holds, because I like to experience each new day and forge my own path. I'd love to visit the past, mostly to see how much our historians and storytellers got it right or wrong.
What is one book everyone should read?
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen – everyone should at least once in their lifetime read a good love story.
If you were a superhero what would your name be?
T.L. Storyteller – I'd be like the old bards and tell the grand adventures, instilling the idea of heroism and bravery.
If you could have any superpower what would you choose?
The ability to increase the imagination. This world would be extremely bland without a good, healthy imagination. THEN, nothing is impossible.
Night owl, or early bird?
Early Bird – First I get my body moving and my blood pumping through exercise, while at the same time reading the latest adventure on my Kindle. These two in conjunction with each other get my brain and creative ideas flowing – making what I can get written or accomplished in the day ahead of me more than possible.
What inspired you to want to become a writer?
A world without a great adventure seemed unbearable, and I seemed to have a knack at story-telling. Writing just came natural to me, like breathing.
What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?
Read, read, read and keep reading. It's the greatest teaching tool for every writer. Never give up. Keep chasing that dream as if you were dying of thirst and it's the only thing that will quench it.
Can you see yourself in any of your characters?
A part of me is buried deep in all of them.
What's the best advice anyone has ever given you?
Love yourself, you're precious.
You have won one million dollars what is the first thing that you would buy?
I would start my own publishing company.
If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?
Unbelievable.
Finish the sentence- one book I wish I had written is....
Harry Potter series. I'd love to have been Harry's mother. I see myself as a mother to all my characters and stories, and that one I am so proud to have been just a glimpse. J.K. is surely very proud of her children.
If you had 24 hours alone how would you spend it?
With my husband and children – just doing something ordinary together.
What is you favorite way to spend a rainy day?
Curled up with a blanket, sipping on a large cup of coffee, and lost within a great adventure.
Milledgeville MisfitsFourteen-year old Juniper "Junebug" Summerville loses her parents and her ability to talk in a car accident. Against her silent protests, she is sent to live in a remote swampland infamous for its ghosts, federal prison and insane asylum.
As Junebug struggles with her emotional scars, she begins to heal with help from six other orphans at Dearborn, a once famous Milledgeville Plantation. Just as she begins to enjoy the peace she's long desired, she finds herself in a fight for her sanity when she stumbles upon a tear in the fabric that separates the possible from the impossible, and she must choose which to believe.
Milledgeville Misfit is a young adult novel that deals with grief and healing, and has an ending that leaves the reader with the choice of what to believe.
Writing Integrity
I had a very interesting conversation yesterday with a fellow writer about author vs. character integrity. I have to say my eyes really opened to some aspects of my writing that I never considered before. If I'm at least 1/10th of a gifted story-teller, hopefully I'll be able to correctly share the wonderful revelation I learned.
When asked if my characters had integrity, I assumed the questioner was asking in reference to the quality of writing, the faithfulness to the English language or the adherence and obedience to the rules of grammar and punctuation, but I was wrong. (After reading this blog post containing those last four words - delete it and burn any printed copies containing such an omission. This is just something that should never be said, much less repeated.) That was not the intent of the question. They wanted to know if my characters had personal integrity to their characteristics, their ideals, their morals, their thoughts, or their reactions? I didn't really understand the question or the reasoning behind it, and wondered what it had to do with the craft of writing. You're probably wondering the same thing at this moment. If so ... you know exactly how I felt. For all those other "mature" writers out there who've already learned this wisdom, I'm sure you're smiling at my level of naivety. For those who are totally lost ... I don't know any solution to your problem.
Well, on with the story.
"What does the level of integrity of my fictional characters have to do with my writing?" I asked.
"The level? Nothing. The presence and application? Everything, " Questioner responded.
Feeling lost, I acquiesced the temptation to say anything else (that was a miracle in itself), and patiently waited for them to continue. Here is the answer (to the best of my understanding and recollection) I received:
The words that flow from a writer are understandings, morals, thoughts, ideas and solutions that are already hidden inside the very being of the author. These 'strings' are what weave their stories together and move plots forward, creates conflict, and brings about their resolutions. While we (authors) think we are separate from the characters we form from our imaginations, we're not. Just as our dreams subconsciously work out solutions to our everyday problems (even in fantastical ways), the same is true for our writing imagination. Who we are individually as a writer, will determine how our characters resolve their issues. How they see the world (no matter how many different personalities we create) is how we see the world or how we think others view it. Even our protagonists carry our the characteristics of our deepest fears or ideas.
If we examine all our works as a whole, we will be able to identify our deepest fears and our greatest hopes, and that theme, no matter how varied our stories, carries over, in one variation or another, in all our stories. We can tell different stories, but they all come from the same foundation; they just might be packaged in different colored boxes and tied with different colored strings.
I've always thought: If you want to get to know someone, read something they've written, because it always holds a part of who they are. I know I pour everything I am into everything I write - how much more is it true for others? However, I also know that sometimes the picture painted isn't always the whole picture. Not what everybody says or think is what they really mean. But if an artist paints several pictures, you'll start to recognize them. How many can pick out a Van Gough? Though he's painted many different scenes, HIS signature of style is clearly recognizable. The same goes for writers.
So, back to the original question: Do my characters have integrity? My answer: As much as I do - no more or no less.
Till next time,
~T.L. Gray
When asked if my characters had integrity, I assumed the questioner was asking in reference to the quality of writing, the faithfulness to the English language or the adherence and obedience to the rules of grammar and punctuation, but I was wrong. (After reading this blog post containing those last four words - delete it and burn any printed copies containing such an omission. This is just something that should never be said, much less repeated.) That was not the intent of the question. They wanted to know if my characters had personal integrity to their characteristics, their ideals, their morals, their thoughts, or their reactions? I didn't really understand the question or the reasoning behind it, and wondered what it had to do with the craft of writing. You're probably wondering the same thing at this moment. If so ... you know exactly how I felt. For all those other "mature" writers out there who've already learned this wisdom, I'm sure you're smiling at my level of naivety. For those who are totally lost ... I don't know any solution to your problem.
Well, on with the story.
"What does the level of integrity of my fictional characters have to do with my writing?" I asked.
"The level? Nothing. The presence and application? Everything, " Questioner responded.
Feeling lost, I acquiesced the temptation to say anything else (that was a miracle in itself), and patiently waited for them to continue. Here is the answer (to the best of my understanding and recollection) I received:
The words that flow from a writer are understandings, morals, thoughts, ideas and solutions that are already hidden inside the very being of the author. These 'strings' are what weave their stories together and move plots forward, creates conflict, and brings about their resolutions. While we (authors) think we are separate from the characters we form from our imaginations, we're not. Just as our dreams subconsciously work out solutions to our everyday problems (even in fantastical ways), the same is true for our writing imagination. Who we are individually as a writer, will determine how our characters resolve their issues. How they see the world (no matter how many different personalities we create) is how we see the world or how we think others view it. Even our protagonists carry our the characteristics of our deepest fears or ideas.
If we examine all our works as a whole, we will be able to identify our deepest fears and our greatest hopes, and that theme, no matter how varied our stories, carries over, in one variation or another, in all our stories. We can tell different stories, but they all come from the same foundation; they just might be packaged in different colored boxes and tied with different colored strings.
I've always thought: If you want to get to know someone, read something they've written, because it always holds a part of who they are. I know I pour everything I am into everything I write - how much more is it true for others? However, I also know that sometimes the picture painted isn't always the whole picture. Not what everybody says or think is what they really mean. But if an artist paints several pictures, you'll start to recognize them. How many can pick out a Van Gough? Though he's painted many different scenes, HIS signature of style is clearly recognizable. The same goes for writers.
So, back to the original question: Do my characters have integrity? My answer: As much as I do - no more or no less.
Till next time,
~T.L. Gray
Milledgeville Misfit Give-A-Way
Only 11 more days to enter for your chance to win an autographed copy of Milledgeville Misfit.
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Milledgeville Misfit
by T.L. Gray
Giveaway ends February 29, 2012.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Enter to win
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Milledgeville Misfit
by T.L. Gray
Giveaway ends February 29, 2012.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Enter to win
February 16, 2012
Success Recess
I've surrounded myself with writers, authors, poets, and other people in the literary field. It's my passion. I'm determined to succeed in what I feel I was created and called to do - but I'm not naive. I don't expect to wake up every morning and just find that every door opens easily for me and they're lined up around the corner just waiting for me choose which ones to walk through. Not that that couldn't happen - all things are possible - but it's not probable. I believe anything worth while requires sacrifice, determination, and commitment.
Being surrounded by writers, I'm sometimes flabbergasted at some of the things I hear from my fellow artists. One of the most unbelievable - thinking that success in this business is just going to fall in their lap. It can happen that way, but rarely. Bookstores don't follow us around begging us to come for signings, publishers don't pursue us with zest, books don't sell themselves, reviewers don't seek us out, and we don't search for other writers to give encouragement and inspiration. We, as authors, must put ourselves out there. We have to believe in ourselves, our work and one another. It's hard work, but it doesn't have to be boring.
Work your butts off, but remember to have fun doing it!!!
Till next time,
~T.L. Gray
Being surrounded by writers, I'm sometimes flabbergasted at some of the things I hear from my fellow artists. One of the most unbelievable - thinking that success in this business is just going to fall in their lap. It can happen that way, but rarely. Bookstores don't follow us around begging us to come for signings, publishers don't pursue us with zest, books don't sell themselves, reviewers don't seek us out, and we don't search for other writers to give encouragement and inspiration. We, as authors, must put ourselves out there. We have to believe in ourselves, our work and one another. It's hard work, but it doesn't have to be boring.
Work your butts off, but remember to have fun doing it!!!
Till next time,
~T.L. Gray
February 15, 2012
Blog Tour - First Stop
Check out the write-up on the following blog by author Ardyth DeBruyn featuring Milledgeville Misfit.
Make sure you leave a comment for Ardyth - and let her know you appreciate the post.
Ardyth is one of the first people I met on CritiqueCircle.com who ripped me to shreds, taught me a thing or two, and solidified our friendship with her honesty and integrity. She is also the author of the following publications:
and
Check out the feature here: Ardyth DeBruyn Blog
Make sure you leave a comment for Ardyth - and let her know you appreciate the post.
Ardyth is one of the first people I met on CritiqueCircle.com who ripped me to shreds, taught me a thing or two, and solidified our friendship with her honesty and integrity. She is also the author of the following publications:
and
Check out the feature here: Ardyth DeBruyn Blog
February 14, 2012
Impatience - a Writer's Worse Nightmare
The worst trait a writer can have is impatience. This 'emotion' is the basis for almost all of the bad decisions made by a writer. I am well acquainted with impatience; we're old friends. Impatience leads to over-sight, over-stepping and over-indulgence. Those of us infected with this trait, often send out a story long before it's ready, and spends a lot of time wincing at the things that might have been.
I'd go into more detail about the cause and effect of impatience, but then you'd miss the point.
Till next time,
~T.L. Gray
I'd go into more detail about the cause and effect of impatience, but then you'd miss the point.
Till next time,
~T.L. Gray
