Handy Dandy & A Fun Giveaway

I love this handy wristlet key fob. As a mom, keeping my hands free is a huge help. When I've tried to go without it, I have trouble finding my keys at home and even left them sitting on the checkout counter of a store. 

When I asked my friend Kimbra to make me a new one in this fun fabric, she ended up making two-so I've decided to give the other one away to one of my awesome blog readers.

To enter the drawing, just tell me what handy dandy thing you wouldn't want to live without. 

Tee Ball Lessons

My four-year-old is on his first tee ball team this year. It has been fun (and sometimes painful) to watch him and his teammates learn and grow throughout the season. And there is nothing cuter than little four and five-year-olds in uniforms. But overall, I think this season has taught me more than it has taught my son. 

My son did a great job hitting the ball, but the other team got him out on first base, which is a bummer because running the bases is his favorite part of the game. The first base coach told him he needed to go to the dugout on the other side of the field. Instead of going straight to the dugout, my boy decided he would run the bases anyway. LOL. No one seemed to mind waiting a few extra seconds for him to round second and third base before joining his teammates.

Lesson: Don't let rejection stop you or take the fun out of what you're doing.

On Thursday we had a double header to make up for a game that had been rained out. The second game lasted until almost 9pm. Do you know what it's like to be with a group of four-year-olds who are playing tee ball well past their bedtimes. We were quickly loosing control of the troops. There were fights. There were tears. Our poor coach spent most of his time trying to console crying children.

Lesson: Beware of burnout. It's hard to do your best when you're worn down. Build in healthy breaks when you can.

My son's team are the Bluejays. So when our uniforms didn't come in on time and we had to wear white t-shirts, he said they were the "Whitejays," and the team they played last week were the "Greenjays." ;) They're a great group of kids. Sometimes they tackle their fellow teammates trying to get the ball, but for the most part they make an excellent team. When my little guy got upset on the field, it was another little boy who went over and checked on him.

Lesson: Surround yourself with people who will cheer you on. Also, make sure you're supporting those around you. 

Did you play sports as a kid? 

*Today's post idea was dreamed up by the lovely Jessica Patch. Thanks, Jessica!

An Adventure of the Mind

Wedding Dresses

I'm over at the Heart-Shaped Glasses blog talking about wedding dresses. I'd love for you to stop by.

Staying inside the lines

I've read several good novels lately. It was obvious that the authors had studied their craft. The stories had three-act structures and solid goals, motivations and conflicts. They were good.

I've also read some books recently that were better than good. They made me feel something. They stuck with me long after I read them. I was sad when I finished the last page.

What makes one book good and another great? Is it the structure, the story, the characters, the writing?

It's probably a combination of all those things, but I also noticed something that the authors of these books seemed to have in common:

Fearlessness

I love to follow the rules. I enjoy craft books. I think learning how to write is important. But I also think that sometimes we become such slaves to doing things "right" that we forget to write with the passion, fearlessness, and honesty that it takes to create not just a good book but a great book.

So I'm going to start letting myself have more fun with my writing and not let those well-intentioned lines get in my way.

What do you think makes a book great? 

God of all comfort

Episodic Writing - Best Writing Advice I've Received: Part 3

For the past few weeks, we've been talking about some of the great wisdom other people have given me on my writing journey. Today's topic: episodic writing.

I've known several writers whose books have been rejected because of episodic writing. I once had an editor read a synopsis of mine and tell me she was concerned the book might be too episodic. It's one of those terms that we hear as writers, but it's difficult to know exactly what the editors are seeing and how to fix it. 

Think of a sitcom like Friends. Each week, there's the same cast of characters with a different problem. On one of my favorite Friends episodes, everyone is supposed to be getting ready for Ross's museum benefit. Joey and Chandler are fighting over a chair, and Joey puts on all Chandler's clothes. Ross is mad at everyone for not being ready on time and yells at his girlfriend, Rachel. In the end, Ross drinks the fat to make it up to her and they all leave for the event. It's a great episode! 




But it would never work as a chapter of a novel because in the end, nothing changes for the characters. No decisions were made or actions taken that would propel their stories forward. It's episodic writing. 

To avoid episodic writing, every scene must thrust the characters forward in the story. Each scene needs to move them closer or further from their goals. Every scene needs to build the tension and raise the stakes. Even if one problem is solved, the solution or the decisions made to solve the problem needs to cause new problems for the characters. 

Let's go back to our lesson on writing the synopsis and the difference between "and then..." and "because of that..." Episodic writing is full of "and then..." If a scene could be read as its own episode and doesn't propel the reader into the next scene, the next problem, the next action, then it's episodic writing. 

Were you familiar with the term episodic writing? What's your favorite Friends episode?