ANNOUNCEMENT: New Website and Blog Location

Starting today, September 20, 2012, In Others' Words is located at bethvogt.com. My talented and ve-ery patient web guru, Stacey Dyer has developed a fun new site.
All my subscribers should be automatically redirected there. If you weren't, please email at beth@bethvogt.com so we can correct the problem.
And if you're new, please join us over at bethvogt.com.  

In Others' Words: Life

"A new dress doesn't get you anywhere; it's the life you're living in the dress, and the sort of life you had lived before, and what you will do in it later." 

~Diana Vreeland, fashion columnist

I like to go shopping for new clothes. I like finding something--a cute top, a fun dress--that makes me feel good when I wear it. I walk a little taller, smile a little wider.

And then I read this quote. Whoa. 

Am I equating life--living--to the clothes in my closet? Or are my clothes merely necessary items so that I can go out and live my life?

Don't get me wrong. I don't think having clothes (fashionable clothes, at that) is to be avoided. It's just understanding the value of a pair of pants. Or a pair of shoes. Or a funky scarf.

Life equals my experiences--now, in the past, and in the future.

Life is not what's hanging in my closet.

In Your Words: So what do you think? Do clothes "get you anywhere?" There is that whole "dress for success" creed. What's the value of new clothes?

photo by justsayozz/stockxchng.com

In My Words: Balance, Balance, Keep Your Balance

I'm mulling over blog topics last night with my husband. Our conversation went like this:
Me: Maybe I'll post about how writing affects the family.
My husband: That would be a great idea!
OK, then. Glad he had an opinion.
My writing life--my professional life--frustrates my family at times. Not all the time. At least, I don't think so. Of course, I can't ask any of them because they're all in bed while I finish this blog post.
Sigh.
Here's the problem: I work from home.
Yes, there are so many advantages to working from home. That whole no-commute-can-stay-in-my-jammies-thing? Kinda nice on the days that the deadlines gang up on me.
And when everyone else is gone--at school or at work away from home--I can go to my office and get a lot accomplished, writing-wise. And even throw in the occasional load of laundry.
Nice.
But eventually my family comes home. They are no longer working. And sometimes--oftentimes--I still am. This is when frustration kicks in.
Believe me, I try, try, try to walk away from the computer. (Please notice the multiple "trys.") Just because school is over for my 10-year-old doesn't mean the countdown to my deadline stopped ticking. And when my husband comes home, he leaves work at his office. Yes, he may have a few things to finish up on the computer, but for him work and home are separate entities.
For me? Work and home are one and the same.
And therein lies both my advantage and my frustration.
Problem: How to balance being a stay-at-home mom-work-from-home-woman?
Answer: I don't know. You tell me.
Sorry. Although I will take any suggestions.
For me, it is all about balance. I love the photo I found for this blog post. I'm fascinated by that rock balancing on that other rock. I mean, it just shouldn't be able to do that.
And that's how I feel about my life: I just can't do it.
But I want to. And I will.
What I have to remember is this: Finding balance is not a one-time thing. (This is where that photo fails to capture truth.) In real life, balance is more like walking across a tightrope, with constant adjustments in position required to make it safely across to the other side.
 Some days I manage to balance real life (my family) with my writing life. I meet my deadlines and I'm an available wife, mom and friend. Other days? Not so much. I go to bed with a niggling sense of dissatisfaction.
One thing I know is this: I won't quit. I'll adjust and adjust some more until I get it right for the next day. And the next.

In Your Words: Have you found the balance you need for your life priorities? What helps you be available for both your real life and your writing life?

In Others' Words: Words

"I like good strong words that mean something." 

~Louisa May Alcott, author

Well said, Louisa.

That's a goal worth striving for: As a writer, I want to produce good strong words that mean something.

As a woman, I want to speak good strong words that mean something.

Little Women, written by Louisa May Alcott, was the first book I remember reading. And re-reading. And yes, re-reading. Her words were strong enough to make me cry. And smile. And fret about Jo and Laurie (and eventually Professor Bhaer). Her writing is vivid enough that I recall scenes even as I type this blog post and I haven't picked the book up in years.  What was Amy thinking when she tried to change the shape of her nose by putting a clothespin on it?!

I wonder how many people recall words I've written?

I wonder how many people recall words I've spoken?

And are the words they're remembering good, strong words? Or did I wound someone? Trip someone up? Maybe disappoint someone? 

Words--strong in a powerful sense. But how is that strength used?

In Your Words: What kind of words do you like? Are you in agreement with Louisa? Are you intent on writing and speaking words with power and meaning? Are you hitting the mark?

Survey Says: Writing Conference Concerns

Friends Teri, Pat, Edie and Melissa (the 2010 Frasier winner). 

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about a survey on writers conferences. Specific question: Why do you attend writers conferences?
Today's question for discussion:
What are your major concerns when preparing for a writers conference?
Possible answers:

• Paying for the conference, the travel, and the lodging
• Pitching my book to an editor/agent
• Choosing which workshops to attend--to many to choose from
• Other

You hear lots of talk about the writerly angst involved with pitching--going eye-to-eye with an editor or agent and hoping your passion for your story outweighs your nervousness. But, despite all that, the 32 respondents to the survey didn't list this as the top anxiety producer. Nope. Most of the writers (62.5% or 20 out of 32 respondents) said they were most concerned about paying for the conference, the travel, and the lodging.

Can you relate?

Of all the reasons writers don't attend a conference, cost is the most common "why not" that I hear. 

Let me give you some specifics. I'm attending the ACFW conference next week. Here's a run down of my costs:

1. ACFW conference registration (early bird) -- $540
2. Reservations at the Hyatt -- $600 (4 nights, but this will be divided three ways w/ my roommates. Oh, and all those crazy extra taxes aren't included yet. You know what I'm talking about.)
3. Airline ticket -- $199.40 (I'm flying Southwest because they don't charge one of those obscene baggage fees. And their flight attendants are so, so entertaining.)
4. Shuttle reservation from the airport to the Hyatt and back again after the conference -- $34
5. MBT Pizza Party (a must-attend event!) -- $25

Subtotal: $1398.40

OK, that's a bit of an Ouch! 

Now here's why it's a subtotal: What if I want to go to the Early Bird session? (Add $85, if I registered early.) Or the MBT Pitch Scrimmage, so I'm ready to pitch my book with professionalism and poise and an inspiring hook? ($65)

Paid critique? ($35 I've invested in this kind of feedback.) Purchase the conference CDs? (~$99--and yes,  done this too.) If you drive, add parking. 

Adding in those other costs (and assume I exert extreme control and don't visit the bookstore (yeah, right):

Total: $1682.40

(And yes, I realize there is no clothes budget added in.)

Is a conference worth that kind of change?

I say yes. I am, after all, a writer. A professional writer. Even when I was a beginning professional writer, I had a goal in mind: publication. And attending conferences is an absolute must to achieve that goal. Face to face interaction with both editors and agents, as well as other writers, is vital. 

Let me put it in perspective for you: Last year I attended ACFW. Pitched my novel, Wish You Were Here.

That book will be published by Howard Books in May 2012. 

Does attending a writers conference guarantee publication? Unfortunately, no. But that personal interaction with an editor allows you to sell your book with passion and personality. 

In Your Words: Have you had to pass on a writers conference because of the costs? Any tips to manage the expenses?

In Others' Words: Discovery

"One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his greatest surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do."

~Henry Ford, American industrialist

Fear ruled my life for too many years.

Yes, there were reasons for the fear, but still ... I look back and think what I lost.

Freedom.

Emotional and spiritual freedom.

For too long I thought life was going to always be lived that way. Afraid.

And then I discovered I could choose to live differently.

Then there came a time when I found the courage and the help to face the past and walk into healing and freedom.

It wasn't easy.

I needed others' help.

And I needed faith like never before.

And I had to stop being afraid of the truth ... because sometimes the truth is the hardest thing to face.

In Your Words: Have you surprised yourself? Have you discovered you could do something you were afraid to do? I'd love to hear your story.

In Others' Words: Music

"Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons. You will find it is to the soul what a water bath is to the body."

 ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

I savor listening to music just about any time of the day.If you could hear what I'm singing along to, it might be country. Or praise and worship. Or show tunes. Or instrumental. When it comes to my tastes in music, I like a little bit of this and that.

Music refreshes me.

Music soothes me.

Music energizes me.

Not unlike those times I slip away, shut the door, and take a nice long soak in my tub.

Ahhhh, nothing like it.

In Your Words: What about you? Are you a "music bather?" What kind of music do you like to soak in?

                                                                                                                                       photo by  schnaibel/stockxchng.com

/stockxchng.com

ACFW Tips: Conference Don'ts

Me & Lisa Jordan with Rachelle Gardner, our wonderful agent.

On Tuesday I gave you a quick list of ACFW Dos:

1. Be yourself.
2. Ask questions.
3. Reach out.
4. Have fun.
5. Slow down.

Today I want to share my list of ACFW conference "Don'ts." Go ahead and use them for any conference you might attend: the MBT Storycrafters, Mount Hermon, Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference (and it's sister conference: Southwest Christian Writers Studio), Writing for the Soul.  Let's get started:

1. Don't try and do it all. Do yourself, your roommates and everyone else at the conference a favor and realize there is no way you can go without sleep from Thursday through Sunday. You cannot talk to everyone. You cannot take every workshop. You cannot retain all the information thrown at you, no matter how good it is--and it's all good! Pace yourself. (See #2 of the "Do" list.)
2. Don't put all your hopes and dreams on this conference. Come prepared to pitch. Come prepared to sell your novel with passion because you believe in it like no one else. And then realize that's all you can do: Pitch your story with passion. What happens after that is not under your control. If you don't land a contract or an agent, is the conference a bust? No. You've learned craft. You've connected with other writers. More importantly, if you don't land an agent or you don't win a Genesis, are you a failure? No, no, and no. Remember: God values you because of who you are (His) not for what you do. 
3. Don't compare your conference experience with someone else's. Go ahead and celebrate another writer's success. Don't wish you were them. You have your life story and they have theirs. Don't stare at what they have and overlook what you have. You may be sitting in the crowd this year, but who knows where you'll be next year. And if you're still sitting with me in the crowd--hey, we're a fun bunch! 
4. Don't miss the prayer room. There are the appointment rooms. Tense. Tense. Tense. There's the classrooms where we learn, learn, learn. There's the room where we dine. Noisy, noisy, noisy--but in a good way. Sit back and listen to all the "he saids" and "she saids." There's the bookstore. Dreams. Come. True. In all your comings and goings, take time to slip into the prayer room. It's quiet. It's a place to stop. Refocus on Who created you as a writer in the first place. Take a friend and pray together. Or go alone. Being there just may be the highlight of the conference.

In Your Words: Can you think of anything I've forgotten? Any expectations we should leave behind? Any "don'ts" that we should remember as we prepare for ACFW or any other writers conference we hope to attend?

In Others' Words: Succcess

"If A equals success, then the formula is A equals X plus Y and Z, with X being work, Y play, and Z keeping your mouth shut."~Albert Einstein, German-born physicist

A=X+Y+Z

A (Success)

X (Work)

Y (Play)

Z (Keeping your mouth shut)

Success=Work+Play+Keeping your mouth shut

Know what? Einstein was a smart guy.

Yes, I know he was a physicist. But he had common sense too. Look at that equation for success again. Einstein figures in work and play and being wise enough to know when to hold your tongue.

Brilliant.

You have to work hard to achieve forward motion. If you're a writer, that means you have to write. And rewrite. And take critique like a professional. And endure waiting and rejections and the reality that not everyone's going to love your writing. (Gasp!)

And you also have to know when to stop working and relax. Play a little. Here's a question: What do you do for fun? If you can't answer that question, you're working to hard. Me? I like to hang with friends. Window-shop with my girls. (Maybe even for-real-shop.) Hike. Read. Browse through a bookstore. 

So: Success = Work + Play + ?

What was the last part of that equation?

Oh, yeah.

Keeping your mouth shut.

I'll call that discernment.

Knowing when to speak up. Knowing when to be quiet. Avoiding the ol' "foot in mouth" misstep. What's that wise saying?

 "Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise ..." (Prov. 17:28)

In Your Words: What do you think of Einstein's equation for success? Would you change it up at all? Are you missing any of his must-haves for success?

ACFW Tips: Conference Dos

Having fun at the MBT Pizza Party at the 2010 ACFW conference

I'm making my list, checking it twice.
No, I'm not talking about my Christmas wish list.
I'm prepping for ACFW, which is the talk of the CBA writing world right now.
I'm no conference newbie, not with more than a decade of conference attendance behind me (and a drawer full of name tags to prove it. Not really. I tossed 'em in an organizing frenzy a couple of years ago.)
Over at the MBT Ponderers blog, I posted about what I'm packing for the conference. Hint: I'm not limiting myself to a carry on bag.
There's a lot of chatter on the Internet--Twitter and various writers' blogs--about how to enjoy the conference. How to succeed, whether you're an introvert or an extrovert or somewhere in between. Me? I'm an introvert who doesn't mind taking center stage, so long as I'm promised downtime afterward. Realizing you're likely dashing from blog to blog and taking frantic notes, I'm going to give you my ACFW To Do list:

1. Be yourself. You're the only you attending the conference. I'd like to meet you when we say hi--not you-pretending-to-be-someone-else. 
2. Ask questions. Here's a good question to ask when you meet someone new: What do you write? Then sit back and listen to their answer. Don't worry about preparing your answer just in case they ask you about your writing--and they probably will. You've been me-focused for so many weeks pre-conference. Isn't it nice to think about someone else?
3. Reach out. Odds are there's someone at the conference who's even more overwhelmed than you are. Maybe they are a first-timer. Or maybe they're pitching their novel for the first time. Encourage someone else. Let them practice their pitch with you and then pray with them before they head off for that nerve-wracking 15 minute appointment. 
4. Have fun. There's fun to be had at the conference. Enjoy the workshops. Enjoy the keynote speakers. Pitch your book.(Yes, this can be fun! Get excited about sharing your idea!) But take time to meet with friends for coffee. Browse the bookstore together or go work out at the exercise room. It's okay to go off-schedule and focus on relationships. 
5. Slow down. Before you know it, you'll be packing your suitcase for the trip home.Wait! Didn't you just get here? Start each day by asking yourself: What do I want to accomplish today? And then leave room for God to change your plans. End each day by looking back and savoring the unexpected blessings He revealed.

What about you? What's on your conference To Do list? On Thursday I'll share my ACFW conference "To Don't" list.

In Others' Words: Rest

"Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths, or the turning inwards in prayer for five short minutes." ~ Ettie Hillesum, author of An Interrupted Life the Diaries 1941-1943 & Letters from Westerbork

Today is Labor Day, which made me think of rest.

And I thought of the busy summer I had: 

• preparing for my daughter's wedding. Such fun, but work nonetheless. 
• editing my debut novel, Wish You Were Here. A whole other type of fun and work.
• keeping my 10-year-old busy-but-not-too-busy. Fun, fun, fun.
• choosing what to say goodbye to--and stepping down as the editor of Connections, the leadership magazine for MOPS International. 
• managing vertigo. No fun at all.

And through each day, I found myself looking for rest. That moment at the end of the day when I could close my eyes and think, "Done--until tomorrow."

And here's what I've realized: Rest is not something that you push off until the end of the day. Or the end of the busy week or month.

Rest is something you embrace, minute by minute.

That photo? It's me at Bandon, OR. I'm sitting in what a friend named "The Hand of God" tree. 

Works for me.

A good place to rest: in the hand of God.

In Your Words: Where do you find rest?

In Others' Words: Courage

"It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else." 

~Erma Bombeck, author & humor columnist

Life requires different types of courage.

Some acts of courage transform a person into a hero.

Some acts of courage transform a person into the embodiment of the phrase, "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:13 NLT).

And then there is the courage to risk sharing your dreams with someone. Precious things, dreams. Fragile. 

And yet given time and encouragement and belief, dreams become reality.

Astounding.

Many of my writing friends are meeting up at a writers conference in St. Louis later this month. They'll be showing their manuscripts--their dreams--to editors and agents and publishers. 

Each 15 minute appointment is, in its own way, an act of bravery. Who knows? It's not the first step in the dream becoming a reality--but the next step.

In Your Words: Feeling courageous? Who do you share your dreams with? What dream are you cultivating?

photo by superdecor/stockxchng.com

In Others' Words: Dreams

"There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream." ~ Author Unknown

That's the funny thing about dreams: You have to chase them. You can't walk into a store and purchase that elusive dream. It's not sitting on a shelf, waiting for you to dole out a few hard earned dollars or charge it on your credit card.

You want a dream? You have to chase it. Some days it seems so close . . . right there, just beyond your reach. And other days, you're at the back of the pack of runners, watching everyone else cross the finish line. Reach their goal. Attain their dream. 

And you have to keep on running. Another lap. Maybe two. You look around--are you the only left pursuing your dream?

Is it worth all the effort? All the running? Really, what would life be without dreams? 

In Your Words: What dream are you pursuing? What dream have you achieved? Did you learn any lessons along the way? 

Social Media: It Really is about Relationships

At first, I was a not-so-enthralled social media participant. I already had enough to do, thank you very much. Writing. Editing. Shampooing my hair. Rinse. Repeat.
But the almighty "they" tell me that to succeed as a writer I need to engage in social media. Facebook. Blog. Tweet. Comment on others' blogs. Google+. I know the list goes on, but, hey, I have a word count.
What made me embrace the concept of social media? When my friend and social media guru, Edie Melson called writers and social media a "match made in heaven," I listened. Edie believes "Writing is all about building relationships--with readers, editors, agents, other writers--and what better vehicle than social media?"
When a package arrived in my mailbox today, I had proof positive that social media builds relationships. The package came from author Keli Gwyn, a writing friend I've yet to meet face-to-face. (But the ACFW conference is only a few weeks away!) So how have Keli and I become friends? You guessed it: social media.
We've retweeted each others' blog links, left comments on our blogs, and we also both participate in the WordServe Water Cooler blog.
So what did Keli send me? Two boxes of Atomic Fireballs. Why? On a Flashback Friday blog post, Keli reminisced about penny candy. She mentioned some of her favorites were Sweet Tarts and Tootsie Rolls and red licorice ropes. In my comment, I recalled trying to keep Atomic Fireballs in my mouth without spitting them out.
Back to today, and the arrival of two boxes of Chewy Atomic Fireballs. Keli had found them in her old time candy store, thought of me, and sent them my way.
Like I said: Social media really is about relationship.
You read someone's blog.
Retweet their link.
Leave a comment.
Build a relationship.
And, you never know, you just might end up with a sweet surprise in your mailbox.


In Your Words: Has social media helped you develop relationships with other writers? With your readers? Have you had any unexpected surprises, thanks to tweeting or commenting on someone's blog or Facebook page? If someone asked you why they should get into social media, what would you say?

In Others' Words: One Thing

"The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at a time." ~Richard Cech, author

I very rarely, if ever, multitask.

For the longest time, I thought multitasking was the way to accomplish amazing amounts of things in brief amounts of times.

Well, I was wrong.

I could multitask with the best of them (and most of them were women). Talk on the phone. Fold laundry. Start dinner. Help my kids with homework. 

A multitasker extraordinaire. That was me.

You know what I realized?

I wasn't giving any one thing (or person) my complete, undivided attention. Everything and everyone got just a little bit of me as I tried to do it all at the same time.

Efficient?

I don't think so.

Sometimes I got to the end of the day and couldn't remember what I had done. Who I had talked to. Where I had put something. 

So now I'm all about one thing at a time. One thing done well. And then I move on to the next thing. And do that well. 

In Your Words: What about you? Multitasker? Or one-thing-at-a-timer? Which works best for you? 

*In case you're interested, research backs me (and Richard Cech) up. 

**Julie C. won the set of stationery and stamps from the giveaway from last Monday's post!**

photo by thegnome54/stockxchng.com

In Others' Words: Hope

"The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof." ~ Barbara Kingsolver, novelist

What do I hope for?

That life isn't all about me. 

That there is something ... Someone ... bigger than me. Wiser. More sufficient. 

What do I hope for?

Grace instead of the backbreaking load of do-this-don't-do-that laws I lived under for too long.

What do I hope for?

Faith that sees the rainbow in the midst of the flood of tears.

What do I hope for?

Truth, even the harsh "how do I live with this?" kind of truth that takes you to your knees and makes you look up and cry out for God. Yes, I will take that over placating lies any day.

And love. Laughter. Forgiveness.

May my life be shot through with hope that is constructed of all these treasures.

In Your Words: What do your hope for? Are you living inside that hope--or merely admiring it from a distance?

In My Words:A Writer and Time -- Who's in Charge?

First a little fun: I also blog with a multi-talented group of writers over at the WordServe Water Cooler. What brought us together? We are all represented by WordServe Literary. My agent is the fabulous Rachelle Gardner. Today's my first time blogging over at the Water Cooler. I hope you stop by and read my post: The Writer's Life: On the Edge of the Cliffs of Insanity. 

Clutter is a sign of genius, right? Right?

That, my friends, is an unretouched photo of my desk. If I'd "touched" it for the photo,you would be looking at some clean-to-the-extreme desk.


But then there would be no visual for this blog post.


I could give you lots of reasons why my desk is such a mess. I could confess there are times my desk is messier. I could claim genius status, hence this is merely a sign of that reality. I could reveal one of my nicknames: Bird of Paradise. My dad dubbed me that because he said he always knew where I was because of my droppings.


Ha. Ha. Ha. 


There is one reason, and one reason alone, for such a messy desk: I don't have the time to organize it. I don't make the time.


Right now time is controlling me instead of me controlling my time.


When someone asks me, "So, how are you?" my standard reply is "Busy."
And it's true. I am busy. Some days it feels like my schedule has my by the throat and his hauling me through life, with the scenery whizzing by.


But here's the question: I am a professional writer.

Another question: Does that desk say professional to you?


Wait. I'm sorry I asked that. Maybe I'm being too harsh ...


Look, I don't think that I or any other writer has to live up to some Martha Stewart standard of organization. (Kudos to anyone who does. And you have a standing invitation to come over to my house and clean off my desk.)


For the last six months or so, I've realized that my schedule needed an attitude adjustment. I needed to confront it. Say no more and yes a whole lot less.

• I walked away from a non-fiction critique group that I loved. I'd been a member from it's conception--almost 10 years.
• I embraced (albeit with tears) when God directed me away from longstanding writing avenue in my life. 
• I recognized tonight it's time for another no. The commitment is beneficial to me. But when I look at my priorities--writing my work-in-progress and my editing commitments--it's time to say goodbye to this too. 

Clarification: By "this" I mean another writing commitment--not this blog. Sigh. Poorly constructed sentence. My friend, Sonia, questioned me about it.

And, who knows, maybe I'll find some extra minutes to put the dictionary back on the bookshelf. Load the software on my computer. Throw that Brighton catalog away. Pay for my Good Housekeeping subscription. Make my picks for the fantasy football draft weekend. (Yes, really.) 

In Your Words: So who's in charge of your schedule--you or the unrelenting busyness? How do you decide what you say yes to and what you say no to?

In Others' Words: Imagination

"Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions." ~Albert Einstein, physicist

When was the last time you let your mind wander ... let it lead you down the "what if?" road, around an unexpected bend into an idea that took your breath away?

When I read Einstein's quote, I realized I'd been taking these shallow half-breaths that didn't fill my lungs.

And then I thought of my 10-year-old daughter. She's all about coming attractions. Life for her is one "what if I do this" and "what if I do that" after another. She starts writing one book. Stops. Starts another. Stops. Starts another. Stops--and you guessed it--starts another. 

The writer/editor in me wants to give her a stern lecture about finishing what she started. Set some measurable goals. Maybe ask her if she wants me to critique one of those stories-to-be.

But she's too busy imagining the next story she could write. 

I've decided to let her go. Let her run after those dreams. Let her imagination run wild. This is no time to erect a corral around her maybes and what ifs and imaginings. 

Sure, I have things to do. The never-ending To Do list resides in the clutter on my desk.

But if I ignore my imagination one day I'll wake up and the "Coming Attractions" sign will be removed from my life. Why? Because I won't have taken the time to daydream ... ponder ... ensure that something was waiting up ahead ...

In Your Words: So ... dreaming about anything? Dreaming big? Any coming attractions in your life? When is your favorite time to imagine "what if?"

In My Words: When Packing for ACFW, Don't Bring Along Too Many Expectations

Last week, the Alley Cats over at The Writers Alley interviewed Chip MacGregor. I consider Chip the go-to-guy for all things publishing. The founder  MacGregor Literary, Chip knows writing and editing and marketing and agenting like no one else. And, yeah, I like his sense of humor, snark and all.
Chip listed five excellent reasons to attend a writers conference. One sentence stood out to me like a flare shot off into the night sky: The value of a conference depends on your expectations.
A bit of brilliance in nine words.
We haul a lot of stuff with us when we travel to a writers conference. Clothes. Pitch sheets. Book proposals. Business cards.
When you're packing for the conference, do you ever wonder if the hidden load of expectations will push you  over your allowed weight limit?
Just what are your expectations for a writers conference? Specifically, if you're going to ACFW, what are your expectations?
As Chip pointed out in his blog post, it's not about not having expectations. Rather, it's about evaluating your expectations. Hoping an editor will read your manuscript during a 15 minute appointment?  Well . . . expect to be disappointed. That's not what those appointments are for.
So what are some reasonable expectations for ACFW?

• Expect to be tired--but in a good way and for good reason. Going to bed early and sleeping in late is not the reason we attend writers conferences. I mean, go ahead if you want to. If you need to. But realize that most people toss away their notion of time for the duration of the conference.
• Expect to learn. A lot. Oh. My. Word. How do you ever choose between continuing education sessions and workshops and appointments? DiAnn Mills. Randy Ingermanson. Susan May Warren. Jenny B. Jones.
• Expect to be disappointed. (I'm sorry. Somebody had to say it.) It happens. An appointment bombs. You forget your pitch. Or an agent says, "No thanks." Or you don't win the Genesis award. Part of being a writer is learning to deal with the disappointments. To not let them derail you from pursuing your dreams.
• Expect to make friends. You're with other writers. They get you. They speak your language. They want to hear about your story. Does it get any better than this?
• Expect to want to come back next year. Yep, writers conferences are addicting. You're gonna want to do it again. And again. So start saving those pennies and those frequent flier miles. 

 In Your Words: What expectations are you packing for ACFW? What expectations are you making sure don't sneak into your carry-on bag?

In Others' Words: The Significance of Postage Stamps (& a fun giveaway!)

"Consider the postage stamp: It's usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing 'til it gets there." ~Josh Billings, pen name of 19th century humorist Henry Wheeler Shaw

Ah, Mondays. The week stretches ahead with a long list of to-dos and must-dos and you'd-rather-not-dos.

And if you're like me, it's so easy to get sidetracked. I start in on one thing--say, editing, for example--and then I get diverted by Twitter. Or a phone call. Or I go work on a chapter of my work-in-progress. And, hey, I think I want a new title for that because the one I've had for months just isn't working for me. And I'd better go move the laundry from the washing machine to the dryer . . . And why didn't I blow dry my hair before these freakish cowlicks formed in my bangs . . . How did all these emails pile up in my inbox . . .

Where was I?

Point made.

It's not that I don't want to accomplish all these things--including corralling my cowlicks. But I'd like to see some forward motion, rather than feeling like each day is another chance to spin doughnuts in the parking lot of my life.

This week I'm going postal--as in I'm living life like a postage stamp. I'm sticking to one thing until I get there. That one thing? I set aside a collection of wedding and graduation announcements with a promise to get to them after my daughter's wedding. Well, Katie Beth has been Mrs. Huntley for over a month now. Time to fulfill my commitment.

In Your Words: Want to join me? What one thing do you want to stick to this week until it gets done? We can check back here on Friday and see how we did! Leave a comment and I'll put your name in for a drawing of . . . a cute set of stationery and some stamps! ;o)