This Is It

Always we hope
Someone else has the answer,
Some other place it will be better,
Some other time
It will all turn out.

This is it.
No one else has the answer,
No other place will be better,
And it has already turned out.

By Lao Tzu

From Rejection To Success

After reading John le Carre's, The Spy Who Came In From the Cold, a publisher forwarded the manuscript to a colleague with a note that read, "You're welcome to le Carre. He hasn't got any future." The book went on to become a bestseller and Publisher's Weekly name it "best spy novel of all time."
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The first Harry Potter book was turned down by eight agents, and when J.K. Rowling finally got a deal, she was warned by the publisher, "You'll never make any money with children's books." Since that time, the Potter books have won multiple awards, sold more than 400 million copies, and been the basis for a popular series of films. As of March 2010, Forbes estimated Rowling's net worth to be $1 billion, ranking her as the 12th richest woman in Great Britain.
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John Grisham's first novel, A Time to Kill, was rejected by 28 publishers before he found an unknown publisher who was willing to print a short run. Without the benefit of a major publisher's marketing, Grisham went directly to booksellers encouraging them to stock his book. Since that time, he has written 21 best-selling novels, among them The Firm, The Brethren, and The Summons.
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James Patterson's first novel, The Thomas Berryman Number, was rejected 26 times before finally being accepted by Little/Brown in 1976. The book won the Edgar Award for the best first mystery novel. He holds the New York Times bestsellers list record with 39 bestselling titles overall and has sold more than 150 million books worldwide. He is the only author to occupy the #1 slot on the New York Times Adult Fiction and Children's Chapter Book bestseller lists at the same time.

Dealing With Writer's Block

Right now, I have a bad case of writer's block. I keep reading and rewriting the same pages and find it very difficult to move forward.

In her book, How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author, Janet Evanovich recommends that we write something every day, even it means just a few sentences on the screen. And, we should not get hung up on rewriting the first page or chapter. Rewriting and polishing should be done only on a completed manuscript.

She provides four ways of overcoming writer's block:

• Do it by time.  Start with five minutes and increase the time by five minutes a day. In two weeks, you will be sitting at our desks for about an hour a day.

• Do it by pages.  Start with one paragraph a day and work towards a page a day. By year's end, 365 pages you will have written 365 pages.

• Do it by word account.  Plan to write a specific number of words each day. Hemingway wrote around 500 words a day--approximately 2 pages. Those two pages a day produced nine novels and a number of short stories--with plenty of time out for game hunting and fishing.

• Do it by appointment.  Carve out a place and a certain time of each day for writing. Then show up for work.

On a personal note...

I like the idea of writing a page a day and sitting at my computer for a designated length of time.

Food For Creative Thought

According to Dr. Frank Lawlis, author of The Brain Power Cookbook, it is possible to eat our way to higher intelligence and greater creativity. He strongly believes that a protein-rich diet is essential for improved mental focus and creative success.

One of his clients had dreams of becoming a published writer, but her manuscripts were rejected consistently. Overweight by nearly 100 pounds, she snacked on processed and sugar-based foods. With Dr. Lawlis' help, she switched to a diet that included grilled chicken and fish, eggs, fruits and vegetables. She was able to lose 60 pounds and also published a series of children's books.

He also includes the following tips for wannabe writers and artists...

• Prepare foods that are made from from natural foods, especially those free of preservatives and dyes.

• Iron-rich foods will help us think more clearly and learn new tasks easily. Liver and lean beef are the best sources.

• Vegetarians can obtain iron through dark green leafy vegetables and dried fruits such as raisins, figs, and apricots. 

• Foods rich in vitamin C, (oranges, bell peppers, kiwi) will help the body absorb iron more quickly.

• Coffee contains one of the most amazing creativity boosters--caffeine.  One to two cups daily will stimulate the imagination. More than that can cause the jitters and reduce focus.

A Successful Yoga Trial

Last June, I read Wayne Dyer's book, Excuses Begone! and decided to take him up on his challenge. He provides the following pitch for yoga: "Yoga is the control of the ideas in the mind. Control your mind, and everything will fall in place. Give yoga an honest 30-day trial. Notice how your body feels better all over, and your inclination towards excuses dissipates as well."

I was skeptical, but I had to admit that I had not given yoga a fair trial. I had lasted at most three sessions. So, last year I took advantage of a summer special offered at Living Yoga and Health in downtown Guelph. I decided to attend 3-4 classes a week and see how I felt at the end of the summer. I was hooked after the first week.

Yoga has become a part of my weekly routine and my life has changed in the last ten months. I have become a more mindful eater and have lost weight. I can actually feel myself growing healthier and stronger with each stretch, breath, and positive thought. I still have a number of personal and family challenges, but I am less reactive and more inclined to let things go.

It has been said that some do yoga for fun, some for exercise, and others to help conquer personal battles. In my case, ditto for all three!

Discovering Hopespring

I have known about Hopespring for over five years. A number of friends and cancer survivors had urged me to visit any one of the two locations in the KW/Cambridge area, but I hesitated. I didn't think there was any need. I had made an amazing recovery and put the cancer experience behind me.

But, there is so much more to Hopespring. In operation since 1995, both locations offer a variety of free programs and services to cancer survivors and their caregivers. And, this does not end once the treatments are over.

In January, I joined a book club at the Waterloo location. We spent a couple of months discussing The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. A few weeks ago, I signed up for Tools For the Healing Journey at the Cambridge location.

Group of Seven

Yesterday, I attended the first dinner meeting of Writers Ink at Cagney's Restaurant on York Road. Seven of us gathered around the table and shared good food, good conversation, and lots of laughter.

We have decided to meet on the first Tuesday of each month. For the time being, we will meet at Cagney's. The ambiance is wonderful and the menu is an extensive one which includes many tantalizing appetizers and entrees. The desserts are decadent, in particular the chocolate truffle cake, caramel latte mousse cake, and tartufo.

As a fledgling group, we are in the gestation stage. After brainstorming and much deliberation, we decided on a name for our group:  Writers Ink. We are now in the process of writing a mission statement and developing personal mantras.

On a personal note...

I intend to rewrite my novel, A Season for Killing Blondes. I look forward to getting input from my fellow writers.

Giving His Heart Wings

This past weekend I saw The Bounty Hunter--a delightful comedy which I highly recommend. Both Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler deliver star power, but I found the antics of Jason Sudeikis who plays the part of Stewart very entertaining.

Stewart is Nicole Hurley's (Jennifer Aniston) coworker. He is obsessed with the non-existent relationship which he claims to have with Nicole and, as a result, ends up in interesting predicaments. He finally realizes that there is no relationship, and he thanks Nicole for "giving his heart wings."

Did Nicole really give him wings? Or, did he finally take charge and become aware of what was really happening in his life?

Definitely food for thought.

Getting Started

 A new month...a new season...a new beginning.

I feel invigorated by this burst of early summer and believe that I can and will accomplish my writing goals. I have been writing for most of my life, but have struggled with the publishing part of the process. Bodies of work are languishing in cupboards, drawers, and filing cabinets. It is time for these manuscripts to see the light of day.

I also wish to inspire and be inspired. I love hearing other people's stories, so feel free to drop me a line...