The past will stand its ground, but the present will move out of the way, propelling you forward. Learn from what was, and mold it into something better.
Past and Present
Tag: learning
Rejection
Whatever remains your focus in life, whether it’s writing or something else, there is always going to be some kind of rejection. It’s part of life. How we work with that rejection is what makes or breaks us. I won’t lie, it won’t feel good at first. It’s human to be disappointed and hurt. The truth is, everyone’s likes are different, so it stands to reason that what you write, or do, will not be for everyone.
How to approach rejection:
- Take a deep breath and remind yourself it’s only one person who didn’t like it. You can’t please everybody.
- Ask yourself what you could do to make it better.
- Ask the person who didn’t like it, what was it they didn’t like?
- Use the rejection as a way to improve.
Back in 2019 another author read my first book that had just come out a month prior. He gave it 4 stars and a lengthy review. I was disappointed that I didn’t get 5 stars out of it, BUT in his review he stated what he liked about the book, then he went into what he didn’t like. He was very professional. As I read the ‘needs improvement’ part of his review, ideas began to formulate in my mind about what I needed to work on in my second book. Most of what he talked about had to do with one of my side characters. If I hadn’t had that authors negative feedback, I wouldn’t have known to make those fixes.
So turn your rejections into learning experiences. You will be glad you did.
Life at a Slant
Do you feel as though life is nothing but a journey uphill? Do you feel as though running downhill for a change would feel real nice? Stop. Not so fast. When your journey in life is a constant uphill struggle, are you learning along the way? On the other side of that hill, if you are running downhill at a constant momentum, are you learning along the way? Or are you going so fast that those opportunities to learn soar right by at the speed of light?
Learning Blowout
If you are in the beginning stages of learning how to write fiction, DO NOT…I repeat… DO NOT inundate yourself with too much information at one time. You will get overwhelmed and risk putting out that learning “flame”. Take one topic, for example characterization, and learn a little about it each day. Take small bites. Trust me on this. Also, taking fiction writing class works just as well.
High School Learning
For my junior and senior years in high school I went to the Rueben Daniels Lifelong Learning Center for the latter half of the school day. It was there that I learned more about dance itself beyond learning dance moves. I studied various choreographers, different styles, and a choreographer from New York City was a guest in our studio and taught us some dance steps. It was an experience I will never forget.
Last Learned
What is the last thing you learned?
The last thing I learned was real estate.
Learning
Learning is never-ending. Even if you know quite a bit in the area you are interested or work in, there is still something to learn about it. If classes come available in your area, free or paid, take it. It doesn’t matter how much you know already. Take it. This past Saturday, March 4 (2023), a free class about self-publishing came available through the Willamette Writers at the library here in Oregon, USA. I’m a self-published author and have published my own books three times now. I did that without a class because Amazon provides a wealth of free tutorials and videos to assist an author through that process, so I learned a lot having done that.
This doesn’t any mean I know all there is to know about self-publishing. The online tutorials and videos are great, but participating in a live classroom experience on the subject provides a wider range of information on the subject. I had an opportunity to talk to other authors who are self-published to get an idea of what they do. I enjoyed it, and I still learned more than what I already knew. So, whatever area you are interested in, learn even more about it.
Not even for a day
If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why?
There is no one else I’d rather be. I like who I am. I’m happy. Even with everything I’ve been through in my life, I like where I am at in life. I got here through trial, error, and learning. Praise God for leading me through it all.
Knowledge and Knowing
Knowing something doesn’t mean you have the knowledge. Seek to understand first.
Upgrade
What do you want to learn? What interests you? Do you ever know all there is to know about what you do know? Lifelong learning. That’s where it’s at. One of the areas that interests me the most is writing fiction. Even though I write a lot, doesn’t mean I know all there is to know about it. I am always eager to know more. So I look at what others do and take my cue from them. I can use that to come up with my own tricks, so can you. I enjoy reading books about writing. Even though I am published, I still yearn to know more.
But, know this. Take what you learn and make it your own. What works for others might not work for you. I learned this lesson early on years ago. I found that a combination of methods works for me.
Whatever it is you enjoy doing, continue to learn about it. Be a lifelong learner of what you do. Continue to upgrade what you enjoy.
WRITE TIME AND AGAIN 