“I get up in the morning, torture a typewriter until it screams, then stop.”
~ Clarence Budington Kelland, an American writer who once described himself as “the best second-rate writer in America”
5 quotes that could change your attitude – and your life
Several years ago when I lost my job a good friend took to sending me inspirational quotes via email each day. Every morning when I turned on my computer, up popped an email from her that included quotations that gave me the boost I needed to move forward on that day. It was her way of sharing a daily dose of encouragement. The quotes were from the famous, the funny and the philosophical, and each one seemed to provide just the words I needed to keep my attitude in check.
I love quotations and the more I delve into them, the more I find quotes that directly relate to just about everything in my life. Some of the easiest places to find quotes include Think Exist, Brainy Quote and Quote Garden. I know there are a ton of other sites too.
While I can’t list every quotation that has ever impacted me, there are a few that have really made a difference and I keep them in the back of my mind always. I’d like to share them here. Continue Reading…
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A chat with NYT bestselling author Jamie Ford
In the summer of 2009, I got the fortunate assignment from Sun Valley Magazine to write an article about the Minidoka Japanese Internment Camp pilgrimage that happens each June. Hosted by the Friends of Minidoka , the annual trip to the campsite reunites former internees, and allows family, friends, and others to learn more about what happened behind those walls during World War II. The weekend is filled with camaraderie, laughter, family style meals and cocktails, along with sorrowful but uplifting stories from the people who were imprisoned in the camp. My story, Memories of Minidoka, received several awards, including being named among the top 50 magazine articles by Writer’s Digest Magazine in its 79th International Annual Writing Competition. I am convinced the awards were not so much about my writing but about the beautiful stories of strength and forgiveness embodied in the Japanese American citizens about whom I wrote.
Having a bestseller is like dancing naked on Broadway. ~ Jamie Ford
So, among the many interesting and very cool people on the pilgrimage that year was Jamie Ford, who by now everyone knows as the New York Times bestselling author of the novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. His beautifully written book is about the love and friendship between a Chinese boy and a Japanese girl during the Japanese internment in World War II.
Jamie is a very down-to-earth guy with a great sense of humor and an engaging humbleness. He has done a ton of interviews specifically about his novel, but I thought it would be interesting to talk with him a bit more about his writing and how he got to be where he is today. I hope you enjoy our chat. Continue Reading…
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Social media: Does it connect or disconnect us?
“On Twitter we get excited if someone follows us. In real life we get really scared and run away.” ~ Author Unknown
I see there is yet another social media platform being launched – Google Plus – and that you must be invited to become one of the first adopters. Well, I have not received an invitation yet, and frankly, I have no problem with that.
I’m not sure right now if I have the time or mental space to try to figure out and participate in one more social networking environment, as I am already using several.
Lately I’ve been thinking about how connected — or maybe disconnected – we’ve become through social media. I began wondering about it after I had to leave town for an extended period. Through social media I was able to appear as if I hadn’t gone anywhere and I was still just around the corner. But in fact, only my good friends who I chose to tell, knew for sure that I was MIA from the area.
I started to think that having an online presence sort of created a new reality and existence. Sort of like, “I’m online, therefore, I exist.” Continue Reading…
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Today’s favorite quote on writing…
Jamie Ford, the bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, when asked “What holds back most beginning writers and what they should do to make it better?”
“Two things. One: Giving up too easily. So many aspiring writers give up after one failed attempt, or one workshop experience where their work isn’t feted and praised … Two: Not knowing when you should give up. Some writers will rehash a story for years and years, cutting, editing, and rewriting until their once-hopeful story is now just a mass of scar tissue. Like Frankenstein–bits and pieces of cadaverous ideas sewn and bolted together, and even if you jolt it to life, it’s just going to stagger around and break things. It’s okay to give those stories a good Viking funeral and move on to the next story idea.”
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Have you stayed too long at your job?
“Job security is gone. The driving force of a career must come from the individual.” ~ Homa Bahrami, UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business
I will never forget the time I left a job I truly loved to accept another one that paid me a bit more money. By the time I finally quit that second job two years later, I was literally crying every day on my way to work.
I learned a few lessons that year: First, there is more to life than chasing money. Second, making decisions based solely on income will not make me happy. Third, at the two year mark – and probably even at the 6 month mark — I had completely overstayed my time at a job that paid me far more in dread and anxiety than money.
In the months before I quit, I remember thinking, “If today was my last day on this earth, why am I wasting it in such misery?’
A few years ago, a smart, professional and hard-working friend of mine went through a very torturous period at her job. At first, she noticed her formerly friendly boss was acting cool to her. Soon, she wasn’t getting invited to the usual meetings. Then, her boss started changing the deadlines for her assignments without notice, causing her to have to work overtime or plead with her boss for extensions. Finally, when my friend missed a deadline that had arbitrarily been changed twice, her boss placed her on unpaid administrative leave. Continue Reading…
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Pitching a literary agent – it’s a conversation, not performance art!
I recently attended an all-day agent pitching workshop hosted by the Idaho Writer’s Guild. Four well known literary agents — B.J. Robbins, Amy Rennert, Gordon Warnock, Ken Sherman – shared their expertise about the publishing industry and at the end of the day many of us had the opportunity to pitch them on our own books.
I recommend that every writer take advantage of this opportunity if they have the chance. It can definitely be a nerve wracking experience but also a great education that simply is not available unless you just do it.
“A good editor is a writer’s best friend. It’s a gift to be edited and critiqued.” ~ B.J. Robbins
As cool as it is to pitch your book to an agent, there also can be some disappointment involved. My publisher, Elaine Ambrose, owner of Mill Park Publishing, touches on that in her recent blog and has had an excellent recap of the experience as well as some good advice for writers. She writes:
“Some of the new and naive writers expected to be offered a contract that day; the experienced writers knew they would be fortunate to be asked to send a few chapters for the agent to review later. When we present next year’s conference, it will be interesting to learn if any of our eager and talented writers are working with an agent. I’m convinced that some will go onto the next round.” Continue Reading…
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