Commit To Yourself

Why Are You Waiting?

There are two emotions that I think are the most powerful for writers to use as character motivators:

1. Guilt

2. Regret

Guilt motivates Lear and MacBeth; it motivates Tree-Ear in A Single Shard and Millie in Lolo’s Light; it motivates Marin in We Are Okay and Melinda in Speak.

But regret isn’t far behind guilt. Turtles All the Way Down; We Were Liars; Everything I Never Told You; What About Will…

When we read about characters coping with guilt or regret, we visit their pain from a distance and hope for the catharsis that comes with standing as witness to a fictional journey. But…………………….as writers (well, as living, breathing humans) we’d really like to avoid the pain.

So, to my question: if you want to write - or, honestly, do anything that feels like your deepest dream -

why are you waiting?

Take Yourself Seriously

We tend often to put aside the things that we want to do in favor of the things that we have to do.

I think it’s especially true of women, or at least many of the women I know, including myself. We’re typically the household managers, even when we have careers. We think, “Someday when the kids are grown”, or “Someday when I’m retired”, and pretty soon someday becomes vanishingly small.

I speak as one who sees that path narrowing faster every day.

My advice here is to stop putting aside the dream of writing. Take yourself and your love of storytelling and your wish to create and just do it.

But You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

When I started on my writing career, I didn’t know where to begin. Lucky for me, I lived in the same town as Kathi Appelt, and a mutual friend suggested I call her to ask for advice.

To my everlasting joy, I did. She was sweet and kind and became the kind of mentor we all need when we wish to fulfill our dreams. She turned me on to SCBWI, for wanna-be kidlit writers like I was, and convinced me to get my MFA in Writing For Children and Young Adults. She answered my questions, read my books, gave me confidence.

Now I’ve written 12 books, either in print or coming soon and, trust me, I have no regrets.

I’d love to be that kind of mentor to you. How can I help you right now? I want to know! Connect with me here, and let’s get started on leaving regret to the characters you’re going to build in the stories you’ll create.