Saturday, September 1, 2007

What Are You Waiting For . . . and Why?

I'm a firm believer that writers should hang out with other writers. Online and off. I belong to a number of online writer's groups and I learn something from all of them. I get tips on everything from outlining my novels to creating blogs and getting them noticed by the masses. Everything I learn from other writers encourages me and makes my writing life easier.

This week I scanned a discussion on one of my favorite loops and came across this wise advice by Montana author Wanda Rosseland. It spoke to my heart. I wrote Wanda for permission to share because honestly, people, you'll never read better advice than this.

ADVICE
Don't Wait.
Don't wait to get to be a better writer.
Don't wait for the kids to grow up.
Don't wait to approach that (big, important) magazine you want to write for.
Don't wait for your mother's/husband's/sister's/brother's/boss'/wife's/YOUR OWN approval. Especially don't wait for anyone's approval.
Don't wait until you have the money.
Don't wait until there is time.
Don't wait for accolades.
If you want to write, ask permission of no man.
Just do it.

Wanda Rosseland became a published writer by not waiting. Frustrated at the lack of material for women in a farm magazine, she wrote the editor and suggested a column expressly for women, written by her. To her astonishment, he accepted and “Up My Country Road” was born, 800 words describing life on her family’s farm. Since then, Wanda has had work in many publications, and contributes regularly to Guideposts and Angels on Earth magazines, where she still relates stories about nature and country living under the Big Sky. Inspiration, encouragement, and positive and helpful critiques all come from members of her online writer’s group, The Marble Shapers.

Wanda says, “These writers are the gold in the mountains for me. Fantastic writers, best friends, and women whose hearts are close to God. After writing for years in solitude, it is a gift to be a part of this group.”

Wanda writes non-fiction and is working on a book of people who have seen angels. She can be reached at: wjross@midrivers.com

I'm introducing Wanda to you because she's a great example of someone who didn't wait to achieve her dreams. What are you waiting for . . . and why? Whatever excuse you have, it's not good enough.

Don't wait.
Don't wait.
Don't wait.

~Jess

1 comment:

joshua said...

It's so nice for me to have found this blog of yours, it's so interesting. I sure hope and wish that you take courage enough to pay me a visit in my PALAVROSSAVRVS REX!, and plus get some surprise. My blog is also so cool! Don't think for a minute that my invitation is spam and I'm a spammer. I'm only searching for a public that may like or love what I write.

Feel free off course to comment as you wish and remember: don't take it wrong, don't think that this visitation I make is a matter of more audiences for my own blogg. No. It's a matter of making universal, realy universal, all this question of bloggs, all the essential causes that bring us all together by visiting and loving one another.

You must not feel obliged to come and visit me. An invitation is not an intimation. Also know that if you click on one of my ads I'm promised to earn a couple of cents for that: I would feel happy and rewarded (because I realy need it!!!) if you did click it, but once again you're totaly free to do what ever you want. I, for instance, choose immediatly to click on one of your ads, in case you have them. To do so or not, that's the whole beauty of it all, however, blogocitizens must unite also by clicking-helping eachother when we know cybermegacorporations profit from our own selfishness regarding to that simple click.

About this I must say, by my own experience, that no one realy cares (maybe a few) about this apeal I make, still I believe in my Work and Dreams and thus I'll keep on apealing and searching so strong is my will.

I think it's to UNITE MANKIND that we became bloggers! Don't see language as an obstacle but as a challenge (though you can use the translater BabelFish at the bottom of my page!) and think for a minute if I and the rest of the world are not expecting something like a broad cumplicity. Remenber that pictures talk also. Open your heart and come along!!!!!