Encouragement Pages 5/31/2023

You have to love this. This thing called writing, its storm of chaotic creating, you must begin to enjoy.

Again: you have to love this. There is a part creativity that is tied to gratefulness. It is tied to gratefulness because that is always a power source. The more gracious you are–the easier creation becomes.

And trust me, you need to have some part of this which is writing.

You have to love it. You must be gracious. You must keep going.

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Encouragement Pages 5/29/2023

The fact is this: the momentum you want as a writer you have. Why do I say this?

Half the success you will ever have as a writer is dependent on your ability to believe in your first.

Once you do that, the rest is just work. And trust me, the work will always be there.

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Encouragement Pages: 05/10/2023

Note: Look for more about The Turnback later this month. -JBH

The Turnback.

No writer really wants to talk about that.

This is the point where we want to abandon the work, think the work is horrible, or see no use in going for it.

It is crazy to think about something that you have worked so hard on that you would scrap! It happen more often than you think.

There are some things that you may have to scrap, and there are some things that you may have to write through.

Before you ‘turnback’, think of these three things:

1.) If I give this more time, can I write more?

2.) If I rewrite this, will it be better?

3.) Why do I want to scrap this? If so, tell yourself why.

Before your delete the work, ask yourself these questions.

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

May 2023: Being Steadfast (Turn #1 When You Want To Turn Back)

My first turn was soon after the first time I published my first book of poetry: LOVE SONGS OF THE UNREQUITED.

I wasn’t taught alot about marketing, making a social media presence, or developing an audience. Yet, all the great things that are happening to me at this point was trial and error.

Sometimes that is great–sometimes that is a detriment.

Yet when my first book wasn’t an instant smash, I could have stopped. But I didn’t.

I could have stopped when my first book signing that was self-funded, wasn’t as great as I wanted–I could have stopped. But I didn’t.

Not because I’m not talent, but because it was hard. It is hard.

It is that hardness, that difficulty, that is enough to make anyone stop. Yet, I did not. I could not! I wanted to see how this would shake out! I wanted to see what could happen. The curiosity of the continue make me think that I might be able to do this if I could just keep going. If I could figure this out, if I could make this my own–if I could just figure out HOW to keep going–then I would.

With my Turn–I had to push past doubt to keep going.

The Turn will demand that you believe the fear–or the fact (that you might be able to do this if you keep going).