Part Two of Writing Insights from two pre-Oscar symposiums. I once heard a speaker say that artists have a unique skill for interpreting their world through the visual medium. It’s how they take in the moments of life. I think the same is true for writers, who need that touch and feel to interpret what’s forming. It’s a screen through which they see life’s trials and challenges and dreams. At a recent pre-Oscars event discussing Makeup and Hairstyling, I found some similar aspects for the very talented people that are responsible for the physical look and feel of actors. From…
Dancing at The Oscars, Great Insights for Writers
Earlier this week, author Sandra H. Esch and I traveled to Los Angeles for an intriguing set of pre-Oscar meetings at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. We left very early morning, hoping to glean some insights as writers. Sandi is working on some screenplays, and as a fantasy writer that loves great visuals, I wanted to see things from the Director’s perspective, like learning an intricate dance. When I was an undergraduate, I took a wonderful cinema course at USC (before I realized I was really a Texan at heart and transferred to Baylor:). I learned to appreciate…
Give, Pray, Laugh – Helping Others Can Reduce Stress
Part Two in the series 10 Stress Knock-Outs For The New Year Can helping others really lift some of the stress we feel or is it just an old wives’ tale? I gotta tell you, it really does work wonders. If I could write it in a book title it would go something like Give-Pray-Laugh. Give Letting go of clutter frees your mind to express creativity and be more whole with your inner self in daily activities. I’ve set monthly goals to wipe out a corner that’s causing me to trip because, well, it’s not just a physical distraction, is…
Stolen Candy, Second Chances
Thoughts for today’s teens, and anyone needing fresh perspective. The first day of acrylic painting instructions in high school, someone ate my main project. No joking. We showed up with large canvasses, wide as I could stretch my arms. A 3×5 index card. And piles of very colorful salt-water taffy in wax-paper wrappers. Then the assignment: don’t eat the sweets, blow them up huge on the canvass! First, we glued them to the cards and made notes of the lighting so we could work on it for a few weeks. Then we carefully watched proportion and sketched the lines, shadows,…
Press Through The Net
Part Five in the New Beginnings Series Crisis hits! Just when you’re making progress on your dream project, the one you’ve secretly carried in your heart for years, something nasty happens. Maybe it’s a car crash, a great loss, illness, or an accident. Or it’s just an overwhelming amount of good things all calling out as a higher priority like sports and family commitments. Phew! It’s almost enough to make you quit all together. I’m afraid it’s also a sign you’re doing something great and need to consider putting your plans on temporary hold for a while if necessary. This…
All Star Authors Event
Last week’s post about updrafts, those key moments when your New Beginning gets a major boost from a circumstance or meeting, brought one for me with wonderful Starley Murray. On the exact day for our eight-year anniversary of losing everything in the wildfires of 2007, I was invited to a super author’s event in Los Angeles. It felt like time slowed down when I got to share our story and how I use all the challenges we’ve had to help others now. I thought you’d like to come backstage to watch it happening! Starley was so encouraging, and reminded me…
Find Your Updraft
Part four of the New Beginnings Series. And How I Became A Gemologist! So you’ve been working diligently to understand your deepest desire, gotten infrastructure in place to support a move, and watched for open doors. Perhaps you’ve just stepped through one and aren’t sure what to do next. That’s the key moment to look for an updraft, a shift coming your way to accelerate your change in direction. What is an updraft? Have you every watched a hot air balloon suddenly go very high in the air, as an invisible current of air brought it to new heights? That’s…
Coming Attractions!
It’s going to be a few more weeks before the launch date is announced, but this week I’m taking a brief break for a video blog with hints about what you can expect. And if you subscribe now to my website, BEFORE the launch, there will be additional benefits with the upcoming giveaways. Oops, well, one hint already! Next week we’ll continue the New Beginnings Series, focusing on waiting for your updraft. For the original series blog, check Five Tips for a Resilient Fall HERE. So what part of the series have you been working on so far? Outlining your…
ACFW 2015 Writer’s Conference
Magical Moments If you’re a reader, then I hope a few books have come into your life, helped you open a vision to a different way of thinking, and made you consider your course. It’s one thing to read them, another to meet the authors in person. I’m back home now, reading books with the kids, helping with homework and chores, regular kinds of things. But if I shut my eyes, I can remember the moments that seemed surreal this week. I wanted to share a few with you. Last year I went to this wonderful writer’s conference for the…
A present: Five Tips For A Resilient Fall
People keep asking, what can we do to make a difference with our kids, find our dreams, or make plans that actually help? Recently I visited the Dallas Museum of Art and saw this intricate painting by Gerald Murphy, with all the gears and perfect angles. It reminds me of how delicate and tremendous it can be to wind up new goals during a busy season of life. So to celebrate our one-year anniversary next week, I’m giving you Tips For A Resilient Fall. Here’s a five part, New Beginnings Series, just for you: Understand your dreams Have new dreams…
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