Once in a Blue Moon and Three simple words.

I heard on the news this morning that we're having a 'Blue Moon' tonight - the 13th full moon in one year and on a lunar eclipse - a rare occasion. So, does this mean that all those things we thought we'd never do must be done today?
That once in a blue moon event is due - so start thinking about all those things you thought you'd like to do and never got round to, because this is the time?

I thought I'd use this for the New Year Resolution ideas this year. In the past there have been different approaches to this resolution business. One I liked and adopted for many years was the resolution to 'not chase eskimos'. It summed up my cynical approach to all things resolute - promises made to be broken etc. Then I moved on and did the three pronged approach - a physical, an intellectual and and a spiritual grouping of resolutions. Last year I tried the 'Best Year Yet' approach - a great book (get it and read it at least once) which encourages you to make resolutions that are doable and more importantly fit in with your life. I'm pleased to report that apart from the 'Yoga' (which I did try a couple of times), I managed to hit all my goals last year.

So, that brings us to 2010 and this blue moon. I feel obliged by the phenomena that nature has provided to at least go for one seemingly out of reach goal, which I'll come to later. My friend Jacqui Lofthouse suggests you get ten goals and filter them down to be represented by three words. How hard can three words be?

As anyone trying to say 'I love you' or 'I am sorry' will tell you - three words are the most difficult in the world.

I have thought about this and decided to chose these three:

Complete - I need to complete my novel and get it out there. I need to finish, tidy up and allow things to get to the next stage.

Focus - Focusing on the previous word might help, but also to focus on each moment whether it is teaching, writing, playing or kicking back, this is a 'live in the moment' commitment.

Build - I want to build on what I achieved last year, not just leave things as they are, but to move them forward.

So, what is the out of reach, once in a blue moon goal?

I don't know the answer to this. I think we all feel our goals are just chances, once in a lifetime opportunities, that's what makes them goals. So perhaps this one should just be Acceptance, take what life offers and accept it all.

Have a wonderful New Year and in the words of the dyslexic, never lose sight of your goats!

Back in the Swim.

Hello, yes, I came back to the blog. More out of frustration than anything else. I had such plans for the Christmas Holidays, and now I'm stuck in Jury Service and all plans are out of the window. Mainly, getting back to the novel and getting next 20,000 words edited and off to agent/s.

An update is probably required here. In the summer I finished first rough draft - oh yes, eventually, 72,000 words came or were dragged out of me and onto the page. I then polished and refined 20,000 of them and sent them off to friendly agent and powerful agent. Both liked it! Eek! Both wanted to see more. So naturally I instantly stopped writing - duh, obvious innit. That's what any good self destructive does. At the time though I just thought I was busy doing other things - like teaching and life, until I read the rather less rough draft of an ex-students book. She is writing about the activity of Creativity and how we cope with it in our lives (I'm not sure that's how she'd describe it, but it is sufficient for my purposes this morning).
It was a revealing read. She talks about the archetypes in all of us and our fears of success and failure being equal. (There's more, but you'll have to buy the book when it comes out.)

Knowing the problem is half the battle. I'm a firm believer that 'Writers Block' doesn't exist - it is a euphemism for 'can't be arsed'. The sad truth is that I couldn't be arsed to take the risk. Shame on me, I know. But knowledge is powerful, and now that I know the problem I can deal with it.

So many of my students are bright and talented, but afraid and I see my job, in some part, in leading them out of this fear and back to the joy of writing. So if any of you are reading this, hang on in there, it happens to us all, but it is possible to deal with.

Delightful evening last night having dinner with local writers group in Richmond, all of them have had varying degrees of success and failure - the ideal group to pose this problem to. They all agreed that the fear factor was ever present and yes, it wasn't just fear of failure, it was fear of success too.
One of our group signed a huge (really huge) book deal for three children's books a few years ago. She said that for weeks after signing the deal and getting her deadline she was frozen, unable to even understand what she'd already written let alone write some more!

It happens and when it does, you just have to do that 'standing by the pool' thing, hold your nose, close your eyes and jump. The water is never as cold as you imagine, and after a few desperate paddles you'll be back in the flow, feeling the sure strength of your words skim past you as you plough on, sleek, strong and happy.

So, even though I've got Jury Service for the next two weeks, I'm packing up the lap top and my notes and heading off to edit while I wait to be called.

So, come on you guys, get out of the shallows and jump in too. The water's fine.