Frequent Starts

The Writing Life

[frequentstarts]

Getting ready to teach writing in-person, in a classroom for the first time in 4 years. 2019 was the last time I was in a classroom. I moved to teaching online in 2020. I had a 7-week course scheduled to begin in April and once the pandemic hit, they moved all my students online. All but one of my ten online students dropped during that session, citing family obligations such as child care, the transition to remote work and remote school as reasons why they needed to drop the class. Even with one student left, I continued to show up online twice a week and went on to teach remotely for 4 more years.

I hope I remember how to be in a classroom!

#onlineteaching #teachingwriting

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It's been a while. How many words have I written since I last posted - 900K. I've been ghostwriting as a professional writer for almost 8 years. In the past 3 months, I've written emails newsletters, blog posts, countless articles all under my clients names. It's weird writing for other people. You never get credit or a byline. The "about the author" section is never about you. You learn to write in someone else's voice, to take on a different persona for every client. It's wild.

When someone asks to see samples of your work, you can't really point to the e-book you wrote that was published under someone else's name - not a pseudonym, but an actual real person who is not you, because you don't really exist - you are a ghost, which is why it's called ghostwriting.

#lamentations #ghostwriting #writingwoes

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Yesterday, I went to my Aunt's funeral. It was sad. Losing a dear friend and family member is always hard. I didn't go because my Aunt and I were extremely close. She was 15 years older than me. She was my first baby sitter. I was her daughter's first baby sitter.

I will always remember her laugh, her smile, and the look she would give you when something just didn't sit right with her.

My remaining Aunts, Uncles, cousins and other distant relatives were there. Some I hadn't seen in over 20 years. It didn't used to be like this.

We used to attend big family reunions, holiday dinners at my grandma's house, and my cousins and I used to see each other regularly. Most of us went to the same high school in the same town and grew up together. Now we follow each other on social media but we barely speak outside of weddings and funerals.

When we see each other, we have a few hours to give a full update on our entire lives, and when we leave, we always say the same thing: "We really should get together more often." But we never plan anything. Before we know it, another decade goes by, another family member passes, and we do it all over again.

[frequentstarts]

Lately, I’ve been looking at my to-do list and trying to prioritize it all.

It’s difficult to distinguish between what I should mark URGENT or IMPORTANT. Shouldn’t anything that has to do with my kids be marked either URGENT or IMPORTANT?

Sometimes I mark things for work as URGENT and they end up not being as URGENT as I thought they were.

How do you differentiate?

Comment here or be one of the first to join the conversation over on the Frequent SubStack https://frequentstarts.substack.com/

#qotd

#frequentstarts

#writingcommunity

[nanowrimo]

NaNoWriMo is Here!

Happy November 1, everyone!!! 🙌

We’re so excited to write with you and are freshly fueled by leftover/stolen Halloween candy. Our challenge for you today: don’t let the day pass without a few words. The first few days are critical for your creative momentum. (If you’re really feeling daunted, cut yourself a break and give yourself permission to just write one sentence.) You’ve got this, Wrimo. We’ve got you.

Ways to Find Community During NaNoWriMo This Year

⏱️ Check out @NaNoWordSprints for word sprints all day long! (Don’t forget to create your 2022 NaNoWriMo goal first so you can update your word count!)

🗺️ Join a Region (or several!) — Find and join your local region on the NaNoWriMo website to connect with other writers in your area. If you travel between different places (i.e., if you’ve gone away for school but still visit your hometown, or you live and work in different cities), you can join multiple regions and choose which one to set as your home region.

👋 Create or Join a Writing Group — You can also create a private writing group of up to 20 people on the NaNoWriMo website to share encouragement, feedback, and accountability—or just to hang out with other writers. We’ve shared some tips on what makes a good writing group!

🗓️ Join an Event with NaNo HQ — Take a look at our calendar to find official events led by the NaNoWriMo staff, including Zoom Hangouts, Virtual Write-Ins, webcasts, and more.

💬 Chat on the Forums — On the NaNoWriMo forums, you can chat with other writers from around the world about everything from what to do when you have writer’s block to your favorite kind of bookmark.

✏️ Back to School with YWP — Our Young Writers Program is for kids (18 and under) who want to write, educators teaching creative writing, and families looking for learning resources.

[frequentstarts]

Launching in 5...4...3...2...1

We are ready for lift-off!

Yesterday, I did a thing and decided to start a publication on Substack. My vision is to build an empire that is part media company, part writing community. The goal is to get enough paid subscribers to be able to pay contributing writers (I’ll be moving my Medium pub over to Substack eventually as well) and to nurture aspiring writers through contests, scholarships, and other opportunities. 

This is my passion project. I haven’t quit my day job yet, but that is the eventual goal. I’d like to earn enough money to support my own meager existence while also being able to give back 50% of my subscription revenue to the writing community - especially underserved and marginalized populations whose voices don’t always get the opportunity to be heard in the mainstream media. 

If you want to help, a subscription only costs $50 a year. If you are feeling generous and want to become a Founding Member for a little more, I would so appreciate it. 

Every community has to start somewhere, and right now I have 6 subscribers. I figure if I can build my LinkedIn and Facebook following I can do the same on Substack. 

Of course free subscribers are always welcome too, but with the paid subscription you get access to a lot more content, contests, and other paid writing opportunities. 

[frequentstarts]

Blessed Samhain to all who celebrate. Tomorrow marks the Celtic New Year and I much prefer celebrating new beginnings on Nov 1 than Jan 1. It makes much more sense to me.

[frequentstarts]

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I never really knew the exact definition of this word...brings a whole new meaning to that song.. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_864Fsgi48/?igshid=gjvv3oc0d3xe

[frequentstarts]

This is the perfect post for right now. So many of my friends have been talking about their sleep schedules being off, and feeling exhausted even though they are getting more sleep now than they were pre-pandemic. I think it's because we don't have the outlets we had previously to recharge our batteries. It's not that we are physically tired, our souls are tired. There can be monotony in these days because, let's face it, there isnt much in the way of a change of scenery for many of us. I know for me daily exercise, getting outside for a run or a walk, or having my morning coffee on my deck (when it stops raining), even taking my laptop outside to work instead of in my house has been helpful...but for those of us who are used to more extroverted activities and being around people it doesn't always feel like enough. Self care is so important right now. I still get dressed in something other than yoga pants a few times a week and I do put makeup on most days just to feel some sense of normalcy. Zoom calls with friends and family have helped too. What are you doing to feel a sense of normalcy in these abnormal times? #20000moments https://www.instagram.com/p/B_e-jBoD94g/?igshid=6j6zxny1yn09

[frequentstarts]

I have often seen the last part of this quote but never the entire thing. If you know me...then you know. My wheels are turning this morning and I am ready to have a productive day. #20000moments https://www.instagram.com/p/B_aDljGD2c3/?igshid=xpytqv2kmqvl

[frequentstarts]

I love sensitive people. We feel things more deeply. We are the poets, the writers, the artists, the lovers, the dreamers. I wouldn't want to be any other way! #20000moments https://www.instagram.com/p/B_SGbdcDpTB/?igshid=ooemqcj73lxt

[frequentstarts]

Breathe. What is meant for you will always be meant for you. ♥️ #20000moments #2020 #itwillgetbetter https://www.instagram.com/p/B-nUAGADp1Y/?igshid=1ml08gfyp5z80

[frequentstarts]

I have been reading a lot about Stoic Philosophy lately and the single most important tenet of this discipline is differentiating between what we can and cannot control. Through these unprecedented times I think it is important that we focus on making clear what parts of our day we can control and what parts we cannot. We cannot undo the choices we have made up until this point in time but we can change the future through the power of the choices that we make in the present moment. Prepare for the choices we may be faced with in the morning; reflect on the choices we made in the evening. The Stoics in ancient times reminded themselves constantly that they were not really facing problems any different than their forebears did. The problems we face right now might be new but Stoicism offers practical tools to tackle the unpredictability of every day life. There is wisdom in this rationale that transcends all space and time. Stoicism looks at how perceive the world around us, the decisions and actions we take, and how we deal with things beyond our control. As the Stoics liked to say: One day is as all days. According to Nobel prize winning scientist, Daniel Kahneman, humans experience approximately 20000 moments in each waking day. I don't know about you but I intend to take advantage of the world slowing down and enjoy more of them. #20000moments #stoicism #epictetus #onelife #2020 https://www.instagram.com/p/B-Nk4o2Dc4g/?igshid=o0c1vstm7eze

[frequentstarts]

Pay attention. There are people in every community who are coming together to help others. People who are practicing servant leadership during this time of crisis. These are the people who will get us through this. These are the people who give me hope -hope for humanity, hope for the future. Remember, everything will be okay in the end, if things aren't okay, it isn't the end. #20000moments https://www.instagram.com/p/B-HcCftjkVO/?igshid=1cqmcl4j6w2to

[frequentstarts]

I know I have to trust the Universe. Believe that there is a divine plan for my life that I am simply unaware of at the moment. But it's hard sometimes to see the silver lining. When you are in the middle of the storm, sometimes all you see in front of you is chaos. But what does the storm do? It clears your path. It removes obstacles that maybe you didn't notice amidst all the chaos. So you have to let go of the rudder, let the storm take you where you need to be. Something realizing that we aren't really in control of everything and giving it to God or the Universe or whatever divine power you believe in, is the best thing we can do. #20000moments #thoughtsonatuesday #theuniverseisinsideus #trust #believe #grow https://www.instagram.com/p/B9jTGgwAz5X/?igshid=xklj8cx2jg10

[frequentstarts]

I'd rather have nothing than half of something. I'd rather be alone than with someone and lonely. I'd rather put my energy into my own health and happiness than into someone who sucks my soul. I'd rather be struggling alone and working hard every day to overcome and thrive than struggling and barely surviving with another person who doesnt appreciate me. #Wouldyourather? #20000moments https://www.instagram.com/p/B9jR_VUgULz/?igshid=1fh3rfamq1ix7