Category: storytelling

General Writing · Journeys · storytelling · Time management · writing · Writing and Family

Writing, But Not What I Expected

Featured Susan Coffin

I did not expect to fall in love with ancestral writing.  This type of prose differs from memoir but has many of the same elements- a snapshot of the ancestor’s life with an inciting event that leads to a conclusion. The beginning and ending are linked with a unique phrase or concept. However, whereas memoirs are generally book-length, ancestral pieces are generally shorter. 

Ancestral stories are intentionally void of non-fiction. You can certainly add impressions of what could have happened or elements of your own introspection, but it must be clear what is fact and what is not. 

So far, I have written about my paternal second great-grandmother who helped establish Cordell, Oklahoma, a paternal second great-grandfather who was a prominent farmer in Oklahoma, and great-grandmothers on both sides of the family who died young from disease and forever changed the lives of their infant sons. I continue writing these family stories and sharing them with my ancestral writing group created by our local genealogical society.  I have some exciting characters in my blood family!

That said, I have not accomplished much lately with writing fiction.  Now, being on a two-week staycation from my paralegal work, my goal is to redistribute my schedule so that I can do some serious writing each day.  I will not be picking up old unfinished work, some of which might not ever see the light of day.

I have decided a new beginning is what I need now.    

Today, I started working on a new novel using an idea that I have been chewing on over the last few days. 

A novel with a catchy title and twists and turns in the prose.  Unusual elements become characters in least expected ways.

A thriller with elements of my life of living at a lake—real life events slathered with embellishment to push readers to the edge of wherever they happen to be.    

Like I said, I love ancestral writing, but I have also missed writing fiction. 

Carry on, keep writing.    

Change · curve balls · discipline · General Writing · goals · Marketing · storytelling · writing

When Life Throws You A Curve Ball

Susan Coffin

FLYING BALL
When life throws you a big fat sock-her (or sock-him) ball….

Quick, DUCK!

But stay in the game.

Seriously, we have all experienced a fast-moving curve ball that we saw from a mile away, or that we did not expect at all.

It’s our attitude that will break our spirit or carry us through a difficult time.

When a curve ball comes our way, we have two basic options: we can let it slam us to the ground, or we can duck and use the opportunity to learn.

In the business world, a speeding curve ball can actually be a life-saver.  Read further to find out what I’m talking about.

Honestly Assess the Situation

Whether or not you saw the sock-her ball coming, it’s important to assess the situation and look at your part. For example, if you lost a client and are not sure why, think about your working relationship.

Were you and the client not a good fit, but you continued the relationship anyway because you needed the money?

Or, did you make some big mistakes, only to realize that the project was out of your league?

It does no good to point your finger at whomever threw that curve ball.  Assess the situation through your own eyes and learn from it so that you may better service your current and future clients.

Enjoy a Big Glass of Lemonade

When I was a kid and I complained about things not going the way, my sweet mother used to say, “Well, take those lemons and make some lemonade.”

After you have made that lemonade and downed about half of it, take a look at the glass. Is it half full or half empty?

If you see the glass as half empty, you are focusing on what you do not have.  On the other hand, perceiving the glass as half full means you are fully aware of what you do have.

Focus on what you have gained from the arrival of the curve ball, not on what you have lost.

For example, you may have lost a client that was not a good fit but you now have room to take on some new projects.  Or, perhaps you made some mistakes with that huge project, but now you know how to change your behavior to produce a better work project.

 Stay in the Game and Up the Ante

force-2483944_640.pngNow that you have figured out your part in the situation and you see a half-full glass of lemonade, what’s next?

Vow never to give up. Stay in the game and up the ante.

For example, before considering future clients, take time to assess whether you are a good fit.  The quality of a working relationship is far more important than money.

If your work product suffered, explore ways to improve performance for future projects. For example, if you were coming up on a deadline and cut corners instead of asking for an extension, learn how to manage you time better. If your work had too many errors, take steps to improve.

Final Words 

So, whether life has thrown you a sock-her or sock-him ball, the important thing is to remember, as my mother used to say…….

It’s not the end of the world. This too shall pass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

blogging · Change · discipline · goals · storytelling

Running and Starting a Writing Business (What They Have in Common)

Susan Coffin

I am as much an avid runner as I am a writer. If I could write while running I would do it. My goal is to turn the little bit of paid freelancing I do now into a lucrative career.

Well, today as I was on my run, I thought about what my next steps are in trying to grow my writing business.  I have read blogs by successful writers, and I have watched the videos on creating business plans. I have even read a terrific book or two on freelance writing.  I’m a big planner, so I have put a lot of effort into working toward that milestone of taking my writing from making just a little money on the side to making enough to survive on.

Somewhere in this 40-minute run, I thought about how launching a writing career is similar to the process of running.  Read on to see what I’m talking About.

Both Require Setting a Reasonable Pace

With running, you need to start out slow, especially if you have never engaged in this activity, or if you have run very little.  You might walk for ten minutes, run for five, and then increase your time until you have run a mile, or two, or even more.  If start out too fast, you could injure yourself, but going too slow could bog down your efforts and make you feel like you’re not getting anywhere.

With launching a writing career, you also need to take your time. Don’t just quit your day job into trying to make mega bucks.  It takes time to build up any career.  You need to market and build up a portfolio. Test the writing waters on the weekends or evenings while you still have a job. Give yourself time to work toward your goal of becoming an accomplished writer. 

Both Offer Diverse Scenery

You can run anywhere–a trail in the park, on paved sidewalks, in the mountains, by the ocean, or even on the treadmill at the gym. You have a choice of what you would like to see when running.  There’s little chance of getting bored if you change your running venue often.

Scenery is also important when launching your writing business. You can experiment with different types of writing until you find one, or several, that appeal to you.  If you think you could never write about business, why not give it a try?  Or, if you love writing about animals, send some queries to cat or dog magazines.  Diversity is makes the world go around.

Both Require the Right Tools

If you’re a runner, you know how important it is to have the proper tools.  Good fitting shoes are a must, as is comfortable running attire.  If you have long hair, you need some good hairbands, and maybe a hat.  Some runners even go as far as using heart rate monitors to track their heartbeat and calories they have burned. 

Think about this in terms of running a business.  The right tools are a must, especially a computer setup, the internet, a word processing program and email. Another essential business tool is a website to let the world know you are available for assignments. Finally, you need to acquire the skill of cold queries to places you want to write for, and you need to consistently market yourself as a freelance writer. 

The Takeaway

Running can be extremely difficult at first, but it becomes easier as you build up stamina and learn the ropes.  It is also no easier starting up a freelance writing business, but I expect it becomes easier as you become experienced and start landing writing projects.   

In other words, keep working toward your goals and don’t give up. 

 

blogging · discipline · General Writing · goals · storytelling · Writing and Family

How to Write (or Get Your Writing Done)

Susan Coffin

My Dream

When I was a kid and decided I wanted to be a lyricist, I had to be inspired to write  a poem or song.  Inspiration usually came from pining over my latest crush, or listening to country music songs, or dreaming about being a famous songwriter when I grew up.  Most of my poems and lyrics were about love and heartbreak, except for the poem I wrote about my dog, Tippy. I wrote sad poems all through my teen years.

I took a break from writing in my twenties, but picked it up again when I was in my thirties and going through a divorce. I often would not write unless I was inspired by my own emotions. However, I was in my mid-thirties when I decided I need to find a way to practice writing discipline.

My lessons in discipline started when I signed up for creative writing classes taught by a published author. She told us that to be a writer you must write. We were required to submit 2,000 words each week, I believe, as well as participate in shared critiques of our work with classmates. This new writing routine was no easy task, especially for someone- me- who had spent some many years convinced that inspiration created the writing muse. I learned a lot while taking those writing classes.

Say Bu-bye to Inspiration

Inspiration is all in your head. It really is. Saying all those years that I could not write without inspiration was just another way of saying I was undisciplined, or maybe even  lazy when it came to my craft. While inspiration can motivate action, it was holding me back because I was allowing myself to write only when I felt like it. The bottom line is if you let that muse lead you, you will not get very much of anything done.

There is an old saying that inspiration has paved many roads to hell.  In the writing word, inspiration has paved many roads to  dead-end streets with garbage cans full of words that have been thrown away.

Say Hullo to Discipline

Treat discipline as a verb. This means taking action to  write in a way to ensure that your goals are being met. For example, if you plan is to submit stories to magazines, you need to sit down and write stories. If you want to find work as a non-fiction writer, you need to find magazines or paid sources to pitch to, and then write those articles.

A schedule is essential for a writer. whether it be a half hour in the morning, an hour in the evening, or every ten minutes on the hour throughout the day.  Go to your special writing space, shut out all distractions, fire your word processor up and start writing.  Just do it.

Create Goals

Once you have a schedule down, what are you going to do with all those words you are writing? I suggest creating goals, such as finding homes for the pieces you write. If you pen short stories, why not find magazines that accept your style of writing?  Duotrope is a great database to search short story markets.  Writer’s Digest offers this list, and  The Write Life blog lists 23 quality places to submit stories.

If you want make some or all your money from writing, then search out the writer’s job boards for projects that might be a fit for you. ProBlogger, Bloggingpro, and Freelance Writing are three job boards I like really well. Pick projects suitable for you, pitch your skills, and take a chance.

You can also find online blogs, publications, or websites that you would like to write for and do cold marketing. If you want to learn more about how to do this, I recommend The Well-Fed Writer (I saw Peter Bowerman speak a few years back, and he knows his stuff) and this blog by Elna Cain. There are many other blogs out there by people who make income from writing.

Stick to It

Once you have said goodbye to inspiration, hello to discipline, and created your goals, you need to stick to the plan. This does not mean you have to write every day, or be prepared to write at any given moment. It just means you need to treat writing as if it’s work.

If you have a nine-to-five job, then writing time might be a few hours a week, or three or four hours on the weekend. If you work part-time, then your writing time might be four or five hours every day. If you want to make income from writing, you need to make time to market yourself and get the word out about what you do.

So, no matter what you writing schedule is, or what you want to do with your writing, the important thing is to stick to the plan and get your writing done!

 

Coffee · General Writing · Grammar · storytelling

Grandma’s Coffee Mill

Susan Coffin

 

Grandma's Coffee MillKrups, who I often called K, was my best friend for twenty some-odd years. From the day we met, we were inseparable. The whir of her bladed heart made me smile.  Every morning she ground aromatic java beans, and some evenings she even convinced me I needed Hazelnut or caramel decaf. K didn’t just hand me perfect coffee, she made sure my flax seed and almonds were finely chopped just the way I liked them.

Then, one day a few months ago, K died. No warning, no goodbye, she just didn’t wake up one morning. With tears in my eyes, I broke the news to Don.  In an effort to soothe me, he suggested we bring his friend Cuisinart in to fill K’s spot, but it was too soon.  I had found K dead less than ten minutes earlier and needed time to grieve.

As I wallowed in grief, Don came up with another suggestion.  “Hey, what about your grandmother’s coffee grinder?

“Huh?”  I said, unsure of what he was talking about.

Then, my gaze fell on the old crank coffee mill—Goodwood, or G.W. for short—that had been living on the countertop for several years. G.W. never moved or made a sound, and he certainly never complained about all the attention K got.

That same morning after I laid K to rest in the recycling bin—she had been so giving that I was sure she wanted her parts donated—I put G.W.to the test.  I loaded his portal with fresh coffee beans and cranked the handle, around and around, and smiled as he revealed his deep bass voice.  He worked hard to produce a good java.  However, because  he was older and a bit cranky, it took him longer to get the job done.

I still miss K and think of her often, but G.W. has proven to be a wonderful friend as well. Over time, his joints have loosened a bit and he is a bit more spry, always eager to grind my beans to perfection. Too bad he and K never noticed each other when she was alive. They would have made perfect companions.