Make a better choice.
That has become my mantra when I am working with the children in the real world
I find it applies to my young friends, both at school or here at the KTL Church House in Sorell, Tasmania, Australia.
Children often need reminding about the choices that they make. They can choose to argue with their friends or they can find a way forward that brings them more enjoyment. They can choose to continue their current behaviour which has poor consequences, or they can make a change. They can choose to sit there feeling bored, or they can look around for something interesting to do. The list of scenarios seems endless…
Making better choices is also one of my goals for the characters in my current series of unpublished manuscripts. In Book 1 “White Rose of Promise” the heroine has to choose between the plans her family have made for her life, and the promises that God gave her for a romantic future. In Book 2 “When Promises Are Broken” the new heroine faces choices that will have significant impact on her future. In Book 3, untitled as it only exists as a paragraph outline, my third heroine has to wrestle with past choices that are bringing her an evil harvest.
But it took an evening of sickness to remind me that this command applies equally to me. This morning, I could choose to stay in bed and let the one dedicated day of writing drift away. Or I could get up and make a start on the list of tasks I set myself.
Which brings me here. I have to remember that this writing journey is like preparing for a race. Each day I miss out of my training schedule puts me further from my prize. If I really want to wear the status of being a published author like a crown, then I have to put in the time.
I am a visual learner. Here is one of my inspirational images that helps me get up and keep going. This floral coronet was a gift for my double celebration in April 2018: graduation and my 40th Wedding Anniversary.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
All week, I sneak moments to think about my writing projects and look ahead to this day where I can devote a solid block of time to writing. I have chapters from Book 2 to print for my alpha reader, and changes to implement in preparation for sending that manuscript out to my beta readers*.
*I am seeking more beta readers, so if you are interested in having a say about character development, and getting a sneak
The rest of my list includes looking at cover design options for Book 1, writing advance posts for my daily prayer blog, and praying over the other stories that haven’t made it from my heart to the typed page yet.
I also try to catch up on reading all the subscriptions that are sent directly to my personal email address.
And take the time to meet up with a friend and work colleague to keep myself anchored in the real world.
One of his real-world followers made him his own Facebook page
Click here to follow Ezra.
Sometimes I think he has a more exciting life than I do 🙂
Here are a couple of inspirational quotes that have been helpful this week.
“Why does that give us hope? God chooses people who are open, listening and ready to speak out – no matter who they are or what they do. Can he choose you today?” Sarah Bingham
https://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2018-09-10/The-roar-of-one-who-cares
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing. A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and
Maria Popova, Brainpickings
“The Dos of Blogging – End every blog post with an open-ended question.”
Edie Melson, The Write Conversation,
A final word for this week – and I am taking the advice of Edie Melson, and leaving you a question.
My first book has a heroine who has the makings of a saint, the second book has a heroine who stands up for herself and readily admits she is a sinner. The third book has a central character who changes her name as easily as changes her clothes. She steps onto a plane as Jezebel and gets off as Delilah. When she tires of this identity she chooses another one, leaving behind broken hearts and shattered lives, but she has no regrets.
What will be Delilah’s new name?