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Posts Tagged ‘#writer4life’

Shop Talk and A Big Splurge

When I am with other writers, we can easily fall into conversations that may bore other people to tears.

First person vs. third person

Active vs. passive voice

Who vs. whom

And don’t even get us started on em dashes vs. AI. We could be here all night!  (Ok here it is the truth—human beings use em dashes. They are not a dead giveaway that something is written by Chat GPT.)

Thank you for your attention to this matter. 😊

Are you asleep yet? I’m just getting started.

What is your favorite book about writing?

Easy – Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

What is your preferred brand of pen?

Writers often have a favorite brand, make, and model of pen. Mine is the Pentel R.S.V.P Ballpoint Pen in fine point, preferably blue ink. My second favorite pen is the official swag item for Red Pen Resources, my writing business. They are really nice. Let me know if you want one.

What have you splurged on recently that no one else would understand?

Recently, I stopped in a local stationery shop and had an in-depth conversation with the manager about the Blackwing pencils. He was quite knowledgeable and told me about other customers who rave about them. But I didn’t have to take his word for it. He had several samples on full display complete with clean, crisp sheets of white paper to test drive them. I had heard about these fancy pencils before, but never tried them for myself. How could I resist?

But, a pencil is a pencil, right? What is the big deal?

But, I was wrong. Oh baby was I wrong.

Blackwing pencils are the chef’s kiss of luxury pencils—made in Japan with premium graphite and wood to create the perfect writing instrument. Beautiful craftsmanship with an iconic look and a comfortable grip. It also has its own pencil sharpener and replaceable erasers, sold separately, of course. But, I didn’t get carried away.

I spent about 15 minutes scribbling these beauties on the notepad, enjoying the experience and made a decision. No Dixon Ticonderoga #2 pencils from grade school for me. I splurged on a set of Blackwing Pearl pencils, and I’m not even sorry.

My Advice

First, feel free to use em dashes.

Second, buy the fancy pencils (or whatever tool in your line of work that is worth the splurge).

Finally, find a community of people who get why you love what you do and are willing to read about it to the end of the blog post. 😉

What have you splurged on for yourself lately? Are you willing to share in the comments?

XO

Elisa

A Challenging July

Well, friends, today is the last day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge, and I’ve done 27 out of 31 posts this month. I’m going to call that a win for me! I actually took on three separate challenges this past month, and completing them all has not been easy. But I put in the time and effort, so I’m giving myself high marks. Here are my results.

The Ultimate Blog Challenge

I’m thrilled with the 27 posts I’ve written this month. It is not easy to come up with a new topic every day, and I am proud to report that I only skipped four days. But this challenge was never really a numbers game for me. I came into it wanting to establish a daily writing habit, and I did. I carved out time to write and made it a priority. On the days when the words wouldn’t come, I didn’t fret about imposter syndrome or writer’s block. I took those days to mean I needed a break. Giving up was never an option because I knew the words would be there when I returned to my laptop.

I want to thank Paul Taubman, our UBC leader, who sent daily emails of ideas and encouragement for the entire month. I didn’t always take your suggestions, but I save every last one of them for when I need inspiration. I also want to thank everyone who read and commented on these blogs. Your support means the world to me, and as long as you keep reading, I’ll keep writing.

(And please subscribe so you don’t miss any posts. There is plenty more to come! 🙂 )

No Book Buy July

This challenge came to me from another blogger who suggested a “no buy July.” I was intrigued by the idea but didn’t want to go all in. So, I modified it not to buy books for the entire month. It took a lot of discipline not to download books from Audible or visit my local indie bookstore, but I made it through without buying one book. And boy, was I tempted! I didn’t stop listening to book-themed podcasts or ignore Facebook groups that I subscribe to, like Currently Reading. 

I planned to shop my shelves and read books I already own. Sadly, I only read one book and DNF’d two other ones. So, it wasn’t the best reading month for me. But at least I don’t have more books to choose from because I have plenty already. I’ll probably extend this challenge til the end of the summer and then hit up a few indie bookstores while we are on vacation in September. I can’t deny myself the pleasure of buying books forever, but another month will be good for the bank account and my personal library.

Step Challenge

In yesterday’s post, I wrote about the step challenge. I am continuing my streak of 10K steps daily and am at eight days straight. Today was a beautiful day for walking, so Chloe and I took a nice stroll around the neighborhood. This challenge also includes incentives to add bonus miles to our team total. Last week, I accomplished all three incentives – walking 10K steps for five days straight, walking with a new friend, and walking in a new location. Here is hoping our team is in second place this week. I know I did my part and will continue to do so.

Did you do any challenges this summer? How did it go? Let me know in the comments!

XO,
Elisa

My Not-So-Secret Writing Life

It’s not a well-kept secret that I’ve been working on a memoir for quite some time. Every once in a while, I’ll come across old New Year’s resolutions on Facebook where more than once I’ve written: “I’m going to finish my book this year!” And then, another year goes by without a completed first draft.

Recently, one of my best friends asked me how the writing was going. I was so touched. She has always supported my work, and it’s been a while since someone asked me that question. Unfortunately, I didn’t know how to respond. I think my answer to her wound up being an enthusiastic one like – “It’s going well! Thanks for asking!” – without going into too much detail.

Here’s the truth: I write every single day. I wake up and wonder what I’ll write about that day. I see stories and content all around me and immediately want to put my spin on it. Most of the time, I write for my job as a nonprofit communications professional. I write (and rewrite 😉 ) marketing emails, impact stories, leadership spotlights, website and social media copy, fundraising campaigns, and so much more. I love having a career that allows me to use my skills and talent to write for good causes. And I know my work experience enhances my overall writing journey.

But I’m also trying to spend just as much time here on my laptop writing my book, and that’s not always easy. This means I have to put myself first. I’ve invested time and money to learn more about my craft through professional development classes, writing workshops, and reading countless books and articles. With all the writing, editing, proofreading, and learning I’ve done over the last decade, I’m sure I have a complete manuscript by now. And yet, I have nothing to point to and say, “Ta-da!”

So what’s the problem? The problem is that personal writing projects have always taken a backseat in my daily life. Sometimes it’s because I sit in front of a computer all day and have nothing left after the workday. Other times, writer’s block or imposter syndrome kicks in, and I’m completely helpless. And there have been plenty of times that I write and write and write because I have so much to say and can’t type the words fast enough. Now that I’m an empty-nester, my schedule is much more open, and my mindset is focused on writing this book. But that’s not enough. I need a plan of attack. Here are some changes I’m already putting into place.

  • Making the Time – I’ve already told my husband that I’m carving out at least an hour a day to write, if not more. I’m also getting out of bed earlier than normal to get ready for work, leaving time for me to be creative. I’ve even traded in most of my TV time and doom-scrolling for blogging or reading because reading other people’s work is an important part of my process.
  • Writing with Friends – I’ve committed to two writing challenges and half a dozen in-person workshops this summer. (I told you I meant business 🙂 ). The first is the Ultimate Blog Challenge which requires me to write one blog daily for the entire month of July. I love this not only because of the writing, but we also support others doing the challenge by commenting on their posts as well. It’s a supportive online community of incredibly talented literary citizens. The other challenge is with the Philly Writers Workshop. Every week, I am paired with a classmate to exchange new pieces written in 15-minute blocks of time for positive feedback. This challenge is designed to help us all get into a routine I desperately need. These projects bring me joy and hopefully get me closer to finishing my book.
  • No More Negative Self-Talk – I need to stop telling myself no one wants to read what I write or will care about my stories. It’s a lie I tell myself that causes me to procrastinate even further. So, I’m not going to worry about writing the perfect memoir, whether I’m the right person to write this book, or if I sell a million copies. And no more lying about not being good enough. I am good enough.
  • A Little Detective Work – I need to dig through previous posts, read old workshop prompts, review past submissions, and then organize what I have written and see what remains to be said. I may have a complete manuscript and not even know it. Wouldn’t that be nice? A girl can only dream.

What other things should I be doing that I can include in my plan? I’m all ears – or eyes. Add your thoughts in the comments!

XO,
Elisa