By C. J. Stegall-Evans                          

Why did the writer cross the road? Because she was driven; corny, yes but true. Do you want to become a proficient writer?  The road to writing well begins with reading, writing and rest.

Writers are readers who learn their craft from other writers; find at least fifteen minutes to read every day. Reading is one of the most amazing tools in a writer’s arsenal. Reading takes you out of your life; it inspires ideas and hopefully reminds you writers are people too. More than anything writing should encourage you to live with passion. We all know the more passionate we feel the more we write.

Write, write, write, and then write some more, as I have said in previous post writing is a practice. The more you practices the better you becomes. Practice brings writers  a confidence that a pile of rejection letters can’t take away. It may take a while to find the right editor and or audience but writing like education is something no one can take away from you. So, get goodnights sleep and start everyday by putting fresh words on a page.

 Ah, then there is rest…(insert long exhale here) rest rejuvenates your mind and body.  Proper rest helps you find your balance, so that you may live a semi-sane existence. Rest is also important to physical and spiritual fulfillment. It is imperative we make time to rejuvenate our mind and body on a daily basis. The road to writing well is easier to navigate with a healthy mind and body.

© 2010 C. J. Stegall-Evans All Rights Reserved

Designed by Tim Sainburg from Brambling Design

By C. J. Stegall-Evans

It is so amazing to be alive in the twenty-first-century, with all this technology at our finger tips. Imagine more knowledge than one could ever use just a keystroke away. I am an original Spock-loving-techno-geek, but when I decided to sink my whole heart into the art of living, I let my technical skills subside.

Since my site was recently hacked, and seeing the error of my ways, I picked up a few books which brought my techno-geek self back into my life. I guess as twenty-first-century-citizens it is incumbent upon all us to embrace technology. We are truly in an information age where one is paid for what they know rather than producing some kind of physical labor.

It is a bit of a challenge for some of us writers on the other side of twenty to reconcile the writing lifestyle and technology. But like writing it becomes easier with practice. I am fascinated to see where go from here as technology engulfs almost every facet of our lives. Simplicity is being redefined every day and it is up to each of us to decide when technology makes things easier and when it becomes clutter.  

Specifically, how do we who are enamored with the words of Henry David Thoreau, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived,” reconcile technology and simple living? Do we have to choose; or do we try to find the right juxtaposition?

© 2010 by C. J. Stegall-Evans (All rights Reserved) 

Designed by Tim Sainburg from Brambling Design

By C. J. Stegall-Evans 

Have you had a job where you get to literally fall in love every day. Well that’s what being a writer is like on a good day.  Writers touch people with their words. So, if you are reading and you can feel what the author means imagine what him or her felt. Writing is challenging because there is so much emotion attached to it.

Although this emotion is good for writing it sometimes makes one a bit too sensitive for everyday life. When most people build walls, being a writer means being open to the world around you and allowing it to filter in so you may make an interpretive expression of it. Writer’s like all persons who can’t face the world anesthetize with drugs and alcohol. Sometimes writers can’t even face writing.

Yes, some writers run away from their profession. That’s because they don’t always choose it; it becomes this all encompassing thing they have to do to satisfy some need buried deep within. Writing is a beautiful obsession that allows one to feel words as if they were a texture.

Putting words on a page gives one a unique sense of comfort. Being a writer is doing that one thing that brings you the most joy every day. In fact, I even enjoy on writing on days like today when my mind is elsewhere and the words don’t come easy.

 Being such a lover of words does not always bring a lot of financial stability, meaning some of us have to keep our day job a bit longer than we like, but it does fill your spirit. Filling your spirit is what makes life worth living; it warms and fills that empty void that we all carry within us.

© 2010 by C. J. Stegall-Evans (All Rights Reserved) 

Designed by Tim Sainburg from Brambling Design

By C. J. Stegall-Evans

Writers pour their hearts into a project, and more often than not get rejection letters for leaving their blood on the page. If this has been your plight as a writer you are not alone. Some of the most famous writers have endured repeated rejections. It’s the price writer’s pay for wearing their hearts on their sleeves.

Dr. Seuss was rejected because his work was so unique. Rudyard Kipling was admonished for his use or lack thereof the English language. Behind every famous writer there are tons of rejection letters. Writing takes more than just talent it also requires sheer will and determination. In the writing world half the battle is not giving up. Writing is one of those strange professions in that initially few if anyone believes in you, but after you have made it everyone goes on about how you were always a literary genius.       

Therefore if you have been rejected you may be very well on your way to greatness. You are now in the company of elite writers. The first few rejections may send you to your bed to hide under the covers but after that pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and go back to your computer. There’s no crying in writing; well actually there is but write ten pages first. By that time you will forgotten that you are feeling sad and dejected.

Hold you head high; rejection is a rite of passage for writers. The more rejection letters you receive the closer you get to finding the right publisher. Remember there are real people reading your writing and finding the right person who will appreciate your gift may take a bit of time and effort. I have included several websites pertaining to writer rejection, by all means read a bit then go write. Have an outstanding day; isn’t it great to be a writer?     

 http://susiesmith13.tripod.com/id12.html

http://www.writersservices.com/mag/m_rejection.htm

http://www.literaryrejectionsondisplay.blogspot.com/

© 2010 by C. J. Stegall-Evans (All Rights Reserved)

Designed by Tim Sainburg from Brambling Design

What I love most about the sunrise is every morning is a new opportunity to start again. Life can be so overwhelming and it’s difficult to make clear decisions with so many things coming at you at once. We’re all so very busy and before you know it the day is over and we did not accomplish all your goals.

That’s why tomorrows are so wonderful you get another opportunity to try again. There are only 24 hours in each day and we can only do so much with that time. We have to make the most of this time knowing that we can always get up the next day and try again.

To try our best every day; this is what God expects of us and all we should expect of ourselves. It does not have to be perfect. In fact as the Japanese accept wabi sabi in art, I have come to accept it in life. Wabi sabi is finding the perfect in the imperfect. Life is an art form and we are the artist. We practice our art every day so that may achieve some level of personal mastery.

Personal mastery is achieved through life-long-learning and a sincere desire to become a better person who contributes to society. It’s okay to fall short of our goals; it’s not okay to give up on becoming a better person. Person mastery is something one works on everyday because it’s all about the journey.

In other words we continue to work on becoming better people knowing we will never be perfect, but we try our best every day. In the end, we are not looking for perfection in ourselves we just need to know we lived a good life; we helped others as much as possible; and every morning we got up and tried again.  

© 2010 by C. J. Stegall-Evans (All Rights Reserved)

Designed by Tim Sainburg from Brambling Design

By C. J. Stegall-Evans

Writing is truth, therefore if you let go and write naturally you will find that voice that is uniquely yours. Life is such a clutter of activity and we are bombarded with messages from the media, family, and friends telling us what we should believe. We sometimes don’t take the time to figure out what we truly think.

Writing helps us to uncover our truth. A lot of times when writing we find that we start off writing about one thing and our project seem to take on a life of its own and takes you in an entirely different direction. This is truth coming through in more ways than you could begin to imagine.

This is not information you have to share with anyone or you may pull forth or hide whatever you want to hide in subsequent revisions. If you are still not comfortable with putting your expression of yourself on full view you could always make it a work of fiction. Remember fiction writers figuratively get away with murder.

There are so many ways to find your voice through writing but it won’t happen unless we do that thing that most writers dread, sit down and actually write. It’s okay if you’re not Shakespeare; in the beginning Shakespeare was not the writer we have come to know. Take your time and slowly nurture your writing. Okay Dear Reader, enough of that reading; go forth and write with reckless abandon.  

© 2010 by C. J. Stegall-Evans (All Rights Reserved)  

Designed by Tim Sainburg from Brambling Design

By C. J. Stegall-Evans

I have fibromyalgia and occasionally I experience what I consider a week of Mondays. During this period everyday feels like a cold, rainy, Monday when you don’t want to get out of bed. What do I do; I get up and exercise like every other morning. I put on an extra layer of clothing, add a few minutes to my meditation, and try to make the days as normal as possible.

I spend these Mondays in quiet contemplation, using it as an opportunity to go within and pray. I find that during these periods I am most grateful for the times I feel healthy.  I try to have something inspirational on hand to read; presently I am reading Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom. I am grateful for these Mondays because they help me keep my life in proper perspective. It reminds me to be kind to myself in ways I don’t usually take the time to do on ordinary days.

I have my favorite breakfast a soothing cup of hot tea with toast. I take an afternoon nap. I make a very simple dinner steamed vegetables or a stir fry. I watch HGTV, which is my guilty pleasure. I keep my idea book close at hand because I often come up with various writing projects or inventions during this time. I guess the primary magic about this time is the moments spent just being quiet.   

It reminds me life is sacred and not to take a minute of it for granted. It reminds me I am a writer, as with most writer, when thing are good we write, and when things are less than lovely we write. In fact writing turns the Mondays into slow, cozy, lovely days.    

© 2010 by C. J. Stegall-Evans (All Rights Reserved)

Designed by Tim Sainburg from Brambling Design

By C. J. Stegall-Evans

I dream in screenplays on a fairly regular basis; my dilemma is what to do when I dream a really bad screenplay. Usually when I dream a screenplay I wake up excited and write a quick treatment with as much detail as possible so that I can develop it later. I feel the ability to dream in such a creative way is indeed a gift. But, what do I do when I wake up startled because I dreamed such a turkey?

My last two dreams have been worse than anything I have ever seen. I’m tried to mine them for nuggets and found maybe a hint of treasure in one and no redeeming value in the other. I try to find the lesson in everything in life but this stumps me beyond belief. I cannot find a lesson rhyme or reason. Maybe the lesson is life does not always have to be logical. After all is it rational to dream in screenplays.

Life is about ambiguity, so maybe instead of constantly analyzing we should all just live. So, maybe I will stop trying to analyze so much and be grateful to have such vivid dreams. Maybe I should try to enjoy the bad screenplays along with the good. I do find really bad jokes funny in that they are so not amusing it’s funny. Hay, maybe one day you find a really bad movie coming to a theatre near you.

© 2010 by C. J. Stegall-Evans (All Rights Reserved)   

Designed by Tim Sainburg from Brambling Design

By C. J. Stegall-Evans

Wednesday February 2, 2010 Writing as a Sacred Art (WAASA) was attacked by a hacker. The hacker was highly skilled in that he or she by passed the password and infiltrated the index file causing the site to go down. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

I am disappointed that someone obviously so talented would spend their time doing such malicious deeds. I am always taken aback when humans behave in an inhumane manner. I pray that whomever did this will start using their intellect to make positive contributions to society.

Sometimes when one is trying to achieve a goal one encounters obstacles. To paraphrase Professor Randy Pausch (1960-2008) in The Last Lecture (this book should be in everyone’s personal library), obstacles are not meant to stop you but to see how badly you want to achieve your goal. The purpose of WAASA is to encourage writers and put a few positive words in to the Universe. WASA is one of my contributions to society it will not be deterred by hackers.

 It has taken few days but WASA is restored with only a few missing post. I would like to take a moment and thank each and every reader for your patience and hope you continue to enjoy this site. If there is any particular issue you would like me to address please leave a comment or drop me an email.  FYI, WASSA will now have at least five weekly posts. Thank you so very much for your support.         

© 2010 by C. J. Stegall-Evans (All Rights Reserved) 

Designed by Tim Sainburg from Brambling Design