Comments on: Your writing resources for 2008: a reader question and offer http://confidentwriting.com/2007/12/your-writing-re/ Kindness, clarity, confidence, compassion. Watchwords for writing on the web. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:25:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Why comments count | Confident Writing http://confidentwriting.com/2007/12/your-writing-re/#comment-21329 Why comments count | Confident Writing Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:18:00 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=272#comment-21329 [...] I say, if book prizes are your thing) there’s still time to chip in with any comments on the inner resources that will help you write in 2008. I’m interested in learning from your answers – and there have been some great [...] [...] I say, if book prizes are your thing) there’s still time to chip in with any comments on the inner resources that will help you write in 2008. I’m interested in learning from your answers – and there have been some great [...]

]]> By: Resources for writers: your writing wish-list | Confident Writing http://confidentwriting.com/2007/12/your-writing-re/#comment-3123 Resources for writers: your writing wish-list | Confident Writing Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:04:11 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=272#comment-3123 [...] on from this the inner resource he’ll be drawing on in 2008 is realisticness. As he says, maybe not a ‘proper’ word - but we know what he [...] [...] on from this the inner resource he’ll be drawing on in 2008 is realisticness. As he says, maybe not a ‘proper’ word – but we know what he [...]

]]> By: Joanna Young http://confidentwriting.com/2007/12/your-writing-re/#comment-1029 Joanna Young Tue, 18 Dec 2007 11:05:36 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=272#comment-1029 Terry, I'm so glad you made it here - it made me rethink the value of tags as it was through the conduit of Jim's piece that we made the connection:-) I appreciate the thoughtfulness and honesty of your reply. And yes that is just what I meant - that once we realise what we need we can set out to get it. Or perhaps to remember that it was within us all along? Joanna Terry, I’m so glad you made it here – it made me rethink the value of tags as it was through the conduit of Jim’s piece that we made the connection:-)

I appreciate the thoughtfulness and honesty of your reply. And yes that is just what I meant – that once we realise what we need we can set out to get it. Or perhaps to remember that it was within us all along?

Joanna

]]> By: Joanna Young http://confidentwriting.com/2007/12/your-writing-re/#comment-1028 Joanna Young Tue, 18 Dec 2007 11:02:49 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=272#comment-1028 Emma, your answer was great and will be included in my grand list of inner resources. I thought your Twitter reply was you being uber-modern! Joanna Emma, your answer was great and will be included in my grand list of inner resources. I thought your Twitter reply was you being uber-modern!

Joanna

]]> By: Emma Bird http://confidentwriting.com/2007/12/your-writing-re/#comment-1027 Emma Bird Tue, 18 Dec 2007 10:32:46 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=272#comment-1027 Joanna I didn't even realise you'd written this post when you asked about inner resources on Twitter. If you want a better answer rather than an off-the-cuff one, let me know! Emma Joanna

I didn’t even realise you’d written this post when you asked about inner resources on Twitter.

If you want a better answer rather than an off-the-cuff one, let me know!

Emma

]]> By: Terry Heath http://confidentwriting.com/2007/12/your-writing-re/#comment-1026 Terry Heath Mon, 17 Dec 2007 17:52:25 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=272#comment-1026 Hi Joanna, I'm glad you stopped by my blog, that visit led me to yours. If I could have any writer's gift for Christmas, it would be honesty. Honesty in voice, style, and content. Honesty in the uniqueness of ideas. But, I don't believe in Santa Claus. I know if I really want that gift I'm going to have to go out and get it for myself; wishful thinking won't deliver the goods, and I'm ready to do the work. I know that is part of the message behind your wish list. Once we realize what we need, we can set out to get it. We just have to remember all the wishful thinking and letters to Santa aren't going to get us what we really want for Christmas. And I don't even think these gifts would fit under the Christmas tree. Terry Hi Joanna,

I’m glad you stopped by my blog, that visit led me to yours. If I could have any writer’s gift for Christmas, it would be honesty. Honesty in voice, style, and content. Honesty in the uniqueness of ideas.

But, I don’t believe in Santa Claus. I know if I really want that gift I’m going to have to go out and get it for myself; wishful thinking won’t deliver the goods, and I’m ready to do the work.

I know that is part of the message behind your wish list. Once we realize what we need, we can set out to get it. We just have to remember all the wishful thinking and letters to Santa aren’t going to get us what we really want for Christmas. And I don’t even think these gifts would fit under the Christmas tree.

Terry

]]> By: Joanna Young http://confidentwriting.com/2007/12/your-writing-re/#comment-1025 Joanna Young Mon, 17 Dec 2007 09:23:53 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=272#comment-1025 Hi Tommy, my pleasure. I'm not sure you need coaching, but I'm more than happy to bring new readers into the fold! Joanna Hi Tommy, my pleasure. I’m not sure you need coaching, but I’m more than happy to bring new readers into the fold!

Joanna

]]> By: Blogtommy http://confidentwriting.com/2007/12/your-writing-re/#comment-1024 Blogtommy Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:07:51 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=272#comment-1024 Thanks for the inspiration Joanna and for stopping by Onequartlow. I appreciate both and will be returning here lots. Probably because I require lots of "coaching"...LOL T Thanks for the inspiration Joanna and for stopping by Onequartlow. I appreciate both and will be returning here lots. Probably because I require lots of “coaching”…LOL

T

]]> By: Joanna Young http://confidentwriting.com/2007/12/your-writing-re/#comment-1023 Joanna Young Sat, 15 Dec 2007 12:21:02 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=272#comment-1023 Hi Jim, thanks for sharing your perspectives on long and short term goals. I'm not sure about soviet-style 5 year plans, but I like the idea of a big picture pencil sketch that we keep in view... alongside the smaller more attainable goals. To be honest, I'm not much of a goal person myself, I've always found it more useful to focus on ways that I want to be rather than things that I want to make happen (often struggle to visualise them) - which is partly why I thought this might be an interesting question to ask. In case there were readers out there who thought like me at all :-) Realisticness is a good addition to the mix - especially if it helps to stop the tendency so many of us have to beat ourselves up when things don't work out the way we planned. And like you I feel that realisticness should be a word even though it isn't. Joanna PS And thanks for the tag. I'm a bit backlogged with tags just now, but I quite like the random facts variations, so will try and write it next week Hi Jim, thanks for sharing your perspectives on long and short term goals. I’m not sure about soviet-style 5 year plans, but I like the idea of a big picture pencil sketch that we keep in view… alongside the smaller more attainable goals.

To be honest, I’m not much of a goal person myself, I’ve always found it more useful to focus on ways that I want to be rather than things that I want to make happen (often struggle to visualise them) – which is partly why I thought this might be an interesting question to ask. In case there were readers out there who thought like me at all :-)

Realisticness is a good addition to the mix – especially if it helps to stop the tendency so many of us have to beat ourselves up when things don’t work out the way we planned. And like you I feel that realisticness should be a word even though it isn’t.

Joanna

PS And thanks for the tag. I’m a bit backlogged with tags just now, but I quite like the random facts variations, so will try and write it next week

]]> By: Jim Murdoch http://confidentwriting.com/2007/12/your-writing-re/#comment-1022 Jim Murdoch Fri, 14 Dec 2007 22:59:00 +0000 http://confidentwriting.com/?p=272#comment-1022 One of the big problems with resolutions is that people aim too high. There is a lot to be said for Five Year Plans. (I've just been listening to Prokofiev so I guess that's where that came from). Every author wants success but overnight success is a pipe dream. What we want to achieve and what we expect to achieve are two different things. And when we look at what we actually manage to achieve … well. Short-term goals are the way to go. They boost confidence for starters. If you have a history of small successes bigger ones don't look so unattainable. You have to look at what you can control. You can control the present and it's not unreasonable to think you'll be able to control tomorrow and next week shouldn't be that hard, should it? My plans pan out over the next six months. In three months I'll start to think about the following six. That doesn't mean I don't have a pencil sketch of the next couple of years but a lot can happen in two years. The goal is still the same, success but these quarterly reassessments are course corrections, a degree this way, a couple of degrees that. BTW Terry Heath has tagged me to do a meme so, if you don't mind, I'm spreading some of the load your way. You can read the rules in my latest entry: <a href="http://jim-murdoch.blogspot.com/2007/12/random-facts-in-context.html" rel="nofollow">http://jim-murdoch.blogspot.com/2007/12/random-facts-in-context.html</a> Oh, and my inner resource is: realisticness which may not be a real word but that didn't stop 9,580 people using it on their websites. One of the big problems with resolutions is that people aim too high. There is a lot to be said for Five Year Plans. (I’ve just been listening to Prokofiev so I guess that’s where that came from). Every author wants success but overnight success is a pipe dream. What we want to achieve and what we expect to achieve are two different things. And when we look at what we actually manage to achieve … well.

Short-term goals are the way to go. They boost confidence for starters. If you have a history of small successes bigger ones don’t look so unattainable. You have to look at what you can control. You can control the present and it’s not unreasonable to think you’ll be able to control tomorrow and next week shouldn’t be that hard, should it? My plans pan out over the next six months. In three months I’ll start to think about the following six. That doesn’t mean I don’t have a pencil sketch of the next couple of years but a lot can happen in two years. The goal is still the same, success but these quarterly reassessments are course corrections, a degree this way, a couple of degrees that.

BTW Terry Heath has tagged me to do a meme so, if you don’t mind, I’m spreading some of the load your way. You can read the rules in my latest entry: http://jim-murdoch.blogspot.com/2007/12/random-facts-in-context.html

Oh, and my inner resource is: realisticness which may not be a real word but that didn’t stop 9,580 people using it on their websites.

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