What day is it? Oh…okay, Happy Tuesday and welcome back to Artistry With Words.
Changes are in store for this writer…and really they always are. I’m constantly taking a look at my long-range plan and tweaking my weekly efforts to better align with the plan. Since it’s October now that means it is time for another tweak. Note that my plan doesn’t change. My five year plan has remained the same since Day One of my writing adventure. What does change is my approach to that plan, depending on all of those influences that hit us writers almost daily.
So that will be our focus today…..adjusting the approach to our plan.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Man’s unique reward, however, is that while animals survive by adjusting themselves to their background, man survives by adjusting his background to himself.”
Ayn Rand
Let me admit right here and right now that I have never liked reading Ayn Rand….but…I like this quote.
TIP OF THE DAY
What has worked for you in the past with regards to writing? Find your successes and repeat them. What has not worked in the past? Either change your approach or stop wasting time repeating failures.
CONTEST OF THE DAY
The Permafrost Book Size Poetry Contest is accepting submissions. Entry fee is $20 for up to 50 pages, and the deadline is November 15th. You can read about it here.
MONEY SITE OF THE DAY
Ucross Foundation is accepting applications for their 2-8 week residency for artists and writers. Located on a working cattle ranch in Ucross, Wyoming, the Foundation offers an excellent retreat for those needing to get in touch with their artistic talents in a supportive community. Applications can be found here.
PROMPT OF THE DAY
What do you see? What do you feel looking at this picture? Can you write 300 words on it?
WRITER OF THE DAY
Say hello to my dear friend Mary, or Tillsontitan on HubPages. Mary is the perfect example of niche writing with her series on the Academy Awards. Check her out here.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Don’t be afraid of change in this business. The online writing stage is changing almost daily, and you need to change with it….but above all, and I say this in all seriousness….work on perfecting your craft. I don’t care what approach you take and how many things you try to change; if your writing is subpar then people will notice.
SEE YOU AGAIN ON THURSDAY
Every Tuesday and Thursday you can count on this writing blog to appear. I hope you find something that is helpful, and thank you for visiting during your busy day.
Bill
“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 
Nice shout out to Mary today. And know and do love her so from Hubpages. Also, I am constantly evolving as a writer. The overall goals stay the same, but the also adjusting things ever so slightly, too here. Happy Tuesday Bill and this week is already shaping up to be a great one here and hope the same for you! 🙂
I’m just plodding along with my plan here, Janine. Some day it will hopefully all pay off. Thank you as always my friend.
I’m constantly adjusting…constantly! But I guess it’s like anything else…once you get comfortable some random rule changes and throws you a curve ball!
Kelly, when I played baseball the curve ball was the toughest pitch for me to hit….I’m still trying. 🙂 Thanks Kelly!
I’m working on my business plan and breaking it down into monthly goals. I find the computer can be my biggest distraction, so yesterday I took a pad and pencil, some sticky flags, a highlighter and sat out back going over the research material I’ve been accumulating but haven’t had the time to read. Today will be more of the same. Once I get thru the e-books and ‘freebies’ offered by bloggers and various other writers, which I feel will be of great help to my learning curve, I will have a better idea of my direction. Well, I have the direction, I’m working on laying out a plan as to how to go about it.
Sounds to me, Sha, as though you are right on track. Once you have that business plan in place you can set a schedule and adjust accordingly. Good luck dear friend.
Bill, I’m feeling less frazzled. Carol Rice of Make a Living Writing responded to a comment I left on her blog telling her how I’m in learning mode and not having the time to write as the result. She said, even tho she is busy blogging, that she is learning how to market herself. Her answer to the inundation that results in lack of production is to only read the posts that pertain to her current mission; delete the rest. That’s one reason I’ve chosen to read the material I’ve printed (to include in my many binders of reference materials – hey what can I say – I’m old school and still prefer to refer to pages I can touch and feel and have written notes all over) outside where I’m not distracted my incoming emails. Plus I’m getting some very much needed fresh air!
Sha, I still print out everything of importance so I can hold it while reading…that will never change. 🙂 Sunshine? What the hell is that? LOL
I have sunshine while you have rain and you have sunshine while I have rain. Maybe that’s why we connect. We each have something the other needs! 🙂
Like you, my ultimate plan stays the same, but how I get there is constantly changing. It’s not a bad thing so long as it takes me to the goal line. One of my ultimate goals is to find a niche – ONE thing to write about. I’m down to two now. It use to be ten, so two subjects is getting me closer to the goal of one subject. I’m a fan of both subjects, so if I could find a way to combine the two into one, that would be the most fun I’ll ever have as a writer.
Marlene, I’d say narrowing it down to two is huge progress. 🙂 Drop me an email if you want me to kick around some idea on how to combine the two. Thank you my California friend.
I too am making several adjustments to my long-term plans.*
*understatement of the year
😀
Lizzy, that statement goes far beyond understatement….I’m not sure there is a classification for that statement. 🙂
This is a motivating and energizing post. You selected a wonderful example of niche writing with our Mary Craig, as her Academy Awards articles are unique and memorable.
Please take some time to enjoy the sunshine, Bill. Love and thanks, Maria
Maria, I’ll have to manufacture my own sunshine. We are flooding. 🙂 Thank you dear friend for the visit.
I feel like I just won the Academy Award! Thank you Bill, your praise is the epitome of excellence to me!!!
Mary, I was very happy to mention you….I love what you are doing with your niche and your writing in general.
yup, I agree Bill.
Gotta change according to the seasons 🙂 that challenge is essential for our growth!
Happy Tuesday indeed.
Change keeps life interesting, Ruchira. I would be bored without it. 🙂 Have a great Wednesday and thank you.
Hi Bill,
Ah change . . . being able to adapt and tweak is king I have come to realize, wise words my friends! LOVE your writer of the day section and Mary is a QUEEN and great friend whose work truly is so well written. Her niche on the Academy awards is excellent, good shout my friend! Love your posts my friend, have a great day!
Hey Suzie! Thanks for taking the time to stop by. Can you imagine going through life refusing to change? I’m glad I finally learned to roll with the punches. 🙂
Billy, I am still evaluating and organizing my ultimate plan. From there I can make a schedule of sorts. I love the reminder to keep doing what is working and forget about what is not–in other words, work smart, not hard! Excellent advice as always. How are you doing with all that liquid sunshine, my friend?
Pearl
Hey Connie, good to see you. I think you are smart to evaluate and organize before committing to a plan. In the long run it will help you. As for the liquid sunshine…man oh man, have we ever received our share and then some. Relief is on the way starting tomorrow. 🙂
Bill, I love your prompt of the day. It does help to visualize and then write to increase writing creativity. Mary and Till are great hubpage writers.
Thank you Dee…I love prompts like that; they are a free pass for me to let my imagination roam. 🙂