Kat Jorgensen's Blog, page 3
February 26, 2020
Enjoy the Little Things
Time goes by so fast. We work hard all week. The weekends disappear in a blur if we’re not careful. Any many of us get so caught up in jobs and errands that we don’t stop and enjoy life.
Do you take the time to notice a sunrise or a sunset? The smell of a baby after a bath? Dew on the grass or flowers in bloom? Or just nature in general?
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Do you have a hobby? If not, I encourage you to consider finding one. Yoga, running, knitting or some other type of handwork, photography, playing with a pet, painting or drawing.
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The ideas are endless. And most are free or minimal cost. Something that will allow you to downshift from the daily grind. To destress. To renew yourself. We give and give so much of ourselves that we need to find time to refill our well with the things that will give us pleasure.
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All you need to do is schedule the time on your calendar to relax. Make it as important as any appointment or committiment. Because it is. It’s important to your health and well-being.
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Since I’ve started taking regular time to pause and enjoy the little things, I’m less stressed and definitely happier. And I think if you try it, you will be too. What do you have to lose?
February 23, 2020
Never a Failure; Always a Lesson
We’re human. We’re going to make mistakes. I have to admit it. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes and failed many times in my life. In all areas of my life.
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But I know one thing. I’ve always learned lessons from my mistakes. And those lessons have been invaluable in my life. They’ve made me a better and stronger person. I’m proud of who I am and what I’ve learned along the way. Will I continue to make mistakes? Sure, I will. But hopefully, I will continue to learn as I go through life.
When we learn from our mistakes, we do better the next time. We only fail when we ignore things and continue to plod through life without learning and growing.
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Life lessons are some of the best lessons. They may not feel like it at the time, but they are. Don’t resist learning from your mistakes. Don’t be too proud to learn either. Embrace the mistakes in your life and determine how you could have approached things differently. Live your best life.
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February 20, 2020
Write Without Fear. Edit Without Mercy
The first draft of any novel I write is written without fear. I sit at the computer with a loosely plotted story idea, and as I work I allow my creative side to go where it wants to. Often times I find I’ve lost all sense of time and space. This is called writing in flow and is simply a magical time for any writer.
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As the words come I frequently find that my characters have taken over, and I’m no longer in control of my story. Often it seems like I am only along for the ride. The characters have decided on the story direction. Sometimes it is in direct opposition to what I’ve plotted. Most of the time they are right, and I adjust my outline to include their ideas.
Years ago I used to fight them. Over time I’ve learned to trust them. And to give thanks for whatever part of my writer’s brain that is accessed. I have come to realize it’s a gift. I can’t control it, much as I’d like to at times. I simply now accept it for what it is.
If we can turn our internal critic off and allow our creativity the freedom it needs the results might just surprise and delight us.
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I see writing as a right brain, creative process, and editing as a left brain logical function. When I edit I try hard not to have any mercy. I divorce myself from phrases, characters and anything else creative I’ve come up with during the writing stage of the book. I am ruthless. It takes an entirely different skill set to edit. I’d much rather write than edit. But both are necessary to produce quality work.
So let yourself be free during the creative process. Then when you edit, take charge of your work and edit fearlessly.
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February 17, 2020
Enjoy the Child Within You
Have you ever seen people who truly look older than their years? They seem to embody all things ancient. Their attitude has impacted how they look, feel and act.
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I’ve seen some fifty and sixty somethings look and act far older than some eighty and ninety year olds.
They’ve forgotten how to tap into that playful spirit that lives within all of us. Life has turned into a number for them. A drudgery. They’ve lost their zest for living – and playing.
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My father was in his fifties when a group of neighborhood children knocked on our door and asked my mother if my father could “come out to play.” You see, he was always able to tap into his inner childlike spirit. He enjoyed people of all ages. But the children were especially dear to him. He loved to entertain them with endless stories and inspired them to tap into their imaginations. He enjoyed teaching them things and helping them with problems. He never stopped learning and doing. And he never looked or acted old until his health got the better of him in his nineties.
I suggest that we all try to tap into our inner child and encourage him or her to come out and play and lighten our load. Show us how to play again, if we’ve forgotten. Get us to relieve some stress and enjoy our lives. Add balance to the daily work schedule and massive to do items that surround us.
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Find a creative hobby that feeds your soul and makes you light up from the inside out. Blow bubbles. Take a walk in the woods or a park. Play with a child and see the world from their perspective. The ideas are only limited by your imagination.
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Don’t act old before your time. Enjoy your life. And enjoy the child within you.
February 12, 2020
Writing
If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others; read a lot and write a lot.
Stephen King
If you haven’t read Stephen King’s excellent book “On Writing” I urge you to check it out. Originally published in 2010, it’s now out as a 10th anniversary edition. I’ve just ordered it and plan to reread it.
It doesn’t matter in what genre you’re writing, his book has a lot of good information in it for writers of all levels. But it’s especially beneficial if you are a new or aspiring writer, or someone like me, taking up the craft once again.
Years ago, a friend of mine, who is a New York Times Bestselling writer, encouraged me to read widely. And not just in my genre. I’m a firm believer in this and have done it for probably the last twenty years or so. You learn a lot from stepping out of your genre and your writing will benefit from it.
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Primarily, I write mysteries and a bit of non-fiction. But I read romance, science fiction, historical, biographies, all sorts of non-fiction, women’s fiction, the classics. Whatever I happen to find interesting at the moment. It not only gives me the chance to study other writers that I would not ordinarily be exposed to, but it keeps me fresh and abreast of what’s being written by other writers. I also read current events and try to stay up on news stories. Being current is important even if you’re writing historicals. As writers we learn from everything we read.
What are you currently reading?
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