Stop Thinking Small…

August 28, 2019– I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately…I know, I know, uh oh! But seriously, I’ve been re-evaluating some things in my life and I’m not sure it’s because Mercury is in retrograde or that the stars aren’t aligned, but what I do know is that I feel stuck. July has been a hell of a month and I’ve received a ton of good news! Something inside me is tugging me toward the end of the year; I can’t explain it, but for some reason this month, for me, seems to be moving backward.

In a nutshell, I’m bored AF with the routine that I have going on. It’s strange to think that perhaps I’m finally organized and maybe this is what it feels like to  have some kind of pattern in my life. Maybe I just need to have more fun. Whatever it is, I need a change. And before you shout, “Girl…DO NOT GET BANGS!,” chill, I would never go to that extreme. I LOVE what I do, so it’s not that…and I feel like I should be careful what I wish for because I have a pretty killer track record of manifesting what I want.

It’s time to take risks, it’s time to think big, and it’s time to get uncomfortable and out of my comfort zone. I’m making some huge changes for the way that I conduct business, the direction of my company, and what I want for the future. I’m sick of the small moves, the ones that bring no rewards, the moves that are lateral, and the lack of growth both personally and professionally. It’s time for a change…a big one, so stay tuned…I’ll let you know what it is when I figure it out. 

X LLB

The Power of Thinking Negatively…

February 6, 2019– I’m sure that most of us have heard about the power of positive thinking and how optimism can add years to our lives. I do not disagree with all of that good stuff, but I am saying that there are both sides to a coin; sometimes thinking about what could be wrong, is the right thing to do. Let’s back up for a second.

The Power of Positive Thinking was written by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale and is an international best selling book with over five million copies in print; pretty impressive! Here’s what an excerpt online says about the book: The Power Of Positive Thinking will show you that the roots of success lie in the mind and teach you how to believe in yourself, break the habit of worrying, and take control of your life by taking control of your thoughts and changing your attitude. Great! Is that all I have to do is change my thoughts? Not so fast. Here’s where the skeptic in me shines through.

It’s one thing to think good thoughts, but it’s quite another to take action toward your goals. You can sit on your sofa all day and think about collecting cheques in the mail, but if you don’t get off your butt and earn some money, you’ll lose your house eventually. It’s not to say that I’m a pessimist, I’m really not. I believe that all things start in the mind and that if you control your thoughts and your attitude, and put forth consistent action toward your goals, that you can achieve anything. But, it’s the combination of these things that is the ticket. You can have a terrible attitude and take tons of action toward your goal, and I’d be willing to bet that you won’t achieve it. Sometimes it’s a good thing to think negatively…let me explain.

Here’s how the power of thinking negatively can actually help us in the long run:

1. It causes us to THINK before we act. Thinking of the worst case scenario allows us to stop and think before we make rash decisions. It allows us to think CLEARLY not QUICKLY. Thinking negatively can help us consider if the next move we make will create an unexpected chain reaction in the future. Quitting your full-time job to start a writing career is a big risk. We should think of this situation from a slightly negative point of view in order to have the best possible plan going forward. Perhaps once we see our budget and expenses are in order, we could take the leap, for example.
2. We won’t take success for granted. To say, “Don’t worry! Everything will be okay!” to someone who is unable to pay the bills is like poking holes in a sinking ship. If you practice this type of thinking while ignoring reality, you are being reckless and dangerous. We need to eliminate false illusions that create or compound our problems instead of pretending they don’t exist. One of my biggest fears? Being a one hit wonder. Nothing scares me more than being a has-been. That’s why when I look at things, I look at them from a slightly skewed, negative perspective that reminds me to work harder even on the days when I don’t feel like it.
3. It let’s us know where we are vulnerable and how to fix those vulnerabilities. Thinking negatively can let us examine where our weaknesses lie. Let’s say that you’re going to pitch your book to some agents for the first time ever, what could your vulnerabilities be? This goes for anything with your writing whether it’s submitting a query, doing a public speaking engagement, or signing a book deal; if we don’t know what our weaknesses are, how can we possibly fix them?

Yes, think positively and have a good attitude! But every now and then, examine the situation from the other side of the dock. Happy Writing! X LLB

Writing Prompts-(This is going to be fun!)

December 1, 2017- I absolutely love coming across new writing prompts. Not only does it help writers sharpen their skills, but it also allows us to write about things that we may not normally write about. There are different types of writing prompts and here are a few examples below. Try a couple of these per day!

Let’s Talk About Middle-Grade Novels! A Quick and Dirty Guide

November 3, 2017- There seems to be a lot of confusion around three little words…Middle-Grade Novel. Let’s dive into the basics and explore what elements make up a middle-grade novel.

• Middle-grade books are for kids in grades 4, 5, and 6-ages 9,10, 11.
• This is a diverse group of readers, and the middle-grade word counts are as follows: books for younger kids are 20,000-25,000 words and the books for the older kids usually contain 35,000-40,000 words.
• These books are usually large print, fast reads. A great example of a younger middle-grade novel is Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and a great example of an older middle-grade book is our very own Unfrogged by Tamara Botting.

Middle grade interests include the following things:

• PEERS– I capitalized this word because it’s the single most crucial thing to middle -graders and it’s important to know that kids care what their friends think above anything else at this age!
• Family-The child is the main character, the child is in the middle, and everything revolves around him or her. For example, parents are getting divorced what does that mean to the child?
• Self Concept– How do I belong? Who am I? Kids at this age are just starting to figure this out and ask the questions that will eventually shape them into adults.
• Puberty-Looks, development, gender, opposite sex and relationships.
• Future-Upon who does the future depend?…It depends on the main character of course!

So if you’re planning on writing for middle-graders, keep the above things in mind!

LB