Welcome to the eve of National Novel Writing Month!

In November of 2010 I attempted my first NaNoWriMo. After having signed up in 2009 and not writing a single word, I worried that perhaps I was not up to the task. Surprisingly, I was wrong! My novel was written, enthusiastically at first, and desperately nearer the end, but done nonetheless. When I think of it I say “WHEW!”

Since last year’s NaNo event, I have done a lot of work in the name of becoming a writer. I have blogged, read books on writing, read a lot of fiction and non-fiction, and spent several months working with my writing coach, SARK. Overall, it was a huge year for me. I am not only a more confident writer, but I have also purged many of my personal demons through the introspective nature of my approach to writing. I’m like a different person this year.

So tomorrow I will begin to write again, as a new person and a new writer, with a fresh new spirit. My plot is outlined, and I’m looking forward to reading it as I write it!

Wish me luck!

As I mentioned in my last post, I attended a workshop at the Infinity Foundation in Highland Park, IL this last weekend. It was called “Make Your Creative Dreams Real with SARK” and it was amazing!

To begin, Infinity Foundation has a lovely facility and their staff was friendly and helpful. This was a fairly small group, I’d guess no more than 40 of us at the peak of the day, in an intimate carpeted classroom. I arrived just a few moments before Susan, so I ended up running into her in the hallway before the event started and we had a big hug and oooos and ahhhs, and she remarked that she felt like she already knew me! Imagine how I feel, having read all her books! I was delighted from the very beginning!

The entire workshop was glorious, with wonderful energy and I was inspired to make further progress on the the gains I’d made from the previous session of the WINS class. Susan and I have a lot in common, and as a result her way of dealing with things feels very comfortable and right to me, so I really got a lot out of it. It’s kind of hard to describe!

I got my book signed while I was there, which I will treasure always, and we got an adorable picture taken:

Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy and I

I feel tremendously blessed by the whole experience, and also thanks to Frank for driving me 9 hours there and 9 hours back in a single weekend! Thanks sweetie and happy birthday!

A few months ago I shared that I was diving into a writing workshop with one of my favorite authors, Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy, also known as SARK. The first three-month session is coming to an end, and the benefits I have gained from the course have been enormous.

The biggest benefit has been in accessing and understanding my inner critics, and what she calls my Inner Wise Self. The concept of inner critics, or censors, is pretty common in creative circles, and they are a real challenge for me. I’ve started to learn to separate those voices and manage them, which is absolutely amazing. I’ve found that most of my fears are coming from these inner critics, whether related to writing or not. This has improved my creativity, but also my satisfaction with life in general.

Accessing my Inner Wise Self has been an eye-opening experience as well. This is essentially the REAL me, the one that doesn’t have all the hangups, false or limiting beliefs, and fears that I feel on a daily basis. This connection has changed my life as well, making things feel less overwhelming and far more reasonable and fun.

I’ll be doing another session of the writing course, and I’m going to Chicago in a couple weeks to do a day-long workshop with SARK based on her book “Making Your Creative Dreams Real: A Plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People and People Who Would Really Rather Sleep All Day.” I’m looking forward to meeting my mentor in person and the roadtrip with my sweetie will be an added benefit. That weekend is also my 40th birthday, so it’s a self-nurturing sort of birthday present for myself!

The most important thing to come out of all this is that I’m feeling more and more like I’m actually a writer. I think the fortification of my confidence and encouragement I’ve been receiving is just what I needed.