While attending the Thrillerfest conference in June, I couldn’t help but notice the frequent use of the word “wheelhouse” in conversations about reading and writing books. The word became the newest buzzword of the year. It is a term that has slowly made its way into many writers’ vocabulary, including my own.
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In June, I had the opportunity to attend the Thrillerfest Conference in New York City for the first time in three years. At this point in the pandemic game, I don’t have to tell you that booking the hotel and airfare were scary enough, but traveling via plane and subway with thousands of other people rubbing up against your ribs would be a nightmare. So, I will skip the conversation about risking my health and tell you that it was time to be brave. With three vaccinations in my arm and over a dozen N95 masks in my book bag, I knew I would be well protected while traveling to the U.S. conference for a week.
I, like most writers, am considered an introvert. So, attending a writing conference to start conversations with strangers face-to-face is not only intimidating but also terrifying. So, to appear like the extrovert that I wanted to be, I decided to take it easy, relax and be stress-free. I only concentrated on one goal for the conference: To make new friends and connect again with my old ones.
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Sometimes, life is hard.
Your typical day can get so hectic that you barely have enough time to change out of pajamas in the morning before it is already bedtime again. You are so busy juggling responsibilities that you can’t find the time to finish that short story, complete the novel edits, or even take a few minutes to write a four-line poem.
So, maybe you need a solo writing retreat?
I will admit that I won the lottery a few months ago. I didn’t win a cash prize or a prestigious award; instead, I won a writing residency opportunity to spend almost two weeks on a private island in the middle of a quiet lake. It is the perfect place for me to focus on three things: Eating, sleeping, and writing.
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I am continuously learning the craft of writing. One of my favourite self-development authors is Seth Godin. I almost fall into a trance when I listen to him speak. A few years ago, he published a book called PUSHING PAST THE DIP: HOW TO BECOME THE BEST IN THE WORLD. I recently reread it.
In the book, Seth speaks about making the long, tough slog through mediocre-ville. Honestly, I laughed while I read it. It was probably a manic laugh, but still, I think about this book often. Seth mentioned that you must concentrate your efforts, push a little harder, commit a few more resources, and leave the mediocre to the average Joe.
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Above all else, writers should be writing, but what if you have trouble getting words on the page?
With the world raging in turmoil outside our windows, writers start to wonder if the words they are writing will matter in a time like this. We thought the pandemic was challenging, but now, people are dying thanks to a man with a greed problem. I’m simplifying this because the man has more problems than greed, but I’m sure you understand we are on the verge of World War III now that Putin, the Russian leader, has ripped up the peace deal and has launched a devastating attack on Ukraine by air, land, and sea.
This news is scary shit. Read more
What is something every writer craves, besides an active imagination?
The answer is time. To be more specific: UNINTERRUPTED TIME.
Why?
So, you could write and possibly finish that novel you have been working on for a year. Or has it been two or three years? Since the pandemic started, it feels more like one big giant nightmare of when-will-this-ever-be-over kind of day/month/year. Sad, but true.
What if I told you that I know where there is a private island? Read more
The definition of success:
Success (the opposite of failure or defeat) is the status of having achieved and accomplished an aim or objective. Being successful means achieving desired visions and planned goals. The dictionary describes success as the following: “attaining wealth, prosperity and/or fame”.
Last week, I had at least a dozen weird “writerly” things happen to me. Here are two situations that are relevant to this question: When is a writer considered successful?
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What writer wouldn’t love to disappear from their life and spend an entire week hidden away at a remote location? With no other obligations other than to put fingers to keyboard or pen to paper and tell a story. Maybe, a story no one will ever read? That’s a possibility. But hey, if you are a writer, you will have a strong desire to write that story whether someone reads it or not, right?
Disappearing to a remote location sounds fantastic, especially after the tough year or two we have experienced. My doctor said I was becoming a workaholic, even though I’m working from home now, and I should take a mental health break. She said something like, “Take a vacation.”
In my mind, I watched her scribble a prescription on her pad for me: