Checking In

We flew into Dallas on Wednesday for a five day visit with our son, daughter-in-law, and the Fabulous Mr. Connor. We call him that because he is the most fabulous of babies (although as I write this, it's 6 p.m. and he's crying up quite a storm -I do remember there was something about 6 p.m. that's made it an evil hour for babies). But 99% of the time, he's cool as a cucumber. Patient, cheerful, cooperative - a good eater and a good sleeper. What more can anyone ask?

I did not bring a computer with me, other than my iPad, but I've been participating in the 25 Habits of Great Writers that Jeff Goins is hosting, and my daily posts are over at Write on Wednesday. For writer friends, it's an interesting and inspiring exercise. Give it a look.

Otherwise, you probably won't see much of me until next week.

I'm just soaking up baby right now.

When I get home, I've decided my summer wardrobe really needs updating. Even though I'm working mostly from home, I'm tired of feeling dowdy. Despite my best efforts to the contrary, photos from the weekend indicate my appearance is leaning much more toward the the look of middle-aged matron than I'd like. Grandmother I may be, but I don't have to look like one. Perhaps I'll even look into some seamless shape wear, although it would take the best bra around to make anything much of my figure these days.

Oh well. Hopefully, Connor will love me no matter what.

Happy weekending.

Day 4: Practice

You need to show up and show us your gift. Until you do that you're just practicing in private.

It's Show Time.

Time to bring the writing out of dusty practice rooms.

Time to give it a shove between the shoulder blades and push it stumbling and weak-kneed onto the stage.

To me, this habit might better be named "performance" than practice. Yes, practice is necessary. But when you're talking about going public, then it's performance time all the way.

We 21st century writers are lucky. We have a stage readily available, with performance times open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. People can enjoy the show for free (good for them, not so good for us) and a often as they like.

I'm talking about the internet, of course, and I make great use of the world wide web as a performance venue for my writing.

But sometimes I think it's a little too easy.

After all, I only have to write something for one of my blogs, hit "publish" and there it is.

Easy peasy.

As much as I appreciate the format, blogging is not the Carnegie Hall of writing. Remember the old joke about how you get there?

Practice, practice, practice.

So maybe I should be working a little harder, aiming a little higher. Toward magazines, essay collections, even a book.

The Carnegie Halls of writing will take a lot of practice too. No more dashing off those cute blog posts or glib book reviews. The kind of writing I have in mind will take careful thought, research, revision.

I've got the ideas already in my head. I've just never had the initiative to move forward with them.

Perhaps this 15 Habits of Great Writers is the shove between the shoulders I need to get me on the stage with a whole new repertoire.

Stay tuned. We'll see what the program looks like.

Day 3: Initiate

Declaration. I am a writer.Belief. I know I can do this.

But do what exactly?

How fine it is to make the outer declaration and hold fast to that inner faith. But without the initiative to take concrete action, declaration and belief aren't even worth a cup of coffee.

And we all know how much writers need their coffee.

This third of the 15 Habits of Great Writers is the bugler's reveille. Pick the thing you most want to write and start writing it. Even if it's scary, even if you have no idea where to begin.

Begin you must, and that is what Great Writers do every day.

In addition to being a writer, I'm also a musician. I'm a pianist, and I've worked as an accompanist for some wonderful school choirs, as well as churches and community groups. I'm also a handbell player, and have played with a professional group. You'd think I'd be satisfied with my proficiency in these instruments.

But no. The musical thing I really wish I could do is sing.

As an accompanist, I work with singers all the time. I'm in the background, and part of me likes that just fine. The spotlight isn't on me. I'm a support person at heart, and I'm usually content to bask in reflected glory.

Deep down, though, I hunger to be the star, the one who can open their mouth and release melody into the air.

Writing is no different. I'm pretty comfortable in my niches - blogging, book reviewing, technical writing.

But oh how I crave to write a novel.

To create an entire world spun from the web of my imagination.

That would take a major initiative on my part.

I don't know if I'm "great" enough for that just yet.

Bedside Manners

The state of health care in the US is one of my biggest concerns about the future. There are so many problems with unrealistic costs for medical care, with uneven coverage, with overly prescribed  medications and tests...I have no idea how this system can ever be fixed. I don't know much about socialized medicine and I'm sure there are many problems with that too. I just know things have to change somehow, because it can't go on the way it currently is.

I stumbled across an interesting website dedicated to medical teaching course in the UK. These are designed to provide physicians and other levels of medical personnel with teaching techniques -actually a teach the teacher course. Additionally, there was a medical management course to provide the business type skills physicians need to manage their practices, and a consultant interview course for training in presenting your best face at an interview.

Whether or not we have these types of courses in the US, it seems important to recognize that the medical profession has become more business oriented than service oriented. More and more often I hear of people being denied medical care because their insurance companies won't cover the cost. My cousin is a case in a point- a young man in his 30's who requires an intricate bone transplant, but was forced to wait for 12 months because he had exceeded his benefits. These are 12 months he must remain in pain and out of work because he wasn't able to have the surgery at an opportune time.

People here express fears about "death panels" that might arise under some of the new health care bills. Believe me, they're already here. They masquerade as health insurance companies, who really dictate almost everything about your medical care. That is, unless you're independently wealthy and can afford to pay for prestigious "concierge care" - in essence, a personal physician who is at your beck and call.

Where all this will end really frightens me. I wish that something as simple as medical teaching courses could be a solution.

But I'm afraid it will require something much more drastic than that.

Day 2: Believe

Until you actually believe you are a writer, you’re only kidding yourself. 

from 15 Habits of Great Writers, Day 2

Saying it is one thing. Doing it is another.

Yesterday, I was bold enough to declare my identity as a writer. I was brash enough to say that I’ve been a writer for the past 45 years of my life. I insinuated that I was sure of my writerhood, confident in my ability whether or not the world agreed with me.

But do I believe it?

Saying it is one thing, doing it another.

Years ago I was in behavioral therapy for depression. My therapist, a very wise woman, encouraged me to start acting as if I weren’t depressed. At first, she said, it will feel like the biggest lie you’ve ever perpetrated on yourself. You’ll feel fake and uncomfortable.

In time, you will start to believe this trick you’ve been playing on your psyche. What was once a difficult acting job will become  like second nature. Eventually you’ll realize that you aren’t acting the role of a happier person, you really are a happier person.

Believing in ourselves as writers requires a similar slight-of-mind trickery. Sending the declaration out into the universe is the first step. Doing something about it another. Here’s today’s challenge from the 15 Habits of Great Writers:

Just so you don’t think this is all esoteric, you’re going to do something radical. You’re going to get up two hours early and write.

If you usually get up at seven, get up at five. If five, then three. You get the idea. Don’t check your email or read blogs. Just write. This is how you know you really believe something. Thinking and talking and tweeting about writing is one thing; actually doing it is another. So today, believe it; tomorrow, do it.

Great writers believe in themselves. And when that crazy self-doubt slips in - when the right words won’t come, when the rejections pour in, when the naysayers say - they shove it all back into the corner where it belongs. Sometimes, they pretend it never existed. Everyday they do things that reinforce that belief in themselves.

They believe.

So - I’m game if you are. Tomorrow, up at 5:00 a.m.  Nothing but writing. And believing.