tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10715309513196526322024-03-20T10:29:47.698-04:00Write WildA place for writers to learn about plot, picture books, novels, writing craft, the author's life, and even running!Christie Wright Wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13656162315858480593noreply@blogger.comBlogger644125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-55388509915221408232022-12-31T14:18:00.002-05:002023-04-03T14:21:42.000-04:00We’ve Moved!<div><span id="docs-internal-guid-d591924a-7fff-1457-c93f-a63d259daca4"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hey there loyal reader! We are moving the content from this blogger site to our <a href="https://www.writerswhorun.com/">Writers Who Run website</a>. I have enjoyed serving you for 13 years here on blogspot, but it’s time to consolidate and have the blog on our own website now.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgNpnToiZhWWSb42HLyZnMjTr6Mt3zYPzAd9BWcKnE2pXpeoeCg2xRn22gieUv9NwN5YcZ7zfehGk3bMBnbL3GHd2cQ298_ChZEF89E7DcyFtrLoeoeYXANzmvVLTRULrMebXfNLDubTgZB0ENL_z2zu1yT7NCwZh2jTmS_8rz-dVx7TDRpO4jbQEmA/s7360/AdobeStock_142136315.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4912" data-original-width="7360" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgNpnToiZhWWSb42HLyZnMjTr6Mt3zYPzAd9BWcKnE2pXpeoeCg2xRn22gieUv9NwN5YcZ7zfehGk3bMBnbL3GHd2cQ298_ChZEF89E7DcyFtrLoeoeYXANzmvVLTRULrMebXfNLDubTgZB0ENL_z2zu1yT7NCwZh2jTmS_8rz-dVx7TDRpO4jbQEmA/w414-h277/AdobeStock_142136315.jpeg" width="414" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a8caa4bc-7fff-746f-429b-ae3f11b055b5"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve evolved a lot over the last 13 years. What started out as an online writing journal to help me get more consistent has seen many iterations through the years: web design for authors, picture book contests, picture book reviews, I’ve offered critiques, held multiple contests, shifted into more running, and more novel writing tips.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The categories on this blog are:</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/search/label/Picture%20Book%20Writing">Picture Book Writing (84)</a></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/search/label/Plot%20Arc%20Library">Plot Arc Library (14)</a></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/search/label/Story%20Elements">Story Elements (37)</a></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Author%27s%20Life">The Author’s Life (77)</a></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/search/label/Writers%20Who%20Run">Writers Who Run (38)</a></span></p></li></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Starting on January 1, 2023, we’ll continue to post lots of <a href="https://www.writerswhorun.com/blog">great content for writers and runners</a> over on the new site with the following new categories.</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">WRITING</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (this will include similar topics as found in the plot arc library, story elements, and author’s life)</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PRODUCTIVITY</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RUNNING</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (this is similar to the Writers Who Run category)</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MINDSET</span></p></li></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m excited to share this new endeavor with you. As we shift some of the existing content from this site to the new site, you’ll notice some of the blog posts will open in a new tab on the new website. We’re not taking the site down or removing any of the content; we’re just redirecting the best writing and running content over to the new <a href="https://www.writerswhorun.com/">Writers Who Run website.</a> ENJOY! Happy 2023!</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Keep writing, keep running.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">XO, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Christie :)</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>
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</p></div>Dana Bisbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326844167922795844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-71951270247419497202022-12-19T18:17:00.009-05:002023-01-24T17:18:22.201-05:00Common Writing Fears and What to Do About Them<div style="display: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHWr7Kmi-oJ_OmrpiiEvCceRqNK7wfgfkgSXz4kwvlxsm1dM5LkJN7Qb82Zz6XnvAcmsErofzCkBT-l_caDd3qKJKMddqLHkZWMV_jNy_rjmR28tYN4xTU85llHf1OG7g472iWvuYZwZD35ubw58W1BkgDc3rzlnRIGPSQVcH5Yto3lrGU9leJcuipA/s512/unnamed%20%2818%29.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHWr7Kmi-oJ_OmrpiiEvCceRqNK7wfgfkgSXz4kwvlxsm1dM5LkJN7Qb82Zz6XnvAcmsErofzCkBT-l_caDd3qKJKMddqLHkZWMV_jNy_rjmR28tYN4xTU85llHf1OG7g472iWvuYZwZD35ub
w58W1BkgDc3rzlnRIGPSQVcH5Yto3lrGU9leJcuipA/s320/unnamed%20%2818%29.png" width="320" /></a></div></div>There are three big reasons why writers struggle to finish their books: fear, time, and focus. The hardest part about being an author may not be the physical act of writing or coming up with ideas, but facing all the fears that crop up as you go through the process. Writing is a long, slow process for most writers so it’s very likely you’ll face a few fears along the way and they may pop up more than once.
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Unlike with the fears of water, heights, or spiders, writers may face a new fear popping up every other week. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of success, and so many more.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCEWnBY543lImmFu15G3Lo-7K1YOpFnW_hjVfA3iLfciRkihKumSbRaqJun-UDegXDich9fVY9H-ZXiJJcWA9OvUiCBpYAAgAJooKX6lBty6FY9XzSVCllcHJ1REn5IuA3AdGL3_25fQfH-qo-qB4SELbyfB0KJ3xilutf4KTX8ms94jFMem8dVO5Fg/s1102/Blue%20Blog%20%282%29.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCEWnBY543lImmFu15G3Lo-7K1YOpFnW_hjVfA3iLfciRkihKumSbRaqJun-UDegXDich9fVY9H-ZXiJJcWA9OvUiCBpYAAgAJooKX6lBty6FY9XzSVCllcHJ1REn5IuA3AdGL3_25fQfH-qo-qB4SELbyfB0KJ3xilutf4KTX8ms94jFMem8dVO5Fg/s600/Blue%20Blog%20%282%29.png" /></a></div></div><div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Common Fears Writers Face</h2><br />Writers face a lot of the same fears as each other. That’s what makes them common fears. It’s normal. We fear that we won't finish our book, get it published, see it on bookstore shelves, and that readers will hate our sequels. We fear we won't make enough money to earn a living as a writer or that we’ll never win any awards. But here are the most common writing fears we face.<br />
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<li><b>Fear of not being good enough.</b> Do we even know enough to write a book? Can we tell a cohesive story that people will understand and enjoy?</li>
<li><b>Fear of rejection.</b> If we’re not good enough, our stories will continue to get rejected, right? But rejection is a part of the game. ALL writers get rejected. Not everything we write will get published. Most things take time to find the right home.</li>
<li><b>Fear of failure.</b> Even once we’re published, people will reject what we have to say and criticize our work. Maybe we won’t earn out our advance. Maybe we’ll get a smaller book deal later because of it. </li>
<li><b>Fear of nobody reading your book.</b> Word of mouth is the best form of book advertisement, but if nobody reads it then there won’t be any word of mouth. Sales will flop. People need to read our books. That’s why we wrote it in the first place. If nobody reads our books, then what’s the point?</li>
<li><b>Fear of success.</b> How can I keep doing interviews and answer all these emails while keeping up with my same writing pace? What if I run out of good ideas? What if the next book isn’t as good as the current one? What if it gets turned into a movie and I don’t approve of the actors or they twist the story’s meaning around? What if I can’t meet all my deadlines?</li>
<br /></ul>Our questions produce a lot of fears. Or is it the other way around. Either way, a little uncertainty is normal. Just <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/12/more-time-for-running.html">don’t let your fears paralyze you</a>. Keep writing! </div><div><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #5cbc00;">The Biggest Struggle As a Writer</span></h2></div><div><br /></div><div>The most difficult thing about being a writer is dealing with the constant onslaught of negative thoughts, fears, and doubts. Just about anyone can learn how to plot a story or add characterization, get more consistent and reach word count goals, or keep a rolling list of new ideas. But not everyone is equipped <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/07/how-to-create-positive-mindset-for-writers.html">with a positive mindset</a>.</div><div><br />I just bought the book <i>Atomic Habits</i> by James Clear. In chapter 6, he talks about how motivation is overrated and how our environment often matters more. Later in chapter 19, he shares how to stay motivated. Because clearly it’s still a component for creating good habits, staying positive, and facing your fears.</div><div><br /></div><div>Writing fears are normal. Fears of failure, success, not being good enough, criticism, not finishing your book, rejection, and so much more plague many writers. It’s normal. The question is what to do about it? How do you overcome your fears? How do you keep writing in the face of fear?</div><div><br /></div><div>Write anyway. Do it scared. Share successes with others. It will build your confidence. Confidence breeds motivation. Confidence fights fear. Confidence is a belief and hope that all will turn out well no matter what happens. Because you’re good enough.</div><div><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/serve-leadbox/gro24mBv6apsqvfANwMPZL/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dx9nhNXcN1U/YJqSeWNHWWI/AAAAAAAAY1w/HTkftzzGd3IvkCNQexBuLrjtlXlC0rbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h244/roadmap-and-bookmark.png" width="640" /></a></h2><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #5cbc00;">Ways to Overcome Your Fears About Writing</span></h2><div><br /></div>Get energized and excited to <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/12/planning-for-next-year.html">invite enthusiasm back into your life</a>. THIS is what helps you keep going. Here are three ways to kick your fears to the curb and keep moving forward. <br /><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Share your wins.</b> When you share every accomplishment (big or small) with others, you acknowledge that you are making progress toward your goals. It gives you confidence. Every confidence-boosting win you experience will help you overcome your fears and keep writing.</li><li><b>Embrace progress, not perfection.</b> When you write, you are constantly improving. Writing gives you experience. The sheer act of doing the work means you are progressing in the right direction. Fear stops you from writing. I give you permission to let perfection fly out the window. Of course, taking writing workshops helps you continue to learn and improve your craft too. Don’t compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to your past self. You’ll see improvement. And that will strengthen your confidence too.</li><li><b>Lastly, but definitely not least, attend a writing retreat!</b> Going to a writing retreat is one of the BEST ways to fight your writing fears. You’ll meet lots of other people to share your writing wins with. If the retreat offers critique sessions, you’ll be able to find things in your manuscripts to improve and make it better. Everything you learn in writing workshops, and every win you have will give you more confidence, more excitement, more motivation, and more momentum to keep going. Fight your fears. Be brave. <a href="https://www.writerswhorun.com/retreat.html">Attend a writing retreat</a>.</li></ol></div><div><br /><div>Keep writing, keep running.</div><div><br /></div><div>XO, </div><div><i>Christie</i> :)</div><div><br /></div>
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</p></div>Dana Bisbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326844167922795844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-55685838313602490312022-12-12T14:26:00.004-05:002022-12-13T10:42:12.910-05:00Overcoming the Fear of Getting Your Manuscript Critiqued<div style="display: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMstYnRTO7NzT058NZmb2WfokJu1SdcUs8XMzYrd7BVvg-JwisXJrL4vGB6T1E4jAPFE9n4KSpmzpIG-E5BQl8ezOZTpLL5stvnSH8H4Bllvj-vRHaMnI_YRSK4qeWslfsa7jemR1WrycLOyQnuf4AZSS3E70n9jcw_WKtCtyugX5OIGpv1VzrKzi1KA/s1920/laptop-gaf79f79dc_1920.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMstYnRTO7NzT058NZmb2WfokJu1SdcUs8XMzYrd7BVvg-JwisXJrL4vGB6T1E4jAPFE9n4KSpmzpIG-E5BQl8ezOZTpLL5stvnSH8H4Bllvj-vRHaMnI_YRSK4qeWslfsa7jemR1WrycLOyQnuf4AZSS3E70n9jcw_WKtCtyugX5OIGpv1VzrKzi1KA/s320/laptop-gaf79f79dc_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div>I majored in Creative Writing in college so I quickly got used to giving and receiving critiques without making them personal. But for a lot of writers, that’s a difficult thing to accomplish, especially in the beginning.
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I have friends who have told me their horror stories: showing up for their first-ever in-person professional writing critique, only to retreat to their room and cry for hours. But they said as hard as it was to hear the feedback, the person giving it was absolutely correct. My friends’ eyes were opened to how much work they had to do and how much they had to learn about writing.
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It’s not so much about <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2010/06/how-to-give-good-critique-what-makes.html">how to give a critique</a> or how to implement someone else’s suggestions, but how to prepare mentally to receive one in the first place (or 21st place) so that you don’t take it personally.
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After all, writing is about the READER.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMeKGn0vyKeunXTGqCDUFPnA23fNW1PIalDeaKdhlBCErrsx-o58cWX4TuxyiZdYoomYtKe__rcNR5Lqod_iL59a_q_KjWn8AvMwBREk7ceKDNJ6ub4t9KpUM0VQUroAcE96OJtr1z2h6UOOiv7Y6nsRW8bL5LL2l0XDwdhkf0PHNJbXCZZmDe4IeyQ/s1102/orange%20blog.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMeKGn0vyKeunXTGqCDUFPnA23fNW1PIalDeaKdhlBCErrsx-o58cWX4TuxyiZdYoomYtKe__rcNR5Lqod_iL59a_q_KjWn8AvMwBREk7ceKDNJ6ub4t9KpUM0VQUroAcE96OJtr1z2h6UOOiv7Y6nsRW8bL5LL2l0XDwdhkf0PHNJbXCZZmDe4IeyQ/w426-h640/orange%20blog.png" width="426" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">The Importance of Getting a Critique</h2><br />Beta readers and critique partners are the lifelines to taking your writing to the next level. Without feedback on your manuscripts, it’s hard to see your blind spots. Do you need help with characterization, <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-ultimate-guide-to-plot-your-novel.html">plot</a>, setting, tense, verb choice, weak sentence structure, point of view, theme, voice?
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Getting a critique, or any kind of feedback (from another writer) is especially helpful in making your writing the best it can be. The reader needs to understand your story, poem, essay, or book in as few words as possible. And of course, when an editor gets a hold of your writing, there will be even more revision work to do. And you’ll be prepared for it.
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When you’re able to accept constructive criticism (i.e. a critique), you’ll experience the following benefits…
<ul>
<li>See it for what it is – helpful feedback</li>
<li>Become a better writer</li>
<li>Make changes that can have a positive impact on your manuscripts</li>
<li>Increase your confidence as a writer</li>
<li>Earn the trust of your critique partners and/or beta readers because they’ll know they can be honest and you won’t take offense</li></ul>
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<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Prepare to Receive Writing Feedback</h2><br />
Getting in the right mindset to receive feedback for your manuscript will help you incorporate the advice without taking it personally. Some feedback will resonate with you more than other comments. Remember that you don’t have to make every single change that is suggested to you. Knowing this makes it easier to hear the feedback without getting defensive.
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If you feel the need to explain yourself, don’t. To put it simply, your writing wasn’t clear. Revise your writing so it’s clear to the reader. Be aware of your emotional state and <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/07/how-to-create-positive-mindset-for-writers.html">create a positive mindset</a>. You can prepare to receive feedback by adopting the following mantras.
<ul>
<li>I always seek feedback to consistently improve my writing.</li>
<li>I am committed to growing as a writer.</li>
<li>Feedback provides me with the opportunity to become a better writer.</li>
<li>I’m receiving this feedback because my critique partners want to help me polish my writing.</li>
<li>If I want to improve, feedback provides perspectives from others that can open my eyes to pitfalls or weaknesses in my writing.</li></ul>
<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/serve-leadbox/gro24mBv6apsqvfANwMPZL/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dx9nhNXcN1U/YJqSeWNHWWI/AAAAAAAAY1w/HTkftzzGd3IvkCNQexBuLrjtlXlC0rbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h244/roadmap-and-bookmark.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Getting Your Manuscript Critiqued</h2><br />
<a href="https://www.writerswhorun.com/retreat.html">Attending a writing retreat</a> can be a safe place to find a new reader for your manuscript. Especially if you don’t know where else to look for feedback. Getting feedback from other writers is extremely important. Your family and friends may love you, but if they aren’t writers, or at the very least avid readers, they won’t be able to point out where your writing falls short or give suggestions for how to improve it.
<br /><br />
No matter where you find a beta reader or a critique partner, keep the following tips in mind so that you take their feedback personally.
<ol>
<li>Listen actively while the other person gives feedback and explains their thinking.</li>
<li>Ask clarifying questions so you understand where they’re coming from.</li>
<li>Take notes. Don’t interrupt.</li>
<li>Consider the other person's point of view. Remember that revision creates polished writing.</li>
<li>Let the critique sit for a while and allow reflection time. Then you can decide what suggestions to keep and what to ignore.</li></ol>Whether you get a professional critique at a writer’s retreat (you can <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/12/planning-for-next-year.html">start planning for next year</a> now) or find someone on social media to give you feedback, remember that they have your best interest at heart. Even if it makes you feel like crap and run to your room and cry for hours. That’s okay.</div><div><br /></div><div>Give yourself some space to feel the pain. Then when you’re ready, pick yourself up and dust off the negativity so you can dive into your manuscript with fresh eyes and start making improvements. Start with the ones that make sense and resonate with you. Then keep going.</div><div><br /></div><div>---</div><div><br />Keep writing, keep running.</div><div><br /></div><div>XO, </div><div><i>Christie</i> :)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/">BACK TO TOP</a> | <a href="http://www.christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/">READ MORE POSTS</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>
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</p></div>Dana Bisbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326844167922795844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-3669299011327534412022-12-05T14:04:00.004-05:002022-12-06T20:17:47.645-05:00Planning for a Spectacular 2023<div style="display: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfuViuaLkYAn0r3wiRfKfPfwLZ05hYmzutOK1nDlK45yeHDSVMoGtJ_Wd7GyXLG-1mNIeNsXLD7H2T3Dsc-nLaXgPHQxDMOqrDJRWpn0GDl1xGBzBf8qmttoLCMA4KfpygMehSJfj7TMQ7GHbr4zPPj16n7CP8P9w7svnWSLSQlPz74y2zKixNTcPPQ/s1920/pocket-g060089bb4_1920.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfuViuaLkYAn0r3wiRfKfPfwLZ05hYmzutOK1nDlK45yeHDSVMoGtJ_Wd7GyXLG-1mNIeNsXLD7H2T3Dsc-nLaXgPHQxDMOqrDJRWpn0GDl1xGBzBf8qmttoLCMA4KfpygMehSJfj7TMQ7GHbr4zPPj16n7CP8P9w7svnWSLSQlPz74y2zKixNTcPPQ/s320/pocket-g060089bb4_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div>December is the month most people start thinking about the next year. You could say I’m a bit of a planner. I’ve already planned out the BIG race I’m going to run in January 2027! But next year is 2023. As I think about planning a spectacular year, there are a few things I do to get in the right mindset.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WQlZZP1-Xs355AGQ6h87BsOr-ak9QlC7phBdju63NRokPKYd2ieIycLdijdvMO0W4uQwUmaGzM72Zv4mAXMjxlRWu9KUl5hGvAEygFRcPg_tFnhv-6m04LFbhhQZ1PGiptASvgBsdkM5_Was54d66vFDHDZ-LXNOt1aZOgCCO335K2Cl1PdW_LbEtQ/s1102/Pink%20Blog.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WQlZZP1-Xs355AGQ6h87BsOr-ak9QlC7phBdju63NRokPKYd2ieIycLdijdvMO0W4uQwUmaGzM72Zv4mAXMjxlRWu9KUl5hGvAEygFRcPg_tFnhv-6m04LFbhhQZ1PGiptASvgBsdkM5_Was54d66vFDHDZ-LXNOt1aZOgCCO335K2Cl1PdW_LbEtQ/s600/Pink%20Blog.png" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Make a List of Your Goals</h2><br />Writers and runners are driven by personal goals. Finish the novel. Revise the novel. Again. Create a book of poetry. Get your short story included in an anthology. Get an agent. <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/11/how-to-train-for-5k-race.html">Run your first 5k</a> (or 10k). Find a running partner. <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/11/top-6-ways-to-run-faster.html">Get faster</a>. Join a gym. Run a new PR.
<br /><br />
Start with the biggest plans first. For me, that’s the <a href="http://www.writerswhorun.com">Writers Who Run Retreat</a> in July. Everything I plan revolves around that. And of course, it includes a 5k and 10k race!
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Identify whether your goals are <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/10/writing-consistency-and-running-schedules.html">habit goals or achievement goals</a>. A good rule of thumb is to set one big goal per month or three per quarter. Having a list of your goals for the year will help you stay focused from month to month.<br /> </div><div><div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Use a Planner</h2><br />Whether you use a physical planner, a digital calendar, or both, you need to set aside a couple hours this month to plan out your year. Block the time off and put it on your calendar to ensure you create a plan for next year beforehand.<br /><br />Personally, I love shopping for planners and calendars and looking at all the fun new designs. Elements that would make the perfect planner for me:<br /><ul><li>Spiral-bound </li><li>Monthly planning pages (Sunday to Saturday) </li><li>Weekly planning pages </li><li> Monthly tabs </li><li>Time slots for each day’s activities </li><li>The days go from 7 am to 9 pm vertically down the page </li><li>Days of the week are listed horizontally across a page spread </li><li>Place to list yearly and monthly goals </li><li>Pockets and stickers can be fun bonuses, but totally not necessary </li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>I’ve used lots of planners in the past and these four are ones that I’ve tried or want to try. </div><div>They each check off several of my wishlist bullet points, but none of them have all. </div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://fullfocusstore.com/">Full Focus Planner</a> (quarterly) by Michael Hyatt (sold online only, $50) 2020-2021 </li><li><a href="http://planaheadnow.com/buy">PlanAhead Planner</a> (CVS, Walmart, and 9 more, $10-$15) 2022 </li><li><a href="https://www.galleryleather.com/planners">Gallery Leather</a> (B&N and online, $27) 2023 </li><li><a href="https://legendplanner.com/">Legend Planner</a> (Target and online, $33) 2024</li></ol><div><br /></div></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/serve-leadbox/gro24mBv6apsqvfANwMPZL/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dx9nhNXcN1U/YJqSeWNHWWI/AAAAAAAAY1w/HTkftzzGd3IvkCNQexBuLrjtlXlC0rbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h244/roadmap-and-bookmark.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Imagine Yourself Living Your Best Life</h2></div>The people who end up living the life of their dreams don’t accidentally get there. They plan, work hard, and <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2011/02/bloggiversary-alphabet-v-is-for.html">visualize it</a>. I recently participated in a <a href="https://www.tut.com/">7-day visualization challenge</a>. As I was driving to work one busy Saturday afternoon, I visualized a parking spot opening up and as soon as I turned down an aisle, TWO spots opened up close to the front door!</div><div><br /></div><div>The power of the imagination is powerful. Writers make a living from imagining whole new worlds! Imagine yourself living your best life, reaching your goals, and fulfilling your dreams. Imagine yourself finishing that novel. Winning first place in a local 5k race. Getting shortlisted with a writing award! The possibilities are endless.</div><div><br /></div><div>It all begins with deciding what you want. So make a list of your goals and start visualizing. Then PLAN to make it happen in 2023! And maybe do what I did and put the <a href="http://www.writerswhorun.com/retreat">Writers Who Run Retreat</a> on your calendar for next July. I’d love to meet you in person!</div></div></div><div><br /><div>Keep writing, keep running.</div><div><br /></div><div>XO, </div><div><i>Christie</i> :)</div>
<br />
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</p></div>Dana Bisbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326844167922795844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-72597734081168416082022-11-28T21:00:00.014-05:002022-12-06T20:27:22.816-05:00Creating More Time to Run (or Write)<div style="display: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOfC035MtdBROPKLBF5jW6rgLs3UYuSUGYYXpvrmunuzOjOYlv6D09ZtEcVyABMLE5yf0Xkg0oWcE-lwcoQubUw-ayoOzh4JKXWpy62UEtPBY08Fo4EK8DnHAdugXCyLIGaN30m6Pbl6QJX_GBCvtYnW7LmC03goh5VmzthOiol9loh9fMDG0_ErqRw/s1920/sport-gb1b29d7d6_1920.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOfC035MtdBROPKLBF5jW6rgLs3UYuSUGYYXpvrmunuzOjOYlv6D09ZtEcVyABMLE5yf0Xkg0oWcE-lwcoQubUw-ayoOzh4JKXWpy62UEtPBY08Fo4EK8DnHAdugXCyLIGaN30m6Pbl6QJX_GBCvtYnW7LmC03goh5VmzthOiol9loh9fMDG0_ErqRw/s320/sport-gb1b29d7d6_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div>I always hated when people would say, “We all have the same 24 hours a day.” While that may be true, it lacks sympathy for those who struggle with time management.<div><br /> Living in today’s world implies that we are all busy. Very busy. Some of us are so busy, we’re overwhelmed, stressed, or filled with anxiety. Is that you?<br /><br /></div><div> As far as finding more time to write or run, it really comes down to priorities. Your characters need to have values and you need to know what they value so you can create amazing conflict for them. <br /><br /></div><div> But when it comes to real life – your life – we don’t need more conflict. We want more time. Time to write. Time to run. Even time (dare I say it?) to relax.
<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWm6KNCeLKYsuKO-6tL3qLNHlD1gYGTKAQGmGf5Am8PUdTseNLDZYhNTkvyLiyFFjGzfu1Xp0xHgSOYekSvDu3qnXm8QJE8tX2JmsIHFu0bttISOKkGATrnav0nFXoKiZObBKFGIOO7ooak-JTCzvFnG9swFldPwZhTYhHGMIML-DEfSVGjm-d1CrIA/s1102/Blue%20Blog.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWm6KNCeLKYsuKO-6tL3qLNHlD1gYGTKAQGmGf5Am8PUdTseNLDZYhNTkvyLiyFFjGzfu1Xp0xHgSOYekSvDu3qnXm8QJE8tX2JmsIHFu0bttISOKkGATrnav0nFXoKiZObBKFGIOO7ooak-JTCzvFnG9swFldPwZhTYhHGMIML-DEfSVGjm-d1CrIA/w426-h640/Blue%20Blog.png" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Analyze Your Time</h2><br />To analyze your priorities, you need to analyze your time. Once, I wrote down EVERYTHING I did for a month – at work. As I tracked my time and what I did with it, I kept tabs in a chart on a spreadsheet. When I analyzed how I was spending my time, it was eye-opening! There were certain things I did too much of. Others I took too long to complete. Lots of distractions. I categorized my actions and revamped my day to reclaim two extra hours each day in productivity!</div><div><br />You can do the same thing. I wouldn’t do it for a whole month though, one to two weeks is plenty. The main purpose here is to not only analyze your time but also your priorities.</div><div> <br />If you find that you are watching 3 hours of TV 4 days a week, but you are running for 30 minutes 2 days a week, then that sadly says you actually value entertainment (or at least watching TV or movies, even if educational) more than you value your running time.</div><div> <br />If you go out to lunch or dinner with your spouse 3 times a week, maybe opt to make one of them a running date instead. Celebrate with a smoothie afterward!</div><div><br /> You can make simple changes to get more running (and writing time).
<br />
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Make Your Running a Habit</h2><br />
A lot of what I share with you relates not only to running, but also to your writing, especially when it comes to time, productivity, <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/07/how-to-create-positive-mindset-for-writers.html">mindset</a>, <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/10/writing-consistency-and-running-schedules.html">consistency</a>, <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/11/how-to-plan-writing-schedule-runner-distractions.html">distractions</a>, and so much more.</div><div><br /> Here are a few tips to get you started: </div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Run (or write) <b>first thing in the morning</b> - it’s often easier to do before the rest of the day crowds out your time. </li><li>Try to do it at the <b>same time every day</b> - it’s easier to become a habit when it’s based on the same triggers each day. </li><li><b>Do it daily</b>. Or at least regularly. Maybe you write on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and you run Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Whatever schedule you choose for yourself, be consistent. </li><li><b>Include other people</b>. This helps you be more accountable. Have a training partner or a writing buddy. Go for runs together. Have Zoom writing sessions together - in silence. You may need more than one person - a running buddy and a different writing partner. </li><li><b>Be flexible</b> when adding the activities you want to become a habit on your calendar. Leaving gaps on your calendar can account for all the unplanned life interruptions that naturally happen and we never save any space for them. </li></ol> Lastly, read Atomic Habits by James Clear<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/serve-leadbox/gro24mBv6apsqvfANwMPZL/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dx9nhNXcN1U/YJqSeWNHWWI/AAAAAAAAY1w/HTkftzzGd3IvkCNQexBuLrjtlXlC0rbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h244/roadmap-and-bookmark.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Attend a Writing (and Running) Retreat</h2><br />
Since we’re talking about finding more time to run, attend a writing AND RUNNING retreat, such as the <a href="https://www.writerswhorun.com/retreat.html">Writers Who Run Retreat</a>. Honestly, this is one of the BEST ways to find more time to write and run.
<br /><br />
We run every morning TOGETHER. Lots of accountability buddies! And every afternoon, there is time scheduled into your day for writing. While you may not be able to achieve this in your day to day life, the retreat is the perfect time and place to get motivated, strengthen (or begin) daily habits, and create real momentum in your writing and running life. Hope to see you there!
<br /><br />
Keep writing, keep running.
<br /><br />
XO,
Christie :)
<br /><br />
<div><div><b>QUESTION:</b></div><div><b>What’s one of your priorities? </b><b><a href="https://www.christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/12/more-time-for-running.html">Share in the comments.</a></b></div></div>
</div><div><br /><div>Keep writing, keep running.</div><div><br /></div><div>XO, </div><div><i>Christie</i> :)</div><div><br /></div>
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<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/WritersWhoRun/">Writers Who Run (or Walk)</a> is a free group for writers who love to write and run (or walk).
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<b>JOIN US TODAY!!!</b>
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</p></div>Dana Bisbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326844167922795844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-667821893030915722022-11-21T10:37:00.053-05:002022-12-12T15:08:42.911-05:00How to Become a Faster Runner<div style="display: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIQqd-6ejXfWVWTigWr5Dzyf6nXLgWsHnpH-kzLX_AOX-qGl_ijh7vxbOve7Z38kRVdAvvF2PWXmgVNwcnE_QvardLSu8EH6w8leCbZmCQ8lH_hOUmqDptblVwZW9WkK644aHuVHd-vQgKI7g9BqHjHeTcKRK5diSUtCHJKVBIiz6SMZb_aP0yxAe6g/s1920/woman-gb38e2a359_1920.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1272" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIQqd-6ejXfWVWTigWr5Dzyf6nXLgWsHnpH-kzLX_AOX-qGl_ijh7vxbOve7Z38kRVdAvvF2PWXmgVNwcnE_QvardLSu8EH6w8leCbZmCQ8lH_hOUmqDptblVwZW9WkK644aHuVHd-vQgKI7g9BqHjHeTcKRK5diSUtCHJKVBIiz6SMZb_aP0yxAe6g/s320/woman-gb38e2a359_1920.jpg"/></a></div></div><p>So you want to be a faster runner? There are things you can do and <b>all kinds of workouts you can incorporate into your regular running routine</b> to help. But first, here’s the running formula for <b>speed and pace</b>, as it relates to time and distance.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Speed</b> = distance / time (6 mph)</li><li><b>Pace</b> = time / distance (10 min. miles)</li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here are the two formulas for <b>time</b>, if that’s the unknown variable you want to find.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Time</b> = distance / speed </li><li><b>Time</b> = distance x pace</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And there are two formulas for <b>distance</b>, if that’s what you’re trying to calculate.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Distance</b> = time / pace</li><li><b>Distance</b> = time x speed</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It really just depends on if you’re a pace person or a speed person. But either way, if you know the pace, you can figure out the speed and if you know the speed, you can figure out the pace.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e543d98a-7fff-23e6-44c7-437c00f3da06"><div align="left" dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 0pt;"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><colgroup><col width="240"></col><col width="228"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SPEED </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(dist./time)</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PACE </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(time/dist.)</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5 mph</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">12 minute mile</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5.5 mph</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">11 min. mile</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6 mph</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10 min. mile</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6.5 mph</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9 min. mile</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7 mph</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8.5 min. mile</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7.5 mph</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8 min. mile</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8 mph</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7.5 min. mile</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8.5 mph</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7 min. mile</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9 mph</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6.7 min. mile</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9.5 mph</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6.3 min. mile</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10 mph</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6 min. mile</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div></span></div></div><div><br /></div>Of course you can get even faster than the numbers on this chart. So let’s find out how.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwlFncUmjs5hD99yhV2IrkW93A0HxsXJaomqQGqna6C0-upnuH4vQoegkpvGSz_RbGcjMNEi6gZPQI6DTgFkZ9lDP3kZwLYQg-TBlJLajGtlbc6Go_R-gS2ik6QwZbq9FTfCVpE78nUHDQfMjGmfSnHPinDJOeXnPrJS_GioAVI8W0YKbZuj4bLELHg/s1102/orange%20blog%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwlFncUmjs5hD99yhV2IrkW93A0HxsXJaomqQGqna6C0-upnuH4vQoegkpvGSz_RbGcjMNEi6gZPQI6DTgFkZ9lDP3kZwLYQg-TBlJLajGtlbc6Go_R-gS2ik6QwZbq9FTfCVpE78nUHDQfMjGmfSnHPinDJOeXnPrJS_GioAVI8W0YKbZuj4bLELHg/w426-h640/orange%20blog%20(1).png" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">3 Types of Runs to Make You a Faster Runner</h2><br /><div>The three types of runs that will make runners faster are:</div><div><ol><li>Speed workouts</li><li>Long runs</li><li>Hill repeats</li></ol></div><div><br /></div><div>The most obvious type of workout runners need to utilize to get faster is speed work. Speed workouts come in many forms and varieties. You can do fartleks (Swedish for “speed play”) where you decide to run to a tree, a mailbox, or a street sign as fast as you want, then you go at your normal pace, then you’ll do another fartlek, as many as you want. It’s interval training without strict intervals or speeds. Or you can find hundreds of speed workouts online with pre-defined speed intervals.</div><div><br /></div><div>Adding longer runs to your repertoire can be as simple as a 6-miler once a week, or you can work up to 10-15 mile runs. You can certainly work it into your plans for training for longer races and even create an off-season where you don’t include long runs.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hill workouts can be done on a treadmill set to an incline or outside. If done outside, find a location where there’s a significant hill. Then you run up and down it over and over again. Hill repeats strengthen your legs while giving you an opportunity to practice your form. Speed is NOT the goal on the hill workouts. It’s the act of running up the hill that will make you faster on flat workouts. </div> <h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">The Essential Workout Runners Need</h2><br />One essential workout runners need to get faster is strength training, or weight training. Strengthening your muscles as well as stretching them will keep you balanced and ultimately make you faster. Running requires lots of work, effort, and energy expenditure in your calves, quads, hams, and glutes. So be sure to do a lower body workout at least once a week, followed by adequate time to S-T-R-E-T-C-H those all-important muscles for your favorite cardio activity: running. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/plotroadmap/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dx9nhNXcN1U/YJqSeWNHWWI/AAAAAAAAY1w/HTkftzzGd3IvkCNQexBuLrjtlXlC0rbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h244/roadmap-and-bookmark.png" width="640" /></a></div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Two Things Most Runners Don’t Think About</h2><div><div>Two things most runners don’t think about that will improve your speed is to focus on your form and to incorporate recovery days. I can’t go into all the specifics of proper form here because it can get pretty nuanced, but it includes landing on the balls of your feet (not your heels), leaning forward from your ankles (not your waist), and loose arms with relaxed shoulders. </div><div><br /></div><div>Lastly, definitely remember to include recovery days. YOU NEED DAYS OFF! Even if it’s only one day a week. You don’t need to be completely immobile on your days off. You can walk a mile or two at a leisurely pace. Or do yoga. Or a simple 20-minute stretch routine. Just don’t run at least one or two days a week. It helps your muscles recover and come back stronger. It also helps prevent injuries. Because who wants to show up race day morning and get an overuse injury during your warmup? Rest days are for recovery. Just imagine your muscles getting stronger and it will help you “stay still” for a couple days.</div><div><br /></div><div>Keep writing, keep running.</div><div><br /></div><div>XO, </div><div>Christie :)</div><div><br /></div><div><b>QUESTION</b>: </div><div>What’s your favorite speed workout?<b> <a href="https://www.christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/top-6-ways-to-run-faster">Share in the comments.</a></b></div></div></div><div><br /><br /><i><span style="color: #e12e92;">Keep on keepin' on...</span></i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/">BACK TO TOP</a> | <a href="http://www.christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/">READ MORE POSTS</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>
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</p></div>Christie Wright Wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13656162315858480593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-21103516542819522052022-11-14T13:23:00.059-05:002022-12-12T14:49:44.257-05:00Training for Your First 5k<div style="display: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQITXLY6onXUiEma85IODRJa2GLs6UdWrkfkIgQbSIuNkmUSyjfTqHt2C_iNZZCP3aH2EYIjRVZwxKptkghRWI2rAx_le43GOq928D2IzAhA3gEQrcKt26QB5pfUQCNx-MltHCnye3ZPjw4JseztAqIuo9_d8apIgily6t2-ymP0btlnsVko62GjxHOg/s1920/runners-gede50ab36_1920.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQITXLY6onXUiEma85IODRJa2GLs6UdWrkfkIgQbSIuNkmUSyjfTqHt2C_iNZZCP3aH2EYIjRVZwxKptkghRWI2rAx_le43GOq928D2IzAhA3gEQrcKt26QB5pfUQCNx-MltHCnye3ZPjw4JseztAqIuo9_d8apIgily6t2-ymP0btlnsVko62GjxHOg/s320/runners-gede50ab36_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><p>I started running in college. There was a jogging class taught by the same professor whose group I was in for my Freshman orientation. He also taught my health class, which was a required elective. He had lost almost 200 pounds when he was in college – by running. And now he was a lean, mean, fitness machine. So I signed up. (I also took a weight training class and an aerobics class with him.)</p><p>At the end of my jogging class, there was a race. People were walking faster than me. As a 20-something year-old, it was embarrassing. But I did it. If you’re gearing up to run a 5k race, here’s a few tips to remember.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NjDC1mwCFyZ-nkDLGp4VJUzs0X5VnckJG7-KCTxkqpIPC3nihM9tEW4ZLLwMh9rk-xVvCysHEtThQPZFkeff7brs91X8HpK6Fp5aPvFYYeQaBMjSIgth2OE1D-Vad8Left9ecsFTGrYfyQi7fudic9vHFIBSmLS1QjVB0OVaY0_FcNOYb-cEZNozyA/s1102/Pink%20Blog%20%281%29.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NjDC1mwCFyZ-nkDLGp4VJUzs0X5VnckJG7-KCTxkqpIPC3nihM9tEW4ZLLwMh9rk-xVvCysHEtThQPZFkeff7brs91X8HpK6Fp5aPvFYYeQaBMjSIgth2OE1D-Vad8Left9ecsFTGrYfyQi7fudic9vHFIBSmLS1QjVB0OVaY0_FcNOYb-cEZNozyA/s600/Pink%20Blog%20%281%29.png" /></a></div><div><div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Why Train for a 5k</h2><br /><div>After having severely sprained my ankle earlier this year, I feel like I’m starting over from scratch. Ever since I decided which ultramarathon to run four years from now, I feel like I need a fresh start to build up my stamina again. Thankfully the body has muscle memory, so it hopefully won’t be as hard training to build back up to running three miles as it was the very first time I ever ran that distance.</div><div><br /></div><div>So why should you train for a 5k race? Three big reasons come to mind.</div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>If you’ve never run a 5k race before, you should train.</li><li>If you haven’t run 3 miles in a very long time, you should train.</li><li>If you want to get faster and win the race (or try to place in your age bracket), you should train.</li></ol></div><div>Training for a race, no matter what the distance, is the smart thing to do to help prevent injuries. Injuries happen from underuse, from overuse, and from accidental missteps (we won’t talk about jumping off escalators - even though it was just a small hop and I was already at the bottom).</div> <h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Build Up Your Stamina</h2><br /><div>You may have heard of the Couch to 5k program. They take people who don’t run and get them off the couch to run their first 5k. The main benefit of training for a race no matter what the reason (first time, not run in a long time, or want to win), is to build up your stamina so you can feel good about completing the race no matter what your time ends up being.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are 7 ways to build up your running strength and stamina while training.</div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Increase time</b> (run 30 minutes instead of 20)</li><li><b>Increase distance</b> (run 3 miles instead of 2)</li><li><b>Increase hills</b> (add hill training once a week)</li><li><b>Interval training</b> (run 5.0 for 4 min., run 7.0 for 1 min.)</li><li><b>Increase speed or pace</b> (run 6.0 mph instead of 5.5 mph)</li><li><b>Cross training</b> (basketball, swimming, yoga, cycling, etc)</li><li><b>Strength training</b> (muscle strength is important even for runners)</li></ol></div><div>All good training schedules basically use a combination of the above methods to increase your running stamina and prepare you for a good race result.</div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/plotroadmap/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dx9nhNXcN1U/YJqSeWNHWWI/AAAAAAAAY1w/HTkftzzGd3IvkCNQexBuLrjtlXlC0rbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h244/roadmap-and-bookmark.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Create a Training Schedule</h2><br /><div>Even if you’re not training for a race, your running routine is, in essence, also a training routine, right? Two factors come to mind when creating a training schedule for your running routine. </div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>What is your goal?</li><li>How often do you run each week?</li></ol></div><div>If your goal is to go from 0 to 5k, that training schedule is going to be hugely different from one that is for someone with a goal of running an ultramarathon. However, if the person who wants to run an ultra hasn’t run very far or very often in quite some time, then they should start off with the goal of going from 0 to 5k first.</div><div><br /></div><div>The further the race distance you’re training for, the more important it is to create a strong base. If you run 5 or 6 miles a day 4 or 5 days a week, then you have a very strong running base already. When I was training for my very first marathon, I ran 3 to 4 days a week (including the long run), and averaged 2-4 miles per run (excluding the long run - obviously I built up to longer distances each week for that).</div><div><br /></div><div>You can easily create your own training plan for any distance when you consider your base mileage and your goal mileage. There are lots and lots of plans online to help you if you’ve never run a race before, but if you have, then you don’t really need someone else’s chart because you have experience on your side. Unless you want to get faster and win. In that case, yes, find a training plan (and maybe a few running partners) to help push you.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here’s one simple option for training for your first (or next) 5k race. I recommend building up the base first in case you have to adjust things, and then find a race to run because you’ll already be ready and won’t have the added stress of a time limit (or the ticking time bomb as we writers like to say).</div><div><br /></div><div>A 6-week training chart to build up to 3 miles of running, with a run/walk combo. My goal is to run for 9 minutes, followed by 1 minute of walking (a strategy from Jeff Galloway) for 3 miles. So here you go. And of course – ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.</div><div><br /></div><div>*R2 = run for 2 minutes. W3 = walk for 3 minutes.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-96f18858-7fff-7560-ee89-bbaeba2344b5"><div align="left" dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 0pt;"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;"><colgroup><col></col><col></col><col></col><col></col><col></col><col></col><col></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SUN</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MON</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TUE</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">WED</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">THU</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">FRI</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SAT</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*R2, W3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1 mile</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R2, W3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 miles</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R2, W3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 miles</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R3, W3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 miles</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R3, W3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 miles</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R3, W2</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 miles</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R3, W2</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 miles</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R3, W1</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 miles</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R4, W1</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 miles</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R4, W1</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 miles</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R5, W2</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 miles</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R5, W3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3 miles</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R6, W3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3 miles</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R6, W3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3 miles</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R6, W2</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3 miles</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R7, W2</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3 miles</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R8, W2</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3 miles</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R9, W1</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3 miles</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div>From there, I can increase distance, increase time spent running, or increase my speed. I can also throw in interval training and hill training. All of which I plan to do to train for my crazy <b>Wild Things Race 50k ultra</b> in January 2027.</div><div><br /></div><div>Keep writing, keep running.</div><div><br /></div><div>XO, </div><div>Christie :)</div><div><br /></div><div><b>QUESTION</b>: </div><div>How many 5k races have you run? Zero? Forty or more?<b> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/how-to-train-for-5k-race">Share in the comments!</a></b></div><br /><br /><i><span style="color: #e12e92;">Keep on keepin' on...</span></i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/">BACK TO TOP</a> | <a href="http://www.christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/">READ MORE POSTS</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>
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</p></div>Christie Wright Wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13656162315858480593noreply@blogger.com0United States37.09024 -95.712891-2.8080299339237556 -166.025391 76.988509933923751 -25.400391tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-33159112875961259962022-11-07T09:00:00.017-05:002022-12-12T14:56:29.098-05:00Choosing an Ultra Marathon<div style="display: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmGMQBFLABU7NMw3LjozlIzdAvu5clPNMnaORaS0gmDaJc_Hd9bzen3xtPyWk9K7tTaHYBgI_N3nhamGIcENWYa0uojsl35xvVGq98NgfRcZwa9hQ-W_LBrDr9veTj80lCwWpD0D4l1yvq0h_tAJiM6maPdxW2VJ7y1i_kwW7HollvRdk-7SrTpijHA/s1920/marathon-g4071b73a3_1920.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmGMQBFLABU7NMw3LjozlIzdAvu5clPNMnaORaS0gmDaJc_Hd9bzen3xtPyWk9K7tTaHYBgI_N3nhamGIcENWYa0uojsl35xvVGq98NgfRcZwa9hQ-W_LBrDr9veTj80lCwWpD0D4l1yvq0h_tAJiM6maPdxW2VJ7y1i_kwW7HollvRdk-7SrTpijHA/s320/marathon-g4071b73a3_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div>Earlier this year, probably around the time I turned 46, I suddenly decided I wanted to run an ultra marathon. Say whaaaat?!?! Yeah, call me crazy, but I had already done two marathons in the past. Anchorage Alaska Midnight Mayor Sun Marathon in June 2000 [finish time → 8:26:14] and the Myrtle Beach Marathon in February 2002 [finish time → 6:32:23]. I know I’m slow, but that’s not the point.</div><div><br /></div><div>The point is that when I decided to look up just how long an ultra marathon was, I discovered that it was any race distance longer than a marathon rather than a set 100-mile race, which is what I thought it was. Because that will probably NEVER happen. So I set out to find the shortest possible ultra I could find, and as it turns out a 50k is a popular ultra distance because it’s only 31 miles.</div><div><br /></div><div>That’s only 4.8 miles longer than a marathon. I could totally do that, right?</div><div><br /></div><div>And what I thought was a cool idea would be to run a 50k when I’m 50 years old. That’s only 4 years away, so I guess the next step is to find the race I want to participate in. But how do I decide on the best ultra-marathon race to run in?</div><div><br /></div><div>Once I chose my distance (50k), I considered six other factors to help me choose.</div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Location </li><li>Type</li><li>Time Limit</li><li>Weather</li><li>Day and time</li><li>Coolness Factor</li></ol></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8FdQjZ7iU6Hai3QEvEcjOP2gl10qyN8N4BxcR9g5R9mq2kL5klDEMx6tIQ0cFrATvAv5X9KAWecqsTXZQvvqeSiQPJAR62YUWdlWqPILhoxllLAeQIKrm8MeJNltSggdXg_B6XECklYVFqX7YoC5WBRl-TOndDuprKK-A6Gwi6pvJSP9uQZUaAiyGQ/s1102/Blue%20Blog%20%281%29.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8FdQjZ7iU6Hai3QEvEcjOP2gl10qyN8N4BxcR9g5R9mq2kL5klDEMx6tIQ0cFrATvAv5X9KAWecqsTXZQvvqeSiQPJAR62YUWdlWqPILhoxllLAeQIKrm8MeJNltSggdXg_B6XECklYVFqX7YoC5WBRl-TOndDuprKK-A6Gwi6pvJSP9uQZUaAiyGQ/s600/Blue%20Blog%20%281%29.png" /></a></div>
<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">RACE LOCATION</h2><br /><div>The first question to ask yourself is where you want to run the race. In a big city? At the beach? An exotic location? How far do you want to travel to get there? Drive or take a plane? In the US or somewhere else in the world. I happen to know of an amazing race-finding resource and if you haven’t heard of runningintheusa.com yet, you’re missing out. You have to check it out. Stat. You can factor in distances, regions of the US, what month the race is in and so much more. Works great on mobile too! </div><div><br /></div><div>I decided I didn’t want to fly and that I wanted a race in the southeast, near the coast, that wasn’t too far to drive to. About 50 results popped up for 50k races in the southeast.</div> <h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">TYPE OF RACE</h2><br /><div>Next, decide if you want a road race or a trail race. A lot of trail races were popping up, so I took that out of the equation because that meant lots of hills and I wanted the easiest race possible and as flat as possible. Florida has lots of flat land, so things were looking in that direction. </div><div><br /></div><div>Types of races:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Trail races (usually means hills or mountains)</li><li>Road races (usually less rigorous)</li><li>Hilly vs. flat</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/5k-club-waitlist/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #ff9900; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">JOIN THE WAITLIST FOR THE WRITERS WHO RUN APP</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">TIME LIMIT & QUALIFIER</h2><br /><div>Some people love to race to win. But lots of us middle-of-the-packers and especially us back-of-the-packers don’t care about winning or even necessarily making a certain time. That being said, time is still an important factor to consider. Are you going to run the race, walk the race, or do a combo? Honestly, most people do a combo. Jeff Galloway even says that 9-10 minutes of running followed by 1-2 minutes of walking can make you have a better race time. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you know your average pace time and you know your race distance, you’ll need to calculate how long it will take you to finish the race. Maybe even factor in if you get injured and have to walk the entire distance. Since a 50k is 31 miles and the average walking speed is around, let’s say 3.1 mph, then a 50k could take a slow “racer” about 10 hours to complete. </div><div><br /></div><div>Lots of marathons have an 8-hour cut-off time. My Alaska marathon had 8.5 hours. I was so thankful. Even still, that gives someone roughly 3 mph to finish the race. And I found a 50k with a 12-hour time limit! Although it might actually be 16 hours (they had both times listed and I don’t know which was the accurate number). </div><div><br /></div><div>The last thing to consider about a time limit is if you want it to be a qualifying race or not. This is really important to a lot of serious runners, so be sure to check the race website to find out for sure. Personally, for this race, it didn’t matter to me a bit. Although the race I found did have the distance certified by USTAF. So that’s always nice.</div><br /><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">WEATHER & TEMPERATURE</h2><br /><div>The weather definitely plays into the location you choose. Time of year as well. I guess that could technically be another factor. I didn’t want to run a big race in the middle of the summer because that’s when I host my own race, the Writers Who Run 5k & 10k Race for Literacy in July - in North Carolina. </div><div><br /></div><div>So weather, location, and time of year kind of all go together. I didn’t want it to be super hot or super cold. Florida in the dead of winter is not considered cold to someone who’s used to a snowy winter in January. With a low of 45 and a high of 70, Florida was looking better and better for my 50k race location. One race I found was in January and that seemed a good time for a race in Florida since hurricane season is over by then and it’s not very rainy.</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/plotroadmap/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dx9nhNXcN1U/YJqSeWNHWWI/AAAAAAAAY1w/HTkftzzGd3IvkCNQexBuLrjtlXlC0rbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h244/roadmap-and-bookmark.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">BEST DAY AND TIME FOR ROAD RACING</h2><br />This might be the least important contributing factor. Most races are held on a Saturday or Sunday. I prefer to race on Saturdays so my Sundays are free to worship, rest, and relax. But I have run races on Sundays in the past. Time of day can be important too. Some races are actually run at night, which is part of that particular race’s coolness factor. I’ve done one. The Maggie Valley Moonlight Race in western North Carolina. It starts at 8:00 pm and was a great race! But for a 50k? I definitely need it to be a daytime thing.</div><div><br /></div><div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">COOLNESS FACTOR & BLING</h2><div><br /></div><div>Lastly, you want to feel like the race is going to be fun. The coolness factor can be time of day, location can also play into it, the medal, the race’s purpose like a charity of some kind, or a fun theme like donuts, hot chocolate, the popular Color Runs, or something else. When I saw the title of this race – WILD THINGS RACES – I had to check it out. I mean, my last name is Wild after all. So… this race is in mid-Florida on a flat, paved surface, with a 12-hour time limit, and it’s based on the book, Where the Wild Things Are by the late Maurice Sendak. (I have address labels with that theme!) The race takes place on a Saturday and it’s a 5k loop repeated 10x so that everyone feels like they’re at a party during the entire race and nobody is “left behind” and feeling alone. Perfect! I’m all in!</div><div><br /></div><div>When you find a race that checks all the boxes, it’ll be a good one for you! For me, that ended up being a 50k in the southeast (specifically Florida), on a paved, flat surface, with a really long time limit of 12 hours, on a Saturday, with low chance of rain (hurricane season was over) and temps between 45-70 degrees, and a cool theme of Where the Wild Things Are. </div><div><br /></div><div>The last question I had to ask myself was if I wanted to run the race the YEAR I turned 50 (2026), or when I actually WOULD BE 50 (2027). Because the race is in January and my birthday is in April. I asked my husband and he said, “When you’re 50.” So that means in 4 years and 2 months (January 2027), I’ll be running in the Wild Things Races in Ocala, Florida to celebrate turning 50. Wish me luck! And feel free to join me!</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/5k-club-waitlist/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #ff9900; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">JOIN THE WAITLIST FOR THE WRITERS WHO RUN APP</span></a></div></div><div><br /><br /><span style="color: #e12e92;"><i>Keep writing, keep running.</i></span><i><span style="color: #e12e92;"><div><br /></div><div>XO, </div><br /><div>Christie :)</div></span></i><div><br /></div><div><b>What's the longest race you've ever run in? <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/11/how-to-choose-ultra-marathon-race.html#comment-form">Share in the comments.</a></b></div><br /><a href="http://www.christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/">BACK TO TOP</a> | <a href="http://www.christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/">READ MORE POSTS</a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>
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</p></div>Christie Wright Wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13656162315858480593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-10224094817577078572022-10-31T11:00:00.031-04:002022-12-12T15:01:11.688-05:00Dealing with Writing and Running Distractions<div style="display: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnO3y166mpg-pK68xH0gp9RhzjvOJ9eSqk7Fiip3K91S8Oc9w4G8ruRXPK4xa4II84zO3qSaMmkvtWxjjo6kDolzj0634tZ-IPxRh-8HJb4N6eSHVoYkVEYI29KerKbmuhNBD4kINefWs_QYRhk6QqE70qbLjlwthArenXffRxFQs6u11uaQx8wTd0Q/s1920/kids-gfcfb90db0_1920.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1285" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnO3y166mpg-pK68xH0gp9RhzjvOJ9eSqk7Fiip3K91S8Oc9w4G8ruRXPK4xa4II84zO3qSaMmkvtWxjjo6kDolzj0634tZ-IPxRh-8HJb4N6eSHVoYkVEYI29KerKbmuhNBD4kINefWs_QYRhk6QqE70qbLjlwthArenXffRxFQs6u11uaQx8wTd0Q/s320/kids-gfcfb90db0_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s Halloween morning as I sit here writing this. And there’s nothing scarier than letting your plans get derailed from a distraction, no matter how big or small.
After I graduated from college, I stopped writing. Life included things like finding a job, having two children, and even going back to school to get my elementary education degree. Back then, it seems like all I was writing was lesson plans.
I’ve had the dream ever since I was a little girl to become a published author with lots of books on bookstore and library shelves. But life distracted me.
The scariest thing for a writer with big dreams is to never reach their goals. And if I wasn’t writing anything, that would happen to me too. So how do you get rid of distractions or deal with them when they show up?
</span></span></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Schedule time for your goals</span></span></span></li><li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Set priorities to protect what’s important</span></span></span></li><li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Get away for a weekend to help you focus</span></span></span></li></ol><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BYOTl6Vec6pRTHq-sp08p56Uwo7Zb3UwF9ZrCSBy_8yT3AT_ahlQmBW9Y-167jamfKDmyoH-f36kdHPhG-_Mhk7czyJ3Wtl63ku1Dzkb6S8bMJbJ13i4jBelg5TpraHE4D1WEVxb_7V2wI5o4oJ_MFKc0MLw0n4Tg8qKpsy7_gVDw94dU7eF6vv6vQ/s1102/orange%20blog%20(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BYOTl6Vec6pRTHq-sp08p56Uwo7Zb3UwF9ZrCSBy_8yT3AT_ahlQmBW9Y-167jamfKDmyoH-f36kdHPhG-_Mhk7czyJ3Wtl63ku1Dzkb6S8bMJbJ13i4jBelg5TpraHE4D1WEVxb_7V2wI5o4oJ_MFKc0MLw0n4Tg8qKpsy7_gVDw94dU7eF6vv6vQ/w426-h640/orange%20blog%20(2).png" width="426" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Schedule Time For Your Goals</h2><br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-b5481ed6-7fff-4834-6a73-6850c78508b9"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve heard people say, “If it’s not on the calendar, it doesn’t get done.” I have found that to be true. Of course, just because I don’t have my calendar filled with things to do doesn’t mean I’m sitting around like a bump on a log doing absolutely nothing. It just means that I’m letting daily distractions get in the way of doing anything meaningful that would help me reach my goals.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like run a 50k or write my middle grade fantasy series.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One thing you can do is get a planner. On the calendar, schedule a time block to sit down and write. It doesn’t have to be 2 or 3 hours every single day. It can be as little as 20 minutes just two to three days a week. Schedule your exercise time. Put it on the calendar. It will help you </span><a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/10/writing-consistency-and-running-schedules.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">be more consistent</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and every time you look at your calendar, you’ll have something to look forward to and start getting excited about it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What about big distractions that you know about ahead of time? Like holidays (hello, Halloween), weddings, family reunions, or graduations? Schedule your writing and running time around those dates. Either take a few days off or schedule it for a different time.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span> <h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Set Priorities</h2><br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-382ad4ef-7fff-2c35-3ced-a8dcddd0ef3b"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Setting priorities means putting what’s most important to you at the top of your list. People who like to run in the mornings guard their workout routine (and their time) because running is a priority for them. If you don’t do it first thing in the morning, it won’t get done. Others may like going to the gym right after work because that feels more convenient – and it’s on their calendar, so it’s a priority.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If there’s something you want to do, you have to make it a priority, or else you’ll let distractions take over. Want to attend a writing retreat next summer, then schedule it! Otherwise, you’re saying to yourself, “Well, if nothing else better comes along, THEN I’ll go on the retreat.” That line of thinking is evidence that the retreat is not a priority for you. Priorities come first, no matter what else comes along. Granted, other things do come along like sickness or death. In those cases, your health or dealing with grief becomes your new priority.</span></p><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So protect your writing and running schedule by actually putting your time on the calendar. That way other things can’t creep in and take over that time. That goes for daily rituals, weekly priorities, and yes, also annual events, like the </span><a href="http://www.writerswhorun.com/retreat.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Writers Who Run Retreat</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/plotroadmap/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dx9nhNXcN1U/YJqSeWNHWWI/AAAAAAAAY1w/HTkftzzGd3IvkCNQexBuLrjtlXlC0rbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h244/roadmap-and-bookmark.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Get Away for a Weekend</h2><br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-e254c34c-7fff-c69f-2744-73d31b4fa448"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another way to deal with distractions is to create a mini-getaway for a couple days. A two or three day weekend can do wonders for blocking out daily distractions and creating the space to focus on your goals. You can go to a local B&B, or the Motel 6 just down the street. One or two nights is all it takes to get away from the family, the dogs, and the phone so you can focus on your goals. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A weekend getaway is a welcome distraction from the daily grind of cooking meals, doing laundry, and other chores. If you’re lucky, your spouse and children will pitch in and help out while you’re gone. If not, it’ll be there when you get back. More often than not, most writers seem to prioritize writing over cleaning house anyway. So you’re definitely not alone there.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What to do on your weekend getaway? Work on your most pressing project, even if you don’t have any hard, fast deadlines. Set a mini goal for yourself, such as finishing the next four chapters or running through your second-pass revision. While you're at it, set a goal to run too. Prepping for a race? Be sure to map out a route ahead of time, or make sure the hotel has a gym with a treadmill.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To sum it all up, the best way to deal with distractions is to prioritize what’s most important, set aside time on the calendar to focus on it, and possibly take a weekend to yourself a few times a year to make a little momentum toward your bigger goals.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Keep writing, keep running.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">XO, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Christie :)</span></p></span></div><div><br /><br /><b>What’s one of your priorities? </b><a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/11/how-to-plan-writing-schedule-runner-distractions.html#comment-form" style="font-weight: bold;">Share in the comments.</a><br /><br /><br /><i><span style="color: #e12e92;">Keep on keepin' on...</span></i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/">BACK TO TOP</a> | <a href="http://www.christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/">READ MORE POSTS</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>
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</p></div>Christie Wright Wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13656162315858480593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-3604201455573604222022-10-24T18:02:00.027-04:002022-12-12T15:06:48.664-05:00Becoming a More Consistent Writer and Runner<div style="display: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9t5T5mZmJ5dSz4GKRss_L-IJJmZOPGlC4dszJof6WnqBgqJxD3C2OgUf0ERYuMe-8K26lYqxnd1hLlAQJgxMrwK7rEF7c_yC4Au3u-RSHAfv3E_pt_hpHE3NgtrQyTH3HOm_KyT7ze2BpGyN_uTCthxhpwp0i-d2SzK6Yj3DbuKqXuL7j6nKCjitZjw/s1920/hand-g7aeb17551_1920.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9t5T5mZmJ5dSz4GKRss_L-IJJmZOPGlC4dszJof6WnqBgqJxD3C2OgUf0ERYuMe-8K26lYqxnd1hLlAQJgxMrwK7rEF7c_yC4Au3u-RSHAfv3E_pt_hpHE3NgtrQyTH3HOm_KyT7ze2BpGyN_uTCthxhpwp0i-d2SzK6Yj3DbuKqXuL7j6nKCjitZjw/s320/hand-g7aeb17551_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><p>It’s no fun when you’re in a writing rut or a running slump. Inaction. What? No writing or running?! Yes, it happens to the best of us. Sometimes life gets in the way and we take a much longer break than anticipated.</p><p>Maybe it’s spring and your allergies have kicked in - no running. Maybe it’s summer and it’s too hot. Or your autumn allergies are in full swing combined with being too chilly for an early-morning run. Maybe it’s winter and it’s just downright too cold no matter how many layers you dress in. Or maybe all of these things are simply excuses for a reason to not go out and run. Some people join a gym and use a treadmill. Others don’t care what the elements are doing, they’ll run outside no matter what. </p><p>Writing ruts are no different. Writer’s block, deadlines, procrastination, being consistent, you just finished a big project… no matter what the reason is, it’s still just an excuse. </p><p>Rather than beat yourself up over it and continue to stay stuck, stalled, or stagnant, try getting more consistent with a writing or running schedule to break out of the cycle of inaction.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMz2V8lyiIyGp-Kzny_DqY-OShglXXIIVOwgkP6zhoqeEdJHEMelbLNYSvO7ykwIxSeEm7SqJ0O24m2p9ZVgEk3kmD-S0vvVkgN7sW2cRU79W8mVzCDg5RpfuYKmbpB8jHG9fFhEH_TB1i_uzNs05x0jv9em9YTa-al5OLFeTO5CpDMFceBi-dfrVAlw/s1102/Pink%20Blog%20(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMz2V8lyiIyGp-Kzny_DqY-OShglXXIIVOwgkP6zhoqeEdJHEMelbLNYSvO7ykwIxSeEm7SqJ0O24m2p9ZVgEk3kmD-S0vvVkgN7sW2cRU79W8mVzCDg5RpfuYKmbpB8jHG9fFhEH_TB1i_uzNs05x0jv9em9YTa-al5OLFeTO5CpDMFceBi-dfrVAlw/w426-h640/Pink%20Blog%20(2).png" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Set a Goal</h2><span id="docs-internal-guid-3911bb2e-7fff-a204-e80c-e613b6d38820"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The number one way to get out of a rut and get more consistent with your writing or running is to set a new goal. Sometimes getting excited about a new goal is all it takes to get back in the saddle again. Perhaps you’re participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) or you’ve just signed up to run your next 10k race. Either way, having a goal gives you something to work toward and gives you a new opportunity to create a little momentum.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When thinking about your goals and trying to be consistent toward reaching them, think about these seven tips.</span></p><br /><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Follow Your Dreams</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Be sure you’re following your own dreams and not someone else’s. If you’re not following your own dreams, then ask yourself whose dreams are you following? Parents, society, teachers, friends? When you follow your own dreams, you truly care about the results and that will help you be more consistent.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Break Your Goals Into Bite-size Chunks</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When your goals are large, it’s easier to think about reaching them when you break them down into smaller tasks. This also helps create consistency.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Get Organized</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Getting organized gives you clarity about your priorities and helps you manage your time better. So clean off your desk and see a boost in your consistency with your writing.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Know Your Why</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Writing down your goals and posting them where you can see them every day is a great way to keep them front and center. But take it another step further. Write down WHY your goals are so important to you. WHY do you care about this goal or your bigger dreams? Knowing your why will make you more conscious about taking action so you don’t procrastinate. Action creates clarity and consistency.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Connect with a Fellow Writer or Runner</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Talking with a trusted friend who understands or even shares some of the same goals as yours can help you when you struggle with negative emotions. Brainstorming, listening, and sharing with each other bolsters consistency, accountability, and momentum.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Take Time to Do Things You Love</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Things you like doing keep your creativity alive, which is important for writers. Finding time to do things aside from working toward your goals increases creativity, efficiency, consistency, and productivity. It could be knitting, painting, collecting something, baking, or playing a musical instrument.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Visualize Your Results
</b></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The more often you visualize your dreams and the journey to get there, the more dedicated you’ll be toward it. You’ll be more excited to continue taking consistent action. So keep the bigger picture in mind and enjoy your results! </span></p></li></ol></span> <h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Give Yourself a Challenge</h2><span id="docs-internal-guid-d07e6017-7fff-9838-a480-e601ff46d746"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are two types of goals: achievement goals and habit goals. Setting a new goal typically makes people think of an achievement goal such as writing 50,000 words toward your novel in a month, or participating in a fun 10k race. But habit goals are what can create real consistency around your writing and running dreams.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One way to create and </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">track a habit goal</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is to write down the action you want to accomplish on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis and put a check mark on a calendar every time you take action. Another thing you can do is to issue yourself a fun new challenge. What’s something you can do for 5, 10, or even 30 days in a row? Write for 10 minutes a day? Write a poem a day? Run a mile? Stretch for 10 minutes?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I created a social media livestream challenge. To show up live and share things about writing and running for 45 days in a row. So far, I’ve done 3 videos, which is more than I’ve done in the past 6 months. So I’d say my challenge has been successful so far in helping me take action.</span></p></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/plotroadmap/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dx9nhNXcN1U/YJqSeWNHWWI/AAAAAAAAY1w/HTkftzzGd3IvkCNQexBuLrjtlXlC0rbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h244/roadmap-and-bookmark.png" width="640" /></a></div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Celebrate Your Wins</h2><span id="docs-internal-guid-08c02fd5-7fff-90ee-40bc-0d44e5d4cc65"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes it’s hard to </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">have a winner mindset</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> when you feel like you can never gain any traction with your goals of being a more consistent writer and runner. You want to write five times a week, but you only manage one day. You want to run four times a week, but you only manage one day. Yikes! What’s a writer and runner to do?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you follow the tips above, you’ll be well on your way to creating more consistency when it comes to reaching your goals, whether they be an achievement goal or a habit goal. Another way to create more consistency with your writing and running is to attend the annual Writers Who Run Retreat where you’ll be running every morning for 5 days in a row and you’ll be writing, revising, and learning more about craft for 5 days as well. </span><a href="http://www.writerswhorun.com/retreat" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Attending the retreat</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> creates massive momentum!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The final tip is to celebrate your wins! Keep taking action even in the face of failures or setbacks. Focus on your efforts rather than the results. And celebrate EVERY WIN, no matter how small. You wanted to run 3 miles today, but you only walked 1 mile? Great! You got out there and did. Habit streak kept intact. WIN! You wanted to finish the next chapter in your book, but you only got 2 pages written? Great! You still wrote and maintained consistent action. WIN!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not only should you celebrate all your wins, no matter how big or small, but it also helps to celebrate the wins of other people. See that someone just finished their first 5k in 45 minutes? Give them a high five! Someone published a poem in a local magazine? High five! Following others and seeing their successes will motivate you to keep going - especially when you celebrate their wins with them.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Keep writing, keep running.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">XO, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Christie :)</span></p></span></div><div><br /><b>Which passion do you most want to get consistent with? Your writing or your running? <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/10/writing-consistency-and-running-schedules.html#comment-form">Click here to share a comment.</a></b><br /><br /><br /><i><span style="color: #e12e92;">Keep on keepin' on...</span></i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/">BACK TO TOP</a> | <a href="http://www.christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/">READ MORE POSTS</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>
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</p></div>Christie Wright Wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13656162315858480593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-3602958825457685682022-07-28T19:08:00.018-04:002022-11-10T22:09:46.851-05:00Three Book Recommendations to Help You Tackle Revisions<div style="display: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5PyU_OY8MyM3YxwKK9Nh9EllNgA_f1j4LBcLCY8AdX5IiYn4XcCQ4EUcpNanez-oSKBa4XSJVbAwOhSQAMG_HiTKRN9jTrAfyVGojAkjxodJ-mH1ySNHNmyxTOWkME7cqbgmsn7CQvz6l51hO9oJ-rZf0DkMDqPbm9COhvFMF1HR-8JlUqh2Djdhcg/s320/hand-gc1884d135_1920.jpeg" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have a picture book manuscript that I have revised 17 times. Ultimately, my agent couldn’t sell it, even though she tried for a solid year. It was a biography about a white male from Scotland in the 1800s about a very popular toy he accidentally invented. Apparently, the world didn’t want any more male biography picture books at that time.</div><br />
While revising a picture book is no small feat, revising a novel always felt like an even bigger feat. Most of my revisions were inspired by my amazing critique group and the feedback they offered me month after month. Other revisions came after carefully processing the information from multiple writing <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/06/learn-the-writing-craft.html">workshops, conferences, and retreats</a> I attended. <br /><br />
Today, I share with you three books about <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/06/see-it-again-how-and-why-to-revise-your.html">editing and revision</a> that have helped thousands of writers move forward in the writing process. Because your story deserves more than just a proofread and a polish. You’ve got to strengthen your story to make it the best that it can possibly be. And that only comes from revising it.
<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GZxfg_vMU82BextylSFZBzIkW8tYF48RH7MukNtLliao8PfTy-S3aL4J1AP9XpgbkLsGd_Zqs4NF4itYG9FG4uMS0HtNLG9buJvhE7XYAhDFQifFl7IkCw-9mYT0fCnIgAfFzwCn6Lvda3ExQ2M0DWUw8mIwIRvuBvjwkMuEnmJTrKJg5erxoHf9vQ/w426-h640/Blue%20Blog%20(1).png" width="426" /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Intuitive Editing by Tiffany Yates Martin</h2><br />It’s hard to look at your own writing objectively. If your goal is to create a tight, polished, publishable story—self-editing is a skill you need to learn. Intuitie Editing: A Creative and Practical Guide to Revising Your Writing was published in 2020. With 280 5-star reviews on Amazon and 5 fabulous testimonials on the blurb section, you can’t go wrong with this pick!<br /><br />
Intuitive Editing will lead you to deepen and elevate your own work, while developing your editing skills. Martin teaches you how to solicit and process feedback. She helps you discover what works for your story and your style—to find the best version of your own book vision, whether you’re writing fiction, narrative nonfiction, or memoir. This book will give you the tools you need to approach editing and revising your own writing filled with inspiration, motivation, and confidence.<br /><br />
The book is divided into four different parts. Every chapter is filled with lots of examples and includes two main sections: How to Find It, and How to Fix It. Probably the best part about the book is her extensive list of probing questions to help you think more deeply about your book. The very same types of questions she asks her clients.
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<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Troubleshooting Your Novel by Steven James</h2><br />
Steven James is an award-winning author. This book, Troubleshooting Your Novel, was published in 2016 and won the 2018 Storytelling World Award. This book was written to help you revise your novel after you have completed the first draft. The subtitle reads: Essential Techniques for Identifying and Solving Manuscript Problems. And EVERY manuscript has problems in the first draft.<br /><br />
This book spends a great deal of time focusing on plot and character, as well as other story elements such as dialogue, suspense, voice, subtext, and flow. James helps you fulfill reader expectations and become a writer that readers can trust. He helps you check your manuscript for problems with context and continuity.<br /><br />
The book is broken down into 5 parts and includes a total of 80 chapters.<br /><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Part I: Story Progression </li><li>Part II: Characterization </li><li>Part III: Narrative Techniques </li><li>Part IV: Reader Engagement </li><li>Part V: Style and Finesse</li></ul>
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Each short 3-4 page chapter includes an overview, how to fix the issues of that particular element, a question with a quick fix, and a list of tips to fine-tune your manuscript. Chapter 50 includes a great chart of 9 dialogue problems and how to fix them. This is a great book published by Writer’s Digest Books. I highly recommend it!
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/serve-leadbox/gro24mBv6apsqvfANwMPZL/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dx9nhNXcN1U/YJqSeWNHWWI/AAAAAAAAY1w/HTkftzzGd3IvkCNQexBuLrjtlXlC0rbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h244/roadmap-and-bookmark.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">The Last Draft: A Novelist’s Guide to Revision by Sandra Scofield</h2><br />
According to the Amazon description, The Last Draft: A Novelist’s Guide to Revision by Sandra Scofield is the “definitive handbook for the novelist who is ready to revise.” That’s all of us, right? Once you get your first draft written, get this book to help you turn your manuscript into the novel of your dreams.<br /><br />
Sandra Scofield is an award-winning novelist, a longtime teacher, and a critic. She shows you how to reread a work of fiction with a new view of the subject and vision in mind. You’ll learn how to take things apart and put them back together stronger and deeper. <br /><br />
The book, published in 2017 published by Penguin Random House, includes an overview of “the novel” and explains helpful literary concepts like narrative structure, character agency, and core scenes, using plenty of examples from both classic and contemporary writers.<br /><br />
Scofield outlines her <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-ultimate-guide-to-plot-your-novel.html">stages of revision</a> and goes deep into each.<br /><br /><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>A Close Look </li><ul><li>Description
Assessment </li></ul><li>The Plan </li><ul><li>Summaries </li><li>Core Scenes </li><li>Lines of Threads </li></ul><li>The Process </li><li>The Polish</li></ol>
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Lastly, the book includes some wonderful additional resources including Recommended Books on Craft, Lessons from Model Novels, Sample Scenarios, Storyboarding, and a Scene Template. The Last Draft is for both beginning and advanced writers. It provides a detailed, step-by-step plan with invaluable advice to guide you through the <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/02/-use-your-walk-or-run-to-unlock-creativity.html.html">emotional and intellectual journey</a> of being a novelist.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<h4 style="color: #5cbc00;">QUESTION: </h4><br />What’s the most number of times you’ve revised a single manuscript? Share in the comments!</div><div><br />
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<b>What are some of your own writing and running accomplishments? <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/08/writing-books-help-revise-novel.html#comment-form">Click here to share a comment.</a></b><br /><br /><br />
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</p></div>Dana Bisbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326844167922795844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-32637098647700487052022-06-30T14:50:00.002-04:002022-11-10T22:07:55.725-05:00Five Steps to a Healthy Writer Mindset<div style="display: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIwHXYM5pKij-hxrQtA12BJ4o1JkwdJMa6t2x5LSppVziIAapYFu4rubDBIlUV4a8dw_dfcDQ64qQhs4O6tRIi0R1ORAizFV5w6IUETT-VnLGs_EAtHitNG6om3nY_Rzuq8-BGJ9fOimhk0EqCfimj7tZ_1dCqQL_Wf7u4qRQUyurDCa_GBAfqBwXlw/s320/unnamed.png" width="320" /></div>
A positive mindset is a must for writers if you want to be successful. Of course, success can be as simple as finishing the first draft of a manuscript or as big as becoming a #1 bestselling author on the New York Times list.<br /><br />
One thing’s for sure, though. If you give up and quit moving forward, you’ll never reach your writing goals. That’s why it’s so important to develop a healthy mindset. So you don’t give up. A healthy writer mindset keeps you going.
<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDk_QFhm8ft9bXnOX9uUDOUNdaDszCC6aMLP6mISJcUA1RUev8Bop1T2tG_sQxIVxFw7nyPFTSrzwbotmDH60oWZiXk_8V4PsvKIDX96qraZrBL1UNMzEHpQjb144v13u6A-ZZkjk46aMBD3YpVFZD0WLV8O9rFeB7AkqNHuKgH2OzIGo4U-5eSsQ1A/w426-h640/orange%20blog.png" width="426" /></div></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div>
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Nix the Negative Self-talk</h2><br />
I know how hard it can be to <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-ultimate-guide-to-plot-your-novel.html">fall prey to negative self-talk.</a> When I graduated from college, I got a B on my senior thesis (a novel). Don’t get me wrong; I was happy with the B. But my professor scribbled something underneath my grade.<br /><br />
“This still to me seems to not be of professional quality.<br /><br />
Because of that comment, I ended up not writing creatively for 10 years! I know, it seems kind of petty. But to be fair, it was more of a subconscious thing. Still, the negative self-talk was not good. I believed things like: </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/04/is-writers-block-real-and-what-to-do-about-it.html">I’m not good enough to be a writer.</a> </li><li>I’ll probably never get published.</li><li>
I just wasted four years of college on a Creative Writing degree I’ll never use. </li><li>Writing is too hard; I’ll just stick to <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2017/01/how-to-create-gratitude-journal.html">journal writing</a>. </li><li>Nobody cares about the stories in my head; it’s useless.
</li></ul></div><div><br />But one day, somebody did care. They saw that I had expertise in writing, editing, and storytelling. They wanted my feedback. And I got excited about my writing again. I haven’t looked back since. It just takes one single moment to nix the negativity and get back to your writing. You’re worth it. Go for it!
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<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Five Steps to Create a Healthy Mindset</h2><br />
A positive mindset is powerful. The day I heard about (and watched) Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret was the day I was introduced to the law of attraction and to manifesting your life’s dreams. Not to get all woo-woo on you, but that concept was huge for me! I can’t believe I’d never heard of the Law of Attraction. Really?! Anyway, one of the biggest takeaways from that was confirmation for how powerful the mind truly is. Here are 5 ways to keep your mind positive so you can live the life of your writing dreams.</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>1. Identify your fears. </b></h4><div>It’s a lot easier to overcome your fears and be positive about it when you know what they are. Your fears are often synonymous with your negative self-talk. My fear was that I wasn’t good enough. That nobody cared. That I didn’t have what it takes to be a writer. But now I know better. </div><div><br /></div><div>I AM good enough to pursue my writing dreams. Lots of people care about what I have to offer, whether that be the stories in my head or my ability to help others bring their stories to light. And while my books still haven’t been traditionally published yet, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christie-Wright-Wild/e/B0873VQTS2?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1657054699&sr=8-1">I do have two indie pubs</a> and I’m working on a third. </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>2. Focus on the good things. </b></h4><div>You know that fuzzy blurry look when something’s out of focus? That’s what happens to your brain when you’re working toward a goal but you’re not focusing the right things. The right things to focus on are the good things. Put your blinders on to negativity. </div><div><br /></div><div>Good things might include progress you’ve made, baby steps you’ve taken, awards you’ve won. Even a rejection letter can be seen as a good thing - it’s just one more ‘no’ to receiving your ‘yes’. It only takes one ‘yes’ for a book deal. Whatever your good things are, focus on them. </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>3. Practice gratitude. </b></h4><div>Gratitude is huge! When you’re truly grateful for what you have right now, you will be blessed with more things to be thankful for. I’m grateful for self-acceptance. I’m grateful for all the progress I’ve made in my writing career thus far. I’m grateful that you are reading this right now. I’m grateful for my awards and accomplishments. I’m grateful for my agent. I’m grateful for my writing notebooks, for my ideas, and for the books I’m working on right now. What are you thankful for? </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>4. Experience humor. </b></h4><div>Laughter is the best medicine. I’ve read true stories of people who have healed themselves from debilitating diseases, cancer, and horrible hospitalizations from humor. They watched funny movies every single day. They found happy things to focus on and tried to laugh as much as possible. Humor lightens the mood. And that includes a negative attitude. Try to welcome more humor and laughter into life. It will help you create a more positive writer mindset. </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">5. Live in the moment. </h4><div>Living in the moment is a great way to stay grounded. When negativity starts to creep in, be thankful for where you are right now. Experience the joy in the current moment. If bad things are happening, be thankful for the air you breathe. You can take a deep breath and focus on something good. That you can walk. That your home is comfortable. That you have a job (even if you hate it) because that means you can pay your bills. A friend. A hug. A shoulder to cry on. </div><div><br /></div><div>Start with one thing and enjoy it. The sun shining on your face. Anything. Don’t think about the past and your failures. Don’t think about the future and your fears. Think about the current moment and be grateful for it. Focus on the things that bring you joy. The special pen you write with. The beautiful journal you write in. Your online writing friends. Give it a try and see how living in the moment can help you create a better author mindset.</div><div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dx9nhNXcN1U/YJqSeWNHWWI/AAAAAAAAY1w/HTkftzzGd3IvkCNQexBuLrjtlXlC0rbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h244/roadmap-and-bookmark.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Start a Gratitude Journal</h2><br />
When you write for yourself first, you enjoy the process more. And that will definitely keep you going. Another thing I’ve started doing is to keep a gratitude journal. I use it for everything, not just my writing. It absolutely helps keep my mind positive. It re-energizes my excitement for life. My favorite way to do this is to use the left page for gratitude for your current life. And the right side is for gratitude intentions - your future life written in such a way that it’s already happened. Not just the fact that it has happened, but how it makes you feel and what you’re now able to do as a result of achieving the thing you’re trying to manifest. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!
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In conclusion, when you’re having a down and out day and you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders, or even if you simply stub your toe, implement these positive mindset hacks to help you lighten your load (and your mood). If you notice negativity creeping in, acknowledge it and then take steps to create a more positive outlook for your writing life. A healthy mindset will help you go the distance and reach your writing goals as an author. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>QUESTION: </b></div><div>I love using my gratitude journal. Do you have one? Let me know in the comments!<div><br />
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<b>What are some of your own writing and running accomplishments? <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/07/how-to-create-positive-mindset-for-writers.html#comment-form">Click here to share a comment.</a></b><br /><br /><br />
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</p></div>Dana Bisbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326844167922795844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-56801380028448526332022-05-31T15:00:00.003-04:002022-11-10T22:08:47.363-05:00Top Tips for Writers to Continue Learning the Craft<div style="display: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pl8I8dSlTuYL16Sg8JHW03XFG6L-zijrUK-aKO5vP-NdsTZE78_aXDnhVuW0gBJFHJCudnZQJfbelpPM1glaxPBQjRcU5GAIITwVsQ25PM30GeFCLg65jxlpZ8QUDNR_8Ao0Q2PQEU9f91gGaTLrshj6AxnHXPG3WdnzFY8epEIaHZk7HOecZ-RrVg/s1920/girl-g0d787dbbc_1920.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pl8I8dSlTuYL16Sg8JHW03XFG6L-zijrUK-aKO5vP-NdsTZE78_aXDnhVuW0gBJFHJCudnZQJfbelpPM1glaxPBQjRcU5GAIITwVsQ25PM30GeFCLg65jxlpZ8QUDNR_8Ao0Q2PQEU9f91gGaTLrshj6AxnHXPG3WdnzFY8epEIaHZk7HOecZ-RrVg/s320/girl-g0d787dbbc_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div>Being a writer is all about continued learning. Even when you become a published author, you still need to keep learning and develop your writing craft. Doctors go to seminars. Teachers attend in-service workshops. Mechanics, managers, and other professions take continued education classes. Because continuing your education is how you stay current in your field. Continuing to learn about writing shows that you are a professional writer, not an amateur.<div>
<br />There are many ways to continue your writing education. You can join organizations, talk to other authors, read and study books, attend writing workshops, retreats, and conferences, sign up for webinars, and join writing courses.
<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iLiP5eM1-os7mRNihPMFaSsfCv8CHHbv2jikOiKPAl99rXFwcUQ6VnWtIoMENh3iCzS3cQYA-oDRjZATDT2g4AvSlyloCXzF8xdVvoORvEOBoKzZZOv8MkVgnN9SiRuOnvTveiBrKqzY-idgw6pOIYILG4as6VMxWfqd5ABMg3MIAkotiBaUWDdo_Q/s1102/5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iLiP5eM1-os7mRNihPMFaSsfCv8CHHbv2jikOiKPAl99rXFwcUQ6VnWtIoMENh3iCzS3cQYA-oDRjZATDT2g4AvSlyloCXzF8xdVvoORvEOBoKzZZOv8MkVgnN9SiRuOnvTveiBrKqzY-idgw6pOIYILG4as6VMxWfqd5ABMg3MIAkotiBaUWDdo_Q/w427-h640/5.png" title="Top Tips for Writers to Continue Learning the Craft" width="427" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Get Involved in a Writing Community</h2><div><br /></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-c3b3ba9b-7fff-8a0b-9e7a-9e9be2f329e6"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first tip to continue learning the writing craft is to stay connected with other writers. You can do that in person or online. There are several professional organizations you can join that are dedicated to teaching the writing craft to its members. If you write for children, then the premium writers’ organization to join is SCBWI, also known as the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. They have chapters across the globe and have two major conferences each year: the summer conference is LA and the winter conference in NY. If you write romance, then consider joining RWA, the Romance Writers Association. There are also </span><a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2020/02/acronyms-and-abbreviations-for-popular.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">organizations for science fiction and fantasy writers</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, mystery writers, and a lot more.</span></p><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aside from talking to other authors inside of organizations, you can also simply befriend other writers you meet in real life or </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/WritersWhoRun" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">inside of Facebook groups</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms. Making friends with other writers comes in handy when you’re looking for a critique partner (or group), a beta reader, or when you need a pep talk for that 50th rejection you just got. We all learn differently and at different rates. We can all help each other grow when we have continued conversations with each other. </span></span></div><div>
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Read and Study Books</h2><br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-b8c2bfcc-7fff-5a4a-7e38-6f175b982485"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are two ways to read and study books.</span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Read books about the writing craft to learn new skills.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Read similar books to yours to learn how other successful authors did it.</span></p></li></ol><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/101-Fun-Creative-Writing-Exercises/dp/B08XZGLBWN/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Craft books for writers</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> are a great tool to help you learn how to write better. There are books to help with the first five pages, how to revise chapters, how to break down a sentence, self-editing, even books to help with productivity and staying motivated.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The second way to read and study books is to read similar books to the ones you’re writing. When you do this with an eye for craft, from the standpoint of studying the books, you’ll pick up on lots of little craft nuances that each writer used to create their works of art. One way you can do this is to find a passage and use it as a mentor text. Then “copy” the passage as your own by changing out all the nouns, adjectives, and verbs for your own. You’ll feel the rhythm and syntax of their sentence length, word choice, and so much more. </span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Workshops, Conferences, and Retreats</h2><br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-5bef2d94-7fff-0c44-b6db-9d967bc0d494"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Attending writing </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2016/06/whats-difference-between-workshop.html">workshops, conferences, and retreats</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, is a favorite among writers. Workshops can be an hour or a full day. They tend to be small events taught by local authors. Conferences are usually much larger and more comprehensive. They typically contain a full lineup of several different workshops over the course of a few days. They may or may not include appearances by editors and agents. Retreats tend to be more intimate and span 5-14 days in length with a portion of the time during the event dedicated to writing. No matter what you choose, this is a great way to learn more about your writing.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dx9nhNXcN1U/YJqSeWNHWWI/AAAAAAAAY1w/HTkftzzGd3IvkCNQexBuLrjtlXlC0rbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h244/roadmap-and-bookmark.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Webinars and Online Writing Courses</h2><br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-747ee8f0-7fff-7071-05eb-6c83b295adf8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lastly, you can learn the writing craft online. You can sign up for webinars and learn all kinds of different skills. This is basically a digital version of a workshop. You can also purchase a writing course to help you advance your writing career. Online writing courses are a mix between a live writing workshop and a book. It’s a great way to go deep on any subject. I’ve seen writing courses about character development, </span><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/plotlikeanovelist/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">plotting your novel</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, story types, marketing, and so much more.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These are some of my favorite ways to develop my writing: talking to authors inside communities, studying craft books and published books from fellow authors, attending retreats, and signing up for online classes. In fact, I even offer each of these myself.</span></p><br /><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Join the free </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/WritersWhoRun" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Writers Who Run Facebook group</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Buy my book, </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/101-Fun-Creative-Writing-Exercises/dp/B08XZGLBWN/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">101 Fun Creative Writing Exercises</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Become a Better Writer in 14 Minutes a Day.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sign up for the </span><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/leadbox/135869066172a2%3A17b64886df46dc/5844937599746048/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">waitlist</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for the </span><a href="http://writerswhorun.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Writers Who Run Retreat</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Check out my course, </span><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/plotlikeanovelist/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Plot Like a Novelist</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p></li></ol><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">QUESTION: </span></p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What’s your favorite way to continue learning the writing craft? </span></span><b><a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/06/learn-the-writing-craft.html#comment-form">Click here to share a comment.</a></b></div><div><br /><br />
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</p></div>Dana Bisbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326844167922795844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-29692214395115449632022-04-28T22:10:00.001-04:002023-04-19T19:16:11.815-04:00The Ultimate Guide to Plot Your Novel<span id="docs-internal-guid-0f14974f-7fff-c7a7-7433-7d2c523b6124"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 3pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some aspiring writers have a dream of writing a novel in a week, getting that magical call from a publisher offering a million-dollar advance, becoming famous on the back of your story, and then retiring to an island to live happily ever after. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let’s get real though. The road to publishing success is </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">never</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> that fast or straightforward. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When novels are rejected by publishers, it can be difficult to work out where the faults lie and how to improve your story, but I’m here to tell you that creating a flexible plot outline is the fastest and easiest way to confidently write your novel without giving up your creativity.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><blockquote><i>Creating a flexible plot outline is the fastest and easiest way to confidently write your novel.</i></blockquote></span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This Ultimate Guide to Plot Your Novel shares 5 big ideas to help you step into being a writer and approaching plot with an open mind.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-Bn1irn0AGSb0sDkiPcsGsqXxy5Xfr-FBnv2Tm4V9K_EQI7bd9XFbJRudlvWjZupHnyDSn4AwObzt_7HTmgQKxXfMGqSb0f9YVtgf9UPWNx9BDBjJGUi5z8r6Wm6sAdEZI3gUPSCX2arJnyZpN95maHPgemcuuSTlErwu9aO0VpcmR1DpwmG1BzZ3w/s1102/The%20Ultimate%20Guide%20to%20Plot%20Your%20Novel.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Ultimate Guide to Plot Your Novel" border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-Bn1irn0AGSb0sDkiPcsGsqXxy5Xfr-FBnv2Tm4V9K_EQI7bd9XFbJRudlvWjZupHnyDSn4AwObzt_7HTmgQKxXfMGqSb0f9YVtgf9UPWNx9BDBjJGUi5z8r6Wm6sAdEZI3gUPSCX2arJnyZpN95maHPgemcuuSTlErwu9aO0VpcmR1DpwmG1BzZ3w/w426-h640/The%20Ultimate%20Guide%20to%20Plot%20Your%20Novel.png" title="Why Plotting is So Important" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Big Idea #1: You Are a Writer</span></h1><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a creative writing major, my college senior thesis was to write a novel. After I turned it in, I waited for what seemed like months. It was good preparation for waiting to hear back from editors and agents about submissions. Because as writers, we wait… A LOT!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The day finally came when my professor handed a large manila envelope to each person in the class as we eagerly sat around the large conference room table. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I peeked inside, I saw nothing but shadows, so I slowly pulled out the stack of papers held together by a big black binder clip. On the cover sheet, right there for all the world to see, was a large “B” plastered across the top of the page. A “B”? Okay, I can handle a “B”. Good job, Christie. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But underneath my subjectively graded college career, was a note scribbled in professor-like cursive handwriting. It said, “This still to me seems to not be of professional quality.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now I don’t know about you, but that comment did not sit well with me. It actually made me feel like a failure and I was kind of mad. My heart sunk.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Over the next 10 years, I held several jobs, went back to school to become a teacher, and had two children. I ended up not writing anything for 10 years. The only writing I did was lesson plans. I realized that over those past 10 years, I had subconsciously adopted the belief that I wasn’t a real writer. </span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><blockquote><i>I had adopted the belief that I wasn’t a real writer. </i></blockquote></span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I felt like I wasn’t good enough. And that my ideas weren’t important or worth pursuing. I thought that I couldn’t call myself a writer unless I was published. I had kind of thought of myself as a writer, but I didn’t </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">truly believe</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I was a writer. I had the revelation that I didn’t need to have a creative writing degree to be a writer. I didn’t need the approval of my college professor to be a writer. And I certainly didn’t need to be published to be a writer. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One writing conference I attended had a workshop that focused on the “inciting incident”, which we never discussed in college. They said, “Your story has to begin with something the character wants.” My character didn’t really have a big want. In this particular story, she just wanted to get rid of the hiccups and for things to go back to normal. That day, the idea of the “inciting incident” didn’t sink in.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">>></span> <a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/bookmark-printable/"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">FREE PLOT ROADMAP AND BOOKMARK</span></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><<</span></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Years later, I attended a writing retreat, where one of the workshops was about plot. The presenter tried to explain the classic hero’s journey to me. By this time, I had started writing a middle grade (MG) novel with snippets of names, phrases, characters, friendships, actions, thoughts, etc, but I felt stuck on the plot. The workshop mentioned a final “fight scene”. That day, plot slowly started to make a little more sense to me. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the meantime, I was starting to question why I even went to college in the first place. I was completely second-guessing my degree because I felt like I hadn’t learned a single thing about writing in school. I felt like a failure.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><blockquote><i>I was completely second-guessing my degree because I felt like I hadn’t learned a single thing about writing in school. I felt like a failure.</i></blockquote></span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even still, I absolutely loved writing. I had an amazing time and learned so much at that retreat, but I dreaded going back home because that meant I had to go back to WORK. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The next day, as I was waiting for my children to put on their shoes and grab their bookbags, I placed my hand on the doorknob to go out the front door and I paused. I just stood there with my hand on the doorknob - frozen. Tears welled up in my eyes and the dread of going back to work sank deep into my heart. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As soon as I dropped my kids off at school, I cried all the way to work. I wanted to be a full-time writer and work from home - for myself. I wanted it so badly that I couldn’t take the thought of working for someone else anymore. That day, I vowed to do everything in my power to make that dream come true - one way or another - no matter how hard plot was to understand - or how long it took me.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I kept writing and researching. Everything I found online seemed to use a different language. Some of it was contradictory. I read about pinch points, push points, pressure points, and turning points. Even ROLLER COASTERS. It was all so very confusing. One day, I found a random plot diagram online - one I’d never seen before and something finally clicked. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had a HUGE EPIPHANY! Suddenly, the inciting incident, the “fight scene”, the hero’s journey, all made sense to me. That’s because I had discovered that the stages of writing a novel - THE PLOT - were perfectly aligned 100% with the stages of running a marathon. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I quickly mapped out my own version of a plot diagram that showed how it aligned with running a race. This epiphany allowed me to finally figure out how to easily think about plot. I created a plot outline for 2 novels in a single weekend!</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><blockquote><i>I created a plot outline for 2 novels in a single weekend! </i></blockquote></span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This newfound discovery was so amazing that I knew I had to share it with other writers who were also struggling with plot. Writing a novel with a plot outline was a whole lot easier than struggling to know where to go next in my story. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are a lot of misconceptions and myths about writing professionally. Let’s break some of those down. </span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Myth #1: If you’re good enough, you’ll make it.</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hate to break it to you, but those who make it are usually better than good. Do you think Michael Jordan “made” it because he was good? No! He made it because he was awesome! Yes, being good is part of it. But your book has to be good too. Ever hear the phrase, “It’s all about the book”? Yep! It’s all about the book being so well-written that an editor can’t put it down.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, in order to “make” it, there’s a lot more to it than great writing. You have to be able to sell. You have to be able to sell your manuscript to someone who thinks the book will sell. You also have to be able to sell the book. It’s called marketing. You can’t be good at just marketing either; you have to be good </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> relentless.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Myth #2: Writer’s block isn’t real.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's time to <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/04/is-writers-block-real-and-what-to-do-about-it.html">redefine writer's block</a>. Some people say it doesn't exist, that it's just an excuse to not write. But if you think about it differently, you can redefine it. At the most basic level, writer's block is simply the act of running into a problem and not knowing how to move forward in your story. Having a plot helps you know where to go next when you hit a roadblock.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Myth #3: Writers must make the journey alone.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yes, writers do the writing all by themselves, but we couldn’t make it if we were truly alone. We need each other - other writers - to get through the tough times, to critique, to brainstorm, to learn from, and so much more.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1155cc;">>></span> <span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/writerswhorun-novel-masterclass-reg/">The 5-Step Method for a Publishable Novel</a> </span> <span style="color: #1155cc;"><<</span></h3><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Myth #4: You must write every day to be successful. </span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some writers really believe this. Write every day. That’s great if it works for you, but it doesn’t work for every writer. At the other end of the spectrum, some writers only write when the Muse strikes. The best thing is to find your own personal balance. Jane Yolen says it best:</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>“Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.” – Jane Yolen</i></span></h3><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But even exercising the writing muscle every day doesn’t mean that you’re writing or revising heavily on your one novel, story, or book. Even athletes take rest days. Let journal and letter writing be your rest days.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You must write </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">consistently</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to be successful. Even runners take breaks. When you’re just starting out, or if your life is super busy, being consistent might even mean writing just one day a week.</span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Myth #5: You’re not a real writer until you’re published.</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you write - and it brings you joy - you are a writer. Nearly 81% of Americans say they have a book in them. That's nearly 200 million people. Less than 20% who make the effort will actually finish it. A plot outline can help you finish your book.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZ1QcRdgBS_T5v7endjuQOJqTdXYPeeifv_azR4Y086LeVX5AV4bCn2p6in8YU7B8V4AIf1QCoqa6uGpD9VKE_3pfzOFUO89UUaHN2OPIGvjQjgaAEfXqy7z1EVUisLDLLROpoelcD5oero4O5g-RWplXs4z5HlR5OP_EW7fQIIH7eb5QYS8spf4XfQ/s1080/1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZ1QcRdgBS_T5v7endjuQOJqTdXYPeeifv_azR4Y086LeVX5AV4bCn2p6in8YU7B8V4AIf1QCoqa6uGpD9VKE_3pfzOFUO89UUaHN2OPIGvjQjgaAEfXqy7z1EVUisLDLLROpoelcD5oero4O5g-RWplXs4z5HlR5OP_EW7fQIIH7eb5QYS8spf4XfQ/w400-h400/1.png" width="400" /></a></div><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Big Idea #2: You Can Do Hard and Scary Things</span></h1><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A year and half after I graduated from college, I got a purple and white flyer in the mail about signing up for a marathon. I was wondering, “Why in the world did they send this to ME?!?” I only just ran my very first race - The Jingle Bell 5k - the year before.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The thought of running a marathon had never, ever crossed my mind. I mean, the year before - during that Jingle Bell 5k, I remember turning a corner and going up a hill. There were people twice my age </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">walking</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> faster than I was jogging. It was a little embarrassing to say the least, but I did it. Since a 5k is only 3.1 miles and a marathon is 26.2 miles, I was like, “Um… I don’t think so.”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But the pictures on this flyer were so breathtakingly beautiful and the vistas begged me to take a closer look. Places like Helena, MT; San Diego, CA; Portland, OR; and Anchorage, AK. When I saw the one in Alaska, I did a double-take. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That’s because my older brother had just died only 7 months prior to my receiving this flyer in the mail. He had been living in Utah at the time, waiting for the Olympics to arrive. He died at the age of 28 on a ski resort when he was traipsing the mountainside in snowshoes even though it was closed to the public due to unsafe warmer weather. Yep, that’s my brother - the rebel. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The thing is, we weren’t super close. When he died, I was angry and sad at all the missed moments we never had. And the deep, silent, bitter grudge against him for something he did and never apologized for, let alone even acknowledging what he had done. He was gone and I felt the need to forgive him, but he wasn’t even there to say, “I’m sorry.”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The thing about Alaska was that my brother had worked on a fishing boat in Alaska. I instantly thought if I could go there, then maybe we could create some kind of after-death connection or something.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I signed up for the marathon. My desire to connect with my brother was bigger than my fear of running 26.2 miles. The first training run was a 4-miler on a local trail with all my newfound Team in Training peeps and Coach Scott cheered us all on. I finished last. I thought I would die. That was the hardest run I’ve ever done. But yet, Coach Scott showed up every single week for 6 months and pushed me to go further.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">>></span> <a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/bookmark-printable/"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">FREE PLOT ROADMAP AND BOOKMARK</span></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><<</span></h3><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The day of the race finally came. I was ready. My longest training run was 19 miles, and I was ready. I had motivational quotes, mind games, you name it. The porta-potties were lined up in a high school parking lot. We’d wait in line forever then get right back in line to go again. I think we waited for 2 hours for the race to begin.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the gun went off and we got out about half a mile or so, I remember looking ahead and looking behind and for as far as I could see in either direction was a sea of runners in purple t-shirts. There was this feeling of inspirational adrenaline that washed over me.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By mile 7, it had thinned out quite a bit. I met a girl from San Francisco named Danika. We ran about 10 miles together, but at a pit stop, she left me in the dust. I stopped all along the way to take pictures of wildflowers, streams, footbridges, mountains, cotton, trees, birds, etc. At mile 17.8, I was still smiling. But somewhere between mile 20 and 25, I hit the wall.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You see, marathons usually have identified pacers to help runners keep up with their goal pace. They usually carry a flag or something with the pace you’re trying to keep. My goal was simply to finish the race. The cutoff time to ensure your finish time was counted as an official finish time was 8.5 hours for this particular race. That’s an average of 3.1 mph. There was a man carrying balloons who was the pacer for the cutoff time. So if he passed you, you knew your time wouldn’t be counted as official, because you’d end up finishing the race after the 8.5-hour cutoff time. That is, unless you passed him back.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After hitting the wall, I didn’t think I could keep going. This was definitely harder than my first 4-mile training run. I was slow, tired, and sore. My mind was racing with all kinds of self-doubt. And then the balloon man passed me. I lost it. I started crying. I panicked. My legs ached. My lungs ached. My feet hurt. My breathing became erratic.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“So this is what hitting the wall feels like.”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I pulled an inspirational card out of my fanny pack. My mom had made it for me and even had it laminated - just for the race. It said, “You can do it! I know you can! I can’t be with you physically, but my spirit is running beside you! I admire your strength and determination.”</span></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySupObRt_ieEbosbUBu8T_d1w5JxIedJqRZubla4hQxN9Iva4oNEaffupQjYwRPL-177f-4DOFxOPlPV38PmeIwSNWq3UOaL6DKZS2grHjibohtK7wJDcIjX_lNLnq_bMHe-cgii8orcKWC_d16ArlNTadT1pr9V9yR-YqZRXkvdDaKs8wsbKnJCiKw/s1814/IMG_3810.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1814" data-original-width="969" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySupObRt_ieEbosbUBu8T_d1w5JxIedJqRZubla4hQxN9Iva4oNEaffupQjYwRPL-177f-4DOFxOPlPV38PmeIwSNWq3UOaL6DKZS2grHjibohtK7wJDcIjX_lNLnq_bMHe-cgii8orcKWC_d16ArlNTadT1pr9V9yR-YqZRXkvdDaKs8wsbKnJCiKw/w342-h640/IMG_3810.JPG" width="342" /></a></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I imagined my mom - and my brother - running on either side of me.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Spectators and volunteers offered me pretzels and Powerade and provided even more words of encouragement. I finally stopped crying. I got some salt into my system. My breathing was no longer erratic. I said a little prayer and kept going. I picked up the pace and soon passed the balloon man. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I saw the finish line, I started sprinting and someone shouted, “GO NORTH CAROLINA! I crossed the finish line at 8 hours, 26 minutes, and 38 seconds. I placed 1,642 out of 1,673 women who ran the race. I did it. It wasn’t easy, but I did it and have the medal to prove it!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That race changed my life. I was hooked. I even started planning my next marathon, which by the way was 2 years later on a very </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">flat</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> course at Myrtle Beach and I shaved 2 hours off my time. Running this race in Alaska taught me that doing hard things wouldn’t kill me. If I could run a marathon, then I could do anything in life! Even though I was afraid of doing 26.2 miles, I still took action.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now you may not have ever run a marathon, or even a 5k race, but when you have a passion, know your WHY, and have a guide, you can do anything, no matter how hard or scary it seems. I can be your guide.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><blockquote><i>When you have a passion, know your WHY, and have a guide, you can do anything, no matter how hard or scary it seems.</i></blockquote></span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Writing a novel can be scary - and it may be one of the hardest things you ever do - but when you follow your heart and have someone guiding you every step of the way, you can fight the fear by taking action because I know you can do hard things too. So don’t make the mistake of not taking action (like not forgiving my brother while he was still alive). Take action now and your fears will dissipate. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Writing doesn’t have to be hard. We all make mistakes. Here are 6 of the most common mistakes writers make. </span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mistake #1: Not reading to study story structure. </span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There's a myth floating around that reading doesn’t matter, that reading makes you a better reader, and only writing can make you a better writer. That may have a little truth to it, but reading is really important in helping you learn the skill of writing. Do you think musicians never listen to music because they’re worried it will make them better listeners? If you want to make music, you have to study music. If you want to write books, you have to study books. So, READ!!!</span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mistake #2: Following trends</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If it seems like everyone is publishing a book about talking alien dogs, don’t jump on the bandwagon! One of the best ways to avoid this is to never allow yourself to get bored. Even if you aren’t bored while following a trend, you might be doing the world a huge disservice by not following your own unique passions. Write what you love and you’ll love what you write. Be yourself. Don’t follow trends.</span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mistake #3: You keep writing when you’re bored. </span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You need to write, but if you get bored, your readers will know it. Stop writing. Write something else. Write a poem, do some research, or read a book. Get wild and wacky. Insert something insanely unpredictable that totally doesn’t belong. Run with it for a few pages. It may be enough to reignite your writing passion so you don't feel bored. Either stop writing temporarily (go for a run) or get UN-bored and play with your words as you write. Have fun with it!</span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mistake #4: Writing and editing at the same time. </span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can't build a house and remodel the bathroom at the same time. Once the house is built, then you can remodel any room you want! If you try to write and edit at the same time, you still might end up with the perfect wallpaper, backsplash, sink, shower curtain, and color scheme. But what's the point if you forgot to include plumbing and a door to get in the room! Write first. Then revise. Edit last.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1155cc;">>></span> <a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/writerswhorun-novel-masterclass-reg/" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The 5-Step Method for a Publishable Novel</a> <span style="color: #1155cc;"><<</span></h3><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mistake #5: Not investing in your learning and growth as a writer.</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you invest in yourself as a writer, time and money are no longer objections. Investing your time means writing and studying the craft. Investing your money says that you are taking your writing career seriously. Buy a how-to book, enroll in an online course, or attend a workshop or a retreat. When you choose to invest your time and money, you’ll start looking and feeling like a professional.</span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mistake #6: Not taking action because you’re afraid it will be too hard. </span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wanting to know every single detail and piece of research before you begin writing can be dangerously paralyzing. It’s important that you actually start no matter how hard or scary it seems. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you were making some of these mistakes, you might be wanting to know it all before you begin, stuck in research mode, blaming writer’s block, or feeling like you’re stalled in your writing due to fear, procrastination, or comparison paralysis.</span></p><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Big Idea #3: Story is More Important than Writing </span></h1><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Publishing Matrix</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you understand that story is more important than writing, it will free you from trying to get it right the first time. You’ll be able to focus on the story without worrying about the quality of your writing.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are two spectrums to getting published. There’s writing well and there’s great <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/05/what-writers-need-to-do-to-tell-a-great-story.html">storytelling</a>. So there’s a level of low quality and a level of high quality and all the ranges in between.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 417px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="501.00000000000006" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/3gKOIetkUHQw5gQYTo7CLkGh8m90MJJgEsY3ExECgBM-A8tdt8ooTczJhq1obMBR0_9KV-fyEO6E2BNrOUfDkVM5FnkBcz_EZu3Ojuco_yWMULRk-PzhxwKYcpFJCo3z31m76bd6" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -84px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On one end of the spectrum, you have a high quality of writing. Great metaphors, strong nouns and verbs, the ability to spin a phrase, a sentence, or a paragraph and get people to sigh (or laugh, shriek, or cry) in delight. But they can’t tell a coherent story to save their lives. The plot is all over the place and it’s hard for readers to tell what’s going on or where they even are in the story. What happens is that if you have a high quality of writing and low quality of story, you may start getting Personalized Rejections. You might get feedback on how you could improve. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the other end of the spectrum, you have a high quality of storytelling, with amazing plot points, tension, high stakes, etc, but the quality of writing isn’t all that special. If the editor falls in love with the story, so long as the quality of writing isn’t too terrible, this can result in a Revise and Resubmit. It’s a little better than a Personalized Rejection, but it’s still not a book contract. And so that’s the second one.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And the third one is if you have a boring story that doesn’t work combined with poor writing, then that results in a lot of Standard Rejections. You likely haven’t either practiced much or studied very much. This is where most writers begin: with Standard Rejections. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can write beautiful words all day long, but if you’re not telling a great story, then nobody cares about your writing.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Remember, good storytelling is more important than good writing, but you have to have BOTH to get published.</span></p><br /><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Four Fundamentals of Story</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The four fundamentals of story are character, conflict, plot, and theme. Everything else (setting, dialogue, tense, genre, point-of-view) is secondary.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 320px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="372.8520789481712" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/GF5RwqeDovST2R03CbLU_HJq7Xx_amYJi2ce1kRAsgETF9u5WkhR1d0-ZeTS19BTOWJzJc6jzd9ffqtyPnc6PlTVOVhSdvLKjPrR3apvhd3OVAkNbb1ZJXpYNHAiJVXIzw9Oib2q" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -52.8521px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you have an interesting character experiencing conflict, you create tension. When you have conflict and plot, you create pacing. When you combine theme with plot, your story embodies a deeper meaning. And when you combine character and theme, you create a memorable impact in your reader’s life.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These elements combined together create STORY. And this is the structure that most writers fail to analyze because when rejections come, it’s usually due to one of these four elements.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">>></span> <a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/bookmark-printable/"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">FREE PLOT ROADMAP AND BOOKMARK</span></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><<</span></h3><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Big Idea #4: Revision Starts with Plot</span></h1><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Importance of Revision</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first few revisions of your manuscript are for fixing plot holes. Revision does </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">not</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> mean editing sentences. That’s called editing.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know how tempting it is to start with editing. I used to tackle my “revisions” by starting out with editing sentences. When I finally got it “perfect” after who knows how many “revisions”, I finally saw the actual plot holes, and sometimes had to start all over from scratch. But there’s a better way.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you understand this framework, you’ll be able to put plot first in your writing. You’ll be excited to tackle revisions (and your plot). Revision actually starts with plot.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whether you plot before your rough draft or after, you still need a plot. Technically, you </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">could</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> start “revising” before you even start writing (if you use a plot outline). Either way, you’re still going to need to revisit your plot. </span></p><br /><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1155cc;">>></span> <a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/writerswhorun-novel-masterclass-reg/" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The 5-Step Method for a Publishable Novel</a> <span style="color: #1155cc;"><<</span></h3><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Three Quotes About Revision</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These three writing quotes from famous authors sum up the importance of revision beautifully. Robert Graves says, “There is no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting.” Justice Louis Brandeis says, “There is no great writing, only great rewriting.” And my favorite one is by James A. Michener, who says, “I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.” Revision is re-seeing and re-writing.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0z1r3mRsF84gfzO4Xp0eb-Xnpayz_pvZv-kU3iYKQOoqn9yvV2IAhYmtvorUaho5SBzNF8X2UxhppZzEnRtLlY_2Pa3dksBXFECYA657QjJMK_buGqlOdI5GsnDV_1xNxpKZ9x1lzoYd_sI6FEKqs88n5pEE1-zQvoumoMvevyLZSMfFq87vqkAcICw/s1080/2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0z1r3mRsF84gfzO4Xp0eb-Xnpayz_pvZv-kU3iYKQOoqn9yvV2IAhYmtvorUaho5SBzNF8X2UxhppZzEnRtLlY_2Pa3dksBXFECYA657QjJMK_buGqlOdI5GsnDV_1xNxpKZ9x1lzoYd_sI6FEKqs88n5pEE1-zQvoumoMvevyLZSMfFq87vqkAcICw/s320/2.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM90vHFdLmQKHBJCmgp6zy426ycHwSc-qt7L2h2-a8FLMt0FUDnQ9X0MtBk9oKzTUHPyZEpCY6UMPb2ZFnJ-mFFv3DqDKdbmE0UIcDcwtFA3odHzp_NTHeEGlUoZvdMv603v1CiYMny_6jIo9pK8jrOr79EpsuXb-uO4Qa5ElDJLb-7R4pHE0HtngL4w/s1080/3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM90vHFdLmQKHBJCmgp6zy426ycHwSc-qt7L2h2-a8FLMt0FUDnQ9X0MtBk9oKzTUHPyZEpCY6UMPb2ZFnJ-mFFv3DqDKdbmE0UIcDcwtFA3odHzp_NTHeEGlUoZvdMv603v1CiYMny_6jIo9pK8jrOr79EpsuXb-uO4Qa5ElDJLb-7R4pHE0HtngL4w/s320/3.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV92hlZ9_KFV8w1X2jZ_z02wzu_JHwWzzh_K-jkzYJdaPjR8P_hACaBWNnopBIH5YiTU05Imq1DZYFLvqmFmg8U7UiV8ByMLIf7h9QgBQUVVQ48N53xSArjw_yONwq1-Jyt_98bKr0uykTf2TBcyi0hYNKgpCw-PzOnh7GKOdDgwwtrA1JKHHheiBeOg/s1080/4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV92hlZ9_KFV8w1X2jZ_z02wzu_JHwWzzh_K-jkzYJdaPjR8P_hACaBWNnopBIH5YiTU05Imq1DZYFLvqmFmg8U7UiV8ByMLIf7h9QgBQUVVQ48N53xSArjw_yONwq1-Jyt_98bKr0uykTf2TBcyi0hYNKgpCw-PzOnh7GKOdDgwwtrA1JKHHheiBeOg/s320/4.png" width="320" /></a></div></div></div><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Revision Breakthroughs</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After five years of taking my writing seriously, I had revised a handful of my picture book manuscripts enough times (10-20 times </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">each</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) that my critique partners and I agreed they were finally submission-ready. I started submitting to publishers. And then, I had several breakthroughs: </span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was offered a contract for 1 of my mss</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another ms made it to acquisitions</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another ms won 1st place in a regional contest</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I signed with an agent! </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">None of that would have been possible without revisions. </span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Five Stages of Revision</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I don’t know if you consider yourself a plotter or a <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/04/writers-fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants.html">pantser</a>, but either way - revision starts with plot. Let me explain.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 327px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="313" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/4zRM8VRCwYlSuhzlxlwhJhXD5urKhJ6FVfbbj0XwYGoWeDybPcWKbk5kKauzG7WGvC9EwMFY_0h1x61UyugjRFO2wPHIi2-EBsB_r_q2Lc7lEmDGLnQnw909dCJJkgbyWq8QbP6c=w616-h313" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -27.7161px;" width="616" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Think about a house. Your book is like a house, or more specifically like a room in a house. Each chapter of your novel is like the furniture in that room. Once the furniture is placed where you want it, then you start adding decor, or in the case of writing a book, editing sentences. After that, you clean, dust, vacuum, polish, etc. With your novel, that’s when grammar, punctuation, and spelling finally come in, not first. And finally, you can put the final touches on the room, like lighting a scented candle for ambiance. In your book, that’s where a proofreader comes into play, to catch any final mistakes that the copy editor missed.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The five types of editors a novel needs to go through, in this order, are the following:</span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Developmental Editor</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - They look at your book as a whole, they look for plot holes in your story.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Content Editor</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - Again, we’re at the base level of revision. This type of editor looks at chapters, <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/05/5-scenes-to-begin-writing-a-novel.html">scenes</a>, and paragraphs.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Line Editor</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - This is where an editor will look at your sentences, the flow, the syntax, what can be cut or said better. A lot of beginner writers tend to start here, including myself.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Copy Editor</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - The copy editor looks at grammar, punctuation, and spelling.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Proofreader</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - This is when an editor checks over the final print proof before publishing to catch any final mistakes the copy editor missed.</span></p></li></ol><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Revision starts with plot, with the book as a whole. The focus is to fix the story. Remember that story is more important than writing. The first two layers focus on revising the plot. The second two layers of the writing revision pyramid focus on editing the writing.</span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Writing Statistics</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">According to a survey of nearly 200 writers, the #2 challenge most writers face is not knowing how to revise - or working through the revision process. In addition...</span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">80% of novels are rejected because of poor structure</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">90% of writers fail at the premise</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">90% of novels are rejected on the first page</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">98% of novels are rejected by the end of the first chapter</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Plot is the foundation of a strong story and revising your novel begins with looking at the plot.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">>></span> <a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/bookmark-printable/"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">FREE PLOT ROADMAP AND BOOKMARK</span></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><<</span></h3><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Big Idea #5: Plotting Equals Freedom</span></h1><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Importance of Plotting</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Plot is what keeps people turning the pages and saying things like, “I couldn’t put the book down.” or “I had to find out what happened next.” Plot is the element that keeps people binge-watching TV episodes on Netflix. Remember, without a strong plot, you’ll have a weak story. And without a strong story, you’ll probably never get that book contract.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><blockquote><i>A lot of people think that plot outlines are restrictive, but that’s not true.</i></blockquote></span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A lot of people think that plot outlines are restrictive, but that’s not true at all. When you have the five main plot points, they act as mile markers for you and it can actually give you more freedom to express yourself creatively. Plotting ahead of time equals freedom and extra creativity in your writing.</span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Five Main Plot Points</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Think about the stages of running a race, especially a marathon. This is what it looks like.</span></p><br /><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Signup</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - You get registered for the race.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Gunshot</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - You cross the starting line.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Halfway Point </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- You make it to the midpoint of the race and feel like you can keep going.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Wall </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- You hit the metaphorical “wall” and feel like you can’t keep going any further.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Finish Line</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - You finally reach your goal of crossing the finish line.</span></p></li></ol><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let’s take a look at how you can apply these five main plot points to your novel’s storyline. I’m using the movie, Wonder Woman, as an example.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 365px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="365" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/rahp5B5OUYh2ZYPMseegdFXrnKaB_zdUFx4t5wvPgVxsXIu5qfNngCJR3E5RTbG7NWQpfTHPmoqqxWktYpmWZiuNEzc6SDYwWexKTHOUll0aPNGC_z0vtCbB8K18S3pkFJPCxJxc" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><br /><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Signup</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - Steve Trevor, a spy soldier, crashes his plane into the Amazon island’s invisible forcefield.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Gunshot</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - Diana, aka Wonder Woman, leaves her island home and joins forces with Steve to help end the war.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Halfway Point </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Diana leads the troops through No Man’s Land and she and Steve share a kiss.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Wall </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Diana watches as Steve sacrifices his life for the greater good.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Finish Line</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - Diana defeats Ares and ends the war.</span></p></li></ol><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While this may seem like a simplistic overview of the movie’s storyline, each of these main plot points is strategically placed to make the story’s character arc have growth and provide a satisfying ending about what happens in the story.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When writing your own novel, it’s a lot harder than it looks to get these five main plot points right. But when you do, you’ll have a much greater understanding of where your story is headed and how to get there.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1155cc;">>></span> <a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/writerswhorun-novel-masterclass-reg/" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The 5-Step Method for a Publishable Novel</a> <span style="color: #1155cc;"><<</span></h3><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let’s review the big ideas we’ve covered today.</span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You are a writer. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can do hard and scary things.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Story is more important than writing.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Revision starts with plot.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Plotting equals freedom. </span></p></li></ol><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you’d like to gain a deeper understanding of how to plot a novel, free masterclass, </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>The 5-Step Method for a Publishable Novel</u></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What’s been the most valuable from this Ultimate Guide to Plot Your Novel? <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-ultimate-guide-to-plotting-your.html#comment-form">Let me know in the comments!</a></span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>
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</p></div>Dana Bisbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326844167922795844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-23087420817285447512021-06-10T10:00:00.004-04:002021-11-23T18:16:08.503-05:00Mind and Body: How to Run Longer Distances<div style="display: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TwyzO8g02xc/YMEwtExtH7I/AAAAAAAABkw/8oLkNK4cSywQUWNl9ZqxTacOhkhM9Vt0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/athlete-runner-feet-running-on-road-closeup-on-shoe-woman-fitness-jog-workout-wellness-concept_t20_VKnO4l.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TwyzO8g02xc/YMEwtExtH7I/AAAAAAAABkw/8oLkNK4cSywQUWNl9ZqxTacOhkhM9Vt0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/athlete-runner-feet-running-on-road-closeup-on-shoe-woman-fitness-jog-workout-wellness-concept_t20_VKnO4l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><i>This week’s blog post comes to us from guest blogger, Kristen Susiekna. Thanks so much for sharing your awesome tips. Take it away, Kristin!</i><br /><br />Running, just like writing, is a trick of the mind. It’s a form of endurance few people decide to tackle. Like writing, running invigorates the mind, stimulates the senses, and pushes us to learn along the way. But how do you train your mind and your body to cover new ground? How do you go from running a mile to running 26.2 miles or more? Like writing, does it get better with practice? <div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5QaFBLCqY8s/YMExYgmdwUI/AAAAAAAABk4/RanzkgViygApcNoJRwL6f8RMytai6VXmwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/orange%2Bblog%2B%25281%2529.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5QaFBLCqY8s/YMExYgmdwUI/AAAAAAAABk4/RanzkgViygApcNoJRwL6f8RMytai6VXmwCLcBGAsYHQ/w427-h640/orange%2Bblog%2B%25281%2529.png" width="427" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">In my opinion, to run longer distances, you should concentrate on three aspects:</h2><div><br /></div><ul><li>Strengthen your mind</li><li> Strengthen your body</li><li> Strengthen your determination</li></ul><br />Together these elements can help you achieve running success and enjoy a longer run. Read on to learn more about the process and ways to achieve a new distance goal.
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<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Strengthen Your Mind</h2><br />
Research shows that to run your best you must have <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/02/-use-your-walk-or-run-to-unlock-creativity.html.html">focus</a>. Without it, you may cross a finish line, but maybe not in your goal time or with your mind and body feeling fueled and fulfilled.</div><div><br />
I’ve experienced this often in my running journey. When I first started, I never thought I could run a mile. Five miles felt astronomical, a half marathon a dream, and a marathon truly impossible. Anything beyond that? Well, people didn’t run that far, did they?</div><div><br />
The main issue for me involved the idea of being in my own head for so long uninterrupted. Sure, scenery helped break up the monotony of my thoughts, but what could I possibly think about for that long and longer to make it worthwhile?</div><div><br />
However, the more I learned about running, the more I realized that to run longer distances I needed to think of my mind as a tool. It could help me, if I let it.</div><div><br />
Sometimes, it would stab me or force me to quit. Other times, it bolstered me on my run and helped me achieve paces and goals I never imagined myself doing.</div><div><br />
But how do you strengthen your mind? It comes down to focus and taming that little voice in your head.<br />
In my running, I like to distract myself, divert my attention from the act and think about other things. I find I can do this pretty easily when running with a friend. Conversations flow and make the miles fly.</div><div><br />
However, when by myself, my thoughts become less positive and more centered on every little nuance — my breathing’s too fast, my footfall isn’t midfoot, my arm swing’s too stiff, I’ve only run a quarter mile … the list goes on.</div><div><br />
When I’ve reached this point, I try to bring out my inner cheerleader, picture myself reaching milestones (a branch, a lamp, a house, etc.), or focus on time. These steps allow me to ground myself and motivate me to keep going.</div><div><br />
Another big help for me in strengthening the mind involves speed work. Putting myself in uncomfortable, anxiety-inducing situations forces me to focus on what I’m doing, how I’m doing it, and dig deep. Also, when I reach a cool-down stage, I make sure to congratulate myself on pushing past a limit.</div><div><br />
If you want to strengthen your mind to run longer distances, make sure you’re taking steps to do so. Try to focus on certain parts of your running, run with a friend, or set small goals for yourself throughout a run.
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<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Strengthen Your Body</h2><br />
Your mind is only part of the deal, however. If you want to run longer, strengthen your body too. My favorite way to do this is through speed work, bodyweight training, and planks. </div><div><br /></div><div>We’ve already covered speed work. To summarize: it offers a good avenue to strengthen your muscles, increase your pace, and endure longer mileage by breaking it up into chunks. </div><div><br /></div><div>Bodyweight training, however, works your muscles in other ways. What I like about this type of exercise is that you don’t need any equipment to do it. You just need yourself and about half an hour. Focus on running-related exercises, such as lunging and balancing. Yoga also helps strengthen and relax your muscles. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2020/06/beginner-writers-and-runners-new-to-writing-and-running.html">Planking</a> develops your core strength. You might not know it, but building a strong core can lead to big running gains. You use your core throughout your run. It’s the main body part holding all your other parts together. If you strengthen it, you can become a stronger runner for longer.
<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href=https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/plotroadmap/ style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dx9nhNXcN1U/YJqSeWNHWWI/AAAAAAAAY1w/HTkftzzGd3IvkCNQexBuLrjtlXlC0rbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h244/roadmap-and-bookmark.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Strengthen Your Determination</h2><br />
Finally, to secure your path to longer running, make sure you have the <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2020/06/why-writers-should-read-books.html">determination</a> to do it. Determination is another element of the mind, but it’s also so important to sharpen if you want to meet your goals and endure longer workouts. </div><div><br /></div><div>Try strengthening your determination through:<ul>
<li>Breathing</li>
<li>Reading</li>
<li>Meditating</li></ul>
All of these activities motivate you and help you during your run. For instance, you can use breathing techniques to tackle anxiety that rises up in tough moments of your run. You can read inspirational words from athletes just like you and think of them as you run. You can invent a mantra from meditation to help you focus.
Ultimately, if you have the drive to succeed, the focus to keep going, and the strength to dig deep, you can achieve great things — including running longer distances.</div><div> <br /><i>Kristen Susienka is a freelance fiction book editor and content writer. Her articles have appeared in publications like Fleet Feet Journal and Prime Women Magazine. When she’s not working, she enjoys tackling marathons and mentoring other runners. Visit her <a href="https://www.bookedwithkristen.com/">website</a> or follow her on Twitter: @kristenseditor and Instagram: @kristensedits.</i>
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</p></div>Dana Bisbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326844167922795844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-52063339894979548392021-06-04T00:10:00.002-04:002022-04-28T22:14:14.680-04:00How to Revise Your Story and See it With Fresh Eyes<div style="display: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5iEPt7X8slA/YLlrUlAvYFI/AAAAAAAABi8/ThCwamEahqY6lYB1SMRd5Dg0uaEGOCC3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/laptop-2443052_1920.jpg" /></div></div><i>This week’s blog post comes to us from guest blogger, Alyssa Colton. Thanks so much for sharing. Take it away, Alyssa!</i><div><i><br /></i>Many writers and editors use the terms “revise” and “edit” interchangeably, but I think it’s important to make a distinction between the two terms, even though there is certainly some overlap. First, check out the word revise. It literally means “to see again.” </div><div><br /></div><div>How do you see a piece of writing “again”? We tend to think of <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/05/what-writers-need-to-do-to-tell-a-great-story.html">revising</a> as “fixing it up,” but it might be more helpful to think of it as getting in the muck and playing around. “Revision means making a mess, not straightening up,” advises Heather Sellers, author of <i>Chapter After Chapter</i>. She thinks of revision as simply “making new versions.”<div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="Many writers and editors use the terms “revise” and “edit” interchangeably, but I think it’s important to make a distinction between the two terms, even though there is certainly some overlap." height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sESg9cUUPxA/YLlx0B0qmCI/AAAAAAAABjM/yH6LLcIc7ckGEHAViMk5PdikNsNPiPoKgCLcBGAsYHQ/w427-h640/Pink%2BBlog%2B%25281%2529.png" title="SEE IT AGAIN: How and Why To Revise Your Story" width="427" /></div></div></div><div>
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Revision Tip #1: Take Some Time</h2><br /><b>Take some time. </b>This time-honored technique works because if you’ve been working on a draft closely for some time, taking some time away from it can give you a different perspective. Resist the urge to just get it done and out there. Put it away and do something else for at least a week. In <i>On Writing</i>, Stephen King recommends taking at least six weeks: “Your mind and imagination--two things which are the same, but not really the same--have to recycle themselves, at least in regards to this particular work.”<br />
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<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Revision Tip #2: Start Over</h2><br />
<b>Start over. </b><i>What? I have to completely rewrite it?</i> No, not necessarily. After you’ve taken some time away from your work, DON’T go read it. Instead, think about or journal about what you are trying to do. Think about the major questions, like what your character wants and how she or he goes about getting there. What’s the conflict? What’s the resolution? What are you trying to say? And then start over. If you go and read your work, you might get too caught up in the words on the page. Instead, start a new scene, or perhaps use a different point of view, or just start your first chapter in a different place and see what happens. It’s important here that you don’t just go and edit what’s already there--this is just tinkering. You need to REVISE. At the very least, even if you decide not to keep the new bits, it’s likely to give you some insight into what you’ve already written.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/serve-leadbox/gro24mBv6apsqvfANwMPZL/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dx9nhNXcN1U/YJqSeWNHWWI/AAAAAAAAY1w/HTkftzzGd3IvkCNQexBuLrjtlXlC0rbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h244/roadmap-and-bookmark.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Revision Tip #3: Map It Out</h2><br /><b>Map it out. </b>This is kind of a reverse-outline. Go through and briefly summarize all the scenes. It can be really helpful to do this visually, with index cards or post-it notes on a large board that you can easily move scenes around. I’ve also found using a spreadsheet helpful when trying to figure out how to structure a novel that takes place in two different timelines. If you’ve already done this in the pre-writing stage, now is a good time to take another look at it and see if there are any changes you might make.</div><div><br /><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Revision Tip #4: Imagine Your Story</h2><br /><b>Imagine your story</b> or novel as a play or a movie. What would you change? What would you keep? This can help particularly with <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/04/writers-fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants.html">plotting</a>, if that’s something you struggle with.</div><div><br />
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Revision Tip #5: Read Other Writers</h2><br /><b>Read other writers in your genre. </b>This can also give you ideas of how to change your novel if something isn’t quite working. Take several <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/04/is-writers-block-real-and-what-to-do-about-it.html">examples</a> and study them. How do they begin? How are they structured? What are some commonalities? What might you “borrow” from another writer for your own work? A way of employing point of view, a structural device, a way of handling exposition? By honing your skills in “reading like a writer,” you can learn from the masters. Just play, and see where it takes you. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Top Revision Tips for Writers: RECAP</h2><div>As a quick recap, the five main revision tips to re-see your story are:</div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>
Take some time. </li><li>Start over. </li><li><a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-ultimate-guide-to-plot-your-novel.html">Map it out with a plot</a>. </li><li>Imagine your story. </li><li>Read other writers in your genre.</li></ol></div><div><br />
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</p></div>Dana Bisbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326844167922795844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-63866433798385590512021-05-11T10:18:00.004-04:002022-04-28T22:14:57.877-04:00The First 5 Scenes to Start Your Novel<div style="display: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MgCJym5Fsoo/YJqQcqhefUI/AAAAAAAAY1c/jmkoe6dV98InaRK6FYgNy4aSs4lV1bP-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/people-2594982_1920.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MgCJym5Fsoo/YJqQcqhefUI/AAAAAAAAY1c/jmkoe6dV98InaRK6FYgNy4aSs4lV1bP-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/people-2594982_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div>With these five key scenes, you can begin to write your novel. First you need to be able to define what they are. Once you know your scenes, all you have to do is start writing. You’ll likely still need to <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-ultimate-guide-to-plot-your-novel.html">create a plot outline</a> at some point, but if you’re eager to get started, this should help.<div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BrJMVFcZt8s/YJqROjmhC3I/AAAAAAAAY1k/6FPaWSDfeR8tPjXG00DES5R6jXtAnqZnQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1102/Blue%2BBlog%2B%25287%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BrJMVFcZt8s/YJqROjmhC3I/AAAAAAAAY1k/6FPaWSDfeR8tPjXG00DES5R6jXtAnqZnQCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/Blue%2BBlog%2B%25287%2529.png" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Key Scene #1</h2><br /><div>The first major plot point is what some people would call the inciting incident. This is where something external happens to your main character that sets the story in motion, perhaps the discovery of something new, or the arrival of someone or something.</div><div><br /></div><div>While this is the first major scene and holds a pivotal role in your novel, it is <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2018/09/how-to-write-story-beginnings.html" target="_blank">not the book’s opening scene</a>. Once you write this scene, you can always work your way backward and include the details of your character’s life beforehand.</div><div><br /></div>
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Key Scene #2</h2><br /><div>Next up is what I like to call the gunshot because when you run in a race, the gunshot signals the start of the journey. Yes, many important things must happen after that first scene - before you reach this second main plot point, but this could easily be the second scene you write.</div><div><br /></div><div>This scene could be when your character gets on a boat, a plane, a train, or a car and physically travels to a new location. Not all stories are this explicit, but the scene you write should represent your character beginning a new journey.</div><div><br /></div>
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<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Key Scene #3</h2><br /><div>The third key scene to help you start writing your novel is what happens in the middle of your story. There is likely a key turning point, or a significant action your character takes toward making progress with their goals.</div><div><br /></div><div>It could even be when your character meets an important person. Whatever you decide is the third main plot point for your story will be what scene you write here. At this point, there will be a huge chunk of missing scenes before and after, but try to write something to capture the essence of this scene.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/serve-leadbox/gro24mBv6apsqvfANwMPZL/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="245" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NuKiZtZ1jR8/YJqRZTfLKwI/AAAAAAAAY1o/QWCnNJQamVs9PXOdXDc5YbIy8r1fqJgsgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h245/roadmap-and-bookmark.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Key Scene #4</h2><br /><div>The next major plot point you can write as a scene is when your character hits the wall, so to speak, and is at their lowest point emotionally, and sometimes physically, as well. Oftentimes, characters are trapped or in some way kept from being able to take action.</div><div><br /></div><div>When your character is at the brink of despair and doesn’t know how they’ll move forward, that’s the scene you need to write here - even if you don’t know how they’ll get out of it either.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Key Scene #5</h2><br /><div>The final key scene to help you start writing your novel is the finish line. This is when your character reaches their goal and gets what they want (usually). Even if <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/04/is-writers-block-real-and-what-to-do-about-it.html" target="_blank">you have a bit of writer’s block</a> as to how they’ll arrive at such an ending. </div><div><br /></div><div>Imagine what your character will think, do, and say when they reach their long-awaited goal. How will they feel? Capture this is the finish line scene, much like a runner crossing the finish line of a race.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now that you have your <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-only-5-plot-points-you-need-to.html" target="_blank">five main plot points</a> mapped out - and the key scenes written - it’s time to figure out how your character managed to get from one milemarker to the next.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>
<br /><b>Which scene will YOU write first? </b><a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/05/5-scenes-to-begin-writing-a-novel.html#comment-form" style="font-weight: bold;">Share in the comments!</a><br />
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</p></div>Glory Akohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875106304420286406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-79954733594992717972021-05-05T18:48:00.002-04:002022-04-28T22:15:33.149-04:00Writing vs. Storytelling<div style="display: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wAdeVgWC6Pw/YJMfnYysGxI/AAAAAAAAYuc/9nhMtiVI32Ybe4pfhP5tkNM4Ezjba19UgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/little-red-riding-hood-4766015_1920.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wAdeVgWC6Pw/YJMfnYysGxI/AAAAAAAAYuc/9nhMtiVI32Ybe4pfhP5tkNM4Ezjba19UgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/little-red-riding-hood-4766015_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div>
Which is more important: writing well or telling a great story? They’re almost equally important, but one is slightly more important than the other. I tell writers all the time that there are only two things you need to get published (traditionally). One, to be able to write well. And two, to be able to tell a great story.<div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zglviLuMKVA/YJMfHcspbeI/AAAAAAAAYuU/r-Izdo-ImIgFQX51vtHyP0tXSFnhhDTsQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1102/orange%2Bblog%2B%25284%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zglviLuMKVA/YJMfHcspbeI/AAAAAAAAYuU/r-Izdo-ImIgFQX51vtHyP0tXSFnhhDTsQCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/orange%2Bblog%2B%25284%2529.png" width="426" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Why Do Readers Want to Read?</h2><br /><div>First off, ask yourself why <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2010/06/how-to-study-analyze-or-dissect-picture.html" target="_blank">readers want to read a book</a>. Typically, it’s either to learn something or to be entertained. And since I teach fiction writing, we’ll go with being entertained. Readers don’t want to just be entertained; they want to be able to seamlessly read a book without the words or the story getting in the way. </div><div><br /></div><div>Ever heard the comment “this takes me out of your story”? Yeah, you don’t want that happening. Lots of revisions and a good editor ensure that most published books don’t have scenes and sentences that do that to a reader.</div><div><br /></div><div>If your goal is to write a book that readers actually want to read, all you need to do is tell a great story and write well. Easy peasy, right?</div><div><br /></div>
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<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">The Purpose of Good Writing</h2><br /><div>The <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2016/09/top-10-myths-writers-believe-that-keep.html" target="_blank">purpose of good writing</a> is so a reader can understand what you wrote and either learn from it or be entertained. When you write well, you use good spelling, punctuation, and grammar. You also have good sentence syntax; things make sense and aren’t confusing. </div><div><br /></div><div>Writing well includes varying the length of your sentences, having a good flow with thoughtful cause and effect, and structuring what you want to say in such a way that the reader can easily digest it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even if you have a great story, but your writing sucks, it won’t get published. If your writing only needs a little help (as opposed to a lot), your story still has a chance… if the story holds up. Editors will work with you, of course, but if your writing sucks, it’s gonna be a big fat PASS.</div><div><br /></div>
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<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/serve-leadbox/gro24mBv6apsqvfANwMPZL/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dx9nhNXcN1U/YJqSeWNHWWI/AAAAAAAAY1w/HTkftzzGd3IvkCNQexBuLrjtlXlC0rbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h244/roadmap-and-bookmark.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />
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<br /><br /><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">The Heart of Great Storytelling</h2><br /><div>At the heart of every great story includes interesting and relatable characterization, conflict to challenge them to their very core, and <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-ultimate-guide-to-plot-your-novel.html">a plot full of things that happen for a reason</a>. What happens if you have POOR storytelling skills, but your writing is stellar? That’ll be a pass too.</div><div><br /></div><div>But here’s some hope for you. If your story and writing are “good enough” and the premise is amazing, an editor may just take you on. I’ll be sharing my 4-quadrant matrix of how storytelling and writing go hand in hand in an upcoming webinar called Get Your Story Straight in May 2021.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I’ve been talking a lot about storytelling these last few weeks: <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/03/what-does-it-take-to-be-a-writer.html" target="_blank">are you good enough to be a writer</a>, <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/04/how-to-turn-your-idea-into-a-story.html" target="_blank">story ideas are like seeds</a>, and <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/04/is-writers-block-real-and-what-to-do-about-it.html" target="_blank">how to bust through writer’s block</a>, just to name a few. Because my goal is to help you not only learn how to become a better writer but to also help you tell a great story.</div><br /><b>I’d love to hear about your story! What is your current WIP (work in progress) about? </b><a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/05/what-writers-need-to-do-to-tell-a-great-story.html#comment-form" style="font-weight: bold;">Click here to share a comment.</a><br />
<i><span style="color: #e12e92;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span style="color: #e12e92;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span style="color: #e12e92;">Keep on keepin' on...</span></i><br />
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</p></div>Glory Akohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875106304420286406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-90270697342700921112021-04-27T19:06:00.031-04:002021-11-23T18:35:48.967-05:00Time Blocking for Writers<div style="display: none;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="1280" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2K4hk2B4dDA/YIiGXi-WrAI/AAAAAAAACrQ/j7vB84KmvT4ynlIwLgadlaTMbHHrz9CugCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/school-work-851328_1280.jpg" width="320" /></div>
The #1 challenge most writers face is having enough time to write. Yes, we all have the same 24 hours in a day. And yes, we don’t “find time”, we “make time” for what’s important to us. Is your writing time a priority for you? <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div>Or are you like most writers… still struggling to find a way to squeeze more writing time into your life? Here are three simple things to think about when trying to fit more time to write into your day.
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<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Where Will You Write?</h2>
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Most writers will eventually find or create a rhythm that works for them, but this question is something important to consider. Maybe you steal moments of time throughout your day such as the car line, the doctor’s office, a bus ride, your kid’s soccer game, even standing in line at the grocery store. I mean ANY writing is better than NO writing, so definitely steal what you can - when you can - and where you can.
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But the important thing is to <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2010/03/consistency-is-key.html">be consistent</a>. Because if you’re always writing in a different place (and at different times), it’s harder to get the momentum going. The question to take your writing to the next level is, “Where will you write?”
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Having a dedicated place to write every day, week after week will help you become more consistent. Will you write in bed? On the couch? Outside in a hammock? At your office desk on the computer? On a laptop? In a notebook? At the kitchen table? In your child’s closet?
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Choose a comfortable place. Make it special. Decorate it with pictures, writerly quotes, and things that inspire you. Have books, pens, highlighters, and plenty of paper handy. And when it’s time to write, go there. Take a deep breath. Smile. And do some writing.
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<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">When Will You Write?</h2>
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If you’re like me, you wish you could block off 2-3 hours a day to write. That’s my ultimate dream. One day…
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In the meantime, I know it’s important to write when I can (see above). But I also want to make my time more focused and productive, so it definitely helps to set aside a specific time to write. The hard part is sticking to it. But consistency makes it easier over time. Remember that your writing is important, so make it a priority.
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Ask yourself how much time you can spare in a day or a week. Twenty minutes a day? Two hours once a week? What feels good to you? Schedule it and show up! Right now, I write on Tuesday nights from 8 to 10 pm. The trick is to not overschedule yourself. Be generous with kindness. But definitely schedule something.
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<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Getting Clear on Your Goals</h2>
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Lastly, once you know where you’ll be writing, and when you’ll be writing, think about your goal. There are basically two ways to measure it. You can write for time or you can write for distance (word count).
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When I run, I often <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-write-one-day-at-time.html">set a time goal</a> (30 minutes), or a distance goal (3 miles), but not usually a speed goal (3 miles in 30 minutes). While speed workouts are great, that’s not how I do it. With writing, I never sit down and say, “I want to write 2,000 words in the next hour.” It’s always one or the other. I choose a word count goal or a time goal.
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A third option is to have a scene goal. You write until the scene is finished, no matter how long it takes or how many words it takes. Sometimes I do this when I know I have more time and won’t be stressed about it.
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It’s not a bad thing to stop mid-scene though. It keeps the fire alive and the momentum going. Just jot down a sentence or two (if that’s helpful) and what you want to accomplish with your next writing session.
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Before long, you’ll see how having a set time and place to write will help you be more consistent with your writing. And oftentimes, you’ll end up squeezing even more writing sessions into your week.
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<b>QUESTION: </b><br />
What’s your favorite place to write? <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/04/how-to-get-more-writing-time-in-your-day.html#comment-form">Let me know in the comments!</a></div>
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</p></div>Christie Wright Wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13656162315858480593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-13182209297903381672021-04-21T23:09:00.008-04:002022-04-28T22:16:05.880-04:00Are You a Pantser or a Plotter?<div style="display: none;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I2rKyRGJ5WU/YIDiQJE7PbI/AAAAAAAACq8/YpbUOn7hIXYXninzljA9YWwlE74D4aiYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/breitling-wingwalkers-1541692_640.jpg" width="320" /></div>
If you’ve been around the writing world for any time at all, you’ve probably heard about the great debate of panster vs. plotter. If you’ve never been asked if you’re a pantser or a plotter, you might be new to writing. And no, we’re not talking about pulling someone’s pants down. We’re talking about how writers approach their writing. Do you plan? Or do you fly by the seat of your pants?
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UJUpXPq9ZLU/YIDlBE9v1EI/AAAAAAAACrE/Fjuqy9X6ypsNl1AyhyNl_CWKzIRFxQbegCLcBGAsYHQ/s1102/Blue%2BBlog%2B%25282%2529.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Writers who write by the seat of their pants are called pantsers." border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UJUpXPq9ZLU/YIDlBE9v1EI/AAAAAAAACrE/Fjuqy9X6ypsNl1AyhyNl_CWKzIRFxQbegCLcBGAsYHQ/s600/Blue%2BBlog%2B%25282%2529.png" /></a></div>
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Pantser</h2><div><br /></div>
In the 1930s, pilots coined the term “fly by the seat of your pants,” which likely originated in the UK since there are several instances of this American idiom that have been known to use the word “trousers,” which is totally a British thing. <div><br /></div><div>Basically, it came about right around the time that instrument panels started to become a thing for airplanes. But most pilots of the era flew airplanes with little to no instrument panels. They had to fly “blind” and to use their gut instincts to fly by the seat of their pants. </div><div><br /></div><div>In writing, this means that a writer just writes. It’s an adventure to see where they end up. They trust their gut, and just go with it. In essence, they are flying by the seat of their pants, hence the term “pantser”. They don’t have a fancy instrument panel to help guide the journey (<a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-ultimate-guide-to-plot-your-novel.html">a plot outline</a>). They may not even know <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2020/06/how-to-write-best-ending-for-your-story.html">how the story is going to end</a>. And that’s okay too.
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;"><br /></h2><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Plotter</h2><div><br /></div>
A writer who claims to be a plotter is someone who loves outlining every last detail. They know what scenes are in each chapter. They might have a character worksheet filled out for each of their characters and know how the book will end. Perhaps it’s one way to counteract the fear of <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/04/is-writers-block-real-and-what-to-do-about-it.html">writer’s block</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pantsers claim that plotters have no fun. Plotters claim that pantsers will take 10 years to finish a book. There’s no right or wrong way to approach your writing. While plotters may take more time up front to plan the book, pantsers take more time on the back end with revisions. Either way, it still takes about the same amount of time to write a book and get your story straight.<div>
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<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://christiewrightwild.lpages.co/serve-leadbox/gro24mBv6apsqvfANwMPZL/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dx9nhNXcN1U/YJqSeWNHWWI/AAAAAAAAY1w/HTkftzzGd3IvkCNQexBuLrjtlXlC0rbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h244/roadmap-and-bookmark.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />
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<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">Can You Be Both?</h2><div><br /></div>
In recent years, a new term has been coined: a “plantser”. That’s a writer who takes a middle-of-the-road approach. I like to call them planners. Basically, it’s someone who starts with the end in mind, has a couple of main characters, and generally works through the plot ahead of time, but not down to the last detail of every chapter and every scene. </div><div><br /></div><div>Being a planner (or plantser) is my favorite approach. You get the best of both worlds. Because when you plot out your <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-only-5-plot-points-you-need-to.html">five main plot points</a>, you’re posting your milestones out ahead of time and you always know what’s coming next. Yes, even the ending. And since you’re not planning every last detail, you’re free to explore different pathways to get to your next milestone, keeping the fun aspect fully alive. </div><div><br /></div><div>After all, isn’t that what keeps a writer going… the fact that we actually enjoy it? So, if planning out the <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/p/plot-arc-library.html">basic story structure</a> of your novel is helpful to keep the fun factor alive (while also being organized and helping you feel a little bit in control), then let’s do THAT all day long! </div><div><br /></div><div><b>QUESTION</b>: If you had to choose one or the other, what side do you lean a little closer to? Are you 100% pantser or 100% plotter? I’m 85% plotter. What about you? <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/04/writers-fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants.html#comment-form">Let me know in the comments</a>!</div><div>
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</p></div>Christie Wright Wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13656162315858480593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-73142683921798990372021-04-13T14:12:00.003-04:002022-04-28T22:17:00.753-04:00How to Bust Through Writer's Block… for Good<div style="display: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gwwR3OxH03M/YHXdjr50z1I/AAAAAAAAYdE/Ehc_Qs180Usghe2pWtdCY-uNUq6alD4agCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/axe-984008_1920.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gwwR3OxH03M/YHXdjr50z1I/AAAAAAAAYdE/Ehc_Qs180Usghe2pWtdCY-uNUq6alD4agCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/axe-984008_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Yes, Virginia, Writer’s Block is real. It comes when you least expect it, when you round a corner of doubt, or when you’re excitedly working toward the end of your story. But how can you chisel your way out of this problematic writer’s block and turn it into an exquisite wooden statue of a bear, an angelic ice sculpture, or your own marble masterpiece?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dZFi_Kj7g6A/YHXefEhYKKI/AAAAAAAAYdM/niclHYsidmIy2RoYS6MQAmtx1YA7fZRQACLcBGAsYHQ/s1102/orange%2Bblog%2B%25283%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dZFi_Kj7g6A/YHXefEhYKKI/AAAAAAAAYdM/niclHYsidmIy2RoYS6MQAmtx1YA7fZRQACLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/orange%2Bblog%2B%25283%2529.png" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<h2><span style="color: #5cbc00;">How Do You Define Writer’s Block?</span></h2><div><div><br /></div><div><div>There are two camps of thought when it comes to Writer’s Block: either you believe it exists or you believe it is hogwash. But that depends on how you define it.</div><div><br /></div><div>The basic <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2017/10/how-to-overcome-writers-block.html" target="_blank">definition of Writer’s Block</a> is when a writer feels unable or uninspired to write or continue writing. </div><div><br /></div><div>Does this exist? Do writers ever feel uninspired or unable to continue writing or to start a new project? Absolutely!</div><div><br /></div><div>Or is it just a bunch of hogwash? Is it all because a writer is being lazy?</div><div><br /></div><div>There are two types of writer’s block - based on why it happens in the first place. And both camps of thought can peacefully coexist in the world of writing.</div></div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>
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Reasons Why Writer’s Block Happens</h2><div><br /></div><div><div>There are two reasons why a writer faces Writer’s Block. </div><div><br /></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>It’s an excuse to not write. You’re being lazy. There’s something unpleasant about the imminent writing task placed before you that is making you procrastinate it. This reason is what leads many to believe that Writer’s Block is a myth - pure hogwash.</li><li>You’re facing a problem in your writing that you’re struggling to solve. All writers solve problems every time they add a new chapter, a new character, a new action, or start revising their stories. You can’t always simply “write through it.” This reason often requires reflection, deep thought, and different options to try out in order to bust through the mental block.</li></ol></div><div><br /></div><div>So if you believe that Writer’s Block doesn’t exist, you’re right (if you’re <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2014/02/writers-who-run-destination.html" target="_blank">procrastinating</a> or just being lazy). And if you believe that Writer’s Block does exist, you are also right! Either way, there is a solution to help you cure your Writer’s Block woes.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><h2><span style="color: #5cbc00;">Three Things to Help Counteract Writer’s Block</span></h2><div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, Virginia, there <i>is </i>a cure for Writer’s Block. How do you bust through that tough block of wood in the backyard of your brain? While there are many <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2017/10/how-to-overcome-writers-block.html" target="_blank">things you can do to help combat this common writing problem</a>, these are the three best ways to bust through your mental blocks:</div><div><br /></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Brainstorm</b>. You can brainstorm out loud with others or brainstorm silently on paper all by yourself. Either way, brainstorming is a powerful way to help you see more options. When you see <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-ultimate-guide-to-plot-your-novel.html">several paths laid out before you</a>, it’s much easier to take a single step - a leap of faith - than when you are staring at a brick wall thinking you have to somehow figure out how to scale it.</li><li><b>Run (or walk)</b>. Running (and of course walking too), is a proven method with science to back it up to help a person become (and stay) more creative. Even horseback riding works! Sure, doing chores or mindlessly watching TV can help switch your brain’s airwaves and trigger a new thought the next time you return to your writing, but running is magical. It has to do with CSF, or Cerebrospinal Fluid. It’s a clear liquid that runs through the spinal cord to the brain, which stimulates neurological reactions. So go for a run!</li><li><b>Go to a writing retreat</b>. If you’re facing a funk due to lack of inspiration, a writing retreat works wonders. <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2016/06/whats-difference-between-workshop.html" target="_blank">Workshops and conferences are good too</a>, but a retreat is my favorite. If you’re struggling with revisions, a writing retreat can provide you with fellow writers to give you personal feedback in real life. A writing retreat can provide you with inspiration, collaboration, feedback, learning, and so much more. Find out about the <a href="http://www.writerswhorun.com/" target="_blank">Writers Who Run Retreat</a> and get added to the waitlist for 2023.</li></ol></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><b>QUESTION: How often do you take your writing with you when you head out for a jaunt? Share about a time when it helped solve one of your plot problems. </b><a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/04/is-writers-block-real-and-what-to-do-about-it.html#comment-form" style="font-weight: bold;">Share your comment here.</a></div><div><b><br /></b>
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</p></div>Glory Akohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875106304420286406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-54353232649749005652021-04-06T22:01:00.002-04:002022-04-28T22:17:36.395-04:00Story Ideas Are Like Seeds<div style="display: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CDzx008rBnA/YG0SR0cTvfI/AAAAAAAAYLk/hIRyIjU61lQNX_CPkhM84knMZZL7tNgwACLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/plants-2411458_1920.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CDzx008rBnA/YG0SR0cTvfI/AAAAAAAAYLk/hIRyIjU61lQNX_CPkhM84knMZZL7tNgwACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/plants-2411458_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">You can start a story with a nugget of an idea. Story ideas are like seeds; nurture them and they will grow. Just like humans, plants have a few basic necessities for life - air and water being the two most basic. When you plant a seed, it needs soil, water, sunlight, and air in order to thrive and grow. Stories are no different. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Stories need four basic ingredients to grow from an idea into a story. You don’t need to have a green thumb to make a seed (or your story ideas) grow, you just need to know that <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/03/what-does-it-take-to-be-a-writer.html" target="_blank">you are good enough to be a writer</a>. And to be patient in the process. Stories (and plants) take time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ePeJ5I0818U/YG0QMYBjjpI/AAAAAAAAYLc/JbcQKVgmoWQpZU3anDNYWBF6xXj0huClACLcBGAsYHQ/s1102/Pink%2BBlog.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ePeJ5I0818U/YG0QMYBjjpI/AAAAAAAAYLc/JbcQKVgmoWQpZU3anDNYWBF6xXj0huClACLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/Pink%2BBlog.png" width="426" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<h2><span style="color: #5cbc00;">Character is the Soil</span></h2><div><div><br /></div><div>It’s not that hard to start building a story - even if you only have a snippet of an idea. Your idea needs a place to live. First, think about who your story might be about and <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2018/10/a-character-with-no-goal-is-as-boring.html" target="_blank">create a character</a>. What kind of strengths and weaknesses might your character have? Once you know who will be in your story interacting with each other, it’s time to give them some water and make them do something.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>
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Plot is the Water</h2><div><br /></div><div>When you water a seed planted in soil, it gets excited. <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-ultimate-guide-to-plot-your-novel.html">Plot is what your characters will do</a> during the story. <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2018/10/plot-your-novel-course.html" target="_blank">Plot is basically what happens</a> during your story. What kinds of things will your characters need to do to reach their goal? Once you have some characters and a simple plot, you can flesh it out later.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><h2><span style="color: #5cbc00;">Conflict is the Sunlight</span></h2><div><div><br /></div><div><div>Next up is a little sunlight. Or in the case of a conflict analogy, probably some shade too. Conflict is the thing that stands in the way of your character reaching their goal. Conflict is what helps make your story more interesting. Ever heard the phrase, “Put your character up in a tree and throw rocks at him”? Conflict makes it hard on your character, which is what makes it interesting and the reader has someone to root for. If it’s too easy, then the story is boring.</div><div><br /></div><div>As far as fleshing out your seedling of an idea, a good brainstorming session or a little help from a fellow writer might be all you need to get the ball rolling with more ideas before you start to feel like you actually have a great story idea. Just remember to make life hard for your character. Even a tiny seedling has to work to push through the soil and burst into the sunlight. (So maybe the soil should be the conflict?)</div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><h2><span style="color: #5cbc00;">Theme is the Air</span></h2><div><div><br /></div><div><div>Lastly, you need a theme if you want your story to matter. Usually, the theme emerges as you write multiple drafts. You can technically start a story without a theme because, like I said, it often emerges later. The theme is basically what an editor is thinking about when they ask, “What’s the point of the story?” </div><div><br /></div><div>You already know how to write a story. I just wanted to remind you that the idea doesn’t have to be fleshed out in stone to pursue it. In fact, ALL stories start with a seedling of an idea. As you slowly add a little character, a little plot, a little conflict, and a little theme, your story will begin to take shape and pretty soon, you’ll be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.</div></div></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div><br /></div></div><br /></div><b>QUESTION: How many ideas do you get in a day, a week, a month? </b><a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/04/how-to-turn-your-idea-into-a-story.html#comment-form" style="font-weight: bold;">Share your comment here.</a></div><div><b><br /></b>
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</p></div>Glory Akohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875106304420286406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-24900715512271177172021-03-31T21:46:00.003-04:002021-03-31T21:49:03.277-04:00Are You Good Enough to Be a Writer?<div style="display: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aeZY1k8Nfiw/YGUlVf7r5dI/AAAAAAAAYCg/kYQmkcDAsfkKXcq04Wkreq3f3mFMDD7NQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/writing-923882_1920.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aeZY1k8Nfiw/YGUlVf7r5dI/AAAAAAAAYCg/kYQmkcDAsfkKXcq04Wkreq3f3mFMDD7NQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/writing-923882_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7342745e-7fff-7c7d-9a60-33d63255c9a2"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To write or not to write? That is the question. One of a writer’s biggest fears or roadblocks is wondering if they are good enough to be a writer. While some people may try to discourage you, I say, “Go for it!” There’s only three things you need to be a writer.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dAq0jhR-7Xk/YGUgSZgjrZI/AAAAAAAAYCQ/pThTSX41xdoLU6Hg_Ldo-dyeb9mx-5ErgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1102/Blue%2BBlog%2B%25286%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dAq0jhR-7Xk/YGUgSZgjrZI/AAAAAAAAYCQ/pThTSX41xdoLU6Hg_Ldo-dyeb9mx-5ErgCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/Blue%2BBlog%2B%25286%2529.png" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<h2><span style="color: #5cbc00;">You LIKE to Write</span></h2><div><div><br /></div><div>If you’re anything like me, you’ve been writing since you were a child. Writing makes you feel good. There are things we do because we have to. And then there are things we do because we want to. Writing, I hope, is the latter for you. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you like to write, whether or not you actually do any writing, makes you good enough to be a writer. Or at least in the very beginning. Because wanting to write is half the battle. But you won’t get any better at writing if you never do it.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you go to a <a href="http://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2016/06/whats-difference-between-workshop.html">writing conference, workshop, or retreat</a>, you will definitely be inspired to keep writing. So if you like to write, do it! And remember, you are good enough.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>
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You DO Write</h2><div><br /></div><div><div>Writing, like anything else, takes practice. It takes a lifetime to master your craft. If you take the time to write, even if it’s sporadic, or only once a month, then you’re good enough to be a writer. Because you’re actually doing it!</div><div><br /></div><div>Doing something you love, like writing, makes it easier to take the criticism. <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2017/05/getting-your-manuscript-critiqued-is.html" target="_blank">Critiques</a> are pretty much necessary as a writer to become better. You might have a good cry after your first one, but it will make you a better writer.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><h2><span style="color: #5cbc00;">You’re Willing to Learn and Put in the Work</span></h2><div><div><div><br /></div><div>So you call yourself a writer? If you like to write and you take the time to write, then you can call yourself a writer. And the best part? You don’t even have to be good at it!</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, taking the time to put words on paper will make you a better writer. But eventually you’ll want to take your writing to the next level. Aside from merely writing a lot.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ever heard of continuing education classes or being a lifelong learner? Yep, writers do it too! Read books, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/101-Fun-Creative-Writing-Exercises/dp/B08XZGLBWN/" target="_blank">buy craft books</a>, take writing classes, join a critique group. Do “all the things” to take yourself seriously as a writer and to learn from everyone you meet in the industry. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you ever get to the point where you think you know it all, you don’t. Nobody does. Keep writing. Remind yourself why you love it. And always continue to learn and grow. Because you are good enough to be a writer.</div></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div><br /></div></div><br /></div><b>QUESTION: What’s one of your favorite craft books? Not one that’s popular that you only know of because everybody talks about it, but one you’ve actually read and used. </b><a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/03/what-does-it-take-to-be-a-writer.html#comment-form" style="font-weight: bold;">Share your comment here.</a></div><div><b><br /></b>
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</p></div>Glory Akohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875106304420286406noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-24058052840033070342021-03-24T21:54:00.000-04:002021-03-24T21:54:14.422-04:00Staying Afloat With Walking and Writing<div style="display: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XcQ8OhFo3lo/YFvqOIxa21I/AAAAAAAAX2w/e3DXDgbX3QUQFoBTBNC_UP9MawxXssNuACLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/maui-2729958_1920.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XcQ8OhFo3lo/YFvqOIxa21I/AAAAAAAAX2w/e3DXDgbX3QUQFoBTBNC_UP9MawxXssNuACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/maui-2729958_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><i>This week’s blog post comes to us from guest blogger, Lacey ‘Crazdwriter’ Gordon. Thanks so much for sharing your story about how walking and writing kept you sane during great difficulties in your life. Take it away, Lacey!</i><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>I began writing short stories and poems back in high school, but back then I never knew how my writing would save me from heartache and loss in the future. I was just a teenager trying to find a new outlet for this sudden onslaught of new ideas and characters who seem to pop up out of nowhere thanks to my love of reading and thanks to one of my teachers who taught a writing seminar. </div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, there were other English classes that I enjoyed, but this class was strictly about writing and I loved it. I continued to write through the years, nothing too serious until my husband and I married in 2007. My dreams of becoming published and seeing my books on bookshelves in bookstores or being sold online was a dream I wanted to pursue, and while being stationed in Hawaii with my husband, I had plenty of time to write while working as a Preschool teacher.</div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hS6T2A5e_QA/YFvsVZv_uAI/AAAAAAAAX24/hmWd7yS7sDoo5yhXQaQhMZIM2SSSBzR9QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1102/orange%2Bblog%2B%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hS6T2A5e_QA/YFvsVZv_uAI/AAAAAAAAX24/hmWd7yS7sDoo5yhXQaQhMZIM2SSSBzR9QCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/orange%2Bblog%2B%25282%2529.png" width="426" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<h2><span style="color: #5cbc00;">My Husband Was Deployed</span></h2><div><div><br /></div><div>My husband, Ryan, is in the Navy and was deployed most of our first year married and my first year living away from home. I did go hiking and did a few things alone, but having no family or friends on the island and my husband gone on a ship for months on end, my only companion was a kitten my husband adopted for me on my birthday and the characters I created inside my head. I ended up adopting another kitten before my husband came back from deployment, so I had two sweet kittens who loved to “help” me write, meaning they would sit on my notebooks or hide my pens, or even lay down on the computer’s keyboard. </div><div><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div><div>After Hawaii, we were stationed in California, my home state, and once again I dabbled in writing but things picked up a bit more since we had friends and my family here, plus working, plus going out and doing things with my husband. My writing just sort of fell on the back burner and even though I still wrote, I wasn’t giving it my full attention like I should have been. I regret not having been more into my writing back then, but I’m truly grateful to have it still as a constant in my life.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>
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Walking Through Miscarriages</h2><div><br /></div><div><div>I didn’t get into walking until later on when we moved from the Anaheim area down to the Oceanside area. I felt so alive when walking around, especially when I walked from our condo down to the ocean, which was a good 3 miles round trip. Ryan and I would walk along the beach, hand in hand, watching the waves, and enjoying the cool ocean breeze. Or I would walk to the library down there and just sit and be around the books, still wishing that my books were on those shelves, being picked by curious readers. </div><div><br /></div><div>During some of these walks, we would talk about having our own family, and we decided that it was time to start trying for our first child. Unfortunately, we had issues the first year, and we suffered with two miscarriages in the year of 2012. My heart sank every month and then broke when we were struck by the miscarriages. My husband was hurting too, but he did everything he could to be the strong one for me. They sent me to an infertility doctor in the military to see if he could find out what was wrong with me. My husband’s tests and my tests both came back normal, so why was I suffering from miscarriages?</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">
Looking for a Life Buoy</h2><div><br /></div><div><div>When I felt like I couldn’t take anymore, I turned back to my writing, grasping onto it as if it were a life buoy that will help keep me afloat. I dove into my Fantasy, my Horror, my Mystery, even my Young Adult, causing mayhem and havoc for my characters and bringing magic and love into their lives depending on the genre I wrote, writing anything to keep my mind from swirling with sadness. My heart felt heavy, and I knew that if I didn’t pull myself out, I would enter a dark place that I did not want to go, so my writing, my walking, and my husband became my closest life buoys. Sure, I had family and friends, but I felt that they didn’t fully understand the pain I was going through. I hated going to baby showers, but my mom said I had to go, not truly understanding how much my heart ached. </div><div><br /></div><div>I found a group of women at a Preschool I worked for in 2012 at Coast Kids Preschool in Carlsbad. I felt so at home. Their faith and their love pushed me forward, helping put a smile back on my face, and they pushed me, like my husband does, to continue my writing and not giving up on having a family. When I had break times, I would find a quiet place and just write. The other teachers I worked with would ask me how it was going, how I was doing, and how my writing was going too. While working there, we suffered from a third miscarriage and my hopes of having children fell even further; the darkness threatening to overwhelm me. I clung to my husband; I clung to my walking; I clung to the women at Coast Kids, and mostly I clung to my writing.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><h2><span style="color: #5cbc00;">Rainbows on the Horizon</span></h2><div><br /></div><div><div>I still write to this day, still working on becoming a published author, whether traditionally or through self-publishing. I walk mostly every day when I can, completing virtual races through a great website, <a href="https://yes.fit/">https://yes.fit/</a>, but my walking has turned into riding a stationary bike right now because of Covid. I still have the best husband at my side who pushes me to write and exercise as I push him to better himself and to help him through his dark times right now of his own onslaught of health issues. I do not work with the ladies at Coast Kids anymore, but I still chat with them from time to time and they are still telling me to keep writing. And my cheering section has grown a bit more with not just one rainbow baby, but two. We suffered from a fourth miscarriage back in 2017, but the following year we welcomed our second rainbow daughter, our first rainbow daughter gracing us with her presence in 2013.</div><div><br /></div><div>If it wasn’t for my husband, friends, family, walking, and most importantly my writing, I don’t know where I would be at this moment. Depressed, alone, stuck in a dark hole most likely, but thankfully I am not. I still mourn for my four angel babies, but I am stronger because of other aspects in my life, though I never go a day without thinking about them. And now my views of becoming published have changed as well. Yes, I still want to see my books on those shelves in bookstores or being sold online, but now I want to show my two girls that their dreams can come true with hard work and perseverance. Walking isn’t just for exercising, it can also help your ideas flow more freely. Keep walking when you can. And don’t give up on your writing dreams.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>Thanks again, Lacey, for sharing your story. I experienced one miscarriage myself and I can attest to how difficult they are. I can’t imagine going through four. I’m glad you had friends and family to help you through it, and like you said, your buoys of walking and writing.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Lacey Gordon, aka Crazdwriter, is a stay-at-home mom to two beautiful daughters, a proud Navy wife, and a writer striving to become published. You can find her online at <a href="https://bloggingwithcrazdwriter.com/" target="_blank">Blogging With Crazdwriter</a>, on Twitter @crazdwriter1, and on Instagram @crazdwriter. </div><div><br /></div></div><br /></div><b>Have you experienced a time when your run or walk unlocked your creativity? <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/03/staying-afloat-with-walking-and-writing.html
#comment-form">Share your comment here.</a></b></div><div><b><br /></b>
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Miss a recent blog post? Read more below...
</p></div>Glory Akohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875106304420286406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071530951319652632.post-64201222560808314922021-03-17T11:28:00.002-04:002021-11-23T18:41:40.743-05:00READ-4-LUCK: Saffron Ice Cream by Rashin Kheiriyeh <div style="display: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="514" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-viO2ogvk8J4/YE_v3mb7U6I/AAAAAAAAXpY/POowKGsaYuopDajxTJyvu8RGUCmL0f_-gCLcBGAsYHQ/w346-h400/saffron%2Bice%2Bcream%2Bimage.png" width="346" /></div>
This book review comes to us from children’s author, Lois Wickstrom. Thanks for introducing us to a cross-cultural beach experience!<br /><br />READ-4-LUCK includes a book recommendation, book review, teaching tip, and writing lesson for children, parents, teachers, and writers. <br />
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<img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /> <b>1 Clover:</b> Not bad. Might read twice.<br />
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<img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /> <b>2 Clovers:</b> Fun read first few times. Would get from library again.<br />
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<img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /> <b>3 Clovers:</b> Very enjoyable. Wouldn't mind owning a copy.<br />
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<img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /> <b>4 Clovers:</b> Multiple readings please! May just have to buy it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-viO2ogvk8J4/YE_v3mb7U6I/AAAAAAAAXpY/POowKGsaYuopDajxTJyvu8RGUCmL0f_-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s594/saffron%2Bice%2Bcream%2Bimage.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="514" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-viO2ogvk8J4/YE_v3mb7U6I/AAAAAAAAXpY/POowKGsaYuopDajxTJyvu8RGUCmL0f_-gCLcBGAsYHQ/w346-h400/saffron%2Bice%2Bcream%2Bimage.png" width="346" /></a></div><br />
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<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">
Summary of Saffron’s Ice Cream</h2>
<br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-998ad943-7fff-e780-8d55-6c84c107b8a2"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author/Illustrator: </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Saffron-Ice-Cream-Rashin-Kheiriyeh/dp/1338150529" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rashin Kheiriyeh</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Publisher: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arthur A. Levine Books</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Year: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2018</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Age: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4-8</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Topic: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">beach, ice cream, music, friends</span></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Theme: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">social situations, cross-cultural experiences
<b>Summary: </b><br /></span></span><div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-1884c460-7fff-2c87-aacd-a4830ef2b42c"><div style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Rashin is excited about her first visit to the beach in her family's new home. On the way there, she remembers what beach trips were like in Iran, the beautiful Caspian Sea, the Persian music, and most of all, the saffron ice cream she shared with her best friend, Azadeh. But there are wonderful things in this new place as well -- a subway train, exciting music... and maybe even a new friend!”</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">
Rating for Children</h2>
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />3 CLOVERS: Very enjoyable. Wouldn't mind owning a copy.</span><div><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /> <span id="docs-internal-guid-3d0aa058-7fff-dd22-3054-a53a45f80d79"></span><br />
<br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-e60e1f00-7fff-4b4c-184c-0c3e48341f48"><div style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Saffron Ice Cream</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is the story of a girl named Rashin, just like the author of this book. Rashin has just moved to Brooklyn from Iran. This book is about the differences a child would notice between her new life and her old one.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">
Rating for Parents</h2>
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>2 CLOVERS: Fun read the first few times. Would get from the library again.</span></div><div><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /> <br />
<br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-c5cddf1f-7fff-f961-e72f-7ea871d8e927"><div style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She used to have to ride in the family car for five hours to get to the beach. Now, she can just hop on the subway with her family, and arrive in less than an hour. She used to have to go to the women’s side of the curtain at the beach, while her father and brother stayed on the men’s side. Now, there is no curtain. She used to have lots of rules about how to behave at the beach. Now the rules are simple. 1) Stay in sight of your parents and the lifeguard. 2) Have fun. </span></div><br /><div style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The most important difference: She used to eat saffron flavored ice cream at the beach. Now she doesn’t recognize any of the flavors. An American girl recommends Chocolate Crunch. Rashin discovers she likes the new flavor. The new ice cream is symbolic of her new life – different – but she likes it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">
Rating for Teachers</h2>
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>3 CLOVERS: Very enjoyable. Wouldn't mind owning a copy.</span></div><div>
<img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /> <br />
<br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-bae3ba65-7fff-9281-c4f9-5e22fc99522e"><div style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The illustrations are colorful folk-art. This is a gentle introduction to the immigrant experience. The book is totally appropriate for libraries and classrooms. The events will lead to useful discussions if presented at story time.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>
<h2 style="color: #5cbc00;">
Rating for Writers</h2>
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>2 CLOVERS: Fun read the first few times. Would get from the library again.</span></div><div>
<div style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="16" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei1cTAhhfSg/W8UzwcGLqrI/AAAAAAAACFI/9efF5k3mFB4044yh3lGT2TexrXBxKS5WwCLcBGAs/s1600/luckyclover.jpg" /> <br /></div><div style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />Some people complain that this book is political. Immigration is a political act. Much of what we take for granted as American culture is political, like men and women swimming together at the beach. </span><span id="docs-internal-guid-3f8a1b0f-7fff-10af-5f4b-b6b10287dac9"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a child, I moved from Iowa to California. I experienced culture shock. Different fashions. Different foods at the grocery stores. Rashin’s culture shock is more jarring than I experienced. Children will benefit from learning that the world is not the same everywhere.</span><span id="docs-internal-guid-3f8a1b0f-7fff-10af-5f4b-b6b10287dac9"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thank you, Lois, for this book review!</span><span id="docs-internal-guid-3f8a1b0f-7fff-10af-5f4b-b6b10287dac9"><br /></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-3f8a1b0f-7fff-10af-5f4b-b6b10287dac9"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lois Wickstrom is a retired science teacher. She has self-published over three dozen children’s picture books. You can find them on </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lois-Wickstrom/e/B001KC4A0S" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amazon</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> or on her website, </span><a href="https://www.lookunderrocks.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Look Under Rocks</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></span></div>
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<b>Got a book you'd like to recommend? Or one you want me to review? <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2021/03/read-4-luck-saffron-ice-cream.html">Share in the comments!</a></b><br />
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You might also like: <a href="https://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com/2018/10/porcupines-pie-laura-renauld.html">Preschool, Passion, and Prickly Porcupines, an Interview with Picture Book Author, Laura Renauld</a><br />
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<h3 style="color: #ff8100; text-align: center;">
How to Analyze a Picture Book with a Story Board</h3>
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