Tag Archives: dreaming

Merry Christmas!

A quick thank you to everyone who has followed, commented and provided feedback on this little blog over the past year. When I started out, I had no idea what I was going to do. I simply knew I was a stranger in a strange land, living a life that two months prior I hadn’t imagined, trying to take opportunities when they presented themselves and tackle life’s challenges head on.

So, make the most of the holiday season, have fun, laugh, enjoy the gifts life has given you. 2015 is probably going to be one hell of a ride.

(Image Credit: Mary Murtz)

So, what does it mean to Write Foxy?

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On Sunday I was fortunate enough to attend Miranda Dickinson’s Write Foxy event, which was jam packed with some amazing guest speakers.

So what does it mean to Write Foxy? It does not mean you are limiting yourself to the topic of elusive woodland creatures. And although all of the speakers were female and Miranda is well known as a Romantic Comedy author, this was not a day exclusively for those who want to write ‘chicklit’. The whole day was genre unspecific and for those at any level of writing experience. To Write Foxy is to take back the passion of writing and do what you really love. A day legitimately and wholly devoted to the writing experience.

For me, there were several highlights and key moments in the day. The first was being completely vindicated by Hannah Beckerman (The Dead Wife’s Handbook) when it comes to planning. People always seem a bit suspicious of my level of planning, as though it somehow equates to a lack of creativity. Hannah was great at explaining how developing a strong structure in advance can actually create a sense of freedom when it comes to writing. There are no moments of panic when you feel like you are fumbling in a blind alley towards your ending. No sitting, staring at the blank screen waiting for the muse to appear. But nor is it so set in stone that there is no choice but to follow your original plan relentlessly. I couldn’t have completed NaNoWriMo in 3 days without a plan, that’s for sure.

The aha! moment for the day came from Cally Taylor (Home For Christmas, The Accident) who tackled the topic of editing. Or, as I like to call it, my nemesis. I realised that although I am meticulous in my planning, and my life in general, I have no such approach when it comes to editing. Instead, I get out a red pen and plod through the thankless task. No wonder I always get distracted by writing something new and shiny instead. Cally showed us a way of approaching editing that has given me a whole new perspective on getting from that first draft to a polished manuscript, without it feeling like pulling teeth. As my goal for 2015 is to actually do something with this fort of stories I’ve been building around myself, I feel like I now have a framework to help me learn to enjoy the task as a part of the writing process itself.

The unexpected laugh out loud moments came courtesy of Tamsyn Murray (Stunt Bunny, My So-Called Afterlife), who explained the three act structure to us in a way that was better than any of my English teachers ever did. Or maybe her choice of a well known children’s book as an example was just aiming it at my mental level… Now I’m re-reading this and wondering if I’ve managed to do it with this post (the piece of training documentation I wrote for work the other day though is something Aristotle himself would be proud of. Isn’t that what people mean by work-life balance?)

To round off the day, Miranda Dickinson (Take A Look At Me Now, and the soon to be published I’ll Take New York) gave everyone a timely reminder that for everyone there, no matter what they wrote, where they wrote, or how much they wrote, the whole point was still to have fun. To really love what you write and, more importantly, to give yourself the freedom to do so without guilt. Writing is a solitary process to begin with and hard to explain to friends and family without sounding like, well, a bit of a nutter really. I’m lucky that everyone I know has just accepted that I’m a nutter anyway and the whole writing thing is now quite incidental to that fact. But, despite the fact I don’t have anything traditionally published yet, I do now call myself a writer and say it like I mean it. For that, I will be forever grateful to Miranda for being a champion of the generosity mindset and always extending a hand down to help those on the way up.

It is something I hope to be in a position to do myself one day.

There are still tickets available for the February Write Foxy day, so if you’re free and want to start taking your writing seriously (or if you already do and want access to a whole load of additional tips and tricks) then you should check it out here. Plus, if I haven’t sold it to you, there will also be free goodies and oodles of cake. Writing events should always be this well catered….

Pre-Writing – The Playlist Creation

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I don’t actually listen to music when I’m writing any more. I used to do it all the time, but when I made the transition to morning writing, it stopped almost instantly. I think it’s because I have a natural tendency towards good old fashioned rock, and at 6AM I don’t need a killer riff blasting into my pre-caffeinated brain.

Nevertheless, for each longer piece I’m writing (that is, anything from novella upwards), I always make myself a playlist. Every book I’ve ever written has a few songs that I strongly associate with it. I enjoy that. And just because I’m not listening to it while I’m actively writing, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a purpose. I’ll copy the playlist onto my iPhone and burn a CD for the car. Then, during the day-to-day moments of life, it will be there, playing in the background. It’s a good way to keep the story ticking away in the back of my mind. When I’m stuck in traffic, especially, I find this useful. I’ve lost count of the number of scenes I’ve come up with, or plot holes I’ve daydreamed my way out of, whilst stuck behind a bus on the Wolverhampton ring road.

Writing is always about more than just putting a pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). It is not solely words that go into making a story. People who have never tried it don’t realise what an immersive experience it is. There are connections in songs, yes, but also in that old record store from when you were a kid, a coffee shop where you met an old friend who’s laughter was so unusual it made it into your main character, or smell that was in the air the moment your life changed forever. All of these things make you who you are, and that comes through onto the page as you write.

So even if there’s no more air guitar before sunrise, I’ll still always want a playlist. Preferably with some great guitar solos in there somewhere…

Letters From The Past, Thanks To FutureMe.org

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About 9 months ago, I was on a nice beach holiday, reading Quitter and Start by Jon Acuff. It was there that I first read about the FutureMe.org website. I made a note of it to investigate when I got back. Essentially, it allows you to type an email to your future self, sending it to arrive on a date of your choice. This can have all kinds of purposes. For me, I wanted to keep my future self going in the direction I want to be heading.

You see, the previous six months had been a roller coaster of life spinning out of control. The highs had been high but the lows had also been super low. Life does that to you sometimes. You have to learn to roll with the punches. But because of that, a creeping sense of dissatisfaction had begun to pervade my life. I knew I was heading towards a point where I might be able to make some changes. I wasn’t sure yet what they were going to be, but as I sat there, toes in the sand, honestly assessing my life and scribbling everything in my notepad to make me accountable, I was determined to do something.

Sadly, I’d done (to a lesser extent) the same thing on previous holidays. One of the things I had confessed to in my notepad was not having the courage to do some things, nor the motivation to do others. Therefore, when I penned my email to my future self, I wanted to be kind, but also realistic.

It arrived this morning:

Dear FutureMe,

So you’ve just come back from two sunny weeks in Spain, where you did a lot of talking and thinking and list making for the future. You often do that on holiday. But this time, you wanted it to be different. This time you really wanted to mean it.

I strongly suspect that when you get this, you won’t have made the wild progress that you want. Your dreams won’t have all magically come true via a lottery win. But over the next few months after writing this, you will have been making some of the biggest decisions ever. The ones that will shape your life. The ones that will start you on the road to being something and someone you want to be. Remember that.

Remember it, because I suspect when you’re reading this, then the reality you are living in won’t be massively different from the one I am writing this in. That doesn’t mean it’s time to quit. Just look yourself in the eye and ask if you’re really doing everything you can to make the life you want happen. If you can, then great. If you can’t, then pick yourself up and get going again. Keep taking the steps. Keep hustling. Keep going.

If, by some chance you are everything that you were thinking about during this last holiday, then congratulations. Keep being the best you can be. Don’t get lazy, arrogant or sloppy. Be the person you need to be for the people who love you most. Keep living your life so you can look yourself in the eye.

I hope, regardless of anything else, you’ve done those things you needed to do to get some self-belief.

Keep going kiddo.

That is it, completely unedited or censored.

Have I made some changes? Yes, I’ve got to spend six months in New Zealand really working on what matters most to me. Am I a published author yet? No, but I’m trying and I continue to try. I’m exploring self-publishing too, so that I can continue to grow and learn about the industry as it rapidly changes alongside me.

The reality is also that I’m heading back to the UK soon, at least for the immediate future. So perhaps if I had chosen to not have the mail arrive now, but instead a month from now, the geographical context might have made me feel differently. I don’t know. But that’s not really the point. It arrived now, and gave me a little bit of faith for the next steps.Today I will write another one. I’d recommend that you do too.

More info here:

Jon Acuff

FutureMe

Let there be stories

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Yesterday was devoted to getting back to the mortgage-paying kind of paid work, as I’m coming up to the end of my little writing sabbatical. Today will be back to the writing. I don’t need to tell you which one of these activities I prefer.

Of course, even writing has elements I don’t like and these are the ones I try to focus on when I get free time that isn’t first thing in the morning. 6am is my writing time. Not my ‘creating’ time (I’m an outliner) and certainly not my editing time. I actively make my stories worse if I try and edit them before coffee.

Generally I have 3 books on the go at the same time. One in the planning phase – this can be as little as an idea knocking around in my head or completed outline and character development.

The second will be in the writing phase. This is the most enjoyable phase for me. Just sitting back, making the story appear from the outline.

The third will be in the editing phase. Definitely the least favourite. Not to mention the one that gets progressively worse. There’s the first read through that can have some pleasant surprises (hey, that’s not actually awful after all!), to the line edits where your brain has read the damn thing so many times and is looking at it in such detail that you get your its confused with your it’s and you want to tell passive voice that it can go and be shoved.

The writing dream is definitely a hard slog. People don’t see the years of hard crafting and sacrifices that go into whipping something into a state where there is a glimmer of hope that a publisher might snap it up. But aren’t all dreams that way?

You can’t guarantee publishing success, but if you can put your hand on your heart and say you tried your best, then that is something to be proud of.

Moleskine vs Field Notes – Pocket Notebook Review

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It seems that pocket notebooks are definitely back in fashion at the moment. The world, thanks to the internet and kickstarter, has become awash with them. As a writer, I’ve carried a notebook around with me for most of my life, so I decided that this is one area I definitely have an opinion on.

Despite the countless brands, the current two front runners are Moleskine and Field Notes. I’ve only recently succumbed to buying Field Notes as they are quite tricky to get hold of outside America without making a bit of an effort. However, I’d heard so much about them that I thought I would have to give them a try.

Both notebooks discussed below have gone through a complete lifecycle in my handbag (purse to any US readers, obviously). Despite all those hardy, manly, everyday carry instagram shots, I don’t think anything competes with the assortment of crap I carry around with me on a daily basis that these notepads have had to survive next to.

Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover

Except in this instance. The hardcover pocket size Moleskine stands up well to most environments. It’s still got a lot of trend factor, as well as standing up to approval in the boardroom meetings. Because I use a hardcover one, it makes it easier to grab and write if there isn’t a surface available. Oddly, out in the field, using Field Notes is actually more difficult in this sense. Field Notes as a brand has a definite cover cool factor right now, especially some of the limited addition colours ones. But by its very nature, it is more casual; while it might provoke a bit of interest in meetings, it’s not going to be taken as seriously in a corporate environment. Especially after a bit of use. Which leads me to…

Durability and Longevity

Field Notes have considerably fewer pages than Moleskine books, meaning that this one was only on rotation for about a month. The Moleskine, on the other hand, was in my bag for around six. One looks hardly touched, the other looks well loved. I don’t have to tell you which way round that is. Again, that beat up look has a bit of cool factor to it, but as I keep all my notebooks and constantly refer back to the content in them, it does make me question if they will stand the test of time like the original concept they were based upon.

Paper

In the bid for market share, the quality of paper actually often seemed to take second place to design factor. A lot of brands have started to realise that as more and more people turn away from an entire dependence on smartphones and yearn for the analogue capture of yesteryear – often with a fountain pen to go alongside it – paper matters. On the whole I don’t use fountain pens, largely because I have a mythological perfect one I am still searching for, but I do use a variety of ballpoints and rollerballs. Despite a lot of people complaining about Moleskine paper quality, I would say that the two of them match up pretty well. If anything, the Field Notes have a little bit of show through (but not bleed through) on the back. I’ve yet to try out the Shelterwood edition, which has considerably thicker paper, but in the interests of fair comparison, I’m reporting here only on the standard book. Both brands have options of lined, plained and grid, so pick whatever works for you and knock yourself out.

Features

I love the Moleskine back flap for storing bits of paper and the bookmark is definitely a great feature. These are both missing from the Field Notes, but with considerably fewer pages, the bookmark becomes less of a necessity. I’d recommend using a modified to suit your needs Bullet Journal system with both. I recently went back and actually did this to all my notebooks that had a couple of blank pages at the beginning or the end and it makes a huge difference to usability. Field Notes has a built in ruler along the back sleeve and some fun uses. Both have a user information page at the front, although both brands clearly approach it in different ways.

To Sum Up

Which side of the fence you come down on will always depend on how you use your notebook. For me, the pocket notebook isn’t for work – but when I am working I will use it to capture things so I don’t want it to look too out of place. I love the look of Field Notes especially when I am travelling; there is definitely something of the open road about them. The first real test will be on a road trip around the US and Canada next month, where I’m much more likely to be shoving them in my pocket for practical reasons, rather than just creative ones. After this first run through though, I am still slightly on the side of Moleskine for the way I can actually use them in any environment. If I had an idea last month, I don’t need to go and find the other book because I’ve already run out of pages and moved on.

Finally, I’ve used a cheap supermarket brand (£3/$4.50 US) and found that once you take the ‘street cred’ element away (the ‘look at me, I’m a writer/hipster/adventurer’ element) it works just as well on all fronts as the others, at a fraction of the cost:

Road trips: San Francisco, Vancouver, Alaska

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So, I have been on the road now for the best part of a month. The purpose of this was twofold: for writing research and for pleasure.

It has been, without a doubt, a very interesting and busy few weeks. Having flown from New Zealand back in time, we covered San Francisco, Vancouver and surrounds, as well as Alaska. One thing has certainly be cemented this year, and that is the fact I am clearly more of an outdoor person than a city person. Which is not something I think I ever really realised before. Whilst I’ve never felt compelled to move towards the big lights, I could never really say I was much for tramping in the woods either. Perhaps it is something that is becoming more defined as I get older, or perhaps people are becoming less appealing? Who knows.

I’ve certainly got a notebook full of ideas and places, characters that are calling out to me to be written. Turns out the Fieldnotes books are the perfect size for that length of stay. So the trip itself was definitely a success.

The next month will definitely be a busy one as I try to do something with it all…

Plus, I finally purchased a fountain pen in my bid to get back to handwriting some of my work. I’m loving it so far and can really notice the difference, compared to banging out the words on a computer. Review to come shortly.

Serendipitous Field Notes, Black Estate Winery

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I have been hearing an increasing amount about Field Notes, first brought to my attention by the amazing Pen Addict Podcast. Whilst they have achieved cult status in the US, getting hold of them internationally is not so simple. Especially somewhere the back of beyond like New Zealand.

I was therefore surprised and suspicious when I saw that there was an alleged supplier a mere hour’s drive away from here at Black Estate Winery. I had to go past it on the way to somewhere else, so I decided to pop my head around the door to just double check that I must be mistaken. Which is where I found myself wrong and now the proud owner of:

I wasn’t sure what to expect as there is only so much you can do to judge a notebook without actually having it in your hands. In some ways they should be bland and nothing special. Yet the moment I first picked them up, I knew I could be completely sucked in. (I also stayed for a very nice cup of coffee, because I didn’t want to seem like someone with a notebook problem. I’ll go back there again and do a separate review at some point, I’m sure).

I opted for the graph paper, having used both plain and lined pocket notebooks plenty of times before. It feels like a natural fit; providing some structure if I need it, without being restrictive. Depending on how it goes, I feel this could become my format of choice.

I’ve decided that it is the perfect size to test on my trip to the US and Canada that is coming up. Marketed towards being rugged and durable, a road trip should be the most exertion I would normally put it under. If it holds up to that, then I might just be tempted to buy more once I’m out there. The new Shelterwood collection would be a no-brainer for me.

Tracking Goals: Going Analogue

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Along with Lift (edit: now coach.me), I’ve also found something analogue to help with my habit formation and personal development. This is the cool Goals Journal from kikki K.

It takes some time to set up, but the process of doing so is really worthwhile. Instead of just coming up with random goals, it starts with the premise of trying to define your dream life. There are several helpful examples that talk you through the process, for example, stating your core values:

The dream life itself has a few key factors, one of which is explicitly stating when you want to be living this. That took me a bit of thought. I obviously wanted to pretend I could get my dream life as soon as possible. Next week! But reality kicks in. So setting the balance between plausibility and so far in the future you’re not actually motivated to start straight away is a thought-provoking act in itself.

Once you’ve worked out where you’re going to be, there is a section for each month where you define 4 goals. Only four for the month, so as long as you do it sensibly, it always feels achievable. The key part here is stating why you want to do this – how does it propel you further towards your vision?

Of course, we all know that setting out goals is not enough. If only it were. But no, you actually have to take action to achieve them. To combat some of the most common excuses (I don’t have time etc etc), for each month there is a timetable. This urges you to set time aside for your goal work in the same way you would schedule an appointment for all the other areas of your life. This highlights how much time you really do have in your life if you want it badly enough.

So, tomorrow being the 1st of March, I have completed everything and now it is all set up. At the end of the month, it’ll be interesting to see the progress I’ve made on my four defined goals (and if I gave myself the reward regardless…).

Lift App: Building Habits For Success (Review)

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So, I have started using the Lift app to try to get into the habit of doing the little things that count.

Research has shown that having small goals, such as to drink more water daily, can have a big impact on your overall success. The thinking is that by making small changes and succeeding, you gain a sense of momentum that spreads to other areas of your life. Plus drinking more water is really good for you.

I know from personal experience that having a routine and using habit to achieve a goal can work. So, from a personal development perspective, I like the idea of having a tool that reminds me and rewards me when it comes to habits.

The ’21 days’ thing has been pretty much debunked as a myth, so there is no definite habit formation period that is universal to human experience. With my morning writing, it started to move from pain to pleasure after about two weeks, but I had a strong emotional attachment to the goal to start with. Other things, like going to the gym, I’m going to do because I know the benefits, but there is still an underlying sense of doing because I have to, not because I want to. Logic tells me that this habit will take way longer to cross over from the pain threshold.

The rewards feature (don’t break the streak! High Five!) are nice little touches to keep you engaged. Many of the preset goals have plans attached to them, so you don’t even have to figure out what you need to do from the get-go. This gives you a nice motivational sense of support that you can do the first few steps.

I’ve been using it for around two weeks so far and like the results. I have been to the gym more, read more and have done things to take myself out of my comfort zone. So, even if I haven’t achieved daily perfection I have still made progress, and that is what this kind of thing is really about.

You can read more on the blog here, or follow the guys on twitter.

Sherri Nicholds

Life hacks and tools for creative entrepreneurs

Tag Archives: dreaming

Merry Christmas!

So, what does it mean to Write Foxy?

Pre-Writing – The Playlist Creation

Letters From The Past, Thanks To FutureMe.org

Let there be stories

Moleskine vs Field Notes – Pocket Notebook Review

Road trips: San Francisco, Vancouver, Alaska

Serendipitous Field Notes, Black Estate Winery

Tracking Goals: Going Analogue

Lift App: Building Habits For Success (Review)