"There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full." — Henry Kissinger
Do you ever feel this way? I sure have lately! I know I have been a bad, bad blogger, but I have been so busy I'm surprised I've found time to sleep! I promise to post a longer update this weekend...
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
July?!
How can it possibly be July 1 already? That means I have 312 days left 'til my 30th birthday. With my word count stalled out at 5,462, I'm beginning to rethink this whole "finish my first novel by my 30th birthday" thing.
So what is a realistic goal for writing a novel? Especially when you factor in working full time and caring for a 23 month old daughter (and all the other things life throws at you)? I suppose one answer is that if I was truly passionate about writing this novel, I would find the time to make it happen. Someone else might say that you can't force creativity — and this is especially true for me as I often have to mull things over for a while before I actually sit down to write, even in my writing in my professional life. But at what point does this "mulling things over" become simple procrastination?
I've been thinking lately about pausing on the writing of this novel to write something totally different. Not a memoir, per se, but a novel based on my own childhood and family. I've done a lot of similar writing in the past and its almost like I need to get that out of the way to free me up to write the half dozen or so other stories in my head. Perhaps I will mull this idea over the long July 4th weekend...
So what is a realistic goal for writing a novel? Especially when you factor in working full time and caring for a 23 month old daughter (and all the other things life throws at you)? I suppose one answer is that if I was truly passionate about writing this novel, I would find the time to make it happen. Someone else might say that you can't force creativity — and this is especially true for me as I often have to mull things over for a while before I actually sit down to write, even in my writing in my professional life. But at what point does this "mulling things over" become simple procrastination?
I've been thinking lately about pausing on the writing of this novel to write something totally different. Not a memoir, per se, but a novel based on my own childhood and family. I've done a lot of similar writing in the past and its almost like I need to get that out of the way to free me up to write the half dozen or so other stories in my head. Perhaps I will mull this idea over the long July 4th weekend...
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Success
I've been thinking a lot lately about success and what makes one person more successful than another. There are several women I know that are my age or younger who have already surpassed me in terms of career success. On the one hand, this makes me a little envious. How have they already achieved so much when I feel I still have so much left to learn? On the other (more rational) hand, I realize that they probably had a clearer vision of what they wanted to be when they grew up.
When I went to college, I intended to become a psychologist. I soon realized, however, that while I enjoyed my psychology classes, I didn't have enough passion for it to justify pursuing it through graduate school. So I turned to creative writing, since that was the only other thing I could see myself doing at the time. By my senior year, I decided I wanted to write for a living, be it for magazines, newspapers, whatever. And for the most part that is what I have done since I graduated, beginning with piddly freelance assignments, working my way up to writing full time.
Only recently has public relations come on my radar, partly because of my job and partly because I joined the Florida Public Relations Association. Both of these experiences have awakened a new passion in me and opened up career paths I had never considered before.
So I suppose it is no wonder I feel like I am playing catch up to other women my age who knew from college that they wanted to work in PR. And I'm starting to realize I shouldn't beat myself up about it. So what? Who cares what age I am when I become a director? The idea is to take keep learning, keep striving to reach my goals. I'll get there one day.
What do you think? Have you ever felt like you weren't enough of a success? What have you done to attain your goals?
When I went to college, I intended to become a psychologist. I soon realized, however, that while I enjoyed my psychology classes, I didn't have enough passion for it to justify pursuing it through graduate school. So I turned to creative writing, since that was the only other thing I could see myself doing at the time. By my senior year, I decided I wanted to write for a living, be it for magazines, newspapers, whatever. And for the most part that is what I have done since I graduated, beginning with piddly freelance assignments, working my way up to writing full time.
Only recently has public relations come on my radar, partly because of my job and partly because I joined the Florida Public Relations Association. Both of these experiences have awakened a new passion in me and opened up career paths I had never considered before.
So I suppose it is no wonder I feel like I am playing catch up to other women my age who knew from college that they wanted to work in PR. And I'm starting to realize I shouldn't beat myself up about it. So what? Who cares what age I am when I become a director? The idea is to take keep learning, keep striving to reach my goals. I'll get there one day.
What do you think? Have you ever felt like you weren't enough of a success? What have you done to attain your goals?
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Wrote Tonight. Yay.
Days left: 328
Words written: 5,462
I haven't touched "the novel" in probably two months. I felt inspired tonight so I sat down and reacquainted myself with it. Felt good. Maybe I'll do some more tomorrow...
Words written: 5,462
I haven't touched "the novel" in probably two months. I felt inspired tonight so I sat down and reacquainted myself with it. Felt good. Maybe I'll do some more tomorrow...
Friday, June 11, 2010
Why I am glad it is Friday...
Monday: My cat freaked out while sitting in my lap and scratched my neck and chest. Looked like I'd been in a fight (which I guess technically I was...)
Tuesday: My husband was out of town so I had to take my daughter to day care and pick her up after work (a total of more than two hours in the car for the day).
Wednesday: Couldn't sleep for the second night in a row because my hubby was gone (and I am a scaredy cat and think every little noise is a burglar) so was exhausted all day. And I had to drop off and pick up my daughter again. (I know. I am a big whiny whiner, but whatever. It still sucked.)
Thursday: As soon as I pulled into the parking lot at work, the day care called and said my daughter had thrown up so I needed to come and get her. (So that's two hours in the car in a row.) And then I got stung by a wasp.
Friday: Hubby is home, it's my pick for movie night and I don't have to cook. Yay!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Tuesday: My husband was out of town so I had to take my daughter to day care and pick her up after work (a total of more than two hours in the car for the day).
Wednesday: Couldn't sleep for the second night in a row because my hubby was gone (and I am a scaredy cat and think every little noise is a burglar) so was exhausted all day. And I had to drop off and pick up my daughter again. (I know. I am a big whiny whiner, but whatever. It still sucked.)
Thursday: As soon as I pulled into the parking lot at work, the day care called and said my daughter had thrown up so I needed to come and get her. (So that's two hours in the car in a row.) And then I got stung by a wasp.
Friday: Hubby is home, it's my pick for movie night and I don't have to cook. Yay!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Missing
Missing: One journal belonging to Kiley Annise Mallard. If found, please return to owner. Thanks.
I have been looking everywhere for my journal and cannot find it. I have looked under furniture, in all the closets, even in my car and my office (though why it would be there I have no idea). The only thing I can think is that I accidently packed it up with the Christmas decorations or threw it away with some old newspapers.
I am not so much worried about anyone reading it, as I am pretty much an open book. I'm more upset from a sentimental perspective. I started that journal while we were living in Michigan, the first year we were married, poured my loneliness into it for that year and a half. I wrote an entry in the hour after I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. My husband had to work that morning and I didn't want to tell him over the phone. But I also wanted him to be the first to know so turned to my journal to express my joy and excitement (and nervousness). I've worked out so many of my emotions in that journal. It is like a dear friend.
Hopefully it will turn up soon. I will keep you posted...
I have been looking everywhere for my journal and cannot find it. I have looked under furniture, in all the closets, even in my car and my office (though why it would be there I have no idea). The only thing I can think is that I accidently packed it up with the Christmas decorations or threw it away with some old newspapers.
I am not so much worried about anyone reading it, as I am pretty much an open book. I'm more upset from a sentimental perspective. I started that journal while we were living in Michigan, the first year we were married, poured my loneliness into it for that year and a half. I wrote an entry in the hour after I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. My husband had to work that morning and I didn't want to tell him over the phone. But I also wanted him to be the first to know so turned to my journal to express my joy and excitement (and nervousness). I've worked out so many of my emotions in that journal. It is like a dear friend.
Hopefully it will turn up soon. I will keep you posted...
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Reason
I know I've been awfully quiet lately. Life has thrown a few curve balls at me in recent weeks so I have been busy sorting through all that. Anyway, for your viewing and listening pleasure, here is one of my favorite songs of all time, The Reason by Hoobastank. This song came out in 2003, the year I graduated from college, moved to Michigan and married my husband.
I love, love, love the lyrics and the message of this song. It begins with an admission of imperfection and longing to be a better person and how that can affect the ones we love. All something I can relate to. The thing I love about this song, though, is what it says about the power of love, how it can move us to become that better person and strive to change. Enjoy...
I love, love, love the lyrics and the message of this song. It begins with an admission of imperfection and longing to be a better person and how that can affect the ones we love. All something I can relate to. The thing I love about this song, though, is what it says about the power of love, how it can move us to become that better person and strive to change. Enjoy...
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