Tag: tough questions

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It’s All You

June 24, 2020– Some of you may find this post jaded or less than optimistic, but I want to speak the truth. There is only one person that you can count on in this world, and that one person is you. People will disappoint you, they’ll let you down, they’ll do things that hurt you, it’s only a matter of time. And eventually, you may do the same things to them. Sometimes it’s the people closest to us who end up hurting us the most. The point is, it’s all about you and only you. This life is ONE HUNDRED PERCENT your responsibility, and no one is coming to save you. You’re the only person who gets to decide what you’re going to do with your life, what you’ll tolerate and what you won’t, the boundaries you set forth, and what type of person you’ll be and the legacy you’ll leave behind. It’s time to start asking yourself some tough questions, dear author friends.

  1. What kind of books do you want to write for the world to read?
  2. What legacy do you want to leave behind, and who do you want to leave it for?
  3. What are your dreams, and are you risking enough to follow them?
  4. What do you want to accomplish in the next year? How will you do it?
  5. What three things can you improve in your writing this month?
  6. How can you get to know yourself better?
  7. What excuses are you making for not meeting your goals?
  8. Why are you holding back on what you want to write?
As writers, I often feel as though we’re focused on other people, that being, the characters that we create. This is an interesting concept to me because all characters that we write about have certain aspects of ourselves in them. It is impossible to write a book and not leave pieces of yourself behind. Sometimes I create characters based on the people that are missing in my life, the people I wish surrounded me instead of the ones that do.
You create your own reality, good or bad, that’s on you. If you want a different life or something different than what you’re currently getting, the only person that can actively make that change is you. And remember to CLAP for your own damn SELF, then get back to work. We have a lot of people to prove wrong…sometimes even ourselves.
Happy writing, X LLB
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The Benefits of Writing Groups

March 8, 2019- Up until about a year ago, I was a regular member of a local writing group that met each Saturday at a coffee shop in town. It was super relaxed and there were around eight of us, laptops in hand, armed with new ideas, and ready to write. It was a fantastic experience and some of the things I learned along the way, I still carry with me today. The only reason why I stopped going was that I ran out of time and my writing business took over with events that were held on weekends. Being part of a casual writing group was a great experience and here’s why you should consider joining one:

  1. You’ll get inspired and beat writer’s block. There’s something to be said about gathering in a small group and sharing ideas. Some of my best book ideas have come from just chatting with others and listening to their perspectives on different topics.
  2. You’ll develop discipline. Every Saturday for two hours from 9 am until 11 am is when our group met and started writing. This helped me develop discipline; it made me realize that I could sit down for two consecutive hours and write, uninterrupted.
  3. You’ll get and be able to give constructive criticism. This was the most important thing that I got out of joining a writing group. My comrades gave me constructive criticism and made me take a hard look at my writing. They saw the holes that I was blind to. They asked the tough questions that made me a better writer and for that, I’m eternally grateful. I was also able to give feedback and trust my instincts that I knew what I was doing and what I was talking about as a writer.
  4. You’ll get to network with like-minded people and make some friends. There are people that I’m still friends with from this group and I’ve also been able to do business with a few of them. We still talk about writing and bounce ideas off each other every once in a while.

I highly recommend joining a local writer’s group! You’ll have a blast and be able to hone your skills at the same time. Happy writing! X LLB