Standing Out!

In the last week I've come across three posts that reverberated with my own tug-of-war with

visibility vs. invisibility, camouflage vs. standing out.

Susan Roebuck wrote of her dislike of promotion here

 Jemi Fraser wrote about feeling invisible in her post Invisibility

Jennifer, a faith-filled missionary in South Africa, wrote a post about Camouflage


We each struggle with the opposite twin hopes: to be visible, and yet to be invisible, to be heard and yet to be safe, to stand out and yet protected by camouflage.

It depends on the day, doesn't it?  Or is that me?

When I was teen, I had moment when I wanted to fit in, when I wanted no one to notice me, when I wished I could be invisible. But those moments would only last for a moment, or a day, or maybe a few months . . .and then I would realize that I just stuck out like a sore thumb no matter how hard I tried to fit in with others. Then I would embrace my oddness and stand out on purpose. Then something would happen and I would wish for invisibility again.

Now I'm an adult, and a writer, and I still go through that same pendulum swing of wishing to be visible and then wishing to be camouflaged.

When I went to a writers' conference recently, I tried to dress comfortably, but also to dress in a way that didn't stand out. I just wanted to lay low.

Of course, when I got there, I realized that I didn't want to do that really, so I walked around, shook hands, and made conversation.

For years, and years, and years, I only told writing classmates, close friends and immediate family members that I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to camouflage my writing until it became amazing, awesome and famous.

Then about six years ago I decided that I wanted to get my writing out there, even if it wasn't awesome sauce. I started pursuing publication. I kept myself on a writing schedule, and kept myself accountable. Three years ago I started a blog - more accountability, more schedule, more standing out. A few years ago, I started talking about it with friends and acquaintances. (NaNoWriMo kind of forced that issue with that tough writing schedule).

It's true that I've been slammed a few times (like literally two times).

But the biggest truth about standing out and standing up for my dream of being a writer is that I have found:
tons of support,

amazing encouragement,

people who cheer me on,

and people who tell me to keep writing and keep dreaming.

So for all of you writers out there who feel like doing this:

I suggest you put down the camouflage and stand out instead like this:

It's worth it!

Be bold!

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7



Remember to check out those links I mentioned up above for Susan, Jemi, and Jennnifer!

Are you ready to stand out and stand up as a writer?


100 Days of Revision, Day 41
Had a few slow days over the weekend (part of June dance mom madness and knowing 5 grads this year), but I'm making slow but steady progress and am keeping up with weekly goals for revision.

AWARDS!!!

All that insecurity I revealed on Wednesday came on a bad day in a bad moment that had nothing to do with all my awesome blogging buddies. You all rock!!!


In fact in the last two months I've received four awards! Four! It's pretty amazing. I've been very loved on and I appreciate it!

Tara Tyler of Tara Tyler Talks and Marcy of Maine Words gave me these sweet awards!

I would like to pass them both on to:

Allison at Geek Banter

The Golden Eagle at The Eagle's Aerial Perspective and The Eagle Directory

Cherie Reich

and Laurel of Laurel's Leaves

and Nate Wilson of Sometimes the Wheel is on Fire

The Golden Eagle of The Eagle's Aerial Perspective gave me this award, and I really appreciate it since I often feel like my comments are lacking at times . . .so this award is super encouraging!

I would like to pass it on to all of you who stop by and comment, but I would like to pass it on especially to:

Tara of Tara Tyler Talks

L. G. Smith of Bards and Prophets

Alex J. Cavanaugh

Susan Roebuck

Angela Brown

and Joy of It's a Joy!

I've received this award before, but the awesome Geek Twins gave it to  me again back in April. (I'm really behind on my awards) The Liebster Blog Award goes to blogs with less than 300 followers.

I would like to give this award to:

James Anderson

Laura of Stranger Than Writing

Carissa Taylor

and Joanne of 10 Minutes 2 Breathe

Go visit these awesome bloggers, have a beautiful, wonder-filled weekend, and keep writing!!!
And Many, Many Thanks to all of you for Encouraging me in this blogging and writing journey.

100 Days of Revision, Day 39
Wednesday I made huge progress in the evening, yesterday I wrote notes in margins. Today . . . I plan on working with 1,000 words.

And, in blogging and publishing news:
You can win a copy of Poetry Pact Volume 1 from Laurel's Leaves and take part in a blog hop with awesome giveaways to celebrate the release of Poetry Pact Volume 1 hosted by Angela Felsted

It’s that time of month . . .when we examine how insecurity and exhaustion roll over us like waves on a rocky, stubborn shore.

A month ago, I felt truly zestful after the finish of A to Z, and I really didn’t know what to write about for IWSG, except for the fact that I felt encouraged by others and I wanted to go out and encourage more bloggers.

Since then, a rising tide of  blogging insecurities made me want to just bury my head under my laptop, and turn off the internet connection to the world.

My blog is kind of a mess. It’s random. I live on West coast time. I don’t visit other bloggers enough, and when I do, my comments suck. I don’t blog meaningfully enough. I don’t give any amazing advice, or tips for writing, or . . .enough of whatever makes an awesome blog. I’ve been blogging for three years, and I still have yet to master some of the blogging technical basics. What am I thinking, blogging? I started this thing with no research, background, or even knowledge of blog or web platforms, and just started winging it. I still feel like that’s what I do most of the time. My google reader list is totally unorganized and I can barely keep track of posts that I have read, want to read, or blogs that I haven’t visited in far too long. I get too distracted. I’m just not good enough at this blogging thing, I can’t seem to keep up . . .and well, what really makes me feel insecure about blogging is that I just don’t feel like I’m good enough at any of it.

Do you ever feel like that?

And what do you cling to when you feel pounded by a storm of waves?

 Join in on the fun of sharing your deepest, most painful writing insecurities and helping others see past their own. Go to Ninja Captain Alex's latest host post for ISWG here.

BTW - when those waves of insecurities hit me, I just pray, and keep writing anyway.

Writers Conference

In the last few years I've realized that I have focused on meeting writers online, and I haven't spent much time meeting writers in my every day "real" life. I know a handful of teen writers thanks to my experiences of teaching at our homeschool co-op, but I was the teacher . . .so I didn't feel like I could completely "let my hair down" and just share my writing too.

Encouraged by posts about awesome writing groups and conference experiences, I spent a few minutes in a quick search online for writers' groups in my area.I came across the "Writing and Publishing in the Harbor" Writers Conference hosted by my local library branch for free.

The morning I went I felt nervous. Was I prepared? Should I bring some of my writing with me? What clothes should I wear?

In a last minute decision for casual comfort, rebellion, and with some acknowledgement that most Washingtonians are casual too, I wore jeans, a sleeveless running shirt, a windbreaker nike jacket, and my keens (sporty sandal for water activities). I didn't bring a sample of my writing, and I didn't bring my laptop, just a few notebooks and a handful of pens.

I wasn't really dressed to impress, but I had decided to lay low and just check things out.

When I got there, it seemed that most of the other writers felt similarly about fashion choices, except for a few of the presenters, and a small handful of people who chose slacks and nice shirts. Whew! First obstacle down. I didn't stand out. (yes, there are stories behind that last statement - someday I'll tell them)

Hosted by a dozen local authors, the owner of the local bookstore who supports local authors, a professional editor/librarian and the library, it turned out to be an interesting and educational event. Most of the authors presenting were published through small presses, and one author/editor there owns and operates a local small press. A YA history mystery writer represented self-publishing, and another YA author represented the traditional publishing side of the market. There were two presentations, and several breakout sessions, plus time during lunch to just meet and greet other authors and presenters.

I met a wonderful lady who is writing her memoirs,  a teen who kept his writing close to his vest (he never said what he wrote), a friend from a local community theatre group that I didn't know was a writer (we seriously need to talk more), and a few other ladies who write fantasy and science fiction. I felt like I had struck it rich . . .it was so good to talk to other writers like me, live, in person, who are writing and striving for publication.

I didn't come out of the conference with a ready-to-go writing group, and I didn't come out of it with a book contract.

I did come out of it with a renewed sense of purpose, accomplishment, and encouragement.

I can finish my novel, and write the next one, and the next. I think I can even find a local writers' group, or start one, if I just stick with it.

As for publishing, I am beginning to think that my book is more suited for the e-book and p.o.d. market. Well, scratch that. I've been thinking that might be the case for a while now, and some of the statements made at this conference confirmed it for me.

So have you been to any writers' conferences lately?

Are you part of a writing group?

BTW, I love all my online writing blogging friends very much, and you have all helped me in my writing journey immensely!!! I just felt a need to get out and meet some writers face to face.

100 Days of Revision, Day 35
Had a few slow days over the weekend, a little frustrated by a "slow" chapter that I can't seem to make more lively, but I'm moving forward today with a few marks left on those pages for later.

Wise and Beautiful Editors Who Say YES!

Yes is an awesome word!
Of course editors who say yes, often say it with a few more words like, "we would like to include your story/poem _ in our upcoming anthology/magazine." Those are very beautiful words for a writer to read.

So, what else is there to say? Yes is self explanatory, right?

Well . . .usually I've found that "Yes" from an editorial team usually comes with qualifiers like, "we would like to publish your work, however we would like you to make the following changes . . ."

Editors, as I hinted at in my last post "Wise and Beautiful Editors Who Say No?", are the managers of quality control for their publications. They want to have every line of a poem, every word in a story, and every page in a book be just right. They keep us from embarassing ourselves with misplaced commas, and ask us to replace awkward wordings with vibrant ones.

On three occassions I've had editors say yes without qualifiers, and all three times I regretted not having more feedback when I saw the finished product in print.

Editing can bring a piece of writing from ok to awesome.

What kind of experience have you had with editors and editing?

100 Days of Revision Update, Day 31
In the last thirty days I haven't hit my revision goals on a daily basis, but for the month I'm exactly where I want to be, just under the halfway mark through my novel. I have much, much more work to do just on my own, and then I'll read it aloud and go through it again before August 10th.

My youngest daughter, age 10 (soon 11), has been an invaluable asset. I think she may be an editor in training. She's very good at finding errors in my writing, and even in books she reads that have been published. Have a typo? She'll find it. Have a character doing something out of character? She'll point it out. The last few days during our state testing (a requirement for homeschoolers in our state), she lamented that the reading comprehension, vocabulary, and spelling tests were all way too easy. I know this all sounds like an incredible brag, so just to keep me humble, she hated the math section all the way through . . .we probably need to lessen our reading time and up our math time at home.

My oldest daughter also thought reading comprehension was easy, but felt suprised that she thought the science section too simple . . .she wondered how anyone could not know which birds are more likely to eat nectar out of a list that included parrots, robins and hummingbirds. She has no interest in editing, but she wants to create a video game for my book when it's finished.

So, my revision is going good so far, and my kids rock!