Month: June 2012

Spotlight? No, thanks.

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English: American author Stephenie Meyer at th...

English: American author Stephenie Meyer at the Twilight premiere. November 2008. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What prompted this post was an old vampire movie that I was watching last night.  These days, when I think of vampires, Stephenie Meyer comes to mind, and Dracula of course.  Then, I thought of how her quiet life became a frenzy of writing one book after another, short deadlines, one movie after another, many interviews, galas, tons of huge book signings, all marketable Twilight paraphernalia … and so on.  The more I thought about it, the more I agreed with my inner self that I wouldn’t want to be in those shoes.  Why?  It seems so exhilarating and who doesn’t love the spotlight?

The answer is me, and I am sure that there are some writers who love their quiet lives and privacy, and would not like the type of success that brings all that frenzy with it.  I am not anti-social, I like it quiet, and I love my privacy.  I love to give when no one is looking – that is my overall style.  Where is Stephenie Meyer today?  Probably very busy with new projects and the current ones, as well as dealing with the comet’s tail left behind.  God bless her, as it takes a lot of energy and patience to handle that kind of spotlight.

When I visualize a writing career, I see writing, readers, a strong sincere commitment to the readers, and more writing, and more writing, and more writing.  Somehow, I wouldn’t want to include galas, craziness, and tons of attention into my writing dreams.  Given that what happened to Stephenie Meyer is not the usual way things develop, and at such speed, however, she is a good example of what I wouldn’t want to experience in my future as a writer (and of course, I also want to make a living at doing what I love – the bills have to be paid).

Have you visualized your writing career?  Are you published and experiencing it?  How do you visualize your spotlight?  At the flip of a switch or as a growing light with a dimmer?  Which style suits you better – smashing Boom success a la Meyer or rhythmic success a la Coelho?  Would you write for the love of it and for that one reader who has to read your book, or for fame?  Do you write because you love the craft or with a future dollar sign/spotlight on the back of your mind (meaning becoming famous).

The answer to these questions will help you figure out what you want from your writing career and your internal level of comfort.  Feel free to share your point of view.

What to do When You are on Hold

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This is a topic that best relates to people who might be going through significant changes in their lives or careers – I am one of those people.  I can say that when your life is in transition, that middle spot where you try to “hold it together” may seem as if you have been put “on hold” for a while, despite of the changes occurring and new plans taking shape.  When there is such “in between,” restlessness and impatience can happen because your excitement to start the new phase is making you anxious to move on with your plans already; however, many times, the “in between” extends (sometimes long) and you may feel idling on empty.  New projects have to wait, and old and current ones may seem stale or boring.  That is because you have outgrown the current phase, and are eager to move on to the next one.  The problem is that when you are “on hold” there is always the risk of becoming uninspired or loosing interest, as if you might be falling backwards.  So, how to fight this feeling?  What to do when you are “on hold?”

The best way is to keep working on your current projects, however learning new things.  One way in which I try to keep inspired is by using the transitional period to plan and craft a set of new projects and a new territory chart.  Making an open plan for when the transition is over, will help you become inspired and keep you away from feeling restless or anxious.  If the changes are in a 360 degree way, then there is plenty in which you can plan, chart your steps, and educate yourself on new matters.  It is the perfect time to craft the foundation of your new endeavor and to work on some projects for when the ball starts rolling.  You will be ahead of time.

Starting a new lifestyle?  Moving to another state or country?  Starting a new business or line of work?  Undergoing a total change?  Think of all the things that will be new to you and start learning about them.  Being “on hold” can actually be grounding and work to your advantage.  Soon, you will find that there are more things to learn and plan for than there are hours in your day.  It becomes exhilarating!  You may find yourself wishing for more “in between” time.

Your Wish is my Command

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I had wished for two things and I got them for my birthday.  To me, a birthday should be about celebration, but also about the things you love or wish.  It is the day that you go all me-me-me, and you are entitled to it, simply because it is your special day, a celebration of the day you came to be on this planet.  That is big!  It is the day that you should take off from work, sleep late, and indulge yourself with all your favorites.  It is a day to pamper and spoil yourself rotten – it is all about you.  If nobody remembers it, you did, and you were good to yourself, and that counts too.  Make your day count, you are not an amoeba (not that there is anything wrong with being an amoeba) you are special, so start treating yourself that way.

For my birthday, two wishes came true – a copy of The Grievers from author Marc Schuster and a Maneki Neko sculpture from artist Christina Colwell of Helix Art and Glass.  Both things, I have coveted for a while and finally got them on the perfect day.   Here is a picture of them.

Now, I have plans for my anniversary, which is coming soon 🙂  but that my friends, is another post.

Here I leave you with this blog post from thoughtsontheatre – http://thoughtsontheatre.wordpress.com/2012/06/21/how-to-be-kind-to-yourself/

and an expression from a fellow blogger Eric Wang – Healthdemystified  that I read and love – “I’m gonna live my life in constant beta.”

Unplugged

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I will be unplugging myself from the pc for a few weeks, a need.  In the meantime, I will be working on my novels, crafting for my shops, and restoring an old farmhouse.  I hope you keep reading some of my older posts that you have not been able to read yet and keep Inkspeare in your heart.  I will be happy to catch up much later, when I flip the switch again.  Until then, much success to you all and many blessings.

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