Do They Sweat In Duke City?/Fiction As Research

By Stephen Bly

Copyright©2010

New Mexico heat blanketed Albuquerque that July like too many

covers in a stuffy cabin. . .the kind of day that you sweat from the

inside out and feel sticky dirt in places that you don’t ponder much

except in the shower.

From Cowboy For a Rainy Afternoon

Released: June 2010

              Every novel’s got a place and time. That often means plenty of research. My next release, Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon, is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1954. So, I needed to know some things about a specific city, a state, and what the world was like that year.

Research Thru Travel

It’s tough, dirty work. . .but I love any time I can go to New Mexico. The only other site I’ve been that boasts similar layers of culture stacked one upon another: Rome. Yet,  New Mexico’s still a cowboy state. From the Pecos River in the east to the Plains of San Agustin in the west, from the Sangre de Christo range in the north, to the “bootheel” in the south, it’s full of great ranching country. A perfect setting for a cowboy story.

My wife, Janet, and I drove up and down Historic Route 66 that runs through Albuquerque. It was known as the “Main Street of America” or the “Mother Road.” It was the primary route for those leaving the dust bowl of Oklahoma and moving to California during the Great Depression. Albuquerque was selected as a stop on the first transcontinental air route in the 1920s and Route 66 brought the first transcontinental motorists through the city.


Research Thru Study

Duke City is a nickname for Albuquerque, because it was named after Viceroy Francisco Fernandez de la Cueva, the Duke of Alburquerque. Later the spelling was changed because some influential person couldn’t pronounce the “R” in Alburquerque.

The cowboys in my story retire in Albuquerque, not Santa Fe, because even in 1954 the latter was becoming the artsy, celebrity spot it is today. These guys needed a cheap hotel and city amenities. So, Albuquerque suited them fine. Before there were retirement communities and senior citizen housing, some elderly lived in old downtown hotels. Well past their prime in attracting overnight guests, they catered to senior citizens who scraped by on something fairly new in the fifties: Social Security.

One of my favorite governors hails from New Mexico. Governor Lew Wallace authored the novel Ben-Hur (a movie made in 1959, starring Charleton Heston) and he also tried to negotiate with the notorious Billy the Kid. What an eclectic group of folks tramped the Old West.

A piece of historical tidbit. . .a hard thing for some readers to realize: in 1954 no one considered cigars or cigarettes or their second-hand smoke in any way harmful. That’s why you see so many actors and actresses lighting up in the movies of that period. Cowboys often carried peppermints, which were tasty, portable, and covered up the smell of such vices, at least so they thought.

 

Research Thru Learning the Language

The main challenge of fiction: the rhythm of the dialogue. I had to sit very still and listen to each character speak in order to get the timing right, along with the vocabulary.

Every era boasts its own unique language. Every region develops a dialect. For the writer, both can be learned through research and careful study. But tone, timing, and cadence can’t easily be taught. It’s better to be in your bones. A writer’s challenge is to develop instinct for tune as well as lyrics of speech. There has to be a natural flow.

To know the right lingo steps up a novel’s authenticity. In Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon I got to use a lot of the classic cowboy terms that got lost over the years. I tried to stick an interior explanation to explain a few that might confuse. 

For instance, a McGee is cowboy slang for a 4-strand rope made of a maguey (century) plant. 

A phrase often used on a cattle drive or roundup was “man at the pot.” That meant someone was at the coffee pot for a refill and that shout-out indicated the guy was to fill everyone’s cup. 

To old cowboys, ‘nobby’ signified fine, expensive boots. Pop/Grandpa would “do to ride the river with.” That’s the ultimate compliment for a cowboy. Crossing wild rivers with great herds of cattle exposed dangers for man and beast. Not a time to trust your safety to some rookie just learning the ropes.

“You never know the luck of a lousy calf”. . . one of my favorite cowboy sayings. Big, healthy, sturdy calves seem to fall off cliffs or get attacked by wolves. It’s the scrawny, worthless ones that live forever.

I’ve often wondered why we stopped using colorful words like ‘footpad.’ So called because of guys who pulled off their boots and snuck around in stocking feet, so no one would hear them.

Research Thru Memories

In 1954 an old man’s vision of feminine loveliness would be Bow, Grable, Monroe or Kelly. Grace Kelly in High Noon stole my own ten-year-old heart. However, I figured she wasn’t too smart because she couldn’t understand why Will Cane had to turn back. But I did. Shoot, that’s in a cowboy’s bones. But, my oh my, she surely was purdy.

               
My bedroom was stacked with White Owl cigar boxes, my granddad’s favorite cigar. He didn’t smoke them much; mainly he chewed them. And because I lived across the road from him, I got many of his boxes. Lots of childhood treasures can be stored in a cigar box.

              
I listened to Sergeant Preston on the radio. What memories. How I wanted to be a mountie and own a dog like King.             

TV was a brand new technology in 1954. We hadn’t learned to sit comatose in front of one. . .yet.

 

One of the advantages of modern autos. . .they run so smooth there’s seldom a backfire. But those random air-shattering blasts from the old rigs added adventure to an otherwise ordinary, routine day. Me and my young pals surmised the sound as a gun blast from a bank robber making his get-away, even though my hometown had no bank. That fact didn’t darken my vivid 10-year-old imagination.

The summer of 1954, in Albuquerque, a 10-year-old boy becomes A Cowboy For a Rainy Afternoon.

Maybe I wasn’t born 100 years too late.

Stephen Bly

http://www.BlyBooks.com

http://www.twitter.com/BlyBooks.com

Available Now: Creede of Old Montana (hardback, Center Point)

Coming June 2010: Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon (hardback, Center Point)

Find these books at www.Amazon.com or www.BlyBooks.com

Making the Most of a Home Office

Having a separate home office may not be a reality for many writers. It would be nice if all freelance writers could hide away in a cabin by the beach or at least in a room away from the rest of the family. Many writers do not have either option so it is important that writers in need of space make the most of the space that they have available.

Steps to Optimizing a Work Space

Never, never, never start a pile – of anything. Once the pile starts it only continues to grow. Eventually it spreads and takes over and makes it impossible to find anything that your really need. Have an inbox for mail that you go through every day. File paperwork as it is generated instead of promising that you will do it later. Set up a filing system for all the projects that you currently have going so that you can easily access each one.

Plan on working when others are working or schedule your work time for those rare moments when no one else is around. This may require getting up in the early morning hours or staying up late or working through nap time. Use small spaces of time to tackle that easy project to help get your muse moving when the time is right for you to be able to tackle larger projects. Do your research and emails and other tasks that do not take much concentration at a time when things might be a little more hectic around your work space.

Create a system that works for you. There has to be a way for you to know what projects are due and when they are due no matter where you are located. Keep a list on an online site – you can set sites like Google to email you when a particular date approaches. Use a day planner – electronic or paper is not the issue but having something that you can take away from the office IS important. Keep a big calendar that the whole family can see that way everyone will know when a busy day is coming up and can clear out accordingly.

A home office may be a space in the living room (or kitchen in my case) or an actual room where you can close the door. No matter where or what your office space it is important that you figure out how to utilize that space to advance your freelance writing career.

#1 Stress Reducer - Acceptance

"I can't get anything done. I have to do everything around here. Why can't my husband and the kids do more? Why don't they understand why I write? Maybe I'm not supposed to write. All I want is some quiet time - is that too much to ask?"

Maybe you recognize some of these typical family situations. Maybe you are experiencing some of the emotional fallout connected with them: anger, frustration, justification, blame, guilt and doubt.

The tension and emotions we experience when we feel we have few or no choices create an enormous amount of stress. And stress created by our internal thought and response process has the same effect on our body as when we see a tiger at the door ready to pounce. Our body is flooded with hormones and chemicals in preparation to fight or flee. However, the "tiger" we experience today is our own responses to life situations where fighting or fleeing are no longer physical events that reduce these hormones appropropriately. So they stay within our system for longer periods of time and over time take their toll on our health. A real live tiger at our door is a healthier stressor than the tigers we produce in our minds.

Acceptance is the first step in reducing conflict and internal stress. Aceptance is accepting what is happening wihtout blame, denial, or embellishments. It gives you the opportunity to ask what you really want and move toward finding constructive solutions. Acceptance requires honesty and honesty can be painful. It is much easier to blame someone or something for our problems rather than be responsible for our responses. It is much easier to become defensive or complacent rather than assertive. It is easier to take responsibilty away from others, trying to make everyone happy becoming a martyr, savior or enabler rather than having difficult discussions. It is easier to hide behind what we should, must or have to do rather than make tough choices. In the process we become a victim and unknowlingly resort to manipulation and blame to reduce conflict and tension.

Let's look at those family circumstances again from a writer's point of view along with acceptance and possible solutions.

1. "I can't write because the kids are running around." (Time management/parenting. Establish clearly defined house rules. Structure quality time with your children. Coordinate writing with parenting obligations.)

2. "I am so mad at my husband for not understanding my need to write." (Commuication/Conflict resolution. Take responsibility for your needs and your emotions. Open a dialogue free of blame and attack, communicate how you feel and listen attentively to your spouse's wants and needs.)

3. "If only everyone would stop bothering me." (Communication. What is your family telling you? Ask questions and listen carefully. Negotiate needs of everyone including you.)

4. "I can't write with all the noise in the house." (Assertiveness/Parenting/Time Mangement. Follow through with pre-established rules and consequences. No threats.)

5. "My time is as valuable as your time". (Self work. Defensiveness comes from underlying guilt feelings often from old childhood rules, trying to justify what we do. Be able to make honest "I" statements.)

6. "If everyone would do more around the house...!" (Family meetings: Together as a family set house rules, everyone's contribution to chores; establish consequences and rewards)

7. "My mother-in-law doesn't like me." (Acceptance. You can't change anyone else. But you can choose how you respond. Focus on options that might create understanding, etc.)

8. "I feel guilty about taking time to write." (Self work. Your needs are important. Respecting your needs does not mean you neglect the needs of others.)

9. "I'll have to reward my kids for being so quiet while I am working." (Parenting. Spontaneously reward your children with comments such as "I really appreciate how nicely you are playing." Don't reward them because you are having guilt feelings.)

Acceptance is a perception, a decision and a feeling. It focuses on what you want to have happen versus what is happening, accepts your emotions and lets go of resistance. Acceptance allows us to problem-solve and live in the present moment not in the past or future. It takes you from being a victim to becoming a champion - someone who is in charge of their life.

What you don't accept, you become a slave to.

Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC
Copyright 2010
NOTE: For more information on Acceptance and Stress visit www.focuswithmarlene.blogspot.com.

Platform Building 211: The Land of Facebook

As a writer, you can't afford to ignore the fact that, with over 400 million active users, the population of Facebook represents a "country" in and of itself. Specific benefits exist for writers navigating the land of Facebook, but be wary. Perils lurk there, too.

You'll notice, first, the smooth lay of the land, which by its very blandness inspires a sense of peace. You won't find an intrusive banner or ads that flash or scatter in these pages. The simple, three-column blog format presents information in a logical manner. Such a peaceful setting make flame wars uncommon. In fact, many people visit Facebook to relax.

Because of this, interactions within Facebook take on an informal timbre and can provide a writer unheard-of access to high-ranking members of the literary community, many of whom will accept a friend request without having to meet you first. Of course, with such a privilege comes an equal responsibility. Manners online are not unlike manners offline. I'll go into Facebook etiquette in another post.

Facebook also provides an opportunity to connect with those on a similar plain in their literary careers. A writer can find, through social networking, a support group ready to offer and receive fellowship and support. Online networking can provide immediate relief for an isolated writer with a minimal outlay of time. It's not uncommon for writers on deadline to pause for a momentary break on Facebook when they would otherwise cut themselves off from all contact. A post describing a particular challenge or feelings of discouragement will likely be met with prayer and comfort. That's a huge bonus.

A writer can connect on Facebook with other writers in need of mentoring. It's important, I think, to reach out to others, else we become too self-involved. Potential readers reside in the land of Facebook, too

If you blog, you can feed your blog to post automatically to your Facebook page through the Networked Blogs application. You can also feed your Facebook updates to your Twitter account here.That way, when you post to your blog, it will feed through automatically to both Facebook and Twitter. There's usually a slight delay before your blog post will pull to update your Facebook account, and again before your feed will update Twitter, so it's entirely possible to send blog post notifications automatically to Twitter through FeedBurner.com, which posts right away, and another time through Twitterfeed.com, which has a delay. That's three automatic updates of Twitter. (I don't update Facebook as frequently as I do Twitter, because each audience has a different mindset and attention span.)

If you have yet to set up a Facebook account, or even if you've had one for awhile, you'll want to think through some management issues. Since I accept friend requests from people I have never met and because I have family members who tag me in pictures of their children, I maintain a private account for close friends and family and a separate one for professional  networking. If you do this, I suggest you put your private account in a form of your name others won't recognize unless they know you (such as your first and middle name only or your maiden name). Otherwise, as your name recognition grows, you'll find yourself in the uncomfortable position of having to refuse friend requests to your personal account. Some writers keep their personal Facebook pages for friends and family and use a fan page for all others. An advantage to doing this is that a fan page doesn't include an email account whereas a friend page does. People who want to contact you can still post to your wall on a fan page (unless you block them), but it's harder for them to spam you that way. The limit of 5,000 friends doesn't apply for a fan page. I'll discuss the use of a Facebook fan page in a later post.

Facebook has its down side. You can get way too involved in online conversations to the detrement of your writing time. I suggest you stay away from virtual worlds like FarmTown, and don't get started on the games. They can become addictive, as I soon discovered. Word games were a special snare to me since, as a writer, I'm already in love with words. I'm pleased to say that I conquered that particular affliction and no longer waste time on Facebook games. If you do find yourself in their grip, prayer helps. I broke free by using just a few Facebook games as a reward for completing specific tasks. Now that they were no longer provided illicite pleasure, I was able to move away from them entirely. Other problems with Facebook include excessive invitations to join groups and pages and causes or to use Facebook applications. You can turn some of these off in your Facebook settings. I suggest you take a little time to familiarize yourself with the privacy settings account tab.

Despite its flaws, Facebook is a growing influence online and provides an author with many opportunities. A future post will suggest more ways an author can benefit from Facebook. Next week, best-selling author Stephen Bly, who will guest blog on Author Haven on Monday. In deference to him, I'll skip my regular Tuesday post but will meet you back here the following week.

Homework

This week, whether you already have an account or want to start one, familiarize yourself with Facebook and think through a management strategy.

Do you have anything to add to my thoughts? How do you use Facebook?

Who Do You Work For?

“I hate my boss!” That was the statement made to me by a young woman in the Air Force. She was a Christian, young in her faith and eager to serve the Lord. We walked across the parking lot and headed to our cars, her head hung with frustration. As we talked, she recounted to me the difficulty of serving her commanding officer. “Who do you work for?” I asked. The bewildered look on her face was priceless. “You know my commander,” she said. I did, but I pressed the conversation further. “Could it be that you have the wrong point of view? You don’t work for him, you work for the Lord,” I said, “and God has given you this opportunity to express your faith to a man who needs to know Christ.”

As a Christian writer, whom do you work for? Do you work for the editor that demands major revisions before publishing can go forward? Do you work for an instructor who loads you down with tasks that demand such critical analysis that it leaves you stunned? Or are you a self-employed writer, working for the benefit of your own life? None of the above are correct. Colossians 3:23 states, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

From the writer to the sales person, and everyone in between, you must view your part of the process as an opportunity to serve the Lord. Once a Christian steps out of that point of view, a world of frustration awaits. The Scripture says, “Whatever you do.” It’s not the writer, the editor, the typesetter, the sales person or anyone else that takes a higher position than the others. It might seem like the editor is more important, for the editor has the task of evaluation. It might seem like the writer is more important for the writer has the task of creative expression. It might seem like the board of directors is more important for they have the task of steering the course of the company. However, all have the singular need to see themselves as “working for the Lord, not for men.”

Let me encourage you, then, to look to Christ as your employer. Christ has permitted you to experience the circumstances you’re in right now. You might have a difficult time with someone in the process, but understand your first obligation—to be well-pleasing to the Lord Jesus. Work for Him, and your work will not be in vain.

Let me encourage you, as well, to work with all your heart. To “work with all your heart” literally means to “work from the soul.” I like that. You work from the depths of your core, from the very place that your life springs forth in abundance. It is hard to work from the soul when you face a difficult boss. Refocus, and remember that it is the Lord Christ you are serving.

I ask you: who do you work for? When you can say with certainty, “I work for the Lord,” you will find that any other boss cannot discourage you.

©2010
Rev. Michael Duncan

Getting it Done

All of the plans in the world are of no value unless action drives those plans. The last few years I have planned and prepared for my freelance writing success. My white board directs my projects and my phone calls me to remind me of deadlines.

Success continues to elude me. The plans are sound but the action behind those plans to write have been lagging or sputtering. Success will require that I continue to push my writing to be a priority in my life and in my family. I can always find an excuse NOT to write but to reach the place I want to be I must MAKE reasons to write.

Finding Reasons and Ways to Write

- Understand my goals and objectives. Setting priorities requires that I recognize my purpose and my path.

- Set my time budget. Financial budgets get the attention of most people but you cannot make more time. I have to know the amount of time that I have available so that I can prepare a writing schedule that will work.

- Make the right choice. The wrong choice may be the easier choice or it may be the default choice but it will not get me to where I want to be. I have to choose to write instead of watching television or chatting on Facebook or any other number of reasons that each day will present.

- Find the right support. Not all of the people around me understand my writing or support my writing – after all, it is not a “real” job. The internet has provided me with a multitude of support, but finding local support that I can meet with on a regular basis can be just as important.

Writing success or success of any nature will not happen on its own. Planning is important, but action is vital. Finding the tools that will push my action will give me the next step to lead me to the successful writing life that I desire.

Stress affects our Writing

Stress affects not only our creativity and productivity, but ultimately affects our health. We can't live without stress, nor do we want to because it enables us to live life to the fullest. However, when we become overloaded, unable to manage, eliminate or adapt to stressors then stress becomes "dis-stress". It is estimated that almost 75% of doctor's visits can be attributed to prolonged levels of stress.

Consider the following:

- Stress contributes to heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes and other illnesses such as cancer
- Prolonged stress exhausts the adrenal glands, depletes the nervous system and can cause symptoms such as ulcers, chest pains, headaches, depression and finally exhaustion. (Meditation and relaxation exercises can counter this)
- Stress lowers the immune system which protects us from many serious diseases
- Stress contributes to the development of alcoholism, obesity, suicide, drug and cigarette addiction, and other harmful behaviors
- Tranquilizers, anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications account for one fourth of all prescriptions written in the United States each year
- Recurring health problems of any type can be a signal that we are not handling on-going stress very effectively. When the body is stressed too long, it expreses it as disease.

One stressor that impacts all of us is time pressure. Besides goal setting, plans of action and prioritizing, here are some important ways to deal with time pressure:

- Don't allow "to do" lists to clutter your mind. When you do, you are adding another stressor: juggling all the "to do" balls. Write down every item that comes into your mind. Don't analyze or prioritize at the time. Re-focus on what you are doing. Once a day go through your list and prioritize, schedule or eliminate.

- Keep a calendar organizer with you and use it faithfully. Make it a habit. I know I am dating myself with all the electronic organizers that are available, but I like to use a "paper" monthly/day organizer that easily fits in my purse. There is a page for each month, plus a separate page for each day of the month that allows me to record scheduled meetings, directions, daily "to do" lists, grocery lists, and basically manage my time for that day. This goes with me wherever I go allowing me to add information when I am away from my home office. It also holds all my important telephone numbers and any other vital information I may need. It is as important as the keys to my car and my home.

- Pay attention to what you say to yourself. There is a constant stream of mind chatter that goes on in our heads all the time. Stress is managed by our perceptions and our self talk as well as our actions. As you keep juggling work, family schedules, etc. you may not be aware that you are saying to yourself things like: "I have to do this. How will I ever get everything done? I should be doing that right now. I have to spend more time with my kids and my spouse." Each one of those statements are loaded with additional pressure and stress.

- Eliminate the words, "I must, I ought to, I should or I have to" from your vocabulary. Don't say them silently in your head or out loud. These are stressors that put incredible amount of pressure on us. They basically say you have no choice. Turn each of them into actions of some kind that you "choose".

- As we feel pressured, our irritation and anxiety is communicated to others. Learn how to be assertive without being aggressive. Check my blog spot, www.focuswithmarlene.blogspot.com for more information about assertiveness and communication.

Writers and others who work independently struggle with the additional pressures of setting and scheduling their own work and unnecessary guilt about time spent away from family. Guilt, remorse and worry are huge stress producers, they consume energy, waste time and accomplish nothing. Learning how to schedule specific and definite blocks of time that are dedicated to your job along with specific and definite times you will spend with members of your family can eliminate those feelings. Time management allows you to better choose how you spend your time and it can have a positive influence on those around you.

Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC,NCC
www.MarleneAnderson-Focus.com
www.focuswithmarlene.blogspot.com
www.healingheartsandmind.blogspot.com

Platform Building 210: Twitter Tactics

You may inch into the water when swimming -- first a toe, then a foot, and finally you're up to your knees. You take a deep breath and consider diving in, but take another step forward instead, not sure you want to commit your body to instant immersion. That's the way some folks approach Twitter, but don't let that little update box intimidate you. Jump in! The water's fine.

While I'm still learning all the ins and outs of Twitter, I can give you the benefit of my own experience to help you navigate those waters:

• Follow other people's lists. Would you like to know agent Rachelle Gardner's list of the best agent twitter feeds? How about Michael Hyatt's list of mentors? Or Nathan Bransford's list of publishing people? You can. Subscribe to such lists and listen in as some of publishing's top thinkers talk to one another. 
•  Participate in hashtag conversations, which are simply groups of people carrying on a specific conversation. These change over time, but some current hashtags available to writers are #askagent, #pubtips and #amwriting. Type these terms in the Search box on your home page and join the conversation! Just remember to put the hashtag reference in your own tweet so others can read it, whether they follow you or not.
• Advertise your blog posts using Twitter to draw readers.
• Retweet (RT) interesting tweets. This provides interesting content for your followers and gains the attention of the person you retweet and can result in them following you.
• Reply to others you'd like to get to know. If you want to have friends, be a friend.
• Recommend your favorite tweeters to your followers on #followfriday (also known as #FF) and #writerwednesday (#WW).
• Thank others who retweet or mention you.
• Be consistent. You don't have to chain yourself to Twitter or even tweet every day, but you should look in every couple of days. For ways to manage your involvement with Twitter, click here.
• Sign up for accounts in Twitter applications.. This will put your bio online. Often, you can enter an extended bio with links. I just updated my http://twellow.com listing with an extended bio and will visit soon to add more links. With Twellow, which bills itself as a Twitter Yellow Pages, you can add yourself to categories other people search. http://socialoomph.com offers an extended bio, too. Familiarize yourself with Twitter applications, but check any application by doing a Google search before you give out your Twitter password. 

Remember, as you engage in Twitter, to select those you follow with care. Here are some of my criterion for the people I follow: no mention of the word "money" in their bios, an actual picture rather than the default Twitter bird, they must have a

bio, and no nudity or profanity. I don't follow people if I'm not interested in what they have to say. Although I'm sure there are those fascinated with race car driving, I'm not one of them.

You can wade in, an inch at a time, but let me recommend you just take the plunge into Twitter and learn as you go.

Homework

I've listed just a few of the many ways you can use Twitter. Give my ideas a try, and brainstorm for ideas of your own.

Next week we'll discuss Facebook.

Have any suggestions for Twitter strategies?

Christy Award Winning Author Stephen Bly to Blog on Author Haven!

Woah Pardner!

He's authored over 100 books (many of them Westerns), won the Christy Award and established a world-wide fanbase. Now, Stephen Bly wants to teach you how to research. Spread the word and mark your calendars! Or, better yet, sign up for delivery of Author Haven posts to your email inbox or feed reader. You'll never look at research in the same way again! Don't miss Stephen's post on March 29th:

 

Do They Sweat In Duke City?/Fiction As Research.

Find Hidden Motivation

The kids and husband are gone for the day. The quiet of the house should stir my muse so that the words flow out of control. It does not take long for me to suspect that my muse stowed away in the car when the family left. The worst part comes with the realization that I have no desire to find her.

There seems to be nothing quite as frustrating for a writer as discovering the desire to write has flown the coop. Forget writer’s block – this is writer’s stuck in the starters block. I was there just a few minutes ago. The desire to write still hides somewhere in my heart but I am finding a way to write anyway. The motivation to write does not have to be connected to the desire. Writing because I have to write can be driven by motivation on a multitude of levels.

Writing Despite the Lack of Desire

• Talk to a writing friend – online, on the phone or in person. Other writers have the way of giving you the motivation to write something even when you have no desire to do the writing that you know you need to do.

• Look for a deadline – something in your pile of things that need to be done has to have a deadline. Fill out a job query, create something for a contest or finish a project that needs to be done. Time can be a great motivation technique.

• Make a note of it – send out a note to a friend that you have been meaning to write. Once the words start flowing they can be the motivation that is needed to get other words to join in the fun.

• Give your opinion – comment on other blogs or forum threads. The words start to move and spark other words. Often, these short little comments fire up the motivation for full articles or maybe even a series of articles. Other times, the motivation is just an ember but still pushes you to get the writing done.

Freelance writers do not have the choice not to write. Writing is the job. When the desire to write fades into the distance then it is time to dig up some motivation that can push you on to write what you need to get done. Waiting for the muse to show up may mean waiting until you find that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Neither is the practical way of developing that successful freelance writing career that you crave.

Time Out

You have a kink in your neck, your lower back is killing you, yet you push harder to meet that deadline. At some point you take a break for a cup of coffee or tea, turn on the TV or play a computer game. Maybe it's a quick stretch of the muscles before resuming your work.

While there are many ways to take a "time out", for many of us it is just a few minutes of diversionary activity. Our typical response to stressors and time pressure is to escape with a cookie and latte.

But if "time outs" are going to be beneficial, we need to do more than just take a break from what we are doing. When time outs are scheduled, they become specific interventions allowing us to become revitalized, refreshed and restored.

Here are some quick and easy "time out's":

1. Schedule quiet times away from your home, activities and busy neighborhoods. Find a quiet place of solitude and just "be" with yourself. Sit at the beach and listen to the sounds of water or by a quiet lake listening to the busy life of nature. Turn cell phones off and leave I-pods at home. Soak in your surroundings.

2. When wrestling with many problems at once, sit down, close your eyes and take some slow even breaths. Imagine a box beside you. Put each problem in that box and tell each it is important and you will pay attention to it at a later time. In your mind put the lid on the box and place it in a safe place. Now take a moment to just enjoy the relaxation and freedom from pressure; then resume your activities. At a later quiet and relaxed time, problem solve each situation individually after asking for guidance and direction.

3. Create a special place within your home. It does not have to be large, but it is your space with has your things around you. Come here to read, meditate, pray or just be alone. When you enter your special place, park your problems outside. They are not allowed in.

4, With the help of a relaxation tape that teaches you how to relax all the parts of your body spend 10 to 15 minutes a day relaxing and visualizing. As you master the technique of letting go and relaxing, you will be able to take a one minute relaxation/visualization break any time anywhere reducing tension and time pressure.

5. Take 10-15 minutes each morning when you first get up before doing anything else and write a stream of consciousness without thought. Just write whatever comes to your mind whether it makes sense or not. Fill two to three pages. It is a marvelous exercise to uncover blocked areas in your life, releasing creativity and healing. This was a technique created by Julia Cameron in her book, "The Artist's Way".

6. Immerse yourself in a book or project where time becomes nonexistent.

We live in a world of overstimulation and time urgency. These stressors can be linked to many health issues including over-eating, cardiovascular problems, stomach and intestional difficulties to name a few. As "dis-stress" builds up, our immune systems can become compromised making us more vulnerable and susceptible to viruses and disease. Taking a time out is important to our physical, mental and spiritual health. Such interventions help give us the stamina to remain focused on our goals.

Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC
For more information about relaxation and stress reduction, or to purchase a relaxation tape produced by Marlene, visit her website at www.MarleneAnderson-Focus.com or contact her at marlene@marleneanderson-focus.com.

Platform Building 209: Twitter Safety

Writers carry on a sometimes-uneasy truce with lack of privacy nowadays. I'll give some tips here for use with Twitter, but they apply to Facebook and Forums as well. I don't mean to make you paranoid, but just to urge you to use wisdom while online.

1. Post a Creative Picture. You should post a picture of some kind in Twitter. Many people won't follow you if you display the Twitter default icon. But, if you are concerned about others having a photo of you, post one showing only part of your face. You could do this by zooming in, wearing a hat or aiming the camera or cropping your photo to position yourself partly out of the frame. I had to laugh when a Facebook friend of mine spoofed this trend by posting an extreme close up of his eye. It's popular for writers with published books to display their book covers instead of their faces. I've heard protests to doing this because people want to connect with you first and your book second. Sometimes authors pose with their books open as if they reading, thus covering the lower of the face. This can look cute. Do what seems right to you. I, personally, don't find posting my picture online a huge concern. I figure that readers will see my picture on the cover of my books, anyway. Also, I'm not photogenic, and I look enough like plenty of other people, so I think I'd be hard to peg in person.
2.  Don't Give a Specific Location in Your Profile. Do fill out a profile for yourself because, again, many people automatically won't follow you if you don't have one. Most of us can be traced online nowadays, but why make it easy for someone to locate you? I give a vague and well-populated general location for myself only. Or you could leave location out entirely. Really, who needs to know, anyway?
3. Don't Give a Specific Location for an Outing. Don't tweet about where you're going and when. You don't want to tell the world that you're meeting friends at "Oasis Restaurant" in Seattle right before you do it. Do you really want to broadcast your whereabouts? Save remarks about the great time you had with friends for after you get back home. For my part, when I go to a meeting, I don't post about it until after I'm home. I don't really think anyone is after me, but why take a chance?
4. Don't Tell the World that You're Home Alone. Your husband might be out of town, but do you really want to announce you're home alone while he's away? Wait until he's home to declare how much you missed him.
5. Don't Announce That Your House is Standing Empty. "We're having a great time on vacation. I hope the dog is happy at the boarder's and that the neighbors gets the mail." This might sound ludicrous, but my point is that Twitter users sometimes forget the reach of their audience.
6. Don't Mention That You Live Alone. This one is self-explanatory.
7. Block Anyone Who Makes You Uncomfortable. It's possible to block a Follower from receiving your Tweets or seeing you online. Just to provide a persepective, I've yet to use this feature in Twitter.

My disclaimer: Remember when approaching all social networking, don't be fearful, but do use wisdom. I've pointed out some things you can do to protect yourself while online, but I can't be there for every situation. My best advice is to be aware and recognize that your personal safety is your responsibility.

Homework

Spend a little time this week familiarizing yourself with Twitter.

Find Your Way in Darkness

A fog settled on Puget Sound. It was early morning and the sun had yet to crest over the eastern Cascade Mountains. All passengers were on board the ship so we set off from the dock for a twenty-minute trip across the channel. A sense of apprehension settled upon my thoughts.

I ventured into the wheelhouse and watched as the captain and crew stared through the window—eyes set upon the dense fog that shrouded the world in mystery. The captain was a skilled seaman, but something had him agitated. He shook his head and tapped the radar screen. I glanced over at the screen and my heart skipped a beat—the radar had no image. A solitary line swept through the circle without any picture of the surrounding world. The boat was blind.

Have you ever felt like that? Navigating through the writer’s ocean can become a harrowing, finger-biting, grey-hair-making adventure that leaves the heart fluttering with trepidation. What do you do? Do you stay at the dock, fearful of the uncertain future that lies before you? Do you stop the ship mid-way and just let the currents take you where they will? How do you find your way in darkness?

Let me say that you’re not alone. When Paul said farewell to the elders of Ephesus, he spoke of the uncertainty that lay before him. “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there” (Acts 20:22 italics added). There are three things I want you to see from Paul’s statement to help you find your way in darkness.

First, hold fast to your destination. “I am going to Jerusalem,” he said. There remained no other option—Jerusalem or bust! The Ephesian elders wept at his statement, but Paul was undeterred. Whatever your destination, set your steps to arrive there. Statements like “I wish to be published” do nothing to propel you through the darkness. Second, know who has sent you. Paul kept his focus because he was “compelled by the Spirit.” If God does not compel you to the literary arts (whatever form it takes), you’ll never risk the dark seas of the writer’s craft. Third, press on despite the uncertainty. Paul pressed on to Jerusalem, “not knowing what will happen.” If you must know the outcome before you run the race you will never step into the opportunity that God might give you.

Suffice it to say, the captain of that fog-wrapped ship held fast to his destination. Though the ship was blind, he pressed on toward the mainland and navigated the ship with courage. The worried passengers voiced their uncertainty and wanted to turn the ship around. The crew spoke their concern. Nevertheless, the captain kept to his course and made it across the channel.

You can find your way in darkness if you know your destination, know who sent you and press on.

©2010
Rev. Michael Duncan

Hurt Feelings and Bad Attitudes

Dealing with people requires dealing with personalities. The chemistry that results may not be the explosion you were hoping would occur. Sometimes hurt feelings take the lead or bad attitudes can ruin your day. As long as you are writing, you will have to deal with people in some form. Knowing how to deal with negative situations can help make the experience a little less painful.

Tips for Dealing with People

1. Keep what you say positive even when the other person goes negative. Despite what my son believes the phrase “I am positive that you are an idiot” and others like it do not count.

2. Refuse to take personal. Freelance writing is a business. Choose to see others decisions, opinions and comments from a business point of view. Once the personal interest comes out of the equation you may be able to see some validity in the situation (or at least manage to learn something from it).

3. Seek the wisdom of others. Situations will come up that you have yet to experience. Mentors and trusted advisors can help you determine the better path to take. Fresh eyes may also be able to see something that you missed.

4. Step away from the situation. Take a break from the issue. Write your response and set it aside for a day or so and then review it with a calm spirit. Or wait to respond when your heart has slowed to its normal pace and you are no longer flushed with frustration or anger. A time out can be a great tool for handling people.

5. Say a little prayer. Try taking the time to pray for the individual or situation. Pray for yourself while you are at it. Prayer has a way of making you look beyond the emotions and dig into the spirit of the moment.

Freelance writing forces you to deal with people and not all of them will be nice. Some of the people that you will encounter (trolls, bullies, scammers) try to steal any encouragement you may have in your life. Knowing the right steps for dealing with the negative people and situations that you will face as a freelance writer will help you in your journey to writing success.

Roadblocks

 

"I've set my goals, but it seems I am unable to keep on track. There isn't enough time in the day or there are too many priorities and I begin to question myself and my goals."

Roadblocks are those things that keep us from achieving personal goals. Because they are "personal", we begin to question whether we are selfish in taking time away from obligations that seem to multiply like mosquitoes and we end up abandoning them. Developing our dreams and passions now seem selfish rather than the development of God-given talents and abilities. And yet, if we are not doing what God created us to do, we are not only cheating ourselves but those around us as well.

Roadblocks come in many shapes and sizes and are usually idiosyncratic to our personalilties and life experiences. However, there are some basic principles that are relevant to all of us:

- We tend to live by life scripts put in place when we are growing up; a set of instructions that dictate what you can and cannot do. It assigns your role in life and you are not allowed to change the script. Ex: "The wife does the dishes and the husband takes care of the yard."

- During childhood we put in place fixed beliefs that demand obedience without questioning. These rigid and inflexible beliefs define who we are, who we can become and allow no exceptions. They shape our expectations of self and the world without question, options or choices. They limit our ability to grow because they are filled with "should's, must's and have-to's" that keep us locked in unproductive patterns of thought and behavior. Ex: "I must answer that phone call. I should be doing more for others. I should be cleaning the house instead of writing."

- An internal negative filtering system screens out important information. A filter lets some things flow in and screens other things out. We judge the present based on what has happened to us in the past. Distorted filters create a distorted view of the world and ourselves that we accept as truth whether it is or not. Ex: "I am not very smart. I can't be a writer. I have never been successful at anything."

- Information flowing through our filters creates an internal dialogue. What you say to yourself about yourself can have detrimental results physically as well as mentally. Ex: "I always screw up. I'm stupid. Others write so much better than I do."

- Our locus of control identifies who or what you believe is responsible for what happens to you in life. It is how and where we assign blame for our problems or difficulties and establishes credit for what we have accomplished. It forms a deep basic core of our self-concept.

An internal locus of control takes responsibility for what happens in your life. You have the ability to choose your thoughts, beliefs and responses to
whatever is happening. Ex: "I choose to take time for myself as well as for others."

An external locus of control assumes outside people and forces are responsible for what happens to you. You have no choices, no options or opportunity and are basically a victim. Therefore, you can constantly play the "blame game". Ex: "If my husband would just spend more time with me and the kids, I wouldn't feel so stressed. If my wife would just understand my need to write, I wouldn't feel so guilty."

Roadblocks can either stop progress or give you the opportunity to learn more about yourself. What is your roadblock telling you? What are your beliefs, thoughts and feelings about your situation? Are you taking responsibility for the things you have control over while letting go of what you don't have control over?

If God gave you the talent, He has a purpose for it. Lay your roadblocks at His feet and let Him ask you some questions and give you directions.

© 2010 Marlene Anderson

Marlene Anderson, MA,LMHC,NCC
www.MarleneAnderson-Focus.com
www.focuswithmarlene.blogspot.com
www.healingheartsandmind.blogspot.com

Platform Building 208: Twitter Applications

While Twitter technicians have added more functionality to the site of late, tweeting directly from the Twitter website soon becomes ponderous. It's one thing to keep track of, say, 20 people. It's quite another to keep track of a thousand. (And yes, if you persevere with Twitter, you can build your following to that number and beyond.)

For instance, you might want to know folks who are following you who might like you to reciprocate and who might, indeed, unfollow you if you don't. It's painstaking to go through your list of Followers one by one and sort this out. Fortunately, you don't have to. Several applications will allow you to know this.

It might be helpful to know those you are following who aren't following you back. One way to invite people to follow you on Twitter is to follow them. If enough of them don't reciprocate and the number of people you follow is much greater than the number of people who follow you, it can reflect poorly on you. It's a good idea to unfollow those who have no interest in connecting with you unless you benefit from their tweets and don't care if they follow you back. Several applications will let you see just who these people are and to remove them from the people you follow.

Perhaps you'd like the ability to find other followers of like interests. Many applications will provide recommendations for you and even allow you to follow whole lists of people with one click. As of this writing, this is not possible in Twitter.

Hashtag conversations, tweets preceded with the # sign, are popular on Twitter. Some hashtags for writers include #amwriting, #amediting,  #pubtips, #askagent, #queryquotes, and #queryhelp. This list is by no means definitive. New hashtags spring up all the time and old ones become obsolete. As you network, you will just naturally find them. If you want answers, tips or simply others working alongside you (albeit virtually), hashtag conversations may be just what you're looking for. While Twitter allows you to view hashtag conversations in real time, some Twitter applications save these tweets in lists for you to review at your leisure.

Speaking of lists, you can build them now in Twitter. This enables you to keep track of folks who may get lost in the crowd once the number of people you follow grows. I have lists in the works for publishing/writing and for promotion. I plan to put together a list of people who enjoy reading what I write, too. You could keep track of industries news in a list. The possibilities are endless. You could maintain your lists on your Twitter page or keep them private by maintaining them in a Twitter application instead.

You can find a variety of tweets to retweet (post on your page) by typing in search terms directly on the Twitter webpage. This will give you real time results. If you want to view tweets not necessarily in real time, certain Twitter applications facilitate this and even allow you to retweet without having to leave the application.

Some applications allow you to schedule an automatic DM to send to those who follow you. This should be light and engaging and more about them than you. However, it's a chance to let new followers know where they can find you online.

It's a good idea to keep track of tweets by others mentioning or retweeting you. I do this by marking them as favorites. These are people you might consider adding to your lists, since you appeal to them. Also, their kind words are endorsements of you and something you might ask permission to use in the future. When the time comes to look for influencers for your writing or even purchasers, you may want to look to these people. It's also just plain manners to thank them. Some applications allow you to favorite these tweets and also to respond with a tweet of your own.

You can schedule tweets once to post throughout the day (or week or ???) with some applications. If you don't want to have to return constantly to Twitter throughout the day, this is the way to go.

I have probably forgotten some applications, which I'd appreciate your mentioning in the comments section. I've given enough here, to show the place Twitter applications can take in management of your Twitter account. I've listed the applications I use, below. There are many more, so look around and find what works best for you.

Tweetdeck allows you to update your Twitter status (tweet), retweet, maintain lists, do searches (for instance for hashtag conversations), manage your DM's (Direct Messages), see a list of tweets in which your name is mentioned, see and follow a list of recommended followers, reply to the tweets of others, translate tweets from a foreign language, unfollow people, mark tweets as favorites, follow news streams, and bring your Facebook feed into Twitter and reply to your Facebook updates. http://tweetdeck.com/.

Socialoomph allows automatic DM's and scheduled tweets. You can also schedule blog post through this application, although you may already find this capacity in a bloghost like Blogspot. You can keep track of posts mentioning and retweeting you and also news feeds. You can also have a list of tweets mentioning you forwarded to your email account and place these in an "Endorsements" folder for future reference. Socialoomph is a complex application and I probably just scratch the surface here. I suggest you take a look for yourself. http://socialoomph.com/

Tweetmeme specializes in listing tweets for retweet. It allows you to retweet directly from the application. You can also read channel feeds that group together all tweets for subjects like Weather, Shopping, Microsoft Office 2010, and the like. It's a great resource to find tweets by subject. I use it to find people I'm interested in connecting with. One way to come to a person's notice for potential networking is to retweet that person. http://tweetmeme.com/.

Twitterfeed lets you feed your blog posts to a variety of  accounts, Twitter among them. http://twitterfeed.com

Homework

Schedule some time this week to investigate Twitter applications. Give some thought to how you will manage your Twitter account and schedule regular times to put it all together for yourself.

Know of any good Twitter applications? Please mention them here.