“We spend a lot of time organizing and then waiting for the system to pick us, approve of us and give us permission to do our work.

Feedback is important, selling is important, getting the market to recognize your offering and make a sale — all important. But there’s a difference between achieving your goals and realizing your work matters.”

How many times can validation lift us up and then tear us down?

Great comments from critique partners. Another rejection letter. A great book deal. One-star reviews. If you leave yourself open, you can be on an emotional roller-coaster and that’s not good for a creative life.

Yes, it’s important to get that validation for your work. It’s your passion. Your dream. But remember always that no one “allows” you to write. You can write regardless. Even with no validation at all. Which at times — let’s face it kids — has to happen anyway. When we’re creating our novel world, it’s a solo effort — something that must be done with no hand-holding.

So while you continue on your writing journey or just going through the journey of life, always try to remember this very important thing:

Validation from others is overrated.

You are the only writer who can tell this story

Every one has a unique voice. You are the only one in the Universe who has this certain voice. And although there are no new stories under the sun, only your voice can tell this story you want to write. Only you.

Remember why you wanted to write

Writing can be hard but you came to this story for a reason. You were compelled to get it into words and out in the world. That reason, however small you may think it is, is enough. Remember this reason while you write. It brought you here. So keep writing.

Everyone starts from the bottom

It can be hard seeing all the other novels that have been written when you’re first starting out. But remember all of these novels started with a blank page and an idea. Everyone starts at the bottom — and makes their way to the goal. It’s a journey all writers must take.

Consistency in small steps make big progress

Although January is coming to a close, there are still 11 months left in 2012. So much can be completed. But you must be realistic. There is family, work, and life. Duties and responsibilities. Writing can still be in the mix but in a manageable way. Set small goals and be consistent with them. You will be surprised how much writing can get done with this practice.

So a writer’s dream does not have to end when difficulties arise. Remember that anything worth accomplishing will be challenging but if you want it, you can make it happen.

My hope for you is that you never give up on the dream of your novel.

“At first I’d hold a candy bar in my mouth until it warmed up enough to start softening, then I’d take a spoonful of ice cream, which would make the chocolate hard again, just for a few seconds, until it all began to melt together. Then I’d take some ice cream and balance a candy bar on top of the spoon and put it all in my mouth at once and chew, even when the cold hurt my teeth, pressing my tonque into the bits of cookie dough to taste for the mix of salty and sweet.

But the memories wouldn’t stop.

The memories of that day at Cameron’s house wouldn’t stop.” Sweethearts – Sara Zarr

When I think of taste and smell in novels, I always think of this scene. The main character Jennifer uses her closet binge eating to emotionally numb her feelings. In this particular scene, the emotional eating isn’t bringing on any numbness at all. I loved how the author shows Jennifer building upon the different flavors as a way to build up numbness against her memories. A reader can literally taste it.

“Cinder was the only full-service mechanic at New Beijing’s weekly market. Without a sign, her booth hinted at her trade only by the shelves of stock android parts that crowded the walls. It was squeezed into a shady cove between a used netscreen dealer and a silk merchant, both of whom frequently complained about the tangy smell of metal and grease that came from Cinder’s booth, even though it was usually disguised by the aroma of honey buns from the bakery across the square. Cinder knew they really didn’t like being next to her.” Cinder – Marissa Meyer

This opening scene of the novel is where the reader first meets the main character, Cinder. I loved how the author showed the character’s world using all of the senses, including the comparison of two conflicting smells. It could also hint as a metaphor for Cinder herself.

“I slowly peel and eat a handful of nuts. My last cracker. The groosling neck. That’s good because it takes time to pick clean. Finally, a groosling wing and the bird is history. But it’s a hollow day, and even with all that I start daydreaming about food. Particularly the food in the Capitol. The chicken in creamy orange sauce. The cakes and pudding. Bread with butter. Noodles in green sauce. The lamb and dried plum stew. I suck on a few mint leaves and tell myself to get over it. Mint is good because we drink mint tea after supper often, so it tricks my stomach into thinking eating time is over. Sort of.” The Hunger Games – Suzane Collins

You knew I had to put in a Hunger Games example right? :) Many of you already know this book uses the sense of smell and taste a lot. I like this scene in particular when Katniss starts to daydream about food. It shows that even having access to that rich food for only a few days creates longing; however, her hardscrabble life has prepared her to go without food despite the struggle.

So there are my examples of how to use the sense of smell and taste effectively in a scene. This is one of the things that I plan paying attention to in my own writing — especially since a lot of my pivotal scenes happen in a bakery.

Do you have any favorite scenes/novels where the sense of smell and taste are done well? Do you tend to use smell and taste often in your own work?




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Ah, it’s January and with that comes fitness goals. Working out, eating right. Blah, blah, blah. We all know by February it’s out the window right?

Although the Butt-In-Chair (BIC) is a mantra we all use, sometimes being a writer and living that sedentary lifestyle can make it difficult to stay in shape.

Here are some tips for a basic workout that can help your body AND your writing. Two for one! Yay. :)

***And if you stick around, I have some tips at the end of the post that I use to help maintain my 30 lb weight loss over the last two years.

Warm Up

Body: The first thing is always to warm up your muscles. You never want to start a workout cold. You want to start with at least 10 minutes of cardio activity like jumping rope, running in place or walking on the treadmill to get your muscles warm.

Writing: Starting in the middle of action is not always best because the reader can’t connect or care about what’s going on. There is no foundation and she knows nothing about the characters. So always have some type of introduction to your characters and then go into the inciting incident.

Sweat, Pump, and “Feel the Burn”

Body: After you’ve warmed up, it’s time to focus on not just getting through the workout but having a plan and goals. Keep a record of your progress and always challenge yourself. If you’re used to doing 3 sets of 10 reps, up it to 12 reps or increase the weight or intensity. You want to feel the burn and sweat it out.

Writing: Your characters also need to be challenged. Don’t throw problems at your characters that they can easily fix. Make them work hard and get them to figure out their own problems — no deus ex machina. Always keep your characters on their toes and keep the reader wondering “How are they going to get out of this?”

Cool Down and Stretch

Body: Now that you’ve finished your workout, don’t just stop. Your muscles now need to be stretched and cooled down. Stretching the muscles help them repair and grow and also improves flexibility. Reward yourself with a glass of cold water and some protein.

Writing: After the climax of your novel, you want to leave your reader with some sense that the plot problems have been resolved (either good or bad outcome) and that they characters have grown and changed since the beginning of the novel. Think about the emotion you want to give the reader when she reads the last page.

So that’s my take on a workout for both the body and writing. :) Do you find that the sedentary writing lifestyle brings challenges? What do you do to get more active?

***Now, if you’re still sticking around for some fitness tips, this is what I’ve learned during my journey from a size 14 to a size 8: Small changes end up have more lasting results than quick fixes. Here are just a few small things that I’ve incorporated into my lifestyle:

• Get a stability ball: It can help tone your legs, core, and glutes. You can sit on it while watching TV, revising, web surfing, etc. Plus it takes crunches to a whole different level.
• Buy a pedometer: You should be striving for 10,000 steps a day. You’ll be surprised how it adds up! Bringing activity into your daily routine can help improve your fitness level more easily than struggling to make it to the gym.
• Eat breakfast: Sounds lame but if you hate eating breakfast (like I did), it’s because you’ve trained your body not to be hungry in the morning. Once you start back eating breakfast, your stomach growls will wake you up! :)
• Drink water: Yeah, I know. Another lame one. :) But next time you feel hungry, drink a cold glass of water. Most likely you’re dehydrated. I always wait 15 minutes after a glass and 9 times out of 10, I wasn’t really hungry after all.
• Eat Your Veggies: What’s up with all these lame ones I know! :) But seriously, try a Meatless Monday or limit your intake of meat, you’ll be surprised how good you’ll feel. Plus you’ll reap the health benefits of eating vegetarian occasionally.
• Savor Your Food: A lot of times, we mindlessly eat. And then we make it worse by “forbidding” the foods we love. The result? We only end up gorging on them (um, hello Lay’s Salt and Vinegar chips?) Slow down and really enjoy what you’re eating. Pay attention to your body cues and stop when you’re full.

Remember just like writing a novel, change doesn’t happen overnight. But it can be done one small step at a time! :)