A Slice of Orange

As the school year was wrapping up, I started to focus on the area of my life that I had neglected during the turbulence of homework, tutoring, weekly meetings with my son’s teacher and the chaos of my changing day job responsibilities.

Deciding to renew my commitment to my goal of writing everyday but knowing that I was completely out of shape mentally, I turned to favorite motivational tool: online writing classes. Looking at the various classes offered, I found an intensive, one-on-one, online class.

Perfect.

Being a student at heart and knowing that I feel impelled to complete any and all homework assignment, even if it kills me, I knew the class would jump start my dead writing battery.

During the two week class, I could feel the rust flaking off my mental gears. Although I began to droop from physical exhaustion from my return to my late night writing schedule, I grew so excited to my long neglected story take shape.

At the end of the two week course, I had made more progress on my project than I had in the previous six months.

Tonight I decided to take another intense, two week online class. By the end of that class, assuming I am still functioning, I know I will be firmly upon my writing path.

Happy writing!!
Lori Pyne

What we do to ourselves

In the midst of finalizing work for the Saluki National I chaired, someone sent me one of “those” e-mails – the kind you want to send on to all your friends, and also contemplate for yourself. It had to do with what women do the themselves and each other, including fighting over a man (really, are they worth that kind of effort?), gossiping about each other, envying each other.

We’ve all been guilty of this from time to time, and I tell you that little missive had a huge impact on me. Not that I’ve totally stopped bitching (would blow up like a balloon!), but I have become far more aware of what I’m saying, or writing. And also more aware of what others write or say.

The National was most successful, pretty much everyone had a good time, and there was very little complaining until two weeks later. A record for Saluki people, let me tell you. I answered some of the complaints, but when they got to the point of whining for the sake of feeling superior, I stated I had no interest in a mud slinging contest, any constructive comments would be most welcome, but two weeks after the fact was a bit late to be bringing up something that could have been remedied at that time. Amazingly, the complaining stopped.

What does this have to do with writing? Well, there is always someone who writes better than I do, and always someone who will sell long before I do. Someone will always be richer, thinner, more successful than I am. I can either continue to piss and moan or I can get on with my life, congratulate them on their success, start writing and keep writing.

As for those whiners who tried to drag down my show, or who try to drag down our lives, they’ll be the ones found head down in a full porta potty. In a book, of course!