January's Greatest Hits

Really, it can't be the last day of January. Crazy! 2012 has started off with a bang, and I think I might have preferred more of a whimper.

This month I joined two challenges, the Ultimate Blog Challenge and BlogHer's January NaBloPoMo. Both required daily posting. I'm exhausted, but also really proud of some of my posts this month.

According to page views, the following were our most popular posts in January:

* Art of No
* You Had Me at Goodbye: Movies I Should Have Quit
* On Stephen King
* Our New Baby

January Highlights

We reached our 300th post this month, and two January posts (On Stephen King and Art of No) were featured on BlogHer.

I'm looking forward to posting in February and starting my Month of Letters challenge. Please consider joining me in writing a letter a day in February (only on postal days, so Sundays off!).

Hope everyone had a lovely January. February, here we come...

Bulging Belly Buttons: Guest Post by Angela Silverthorne

It's always fun when Mom stops by, and today is certainly no exception. Take a moment to read her post, and enjoy the often humorous difference between the generations.

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Belly Button Bulging Banner

On a recent visit to see Tia, I commented on a pregnant lady whose belly button bulged like a balloon. I said, “I can remember being so embarrassed of my bulging belly button I put duck tape over it and wore two pair of panties.” Tia chuckled and said, “Mom, you need to write about it.”

Well, honestly what’s there to write about? It must be the new fashion to showcase the button. But I wonder? Are the same women who wouldn’t show their non-pregnant abdomen in the dark to their husband now getting rather bold? There’s no doubt I was excited and happy about my pregnancies; I wanted to tell everyone. I would have considered wearing a banner on my forehead. I might have considered a shirt slogan. But belly button exposure?

I’m the one who grew up with the I Love Lucy show. When Lucy was pregnant, she wore a tent. Her attentive husband didn’t see her bulging belly button; he couldn’t. And her demure nature caused him to be so gracious. He wouldn’t even allow Lucy the uncomfortableness of having to sit or disgrace herself by having him take her bag to the hospital, giving the impression she might be an invalid. Character was on the line. Protocol was sacred.

Have we turned an era curve? Something like the 1960s? Those brazen hussies had love-ins, sit-ins and sex anywhere. Skirts rose up to heights of no imagination. Bras were burned. Is this the new feminine badge of honor, the belly button bulging banner?  I’ve noticed a few proud women sporting the ultimate banner, displaying a stripe of brown pigment drawn straight down to the exit sign which could serve as further proof of brashness or braveness. Now the idea is taking on a new meaning.  

Maybe it’s a new form of freedom? Bare bellies are shining proudly in Zumba classes, beaches, and on the red carpet by some of our favorite stars. All of this makes me wonder... if I were young today, would I? Could I?

What’s next? Bare Breasts Bouncing Bodaciously?

Welcome 2012: Please Be Kind

New Year’s resolutions always cause me angst. I want to evaluate my life and commit to goals, but I feel such pressure trying to know today my goals for an entire year.

My overall goals never change. I always strive to be the best mother, wife, daughter, and friend that I can. This generally leads me to recommitting to working on patience. More than anything, I want kindness to be my gut reaction to all things. This means being kind to myself, too. Too often I am my own worst critic.

This week I will be defining my writing resolutions through a couple of posts. First, I will detail my writing goals as part of my A Round of Words in 80 Days goal post on Tuesday, January 3. This will be a day late, but for good reason . . . tomorrow I am excited to host fellow ROW80 writer, Elizabeth Ann West. She will be talking about resolutions and giving away copies of her novel, Cancelled, in eBook format. My review will be available on Mom in Love with Fiction the same day. (Preview: A squealing 5 stars!)

I will also be reviewing Stephen King’s On Writing in early January. It was the perfect book for me to read year-end. King lit a fire under my butt in many ways and helped me understand my writing style.

King drove home an idea I’ve always believed in: good writers read, and they read a lot. To that end, I have joined the 2012 To Be Read (TBR) Reading Challenge. I plan to join a few more reading challenges, to be announced at various times this month. In addition, I will continue to read and review books for Rebecca’s Reads and Mom in Love with Fiction.

To stay on top of my January blogging and start the year off right, I have joined BlogHer's NaBloPoMo (this month's theme is Beginnings) and the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

I feel added pressure with resolutions this year because I will be 40 in August. There’s something about “mid-life” that makes you evaluate where you’ve been and where you want to go. Two things I know I want to accomplish this year: complete a half marathon and finish my second novel. Wish me luck!

As far as the rest of my goals, I’m going to take 2012 one month at a time. I want to find a nice balance between family and writing/editing. I’m still figuring out how to structure my days to allow for dedicated writing and family time.

I’m raising my glass in honor of 2012 and hoping it brings all of you many blessings. May you achieve your goals, whatever they may be.

Choosing Topics for a Random Blog: Guest Post

Please welcome Lisa Pollard from Insignificant at Best, a wonderful blog full of random topics and interesting takes. Lisa and I met through the Ultimate Blog Challenge and quickly became friends. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, Lisa's blog became "a favorite thanks to the way she weaves together randomness with beautiful threads of humor, honesty, and wit."

Enjoy her post!

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Choosing Topics for a Random Blog

I have to tell you that I was thrilled and honored when Tia asked me to write a guest post for her blog!  I’ve been a fan of the Depression Cookies blog for a while now and just recently bought the book (which I can’t wait to read!!!).  So getting to guest post for Depression Cookies is a real treat (no pun intended…lol)!

When I asked her what she’d like me to write about, one of her suggestions was “How do you choose your topics, since you post about different things and don't, in general, have a theme?”.  To be honest, when I decided to start blogging, I realized there was no way I could write a “niche” blog.  I love to talk and share my opinions on all kinds of things, so I knew “niche” blogging wasn’t for me.  Like I say in the About Me section of my site “I’m not one to stick to a single subject, my mind doesn’t work that way, so neither does my blog”.

I actually started blogging back in 2009, but it didn’t quite take.  I could never think of anything to write and when I did, half the time it was some type of self-discovery crap nobody would want to read. Not even me.

Needless to say my blogging was “sporadic” at best.  Looking back now, I realize it was because I was in a pretty deep depression.  2009 was by far the worst year of my life, and I wasn’t ready to share all of my darkest thoughts with the world.

Then April of this year I sat down and wrote a post called Anyone Still Out There?!? and that was it.  I was off and running and I haven’t looked back since.  I honestly don’t know what changed, other than the fact that I’m in a much better place in my life, but I’m glad it did.  I’ve met a lot of really amazing people through blogging, like Tia, and I’ve found it to be insanely therapeutic! 

Okay, wow, I’ve gone incredibly off course here.  Back to the topic at hand.

I’d like to say I have this genius way of coming up with blog post ideas, but I don’t.  I share what makes me laugh, I share the things I love (music, products, websites, etc.), or I just plain talk about whatever is on my mind that day.

However, if you’re looking for an easy way to come up with post topics, a way that requires little thought on your part, do a Google search for Blog Challenges.  This was one of the very first things I did, and it worked out really well for me.  I found a 30 Day Blog Challenge, which allowed me to share with my readers a lot about myself.  I gained a lot of followers during that time and people seemed to really like it.

One other trick I have up my sleeve is a list of topics I want to write about.  I have a blog post draft where I write down all the things that come to me and seem like good post topics. Sometimes they don’t pan out, but for the most part the list hasn’t failed me.  Plus, if I’m ever at a loss, I have a “go to” list of ideas.  I’m constantly on the lookout for ideas to add to this list, too. Recently, I was in the car and realized how annoying the electronic signs on the freeway were and it turned into a guest post for another blog.  I currently have a post about my annoying co-worker waiting in the wings.  She’s… interesting, to say the least.  LOL Just be aware of your surroundings and constantly on the lookout for things you want to share with your readers.

I’ve also gotten ideas from reading other people’s blogs (e.g., my Bad Poetry Day post I wrote thanks to Tia).  Surprisingly once the blogging bug bit me, it really hasn’t been a problem.  Though I’ve only been actively blogging for about 5 months now, so check back with me next year. ;)

Any questions?  Please ask away in the comments below!  Any suggestions on how to come up with topics that you’d like to share?  Please share in the comments below!

Showing The Love, Blog-Style

I love featuring guest posts on our blog. And, no, it's not just to save myself from dipping into the idea well too often. It's to showcase something different, a little treat for our readers. Now don't get me wrong, it does help spark ideas and preserve my well. And, no, I'm not above calling Mom or one of my sisters to join the party here!

Guest posts are also a way to grow my blogosphere. What better way to find new blog friends than to see a guest post on a blog I already value? It's like the song my daughter sings every Girl Scout meeting, "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold."

Today, Lisa Pollard of Insignificant at Best is featuring my post, Be Careful What You Wish For. I found Lisa's blog through the Ultimate Blog Challenge. It quickly became a favorite thanks to the way she weaves together randomness with beautiful threads of humor, honesty, and wit. Please stop by and say hello.

A sneak peek from today's guest post:

My life had many goodbyes, but just as many hellos. I’m not afraid to put myself out there and meet people, to try on another hat.

Funny, that's exactly how I feel about welcoming guests to our blog. I've met so many new people since Depression Cookies was published a year ago. What a journey it has been. I am thankful for all the bloggers, readers, writers, and others who have touched my life.

Please stop by tomorrow to read Lisa's post discussing how she picks blog topics. You don't want to miss it!

Have Internet friendships been rewarding or even surprised you?

Blog Musings: Where Do We Go from Here?

Thanks to the Ultimate Blog Challenge and A Round of Words in 80 Days, it's time to evaluate my writing, blogging and reading goals. Although my writing and reading journeys started years ago, my blogging adventure is fairly new.

Today, I'm defining my goals for blogging, writing and reading through year-end.

*raises wine glass* A toast to inspiration. May these goals inspire a creative focus that carries me through 2012 and beyond. To my fellow writers, bloggers and readers, I hope stopping by here encourages you to follow your heart's desire. *downs wine for bravery*

Depression Cookies blog

In addition to posting about my love of books and adventures in writing, I want to challenge myself and give readers (and fellow bloggers and writers) a glimpse into my inner thoughts. It scares me to open up more, and I refuse to let fear rule! I would, however, appreciate someone telling me if my inner musings start to create widespread fear and concern. I teeter on the edge of insanity, but tend to fall back to the sane side most days.

This blog and our novel began as a mother-daughter journey, and I want to continue to highlight posts showing this important aspect of my life.

Goals for the rest of 2011
• Blog daily through October
• Cut myself some slack during the busy months of November and December and average posting four times per week
• Focus on writing, but also incorporate personal musings
• Have a stockpile of posts for “those days”
• Learn more about HTML code and focus on improving the look and function of this blog
• Hit the big 10,000 visitors and celebrate 200 posts

Mom in Love with Fiction blog

It's time to show this blog the love it deserves. My initial goal was to review a book a week, but my time management skills are lacking these days. I'm finding it very difficult to keep up with writing, volunteering, kids' activities, etc. and keep up with my reading. I truly believe avid reading makes a good writer, so reading is a priority.

Before embarking on the writing journey, I always read at night. It was my way to wind down after a long day with small children. Now that they are all in school, I should have all day to read, right? It's amazing, I'm so much busier now! Granted, I write and edit during the day and am now finding freelance work to supplement my novel writing passion. Once 2:30 hits, it's run, run, run.

Goals for the rest of 2011
• Incorporate Should be Reading prompts to ensure three times a week posts
• Read 3-4 books per month and review
• Focus on independently published books, but still read and review what strikes my fancy

Writing

Mom and I have a unique writing schedule. She writes a chapter and sends it to me for my character's response. I tried writing ahead during the last round with mixed results. I was cruising for awhile on word count, but had a lot of reworking to do once Mom's chapters came in.

One thing I discovered about my writing style during the last round of ROW80: the more I write, the better the ideas flow. Thanks to several suggestions from fellow participants, I have decided to work on my YA novel when not working on the sequel.

Goals for the rest of 2011
• Write 500 words per day on my YA novel idea and thirty minutes daily on background work such as character outlines, story outlines, research, etc.
• Write a new chapter for our sequel within two days of receiving Mom’s chapter

Miscellaneous Goals

• Support my fellow bloggers by reading and commenting on a minimum of 10-15 posts per week, more if time allows
• Read two books on the craft of writing: Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft and Dorothea Brande’s Becoming a Writer
• Finish my Freelance Writing course and look for another writing course to jumpstart 2012 (would love recommendations)
• Free write in a journal 15 minutes, 3-4 times per week (will involve my children in this goal for fun)

I'm exhausted, but inspired. I may have to pour myself another glass of wine. Wait, it is just after noon. And, confession time... I downed hot tea earlier in place of wine because I'm freezing thanks to the first signs of fall.

Best wishes to my fellow UBC and ROW80 friends with all their year-end goals.

How important are goal-setting and planning in your day to day achievements?

We have a winner!

Congratulations to:

KainsHottie

You are the winner of a signed paperback copy of Depression Cookies. I will be contacting you via email shortly. My lovely assistant, my oldest daughter Jackie, drew a name out of a hat this morning.

Thanks to everyone who entered and Michelle Flick of Oh! For the Love of Books for sponsoring the Falling Into Book Blog Hop. She is a fellow Campaigner and walked me through my very first blog hop giveaway. I'm grateful for the learning experience and look forward to participating in more.

Click the link below to check out the other winners:

Today also marks the first day of my October Ultimate Blog Challenge. Thanks to Michelle Shaeffer and Michele Scism for hosting this event. As part of this challenge I will post 31 times in October, hopefully as a post a day. I look forward to meeting new bloggers and focusing on my post writing.

Why I Blog

During the Ultimate Blog Challenge, Michelle Shaeffer shared many blog post ideas with participants. Since then, she's even started a Daily Blogging Ideas site. Some days it's nice to scroll down a list of topics and see which one grabs you and won't let go.

One of her ideas in July was "Why I Blog". It made me think. That's always a good thing.

My reasons for blogging:

* Exercise: Writing is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. Since I began blogging on a more frequent basis, my writing has improved and the ideas flow more regularly. I wrote about this idea in a July post, Writing Fitness: Flexing your Writing Muscles.

* Community: The writing community constantly amazes me. They share and support. Plus the people who read this blog and comment help me feel part of something.

* Service: I have learned a lot and want to pass it along to readers, fellow writers, mothers, and business people. If others didn't pass along their knowledge on these topics, I'd be drowning in a sea of questions on so many fronts.

* Enjoyment: Writing a post can change my whole day. There's nothing better than writing a heartwarming story or going for a good laugh, especially when others appreciate it.  

Why do you blog or follow blogs?

ROW 80 Check In: Success and Failure

Goodbye July. My two-challenge month is over, and I can now devote myself exclusively to my A Round of Words in 80 days challenge. Not much will change, because I incorporated the daily blogging into my ROW 80 challenge. Still, I can put a nice check mark next to my goal to finish the Ultimate Blog Challenge. Check marks make me happy.

I knew meeting my ROW 80 goals this week would be tough. We've had back-to-back company. It's hard enough explaining "writing time" to my three daughters, much less to company I haven't seen in awhile.

Results this week:
I knew meeting my daily 750 word goal would be tough, but I don't make commitments lightly. I stayed up until midnight Friday night and wrote 1,027 words. But I did not write a single word on Wednesday, Thursday, or Saturday. Boo! To be fair, I hit a scene I constantly reworked and edited to get the 1,027. It was draining.

I blogged every day, and prepared for a Monday live radio interview. Please wish me luck. I've done interviews, but never a live one.

Newest WIP word total: 11,063!

Reaction:
Disappointed. I won't lie.

This week I am determined to average 750 words a day, post daily on the blog, and edit 10 pages a day on an editing project. I need to finish a book and complete a review as well. I terrified myself as I typed these goals, but I really need to reboot and get some work done. I wish I had a "do nothing but catch up" day, but I'm not sure how to get that on the schedule.

Do lofty goals motivate you or weigh you down?

Make New Friends But Keep the Old

July is almost over, signalling the end of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. A huge thanks to hosts Michele Scism and Michelle Shaeffer! One of the benefits of this challenge was the daily blog ideas. Today's was determination, how we push through to reach a goal. Challenges motivate me to reach goals, but so does reading other blogs and learning.

Both Michel(l)e's blog posts are informative and motivating, detailing the ins and outs of the blog universe. Their challenge brought together many types of bloggers all looking to learn more about social media and networking.

Highlighted blog finds:

* Putting Words to Paper: Tiffany Jansen's words on writing. Everything from common writing mistakes, tips on editing, and discussions about the publishing industry.

* Punk Rock Psychic: No, I'm not scouring blogs looking to unleash my inner punk rocker, but I've found Lisa Marie Selow's blog inspirational and thought-provoking. From the Home Page: "Live an authentic life with success, purpose, happiness, and freedom--on your terms!" I've had several oh-yeah moments reading her posts.

* WAHM Solution: "Work at Home Moms Building Success from the Inside Out" Some great tips this month on knowing your values and building your self-esteem. I love help with motherhood and business all in one site.

* Insignificant at Best: Lisa's "random musings" often made me stop to think and reflect. Great things for a writer, but beneficial to everyone. She engages readers. After the challenge, I plan to spend some time on her site getting ideas for mine. Beautifully put together.

Old friends enjoyed:

* BooksYALove: The authority on lesser known YA books. I have a small notebook filling fast with her diverse book suggestions. Katy, a huge thanks for enhancing my reading life.

* Teaching What is Good: That she does. Endearing and good for the soul, she touches me with her positive outlook and unshakable faith. Kate, keep the inspiration coming.

* Ramblin' with AM: Everything from interesting Civil War posts and beautiful flower pictures to touching posts about autism. A touch of beauty in every post.

Check out these great blogs, and let them know Tia sent you.

Do you have a great go-to blog to recommend? If so, please leave it in the comments below.

Challenge Happy: A Round of Words in 80 Days

Challenges motivate me. Mom and I spent many years working on Depression Cookies. From the idea spark to publication was ten years. We want to write a sequel in one year while keeping our blog momentum going. No small task. It's summer!

Yesterday, I spoke about a community of writers. Just last Friday I participated in Novel Publicity's Karmic-Liking Friday. Through this I met fellow writer, Yves Brown McCalin who yesterday posted about the A Round of Words in 80 Days challenge. The stars aligned! And again I have my writing community to thank.


The concept of ROW80 is for participants to focus on their writing. The challenge happens four times a year with slight breaks in between. This is Session Three, which officially started July 4th. The challenge: choose a measurable goal (not just I'm going to write more often) and commit to it for the 80-day session. There are twice-a-week checkins on Wednesdays and Sundays where you will update the progress on your goal to the website and/or #ROW80 on Twitter. For more details, please visit http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/about/.

My Goals for the Eighty-Day Challenge:

* 750 words a day on my WIP (six days a week, even diets allow for a cheat day or life's insanity), otherwise known under the working title of Depression Cookies II.

* Blog 4-5 times per week on Depression Cookies and a minimum of 3 books reviewed per month on Mom in Love with Fiction. The Ultimate Blog Challenge will continue to motivate me to post frequently in July!

* Read two books (in the 80 days) on Writing.

I'm excited to begin this challenge, and I'll update here how it's going. If only there was a challenge for keeping my house cleaned, kids happy, husband happy, etc. I'd be set.

What part of your life is in need of a Challenge?

Tub-Full Tuesdays: A Community of Writers

For those new to the blog, we celebrate what fills our tub on Tub-Full Tuesdays. My daughter's Kindergarten teacher taught her students that they have buckets. Happy, fun, and kind events fill our buckets while sad, mean, and discouraging events empty them. Thanks to this picture of my girls, we write about feelings and achievements which fill our tubs.


My girls and my inspiration
for Tub-Full Tuesdays

 I'm so proud to be part of the writing community. When our novel was first published, I was scared to talk with other writers. Would I be accepted? Would other writers look down on a self-published author?

Thanks to wonderful experiences with the Maryland Writers' Association, Michelle Rafter's Blogathon, LinkedIn, Novel Publicity, and other groups I can honestly say I've found writers to be an inclusive, sharing group.

I plan to use this blog as a way to give back to my writing community. The more I learn about this industry, the more I want to share. Writers helping writers, what could be better? If only middle-schoolers knew the benefits of inclusion and sharing knowledge (can you tell I'm terrified to send my first girl to middle school this fall?).

Royalty free image Dreamstime.com

Case in point: the Ultimate Blog Challenge is free and hosts Michele and Michelle give tips and blog post ideas. Today's email contained 170 ideas for post topics. 170!

It is only Day 5 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge, and I've already found some inspirational blogs. Not all are about the publishing industry, but all bloggers are writers. As I get to know more of my fellow challenge bloggers, I will share their links and wonderful tips here (with due credit, of course).

If you've been wanting to increase your blog's traffic or just write better blog copy, there's still time to join the Ultimate Blog Challenge at http://ultimateblogchallenge.com/.

"Coming together is a beginning.  Keeping together is progress.  Working together is success."  ~Henry Ford

A Taste of July Offerings: A Little Something for Everyone

To keep you coming back for more, we wanted to give our readers and Ultimate Blog Challenge fellow bloggers a sneak peak of the topics we plan to cover in July.

Balanced Mix from PublicDomainPictures.Net

* HARO: Help a Reporter Out

* Gravatar: The importance of a consistent online representation.

* Guest Posts: We have four planned for sure, maybe more.

* 100 posts: We will celebreate this milestone in July with a look back and forward.

* Books We've Put Down: Discussion of books we didn't bother to finish.

* Writing Pieces

... and Much More

These are just a few of our planned topics. We often post about things that inspire us, so we don't plan all of our posts. As you'll see this month, we are inspired by things we read and write but also by our mother-daughter relationships (I am the oldest of three girls, have three girls, and our family has seven grand-daughters).

And don't forget, we have a giveaway in July. We will give away a special prize to the person who comments the most on our blog during the month of July. So visit often and comment often!

If there's a special topic you'd like to see us post about, leave your suggestion in the comments. We love inspiration!

Friday Feature: My Favorite Thing I Read this Week and Why

We are excited to start the Ultimate Blog Challenge today! 31 posts in July. We will continue our two theme days: Tub-Full Tuesdays and Friday Feature. Fridays feature our favorite thing we read this week and why. For those of you new to the blog, my mom and I both post on this blog as it follows our mother-daughter journey through life and writing.

Last week we visited some out of town friends at the Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC. As I downloaded the pictures yesterday, I came across my favorite read this week: a quote I saw in the museum.

This quote was printed on the wall, and I took a picture. I liked the words and wanted to ponder them later at home, not while herding six kids under 11 through the museum. Of course I forgot about the quote until I saw the pictures.

I don't like to say anything is impossible. I'm not a quitter. That's not to say I don't shy away from overwhelming tasks. Sometimes I do. I need to work on that. But I must say my dream of writing a book became a hope and then a reality. Now we are embarking on the sequel.

When my first kid was born, I was excited and slightly apprehensive of the unknown (especially labor). With the second child, I had so much more anxiety because I KNEW how hard labor and newborns were. I also had a sense of calm because I knew how to be a mother (or thought I did!). A second novel feels like baby #2. I know how much work is involved this time, but I've learned a lot. The hardest part is pulling the trigger!

I look forward to meeting new blogger friends through this challenge! As an incentive to come by and comment, we will give away a special prize to the person who comments most during the month of July.

What is the impossible dream you hope will be a reality soon?

A Month in Posts: From Anne Frank to Dolly Parton

Our posts this month have been varied, a perfect representation of two female writers. Please visit our Blog Archive on the right side of the home page to check out anything you missed this month.

My favorite this month:
* WSJ Article Suggests Darkness in YA Literature: I Say Parents are the Light: a Wall Street Journal article suggested YA literature was becoming too dark and kids were reading material they shouldn't. My opinion on parental involvement in what their kids are reading/doing is featured in this post.

Our top two posts this month (according to Google Analytics' pages visits):
* The Delicate Balancing Act of Life: a post about learning the art of balance and featuring a clip from our Lifetime talk show appearance.

* Tub-Full Tuesdays: The Anchor of Friendship: Mom's post about the rewards of friendship. We love our Tub-Full Tuesdays!

Starting tomorrow we will be participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge and back to posting daily (although we posted 25 times in June, not bad!). We look forward to learning more ways to make this blog a must-visit site for our readers.

Friday Feature: My Favorite Thing I Read this Week and Why

This week I received a great email from Michele Scism's Decisive Minds blog. I was introduced to this informative blog when I signed up for the Ultimate Blog Challenge which starts July 1. Michele is the co-host for the blog challenge.

In her email, she listed quotes for keeping you motivated. It came just at the right time for the first week of summer. Every time I sat down to work, my kids whined and moaned. So, I went looking for some quotes outside the ones she provided. Ones that would motivate me.

Here they are:

"Can I be blunt on the subject? If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time - or the tools - to write. Simple as that."

Stephen King

"I learned that you should feel when writing, not like Lord Byron on a mountain top, but like a child stringing beads in kindergarten - happily, absorbed, and quietly putting one bead on after another."

Brenda Ueland

"Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most vaulable."

Francis Bacon

Each quote inspired me to keep on keeping on. Stephen King reminded me that my love of reading is part of writing. At night when I'm drawn to the book on the table, I shouldn't sit staring at the computer instead. Writing makes me happy, and my children make me happy. I can't just sit and stare at a screen hoping for inspirationg. Playing at the park, getting in the pool, and sitting down to play a board game can be inspiring. I just need my trusty notebook nearby when inspiration hits. Bonus points: I'll enjoy my kids in the meantime. This covered both the quotes from Brenda Ueland and Francis Bacon.

I have to remember inspiration cannot be forced nor can it be contained. Enjoy life, and take a moment when enjoyment brings writing prompts. If I've been playing and enjoying my kids when the need to write hits, they'll probably be more understanding than watching their Mom sit at a computer screen hoping for insight.

What motivates you?