WriteOnCon - I'm Obsessed and It Hasn't Even Started

In case you haven't heard - WriteOnCon starts tomorrow (well, to be precise - 12:01 am) - a mere 16 hours away.

I'd never heard of WriteOnCon before Sunday morning - but it has quickly become a new obsession for me. It is totally free and completely online. And can anyone really pass up an opportunity to be reviewed by a Ninja Agent? Not me certainly.

I'm re-reading my first 250 words, polishing the first 5 pages, dusting off the query (abandoned last May when school let out and my days disappeared).  My user name is "FictionaLynn" and I hope to find a few friends over at the WriteOnCon Forums.

Writers! This looks like a fabulous event - click any of my links and see what you are missing!

Updating the Playlists

In the course of just two days, I've been reminded twice of the importance of using music to motivate, inspire and "get in the zone" where I can be most productive.

I was incredibly fortunate to be at a sports psychology seminar with Daniel Stewart - former coach of the U.S. Equestrian Team (and one of the most energetic and up-beat people I've ever met). The first thing he discussed was the importance of using music to improve performance. He recommends developing playlists with motivating messages and that you start listening to that playlist the Monday or Tuesday before a competition.

Today, Writer Unboxed has a post that asks, Does Music Put You In The Mood? For me, the answer is clearly Yes! My favorite type of music for writing involves female voices and a jazzy sound - Madeleine Peyroux, Joan Osborne, Diane Schurr - I can write all day when they are singing.

For some reason, I'd forgotten how important music is to me - both to spark creativity and to motivate. As the summer draws to a close and I begin to reclaim my day for writing (rather than playing the role of chauffeur), I will remind myself to also take the time to update my playlists and turn on the music.

It's supposed to be fun

As I sat here thinking about what to put in a blog post - after weeks of traveling, reading, and horses (but not much writing), I saw this pic I took at the USPC East Coast Champs a couple of weeks ago. I love the focus of the kid, the moving pony, the reach for the mug - but mostly, I love how it reminds me that we do these things because they are fun and we love doing them.

I love to write, although I don't always remember that I love to write because it is fun. As we get older, we do so much because we have to, need to, are expected to, yada yada. It's almost unbecoming to admit that you do the things you do because you love them and find them fun.

So here's hoping you find the fun in your daily job, whatever it might be. If you have to do these things, why not make them fun, too?