GOALS

Photo via Fastsigns blog - Click for website

I'm trying to get back into the blogging groove, and the last post was a big help.  A big thanks to all of you who've wished my dad a speedy recovery, and supported him/me with the blog-love.  I believe in positive vibes, and dad should be River Dancing by Christmas with all of the well-wishes you folks have been sending.

While I was away from the blog, with sketchy internet and very little time to do much else, I was able to step back and consider just exactly what this blog is about, and where it is headed.  In short, it has always been about sharing the passion I have for writing and reading with others who enjoy the same things.  It's also about building a network of peers.  Almost all of my followers are writers at various stages in their careers.  Some are agented, some published, some toiling away in the dark, like me, and some who are hobbyist who simply enjoy reading and/or writing.

Writing is a typically solitary activity, and unlike other jobs where you show up and mingle at the office, the only way you're going to meet people in this business (pre-publication) is to go to a conference or get active in the vast (and growing) online community.  That's why I started this, and that's why I'll continue to do it.

So, as much as I do love seeing a new follower (yes, I dance, sing, and then follow/read your blogs while singing and dancing!), when it's all stripped down I recognize this isn't about self-promotion.  This isn't even about building some kind of pre-fanbase to jumpstart my writing career.  If it were, at the rate I'm going my internet presence would merit publication interest in 2089, and by then I'm certain the machines will have won.

All of that being said, I also believe in goal setting. I've already stated a my motivation: fun and networking.  How about a specific tangible goal?  When I started back in February/March of this year, I thought, Man, I'd love to get to 20 followers!  Now I'm up to 37, and I'm starting to think, Wouldn't it be cool to be to 50 by the holidays?  Again, this isn't about the number.  I "know" almost every single person who follows this blog, and by know I mean I read their blogs, interact with them on various writing sites, and/or comment regularly on their blogs.  These aren't nameless internet folks, nor are they my real family members.  The way I see it, these are friends and co-workers.  

How do I reach those goals?

First, I need to provide information or content that is worthy of your time.  I really try to pay attention to the posts that draw the most interest and feedback, but I'm not certain I've done a good enough job of building on those types of things.  So I'll do more of that.  Second, I have to continue to find new people with similar interests online, comment on their blogs, and get involved with what they're trying to do.  It sounds counterintuitive, but spending time getting to know other people via their content, etc. is the fastest way to build your own network.  So many of you who follow this blog have done so because I've stumbled across your blogs and commented, or because I've got to know you via a message board.  Pay it forward, and your network will grow.

What are your goals and ambitions?

Despite appearances, the reason of this post is not to reveal some new blog direction or come clean about my abilities (or lack there of).  I wrote this to challenge all of you to think about your blogs, dreams, goals, and ambitions.   Furthermore, I'd like to draw some inspiration.  I'd love to know (in the comments, etc.) where you started, how far you've come, and where you hope to go.

Hope you all have a tremendous weekend!

-EJW-  

P.S. - There is an awesome contest going on at the Bookshelf Muse blog.  There are query and page critiques, PLUS a chance to be mentored by an up-and-coming author!  It's one of the cooler, more unique opportunities I've seen.  Plus the blog is great, so go check it out.

P.S.S. - New look.  Like it?  Hate it?  Meh?

DETERMINATION

I'm back!  (Yet again ...)  As I posted previously, I've been out of town for 2-plus weeks helping my father get back on his feet after knee replacement surgery.  I'm more than pleased to report that he has set his walker aside, and is well on his way to a full recovery.  In fact, he's done so well that he inspired this post.  So, if you'll humor me, I'll share a bit of encouragement.

"We will either find a way or make one." - Hannibal 

There are hills, and there are mountains.  To overcome  a hill in your path, you simply put one foot in front of the other, gradually navigating the subtle incline, and subsequent decline.  Climbing a hill requires a little energy, and very little thought.  A mountain in your path will not be overcome so easily.        

"It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves."  - Sir Edmund Hillary

My father is a doer.  If something needs done, he does it.  Waiting is wasting.  Suffice to say, patience is a virtue he's not mastered.  He's a mechanic by trade, and by personality.  If something is broken, fix it.  It's as simple as that.  Unfortunately, his 'fix it' personality applies to all things EXCEPT for his health.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge ..." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dad had been limping around on his bad knee for a couple of years.  He was hobbled and in constant pain, but he was still able to take care of the farm, go to work, and otherwise function.  He didn't have time for doctors.  That was the case until a couple of months ago when the final ligament gave way, and the pain became more than he could endure.

"Yesterday, I dared to struggle.  Today, I dare to win."  - Bernadette Devlin  

In the end, I don't believe that my father feared the surgery as much as he did the recovery.  The prospect of weeks--maybe months--of rehabilitation terrified him.  For someone who has probably asked for less than 5 things in his entire life, what would be done when even getting a glass of water would be beyond his ability?  Still, something had to give or he'd be in a wheelchair soon.  

My dad faced it with his typical doer attitude.  

"How long will I be in the hospital post-surgery?" he asked.  

"If everything goes well, 5-8 days," the doctor replied.

Dad shook his head.  "I'll be home in 2 or 3."

I know the man, so I wasn't about to argue.  However, I knew dad didn't quite understand the physical/anatomical implications of having your leg cut open, your joint taken out, and then replaced with a foreign metal object.  Nerves would be severed, muscle cut, and a myriad of other issues would have to be overcome before he'd be able to use the leg normally.  

The problem?  He simply doesn't think the normal rules of science and anatomy apply to him, and why would he?  I'm not boasting or joking when I say he'd missed less than 5 days of work in his life due to sickness.  Other people needed to lay in bed and recover, not him.

"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." - Franklin Roosevelt   

Post surgery, the surgeon stopped by to visit with us in the waiting room.  He said dad had done inordinately well in surgery.  He also commented that dad "must be a real tough dude" because the old joint was completely polished clean on the inside.  He said he must have been walking on a knee with no ligament or cartilage protection for a long time, and that it was bone-on-bone.  

Four days later, dad was back at home.  (He just had to beat them by a day!)   He was weak.  He was in pain.  He couldn't even go to the bathroom by himself.  I know it was hard for him to let his youngest son help him dress, bathe, and take care of the day-to-day things.  He got depressed, and confided that he wasn't sure he'd ever get back on his feet.

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I knew dad was on the mend when he had me hold his walker while he climbed up into the cab of the tractor.  I protested, admonished, and cursed at his stubbornness, but quietly, I marveled at his determination.  He'd been home exactly one week, and it was time for him to get going, 20 or so staples in his knee be damned!

This Monday, almost 2 weeks from his surgery, I took dad to his first followup appointment with his surgeon.  They removed his staples, told him he could get rid of his walker, and said he looked awesome.  After the appointment, dad asked me to take him to the hospital so he could show the nurses how well he was doing and say thank you.  I kid you not, I saw jaws hit the floor when the little 67 year old man they'd sent home barely walking the week before came sauntering in with no walker, and very little limp.  Dad said his thank you and goodbye.

I left for home the next day realizing that my time of being able to help him without an all out fight was at an end.  I've never been so proud, and inspired, in all my life.

"You can do what you have to do, and sometimes, you can do it even better than you think you can."  - Jimmy Carter

I realize this was a long post, and I apologize.  However, I wanted to share dad's story with all of my fellow writers.  This is a craft that demands determination, willpower, and the ability to completely disregard the bounds of good sense.  If you think it can't be done, it won't.  If you believe you'll fail, you will.  If you ignore your dreams, they'll fade.

We can all overcome the hills, but it takes something special to climb the mountains in our path.  So today ...  

Be courageous.  Be inspired.  Be determined.

-EJW-

MOCKINGJAY! MOCKINGJAY!

That is all ...

Seriously, just wanted to share my Mockingjay release story.  I was in bed reading on my Nook eReader, and had just finished up the latest Artemis Fowl book (more on that later this week).  This was around 11 PM (CST).  I say to myself, "Self, I bet Mockingjay is already available for download as it's after 12 AM EST."  I hop over to the bookstore on my Nook, and it says it's available for Pre-Order.

RATS!  Oh well, I reason, I'll just pre-order so I'll have it first thing tomorrow AM.  I make the purchase, and can't resist opening it on my Nook, just to see if by chance the book had actually been pushed down to my device due to the time difference.  There it was, in all of it's digital glory!!!!

I nearly woke my wife with my giddy school girlesque laughter (Katniss would not approve ...).  I spent the next couple of hours reading.  So, FYI to all of you digital book downloaders, most of the books are probably going to be available at 12 AM EST.

Had I had a single coconspirator, I would have gladly went to a 'live' event, but it still felt kind of special, because I'd gotten the book a tad early.

At any rate, I'm off to read the rest!  Do any of you have Mockingjay stories?

MY FIRST INTERVIEW!

Just wanted to share that one of my writing cohorts/critique partners interviewed me for her blog.  It was a ton of fun to do, and she really asked some wonderful questions.  (You rock, Peggy!)

Peggy and I are partners in the Weekly Chapter Challenge group on the Writer's Digest site.

You can read the interview HERE.

Crazy Family Stories

It is with bittersweet emotion that I tell all of you that I'm going to be absent from the blog festivities for a while.  I'm attending a family reunion out of state this weekend and leave today.  Consequently, this will be my last update until most likely early next week.

I say it is bittersweet, because I'm going to be having a great time with my family.  These people are seriously funny/insane/awesome to be around ... more on that in a sec.  However, I'm very sad to lose contact with my blog friends, even if only for a few days.  I've grown quite fond of everyone, and all of the stories I'm allowed to read and share.  So until then, take care, and know that my heart will go on ...


I know you were humming along, but that's cool ...


O.K., now that we've gotten the tears out of the way, let's talk about something fun, shall we?  Heading to a family reunion is usually a reflective affair, full of memories and colorful anecdotes about current and past relatives.  Well to me, the best anecdotes are the crazy ones involving Uncle Mort and the time he lit his boxers on fire trying to light his gas around the campfire, or when Gran had a little too much "punch" and decided she would do the Macarena while wearing that truck stop 'authentic' Native American Headdress you bought her.  (ONLY AN EXAMPLE ... I have no Uncle Mort, but MAN that would have been awesome!  My Gran never had a drop of "punch" in her life, to my knowledge.)

I know for me, as a writer, I draw a ton of inspiration from my family.  I loved my grandparents, and miss them, so for me it seems I always end up putting a grandparent in my stories.  They aren't identical to my own, but they definitely share some of the same qualities.  So this weekend will be a special treat, because I know that I'll be hearing and telling some of my favorite family stories.  Here are a couple of my all-time favorites:

(THESE ARE ALL TRUE, BTW.  Names withheld to protect the innocent.  I have a big family.)

Like the time my grandfather had all of the grandchildren piled into his giant gold Lincoln (pre-seatbelt law era) in the McDonald's drive-through (back when going to McDonald's was a big treat) and the lady driving the car in front of us took forever to order.  Then, when she pulled up to the window to get her items, she began to dig through every sack and hand out food to her passengers, blocking the entire drive-through in the process.  I distinctly remember grandpa tooting his horn at her, and the lady just turned and gave him a look and went right on doing her thing.  That's when my grandfather put the Lincoln in drive proceeded to push her vehicle from behind until she was out of the way.  Needless to say, she got the hint.  I'm sure we (the children) were driving grandpa nuts, so I think he gets a pass on his momentary road (drive-through?) rage.

Then there was the time when we were young that my grandfather, uncle, and dad took us fishing.  It was extraordinarily hot, and unfortunately by the end of the day there was only beer left to drink.  My dad wouldn't let us drink any of it, but my cousin was whining so much that my uncle told him he could have a 'sip' of his beer to tide him over.  Well, men being men, they got distracted packing up our gear and my cousin ended up downing the entire beer (they were the big tall cans).   He was probably 10 at the time.  When we got back to the house, my cousin couldn't walk in a straight line, and smelled like hot beer.  The funniest part was when we got inside the house, my aunt looked at my cousin and said something like, "Uncle, he's acting funny.  I think he got too hot out there."  (In retrospect, I'm sure the ladies had warned them not to have us out in the heat for too long.)  When she pulled my cousin close to inspect him, undoubtedly using her motherly x-ray powers, she smelled the beer.  "He's drunk!" she yelled and proceeded to climb every fishing man in the room like a tree for the next couple of hours.

I've got so many more ...  Which brings me to the point:  Do you have crazy family stories?  (That you can share without being disowned.)  Or do you have characters in your stories inspired by relatives?

I'll be back soon, and I'll be attending WriteOnCon (starting next Tuesday!).  I plan on posting highlights of the conference on my blog every day, so don't worry about missing anything.

Until then, cheers!