Wednesday, October 2, 2013

TIME ... OUR FRIEND or ENEMY ...

Hi, All,

Welcome to another edition of the INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUP. Over the past two years, this humble group has flourished into an amazing support system. Thank you, Alex. Without your vision none of us would be meeting the first Wednesday of every month.


For those of you who are not familiar with this group, please drop in, Alex has created a page especially for this group. So visit there to sign up!

As I travel through the blogosphere, on more than one occasion a blogger pal is apologizing for cutting down their time to work on their various projects. I, myself have limited my time blogging over the past three years I've had my blog. But lately it was an accident that have kept me from all of you. Thankfully I am well enough to type at normal speed. But time will always be an issue for all of us.

I've given a great deal of thought to this. Time has amazing power. What one does with it can be crucial to their lives. But, as we all know TIME is a double edged sword. It limits us. We have deadlines to meet, families to take care of, bills to pay ... Harnessing this fleeting moment to accomplish what we need and desire is not for the faint of heart. And what do we do? Add more to our already packed schedules.

I learned a great deal from my forced down time. I learned there really is no control over it. So why fight it or feel anxious about it? WHY drive ourselves crazy plotting unrealistic goals that we know we can't possibly manage? Why do we stress over it?

The answer is quite simple. We're human. So once we realize this, we can actually start to breath again. Focus on one or two important aspects of your day and accomplish what it is you set out to do. For me it was healing. I focused on getting better. The rest of my day fell into place. I worked on one or two projects for my clients a week. My work got done. I didn't stress because that was all I was capable to do.

Now that I'm better. More opportunities seem to be opening to me. The new publisher I created the logo for has contacted me for another. Yesterday I sent the final proof, and she loved it. She told me that agents are sending manuscripts to her! So my logo will be seen very soon. This new publisher is growing... Which means opportunities for all of us in Y/A and N/A. If you have an ms you'd like to submit, please do so... It my be just the right TIME to get in on the ground floor of something AMAZING. I plan to send BG to them by the end of the week. They are so open to it because of my illustration and design skills. Let's hope they feel the same about my writing. I honestly believe they will.

Just click on this logo and SImon will transport you to BookFish Books. They have an wonderful anthology for magical Y/A. Once upon a mid summer's night ... and they are looking for four to seven authors. There is still time to submit to that and for open submissions. So what do you think of Simon? Isn't he fun? My newest creation. LOL.

So now for the rest of this week, I will be sprucing up my query, synopsis, and first three chapters. However I am allotting myself two hours to blog each day. I need my peeps and want to visit as many of you and support you during your anxiety. It's time for TIME to become my friend. As they say TIME heals all wounds. Whether it be from a physical injury, heartbreak, rejection, or writer's blog. Each new day is a beginning. Stay focused. Be positive. And most of all TRUST in yourself. At times we are our own worst enemy. Don't let TIME become yours. Greet time like an old friend with respect, love, and most of all, patience.

I wish you all a wonderful day. It is now time for me to send you all a BIG CYBER HUG! Time for me to get back to my selected work for this day.

Thank you again, Alex for creating this group. We all need to feel each other's strengths and even their weaknesses because we realize then that we are not alone. The ups and downs of life happen to us all.


53 comments:

Mark Koopmans said...

Hey Michael,

SOOO very great to hear you are doing better and I love to hear that your other projects are moving along at a rapid clip, too:)

Your name was all over the blogisfear this past week, so congrats on the book cover for Julie, and I'm sure the publisher will love your writing, too :)

As the most interesting man might say, "Stay healthy, my friend" :)

Anonymous said...

Good all is going well for you, Time is a factor in all our lives, whether it be work, writing, or stress.
Take care and have a good day.

Yvonne.

Unknown said...

In Time....This was a wonderful post for this months IWSG! I am so happy that things are going well for my little brother! All ready for next week? Big cyber hugs back at you (((O)))

Natalie Aguirre said...

Glad you're feeling better. And so awesome about the publisher you're working with.

Yes, there's not enough time, but you have a good way of looking at it. I need to look at my time too and figure out a better blogging balance so I can write more.

Dianne K. Salerni said...

What a cute logo! I love it!

I was one of those bloggers! Then I came back and said, no way -- I still have to blog. I missed visiting everyone.

So, I've knocked off on REPLYING to the comments ... and decided to VISIT more instead.

It's a juggling act -- lots of balls in the air. If one or two drop, it's okay. The crowd is still enjoying the show. (I noticed that watching a juggler at a Renaissance Fair a couple weekends ago!)

Annalisa Crawford said...

Glad you're getting better. And that logo is brilliant. I struggle with time too, and blogging does take a lot of it, to do properly. We have to step back when it's right for us to do so.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Glad you are back up to typing speed!
Congratulations on another design. And now a place where you can submit your manuscript. They already know you - that's a plus.
Today I will not stress the lack of time. I know I won't have enough and will just live with it.

Huntress said...

What? I'm human?! Rats, there goes my excuse.

Time and Life do seem to make their own little plans to disrupt ours.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Guilty of taking on too much. My husband says I am the worst boss ever.

Pleased you are doing better, Michael!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Michael .. life will occasionally knock us back for a reason - though breaking a wrist probably doesn't fall into that category .. yet you put the extra time available, as you couldn't type, to good use - thinking and creating in your head.

So pleased things are panning out - so very satisfying .. and great for the future ...

Happy days - Hilary

Diane Burton said...

Time is everybody's enemy. Never enough of it. One of the hardest words to say is "no" when a friend asks us to take on another project. Sometimes God (Fate) forces us to slow down. I'm glad you're feeling better.

Tonja said...

You have a great attitude about your down time. I'm glad you're feeling better. I had an injury four years ago that kept me off my feet and slowed me down to the point that I started writing - definitely a blessing in disguise.

New follower.

http://tonjamatney.blogspot.com

Wendy Tyler Ryan said...

Glad you are back at it, Michael, and happy for your success. Love the logo. Good job.

Time is an ever present enemy- more so the older you get.

Michelle Wallace said...

I'm going to be honest.
Because I started writing so late in life, time is my nemesis.
I know that it's wrong to feel this way, but I often feel a sense of "writerly urgency" to get things moving... and to achieve...

Julie Flanders said...

How wonderful that the publisher has already asked for more work from you. I'm not surprised as the logo is fantastic. :)

Johanna Garth said...

Glad you're doing better and can't wait to see a Michael-made logo when I go to the bookstore! :)

Roland D. Yeomans said...

The sudden death of Tom Clancy teaches us that we cannot take tomorrow for granted. Enjoy today for all the benefits that can be squeezed out of it, right?

Wish you the very best in the remainder of this year. "-)

Laura Clipson said...

Time is one of my biggest problems. I sometimes have to stop and remind myself that there's only so much time in a day, and that it's not the end of the world if I don't get something done. I've been learning to prioritise lately, setting myself one or two big tasks every day that must get done, and then some smaller tasks that I would like to get done but it doesn't matter if I don't.

T. Powell Coltrin said...

Great ideas and advice. We must do what is right for us.

D.G. Hudson said...

Excellent post, Michael, and funny how it takes life 'knocking us down' sometimes for us to wake up to the obvious. (reference to your unexpected collision with life)

Time is what we make of it. Nice to see your art work flourishing.

S.P. Bowers said...

It's true, we can't argue with time. We can't fight it, change it or bargain for more. All we can do is learn to work with it. We have to change ourselves, not time. Though I will probably always stress about it.

Unknown said...

Michael, your energy and drive inspire me. I'm not a person who looks around often and says, "I could be doing more." Mostly because I feel like I'm usually doing as much as I can handle. LOL

But seeing how you're putting your creativity and talents to work lately has really made me want to do more.

Hoping the design and editorial work is off to a fast start! Believe in yourself, brother, because the rest of us sure believe in you. :)

David P. King said...

It's almost like this post was custom tailored for me to read! Thanks for your thoughts on the constraints of time and you're right, time is a double edge sword. It's how you use it that matters. :)

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Your post reminds me of a song I really like called "If I could save time in a bottle..."

I'm so glad you are feeling better and I (of course) love the logo.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

If you overlook the medical issues, you've been on a roll. Since I took my writing career to full time status I spend about two hours in the blog world per days also.

cleemckenzie said...

Cyber hugs back,Michael. I've been on break to get my head back into some sort of "thinking" condition. Glad you're doing better and I love that Bookfish Books logo.

Rebecca Green Gasper said...

Congrats on everything! And I don't think anyone needs to apologize for spending time doing the one thing that got them into blogging in the first place...writing the books we all want to read. Take care of yourself- :)

Cathrina Constantine said...

You hit a nerve today for me, Michael. I don't have the time to accomplish everything I want or am planning. Thank you for the wonderful advice. Like you said, I need to focus and be positive.

J.L. Campbell said...

Michael,
Glad to know you're doing well and finding new opportunities. I'm one of those who tends to set impossible goals and run myself to a near wreck. I'm learning to take my time and just go with the flow.

Carol Riggs said...

Good to know you are healing and doing what you're able. Sometimes goals have to be adjusted, yes! or else you go nutso. And your Simon fish is so adorable. That's great your logo was approved! Best wishes for BG and sprucing it up for submission. :)

Brandon Ax said...

Time is one factor we all share. I have slowly become friends with time, but we will see where it goes. Glad to hear things are going well your way.

SK Anthony said...

Glad you are feeling better and excellent post.
Time slips away from us but we can try to manage and taylor it the best way we can. Inspiring words, thank you ;)

Unknown said...

Michael- so glad you are feeling better.

We LOVE Simon so much!! Thanks for the big logo, and this one for the book spines. He ROCKS!!

Can't wait to read your submission (I'm sure it's gonna be fabulous, just from what I've read here!)

And thanks for the plug- we really would love to see some submissions for the anthology (hint, hint!)

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for mention Michael!!! We can't wait to read your MS. We are super excited over the submissions we have received already. There is so much great talent out there. That's why we're here. Glad you're feeling better too. The logo is just awesome!

Unknown said...

Michael, I LOVE Simon! He's simply adorable & fun! Clicking over to see the new publisher. And GO YOU for getting your work out there, illustrations and writing. :)

Melissa said...

Love the logo!

Glad to hear you are feeling better. It's a shame we humans have to get knocked on our keester to make us sit back and take stock of things, but sometimes we do.

Best of luck with your business, Michael, and your book! :)

Crystal Collier said...

Wow! My eyes are tired. I read your title as "Time ... Our Friendly Enemy ..." And I thought it quite profound, until I read it again. Not saying the title isn't apt!

Karen Jones Gowen said...

I've come to realize that it's all about time or money. Everything seems to boil down to those two things. I heard an interesting quote by Warren Buffet once about how he values his time, because it's the one thing he can't buy more of.

Charmaine Clancy said...

I'm also surprised when people apologise for not blogging or visiting or doing other writerly tasks -- we're all in the same field and completely understand. I have no expectations from bloggers to perform at a schedule - ours is a community of art, appreciation and love - no apologies necessary.

Simon looks like he'd appreciate a good read, a literary fishy if ever I saw one! Well done :)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

This is wonderful. I tend to treat time as less than a friend, but truly, you are so right. Time is a friend. Thank you, Michael.

Anonymous said...

~Cyber*Hugs*Right*Back*At*Ya :-)

Rachna Chhabria said...

Hi Michael, feel happy to know that you are feeling better and can type faster now. Time constraints have made me reduce my blogging days from two to one.

Rachna Chhabria
Co-host IWSG
Rachna's Scriptorium

Morgan said...

TIme *is* SO powerful.

And reading all of this is so inspiring to me, Michael. Watching you on your journey is a beautiful thing. You always overcome and achieve and come out stronger. Such an inspiration to all of us!!!!!!

Unknown said...

Time goes too damn fast. :)

Elizabeth Seckman said...

You were in an accident? So sorry to hear that! But I'm not at all shocked that you've turned lemons into lemonade and moving forward. You're an inspiration Michael!

Love the logo too. Makes me wish I had an NA done!

Stina said...

Good luck, Michael, with querying the publisher. And awesome on all the new projects headed your way. :D

And thanks for the reminder about making Time our friend.

JJ said...

Michael: I don't believe in time. I think it is an arbitrary creation of mankind used to measure stress. I have never felt pressure as a writer because I know we are all treated equally. We are given the period from sunrise to sunset. How we use it is a question of priorities.

S.A. Larsenッ said...

Again, so thankful you're mended, Michael.

This is a wonderful post. Time is precious and does have amazing power over us. I find myself vacillating often over what needs my attention next. Is there ever a time something won't need my attention, leaving me to just relax? Yet, is that why I'm here? To relax?

I always come back to the same ideal: it's all about balance.

Major GRATS! on your logo success. Whoot!

Deniz Bevan said...

Big cyber hug back at you!!! {{}}} If you'd ever like a beta for your query/synopsis, let me know...

Unknown said...

October 5th, 2013

Dear Michael,

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit and reading my cat-story for w-e-p.

I'm so glad that you are on the mend and feeling better. It's good that you put your health first. It may take a long time - a year or two - for you to really feel like your old self again. But your positive attitude tells me that you will be just fine.

Best wishes & hugs,
Anna

Anna's ISWG for October

Unknown said...

Almost forgot,
Good luck with the new publisher!
Anna

Patsy said...

You're right that unrealistic goals do us no good at all.

Tina said...

I'm so glad you're doing better! Sorry about your forced down time. I sure know about that and it ain't fun. Kudos to you for turning the time into something positive. I really appreciate what you said about choosing realistic goals and not stressing. I really needed to hear that! I do like Simon - he's quirky and that's a good thing! However, I don't write YA...I'm sci-fi/thriller but good luck to all of you who submit to BG!
Tina @ Life is Good