Know Your Calling

One of the advantages to living in Phoenix, if you’re a sports’ fan, is the variety of teams we have. For the NBA lover, we have the Phoenix Suns. NFL? The Arizona Cardinals. Hockey? The Phoenix Coyotes. Baseball? The Arizona Diamondbacks. WNBA. The Mercury. Then we have teams like the Rattlers.

 

A few nights ago I stayed awake to watch the Diamondbacks play 18 innings (7 hours, 6 minutes – the longest game in D’Backs history). Score was tied 7-7. The Philadelphia Phillies eventually let a fielder be the pitcher. He wasn’t trained to pitch, but he did okay. Except – our batters got five hits off him in the 18^th inning to win the game.

 

A wise person knows their calling, their gifts and skills. Just because a person loves to sing, wants to be a singer, doesn’t necessarily mean they can sing. I’ve heard a few who set my teeth on edge, but their whole stage persona says they think they are the cat’s meow. The Phillies fielder wasn’t skilled at pitching, but he gave it his best effort.

 

Some people just can’t write. It’s not their gifting, yet I’ve read some things on websites, usually sponsored writing contests, that were quite horrid. The grammar and craft is awful, there really isn’t a flow of a story line whatsoever. Often a person can have a gift for storytelling, but just need to develop their skills or take classes to hone their craft. Those aren’t the people I’m talking about.

 

When I started writing, I hadn’t a clue regarding the proper crafting of a story. I’ve learned as time progressed. I’m still learning. It amazes me when people approach me with, “Can you read this and tell me what you think?”

 

I’m not an expert and I know it. I’m not even well-educated in the art of writing. Yet I’ve had a few people who send me thing to “read.” I’ve even had someone pester me to write their life story AFTER keeping me on the phone for an hour sharing events in her life. I’m thinking of two people in particular, and both are disconnectedly related to me.

 

Don’t misunderstand – I have friends who write and I love to read their work and tell them what I think. But to the other two – one keeps sending me “stuff” in a private message on facebook and wants me to critique it – please be considerate. I am not an authority on writing at all, I am very busy, and we are not close at all for you to expect such favors from me. And it is rude! My advice – join a writing group.

Like the Phillies pitcher, I can tell you what I think, but I may lose the game for you.

Don't Ever Quit!

Birthdays! Bah-humbug! Today I turn 64. Yowzers and Yikes! Old is the word that comes to mind! BUT I don’t feel old! I am NOT old! That’s my proclamation and I’m sticking to it!

When family and friends ask what I want for my birthday, my typical response is “it’s okay, nothing!” or “scented lotions, scented candles or bath/shower gels.”

This year my answer is different.  I WANT TO BE PUBLISHED! Being a writer and not being published is like having an awesome new dress or outfit and nowhere to wear it to show it off.  Of course, one could say that the dress is only beautiful to the wearer, no one else likes it but her.

The same could be said for writing. No one thinks his/her writing is good but him/her. I hope that’s not the case with my writing. I want to touch people, bless people, minister to people with my writing.

I grew up in church. In days of yon, anyone and everyone could get up and sing a special. And dear hearts, some of those people couldn’t sing worth a hoot.  In fact, some were like fingernails scraping on a chalkboard. The sad thing is that they THOUGHT they were the cat’s meow (no pun intended) with their singing. Or some of those contestants that try out for American Idol or America’s Got Talent. With have no skills or talent at all.

I do understand that there are some that “write” whose writing is like the fingernails scraping on chalkboard. We had one such gal in a writer’s group I belonged to a few years ago. Her WIP or novel she was working on was appealing, at least it was to her and her family since it was her life’s story, but her writing skills and technique was deplorable.  And although our critique time with her was gentle and gracious, she got the hint and quit coming.

DON”T EVER QUIT! If writing is your passion, your dream, then use critiques to grow your craft and learn from it. Some critique will not be accurate, but always keep an open mind.