Let me remind you—
you can be what you want to be;
you can do what you choose to do;
you are not as fragile as people think;
your potential surpasses your dream;
you are blessed and highly favoured;
you are all these things and so much more.
These daily reminders will shield you from other people’s negative opinion of you.
What is going on in the Coffee Shop?
This morning, the coffee shop is packed with patrons, partly because of the one dollar coffee promotion but definitely because it is so darn cold outside. I arrived early; my coffee colleagues have yet to start trickling in. I take my first sip.
Recently, I was asked how I overcome writer’s block. Well, every day I write “something” for an hour. When I get a stubborn block, I read a book by one of my favourite authors and I hand wash my dishes with no TV, or music in the background. Such activities always put me in focus. Some folks draw from what is happening in their moments and others go for long quiet walks to jump-start a block. My best advice?
(a) Write every day, what you write doesn’t have to make perfect sense, just keep writing, you can edit your work later.
(b) Read a lot of books. I admit, I expand my vocabulary by reading a lot of books. Know that you have very little control over how your book will resonate with readers. Most authors are truly surprised at how readers respond to their work.
(c) Consider this quote by author Toni Morrison: “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
To the folks who frequently ask me how I cope with my writing habit I say: I write for the love of it!
Lupe and Mary have just walked thru the double doors at the coffee shop–see you next time!
Olive Rose Steele is the author of CRY TOUGH.
Let's have coffee 