Lazy Bones (short story) by Leanne Dyck

Once upon a time, my husband and I met a self-made man. He told us how his family, how society saw him before he built his successful life. His story inspired this one...

photo by ldyck

She phoned her mother every week. Even though it wasn't always a pleasant conversation. 

"Doesn't he ever go to work?" 

“No, he stays home. He’s writing a nov—.”

"What? All day? Doesn't he have any pride?"

***

They saw him in the middle of the day, in sweatpants, pushing a shopping cart from cereal boxes to milk cartons.

"What a life. He doesn't even work," one clerk said.

The other replied, "I'd do the same if I had a beautiful woman paying my way. Have you seen his wife?"

***

Light leaked under the study door, down the hall, and into the bedroom. She pushed back the covers. Barefeet on cold tile, she opened the study door. "Are you still up?"

"Sorry. Did the light wake you? I'm almost finished writing this chapter."

She went back to bed. He joined her two hours later.

***

Month after month, year after year, until he told his wife, "Let's go for a drive."

She followed him to the car.

He drove them to the expensive part of town. She had no idea why. They came to the house she'd always drooled over. He pulled into the driveway. “This morning I received a contract for my novel. The real estate agent said she'd meet us here.”

photo by ldyck

September on this blog

September 2:  I wrote an essay to celebrate Labour Day
September 9:  I wrote a short story--Magdalene College's bell tower--to celebrate those returning to school 
September 16:  Book review:  
The Shoe on the Roof by Will Ferguson
Thomas is flunking out of university, but don't worry he has a plan--or at least an experiment. 
September 23:  In Icelandic (short story) was inspired by something my grandma witnessed on a bus.

September 30:  Do you like illustrated books? I love them too. In this article, I'll recommend 3 of my favourites.

Sharing my author journey...

Fun and games are over. It's time to stand up and be accountable.
Exactly what did I accomplish this spring and summer--historically the most industrial half of the year, for me.

Living your successful author dream by Leanne Dyck

(photo by ldyck)

Martin Luther King Junior had a dream. Do you? Have you made a vision (dream) board?

Do you imagine a brighter tomorrow? What does it look, smell, feel, taste like? What foods will you eat? What clothes will you wear? Where will you live? Where will you travel? Who will be your partner, your friend? How will you help others? When asked for the secret of your success, what will you credit?

Find images or objects that will make your dream tangible. Visualize your success and write about it in your journal.

Keep your dream close. Affirmations are keywords assist in visualizing your dream. For example, "I am a best-selling author."

Using "I will..." creates distance between you and your dream. "I am..." gives strength to your dream and helps you visualize it.

Write your affirmations on index cards. Keep these cards by your bed, in your car, in your pocket-- anywhere that they may be easily accessed.

What steps will you take today to bring you closer to success?

-Visit a bookstore or library. Imagine your book on the shelves. 

or

-Read books on the craft of writing.

or

-Write a short story

or

-Work on a novel

or

-Network with others in the publishing industry (connect with them on LinkedIn; email your favourite author)

or

-Visit a publisher's website and buy one of their books

or

-Write an article for your blog

or

-Participate in a blog tour for a new release

or 

-Join a writing group

or

-Enter a writing contest

or

-Attend a literary event

or

-Send a manuscript to a publisher

or...

Realize that you are the only one who can make your dream reality.

Stay positive.

'I just wish people would realize that anything's possible if you try; dreams are made possible if you try.' -Terry Fox

More 

Plan to Achieve Your Creative Goals in 2017 by Joanna Penn 

Why Success is Hard

Why I keep writing by Leanne Dyck

The following was inspired by Alex Cavanaugh's article (link). 
Especially, '[T]hat time won't come if we think it's the end and we give up.'
and Vaughn Roycroft's article (link). 
Especially, 'One truth I have found to be unfailing is that I am inspired and heartened by my fellow writers.'

photo by Leanne Dyck

An author friend recently told me that she'd given up submitting to publishers because she'd realized having her work published was an unattainable goal. She said, "It's like a one-in-a-million chance. Why bother?"

That made me consider my own chances. Where they, slim to none and slim has just left town? If she couldn't make it, what made me think that I could? 

I'm no more talented than she is, I told myself. And the way she spoke, it sounded like she was a lot smarter.

The writing game felt like a big joke. I felt like a big joke. 

After all, I've been working hard for almost five years. I've sent out over 100 submissions. If something was going to happen it would have happened by now. 

The universe is trying to tell me to give up,  I told myself. Maybe I should listen.

I wallowed in self-pity for a while. I thought about jumping off this ride...

But... I... Didn't.

Why didn't I?

Well... I realized, writing is like breathing. Even if that big hand doesn't drop out of the sky and pick me up, I am still going to write. I have to.

Other people have faith that I will succeeded. Some people are even counting on my success. 

They can't all be wrong, I told myself. I can't let them down.

And so, I have to continue.

Writing fulfills me, like nothing else can. 

When I dream of my favourite place, I think of myself at my computer keyboard or on my balcony reading (and studying) a good book.

I. Am. A. Writer.

And so I move forward.

Instead of dwelling on rejection I will focus on the journey. 

That publisher read my writing and it wasn't for them. Where can I send my writing to next? What new publishing house can I find? 

There is a thrill to combing through the Internet in search of a publisher. It's amazing what you can learn; what interesting people you can meet.

Other authors may obtain success before me. When that happens I will celebrate their success. We are all in the same game. We live in abundance. There is more than enough for everyone.

When that happens I will learn from their journey. How did they obtain success? What lessons can I learn from them?

Write. Submit. Revise. 

There's nothing better.

More...
The Rainbow Connection as sung by muppet, Kermit the Frog
'

Next Monday: Book review:  Sing A Worried Song by Canadian mystery author William Deverell

Sharing my author journey...

Be careful what you say to an author because you may just inspire them.
For example...

Secrets of Successful blogging by Leanne Dyck

Tips collected over a lifetime--at least eleven (or is it sixteen?)years--spent blogging. Secrets shared with you...

Be genuine

Readers want to get to know you. That’s why they visit your blog. So welcome them in. But give careful thought as to what you will share about your life and what you wouldn’t. Where will you draw the line?

Add value

Offer your readers something of value--on this blog, I review books and share my short stories. 

Be supportive

To receive support, offer support. Find valuable online content and share it. Acknowledge and express thanks when your content is shared.

Be predictable

Are you old enough to remember, ‘Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel’?

Did you faithfully tune in?

The same thing can happen for your blog.

I publish a new short story OR book review every Sunday evening (between 4:40 and 5:00 PM PST)

Be positive

The biggest secret of my success is that I have fun blogging. Positivity attracts--negativity repels. Make your blog a fun place and others will find you there. 

Sharing My Author Journey...

Out of the shadows into the light by Leanne Dyck

I know who I am.

At least I thought I did. I live on a rural island; I’m middle income; I like to watch from the shadows (unless someone hands me something I’ve written and leads me to a stage, then I want to read.) But mostly I’m happy in the shadows watching, cheering.

And I’m fortunate that my life has granted me this anonymity.

But then things began to change. Thanks to your support, dear reader, this blog began to grow in followers and page views. Thanks to kind people I began to receive more and more validation for my writing.

Maybe, I thought. Maybe my dreams for my author career will become reality.

Well, my heart sang. I was so happy, so full of hope.

But then… But then I experienced another emotion—a more powerful one.

I knew who I was in the shadows. I was comfortable there. I belonged there.

Who am I? How dare I? It’s not really happening. It’s just my imagination. I’m not worthy. Soon they’ll know. Someone will stop me. I want to grow. I want to succeed. Oh, how I want to remain right here in the shadows. I’m comfortable here.

Anxiety.

What do I do?

I’m fortunate to have a strong support system—people who know me, well. They’ve seen me grow from one life transition to another. I know I can rely on their unfailing support.

And I have new people in my life. Successful people. Successful artists. People who have seen their dreams become reality. People who have ridden the tide of change, with style and grace. People that light the way for my own evolution.

So, yes, I’m changing. But I’m still and will always be me.

Guest Post: mystery author Debra Purdy Kong

How/why did you start to write?

I started to write because it was the best way I had of expressing myself. It began with journal entries, though I have to say that writing book reports in school was the only thing I really enjoyed and did well. After obtaining a diploma in criminology, I sold my car and left for Europe to figure out what I wanted to do back in 1979. I continued journal writing and wrote letters home, and then tried my hand at a short story. I also wound up sharing an apartment with an aspiring singer/actress who loved my stories and encouraged me to keep going. I loved the process of writing and editing so much that I took her advice.

How did you become an author?

I became an author after writing many drafts of my first mystery, Taxed to Death, and deciding to self-publish in 1995. It was a terrific learning experience. By the time I signed a contract with a traditional publisher for The Opposite of Dark, I’d had plenty of promotion and marketing experience, and had written three more mysteries.

Why did you decide to self-publish?

There were a number of reasons. Seventeen years ago, my sister had breast cancer. It was a difficult year, but one of the things I learned was not to wait for a lifelong dream to fall in one’s lap, but rather to make it happen, if possible. Who knows when any of us run out of time? Also, my husband was looking to start a small business on the side and liked the idea of publishing, so he financed the project while I learned how to do the layout, and so forth. I wanted to learn about book production and the business of publishing and promotion.

What was your first published piece?

My first published piece was a personal essay called “A Dancer’s Foot”. It was about my years of ballet study from age eight to sixteen. I didn’t enjoy the experience that much, and hated it by the time my mother let me quit.

Where was it published?

It was published in 1982, in a glossy little magazine from Ontario that was just starting out. They paid me $90 and I was thrilled. I thought, how hard could it be to write and earn money? Three years passed before any of my stories or essays were again accepted for publication. Two more years passed before I was actually paid anything, and I think that was in American stamps.

How did you find your traditional publisher?

It took over ten years to find a traditional publisher, (including two years spent with an American agent) and thirty-five submissions to publishers. One day, someone told me about a BC publisher who was interested in mysteries set in the pacific northwest, so I submitted The Opposite of Dark to her. A year later, I had a contract.

What did you do before embarking on your writing career? Was it an asset to your writing? How?

Before writing, I worked as a secretary for a firm of chartered accountants, which was where I met my future husband, and where I came up with the idea of writing about a young, overly enthusiastic tax auditor for Taxed to Death and Fatal Encryption. I never did use my diploma for career purposes, but the some of practicum and volunteer experiences have appeared in my novels and stories.

What inspires you?

Great writing inspires me!

Please share one of your successful marketing techniques

One of my successful marketing techniques was to join a forum for independently published authors on amazon and get to know people. They’ve given me some great marketing tips, but they’ve also bought my books and have reviewed them, which is always a surprise because I’d never ask anyone to do this. Happily, these efforts resulted in sales. So, I pay it forward and support indie authors when I can.

Parting words

When it comes to writing, success is a really hard thing to define. Sometimes, I’m not sure we should even try. For some, it’s publication credits, for others, success is determined by royalty cheques, or awards. For me, success is about tenacity and becoming a better writer; learning to listen to those who are trying to help. 80% of the one hundred stories, essays, and articles I’ve had published were initially rejected by editors who took the time to offer helpful comments. For me, writing is always about learning. It always will be.

Debra Purdy Kong's blog