Beth K. Vogt's Blog, page 91

In Others’ Words: Travel

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill (1944-), travel writer

I’m writing this post while I’m still in Colorado, but right now I’m in Texas! I’m near Houston, Texas, at a planning meeting for My Book Therapy, a wonderful writing community, and then I’ll be traveling to Dallas to attend the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) conference.

Yep, I’m traveling again.

I’ll learn a lot. Won’t sleep much at all. But the best part of the trip will be spending time with my friends — the ones I already know, the ones I’ve connected with through the Internet, and the ones I’m going to meet.

I won’t be blogging while I’m gone. A gal can only do so much at one time and maintain her sanity. See you in a week!

 

In Your Words: What are your plans for the week? Anybody else traveling? Any favorite travel memories?

In Others’ Words: Silence

 

 

Photo by Patricia Hunter

“Silence is one of the most effective forms of communication.” ~ Anonymous

 

In Your Words: When did silence speak loud er than words for you?

In Others’ Words: Ain’t That the Truth

“A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” ~Thomas Mann (1875-1955), German novelist

The more determined I was to achieve something concrete as a writer — publication — the harder it got to write.

The bar was raised — by me and all the writers I learned from or who mentored me.

What was good enough before was simply … not.

And then somebody would ask me, “What do you do?”

And I would say, “I’m a writer.”

And they would reply, “I want to write a book one day.”

And I would smile and nod and say something encouraging. Polite.

But in my head I thought: Let me know how that works out for you.

Because I knew something the person didn’t: Writing is hard, hard work.

In Your Words: Writers, what do you find challenging about writing? (I’m assuming we aren’t going to debate the whole “hard work” assumption.) Readers, ever think about writing a book? Or an article?

I’m interviewed over at the Inkwell today, which is the ACFW Colorado blog. I’m talking about everything from faith to favorite foods to my favorite piece of writing advice. Hope you drop by and visit!

In Others’ Words: Sense

 

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“Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.”

~William James (1842-1910), American psychologist

Whatever I lack in common sense, I like to think I make up in a sense of humor.

And I completely embrace William Jame’s idea that my sense of humor is my common sense doing the cha-cha.

I’m all for evaluating the facts of a situation — I am a journalist, after all. But I also bring my emotions into play, as well as praying for discernment.

But allowing my sense of humor freedom to weave it’s way through a challenge has saved me from frustration. From failure. From walking away from an opportunity.

In Your Words: If you had to choose, would you pick common sense or a sense of humor?

In Others’ Words: Knowing

 

photo by clung/stockxchng.com

“I think knowing what you cannot do is more important than knowing what you can.” ~Lucille Ball (1911-1989), comedian

When I was younger, I thought I had to do it all. I wasted a lot of time trying to be someone I wasn’t. Case in point: From my teens to twenties, I took three sewing classes before I realized that I cannot sew. For me, sewing is one huge math problem, only with material and a machine thrown in for added fun.

When I was 30, I gave away my sewing machine to a friend who needed one. I haven’t missed the wretched thing.

There was a certain freedom in watching my friend walk away with my sewing machine. Finally! No more feeling guilty that I wasn’t sewing like everyone else. Reality is: Not everyone else sews — I just convinced myself that every other woman in the world sewed.

As I embraced all the things I can’t do — crafts, couponing, cook gourmet meals — I discovered what I could do. In the process, I discovered the real me — not the me I thought I had to be.

In Your Words: What have you discovered your cannot do?

In Others’ Words: Why

 

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“Why do writers write? Because it isn’t there.” ~ Thomas Berger (1924-), American novelist

One of my favorite things to do is connect with other writers. I’ll be doing just that in 11 days: traveling to Texas to meet up with other writers. Hundreds of ‘em! First I’ll be in Houston with the My Book Therapy (MBT) staff, planning the Scrimmage workshop scheduled for the day before before the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) Conference. And then (you guessed it right!), I’ll be attending the ACFW Conference.

Whenever writers get together, we talk about what we’re writing. And we always, always get back to why we’re writing. Asking me why I write is like asking me why I breathe.

I have to.

If I’m not breathing, I’m not alive.

If I’m not writing … well, I’m not living — being who God created me to be.

And I agree with Thomas Berger’s assessment too: Writers write because it isn’t there. What isn’t there?

Story.

There are stories waiting to be told, to be written … and read. People love stories — and writers? We fashion stories that people fall in love with.

At least, that’s my goal as a writer.

In Your Words: Why do you write? Readers, do you have a favorite genre of story that you like to read?

And the Winner is …

Thank you to everyone who participated in the “Where in the World is Daniel?” Contest during the month of August. You all were great at guessing Daniel’s location, but only one person can win the prize package:

a collection of sixteen postcards by wildlife photographer Thomas Mangelson (Remember how Daniel gave Alli a gift of a Thomas Mangelsen photograph, Maroon Bells Daybreak?)
a $20 Starbucks gift card (Daniel keeps himself caffeinated while he travels the world!)
a “Life is Good” water bottle (Daniel’s motto — and he was wearing a “Life is Good” T-shirt in Chapter 1 of WYWH.)
a $50 Visa gift card (Always good to have on hand if you’re a traveling man like Daniel.)
a Heart of Adoption necklace (The same necklace that we gave away at the Debutantes’ Story Soiree.)
a signed copy of Wish You Were Here
a signed copy of my to-be-released in May 2013 novel, Catch a Falling Star

And the winner is:

Trisha Meagher!

Trisha, email me at beth@bethvogt.com with your address and I’ll send the prize package your way — well, everything but Catch a Falling Star, which doesn’t release until May 2013! You’ll get a copy as soon as I do!

I’m visiting over at Michelle Lim’s blog Thoughts on Plot via a vlog about how to pitch your novel. I hope you drop by!

Enjoy Labor Day Monday 2012!!

 

A snow-covered view of Pikes Peak -- I'll be hiking part of it today!

 

Enjoying a day off with family. We’ll be hiking the Incline or doing the more leisurely Barr Trail route before returning home to make pizzas on the grill. Hope y’all are enjoying your day too.

Come back tomorrow for the announcement of who won the “Where in the World is Daniel?” Postcard Contest!

In Others’ Words: The Blues

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“I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.” ~Duke Ellington (1899-1974), composer & big band leader

 

Y’all know I love quotes.

I especially love the quotes that set me back on my heels and make me go, “Huh.”

That’s how I reacted to what Duke Ellington said — only I smiled when I said, “Huh,” and then I had my husband read the quote.

Here’s the thing about pouting: We all do it. The question is: What do we do with it? Do we let it squelch our creativity — or energize it?

I admit to pouting that sometimes tips over to sulking. But the older I get, the less time I spend in a funk. I give myself an allotted time to be in a bad mood — and then I move on. And you know what? Usually I’m over the mood before the time is up.

Maybe the next time I feel a pout coming on I’ll try the Duke Ellington method and write me some blues — or maybe the next scene in my work-in-progress.

In Your Words: How do you handle a pout? Have you ever turned a funky mood into a creativity session?

Contest: Where in the World is Daniel? (Final Postcard!)

Today’s the last day of Daniel’s travels around the world! Join the “Where in the World is Daniel?” fun one last day and then come back on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, to find out who wins the prize package!

 

 

 

Don’t forget to leave your comment below or on my Author Facebook page for chances to win a prize package worth over $100. (Share on Twitter and your FB for extra entries. Be just sure to let me know!):

a collection of sixteen postcards by wildlife photographer Thomas Mangelson (Remember how Daniel gave Alli a gift of a Thomas Mangelsen photograph, Maroon Bells Daybreak?)
a $20 Starbucks gift card (Daniel keeps himself caffeinated while he travels the world!)
a “Life is Good” water bottle (Daniel’s motto — and he was wearing a “Life is Good” T-shirt in Chapter 1 of WYWH.)
a $50 Visa gift card (Always good to have on hand if you’re a traveling man like Daniel.)
a Heart of Adoption necklace (The same necklace that we gave away at the Debutantes’ Story Soiree.)
a signed copy of Wish You Were Here
a signed copy of my to-be-released in May 2013 novel, Catch a Falling Star

I won’t “approve” any guesses until the end of the day so that people have a chance to enter their answers. And yes, go ahead and ignore the Europe stamp!

Daniel was in wonderful San Francisco, CA on Tuesday. My husband and I lived in Mountain View, CA when we were first married (in a tiny apartment) — and we loved going to San Francisco on the weekends!