Tag: writer wellness

Tuesday Tickle: Creativity In Six Words

Posted on by Joy Held

 

 

Art is blind faith in control.

 

Comments limited to six words, please.

 There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

 

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

 

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

 

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance! 

Be well, write well

Monday Meditation: Meditation In Six Words

Posted on by Joy Held

Nothing, everything matters inside my peace.

 

Comments limited to six words, please.

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Wednesday Workout: Lost On the Treadmill

Posted on by Joy Held

OK. As is my practice after car trips, I cruise by the fitness center on the way to the hotel room. Good. A treadmill and space for my yoga mat. Unload the car and change for my workout to release the tensions of getting lost on the way to the hotel. A new highway had been recently changed and the directions we received literally took us into a brick wall. After driving a few miles out of our way because there were no other exits off this highway, we found a parking lot to turn around in and head back. We could see the hotel from the highway, just couldn’t get off the highway to find it. Several miles down the road, an exit appeared and we zig zagged our way back to the hotel. Nice hotel and not their fault the Ohio road department built a brick wall where their parking lot used to be. Moving on.

I want some cardio first because it serves several purposes. Study after study

http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/article/188986/8/To-Lose-Belly-Fat-Debate-Aerobic-Exercise-Or-Lift-Weights

says it’s the best for chewing up belly fat the fastest, it helps with thinking, and it releases more toxins than any other type of exercise and that is very relaxing. Plus if you don’t focus well during cardio workouts, you will fall off the equipment or stumble on a rock if you’re walking or running outdoors. I chose the treadmill over the elliptical. Ellipticals irritate old ballet injuries in my hips and glutes.

Shoes tied and step on the well worn rubber band that will hopefully take me to sweat-ville in about twenty minutes. Push start. Nothing. Push every other button on the panel (this is also what I do with my forehead on the keyboard when the computer isn’t responding. My husband loves fixing it when I do that.)

Nothing. Try fist. Maybe the buttons are unresponsive because this treadmill shows its age with the wear on the tread, labels peeling. I don’t care as long the damn thing will just come on and start pushing me. Nothing. I get off and look around the whole machine for a hidden restart button. Kinda like when I have to reboot my computer because I have fifteen or twenty different things open all at once and the system implodes under the strain. I check the electrical plug thinking it may be so old that it’s a manual. If that’s the case, I’m walking around the parking lot twenty times. Seems to be plugged in alright. Then I direct my attention to the one thing I have intentionally neglected because I don’t know what it is. A silver metal square is hanging from a frayed blue nylon cord. I think it’s the heart monitor which I have no use for  because I’m already aware that my heart rate is pretty intense because I got lost on the trip, it was further than I expected, the roads were….. Anyway, I cave and go to the desk and ask for help.

“Did you put in the key?”

Sigh. The desk clerk returns to the fitness center with me and takes the metal square on the end of the cord and attaches it to a worn down image of a key. The square is a magnet. It is literally sucked onto the front of the panel by the power of the magnet. She pushes start and poof, tread rolls. Out smarted by a piece of equipment again. Such is my existence. But I felt much better after the workout and the writers conference the next day was excellent.

Has a piece of exercise equipment ever gotten the best of you? Do tell.

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

Check out my new website Joy E. Held http://www.joyeheld.com

 

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Tuesday Tickle: Losing the Ball

Posted on by Joy Held

I literally had a ball this past weekend at the Skyline Writers Conference  http://skylinewriters.com/  in southwest Cleveland where I gave a presentation (“Your Brain on Yoga: How Exercise and Nutrition Make You A Better Writer”). The thirty participants were attentive, energetic, and focused. They have serious plans to be writers! I applaud them all.

First , let me congratulate the other three presenters at Skyline who gave wonderful, interactive lectures on topics important to writers today.

                Mara Purnhagen http://www.marapurnhagen.com/  offered a well-informed session about young adult fiction. Her books published with Harlequin Teen http://www.eharlequin.com/catalogsearch.html?keyword=mara+purnhagen&tab=items&vcname=Catalog_Search lend power to her premise about the “five page rule for young adult.” If you can’t hook a teen reader by page five, say good-bye to them. This is good to know.

                Kelly Boyer Sagert http://www.kbsagert.com/index.html gave a fabulous presentation on non-fiction writing. Her personal story of “accidently” becoming a boomerang expert is hilarious and informative. She is living the life of a non-fiction writer to the fullest and doing it well. Her words are golden.

                Lisa Roecker http://lisaandlauraroecker.com/index2.php#/home/and her younger sibling, Laura have recently released a young adult title through Source Books http://www.sourcebooks.com/ . Lisa gave a wonderful presentation on the basics of social media for writers. Lisa got the most questions of the day proving that the topic is hot, and her presentation was excellent. Audience participation says it all at these conferences.

                I spoke about the five practices of Writer Wellness and recent developments in the world of brain research and how the new information applies to writers. For an “ice breaker”, I tossed out a beach ball covered in questions I wrote on the ball in permanent marker. I think everyone had fun with this activity and it got them thinking. They had to answer questions like, “Do you track you salt intake on a daily basis?” and “Did you eat any fruit today, if so what?” The most laughs happened when someone threw the ball hard enough to dislodge the lights overhead or when someone totally missed the ball even with both arms stretched overhead. Of course, we did breathing exercises squeezing stress balls, and I guided everyone through the basic alignment principles of Standing Mountain Pose.

                The Skyline Writers Conference  http://skylinewriters.com/ was really well organized, and I’m honored to have been a speaker this year. Look it up. The information and the setting are stellar. 

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

Check out my new website Joy E. Held http://www.joyeheld.com

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Monday Meditation: Getting Lost In Your Own Mind

Posted on by Joy Held

Getting lost is a disconcerting sensation. For many goal-oriented people, being lost means something, somewhere broke down along the lines of their motto, “I cannot cope with the worst case scenario, so I will over-plan to be prepared if the worst happens.” While making a plan, then working that plan is a valid approach to achieving success, the best of us get lost. Coping with the reality might be easier if we practice meditation because the feeling of being lost in our own minds and bodies but not experiencing panic is possible. Then it’s a matter of transferring that lesson to real life situations.

The key is surrender. The first few minutes of sitting in meditation are normally a challenge almost every time we go to the cushion. That’s because we are so used to holding on to things. It’s a natural sensation to want to hold on. In my opinion, everyone is born with the desire to hold on because our bodies are constantly pulled on by gravity. It makes sense to me to hold on to things, people, and myself simply because it’s how we function in relationship to the earth’s pull on our beings. Surrendering to this awareness of being held onto by gravity is a first step when sitting in meditation.

Up to the first ten minutes of meditation practice is basically about noticing gravity’s hold over our bodies, organs, and senses. Simply notice, then intentionally start at the source of the pull and work upwards through the body to relax or let go of the worry about being pulled down all the time. It’s very normal to feel everything settling downward (some people note this as being “grounded”), and it’s at this point of everything being settled down we try to surrender it all to a feeling of weightlessness. We let go of the worry. Surrender to gravity’s pull then allow the anxiety about whether or not it’s working to surface and face it. At this point it’s possible to get lost in the lightness of being and just breathe until the session is ended.

It’s surrendering to the power of being lost and letting go of expectations that we practice on the cushion then try to recall when we get lost on the highway or in a tricky plot pattern we’re writing. In meditation we keep breathing and follow the breath to the end. In real life, we should apply the breath to keep us calm and working toward correcting the wrong turn or the wrong speech or the wrong choice. Everyone gets lost. It’s easier for some than others to deal with being off-track. A few moments of being lost in your own mind everyday and surfacing to a better place in the end is one possible way to learn how to deal with the real world situation of losing your way no matter how much you plan in advance.

All the outlines, maps, and global positioning devices in the world cannot teach us how to cope. Those are tools for dealing with and correcting the problem. Applying lessons learned on the meditation cushion to daily realities is one method of coping with being lost along the journey. It happens to everyone occasionally. For those goal-oriented folks like me, the key is adding “get lost” to the plan.

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Friday Feast: A Homeboy For Everyone

Posted on by Joy Held

“Eat Right 4 Your Type” is my homeboy. I’m using the term to mean “my closest friend,” and when I don’t pay attention to my food program (I don’t say “diet” because the first three letters spell “die” and I first heard this from exercise slash weight loss guru Richard Simmons,) I pay the price. My homeboy Eat Right explains clearly what my food choices should be. I must avoid a particular list of foods. I can eat from the highly beneficial, beneficial, and neutral lists to my heart’s content. It’s that simple. If I listen to my homeboy food counselor, there are no dietary or health issues to deal with. So why can’t I be faithful to the lists? Because I eat from the avoid list and create cravings and upset the apple cart and my digestive system.

Everywhere I turn there is a homeboy lurking it seems. Country music hunk Eric Church released his song “Homeboy” earlier this year to give fans (ME!) a tantalizing taste of his summer release album “Chief.” While “Homeboy”is a haunting song about finding a lost brother, only Eric Church (and songwriter Casey Beathart) could weave the word through a story/song/poem the way they have. It’s a great tune and the album builds on Church’s revamp style that brings Willie and Waylon to mind while listening to songs such as “Country Music Jesus” which cannot help but make your country gospel forehead drop forward and back over and over to the pounding rhythm. And Church lets out a warble or two or three and sounds exactly like the young, vocally strong Garth Brooks of yester-music. You won’t be disappointed in Church’s style and homage to homeboys and the black hat wearing bandits of country music (including Johnny Cash.)

And just when I think the word “homeboy” is a passing fad, my daughters receive key chains from a good friend engraved with “Arab Thunder is my homeboy.” And I know they are protected and watched over when I can’t be there (which is less and less as they gracefully mature.)

So a “homeboy” is what we need it to be and there when we need him to be. Kinda like an angel only with tattoos. Oh, well. Appearances are less and less the persona these days, and that forces us to look deeper to the true spirit of the homeboy so we can know what’s really inside.

Who’s your homeboy?

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing. They have a triple play sale going on now that includes Writer Wellness! Check it out before the deal is done.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

http://amyshojai.com/ Amy Shojai

My new website!

http://www.joyeheld.com

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Thursday Thot: Guest Kristen Lamb Reminds Us To T.H.I.N.K.

Posted on by Joy Held

Meet KristeneJust in case you aren’t following the fabulous social media expert for writers Kristen Lamb, I’m reposting a brilliant message she put up last week in her also fab course on creating a blog currently in extended session at Who Dares Wins Publishing. I share this because Kristen always hits the nail on the head while the rest of us are noodling around trying to decide which hammer to use. Let me know what you THINK of Kristen’s comments. Take it away Kristen.

 

I have been refraining from posting too many more lessons so that you guys would have time to work on your log-lines-blogs, etc. but this is something that came up this morning and I think it is important to address.

If you haven’t gotten by yesterday’s post, I updated my formula for an author brand.

Name + Great Content + Positive emotions= Author Brand

The positive emotions thing is really important, because I see too many writers posting rants, and I don’t like that at all. It isn’t productive and there is a guarantee that at least some people will walk away feeling like crap. They will feel defensive and under attack. This certainly is not a way to make friends.

A good example…

Today, a writer on Twitter posted a nice little rant about “experts.” So, as you can imagine, I checked it out. This writer/blogger probably enjoyed a lot of hits. While I don’t believe she was targeting me…it still felt that way.

Granted, the writer made a lot of excellent points. I have even had some of the same gripes. Any yahoo who opens a Twitter account is now a social media expert and can charge writers for their services. Yes, there are a lot of fakes. BUT, there are also a lot of people who have put in thousands of hours of hard work and who have a genuine intent to serve others.

Yet, the problem with a “rant blog” is it is a rant.

It isn’t a discussion or a debate. It is a bitch session. Nowhere in this blog does the writer ever spell out when a person has earned the right to be called an expert. She doesn’t give any positive examples. Why would she? It’s a rant.

I have seen similar posts blasting publishing, agents, editors, the government, etc. and yes, there are a lot of hits and likely a lot of comments…but at what price?

Rants are divisive. If we are on the attack, then someone else is the attack-ee. Maybe this writer wasn’t targeting me…but it sure felt that way. Why? Well, she never spelled out who fit her definition. Anyone with expert in front of a name was in the blast zone. Maybe it wasn’t me, but her rant was enough to make me waiver a bit and question what I am doing. It made me recount everything I have done and go over my mental resume to see if I really was a fraud after all (All writers already struggle with feeling like a fraud anyway).
Rants hurt others. They only inspire commiseration and misery loves company. People don’t walk away better from a rant. Rants don’t offer answers, because rants, by definition, are complaining, not problem-solving.

This isn’t to say that everything we blog about needs to be candy-coated. Frequently my position as a social media expert puts me at odds with other experts who don’t appreciate that writers are different and that the same tools that sell loads of pizzas won’t sell books. Is it the other experts are wrong? No. Their stuff just doesn’t work for writers. I try to never make it a value judgment. Why burn bridges when we don’t have to?

But that is exactly what rants do…they scorch earth.

I know in my blogs I often give advice that is contrary to other experts, but I always strive to do it in a way that allows the opposition to save face. I am clear who I’m talking about and I give solutions. I employ evidence and reasoning. This is a debate, not a rant.

So the reason I decided to post this is that I noted a definite change in my mood after reading this blog. Negativity has a way of clinging to us like the smell of burned popcorn. The writer’s blog certainly didn’t inspire pink fluffy feelings. But, I always believe there is a lesson to be learned.

I know that as writers we are artists and artists tend to be emotional. But we are now public figures and we must lead transparent lives. This world is small and our profession is brutal. We never know who we might need later, so alienating anyone is poor strategy. Yes, a rant might make us feel good short-term…but people have long memories, especially when they were the ones who felt attacked.

There is an acronym that I think is fabulous for life and for blogging:

THINK

Is it the Truth?

Is it Helpful?

Is it Informative?

Is it Necessary?

Is it Kind?

THINK is a wonderful litmus test for all of our posts. We can be opinionated, controversial, or even thought-provoking… but there is a way to do this that allows everyone to feel good at the end of it all and still be friends…who agree to disagree. Any post that draws firm lines in the sand can spell trouble.

Besides, we all have enough negativity. Doom, gloom, recession, mouthy kids, work, traffic. We are looking for content that makes us feel good, and what is better is that content that makes people feel great? They long to share it…and they can’t wait to return for more.

Many thanks, Kristen.

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

And don’t forget my new website Joy E. Held

 

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

 

Wednesday Workout: Thinking Burns Calories?

Posted on by Joy Held

Yes, the brain uses energy to do its jobs like regulate heart beat and send messages to the nervous system, but did you know that thinking also burns calories beyond the brain’s normal usage? Our brains like the energy produced from eating carbs but it also thrives on fat. Go figure—literally. These nutrients are necessary for the brain to function but in proper portions.

 

Don’t get excited and think that sitting around writing all day will be all that’s necessary for the daily workout we need. Thinking hard, sorting through a novel’s plot problem, or deciding the best way to organize an article encourages neurons to produce the magic brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that create new brain cells that make it easier to learn new things and to think in general. However….physical exercise has been proven in recent years to up the numbers considerably where BDNF is concerned. Physical exercitation accompanied with aerobic activity increases BDNF production making it easier to figure things out. So we still have to get physical to get thinking better which in turn contributes to everything writers need to stay healthy and productive. Workouts equal better thinking.

For more information, read Spark, The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John Ratey, M.D. and the evidence will hopefully provide the jolt we all need to start or keep exercising because it’s good for our bodies as well as our thinking.

 

Try scheduling a workout sometime between writing sessions. Notice how thinking is any different before and after the exercise and let me know your results.

 

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

 

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

 

http://www.joyeheld.com

 

 

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Tuesday Tickle: Thinking Your Stuff Don’t Stink

Posted on by Joy Held

“Nothing you write, if you hope to be any good, will ever come out as you first hoped.”

     ~Lillian Hellman

Lillian Hellman was a pioneering female playwright and American writer of the mid to latter 20th century whose plays and personal life have contributed to how many writers behave today whether they know it or not. Her legacy of a turbulent relationship with reknowned American mystery writer Dashiell Hammett is responsible for many stories and movies, and undoubtedly contributed to some contemporary works including the latest young adult title Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by co-authors Rachel Cohn & David Levithan, who also wrote Nick and Nora’s Ultimate Playlist. Not claiming either of the Cohn/Levithan books were based on Hellman/Hammett, but the influences are obviously there in at least the name choices. The writing couple of the 30’s and 40’s were known as Dash and Lily, and Hammett wrote the wildly popular series The Thin Man whose main characters were husband and wife crime solvers Nick and Nora Charles. A legacy can have many developments.

What is well known about Hellman’s writing is her continual battle with others over the truth of what she wrote. She spent a great deal of her life defending herself and her work, so the quote is intriguing. It leads one to ponder the wonder of first drafts and what comes out of a first draft. Editors and writers have been having the “value of the first draft” battle since the first story was ever written. The first version, while it may be the whole truth, may not actually be the best version to publicize because of problems like grammar or punctuation. But as much work as it truly is to create that first draft, many writers are very hard pressed to see anything any better. They believe the first attempt, even if the punctuation has been cleaned up, is definitely the best. Rarely.

All writers write a SFD or sh!&&* first draft, so named by the wonderful Anne Lamott in her book Bird by Bird, Some Instructions on Writing and Life. It’s inevitable. The first draft simply isn’t publishable no matter who you are or how experienced a writer.

“Now, practically even better news than that of short assignments is the idea of sh!&&* first drafts. All good writers write them. This is how they end up with good second drafts and terrific third drafts. People tend to look at successful writers, writers who are getting their books published and maybe even doing well financially, and think that they sit down at their desks every morning feeling like a million dollars, feeling great about who they are and how much talent they have and what a great story they have to tell; that they take in a few deep breaths, push back their sleeves, roll their necks a few times to get all the cricks out, and dive in, typing fully formed passages as fast as a court reporter. But this is just the fantasy of the uninitiated.” (p.21)

Nothing you write aimed for publication comes out right the first time. It takes more than one pair of eyes and one brain to work out all the kinks. That’s what editing and editors are for. So be kind to readers and embrace the changes requested by an editor because no one’s stuff doesn’t stink the first time.

(Note: In the Lamott quote, I have taken the liberty of not using her exact word but a suggestion of that word, sh!&&*, for the protection of some readers’ sensibilities. By all means, pick up Lamott’s definitive book and read the actual words yourself.)

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com. A triple-shot deal is going on now at WDWPUB that includes my book. Please check it out.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

http://www.joyeheld.com

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Monday Meditation: It’s OK To Think

Posted on by Joy Held

In spite of the prevailing information about meditation, it’s okay to think while we meditate. As a matter of fact, there is a lot to be said for occasionally letting our minds run free and unfettered for fifteen minutes without the sensation of being judgmental. It isn’t the thinking that is such a problem, it’s judging the thoughts. The trick is to let the thought go without dwelling on it or rationalizing or whatever. Just let the thought trickle through and don’t attempt to follow it. That’s a successful meditation session.

 

Whether it’s five minutes or twenty, meditation practice is more about quality than quantity. I read about celebrities who warm the cushion twenty-minutes a day, twice a day, but how many of those minutes are spent being judgmental? Most of us who have tried meditation have judged the process after the fact. That’s normal. What makes the practice productive and valuable is learning two things:

 

1.Don’t follow the thought over the river and through the woods and wherever else it wants to go. Just let it go, and return to the secret words, “Breath in, breath out,” and don’t worry about where thought is going without you.

2.Be patient and loving toward your mind and recognize that actually sitting still for a few minutes each day is restorative and calming to our brains, our hearts, and our attitudes. When we judge ourselves less, we judge others less as well. It’s tough. Never said it would be easy.

 

Be less judgmental too. It’s quite normal to think while we meditate. The challenge is how often we can resist the temptation to chastise ourselves for the thinking. It’s a counter-productive process to slap ourselves in the head every time a thought filters through our minds during meditation. It is a step in the right direction, maybe just a baby step, but a step nonetheless to lovingly ignore the thought, grin, and breathe. That’s all there is to it. Think. Grin. Breathe.

 

Are you kind to yourself when thinking interrupts meditation?

 

 

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

 

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

 

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

 

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Be well, write well