it broke!!

While running two weeks ago I fell and broke my left arm in two places and dislocated my wrist. Needless to say, I will do not think I will be blogging until it heals in mid... march. Although it might be sooner... we will see. March is when I start my PT.

Below: my mobile desk.


so there you have it.

Cheers!!!
L. Finch

Thoughts about the New Year's Resolutions

Every year, myself and hundreds of people make what we call "New Years Resolutions". However, by February, most of these goals will have been forgotten. I think that this is beacuse they do not have a plan in place to help them achieve their goals. Goals like "I will quit smoking" or "I will lose weight" or even "I will write more" can be faulty from the beginning.

The Basics of Goal Setting

1) Measurable. You need to know when you have reached your goal. If you want to lose weight, set a goal weight. If you want to write more, set an amount of time that you will write. Set a word count quota. Anything! This is so that you will know when you have reached your goal. Here's mine: For the month of January, I will write five days a week for at least thirty minutes.
2) Achievable. For me, writing five hours a day is not achievable right now. Hopefully it will be in the future, but not for the month of January, at least. Losing five pounds a week is not achievable. Two pounds however, is.
3) Positive. Do not make your goals "I will not" (ie: I will never eat cake again!). Instead, make them a "I will!" (ie: I will exercise three times a week)
4) Specific. Fuzzy goals will get you no where. Like I talked about under measurable, they need to be something concrete, not a ghost floating in the mist.
5) Scary. Your goals need to push you out of your comfort zone and into a new realm of discovery.
6) Have a Plan. Make sure that your goal is backed up with a plan. If you goal is to write thirty minutes each day, ask yourself "why am I not already doing this?". In this way, you can anticipate road-blocks before you even hit them. Is it beacuse I don't have an "alone space" to write? How can I create said space so that I have NO EXCUSES to complete my goal?

Some other thoughts on Goal Setting:
~ Write your goal on sticky notes and stick them anywhere they might be seen. It pays off to remember them!
~ Brag about your goals to your family, friends, on your blog, where ever! You'll be more motivated if people are cheering you on.
~ Remember, baby steps! You won't reach the goal all at once, so take small tiny steps towards your goal.

I'll post my New Year's Resolutions tomorrow!

Cheers!
L Finch

My Christmas Gifts

Ah... starbucks. I feel like I'm back in the land of the living!

I got a nook for Christmas and two writing books (don't look for them as nookbooks, you won't find them... these are BOOK books!)

1) The Novelist's Bootcamp by Todd A Stone
2) Make a Scene by Jordan E Rosenfeld

I'll post book reviews as soon as I finish reading them.

As far as the Nook goes (yes, we're back to that already!) I have to say that I enjoy reading on it more then I enjoy reading a regular book. Maybe it's beacuse my eyes are so bad. Who knows!

Right now the song "Raise your Glass" by P!nk is stuck in my head - a good, upbeat song. Check out the clean version.

I guess I don't have that much to say for this post. I did however want everyone to know that I'm alive and well!

Cheers!
L Finch

Dear Lord,

Dear Lord,
It all seems so hopeless now, tonight. Thinking of the 0ne-in-a-million chance that I will EVER be published. Yet still, I press on.
Is it for the love of the written word? Is it for the thought that maybe one day I might change a life?
No, it's beacuse I have a gift, a gift from You. A rough gift, though, it may be, it is still a gift. And the soul-purpose of a gift is to be used for Your glory. I understand that, now. If one day I change a life, it will not be "me" that changes the life, but rather You. If one day I become published, it will not be "me" who becomes published, but rather You. All glory, all honor, must be given to You. Without You, I am truly nothing.

The sooner I grasp onto this truth, the better off I will be. The sooner we are writers grasp onto this truth, the better off we will be.
It is not others we write for, it is not ourselves we write for, but rather the One Higher Power. The One Above All.

Remember to focus on Him whom we should give all honor and glory to this holiday season.

Cheers!!!
L Finch

Insane Giveaway!!!

Check out this insane book giveaway! Teen pack and adult pack giveaway!

:)

L Finch

Wendsday Top Blog Picks

Need Ideas!

Manipulation, or Kindness? You judge!
My dear hubby, bless his heart, is one of the most encouraging men I've ever met. Usually though, he complains about my writing if I do it while he's around. "I want to spend time with you!" he begs. Too cute right?

Well, I found out an easy solution to quiet the begging. This might work for you too with your significant others!

I simply let him read my novel as I work on it, being sure to leave quite a few cliff-hangers for him to get excited over. Now he can't wait for me to write more, and is always asking, "have you written anymore on your novel?"! Success!! Now I get kindly nudged to write more, and I have *one* devoted fan! Actually I have more then one fan, I would be remiss if I did not mention my dear friend Ellie H, who is also reading my novel as I write it.

Lessons from Lord of the Rings
I'm not going to deny it, Lord of the Rings was the first fantasy book that I ever read, and is still my favorite. I've read very little other fantasy (more on that in a minute), but I feel that such a timeless classic has a lot to teach us on how to write well.
The thing that I'm learning tonight as I watch the movie (I know, I know, you don't have to remind me that it's not as good as the books!) can be summed up in one word: tension. Just when you think everything is going to be resolved, it's not. There's tension between the characters (Gollum turning Frodo against Sam, Eowyn silently loving Aragron) and there's tension between the good and the evil (duh, I know!). Every single scene has a purpose that moves the book forward. My problem is that every single scene shoots the book forward at an alarming rate. My book is moving very fast right now, and I can't deside if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I guess I don't have to worry about it too much until it comes time to revise and edit, right?

Advice Needed!
I need to start reading more books, especially more fantasy, as that is my chosen genre. Can someone give me some book ideas, especially in the YA area? Any suggestions would be very helpful. Thank you!

Cheers!
L Finch