Birthdays and Writing and Such

10898251_10204758777921015_2014634934550833962_nIt’s that time of the year when I have no idea what day it is until the 28th pops up and then I’m oriented again because that’s the day Oldest Junior Hall was born!

I have just about the worst memory in my family; I relied on Mister Man to be the Keeper of Memories from earliest days. But I suppose there is something about a new life coming into the world that imprints on one’s memory because that day, I remember.

Unfortunately, I didn’t always remember to make plans for that child’s birthday, coming as it did on the heels of the holiday chaos. And there was the timing, too, which was problematic…

Well, you can read all about Joey’s birthday and timing and how 2018 will be my guilt-free year of writing. It’s all over at the Muffin in The “Perfect Timing” Trap. (Where thank goodness, I remembered I had a post to write today!)

Grabbing Opportunities

pexels-photo-306076.jpegI am always surprised when people don’t take advantage of great opportunities, especially when they’ve paid good money to get those opportunities. Take writers. We do it all the time!

We join professional writer organizations and then don’t bother to attend the free or very inexpensive workshops they provide.

We pay big bucks for a conference and have the opportunity to submit to closed publishing houses, or the chance to meet an agent or two. But we don’t submit. We don’t speak to the agents. (True story: after years of attending my SCBWI conferences, I finally submitted a manuscript to an editor. He wasn’t interested. You thought I was going to say he bought the manuscript, right? But that’s not the point. The point is, it took me years to take advantage of that opportunity. Why? I have no idea. On the other hand, I did chat up my agent at a conference, sent her my manuscript, and signed with her. So there can be happy endings, if you give yourself a shot.)

We win a free critique and never send anything in. Or buy a terrific book on writing and never read it. Yep, the list goes on and on.

Until we either quit (and wonder why we never quite succeeded)–or start maximizing our connections and opportunities. So maybe you’re ready to maximize; I shared some ideas about that over at the Muffin today in “Maximizing Writer Connections”  and I hope you’ll take a look.

I mean, honestly, I’m just like you, squandering opportunities. But sometimes, I put myself out there. And sometimes, it pays off. How about you? What’s an opportunity you took advantage of and were glad you did? Tell me all about it (please!).

And P.S. Photo by Lukas from Pexels https://www.pexels.com/photo/antique-architecture-art-background-306076/

(Check Pexels out, y’all–I love ’em!)