In the Face of Adversity

We never know how strong we are or how much drive we have until we are up against a wall.

As human beings, we face many walls in our lifetimes, walls put up by publishers, by family, by other people who think they are better than us. Some are. Some just wish they were.

Being a writer, adversity is a daily occurance. Rejection letters by agents and publishers. Critiques by friends or family. Yet another edit or rewrite of a novel or short story we thought was "as good as it gets." In the face of adversity, we shed a few tears, find our happy place, steel our resolve and fight. We do that next rewrite or take a second look at that query letter or synopsis and make sure we are doing the best we can.

In my other life, away from the keyboard, I am now a martial artist (3 whole weeks into training!) I have recently looked into the Face of adversity and come away with a stronger resolve. The knowledge that I will be the best I can be. That renewed strength -- mostly of character and drive -- will affect my writing, affect how I live my life, affect how I see the world.

I am writer. Hear me roar...

Writers of our own demise

Somewhere after toys and make-believe friends (Do people ever stop pretending in private?), we all become writers of our own demise. "But I'm not a writer," you might say. In a sense, we all are. We all create the stories of our lives. As events unfold before us, it is up to each one of us to make a choice and take one of the paths that open up to us. The more choices we make, the more colourful our lives become until soon we may become overwhelmed by everything we wanted - or thought we wanted at the time. Good, bad or ugly. In taking on too many activities, too many jobs, too many hobbies, we start to feel like a boat with no oars bobbing on the water. Out of control and heading toward the waterfall. If anyone had told me 20 years ago that at 43 I'd be juggling three kids, a husband, a job, a house, a writing career, a writing group and trying to keep fit and sane, I would have offered to buy the next round of drinks. Yet, here I am. Do I regret any of it? Not for a second. I'm doing what I love, it just takes a lot of co-ordinating schedules and time. Do I wish there were two of me? Two, some days, is not enough. Do I think I should give up and hide in a cave with a bottle of wine and a case of chocolate? At least once a month. Then I snap out of it five minutes later, grab a cup of coffee (yes, I do have a vice. The blood of writers everywhere!) and set out on my next quest. This week, it's editing a book I really want to see published. Last week it was trying out my first karate class. The following poem I wrote at a Sacred Writing workshop in 2008. It is the times when I am ready to retreat to the cave that I stand up, take a few deep breaths and shout out to the sky... I Surrender   by Diane Bator Lift up my hands, I surrender I no longer have strength to fight. You scatter words like breadcrumbs Whispering them into my soul then to my pen. Flashes like lightening show me the way The tales are drawn from the air are told.  Lift up my hands, I surrender. I am but a vessel to hold And release the words like doves. Your words enrich all who live on Earth I am myself a sanctuary To the direction from your bountiful hand. Lift up my hands, I surrender. I revel in your loving grace. In the morning when I write I am freed from my chains. And I stand on the solid ground Of your hidden foundation and rejoice.   Thank you for reading my workCopywrite @ Diane Bator 2008

The Snowball Effect

We've all seen the cartoons. A character builds a small snowball and rolls it down the hill. As it rolls, it grows and becomes bigger and bigger until it becomes enormous and either crushes something or becomes a part of something even larger. Writing is a lot like that.

First, a writer is struck by a phrase, an idea or even a sight.
Second, a story is spawned. It may take hours or even years, but something grows from that little snowball and soon a novel is born.
For me, my latest work in progress (WIP) was all started from a comment someone made about a girl in a truck. That has escalated into a draft for Deja Vu. Another book of mine, The Bookstore Lady (now in the capable hands of my agent) started from a dream about a cat.

All it takes is one snowball. Or a grain of sand if you're an oyster.

There are other snowballs in our lives as well: new jobs, new loves, children, can all start out as something smaller than what they eventually become. We can let them consume or crush one another or allow them to build upon each other to become to make us stronger people. Just as ideas become multi-dimensional novels.

As a matter of fact, I think I have a new novel idea simply from writing this article.

More Paperwork

I got an interesting e-mail from one of the other writers my agent Dawn Dowdle at Blue Ridge Literary represents. It's an interview. In order for all the writers to get to know each other, and our fans to learn more, Rachel Brimble has sent everyone an interview for each of us to tell others what we write, how we write and why.

I wasn't expecting any revellations out of the deal. Just the usual who, what, where, when types of questions. What I received was a list of questions about my goals, what I read and what I like and dislike about writing. One of those questions was "What is the book you wish you'd written?"

As writers, we all wish we'd been the ones to write Harry Potter and the Anything, or Twilight or The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo novels. But do we wish that for the fame, the money or the desire to write something that will capture the imaginations of a broad audience? What surprised me when I answered that question was that I chose "On Writing" by Stephen King. It is the culmination of a lengthy writing career and many successes as well as failures by a man who learned from both. That is the book I want to write one day. A book to say I did it and this was how.

One day I will.
For now, I'm taking notes and keeping a scrapbook.
And writing....

Scraping the bottom of the Barrel

There are many times in life that we fall. Not always physically, although physical pain can cause our spirits to sag, but mentally when things don't go the way we plan. This past week has been one of those weeks in my life. Things that I thought (and prayed) would come to pass dissipated like video game pixels. Compounded by a fall while skiing with my son and damaging my tailbone, I was left in a bad place mentally.

"Nothing is going my way." I ranted and raved to the powers that be. The things that I wanted, counted on, to happen, I now have to wait for. Again. What have I done wrong? Why is the universe plotting against me?

It's nothing I've done. I've done my due diligence. I've edited and outlined. I've plotted and submitted. I've waited patiently and done all I can do. For now my future lies in someone else's hands--not always a great feeling. So what do I do in the meantime?

I write. I take care of myself. I heal (after regular doses of Advil, heat and cold my tailbone feels better and I can almost sit upright again!) and I don't get down on myself for all the things I cannot do to change things. I focus on the things I can change. The things I can do something about. I forge my way through life toward the goals I want to accomplish and take detours around the roadblocks.

Keep moving forward and always keep writing!

Amazing Things

It's amazing the things that can happen when we ask. Whether it's for health, for a new career or just for a great story idea. All we need to do is ask and our wish, in some form, will be granted. It's not always a perfect theory. We do have to assist the Divine. As writers, for example, we still have to sit and take pen in hand. We have to still our minds from the every day nonsense and allow the muse to flow.

Over the past 13 weeks, I've been part of an Artist's Way group. I have to say I've learned many things about myself and the women I worked with. I've learned I'm much stronger than I thought and can stand up for myself and others when I have to. I've learned that I am a talented writer and have the ability to clear my mind and receive the muse. I can take success just as well as I can take failure.

The ability to "roll with the punches," or being flexible, is something we all need in life. Not everything goes the way we expect whether it be a book, a painting or even a meeting. Sometimes life hands us a curveball and we have to adapt. Failure teaches us that we need to rethink our strategies. Success tells us we are on the right path but can't sit back and let life "happen." We need to work with success to make our dreams come true.

I'm fortunate to know many people who think the way I do. People who keep plugging away until, one day, they become an "over night success." People who don't give up because one agent/publisher said "This isn't right for me." People who celebrate not only their own successes, but encourage and celebrate the successes of others.

As artists, as human beings, we need to share both the successes and failures. We need to support each other and help make life as easy for one another as possible. Our greatest failure is when we let each other down.

In honour of Valentine's Day, take time to hug, encourage and talk to another person.
Love spreads through small deeds. One step at a time.

The Value of Stepping Back

I haven't added anything to my blog in the past couple of week. I've been a bit overwhelmed to say the least. Between editing The Bookstore Lady and learning that Murder on Manitou had been published as an e-book, I was caught in a loop of "what do I do next?"

So I did nothing.

I took a beading class with a friend, went to a movie with another friend, hung out with my kids and broke free from my computer for a little while.
Was I blocked? Nope.
Was I procrastinating? Nope.
Sometimes in life, no matter what path you take, you have to take a step back and breathe.
I revelled in the fact my first book, a novella, was now a published book, I handed out some great bookmarks to promote it and I took a break from some of my regular duties. A minivacation if you will.

Next week, I'll be back at the compute and I'm dabbling with details for The Mystery Lady (Book #2 in a series called Wild Blue Mysteries). In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the little things that will make me write with gusto once unleashed on my novel!

Take a step back. Take a deep breath. Dive in to what you love to do!