Comments on: Fortitude: Dream, Do, Then Keep on DOING Day After Day

By: Rosemary Ryan Imregi

Rosemary Ryan Imregi — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 20:31:45 +0000

I love reading your blog post, I have been enjoying them for years, but until now I was only reading to learn how to write a historical fiction novel, and you helped in spades. I have now three published novels on Amazon. The first was published in 2018, you can read about my books at writingmyway.net . But i have yet to receive one dime in royalties from any of my books. Nor have I been able to learn how many copies of my books have been sold. I’ve contacting the publishers, no response. I’ve contacted Amazon, they only tell me to contact the publishers. Problem is that stupid me used three vanities press to publish my novels. So, what do I do now? I know you’re busy, I realize that, so I’ll appreciate any advice you can give me. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

By: Audrey Kalman

Audrey Kalman — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 05:47:39 +0000

This hits home for me! I’m on the third rewrite of a novel (my 6th or 7th, I think) I’ve been working on for more than eight years. Eight years! Three near-total rewrites! But it’s important to me. Recently I’ve been firing up my enthusiasm by focusing on and leaning into my CHARACTERS. They don’t want me to give up because they’ll be doomed to obscurity if I do. So it feels as if I have a team on my side as I stagger toward the finish line.

Thanks for your inspiration.

By: Rachel Thompson

Rachel Thompson — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 16:38:25 +0000

Tenacity is key. I learned that in my 25 years working in construction management…until I was run over by a truck and set on fire. That forced a career change, I switched into newspaper work. Remarkable how similar each business is. Like a VP told me once while I faced a particularly chaotic construction project, “Keep your head down and plow ahead.” We fished that 16 month project in 11. News editors don’t wait for your inspiration. “You gotta go after the story hard,” one editor preached. Run your noise on that grindstone until the wheel cries if that’s what it takes to get there. As I write my tenth book I knew going in it wouldn’t be easier but it will be better than the previous. The only way I know how to get the unpleasant aspects of any job done is grinding down at the nasty bits away until gone. One can learn to love the process of chiseling stories out of resistance, and that challenge is never boring.

By: Suzanne Lucero

Suzanne Lucero — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 03:22:20 +0000

Yep, I needed this. Lots of *stuff* going on and my time is minimal, but dogonit, I need to get my buttocks in gear. Thanks for the friendly kick in the kiester, I mean reminder. *hugs*

By: Susan Pope

Susan Pope — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 08:57:57 +0000

Thanks Kirsten, I know you will always make me feel better about myself if I read your blog. It’s the 1% inspiration which keeps me going through the 99% perspiration that being a writer is. We keep plodding on, plodding on. Thanks for making me smile.

By: Kristen Lamb

Kristen Lamb — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 03:22:46 +0000

In reply to DeborahTheMusician1995.

The good thing about fortitude is (what I will probably blog about next)…it can be flexible. Life changes, demands change, we have more resources or fewer. The point is to just keep putting one foot in front of the other on the (roughly) same path.

This blog is a great example. I have been blogging for SEVENTEEN years. I started at one time a week, went to three, upped to five, dropped back to three. Then I had a couple big ghost writing jobs so I was doing once every other week, then once a month, then back to once a week. Had to take off this past summer because I had to help my mom and was just burned OUT.

Yet, the Young Kristen would have given up when I could no longer do it perfectly. Perfect is the enemy of the good. Perfect is the enemy of the FINISHED.

You are still here and THAT is what matters.

By: Jean Lamb

Jean Lamb — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 23:38:17 +0000

I liked the picture of the road closed with the gate. During a project for Jaycees a couple of decades ago, the gate was closed to the field where we were supposed to have donkey baseball. The nice fellow with the donkeys was parked just outside of it. The Jaycees decided not to let this be a barrier and took off the gate at the hinges with some minor tools someone had in his truck. (we did have permission to use the field, the guy in charge just forgot to unlock it).

There is always an alternative.

“So what if I killed off Fred and he’s supposed to show up and guide the rest of the party? That’s what necromancy is for!”

By: Brian Dale Pope

Brian Dale Pope — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 23:16:10 +0000

Perhaps we need as the soundtrack to our boring tasks the song sung by the castle guards in the Wizard of Oz movie.
“Oh-ee-oh, Yooooo, oh!”

By: Debby Zigenis-Lowery

Debby Zigenis-Lowery — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 19:46:16 +0000

Hi Kristen!
I just want to thank you for this and your many other informative and inspirational posts. Your “new blog” alerts are my favorite thing to find in my inbox. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Debby

By: rogernay

rogernay — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 18:33:17 +0000

Great column as usual. It got me thinking what advice I’d give my younger self. Like most married with children wannabe writers I had trouble devoting time to write. The problem is everything I read on the young internet and writer’s magazines told me I needed to set aside time and a targeted word count. Writing became a drudgery. I’d tell younger Roger to treat writing as a hobby. When you mow the yard, or commuting to and from work, think of a couple lines of dialog, description, or what happens in the next paragraph. Then with the kids are in bed and my wife asleep on the couch, get on the PC and type a few words or do a little revision. It would have kept me moving forward and improving. Now, I have more time and enjoy writing. I love writing a page I know reads as well as the real pros. Sadly, I often follow up a well written passage with a few paragraphs that read like I suffered a black-out and continued banging away on the keyboard without a coherent thought in my head. When Kristen gets the bug to offer critiques, don’t hesitate, she’s excellent.