Tag: writing

Handling New Year Resolutions

On By Naty MatosIn Articles1 Comment
2008 Taipei City New Year Countdown Party: The...
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At the beginning of each year we decide that we’re going to do everything new, those resolutions usually last until the second week of January because routine sets in and life goes back to normal. Part of why we tend not to come through with our resolutions it’s because we set unrealistic goals.

 So, does that mean not making New Year’s resolutions? Not necessarily… These were my lessons from 2010.

  • Look at the root of the problem- Sometimes we are addressing the symptoms and not the real issue. When you don’t resolve the actual issue, your chances of success decline significantly because the behavior will either return or transform. The most common issues are food and finances, but this applies to anything as well. People enter into diets or financial plans to resolve debt, but within months they return to their bad habits, that’s an example of treating the symptoms and not the issue. Why do you eat or spend or drink or whatever the issue is? Is it loneliness, self esteem, boredom, lack of skills. Once you identify what’s really causing the problem, even though it may take a little longer to see results in the changes, you may experience more permanent changes and more satisfying results. (Matthew 13:20-22)

 

  • Identify the reasons for the change- Are you making these changes for you or for someone else? Sometimes we have the tendency to join a wagon because our peer jumped in it, but are those things that you’re pursuing beneficial to you. Look if your goal will have a physical, emotional, spiritual or even financial benefit for you. This may be extreme, but for example, I have a friend who is anorexic and the last thing I would want for her is to go on a diet with me. (Romans 12:2)

 

  • Find out what works for you- We are not truly created equal, we are as different as the stars in the sky. Find something that works for you in the accomplishment of your goal.

 

  • Divide your big goal into small steps. I think the principle of one day at a time and small changes very well applies here. I get it! In the microwave mentality world that we live in, we want immediate results, but are those the ones that really last? Whatever you’re trying to change in your life didn’t happen over night and it will not go away over night. You will feel like a failure when you don’t get the results you want or when the results are not lasting. However if  you start with smaller goals and celebrate those smalls victories, then once a goal is achieve you can up the bar to another one higher. By the end of the year you will be able to look back and see not only that you have accomplished more than you honestly expected ( Ecclesiastes 3:1-17;7:17)

 

  • Seek help- if you have tried to achieve this goal before and the things you’ve tried has not work, there’s no shame on seeking help. Having someone to guide you through the process, encourage you and celebrate with you your success may be the formula to finally conquer that obstacle that you’re trying to overcome. (Deuteronomy 1:12-13)

 

So start working on your game plan and much success in 2011!!

I’m posting every week in 2011!

On By Naty MatosIn Writing HappeningsLeave a comment

I’ve decided I want to blog more. Rather than just thinking about doing it, I’m starting right now.  I will be posting on this blog from one to three times a week for all of 2011.

I know it won’t be easy, but it might be fun, inspiring, awesome and wonderful. Therefore I’m promising to make use of The Daily Post, and the community of other bloggers with similar goals, to help me along the way, including asking for help when I need it and encouraging others when I can.

If you already read my blog, I hope you’ll encourage me with comments and likes, and good will along the way.

Signed,

Naty

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Careful with your wishes

On By Naty MatosIn Writing HappeningsLeave a comment

In my days after Nano I’ve had a lot of catching up to do. My living quarters needed some TLC, I had to reply to some month old emails and even some bills were sent a little late…sorry.

I have a few projects that I need to work on. Editing, fixing typos and more writing are in my horizon for the next few months. But I didn’t feel like doing anything, so I kept hoping and praying for the desire to get back in the groove. Don’t you ever doubt that God has a sense of humor!

When I came home from church last night my cable and internet were down. I still didn’t have the desire to do much, so I started reading a book and fell asleep, when around 12:30 my phone rang. I swear that I didn’t hear it ring, I woke up in the middle of the conversation. Sorry my friend for anything I said, LOL!

Anyway, after that I couldn’t sleep, so I grabbed my laptop and started writing again. A story and half before deciding that it was not muse the fact that I was typing with my eyes closed. I better go back to read them, God only knows what I typed.

From what I’ve been told it may be Monday night before my services are back. I got my prayer answered…back to writing!

“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” Matthew 21:22

Wrapping up NaNoWriMo

On By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings3 Comments
Writing samples: Parker 75
Image by churl via Flickr

As I sit here, thirty minutes to the end of this crazy month, I decided to write a reflection on the lessons that have come out of November 2010. I know that after writing almost 300 pages of fiction, you would think that the last thing that I would want to do is write. On the contrary, that’s one of the things NaNoWriMo does for me, it is the fuel that fills my tank for the next 12 months of future writing.

What were my November lessons?

  • · I need an outline– Last year I had an idea of what I wanted to write. I even wrote the name of the chapters. This year, I knew what story I wanted, had the title ahead, but didn’t know the development of the story which caused many writer’s blocks and moments of frustration.
  • · Write-ins and Nano community are vital for success– I can’t thank enough my Municipal Liaisons for their support. They kept me encouraged, motivated and challenged to go above and beyond my own goals. I also became more involved in the chatroom and not only was very motivated but I will be laughing at some events for the next 12 months.
  • · Who’s who– I did get my chai latte and my smoothies. I am very appreciative to all of you who in one way or another kept checking on me or supporting me throughout this month. I also saw people fell of the face of the earth because I couldn’t be there for them during this month in the same fashion that I usually was. It’s sad when people can’t support your dreams, but I always like when God does house cleaning. He’s the best!
  • · Motivation– As a child writing was my hobby, when I returned to the writing arena I knew it was my passion, now I know it’s also my ministry, it’s what makes me happy, what I was created to do and as long as God allows me to move these fingers, published or not, I will continue writing.
  • · You don’t have to gain weight just because you’re writing– I tend to eat and write and I have to admit that I did it this year as well. What was the difference? My food choices. I ate more fruit, organic cookies and to my shame a lot of diet soda. Water got boring quick, so instead of juices or other things diet soda kept me busy from eating and I actually lost 3lbs during the saga. I also tried to make better choices at the write-ins.

What’s next?

  • · There’s a Christmas surprise for my readers in the works.
  • · Writing and submitting two short stories for an inspirational contest in March.
  • · Editing and submitting one of my books for another inspirational contest in June.
  • · Waiting and letting all of you know of the results of all these submissions.
  • · Continue to inspire all my readers as I get inspired myself through this blog.

 

I thank you all for your patience and support. The glory goes to God, I only show up with my laptop and my fingers.

YAY! November is over!

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Third Going on Forth (NaNoWriMo)

On By Naty MatosIn Writing HappeningsLeave a comment
NaNoWriMo: the home front

I can’t help but compare my last year Nano experience to this one as they have been totally different. I think probably is because I’m also a different person and I’m in a different place in my life. To be honest, I think I have enjoyed this year way more.

I did get to experience the dread of week two which I had not experienced last year. I do remember thinking many times that I was not going to make it last time. I never remember thinking of quitting. This year I did…oh did I!

Now at least knowing the basics of NaNoWriMo and having taken the time to read their website, I’ve opened myself up closer to the actual experience. I’ve discovered that yes it’s about my plot and my characters and that dingbat word count, but the community part actually came alive for me.

Last year I did attend three write-ins and I know it helped. I got to meet people and have fun. This year I’ve immersed myself in the community. As of today I’ve attended four write-ins, but I’ve also been in the chat room every single night, keeping me connected, that has been the difference. Has that helped my novel, I honestly don’t know. I do know that it has helped me enjoy the process, vent frustrations and truly make new friends to whom I’ve already expressed how much I’m going to miss them after December 1st.

 Week three is now behind me and looking to Week four with mixed emotions. I’m excited about being able to submit the fruit of my labor, but it also means that NaNo would be over.

Reflections from Week 2

On By Naty MatosIn Writing HappeningsLeave a comment
nanowrimo, day 16 goal
Image by paloetic (limited internet access) via Flickr

Last year when I did NaNoWriMo… I didn’t have a story to tell. I had somewhat of an outline, but the hardest part for me was to come through with those 50k words. I was excited but I just didn’t think I was going to be able to make it. I think my fear of not making it and definitely God’s help got me through each stage of the month and I don’t remember experiencing all the things that they say happen on week 2. I can’t say the same about this year.

First of all, after not finishing script frenzy back in April, I was really concerned about meeting word count. So I left the gates dashing out and giving it all. I thought this time it would be easier, not only have I been down this road before, but this time I have a story to tell. I was wrong!

Yes, I had a story to tell that was burning inside of me. I didn’t need outlines or chapters; all I needed was to get it all out in that paper. For the first week I wrote and wrote and by the end of week 1 I had over thirty thousand words and most of my story told. I realized that I had made an outline out of my novel. There were things that were not developed. The worst part, I got confident about my word count and I stopped writing for one single day. It has taken forever to get back on track even when I’m writing an average of 2k words a day right now. My story had died.

 By Tuesday of week two I was ready to call it quits. I didn’t tell anyone because I have been blessed with lots of friends who are praying and supporting me through this and I know it was going to let them down. I hated my novel, it totally absolutely royally sucked! Between Tuesday and Wednesday morning I took the time to go back and fill those empty holes that my speed writing had created. I got more word count, but I was still not satisfied with the product. I was so disappointed. Then the magic happened!

 Wednesday was the perfect day to quit. I had lost some of my work, I still don’t understand how. I lost my dinner by stumbling into one of my dog’s bones in the floor and I threw cranberry juice in my cream carpet and I was writing the worse novel ever. I’ve read of some people who hate their novels in week two and they want to delete it and start over. That was not my plan. I was done with the whole thing. I was packing my bags and going home. As I do every night, I went to our Nano chat room and there was something I had never done before, a word war that lasted an hour.  For those not Nano involved or knowledgeable, that means writing without stopping for an hour.  I have done tons of word wars before, but nothing longer than fifteen minutes and trust me your mind and your fingers want to explode. An hour? Are you kidding me? What the heck, I don’t think I have enough to write, but let’s go for it!

That was precisely the breakthrough I needed. My mind was forced to see the scenes from other angles. I found my plot, my novel was coming back to life and the story was getting better than ever. Those sucky parts can be dealt with during editing after the fact; they are not too bad to affect the content. So with new ideas, new discipline and fired up with what I’m writing I’m approaching week three, without the concern of word count as I’m already at 48.5k, this is the time to finish writing a great story!!

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Nano update: Dreaded Week 2

On By Naty MatosIn Writing HappeningsLeave a comment
A section of DNA; the sequence of the plate-li...
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Like one of our fearless Atlanta ML (Municipal Liaison) would say, this week feels like being in the middle of a traffic jam on 285 during morning rush. After writing 35,000 words, I feel like I’m in the last stages of labor. I can’t sleep, I have a lot to drink, therefore a lot of stops to make, I’m craving weird stuff to eat and pain…oh a lot of pain (from thinking and typing, LOL!). The reality is that they are just Braxton hicks’ contractions, in other words false alarms; this baby is not ready to come out( or in NaNoWriMo lingo, we still have writing to do. The story is not finished yet).

One thing I have learned from this year’s Nano is that you should never stop writing. If your story is not finished, the fact that you have a bazillion words doesn’t mean you can take a break. Somehow your brain thinks that the break implies that you’re done and it takes twice the effort to get yourself in gear. So, if you want to give yourself a mini-break, get on the page at least for five minutes and write a paragraph, a line…whatever it takes to keep you connected to your story. I had to learn it the hard way. I was very confident with my work last week. I wrote a little on Friday and none on Saturday even though I had the time. Then yesterday, going back to my labor analogy, it took pitocin (meaning going to a write-in), a chai latte, three word wars and a good frustration cry to get me back in gear.

My story has taken a life of its own. I had something envisioned and for those who do not write, believe me characters are like your children, they may have your DNA but ultimately they do what they want, and you have to rail them in to do what you know it’s best for them (or your story). I knew I had reached insanity when I spent five paragraphs describing a bathroom and a doll house. They were pretty though. So after a good chat and a couple of laughs I’m ready to get back to business, the discovery of the murder. Who did it? Stay tuned…

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Standing up for NaNoWriMo

On By Naty MatosIn Articles5 Comments

I was really disappointed to read this article by Laura Miller, senior writer for Salon (posted at the bottom). I felt I needed to respond because NaNoWriMo is very dear to my heart.  I do respect everyone’s opinion, but I think there’s a lot that is being missed regarding the purpose of NaNoWriMo. The author of this article qualifies this event as a waste of time and energy. There is a lot worse things you can do in November than write a novel.

As an amateur writer, this event has given me opportunities that otherwise would have been difficult at best without it. As someone living in a big city, when you have a dream, where do you begin? Obviously, I’m not yet on the best seller’s list, but through launching myself into this event last year for the first time, I’ve started making baby steps into the literary world.

NaNoWriMo was the tool that saved my sanity last year. When I decided to join NaNo, it was just part of a challenge, not knowing that adversity was around the corner. It was one of the most difficult times in my life on the personal front and yet the eagerness to get this novel completed allowed me to channel my energy there and not focus on the adversity that was going on in my life. Not only did I win, but I ended with a finished product. I understood that there was a lot of editing that needed to be done after finishing the novel and that particular novel is still being edited as I plan to publish it.

I don’t think it’s fair to blame NaNo for people who do not spend the time editing their work and presenting it to a publisher. That would be like blaming Duncan Hines for a cake that didn’t come out right because you didn’t follow the instructions. The NaNoWriMo website and staff are always mentioning December as the editing month. They make it clear that the work done in November is a raw product that needs development and in some cases, it may just need deleting, but it allows an individual to organize their thoughts for a month and be creative.

The other thing that NaNoWriMo gave me was community. I’ve met people that I probably would not have met under other circumstances. We have something in common, the desire to write. We learn from one another, we encourage one another and guess what? we have fun; clean unadulterated fun. I think I’m on the other end of the spectrum thinking that there should be more events like this worldwide.

The author states that writing more novels is a waste of time, as we have too many already. Maybe we should tell Starbucks to stop opening shops as they have one on every corner. Although, by the way, I need one closer to my house or they need to seriously start delivering, especially during NaNoWriMo.

She also states that there are better things to do in November. That’s a matter of opinion. As a balanced person during November, I still go to work, pay my bills, walk my dog (less frequently bless her heart), go to church and participate in those things that I’m involved with, talk to my friends, take care of my Café World and Farmville in Facebook,  go to the gym, visit my family and have Thanksgiving dinner. The only difference is that instead of watching another re-runs of Law and Order or Criminal Minds, I choose to write. How dare I?

Aside from all the creative work that NaNoWriMo promotes, it attracts people to help others through the fundraisers that help charities. That apparently is also a bad thing.

I just felt the need to stand up for an event and a company that I believe in and that encouraged me to go forward with chasing my lifelong dream of being a writer and pursuing the gift God gave me.

About reading, it’s also inaccurate to assume that these 130,000 NaNo writers are not readers as well. I can only speak for myself. I am enrolled in Goodreads where I post the reviews of the novels I read and share those with my friends. I also belong to a book club that discusses a novel every month and that’s on top of all the online reading regarding articles, news, blogs and other things that capture my attention.

With all this said, I think that this article didn’t do NaNoWriMo justice and I have written almost 750 words that I can’t include in my novel…so enough of this and let’s get back to writing!!

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The Road to Nanowrimo

On By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings2 Comments

Never underestimate the places were God puts you. I’m not saying that it was God’s will for me to be sick for the last week, but  he knew I needed to stop the train of life I was running and there was a lot that I had been praying to hear from him, but had not stopped to listen. Few days in bed shivering with fever, dragging to do every move and knocked out on medication will do wonders to your spiritual ears.

For the last few weeks I’ve been working on the anticipation of my yearly writing main event, Nanowrimo. This is the race to write a novel in a month of 50,000 words or more. Last year was the first time I ventured to do such thing and I was nervous due to the unknown. It’s worth mention that Nanowrimo was the precursor of The Rising Muse. I had so much writing energy after being in writing boot camp that I needed to channel it somewhere, that’s how The Rising Muse was born.  It also gave me the opportunity to finally finish a novel, which in itself was a great accomplishment, winning the competition was not bad at all. The rest of the year has been dedicated to editing the fruits of my labor (hint, hint to my editor, get yourself in gear, we’re trying to publish a book here! LOL!)

Anyway, at 52 hours from facing the challenge one more time, I’ve taken the time to review my life within the last year and see how far God has brought me during this time.  A lot of things have happened in the last 12 months.  I don’t work in the same position, I don’t drive the same car, and I don’t live in the same place. My spirit and my love for God are not even at the same level. I do have more responsibilities, but I wouldn’t trade it for the past. I have new friends, 20 less pounds (that I hope not to gain in November, it tends to happen); a total new life.

In my writing career, what have been those accomplishments in the last 12 months?

  • My first publication, the short story “The Janitor”
  • Winning Nanowrimo, “ The Road Home”
  • Starting my blog, “The Rising Muse”
  • Starting a Spanish Version of the blog with a collaborator (yes, Yanira you deserve a lot of credit too) “TRM en Espanol”
  • My second publication, the story “Obedience and Willingness”

I look at it and I can’t believe it myself. Someone asked me today which was the  accomplishment  I was most proud of in my life ; I responded allowing God to shine through the talents he gave me and letting him use my gifts and mistakes to touch other people’s lives. So to him the Glory of all he’s allowed me to do!

Now at 51 hours the clock continues to race for me to start writing, “Breaking Free”. I think we’re doing better this year. Last year my novel didn’t have a title until the very end. I think we have a good start. Last year the anxiety was because I didn’t know what I was facing. This year the anxiety is because I do know what’s coming.

I want to take the opportunity to thank God for his love, mercy and for giving me this gift. I thank all my readers, my friends and family for your support. Thanks to Yolanda and Jeff for inviting me for the second year to their house for Thanksgiving allowing me to write instead of cooking. I promised a pie and a cake, Publix may end up doing them for me…LOL! To Seth, my editor, for loving me and putting up with my Spanglish writing. Only he understands the things I write, especially when I write in a hurry.

To those around me, remember, as of Monday there’s no cooking. My dog will appreciate visitors to let her out and I will appreciate anyone bringing me a sandwich, a smoothie (Carrie hint, hint), a soy chai latte or (Noe hint, hint) just listen to me fuss about how this story is not coming along. Let the writing begin!!!! 50 hours to go!!!

Smile!

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational ThoughtsLeave a comment
My smile
Image via Wikipedia

Have you ever pondered on how much a smile can affect another person, including yourself? I honestly had not thought about it until I discovered it myself in the craziest of ways.

 Doodling at my desk at work, I pulled out a post it and drew some eyes a nose and a smile. I pulled the post it on the top of my computer screen. I know it’s totally silly and those of you who know me know that I have more than one screw missing. Every morning when I start working I see that post it and it makes me smile. That is a piece of paper (yes, I’m not that crazy…I do know it’s not real) Can you imagine, the impact that it can have on people around you if YOU who are real gave away a smile?

In this new era of technology where most of our communication is hidden behind some kind of gadget we tend to forget the basics about how to relate to others. We were created to connect, to form relationships. So smile today, smile a lot, to all those around you and if you’re like me, hidden in a cubicle, create your own smile!

Job 9:27
‘I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile,”

Have a blessed day!

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