Laina Turner's Blog, page 45

What Are Your Biggest Blogging Struggles?

Photo Credit – Justin Luebke, UnSplash

It’s November 9th. Which is about 5 minutes away from Thanksgiving and 10 minutes away from Christmas. How we zipped through the last 313 days is beyond me. I’m almost mad at how fast it’s gone. I love fall, and I don’t even remember September and October. I only had 1 Pumpkin Spice latte for goodness sake. That’s how fast it went.

I’m afraid Thanksgiving and Christmas are going to come just as quickly, and I won’t have time to experience all the things I love about the holidays.

But this post isn’t about that. Rather it’s about what happens after the holidays.

New Year Eve, New Years Day, and a new year with a clean slate just waiting for me to do something totally AWESOME!

Not that you have to wait until the beginning of the year to start something new or to make goals but it a great time to make grand statements (and yes I know statistically most New Years resolutions fail).

This past year I took a little different approach and spent more time ON my business than IN it. It’s shown in my sales because I haven’t spent as much time writing books or blog content and marketing, BUT it was worth it because I have more clarity about my purpose and what I want to accomplish than I’ve ever had.

I talked a few posts ago about my rebranding and new website coming in January. Yeah, I’m excited about the cool new look but that’s not all it’s about. It’s about taking what I’ve learned this past year about my strengths, weaknesses, and what I want to do with my writing and blogging that’s going to be the most exciting for me.

To help me on this pursuit I’d love it if you’d tell me what your biggest blogging struggles are. So I can better help you overcome them!

In pursuit of fabulous,

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C is for Clarity

Clarity = clearness of thought. I wish I had that more often. I have glimpses of clarity – is that even possible? How interesting, or not, life would be always having clarity. I think that sometimes having clarity may be overrated. Living in a haze of uncertainty can add an air of mystery. OK, maybe not but it sounds good.

You do need to have clarity around what you want and how you need to achieve them or you probably won’t ever get where you want to go.

 

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AAUGH! What To Blog About?

Do you ever have that moment when you sit down to blog and you have all these ideas swirling around in your head but yet when you go to actually put them into words you can’t think of a single thing to write. Either you don’t know how to out your thoughts into words or you aren’t sure people are going to want to read what you have to say?

This happens to me a LOT! The best advice I have given myself, and would give you if you experience this, is to push forward. Write what you feel, write from the heart, and don’t worry about others.

As an author, I of course want to please my audience and make my readers not only happy but wanting to come back for more. I have learned over the years that I also have to write for myself. You know that saying:

“You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.”

― Abraham Lincoln

It is absolutely true! Stephen King also says this:

“You can’t please all of the readers all of the time; you can’t please even some of the readers all of the time, but you really ought to try to please at least some of the readers some of the time.”

What are the odds everyone will hate what you wrote? Slim. So if you write what is meaningful to you chances are at least one other person will like it. If you’re passionate about what you write that will shine through and while people may not love the topic they will feel a bond with you and be interested in what you have to say.

Don’t be fearful…JUST WRITE!!!

Laina

{photo credit: unsplash.com}

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Fab 5 Friday – Favorite Pumpkin Desserts

If you follow me on Pinterest, you might have noticed that I have been pinning all things pumpkin related to my fall boards. Here are a few of my very favorite {cream cheese} pumpkin desserts that may or may not be making an appearance on our table this Thanksgiving!

Marble Pumpkin Cheesecake

“Two fall favorite desserts – pumpkin pie meets velvety cheesecake in this scrumptious marble pumpkin cheesecake. The perfect dessert for your Thanksgiving dinner party.”

Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles

Cookies. Pumpkin Cookies. Pumpkin cookies that are filled with cream cheese. Somehow, I think my life is complete now. Heaven in a bite. {Oh, all right, heaven in two… or more… simply mouthwatering bites}

Cream Cheese-Filled Pumpkin Bread

“The bread is soft, moist, springy, dense yet still fluffy, and it’s nicely spiced.The cream cheese layer that runs through the bread is like having a layer of cheesecake baked into pumpkin bread. It really makes the bread out of this world good.”

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

These bars. I have no words. You can actually add EXTRA pumpkin pie spice on top of that dollop of whipped cream. I mean… Please someone pass the fork now!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Love that this dessert is easy enough for the kiddos to help! Is is just me or do the kiddos always seem so willing to help in the kitchen at the beginning of a recipe but then loose steam about half-way thru preparing said recipe? Oh, just me? Never mind then…

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Lower your voice

So I admit I do like to eavesdrop on strangers. Especially in an airport. It’s entertaining to try and figure out their “story” or to make assumptions. As a writer I get some of my best material from taking little nuggets I hear and making them into dialogue for one of my characters.

Recently at lunch I overheard the following. I would love to hear from you what you think they were talking about. Doesn’t have to be even close to reality. Let’s have some fun!!!

 

Conversation between two guys….

my concern is what we do going forward

it’s not the quantity, it’s the quality

those skills aren’t really available

I need a signed copy saying you and i talked about that

that will be effective July 1

that’s a non-issue in my mind

do you have any issues/concerns with this?

between you, me and the wall…

subpar performance at the stores

Jim and Brett want to drive the train

so looking forward…

Personally I think they were discussing some kind of performance issue at work. Maybe a co-worker or one of the men was a supervisor talking to another manager? What do you think? Or do you think I should have my hand slapped for being nosy?

 

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Just Write

I meet a lot of people who when they find out I’m a writer tell me they have always wanted to write a book. When I ask why they haven’t, they usually say they don’t know how. My answer is always the same. To write a book just do it. Just sit down and write.

The majority of the time I start with a title (though it may change a few times) and an idea. I then brainstorm the name for my main character(s) and just jump in. I don’t start with an outline. The characters just take charge of their own life and make their way through life in the book.

I write one draft all the way through and then the hard work starts. I take my rough draft and then make my outline from it. This way I look for any big gaps (of which there are plenty) and can work on filling them and making sure that there is enough fun and excitement in every chapter.

I repeat this process a few times until I feel that everything happens as it should.

Often the book ending surprises me and I know that might sound odd since I’m the one who is writing it but I don’t feel I know the future of my characters. I only know what happens as it happens.

If you want to write a book then just put B.I.S. (butt in seat) and write!

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Be Purposeful With Your Work

You know that saying measure twice, cut once? The point of that is to say be purposeful, plan carefully, and you will reduce the number of errors and time wasted re-doing things you should have done right the first time.

Well…it’s not so much my strong suit. You can look back to my elementary school report cards and I was a good student but got all Unsatisfactory and Needs Improvement when it came to paying attention and neatness of work. The comments were always “Laina needs to slow down and take her time.”

Nothing has changed in the many, many years since elementary school and even though I know this about myself I still find it hard to slow down enough to proofread or do whatever I need to do to make it right the first time and then inevitably get frustrated by making a mistake and having to do it over again.

Lately, I have been making an even more concentrated effort to slow down and do things right the first time. Even if it means it is taking me longer, I know it will save me time in the end. And guess what? I’m making less mistakes and my frustration level has actually lessened. Go figure!

It’s hard for me because I have so many things I want to accomplish year and feel frenzied much of the time but that’s not productive. I’m learning to take a deep breath and prioritize. Focus on what’s really going to impact my goals in a positive way.

Am I the only one out there who thinks doing one thing at a time is a challenge?

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Don’t Be A Quitter!

Hola me amigos,

I think about quitting at least once a day if not more. This gig of writing, blogging, and picture taking is HARD. I know it totally seems glamorous and the fact I don’t have to put clothes on to do it (by that I mean work clothes, I can stay in my pajamas. I do NOT blog naked), is a nice perk, but still it ain’t easy.

So what keeps me going besides coffee and wine? It’s ME! How I think and how I feel about the business of writing and blogging. What I want to do with my time here on earth and what I love. Just because you love something doesn’t make it easy so sometimes the only way to be successful at what you love is to push through and stay positive.

There is an article I’ve read and reread several times called, The Business Rusch: Reality Check, by Kristen Rusch. It talked about the business of writing and how many authors give up fairly quickly because they aren’t successful on their terms of what success means. So they quit.

I can identify with that. I ‘ve thought that I was crazy and stupid to think I could make a living at writing. In fact, I found all sorts of things to do as a career rather than writing since 2009 when I decided to focus on writing. Why? Because I wasn’t confident, I could succeed. I could have been the quitter Kristen is talking about in her blog post. Instead these days I identify with something else she said in that post.

Writers with drive don’t give up.

Writers with drive eventually succeed.

It made me realize that even though I have tried to find ways to quit the business of writing by searching for something else to do I am still writing. I’ve wanted to be an author since 2nd grade, and now quite a few years later it hasn’t changed.

I WANT to be one of those success stories, and I continually work at my craft. I know that with hard work success will come. The more I work at it, the easier it gets to write, the easier it is to say I’m an author, and the easier it is to believe that this is exactly where I am supposed to be.

If there is something you want out in the world, then work hard to figure out how to get it. I believe in you because if I can do it, you can do it!

 

 

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Blogging Is All About Me

Bonjour mes amis,

Blogging is a bit of a narcissistic activity don’t you think? At least when you’re a lifestyle blogger like me because I post about my life and what I’m doing. Sometimes I feel weird about it. I mean why does anyone care? While I do find myself fascinating and am sure most other people do too, it is difficult for me not to feel a little conceited, constantly blogging about me, my books, my kids, my thoughts, things I like, things I do blah – blah – blah.

What I’ve finally realized is that I shouldn’t worry. It’s my blog so why shouldn’t it be all about me? If people don’t like it they don’t have to read it, right? But when the whole point of blogging is to have readers you don’t want to bore them.

The goal is to be so awesome they keep coming back for more.

I’m not sure how I have any readers in that case because my life is NOT all that exciting.

I know personally I like to read about people’s lives. I also enjoy reality TV. It’s interesting to see how other people live, think, and do things.

I’ve been working on being more ME and less uptight about my blogging. Now when I sit down to write a post I try and pretend I am having a conversation with a girlfriend and let that set the tone (without the profanity and alcohol – ha), it’s still hard but I think I’m getting better.

How do you set the tone for your blogging?

 

 

 

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Fab 5 Friday – Favorite Halloween Decor

Lit BLack Twig Pumpkin with Gold Leaf

This black pumpkin easily adds the right amount of light to snack on Halloween candy by after the kiddos have gone to bed. Pour yourself a glass of milk {Ok, who am I kidding? Pour yourself a glass of wine!} and enjoy a bit of chocolate.”Lit from within, our pumpkin creates an eye-catching play of light and texture.”

Orange LED-illuminated BOO Marquee Sign

This BOO sign adds the perfect pop of Halloween orange to any mantel decor. Love that it lights up as well! You an easily turn it on and have a bit of added light while watching that old Bette Midler family favorite, Hocus Pocus

Witch Brooms Chalkboard Wall Decor

Pull up a broom and have a glass of wine with me? This broom chalkboard is the perfect mix of cheeky and playful with an added dose of Halloween.

Set of Two Witch Leg Stakes

Because my front porch NEEDS this. “Look who dropped in to your wickedly wonderful Halloween display! Each vibrant orange-and-black striped resin leg is topped by a black boot with a curled toe …”

Halloween Chevron Wreath

As I am sure you know, I never claim to be too over the top crafty. {And I admit, I will be skipping adding the glitter and not going in search of Modge Podge…} But wrapping some on-point Halloween fabric around a wreath form… I can do that! And the final result? Darling! 

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