BEEsy Writer: A New Home at BEEsy Mama

Dear BEEsy Writer Readers,

Thanks so much for following the BEEsy Writer blog over the last several months. After careful consideration, I have decided to merge this blog with my other blog--BEEsy Mama. At BEEsy Mama, I plan to write a column each Wednesday about my writing adventures. In this column, I will share my experiences about my writing journey, resources and classes for writers, writing books recommendations, and writing quotes. I also plan to transfer many of the writing links I have included on the BEEsy Writer blog to BEEsy Mama.

I hope you will visit BEEsy Mama to check out the BEEsy Writer column and other columns. Thanks again for your support at BEEsy Writer. I've enjoyed your comments and hope to see you over at BEEsy Mama.

Blessings,
Juliet

BEEhold Wise Words: Writing Quote of the Day

"Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original; whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it."

~C.S. Lewis~

BEEtween the Pages: Reading Resolutions

"The wise man reads both books
and life itself."

~Lin Yutang~

As a writer, I'm sure you've been told many times how valuable reading good books is to improving your writing. A few days ago, I responded to a discussion question listed on The Christian Writers View 2 about setting reading resolutions for the year. This discussion question encouraged me to reflect on the reading goals I'd like to accomplish this year. How many and what types of books would I like to read during the year? Here's what I jotted down as my reading resolutions for 2010:

(1) Spend more time in the Bible. Over this next year, I hope to delve deeper into my study of the Bible and grow in my understanding of it. I'm currently trying to read the Bible in 90 days, and so far, it's been an enriching experience. I'd like to also complete some in-depth Bible studies during the year.

(2) Read at least two fiction books per month. I'd like to follow C.S. Lewis's advice about reading books:

"It is a good rule after reading a new book, never allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between."

(3) Read at least one non-fiction book per month. Last year, I read several biographies about Christians in difficult circumstances and how they leaned on God during their trials. These amazing stories encouraged me to grow in my faith. I hope to read several more this year. Also, as a parent of a young child, I plan to read some books on parenting.

(4) Read at least one writing craft book each month. I have several on my bookshelf I'd love to read this year.

(5) Allot time each week to read magazines, digizines, and blogs about the craft of writing.

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BEEsy Writer Question: What are your reading resolutions for 2010?

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BEEhold Wise Words: Writing Quote of the Day

"I heard a preacher say recently that hope is a revolutionary patience; let me add that so is being a writer. Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up."

~Anne Lamott (Bird by Bird:
Some Instructions
on Writing and Life)~

BEEhold Wise Words: Writing Quote of the Day

"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."

~Mark Twain~

BEEing A Writer: Crossing the NaNoWriMo Finish Line

A month ago, I waited behind the starting line with other writers around the world, ready to participate in the 2009 National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) challenge: to write 50,000 words on a novel in 30 days.

My NaNoWriMo experience reminded me of the first half-marathon race I ran last year in Estes Park, Colorado. (To give you an idea of the type of runner I am, I followed a training program out of a book entitled Marathoning for Mortals. Yep, I'm a mortal, especially when it comes to running! :-)).

During the first week of the NaNoWriMo challenge, my fingers pounded away on my keyboard at a rate faster than the 1,667 words per day pace. Energized and optimistic, I found the first several days of the challenge to be easier than I anticipated. But on the second week, fatigue set in and my speedy pace slowed. In fact, I fell behind on the word count pace. No worries, I thought. I'm not too far behind and still have two more weeks to catch up.

During the third week, I rebounded, closing the word count gap as I spent many hours at my local Panera and Starbucks sipping coffee and typing away on my computer. Then the final week of the challenge rolled around, and I hit a wall. Between the Thanksgiving festivities and exhaustion, I lost momentum and energy to complete the last 4,200 words. In fact, I told my husband on Saturday night--two days before the deadline--I was done with the challenge, satisfied with my progress during the month. On Sunday, I attended church in the morning and enjoyed a relaxing day with my family.

I approached Monday in the same way as Sunday, spending time with my son and resting. As we were cleaning up after dinner, I suddenly felt the urge to try to complete the challenge. I glanced at the clock. It was seven, and I only had five hours to write the remaining 4,200 words to reach the goal. My husband gave me an encouraging smile, and I hurried to my computer to begin my sprint to the end. I don't think my fingers ever flew as fast across the keyboard as they did last night. Averaging about 1,000 words an hour, I crossed the 50,000 word finish line at around 11:15. But here's the best part: I found such a joy in writing, and in the midst of this journey, I found my story.

So how, you may ask, was my NaNoWriMo experience similar to running my first half-marathon?

For starters, I learned how important it is to show up for the race and take those first few steps, no matter how unattainable finishing the race may seem at the onset. Prior to running a half-marathon, the farthest I'd ever run was 6.2 miles (a 10K), which occurred many years ago when I was in my early twenties. When I began the training program, I couldn't even run a full mile without stopping. But I committed myself to a training schedule and followed it during the five months leading up the race. Showing up each week for my training sessions and at the starting line on race day resulted in accomplishing my goal to run a half-marathon. Prior to NaNoWriMo, I struggled to reach the 10,000 word mark on a novel. I started the NaNoWriMo race on November 1 with the goal to surpass this mark, and within the first week, I achieved this objective. By starting the challenge and taking those first few steps, a hope bloomed within me, encouraging me to continue the race toward the finish line of 50,000 words.

I also discovered one of the keys to fulfilling mammoth-sized ambitions is to set incremental goals along the way. When I trained for the half-marathon, I incrementally increased the number of miles I ran each week. By using this training approach, I gradually gained the stamina needed to run long distances. For NaNoWriMo, I learned how achieving daily word count targets can result in accomplishing the bigger goal: finishing my first novel.

Additionally, I realized the importance of rest when embarking on a long race. With the half-marathon, I can remember hitting a wall at the 11 mile mark. My body and mind wanted to stop. But rather than giving up, I alternated between running and walking during the last two miles of the race. The cheers of the onlookers in the stadium gave me the motivation to run, albeit at a slow pace, the last quarter mile and cross the finish line. For NaNoWriMo, when I felt exhausted and burnt out, I found rest to be the best remedy, providing me with the surge of energy I needed to cross the 50,000 word finish line.

I'm eager to apply the many lessons I learned from my first NaNoWriMo experience. Although my 50,000 word novel needs major work and many sections will probably be cut, I'm looking forward to reading through it and planning the next steps in completing my first novel.

I'd love to hear about your NaNoWriMo experience!

BEEginnings: BEEsy Writer Blog

About two months ago, I entered the world of blogging with my BEEsy Mama blog. I never realized how much I would enjoy blogging. And so I decided to create a second blog--BEEsy Writer. With BEEsy Writer, I hope to share my writing journey with you, with a focus on what I'm learning and the valuable advice I've received along the way.

Let me tell you a little about my writing past. I discovered a passion for writing when I was in second grade. After writing a story about an alligator chasing me around the world, my second grade teacher invited me to write stories on her typewriter after school one day each week. Pounding away on the typewriter keys, I fell in love with writing.

As a child, I was blessed with many people in my life who encouraged me to learn and grow in my writing. So when I entered college, I decided to pursue a degree in Journalism. I enjoyed my journalism classes and hoped to someday be a writer of some sort. But during my last year in college, I received an internship that took my career in a new direction. At that time, I placed my dream of being a fiction writer on the sidelines, where it remained for many years to follow.

Even though I took a sabbatical from fiction writing, I still continued to write. In fact, I learned much about writing during these years, particularly in my last job where I was involved in writing many reports on public policy issues and programs.

Two years ago, I left my job of ten years to be a work-at-home mom. It was at that time I started to explore the possibilities of writing fiction and articles and began taking steps toward pursuing this childhood dream. During the last several months, I've developed a habit of writing almost daily (although, I usually take Sundays off). I've also attended a couple of writing conferences, joined writing organizations, taken writing and editing classes, and read several books and magazines on the craft of writing.

I marvel at the many blessings I've encountered and lessons I've learned on this journey so far. The writers, agents, and editors I've met at conferences, writing groups, and classes have been so kind and gracious, offering valuable insights and guidance on how to become a better writer. What has been truly remarkable to me is how uplifting and supportive this group has been. It's a community I feel so blessed to be a part of.

A passion for writing is in my blood, and it's growing day by day as I sit and write. I realize I have much to learn about writing. But I'm eager to learn. I also recognize that the quest I am embarking on will require discipline, long-term commitment, courage, strength, and humility. I know it will challenge and stretch me beyond what I can imagine. I'm sure there will be times I want to give up. But for me, I am hopeful this will be a lifetime commitment. And perhaps my greatest desire is for my writing to be purposeful and to glorify God.

I am looking forward to sharing this journey with you!