Hi, I’m Linda
Lovely. I write a mix of romantic suspense/thrillers/mysteries. My four
published novels (available Kindle, paperback and audiobook) are all set
present day, but I’m very excited about my just-completed manuscript set in
1938. I’m also well into a new cozy mystery series—spiced with romance, naturally.
To learn more about me and my books, please visit my website: www.lindalovely.com.
The week after
Christmas our South Carolina home filled with family. A dozen of us to be exact,
ranging in age from nine to seventy-three. Four of our guests traveled from
Utah, two more made the trek from Iowa.
I’m sure they
hoped for a warm, sunny holiday. During their stay, they got one prize day—warm
enough for a boat ride and kayaking. The rest of the week was pretty dreary—fog,
drizzle and/or chilly temperatures. Yet we didn’t let the weather put us in a
funk. (Stay with me, this does relate to the New Year and writing.)
 |
| Hearing the Waterfall... |
On yucky days we
held a bowling tournament, hiked through the fog to “hear” a waterfall, bet
virtual fortunes in spirited poker games—some with imaginative wild card combos,
and showed off our general lack of artistic skill in a multi-generational game
of Pictionary. I might add the seniors got drubbed, but the highlight was the
nine-year-old’s excellent attempt to draw “booby trap.”
Unfortunately his stick
figure’s “boobies” were mistaken for goiters.
We drank a
little. Ate a lot. Sneezed some. And laughed. We enjoyed each moment and each
other.
So how does this
apply to the New Year and writing? I
made only one New Year’s resolution—to try to enjoy the moment, the day, and
find something to laugh about every day. What does that mean to a writer?
Here’s
what I hope:
·
I’ll
say “no” to more activities that take me away from the activities and people I
truly enjoy—especially writing and spending quality time with family, friends,
fellow writers.
·
I’ll
try to write some every day. But if the sun’s shining for the first time in a
week, I won’t become so obsessed that I don’t take a day off and bask in the
sunbeams.
·
I’ll
remind myself that wrinkles and gray hair don’t mean my imagination can’t run
as wild and free as a nine-year-old’s.
·
I’ll
try to use all my senses in my writing, having realized there’s something
magical about hearing a waterfall you can’t see.
·
I’ll
read more books for pure enjoyment, and I won’t feel guilty if I stop reading a
book I don’t like.
·
I
will not let negative thoughts about manuscript rejections or book sales suck
the joy out of writing the next book.
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| Seeing the waterfall with the help of digital magic... |
Happy New Year! I hope it will be a great one for all of us.
9 comments:
Excellent guidelines to living a fulfilling life! I'm going to borrow them, thanks. :>) Enjoyed the post.
Such excellent points and reminders! Thanks for sharing with us.
Great resolution, Linda!
Have followed my own advice today. Already found reasons to laugh/smile. Glad you folks enjoyed the post.
I love the concept of 'hearing the waterfall.'
Those are some wise resolutions, Linda. Very similar to my own this year.
Great post, Linda, and worth taking to heart. I'm going to stop playing Spider Solitaire, Tetris, and Sudoku. I should say try to stop. I'm going to be more focused too. And have lunch with my writer friends. See you soon, writer friend.
Hey, Polly, I'm in for the lunch. You may note that cutting calories and/or dieting were not listed as 2015 resolutions.
Very seldom is a day truly so bad there is nothing positive in it - sometimes its as simple as watching a bird soar or spying the little chirping one hidden in the bushes. Sometimes it is seeing a sunbeam after weeks and weeks of grey. Sometimes its when just the right word pops into our mind at just the perfect moment to create a sentence or finish a scene.
So glad your resolution is to find joy and something to smile about each day. It usually is a really easy one to accomplish.
Now to go listen to a waterfall!
Good list, Linda. I try to live this way too, writing every day because I love it, but taking the time to enjoy family and sunshine as well. The way I figure it, there's plenty to feel guilty about without adding, 'didn't finish someone's book.' If I don't love it, I don't finish it. That simple. I hope you have a great year!
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