Yesterday I celebrated my baby girl's first birthday.
My husband and I planned a small party at home with a few friends and relatives. Everyone had a fun time, especially Baby Girl. Actually, to be perfectly honest, my 27-month old son probably enjoyed it the most. He was adorable, wearing a party hat, singing "Happy, Happy, Happy Birfday" to his sister, helping her blow out her candle, and assisting in opening her gifts. It was a perfect day.
But it was the craziest thing...looking at my baby (who was sitting in her highchair with cake all over her face and smiling a big, toothy grin), I felt overwhelmed for a moment. I was overwhelmed...by feelings of gratitude for being blessed with my beautiful little girl, sadness that all her grandparents weren't there for her first birthday (hubby's parents couldn't make it, and my dad passed away several years ago), and a little bit of fear - fear that time is going by too quickly.
I know it sounds ridiculous, but for a moment, I truly did feel afraid and a little sad. I don't want time to go by so quickly. These are such precious moments, and I don't want them to go away.
But then, I got hold of myself and realized a few things. I realized that I had felt that same fear before. I had felt it on my son's first birthday, too. On his birthday, I had wished that time could just stand still and I could live in that moment forever.
I now realize, though, that if that wish had come true, I would not be celebrating with my precious daughter...because she would never had been born. And I wouldn't give her up for anything in the world.
So, I guess the only thing to do is to cherish every moment that I get with my babies...because time does go by quickly, and if I waste time wishing to stay in one particular moment, then I would miss out on many more precious moments to come.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Productive Writing
Yesterday I learned an important lesson. Let me spell it out for you: P.R.O.D.U.C.T.I.V.I.T.Y.
Yes, I learned about the importance of productivity. Bear with me for a moment and I'll fill you in on what happened. My family and I were house-sitting for a relative recently, and were kind of on a mini-vacation. It was great - totally relaxing and just what we needed. But then we came home, and it all kind of hit me at once - all the writing projects that I left behind for the week, my husband's homework had piled up (he's currently in a Master's program), as well as laundry, cleaning, yard work, etc. Trying not to get overwhelmed, I created a To Do list, and then proceeded to tackle each item on the list in order of importance.
The good thing is that I did get a lot done. The not-so-good part about it is that I felt bad for not spending much quality time with my children. In fact, I confess to allowing too much TV time for my munchkins while I tapped away at the keyboard yesterday. Usually, I schedule my writing projects for the kids nap times or after they're tucked into bed at night. When the occasional crunch time arrives and I absolutely have to work when they're up, my hubby earns his Father-of-the-Year award by handling EVERYTHING, including cooking, cleaning, and playing with the kids...mind you, this is after he comes home from a long day's work.
Unfortunately, it was crunch time for me yesterday...but it was crunch time for hubby, too. He had two major assignments due by Monday morning. Long story short, we made it work by taking turns playing with the kids, and then getting Grandma to come babysit for a while.
So you're probably wondering what the point is of all this. Well, here it is: while I was furiously typing away on my keyboard, wishing that I was spending my Sunday afternoon laughing and playing with my son and daughter, it occurred to me that if I changed just a few things in my usual routine, I wouldn't have to be missing out on time with my kids. For example, spending just 10 minutes per day on Facebook takes up more than an hour of time every week. Knowing that I was going to be on a mini vacation and let my work build up, I could have planned ahead and cut out Facebook time during the previous week, which would have meant at least one hour less that I would have to spend working on my weekend.
This got me thinking, and I realized that latelyI have not been nearly as productive as I would like to be. So I came up with a few ways to help increase my productivity:
By the way, check out this post over at The Renegade Writer Blog. It's all about the importance of productivity, and it lists some interesting productivity tricks that might work for you.
Well, my blogging time is up, so it's back to work for me now. :)
Yes, I learned about the importance of productivity. Bear with me for a moment and I'll fill you in on what happened. My family and I were house-sitting for a relative recently, and were kind of on a mini-vacation. It was great - totally relaxing and just what we needed. But then we came home, and it all kind of hit me at once - all the writing projects that I left behind for the week, my husband's homework had piled up (he's currently in a Master's program), as well as laundry, cleaning, yard work, etc. Trying not to get overwhelmed, I created a To Do list, and then proceeded to tackle each item on the list in order of importance.
The good thing is that I did get a lot done. The not-so-good part about it is that I felt bad for not spending much quality time with my children. In fact, I confess to allowing too much TV time for my munchkins while I tapped away at the keyboard yesterday. Usually, I schedule my writing projects for the kids nap times or after they're tucked into bed at night. When the occasional crunch time arrives and I absolutely have to work when they're up, my hubby earns his Father-of-the-Year award by handling EVERYTHING, including cooking, cleaning, and playing with the kids...mind you, this is after he comes home from a long day's work.
Unfortunately, it was crunch time for me yesterday...but it was crunch time for hubby, too. He had two major assignments due by Monday morning. Long story short, we made it work by taking turns playing with the kids, and then getting Grandma to come babysit for a while.
So you're probably wondering what the point is of all this. Well, here it is: while I was furiously typing away on my keyboard, wishing that I was spending my Sunday afternoon laughing and playing with my son and daughter, it occurred to me that if I changed just a few things in my usual routine, I wouldn't have to be missing out on time with my kids. For example, spending just 10 minutes per day on Facebook takes up more than an hour of time every week. Knowing that I was going to be on a mini vacation and let my work build up, I could have planned ahead and cut out Facebook time during the previous week, which would have meant at least one hour less that I would have to spend working on my weekend.
This got me thinking, and I realized that latelyI have not been nearly as productive as I would like to be. So I came up with a few ways to help increase my productivity:
- Only check Facebook once a day.
- Only check email three times per day (morning, noon, and before I wrap things up in the evening.)
- Set aside a specific amount of time for research, and stop when that time is up (this will prevent me from wasting time surfing the web when I already have the research I need to complete the article.)
- Schedule "writing slots" in my day, and stick to them.
- Start each writing slot by writing (not getting online, checking email, or researching.)
By the way, check out this post over at The Renegade Writer Blog. It's all about the importance of productivity, and it lists some interesting productivity tricks that might work for you.
Well, my blogging time is up, so it's back to work for me now. :)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
A Working Writer
It's been awhile...
Don't think this means that I've been slacking off....on the contrary, I've been busting my chops! I have been writing like crazy, studying the craft of writing, setting up my website, researching potential markets, networking, submitting my work to regional parenting publications, searching online writing job boards, and applying for online writing jobs. I've been hustling like I've never hustled before!
And you know what? It's starting to pay off. I am learning ways to improve my writing. I'm getting into a better rhythm. I'm finding markets to which Ican sell my work. I'm making some great friends and finding a real support system. I'm actually getting published. Who ever would have thought that after all this hard work, I would actually get to reap the benefits?!
Granted, I'm nowhere near my target monthly income goals...but it's a start. And you gotta start somewhere, right? So I guess it's definitive now. I am a writer. Yay!
But the crazy thing is, now that I'm finally doing what I set out to do, I don't really get to take a break. Instead, I'm trying to figure out ways to work faster, get more done, and still find time to enjoy my days with my hubby and kids. In fact, that's been the hardest part, lately -deciding when to stop working and just have fun with them. I'm actually at the point now where I feel guilty if I'm working because I feel as though I'm losing out on precious time with my babies.
I just keep telling myself that it's not forever, that soon I will be established enough in my career that I won't have to spend SO much time away from my children. That's my goal - to make enough money from writing so that we have enough, but not so much that I lose out on time with my kids. After all, that's my whole motivation for all this hard work - to help take care of my family. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to write...but writing for fun and writing to bread on the table are two different things for me right now....because I could do fun writing in my spare time whereas I have to continually carve time out of my day to do work writing.
I now have to get back to a project, but just wanted to touch base (let you know that I'm still alive), and say that there's no doubt about it - I am officiallly a writer. :) Good luck to all you other writer mamas out there! One thing I have learned, lately, is to keep setting small goals for yourself, and before you know it, you will have accomplished great things and be one step closer to your destination.
By the way, if you get a chance, could you check out my website and let me know what you think? Thanks!
~Sarah
Don't think this means that I've been slacking off....on the contrary, I've been busting my chops! I have been writing like crazy, studying the craft of writing, setting up my website, researching potential markets, networking, submitting my work to regional parenting publications, searching online writing job boards, and applying for online writing jobs. I've been hustling like I've never hustled before!
And you know what? It's starting to pay off. I am learning ways to improve my writing. I'm getting into a better rhythm. I'm finding markets to which Ican sell my work. I'm making some great friends and finding a real support system. I'm actually getting published. Who ever would have thought that after all this hard work, I would actually get to reap the benefits?!
Granted, I'm nowhere near my target monthly income goals...but it's a start. And you gotta start somewhere, right? So I guess it's definitive now. I am a writer. Yay!
But the crazy thing is, now that I'm finally doing what I set out to do, I don't really get to take a break. Instead, I'm trying to figure out ways to work faster, get more done, and still find time to enjoy my days with my hubby and kids. In fact, that's been the hardest part, lately -deciding when to stop working and just have fun with them. I'm actually at the point now where I feel guilty if I'm working because I feel as though I'm losing out on precious time with my babies.
I just keep telling myself that it's not forever, that soon I will be established enough in my career that I won't have to spend SO much time away from my children. That's my goal - to make enough money from writing so that we have enough, but not so much that I lose out on time with my kids. After all, that's my whole motivation for all this hard work - to help take care of my family. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to write...but writing for fun and writing to bread on the table are two different things for me right now....because I could do fun writing in my spare time whereas I have to continually carve time out of my day to do work writing.
I now have to get back to a project, but just wanted to touch base (let you know that I'm still alive), and say that there's no doubt about it - I am officiallly a writer. :) Good luck to all you other writer mamas out there! One thing I have learned, lately, is to keep setting small goals for yourself, and before you know it, you will have accomplished great things and be one step closer to your destination.
By the way, if you get a chance, could you check out my website and let me know what you think? Thanks!
~Sarah
Friday, July 10, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
Living and Writing about it
A few days ago my husband came home from work looking quite downtrodden because someone at his work had jumped from their building. It's a large company, and my husband had never met this man who took his own life. But it didn't matter that he didn't actually know him. Maybe it was just the proximity, but the fact that he was in the same building with this man, who clearly needed help, upset him to no end. He could have walked past him that morning and not even known it. Maybe he could've smiled and asked him how his day was going. Could it have made a difference? Who knows? We never will.
But it really made us think about a few things.
First, we are very blessed to have our families, faith, and friends. Although things can seem pretty tough sometimes, we still know that we are very fortunate. Be grateful for all that we have.
Second, it is important to remember that our actions can affect others. Who knows if anyone could have done anything to help that man on that terrible day, but what if someone could have? Why not treat everyone as we would want to be treated? It's really not that hard to do. Sometimes it just takes a little more effort on our part, but at the end of the day, we're much happier when we can say that we did our best.
Third, don''t be afraid to tell people how important they are to you. Every now and then, just make to express your gratitude for somebody. It's as simple as saying, "thanks for being there for me," or "I love you," or "you're awesome, Dad." You never know the difference this could make in someone else's life.
I know this all has nothing to do with writing, but I thought it was so important that I had to share it anyway. Besides, isn't that part of being a writer - using words to express the important things in life and come to a greater understanding or deeper knowledge of them?
I will say one final thing. Seeing my husband's heartbroken look, pondering how that man's family must feel, imagining how he must have felt, all brought me to this realization:
Life is a gift; don't take it for granted.
Yours or anothers. It can be gone in an instant. Several years ago, my dad died, and I felt what it was like to lose someone you love. It was one of the hardest things I have ever experienced, but from that experience I learned that it really is important to live each day to the fullest. Don't let opportunities slip by because you might never have them again.
But it really made us think about a few things.
First, we are very blessed to have our families, faith, and friends. Although things can seem pretty tough sometimes, we still know that we are very fortunate. Be grateful for all that we have.
Second, it is important to remember that our actions can affect others. Who knows if anyone could have done anything to help that man on that terrible day, but what if someone could have? Why not treat everyone as we would want to be treated? It's really not that hard to do. Sometimes it just takes a little more effort on our part, but at the end of the day, we're much happier when we can say that we did our best.
Third, don''t be afraid to tell people how important they are to you. Every now and then, just make to express your gratitude for somebody. It's as simple as saying, "thanks for being there for me," or "I love you," or "you're awesome, Dad." You never know the difference this could make in someone else's life.
I know this all has nothing to do with writing, but I thought it was so important that I had to share it anyway. Besides, isn't that part of being a writer - using words to express the important things in life and come to a greater understanding or deeper knowledge of them?
I will say one final thing. Seeing my husband's heartbroken look, pondering how that man's family must feel, imagining how he must have felt, all brought me to this realization:
Life is a gift; don't take it for granted.
Yours or anothers. It can be gone in an instant. Several years ago, my dad died, and I felt what it was like to lose someone you love. It was one of the hardest things I have ever experienced, but from that experience I learned that it really is important to live each day to the fullest. Don't let opportunities slip by because you might never have them again.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Working Away
It's been a while. Where shall I start?
Well, since I left off with my announcement of participating in the 2009 Script Frenzy event, I guess I'll pick up from there. Are you surprised to hear that I failed in my attempt to produce a full screenplay within the span of one month? I didn't think you would be.
But the good new is - I actually started to make some real headway with it. For the first time, I finally sat down and actually started typing, and before my eyes, a story began to play out. It was amazing! Really, I know that I sound like a nerd, but it was very exhilirating! I think I've found my calling.
It was so awesome to see my characters come to life, and to create a whole world for them. My only complaint is that the amount of time I have to spend working on it is so limited. Oh well, at least I've really begun the journey now. Hopefully, it won't take me too much longer to finish it.
One of my biggest time-killers lately has been some ghostwriting projects that I've been doing. I know that it's a good investment of my time, but it kind of stinks to spend so much time working on projects and not get a byline. Although, I suppose this is motivation to get a little more aggressive about sending out submissions so that I can build up a better portfolio.
In addition to working on the screenplay and ghostwriting, I also signed up for Jennifer Applin's Writing for the Web class. I'm now starting the third week of the class, and have already gained a lot of valuable information from it. I'm hoping that this class will really help me to reach my writing goals that much quicker. As always, I'll let you know how it goes. :)
In writing this, I'm realizing that I've been quite a busy beaver these days! Well, I guess that's a good sign...moving forward is good! I am now going to cut this short so that I can polish up an article and send it out. See ya soon!
Well, since I left off with my announcement of participating in the 2009 Script Frenzy event, I guess I'll pick up from there. Are you surprised to hear that I failed in my attempt to produce a full screenplay within the span of one month? I didn't think you would be.
But the good new is - I actually started to make some real headway with it. For the first time, I finally sat down and actually started typing, and before my eyes, a story began to play out. It was amazing! Really, I know that I sound like a nerd, but it was very exhilirating! I think I've found my calling.
It was so awesome to see my characters come to life, and to create a whole world for them. My only complaint is that the amount of time I have to spend working on it is so limited. Oh well, at least I've really begun the journey now. Hopefully, it won't take me too much longer to finish it.
One of my biggest time-killers lately has been some ghostwriting projects that I've been doing. I know that it's a good investment of my time, but it kind of stinks to spend so much time working on projects and not get a byline. Although, I suppose this is motivation to get a little more aggressive about sending out submissions so that I can build up a better portfolio.
In addition to working on the screenplay and ghostwriting, I also signed up for Jennifer Applin's Writing for the Web class. I'm now starting the third week of the class, and have already gained a lot of valuable information from it. I'm hoping that this class will really help me to reach my writing goals that much quicker. As always, I'll let you know how it goes. :)
In writing this, I'm realizing that I've been quite a busy beaver these days! Well, I guess that's a good sign...moving forward is good! I am now going to cut this short so that I can polish up an article and send it out. See ya soon!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Script Frenzy
Even though my profile states that I love movies, I don't think I have mentioned my fascination for screenwriting. I guess it makes sense, though, that a writer who loves films would be interested in screenwriting. I have actually been studying the art/craft of screenwriting for almost three years now, and have learned quite a lot. In fact, I've learned so much about screenwriting that I have kept myself from actually starting the writing process...because I am now afraid that my writing is not good enough to craft a decent screenplay.
The problem is: even if I'm not a great screenwriter, I still relish the thought of writing a screenplay. So...I've decided to give it a shot anyway. After all, I'll never know unless I try, right?
I am so determined in my screenwriting effort that I have joined Script Frenzy. Script Frenzy is a really awesome way to stay motivated in one's screenwriting efforts. The goal is to write 100 pages of a script within one month. It takes place every year, starting on April 1st. If any of you other writers join Script Frenzy, add me as a friend, okay? You'll find me as "writer-mama."
I suppose it's important to mention that from all I've learned about the screenwriting process, it's extremely unlikely that someone can do justice to a screenplay by scribbling something out within one month. However, I have put an enormous amount of research and thought into my screenplay, and think that I have reached the point where it is important to start writing. This is where Script Frenzy comes in because I think that even though quality work will not be turned out in a month, at least I will have something to work with. So after much ado, I am writing my first screenplay. Wish me luck!
The problem is: even if I'm not a great screenwriter, I still relish the thought of writing a screenplay. So...I've decided to give it a shot anyway. After all, I'll never know unless I try, right?
I am so determined in my screenwriting effort that I have joined Script Frenzy. Script Frenzy is a really awesome way to stay motivated in one's screenwriting efforts. The goal is to write 100 pages of a script within one month. It takes place every year, starting on April 1st. If any of you other writers join Script Frenzy, add me as a friend, okay? You'll find me as "writer-mama."
I suppose it's important to mention that from all I've learned about the screenwriting process, it's extremely unlikely that someone can do justice to a screenplay by scribbling something out within one month. However, I have put an enormous amount of research and thought into my screenplay, and think that I have reached the point where it is important to start writing. This is where Script Frenzy comes in because I think that even though quality work will not be turned out in a month, at least I will have something to work with. So after much ado, I am writing my first screenplay. Wish me luck!
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