Kim’s Thoughts

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Writing When the Suckies Strike…

I have a confession to make… it’s Tuesday and I just don’t feel like writing an article for the blog today. I know that it WILL happen because after THREE YEARS of posting every Tuesday and sending out my weekly newsletter there’s no way I’m going to miss it now but…

I just don’t want to.

It’s been a while since I’ve written a straight-up “how to” article with steps or tips. But nothing is coming to mind as earth-shaking.

I’ve even been “cheating” and revamping some older articles – but that gets boring QUICKLY – and I’m rather bored.

071216-FanAs I’m settling into this “blah” feeling, it’s not about writing in general. In fact, at this very moment I’ve got at least three projects that spark excitement. But as for writing a meaningful article… crickets. Blahs. I’d go take a nap except that Ben is installing a fan in our room and my bed is covered in tools and pieces of the fan.

So what’s my practical advice in this situation? Two things…

1. Suck it up. I’ve got an article to get out and my feelings about it are really irrelevant. It’s a promise I fully intend to keep to myself, to my readers, and to the Kim of 2013 who said she’s do this weekly.
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What does it REALLY feel like to publish a book?

053116-DreamI remember the anticipation the most; I had spent weeks working on the project and I was 99.9% sure that the fruit of my labors was waiting for me in my PO Box. I leaned down to open my box; it’s only three rows up from the bottom. I took a deep breath and turned the key.

It was waiting for me. A nondescript brown cardboard package, deceptively lightweight. My mom was waiting for me in the truck; we were just about to head to town for a grocery shopping trip.

Do I open it here, in the Post Office, alone, or wait until I was in the truck, with an audience? I was sure I was going to cry. That decided it for me; if I was going to cry I wanted it to be with only my mom watching and not the whole of a small town Post Office. I didn’t bother to pick up the mail in the four other PO boxes I checked daily but walked quickly out into the late summer sunshine and back to the truck.

My hands were trembling as I pulled back the cardboard zipper. That surprised me. It wasn’t the first time, exactly. I had been here before, almost.

The package opened in my lap. I was glad I was sitting down.

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3 Steps To Organize Your Book’s Idea

052416-WhatIdeaAre you wondering how to organize your ideas for a book?

Or if your ideas even FORM a book?

You’re soooooo not alone! In the past month, I’ve spoken to probably a dozen people who have a great inkling for a book but have no idea how to take that random idea and organize it into a comprehensive writing plan!

Many people THINK that the first step in writing a book is that outline – and they can slave over it and cram every bit of information about the topic into a placeholder in that outline.

And there’s some value in that as an exercise…

But it doesn’t really help you get your book organized and written!

That outline is going to be key in writing your book without losing your mind. But it’s not actually the FIRST step!

052416-IdeaThere are two steps BEFORE creating your outline:

1. Coming up with LOTS of ideas

When you jump straight to creating your book’s outline, you can miss key things that should be in the book. Or your book’s topic is just a little bit… off!

And you can also have ideas that while great – don’t fit into THIS book. Which brings me to step 2…

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What is overwhelm costing you? (And your message!)

I’d like to think that I know a thing or two about overwhelm…

When I was a junior in high school, my mom had to leave her shopping cart in the middle of Walmart to take me home – too many people after too long a day and I started crying. I was overwhelmed and we had to leave Right Now.

042616-SinkLast week I started crying before breakfast because the dishwasher was full of clean dishes, the sink full of dirty, and I couldn’t get my tea kettle under the faucet to make a cup of tea. Ben saved the day by filling a mug with water and pouring it into the kettle.

It took me nine months to completely unpack after we moved – and I still have boxes in the spare bedroom that were stuffed (full) into the closet. (And I “packed” in three days before I moved because I couldn’t figure out how to pack and still live/work in the house.)

The first four seasons I spent working in the family tax practice, I’d break down crying at LEAST once a week because there were three phone lines ringing, a waiting room full of clients, and I couldn’t find my stapler.

Here’s the thing about me: I actually rarely procrastinate. Because I’m always busy doing something – and it’s usually some activity that is getting me closer to a goal. But there are just so many moving parts at any one time, I get stuck knowing where to start, what to do next (or what to do first!), and how to keep everything I’m doing moving forward.

This is a classic definition of overwhelm.

All too often I think that we wear “overwhelm” like a badge of honor. Like the person with the biggest To Do list, the most amount of projects in progress, the most chaos in life wins.

Are you living an overwhelmed life? 'Overwhelm' is NOT a badge of honor! Click To Tweet

So I get it that the idea of adding “Write A Book” to an already overwhelmed life feels heavy. Like there’s an elephant sitting on your chest. And the desire to write it battles with everything else that life requires and before you know it, you’re overwhelmed, behind, and crying at the sink because you just want a cup of tea and all the steps required to just get water into the kettle are more than you can handle.

And I don’t even have kids yet!

Sweetie, I get it. I know what it’s like to be on the perfectionist scale – the one that says More Is Better (not the one that creates a Pinterest-worthy life!). And I know what it’s like to bite off more than you can chew – regularly – and then wonder if you’re a masochist or just dumb because you’re not learning from your past “mistakes”.

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Are you writing a book in 2016?

011916-FinallyWriteBookIs “Write My Book” on your list of goals for 2016?

Or should I ask you, is it on your list AGAIN this year?

Trust me, I understand what it’s like to have a goal (or a to do item) that just keeps appearing – day after day, week after week, even year after year. After a while, you start to wonder what’s wrong with you!

Where are you going wrong that a smart, driven, successful person just can’t GET IT DONE?

Not knowing where to start will keep you stuck! Make a plan to reach your #goals. Click To Tweet
Finally writing your book isn’t like other goals of losing weight, saving more money, or taking a vacation. Those type of goals have clear steps…

  • Lose weight: Move more, eat less. Maybe join a gym.
  • Save more money: fewer lattes and put the cash in a savings account (could also help with #1)
  • Take a vacation: pick a date, find a location, book a flight. Ah, relax!

All these goals have steps that leap out and say, HERE! This is your path to success.

But writing a book…

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Honoring What Inspires You

In our travels west, after spending Christmas in Maryland with Ben’s family, we’re served by countless members of wait staff, clerks, hotel staff, and other people in the service industry. And it’s easy to let them all just blur into a faceless mob as we’re rapidly heading west.

But this evening, I had the great pleasure to be able to give to inspiration. We stopped for the night and the only available restaurant was a chain – NOT our favorite. The wait staff all seemed really harried and hurried – even though the place was only about half full. It took over 40 minutes just to get our food.

When we were at the counter paying, I asked if they were short staffed in the kitchen because it had taken so long to get our food. The rather hassled looking young woman answered that about an hour before we got there, the fire suppression system had gone off in the kitchen – soaking EVERYTHING and creating a complete system restart. I instantly had a different view of the wait! (And why everybody was looking so stressed.)

As Ben was finishing his credit card transaction, the manager swooped in and cancelled it – saying that 40 minutes was outrageous and dinner was on her. Wow! (I really hadn’t been fishing for a discount; just an answer!)

Are you honoring what inspires you as 2015 comes to a close? Click To Tweet

But as she was cancelling the transaction, and we were thanking her, I said that I did want to tip the waitress, Brittany, who had done a fabulous job taking care of us. Both Brittany and the manager looked shocked that I still wanted to tip.

What I was doing was honoring an inspiring young woman (she was all of about 17) who kept her cool, her smile, and her composure as she was clearly feeling so stressed.

In these last weeks of the year (and in the next few weeks) you’ll see dozens of articles about setting goals for 2016. I encourage you to read them. But instead of spending all this time in reflection and planning, I invite you to do something else:

Reach out to somebody who inspires you.
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25 Gifts For Writers– 2015 Edition

I have to tell you, this is my FAVORITE post to write each year! I keep hoping that some of these goodies will show up under MY Christmas tree…

And because I’m sooooo on top of it in 2015 (tongue in cheek!) I’m writing this post before Black Friday/Cyber Monday so hopefully you can get some great ideas before you start your gift-buying in earnest!

If you’re anything like me, I always get the best shopping ideas from the gift buying lists! Here’s a list of gifts for writers that that are sure to thrill any writer on your list. Or maybe you’ll pick up a gift or two for yourself!

And to make your shopping for the perfect writer’s gift a bit easier, just click on the name of the item to be taken directly to where you can purchase it! (It may or may not be an affiliate link, depending on if the retailer offers that option)

Great gifts for #writers! Click To Tweet

This is the third year I’ve done this post. Some are repeats (’cause they’re just that good!) and others have been bumped off the list.

And be sure to share this post with folks who will be shopping for writers! There are tweets sprinkled throughout and shares on Facebook or Pinterest are ALWAYS great too!

So here’s the 2015 Gifts For Writer’s Guide:

 

Magnetic Poetry Kit

120914-MagneticPoetryKit
Do me a favor, buy several different word kits! A great gift is to include these with a cookie sheet (double check the magnets stick) so your fav writer doesn’t even have to leave the desk!

 

Coffee Joulies

112415-CoffeeJouliesOMG! Somebody PLEASE buy these for me! My tea… I mean COFFEE is always getting cold. This is a stunningly gorgeous metal “bean” that keeps your hot drink at the perfect drinking temperature of 140 for HOURS. It’s one bean per 4 ounces of liquid.

If you hate being in the middle of something amazing and needing to stop to nuke your coffee (or tea!) this is for you!

 

Fingerless Gloves with Book Quotes

112415-FingerlessGloves

Available in a variety of literary patterns, these gloves just look so cool! (Yes, they’re on my Christmas list!) My office gets chilly for a pair of fingerless gloves is a MUST so I can keep typing away  – without having to turn on the furnace for the whole house!

And if you must wear fingerless gloves… Then THESE are the gloves to wear!

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