The reason 99% of all stories written are not bought by editors is very simple. Editors never buy manuscripts that are left on the closet shelf at home.

- John Campbell

The short answer to the question is NO. However, sometimes it takes a little time to know what’s right.

Twice this month I’ve been presented with situations where my instincts said to run the other direction and in a deeply buried desire to please I shoved aside my instincts and tried to help.  The first situation was merely a client wanting/expecting a product we simply don’t deliver.  That was conveyed to him and we moved forward.  The end result was an unhappy client and an unhappy writer:-)  While it’s nice to be able to do everything - specialize in something and stick to it even if it means that you simply cannot help someone.

The second situation occurred when a prospect asked me to create content which was for all intents and purposes EXACTLY like another website’s content.  Of course she wanted the headlines changed and the wording altered but my conscience yelled plagiarism.  Rather than run for the hills, I inquired about the ownership of this content and proper sourcing and was told that of course she didn’t own the content.  I proceeded to write content based on the ideas represented in the website she wished to emulate but also used other sources and steered clear of copying their format and their ideas.  Needless to say that wasn’t what she wanted.  She wanted a plagiarised version of exactly what the referenced website portrayed.

Now it’s back out time, right?  At the best she’s completely ignorant of plagiarism laws.  At the worst - she knows what she’s doing and is hiring a ghostwriter to do it to avoid any liability.  After all she didn’t write the content!

Besides - writing integrity is important to me.

I politely told her that I write ORIGINAL content and that fact is stated all over my initial email communications with her and that I wasn’t the right person for her project.  I also promptly refunded her the deposit she made on her content. Not the ideal situation for her, and I feel bad about that because the back and forth process ate up about 5 days of her time but I could not in good conscience complete the job.  I’m sure she’ll find another writer and the mean side of me hopes she gets caught for copyright infringement but all in all I’m glad I’ve washed my hands of this client.

Lesson learned?

To triple check before I take on ANY project and if my gut is niggling at me to pass on a project - LISTEN TO IT!  And to lock that people pleasing side of me in a deep dark closet.  She’s not helping things:-)

So…what lessons have you learned by not listing to your instincts?

Beware of self-indulgence. The romance surrounding the writing profession carries several myths: that one must suffer in order to be creative; that one must be cantankerous and objectionable in order to be bright; that ego is paramount over skill; that one can rise to a level from which one can tell the reader to go to hell. These myths, if believed, can ruin you.

If you believe you can make a living as a writer, you already have enough ego.

- David Brin

Being a writer is both demoralizing and uplifting.  Sometimes more one than the other.  When you’re feeling blue, like giving up or just simply want a pick me up - check out these 5 blogs!

1. Christine Kane Kristine is a musician not a writer but her prose can motivate and inspire the stodgiest curmudgeon.  She’s a glittery voice in a world of naysayers.  Enjoy!
2. Guide to Literary Agents Yes, believe it or not a blog on agents can be inspiring.  AND the information you’ll glean on this gem of a blog WILL make you feel more confident the next time you submit your manuscript.
3. Zen Habits Good information on just about every facet of life.
4. Amidabuddha.org Okay not a blog per say but they have a really great daily meditation you can subscribe to.  It’s great to start your day with a little mindful spirituality.
5. Lifehack This is more about productivity, however if you’re like me if you’re inspired to feel productive and provided realistic tips to get the job done then you’re half way there.

What inspirational blogs have helped you out?  Please share!

Whether you’re participating in NaNoWriMo or you simply have set for yourself a daily word count goal (a practice I strongly advise and rarely adhere to) it’s important to celebrate your success.

Now I’m not saying you have to throw a party every time you reach 1000 words - however if you want to let me send you my email address cause I could certainly enjoy a few more parties.  I’m actually talking more about those little self care type rewards that make achieving your goal all the more golden.  Here are my favorite five ways to reward myself:

1.  A hot bath and a good beer.  I know most women prefer a glass of wine or even a hefty margarita however I’m a beer girl.  Not a Budweiser girl (though if you like Bud then go for it) I prefer a Pilsner Urquell or a good local micro brew.  Fortunately I live in the heartland of microbreweries so I have a cornucopia of choice.  Note:  If your bath is too hot then save the beer for afterwards.  You wouldn’t want to fall asleep in the tub.

2.  A seriously entertaining book.  Life is too short to read bad books (and I’m sure that quote will come back to haunt me but it’s out there now)  Grab a book that makes you laugh, gets you all hot and bothered, or scares the crap out of you if that’s your thing.  Dive headfirst into the book and forget about the world for a while.  I have a stack of these delightful books on my bedside table.

3.  Watch inane television.  Okay so that may be an oxymoron and I honestly don’t watch much television but on those rare nights I will admit that I do love to sit down and watch hours of HGTV or catch up on a series like Saving Grace or even Sex and The City repeats just for the plain ol fun of it.  It’s a nice little reward.  Of course if you regularly watch television then this isn’t much of a reward so grab a movie that feels a bit decadent and enjoy the show.

4.  Grab your favorite friend or loved one and go out to eat.  There’s nothing better than enjoying a good meal and lots of laughs with your favorite person and if you can share the latest twists and turns in the book you’re writing then it’s all the more fun.

5.  Take a walk with no time limit and no direction or goal.  These little forays into nature help us appreciate life, live in the moment, and be grateful for the little things like the sound the fall leaves make when they’re skittering down the street or the smell of the first fire in the fireplace as the smoke billows out the chimneys or the look of the billowy snow clouds peeking over the tops of the mountains.

Reward yourself.  You’ve worked hard and life my dear friends is all about the little things- the small joys and personal accomplishments.

Happy writing!

Can you believe it’s November already?!  I know, I’m showing my age by saying something like that but wowza how time flies!

This month I’ve been reading Women and Money by Suze Orman.  I like her no holds barred opinions and advice because it comes from a place of knowledge and compassion.  She’s not condescending nor patronizing - I find that many financial writers are both.  I also like that she has an abundance of steps, tips, and resources for those who want to take more control over their finances.  Her style isn’t for everyone however as a writer I can appreciate the format, structure, and tone of her content.  Good stuff!

I’m also reading, or rather listening to, Joe Vitale’s Awakening Course.  Not sure where I fall in the believability scale on this type of information but I do know that it energizes me and it’s always good to hear and pay attention to other perspectives, approaches, and philosophies.  Keeping an open mind.

Other than that the only other books on my bookshelf are books to read for Romantic Times.  It seems February is a huge month for romance releases - go figure!  So I have a ton of reading, and reviewing, to do this month.  Looking forward to every minute of it.

So…what are you reading?

Happy Halloween!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Halloween.

Adorable children dressing up as their favorite character.  Adults getting creative and letting down their metaphorical hair (unless they’re dressing up as Rapunzel or Fabio in which case it’s not so metaphorical)

People even dress their pets for Halloween and then don’t even get me started with the pumpkin carving (though visiting the pumpkin patch is almost as much fun). And then there’s the candy.

But the one thing I probably love most about Halloween are the movies.  Now I’m not talking about Saw 39 - I don’t do gratuitous gore - too squeamish.  But I do enjoy a good Young Frankenstein and always look forward to It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!

What about you?  What’s your favorite thing about Halloween?

“He who wished to secure the good of others, has already secured his own.”

-Confucius

As the news of the economy continues to cause unrest and downright panic many of us fail to see this golden opportunity to step up to the plate and give back to our community.

Today I ran to the grocery to grab a loaf of bread to go with our roast.  Outside the grocery the local high school cheerleaders were collecting food for our community homeless shelter.  It seems with the current economy, or at least the news about our current economy, fewer people are donating.  Sad really when we have so much and so many people are not scraping by - they’re starving, homeless, and in need of our help.

It struck me as odd that at a time when we who can do something to help others are instead hunkering down and preparing for the worst.  I understand that people are scared but this is the time to step up and do what you can to help people in your community.  When the chips are down, that’s when we show our true colors.

I know we can’t all afford to fill a shopping bag with food to donate however we can all do something and we can step up to the plate and continue to help both when times are bad and when times are good.

It’s easy to let life take control over you rather than taking control of your life.  Kids are screaming, bills are collecting on the counter, clients want their work, the dog’s eye is infected (ick, right?), the projects you want to do are sitting on the back burner and it feels as if there’s just way too much going on.

I’ve been looming in this state of constantly catching up for the past two months or so and guess what…it’s not changing. I’m still not catching up.  Monday as I stared at my overwhelming must do task list while looking longingly at my want to do task list I snapped.

No, I didn’t flip out - I had an epiphany or rather I remembered that I control my life not the other way around.  I make the decisions.  Ultimately EVERYTHING that comes into or out of my life I can decide on.  Of course there are ramifications from those decisions, consequences, but hey that’s okay.

So…

Mantra for Success #1  Be creative not reactive!

Mantra for Success #2  We become what we think - tink happy tawts

Mantra for Success #3  Fear is limiting - acknowledge it and then shove it aside.  (I’ve dealt with a lot of fear issues this past few weeks. Fear for my life and that of a loved one.  Fear for the future of that loved one.  Fear of failure.  Fear of disappointing someone.  Fear of failure…I know I already said that one but it came up several times:-)  The cure…acknowledge it and shove it aside.  Whether you succeed or fail - you’ll grow and learn and that’s what it’s all about after all.

Mantra for Success #4  Take time for joy each and every day.  Yes it’s important to love what you do but doing it 24/7 is a sure way to burn out.  Set even your passions aside and focus on friends, family, life and love.

Mantra for Success #5  Never stop learning.  About yourself, about your business, about things that interest you and about those wonderful people you’ve surrounded yourself with.  It’s all good!

Resist the temptation to try to use dazzling style to conceal weakness of substance.
-Stanley Schmidt