What's On Your To-Do List?

As I was trying to go to sleep last night I pondered the fact that it was going to be Thursday tomorrow and where had the week gone. It was a short week because of the Fourth of July. What had I accomplished?

As I started to beat myself up mentally about not getting anything off my to-do list, I had an epiphany of sorts. Why was I doing this? I may not have accomplished those necessary evils on my list, but I did have accomplishments. Yesterday was a great day. I had lunch with my daughter and she treated! I also played pickleball (not well) with my family and had exercise and fun at the same time. Those things are important, but we rarely celebrate them or put them on the list of things to be done.

As I laid there, I vowed, first to write about this, and second, to do more of the celebrating the things that matter. I’m not burning my to-do list, but it won’t be the top motivational factor.  Funny thing, after deciding that, sleep was easy.

Top 10 Writing List

I created this top 10 list for my students in my college writing class. It is some of the things that I see a lot of as well as a message that says the more you practice the better you will be. Feel free to add any of your suggestions.

W.S. Gager’s Top 10 List For Writing

1. Figure out who your audience is before you start writing

2. Always take your time to think about the words you use and if they fit your audience.

3. Make sure to start a sentence with a capital letter and end with a period.

4. Never start a sentence with “There”

5. Never use “u” for “you” and “r “for “are” unless you are texting.

6. When in doubt about spelling, use a dictionary.

7. Never send something in anger. Give yourself a cooling off period and then revisit it.

8. Just write the words down and fix it later.

9. Always give yourself time to put it away, and then reread with fresh eyes.

10. The more you write the better you will write!

Out of the Mouth of the Young

I was speaking at a Mother-Daughter Banquet Tuesday night and met the most awesome nine-year-old girl. Hannah was her name and when I asked who wanted to be a writer, her hand shot up so fast and so strong she nearly climbed on her seat to get it higher.

She came up as she as the door prize winner and I couldn’t help but ask her some questions. Her answers made me think about my writing, but more importantly how enthusiastic she was and knew her goals. I asked her about what she wanted to write thinking it may be a children’s book or the next Twilight series. She wasn’t interested in that. After only nine years, she knew she wanted to write adult books. There was no wavering, no hesitation.

Now that is one girl who will be giving all authors a run for her money and in only a few years, if we are lucky and it takes her that long. I suspect it may be sooner. She wore a black sequined shirt that simmered in the light but that couldn’t match the light shining in her eyes and her willingness to take on the world.

Sometimes as writers it seems really tough to do all the things you have to do to promote your books once you spend years writing and revising them to get them published. No one tells you that the writing is the easy part and the promoting and networking is the real job of writing. With my second book, A Case of Accidental Intersection, coming out in a couple of months, I’m in the middle of trying to get all the publicity ready, arrange the blog tours and set some signings, appearances and book launch. I’ve been overwhelmed with “to do” lists.

Hannah reminded me of my enthusiasm for writing and not to let the promoting of it drag you down. My message for the evening was don’t forget to write and nine-year-old Hannah was the one who reminded me. And I’m off to do just that. The list can wait, my characters can’t!

“Don’t YOU forget to write” too!