March | 2011 | Cathy C. Hall Writes

So, I’m off to get ashes smeared across my forehead and think about Lent. Or more specifically, think about giving up something for Lent.

I had to write an article once about why people “give up” things during Lent. You probably know that it has to do with discipline. When we give up something small, like chocolate (though honestly, giving up chocolate is HUGE), we’re practicing discipline, just in case something bigger comes along that we need to give up. I’ll let you fill in your own “something bigger.” (I always think about the Seven Deadly Sins. The very fact that they’re called the Seven Deadly Sins scares the beejeebers out of me. Those church fathers knew a thing or two about marketing, didn’t they?)

Anyway, we give up a habit or a practice, flex our discipline muscle, and before you can say, “Free at last!”, we’ve become a better person. Now, what’s all this got to do with writing?

Think about a habit or practice that’s keeping you from being the best writer you can be. Are you wasting hours playing games on your laptop? (Um, just because I listed that first should, in no way, incriminate me.) Do you start essays, stories, or articles and never finish them? Or do you write something and send it out before revisions because you hate rewrites?

What’s your Deadly Writing Sin? Try giving it up for 40 days. Use your discipline to become a better writer. And maybe step away from the 5 lb. box of chocolate, while you’re at it.

First, I want to thank all y’all (that’s grammatically corrrect in the South) who dropped by and left lovely comments about your “letters from home.” Both Kristina McMorris’ book, Letters from Home, and your heartfelt sharing, made me wistful for a letter of my own. And as always, I wish I could give all y’all (okay, maybe it’s not really grammatically correct. We’re still going to say it) a copy of the book.

But there can be only one. And the one who shall receive this winning book is LISA! Lucky Lisa shall hear from me shortly.

Now to move on to other winners. Namely, me! Linda O’Connell, over at Write from The Heart, gave me this swell blog award:

A proviso of winning this award is posting a picture of yourself, blogging. Now, if I were to post a true picture of myself blogging, small children would run from the room, folks with heart conditions would drop on the spot, and the rest of you would need a brain sweep.

It is not a pretty sight. So, I’ll just post me sitting at the computer, in one of those lovely, posed pics.

Also, I get to pass along this award to a fantastic blogger. And I choose…DEBRA MAYHEW! Debra has a lovely and sparkly new blog where she shares thoughts about children’s writing. And a little about herself. Oh! And her new dog, Indy. But mostly about her writing journey. I think you’ll enjoy her charming philosophy, so please drop by if you have a minute.

So on this lovely Monday morning, everybody’s a winner. (Well, maybe not all y’all won an award or a book today. But all y’all are winners in my book!)