10K Day for Writers: RSVP Page for July 16

WHILE IT'S NOT mandatory to RSVP (and everyone from June 18 is considered pre-confirmed), it's still a fun way to get involved ahead of time.

It will also be easier for me to welcome you on July 16 if I know to expect you.

Thanks to @LoisEighmy from Twitter for requesting the RSVP page. We did have one for the June event and it was very popular.

Please leave your comment/RSVP below.

See you on Thursday! ~ Milli

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RELATED TOPICS

10K Day: Rules of the Game

Recommended Preparations

Survival Tips, Productivity Tricks

Fear of Writing Gazette: July 13 Issue Out Now!

TOPICS FOR THIS ISSUE:

— Editor's Corner: “Just Do It”

— Outwitting Your Inner Buzzard

— Mindy Goes Beyond Her Fear

— Saundra_M: The Ways We Fraud Ourselves (Especially Writers?!)

— Baby Steps: Fun Ways to Get Some Writing Done

— Would You Participate If the 10K Day Was Saturday Instead of Thursday?

— 10K Day: Where to Go Online If You Plan to Join Us on July 16

Click here to read this issue:

A Tale of Two Writers - Their Before & After Fear Stories

Happy reading!

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RELATED TOPICS

Subscribe to the Fear of Writing Gazette

The Reluctant Blogger

By guest blogger Saundra_M

MY THANKS TO Milli for asking me to do a guest post on her Fear of Writing blog. I am honored to be asked, especially since I’m new to blogging, although I have been writing and playing at writing since I was in the seventh grade. I’ve written a book and have had several articles published but had never seriously committed to writing as a career until this year.

Even though I enjoy writing, somehow I resisted starting a blog like a teenager resists good parental advice. I studied all those great how-tos and why-tos online . . . and sat on my duff for over a year, figuratively plucking petals from the daisy: should I?/should I not?

Of course I had my reasons for hesitating, the primary one being the big “Not Enough Time.” I am self-employed and single, with a house and large yard which I take care of alone. I have committed to writing a novel this year, and my greatest fear was that jumping into blogging would eat up too much time when I already have trouble staying on task with writing.

My second fear was that it would either sap my creative juices when I needed to apply them to novel making, or I wouldn’t be able to think of anything to write about. (Frankly, I am only wordless when confronted with a “should write” guilt attack.) My actual problem is settling on a subject at any given moment from the whole deck of ideas scattered across the table of my mind.

If we’re going to get really honest, I have to admit, the other big fear was my propensity to begin things and not want to finish or maintain them. I know this about myself. I have a lifetime of beginnings that were abandoned somewhere along the way. Fortunately, that didn’t apply to my kids, just projects: sewing, painting, woodworking, sculpture, writing, gardening, classes, and on and on.

I’m an Aries with Gemini rising. Aries is a great starter and an idealist but not known for finishing and hanging in there (ask Bev Walton-Porter, author of Sun Signs for Writers). Gemini is the butterfly: touch and go. This is just to let you know I do have my legitimate excuses and understand my proclivities.

So my challenge has been to make a Decision with a capital D. That’s when I jut my chin out and do the blood sisters act with myself, pledging to never, never quit until the quest is complete. It sets an internal will factor inside that feels like steel. Honest. It’s a melding of desire and determination that gives you backbone where it didn’t exist before, providing self-discipline and steadiness of purpose. It’s also a sense of mentally/emotionally burning the boats so you can’t weasel out and turn sail to easier waters of old habits. And how well I know that one!

That’s what I did when I went on an anti-inflammatory diet, not once but twice: a severely limited diet that eliminates much of what I usually eat. I have a sweet tooth and I love grains. I put myself through Christmas baking for my family (3 kinds of candy, 5 different cookies, pies and breads) and managed to not so much as lick a spoon or finger. I maintained it for nine months. This second time, it was to alleviate the excruciating pain of hip joints that lost their cartilage due to arthritis. It made a huge difference in just a few days: why would I go back?

That’s what I did when I wrote my book in nine months including 87 pencil illustrations. I stuck it out through a computer crash, two new hard drives and lost data, and a computer that refused to create a PDF file of the book until I changed a header font throughout the entire book the last day. I panicked on a regular basis, spent an embarrassing number of sleepless nights, and had nightmares that I would do all the work and not be able to sell it and wind up on the streets in my old age. Did I mention I have a vivid imagination?

But I kept writing and drawing. I kept scanning and plugging them in. I kept researching and tying it together. The day I put the CDs into the envelope with the hard copy and mailed it to a Missouri printer was a triumph for me. I had proven to myself I could write a book, and even leopards can change a spot or two when the situation demands it.

There is a wonderful quote by Goethe that I keep on the wall above my monitor:

“The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too. Whatever you believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, power and grace.”

It is true.

I published my first blog post on June 3 this year. I now have five posts and have set up a second blog I’ll launch this week. I’ve already written the first post for that one.

Editor’s note: I waited to hit the Publish button until the first post for her second blog was online. It’s official: Saundra_M now has two blogs! See Related Topics below for the link.

Yes, the novel writing is suffering in terms of time spent on it, but the blog has unleashed new creative juices that are spilling over into the novel. What I’ve learned is that sometimes what you resist the most is exactly what you need to do and the benefits will remain a mystery until you just do it.

Saundra_M

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SAUNDRA_M (aka Sandra Moore Williams) is a popular face reader and the author of Faces: What You See is What You Get. Currently writing her first novel, she's also an illustrator, painter, book designer and astrologist. At Milli's special request she authored an e-book entitled Face Reading for Writers, which is the enrollment gift for students of the Fear of Writing Online Course. Saundra_M blogs at Near and Now and FACEOLOGY.

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RELATED TOPICS

Saundra_M's Face Reading Analysis for President Obama

Writing Prompts Based on Sun Signs for Writers

Guest Bloggers: An Invitation

AT FEAR OF WRITING, guest bloggers come in all shapes and sizes. Some may be very experienced and some may not.

If you don't have a book or blog of your own, please don't assume you’re not qualified to write for this blog.

Even someone with severe writer’s block who hasn’t done much writing yet is welcome.

Would you like to be a guest blogger? Please explore the topics below and choose one that most resonates with you. When you’re ready to submit, you’ll find my email address at the end of this post.

Thank you. I look forward to your submission! – Milli

IMPORTANT COURTESY NOTE

I never enjoy having to say no to a submission. This can be avoided by making sure you've thoroughly read my submission guidelines. In other words, I only publish blog posts suited to my particular audience.

For new writers: The tips provided in my article, Etiquette 101: How to Contact a Writing Website, will help you gain insight into the submission process while still doing it in a friendly, accessible place.

Profile of My Audience

My readers are looking for a certain kind of help and encouragement. They usually have an immediate need to get back in touch with the joys of writing. They need to learn to have fun again!

They're often recovering from some kind of emotional wound (example: a harsh, humiliating critique or prolonged writer’s block) that has shut down their capacity for self-belief.

Experienced writers who show up often do so because they're feeling jaded—they want to play and feel creative again.

Fear of Writing usually does not give advice on freelancing or about how or where to get published. The crux of the Fear of Writing method is to provide easy, fun ways to get some writing done.

This goal is accomplished (among other approaches) with the Fertile Material writing prompts. Although I'm not asking you to write about the prompts, it would be helpful to at least check them out. By seeing the prompts, you'll instantly understand more about the Fear of Writing Philosophy.

Topics for Guest Bloggers

1. Some of the best blog material comes when you write about yourself and your learning experiences. Readers will love to learn from you—and possibly avoid some of the pitfalls you may have encountered.

Don't be afraid to include a seeming failure that you can (or already did!) turn upside down to find the silver lining. Here's an example from one of my own blog entries: Rocky Balboa's Speech to Writers.

2. The themes I tend to stick to for this blog include

(i) fear of writing/writer's block

(ii) creativity in general

(iii) inspiring others—and therefore yourself!—to get more writing done

(iv) coming out of the closet as a writer

(v) demystifying the intimidation factor of the literary world, the publishing world or anything else that might make us feel small as writers

(vi) a writing or creative success you've enjoyed that might inspire others to succeed *

[* Submissions that are blatantly self-promotional without providing value to my readers will not be considered.]

(vii) tips or anecdotes about having more fun as a writer

(viii) anything that helps writers believe in themselves or remember that they're not alone in their fears.

Some good examples of these topics can be found on the articles page at my Website. There's a great one by Amy Anderson entitled The Writing Life: Fearing the Worst and one by me entitled The Healing Power of Your Writing.

Another good way to get a feel for what I like is to read blog posts from previous guests. You'll find links for some of those in the Related Topics section below.

Happy writing! ~ Milli

Locate Milli’s email address for submissions

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RELATED TOPICS

How I Am Overcoming My Inner Critic and My Fear of Success (Lois Eighmy)

A Writer Kissed by Inspiration (Raff Ellis)

Inside the Heart & Mind of Blogger Sunflower Ranch

Spiritual Short Stories – A Heartfelt Conversation with Chris Cade

INSCRIBE YOUR LIFE is the name of a new program in development by spiritual author and mentor, Chris Cade.

Fear of Writing has been invited to participate and 26 prompts were written for a special Fertile Material workbook. The new program will be released later this summer.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to get to know Chris and benefit from his upbeat views and methods, here’s an Internet event you can attend this week:

Inspirations of the Heart Radio
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
11:00am - 12:00pm Pacific

Spiritual author Chris Cade and host Catherine VanWetter will share a heartfelt conversation inspired by the many stories and authors Chris has reviewed and interviewed.

Chris runs several Websites, including Spiritual-Short-stories.com, where he shares hundreds of stories written by and for people like you. Chris is also getting ready to release his writing program, Inscribe Your Life, which focuses on using creative writing as a tool for self exploration.

Join Chris and Catherine for an upbeat, fun and inspiring hour. You are invited to jump in and join the conversation!

Bookmark this page to attend live via the Internet (see above for date and time):

Blog Talk Radio: Spiritual Short Stories – A Heartfelt Conversation with Chris Cade

One of Chris Cade’s favorite quotes:

“Live your life fom your heart. Share from your heart. And your story will touch and heal people’s souls.” – Melody Beattie

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RELATED TOPICS

Free Spiritual Writing Mini E-Course

Let Your Writing Light Shine

Excerpted with permission from WriteSuccess newsletter by Mary Anne Hahn

WriteSuccess Quote

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

—Marianne Williamson

From My Desk to Yours: Let Your Writing Light Shine

Hello:

I generally opt for pithier quotes than the one I selected for this issue, but as I skimmed through Web pages of inspirational words, this one stopped me dead in my tracks. I thought about editing it a bit, you know, making it a little shorter . . . but to me, every word of it counts.

If you skipped past it, I ask that you go back and read it. If you read it quickly, I urge you to take it in a second time more slowly. And if you're already familiar with the quote, I encourage you to take it to heart, perhaps even memorize it.
What is it about these words from Nelson Mandela that strike such a chord in me? From a personal standpoint, I often find myself “playing small,” justifying the mundane actions that I prioritize as necessary, while postponing the ones that just might make a huge difference in my life or in the lives of others. I don't tackle the great novel because what if I never finish it? I put off working on ideas I have to help certain kinds of writers find lucrative work because what if it fails? Or worse yet, what if it takes off and I don't have the energy or ability to keep it going effectively?

These self-doubts plague many of us on different levels. We writers, who so often bare our souls and expose our vulnerabilities, may wrestle with them even more than other people. When I journal about mine, I generally think that they stem from feelings of inadequacy and fear of failure. Or I sometimes wonder, who am I to pursue a greater destiny than the one I am currently living?

What captivates me about Mandela's words is the challenge that they present to all of us to be our best selves and give our lives and work our best efforts. He says in effect, “I dare you to step into your greatness. In fact, you not only do yourself a disservice by ‘playing small,’ you are letting down every single person who needs you.”

All I can say to that is, “Wow.” Because here's the thing—people need us writers for so many things. They need us to keep them informed, make them laugh, motivate them to make a change, guide them in learning a new process, entertain them, get their messages across, promote their products and services, influence others to take some action, or tell their stories for them. Rich and famous people need us, companies of all sizes need us, our readers need us. Ours is a marvelous, important profession. We must never think of it as being otherwise, or belittle our calling by placing it behind all other things on our “to do” lists.

For whatever reason, we've been called to be writers. Let's not “play small”—let your writing light shine.

Here's to your writing success.
Mary Anne

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MARY ANNE HAHN edits and publishes WriteSuccess, the free online ezine of ideas, information and inspiration for writers, as well as shares writing contest, news and job leads on Twitter. A freelance “writerpreneur,” she provides ghost writing and copy writing services to coaches and Web-based business owners. Visit writesuccess.com
to subscribe to her newsletter, or follow her Twitter updates at twitter.com/writesuccess.

Inside the Heart & Mind of Blogger Sunflower Ranch

By guest blogger Sunflower Ranch


I STARTED BLOGGING to redirect and sharpen my writing skills after a very long break to take care of my Dad after my Mom's sudden death. Now he's gone, too, and after a few months I began to blog. Though I've been blogging just a few months, I feel it has helped me tremendously. I'm still not up to going back to my unfinished creative projects—yet. But soon, I hope.

I've met an incredible amount of extremely talented and friendly people while blogging. Many are friends from OnlineAuction.com where I sell books and collectibles. They suggested I have a blog to help with my sales at OLA, and they've lent much support and encouragement from the very beginning.

I have also made many friends in the arts—writers, poets, painters, photographers, essayists—and political junkies of all stripes. Many are multitalented and belong in more than just one category.

These bloggers live all over the world, and yet, they are the kinds of friends I know would make wonderful next door neighbors.

I started blogging cold turkey—if that's a phrase I can use. LOL So, I guess I'd have to say, everything so far has been a learning situation and as time goes by, I hope, an improvement.

Seriously, though, I feel I've grown as a person, having the wonderful opportunity to get to know so many interesting people. I'm a stay-at-home wife and caregiver, so it's a little more difficult for us to maintain an active social life. I feel what I do on the blog is an extremely important part of my life. It's widened my circle of friends in the loveliest way!

Blogging is a two way street—if you share your thoughts with others, they will share with you. If you visit their blogs, they will visit yours. Someone has to take the first step and I've been on both sides—and it's fun. If I visit your blog and like what I see there—be it enthusiasm, raw talent, polished paragraphs, or cool pictures, I'll read more of your blog, usually sign up as a follower, and put you on my blog list.

I feel a long blog list is good for two reasons: 1) I can easily check my favorites again, and 2) new readers to my blog will also have a chance to visit the blogs I find interesting and find some that resonate with them, too. Then maybe they will join that blog, share with their readers, and become followers. I guess I just love the interconnectedness of the blogosphere.

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Sunflower Ranch's poetry, fiction, and non-fiction has been published in national magazines and on the ‘Net. For many years she designed, edited and published several innovative online literary magazines through Cayuse Press. She now is concentrating on blogging and screenwriting. She holds a degree from the University of Washington School of Drama and for many years was a popular director, actress and drama teacher in the Puget Sound area. Later this summer and early fall, she will be teaching “Blogging for Seniors” through Pierce County Libraries. She sells books, collectibles, and stuff for writers online at the Sunflower Ranch store. A wife and care-giver, she lives with her husband near scenic Mt. Rainier in Washington state.

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RELATED TOPICS

Sunflower Ranch & the Vespa Friendship Blogging Award

Milli's Picks for the Vespa Blogger Friendship Award (coming soon)

Skydiving as a Writer

By guest blogger Jimmy Hanson

10,000 WORDS in one day.

Now, normally this would make a person panic. Kind of like sky-diving, that thing where it looks awesome from afar but when you’re actually there looking out the window it suddenly hits you – wham! You’re a thousand feet off the ground and you’re going to fall the whole way back down.

10,000 words.

… Then again, honestly, who ever dared to call a writer normal?

I could have easily waved it off as a crazy venture done by other people and left it at that, especially since the date – June 18th – was a Thursday and I had to work. Regrettably that includes sitting behind a desk answering phones for a hospital for nearly 8 hours straight, which has absolutely nothing to do with what I really want to do [which is write, 24/7!!].

I also have a 4-year-old son who needs to be cared for, chores to be done, dishes to be washed, clothes to be folded, dinner to be cooked … the list goes on, more and more excuses for why I shouldn’t have participated in such a fool-hardy venture.

But still … the intrigue got to me. 10,000 words in one day.

Has a nice ring to it, and since I hadn’t been getting much writing done lately I figured, what could it hurt?

Actually, nothing. I planned my day around it: get up at 4 a.m., early even for me, so that I would have two hours of uninterrupted quiet time for writing. Go to work, and pad at what I could without being caught. Go to lunch, type away like a mad fiend at a nearby café. Return to work, pad a bit more; maybe get up to 2,000 words if I was lucky. Go home and persist, persist, persist. Stay up until the stroke of midnight, if I had to.

So what really happened? Woke up at 6:30, ran around like mad getting everyone ready for daycare and work and zipping out of the house at 7. Arrived at work, promptly forgot my goal in the mad-dash to get emails and calls completed. Remember only around 9 that I had planned to have at least started by then and start typing at an insane pace to get a decent amount in without being tagged.

Lunch – run an unexpected errand, and then write all speedy-speedy for the remaining 20 minutes. After work, convince husband why it is vital I have an hour after work to head to the café and work solely on reaching my goals and thrill at the instant, and unexpected, approval.

Stop at 10 p.m., feeling astonished and amazingly accomplished to have completed 6,723 words.

Wow. The number still resonates within me even a few days later. I wrote 6,723 words in one day.

On a random Thursday, in the midst of life and work, and other.

How many can claim to have at least even tried such a venture? The pride of being a part of it – of reading the check-in posts and sharing in the trials and tribulations of myself and others – is something that can never be diminished, never be taken away.

10,000 words in a day. Crazy? Maybe.

But so is sky-diving, and there are people out there that do it anyway, right?

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JIMMY HANSON is a bipolar creative writer who found her ultimate niche in paranormal romance. Her favorite pastime is taking her son on fantastical adventures, and curling up with her two cats and a delicious book or two. Jimmy blogs at Thoughts of a Fragmented Mind: a bipolar journal.

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RELATED TOPICS

See right sidebar for rules, suggested prep & other 10K Day info

Patti Stafford: 10K Day Guest Blogger

“Never listen to dumb inner critics.” – Patti Stafford

IT’S GOOD TO be back in the company of fiction writers. Of course I’ve only been here a few days, BUT I feel this is a good place for me.

I’ve been keeping company with bloggers and non-fiction writers. Not saying anything bad about them, it’s just a different genre and I enjoy their company too. I realized recently that you need to keep company with the type of writing you pursue, so as a fiction and non-fiction writer I get the privilege of keeping company with both groups – but I have to admit the non-fiction group isn’t always as community oriented as the fiction group.

There’s a special bond among fiction writers that I don’t think exists with other writers.

6/17/09 – Tomorrow marks the 10K challenge. I am up later than I wanted to be and didn’t get as much fiction reading in as I wanted, but I’m just going to go with the flow.

6/18/09 – Okay, so now it’s the day of the 10K challenge. At this time I’ve churned out 3,426 words of FICTION. Yay! The inner critic had been telling me I couldn’t write fiction any more. In three hours, after a three-year hiatus from fiction, I have proven that the inner critic is just dumb! Never listen to dumb people or dumb inner critics.

This has been a release. Not only has it sparked my passion for fiction, but I’m finding that I enjoy flash fiction. These are very short stories that just give a glimpse in time.

I stepped away from writing for a long time; not just fiction, but non-fiction as well. I didn’t like where my writing career was going or the low pay that a freelance writer sometimes has to settle for.

I write non-fiction for the money. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy it or wouldn’t write it without pay, but it’s my job so I have to attempt to make money at it. I finally got back into non-fiction writing some time ago and things have been going really well in that area. I’ve made connections that I never thought was possible, especially since I came back starting from scratch.

Not only did I start from scratch, but I had a name change during my hiatus – I was privileged to marry the first guy I ever fell in love with- 27 years later. He’s the one I never got over. So I started over with a name change and everything. I expected it to take much longer to build up my credentials and stuff, but surprisingly, when you have renewed passion, the universe seems to work in your favor.

Then the yearning for fiction started gnawing at me. I kept planning to get back to it, but the lure of getting paid per article was a little more important. I was so thrilled to find the 10K Challenge. As soon as I read Milli’s post about it – which was the same day I found her, her blog and the challenge, I didn’t hesitate. I didn’t tell myself I’d think about it, I just commented right then and there that I was in.

I had a blast participating. But I discovered it wasn’t just the writing fiction that I needed or got the most out of. It was being in the company of fellow writers whom I discovered need as much support and encouragement as I do. That’s one of the key elements that’s been missing.

I believe we all started with the challenge of writing 10K words that morning, but it ended up being more about the community feel and sharing our struggles and accomplishments throughout the day. For this reason I’ve decided to create a community group for this purpose.

I’m so glad I participated and got to meet a great bunch of writers. I hope our friendships grow and we can all support each other because, other than musicians, no one ever understands us or our passion.

We need each other. I think that’s why the 10K was such a success for all of us, regardless of the word count. The inspiration and being able to share that, with other writers throughout the day, was one of the best parts of it.

Thanks to everyone for making it such an Awesome experience.

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ABOUT PATTI STAFFORD

I am:
A Musician's Wife. A Freelance Writer. An Inspired Thinker. A Mom of Awesome Kids.
Therefore I write.
Find me at: PattiStafford.com

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RELATED TOPICS

Join Patti's new forum! ~ Writer's Support Group

June 18’s 10K Day Beat All Records for Massive Writing Fun!

YESTERDAY 16 WRITERS met on the Fear of Writing blog for the purpose of challenging ourselves to try to write 10,000 words in a day.

The numbers and creative breakthroughs generated by this day were phenomenal.

For instance, one writer who had to be at her job all day still managed to rack up 6,723 words. Another writer broke the sound barrier (or something on that level!) by producing an astonishing 15, 410.

But beyond word count were riches that cannot be reduced to statistics. ‘Bean’ had always wanted to write a book about her Boston Terrier, but he passed away before she could do it. Yesterday she broke the 10K barrier writing about her beloved Mikey Dog.

Freelance writer Patti Stafford earns her daily bread from non-fiction writing—so she was thrilled at the opportunity to reconnect with fiction writing. And Patti was so moved by the depth of camaraderie, she’s decided to start a forum where writers can connect in between 10K Days.

Saundra_M ran around town helping her daughter with various home-buying and moving crises (it’s an interstate move and son-in-law was away on a biz trip)—and then had to emergency-water 50 plants that had wilted in the Texas heat. But she still managed to write 3,050 words and found a new level of creative freedom while working on her novel.

Below is a list (in alphabetical order by last name) of writers who’ve reported their final word count. We all agreed that the spirit of the day was the ultimate reward—so everyone was a winner, no matter how many words they wrote!

Al from Oz – 10,250
Bean – 10,174
Down the Rabbit Hole – 8,030
Maria – 3,000
Barb D. – 3,091
Lois Eighmy – 15,410
Jennifer “Jimmy” Hanson – 6,723
Mindy Lawrence – 5,000
Saundra_M – 3,050
Beth Morrow – 10,642
Susan Smith – 4,878
Patti Stafford – 3,500
Milli Thornton – 6,319
J.R. Turner – 10,179

TOTAL WORD COUNT FOR THE DAY:

100,246

The total word count is probably higher than this—not everyone who participated posted their check-ins.

I believe the ultimate feeling to take away from a 10K Day is this: how much it proves that we’re capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF US!

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Note to participants: If I’ve got your word count wrong, or if you don’t appear on this list, please write to me and I’ll correct your entry. (I didn’t have a way to contact some of the writers.) You’ll find my email address by clicking on the profile link in the right sidebar.

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RELATED TOPICS

See the Check-Ins Posted During June 18's 10K Day

10K Day: Live While It’s Happening!

Note for new arrivals: The 10K Day starts on the morning of Thursday, June 18. Your exact starting time is up to you.


WELCOME TO ALL those plucky writers who are participating today!

This is the place to post your check-ins.

If you develop a case of writer’s block—or if you need some extra ideas about what to write—you’ll find all those 10K Day links compiled here.

DON’T FORGET TO HAVE REGULAR BREAKS!

You’ll regret it later (when you get burnt out) if you don’t take regular breaks. Even if you’re on fire with your writing, take your scheduled breaks. Every two hours is recommended. Breaks are also for posting check-ins.

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST FOR YOUR CHECK-INS?

Comment moderation will be turned off for the day so your posts should appear right away.

Keep check-ins fairly brief:

1. You can mention your word count if you want to. If you’d rather not, please provide a general comment about your progress thus far.

2. You can also describe what you’re working on.

3. Feel free to mention how you’re feeling and how the day is going for you.

4. It’s always fun to hear what people are drinking, snacking on or listening to.

5. Check-ins only. Please DO NOT post your writing! (The comment section will become unwieldy if everyone tries to posts their stories.)

6. If you have any special revelations or remarkable experiences, please give the mini-version. All of you will be invited to write about your 10K Day on my blog after it’s over.

Don’t forget to log out of forums, Facebook, Twitter, your email, etc.

Go gettum, Tigers! – Milli

P.S. As a ritual before you start writing, check out this poem from Sharon Kane written especially for my blog: The Gate Keeper. It can be used as a prayer to get in the right frame of mind for your 10K Day—in loving cooperation with the gatekeeper of your imagination instead of in a power struggle :~)


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RULES & TIPS

10K Day: Rules of the Game

Recommended Preparations

Survival Tips, Productivity Tricks


GOT WRITER’S BLOCK? TRY THESE . . .

Use the Whiplash of Your Inner Critic to Make It Across the Drawbridge

Here's an example of doing the above but with a fictional character instead, by Patti Stafford (10K Day participant). Look for the second entry on this page; it's entitled writer's lament.

Four of Milli’s Fertile Material prompts

10 Tips for Using the Fertile Material Writing Prompts

New Writing Prompt: Sparkling Beasts & Glimmering Gods

Milli’s Zodiac Writing Prompts: Aries / Taurus / Gemini

Writing for Spiritual Growth
(Free e-course! When you sign up you’ll get the first lesson right away—but the first lesson contains an audio interview; either save it for later or listen in advance so it doesn't cut into your writing time.)

7 Fun Writing Challenges from Sunflower Ranch


MOTIVATIONAL ARTICLES

Writing Dialogue: Don’t Freak Yourself Out

How I Am Overcoming My Inner Critic and My Fear of Success by Lois Eighmy

A Writer Kissed by Inspiration (helpful for memoir writers)

10 Things to Celebrate About Being a Writer

Rocky Balboa’s Speech to Writers