What Do You Dwell On? / Happenings In The Outhouse 30-Sept-2022

Last week, I touched on what you look for: the good or the bad.

This week I ask the question, "What do you dwell on?"

Do you dwell on things that you have absolutely no control over?  Like the weather, politics, the death of a celebrity, what someone thinks . . . and the list goes on and on.  Stephen Covey calls this the Circle of Control.

If it's outside of your control, don't worry about it.

Your health certain is in your control and something you could dwell on, but do you dwell negatively or positively on it?

As a writer, I don't dwell on whether or not people will like a story or not.  I'm learning new ways of telling a story, growing in my skills, and just telling a story the best way I know.  But I'm not dwelling on whether so and so likes it.  I don't care.

All I care of is whether or not I like it.

Looking For The Good? Or Bad? / Happenings In The Outhouse 23-Sept-2022

Do you look for the bad in things?  Or the good things?

Lately, I have been told that I have a "rainbows and unicorns" style of outlook on life.  Meaning, everything is going GREAT!

No, it's not unrealistic to know when something isn't going right, but if it's outside my control, what can I do about it?  What use is it to complain and moan about it?

Look at what you say.  Are you looking for the good in things?  Even in things you don't like, do you look for the good?

For an example on this, how to you speak about when you talk about the President?  Now, yes, this depends on your political affiliation, but by and large how to you speak about either the current President or previous Presidents?  Do you wake up in the morning and smile?  Or do you take up and grumble and wonder why in the hell you have to be up?

What will it take to turn the bad . . . into good?

My Competition Is NOT Other Writers / Happenings In The Outhouse 16-Sept-2022

I wrote a blog post 11 years ago about who my competition is.

To recap, it isn't other writers.  Because readers buy more than one author to read.  I don't know if I exactly agree with my premise at the time, that illiteracy was my biggest competitor.  In fact, lately, I know exactly who my competition is.

It's me.

I am my own worst critic, my own worst enemy.  My writing is all up to me to complete, doing all of Heinlein's five rules.  I need to keep churning out the products.

Last weekend, my girlfriend witnessed three people in two days come up to me and ask about my writing.  One even said they bought my last book and were halfway through it.  Another mentioned if I was rich.  Spoiler alert: I am not.

I love to entertain people with my writing.

I do agree that people who don't read--or can't--are people to go after, but in reality they need to be able to read first.  And want to read.

We need to give people a reason to read.

We need to write the best, most entertaining stories we can.

Quick Update / Happenings In The Outhouse 09-Sept-2022

Keeping it short today.

I am roughly 17,000 words into my new work-in-progress, my YA/MG novel.  It's going quite well, despite it being sports-themed.

Next Season / Happenings In The Outhouse 02-Sept-2022

Right now is the next season for many people: back to school.

Whether elementary, middle, high school, college, or just furthering your education through online seminars or reading, school is soon to be back in session.

As the kids go back to school, I find that the house is quieter (if I'm working from home that week).

Time management is also affected.  Instead of writing early in the morning, I'll need to be getting them up for school.

Times change.  Your life changes.  How well do you change with it?  If you are one that resists change with all your might, you may find that just dealing with change is enough of a distraction to keep you from your goal.

But if you embrace change, you may not be completely distraction free, but that may be one less thing to keep your mind occupied.

Are you ready for the next season?  If not, how can you prepare for it?