Ceil begins

“I understand what fear and its resulting procrastination can do to a person. I’m reading a book written by a Buddhist, The Wishing Year by Noelle Oxenhandle. I particularly like what Noelle says about worrying, and I’ll paraphrase:

The Wishing Year

Like wishing, worrying is a form of magical thinking, one that springs from the deeply held belief that our thoughts can affect what in the world around us. But worrying, it seems, is the shadow side of wishing. For it begins not with the vision of something desired but of something feared, something to be repelled. And whereas desire is a powerful of fuel for actually making something happen, fear is less so. Rather than energizing us, motivating us to action, it tends to deplete us, to make feel helpless, overwhelmed, lying there flat on our back in the darkness.

My friend continues:

“Socrates, who lived in the 4th century B.C., said that happiness does not depend on external circumstances or material resources but on one’s capacity to know what is good and true and to act accordingly.”

Noelle said, “To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. It’s not possible to make a single path by just one step. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives. It won’t do anything if we just think it once.”

Ceil again

“I know it’s New Age thinking to celebrate the mind’s ability to transform their circumstances, but I believe in adding to that basic knowledge our belief that through Christ, we can do all things that strengthen us.

I’m going to read Victor Frankl’s book, Man’s Search for Meaning (which he forged in the crucible of Auschwitz), and I suggest you do, too. This book can help us make, ‘Belief Changes.” In other words:

• We will never allow a single sale of our written work to be the measure of who we are or who we will become.
• The second belief change involves re-framing. it takes one signing for us to succeed at the first big step of being a published author. So, instead of focusing on that singular step, let’s look at each critique of our work as a small step toward our goal and celebrate that. Say the signing is worth $500.00. Well, if each step was worth $25.00, then it would take 20 critiques to possibly get to that signing. Let’s celebrate each of the $25.00  20 steps.

I don’t want you to think I’m reducing Frankl’s great work, written under horrific circumstances, to one of searching only for moolah, but I think it’s an acceptable application.

Also, let’s read Kitchen Table Wisdom by the physician Rachel Naomi Remen.    Let’s think about positive thinkers – the affluent affirmers, the manifest-your-dream, create-your-own-reality believers, and all those expecting radical favor, blessings, and the best cut of the meat in the deli.”

Me

No need for commentary after that. Please, comment on how this affects you.

What's the story?

So here’s the photo. What’s the story? To fire off your writing for today, spend 10-15 minutes scribbling with no judgment on yourself. There’s no editing, it’s simply jumping into writing and spilling out “What if?

To prime the pump:

• Who’s going to meet someone at this table?
• Who’s watching this table to see who shows up?
• Why here? At this coffee shop?
• Are they supposed to be together?
• What might happen when they meet?
• What is one of them wanting to avoid during this meeting?

Ready, set, jump—-into writing. What if?

Thoughts:

• What’s your market? Book publishing insider Alan Rinzler says go first person . Yet, right after writing this, I could give you titles of top-selling, compelling novels which are written in third person. You’ll see both first person and third with perennial favorites as well.
• Which is your stronger voice? Decide if you want to play toward your strength or take a chance and try the weaker one. You can always change it.
• Some stories will show you which person to use. Write the first chapter twice, once in first person and once in third. See which kicks off the story in a stronger manner.
• Write in a different person than the last book you wrote, just for the experience.
• What insight do other writers have? Google “first person or third for fiction?” and see what others think. Here’s April Henry’s take on the matter and some comments from those who read the post.

So, Caleb D., come back and tell me what you decided to do.

What about the rest of you? How do you decide which person to write your story in?

Then we’ll talk after I get the laundry done and get my brain from good times with husbino and dog and a couple of bikes to good times with writing.