National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) starts November 1, as it does every year.
This will be my TENTH NaNoWriMo!
Three of the books I wrote during National Novel Writing Month are published!
In a nutshell, NaNoWriMo is when you commit to writing 50,000 words in 30 days, the minimum words needed to be considered a novel (according to the Powers That Be in NaNoLand).
Every year that I participate, I finish with at least 50K words.
Believe me, this is something that you can do, too.
Have you been telling yourself, “I have no time! There’s no way I can do this!”? Clearly, if you have not yet written your book, then this method is not working for you. What would happen if you start asking yourself, “How can I make this work?”
Here is my Super Secret Formula for how to do it:
1. Decide to write your book (draft) in 30 days this November.
2. Do it!
Keep this quote in mind: What you seek is seeking you. ~Rumi
Welcome to this month’s BRAVE Interview with Melanie Delorme!
I am a teacher, a wife, a mother, an author who was given the role of bereaved mom in 2008 when my 8-year-old son, Garrett, was accidentally shot and killed in a hunting accident.
It would have been so easy to allow this horrific experience to define me as a grief-stricken mom for the rest of my life. I’m not sure how long it took me to realize that Garrett deserved a better legacy than that.
I also realized that healing and moving forward was my choice.
I try to choose every day to celebrate Garrett’s life and to remember that knowing him for eight years made me a better person.
I spent a lot of time writing in a journal during the first few years after Garrett’s death. I have since turned my writing into a book and published it. It is entitled, After the Flowers Die: A Handbook of Heartache, Hope and Healing After Losing a Child. I do not want any bereaved parent to ever feel alone. I have recently created a website, promoted my book at book signings, participated in my first TV interview, participated in a live grief webinar. Currently I am working on creating a journaling course for grieving parents.
When I think about the word Brave, I realize that sometimes bravery is simply getting out of bed and facing the world every day.
Sometimes bravery feels more like survival. While I don’t feel brave every day, I will continue to choose to move forward keeping my son’s memory alive through my writing and speaking.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE INTERVIEWED FOR THIS SERIES ABOUT SOMETHING BRAVE YOU HAVE DONE IN YOUR OWN LIFE, SEND ME AN EMAIL HERE: karen@karencreamer.com
Here is this month’s BRAVE Interview with Crissy Maier!
WHO are you?Someone who overcomes challenges. Whether it’s my cleft lip and palate, my learning disability, my struggles through the police academy, other health issues, problems at work – I’m not defined by any of them, but rather by my ability to integrate the lessons I’ve learned and to find ways to overcome the next challenge I will face.
WHAT is your One Brave Thing? Sometimes I wonder if I’ve done it yet. I seem to have succeeded at everything I’ve tried, or at least not failed miserably. I might need to try something harder to really be brave. But when thinking about this question, I’m reminded of my first trip to Europe. I arrived in London, almost got lost going to my hotel even though I had step by step instructions. The next day I got on a hop on and off bus and at the stop in Trafalgar Square I wanted to get off the bus, but I was afraid of getting off the bus. In some ways it was an insignificant moment, but it’s a moment that I’ve reminded myself of many, many times. It’s a moment that inspired an entire chapter of my book. It took a minute or two to talk myself into it, but I got off the bus at Trafalgar Square. I didn’t venture too far away from the bus stop, but I broke a barrier of fear. I traveled through Europe for two weeks before returning to London. When I did, I was a completely different person, I was taking the Tube to sites that I didn’t know how to get to and navigating the streets of London like I would the streets at home. It’s one of those rare opportunities in life when I got to see how much I had changed in a short period of time. When I’m afraid of something, I often think back to that experience.
WHEN did you do it?That was in 2005
WHERE did it occur?London and Europe
HOW and WHY did you make it happen?The woman who stepped off the plane in London in 2005 was ready for adventure, to see the world. But she was afraid of the unknown, of getting lost. But she was more afraid of missing out, or being a “failure.” When fear holds us back, sometimes we need to break down what the fear is, and what the realistic ‘bad’ outcome is. When we think of it logically, it’s usually not nearly as bad as it seems. It’s not always easy to do, it takes time and discipline. More importantly though, I think knowing why you want to do something, and the cost of not doing it, can be enough to give you the discipline needed to overcome the fear you have. If I wasn’t committed to seeing London (in one day), then maybe I wouldn’t have gotten off the bus and found out that it’s not so scary to face your fear.
Thank you so much for sharing your brave story with us, Crissy!
In A Beautiful, Terrible Thing, the author is telling a tale as old as time: she marries a man who betrays her. The story here, though, is the spectacular manner in which this is done. About 3/4 through it I considered stopping. It was a little annoying that she was so obsessed with this guy after what he did, but the way it unfolded to her–and therefore, to us, she really doesn’t know for sure that he was the dick-wad that we all suspect that he was. She was holding out for proof and hey, who am I to judge her for making unwise choices in her relationships? I have a long history of doing that myself.
My favorite part in the book:
The author’s therapist says: “Something inside of you was saying, ‘Whoa, hold on, this doesn’t add up,’ but you ignored that voice and plowed on. What we need to figure out is why and start to arm you with some concrete tools that you can draw on until you truly learn to listen to your intuition.”
I mean, Boom! Right?
You will probably enjoy this book.
Disclaimer: Bad wi-fi so video quality isn’t great. Proceed at your own risk.
I was pulled right in to the conversation between the angel and the woman at the outset of the book. But, is it an angel? Who is this woman? I have many questions and so I press on, intensely interested in how the answers would they reveal themselves.
This is not only a story of compassion; it’s an epic love story.
It’s not a typical love story, however. I don’t want to give too much away, so I will tread carefully here.
It is the love story of Maren and Sea (pronounced “Shay” for Seamus). Maren is different from other girls. She doesn’t get sick. The ‘magic brownies’ her peers are eating don’t have any effect on her.
Maren is also a girl whose reckless behavior has placed her at the brink of death many times in her young life. At the age of ten, she is assigned an angel who literally rescues her from death and then proceeds to watch over her. What is unusual is this: Maren can see him. Maren has always been able to see the ‘folks’, as she refers to them. She has always has this special ability, to be able to see behind “The Mystic Curtain”, as her mother refers to it.
This book is so much more than a “romance between a fallen angel and a lost girl” (p 169). It is also the story of parents’ love for their child. Of God’s love for us. It’s a brilliant exploration of what it means to be mortal and immortal, angel and human, and how we all fit together into the larger story of life. When life feels like a punishment, perhaps it’s because we can’t see the whole story.
Near the end of the book is a reference to a song that only Maren was hearing (P 282-283) .
“Maren stirred to its dreamy rhythm, understanding that this was the song of the world–the composition of creation.”
This sentence immediately brought a song to mind. To me, it felt like a perfect description of this song sung by Andrea Bocelli, Canto Della Terra (Mighty Sun).
There are several quotes that I loved at the outset of each chapter, including one from The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer, one of my favorite books ever (p 225), so it was hard to narrow it down to one favorite, but I managed.
My favorite quote from the book (P 214):
“The truth was that they were living out this story together; every heart in every age was essential and connected…and so their each and every choice mattered to the whole.”
I loved this book The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty.
It’s about husbands and wives and mothers and daughters and sisters and any practically any other relationships you can think of, including one’s relationship with oneself. Boom.
Real, messy, honest relationships.
One note: Pay attention at the beginning of the book because you will be introduced to several characters and you don’t want to be distracted or multitasking and get confused.
Like I did.
No problem, though. I just referred to the drawing at the beginning of the book and it straightened me right out.
The best quote from the book is on page 128, a wife thinking about her husband:
“She’d hated him for a while over that. Really hated him. But then she just got tired of hating him and started loving him again. It was easier.”
This book has a twist at the end that I never saw coming. Totally worth reading. I had a hard time putting it down once I started reading it. I had the characters dancing around in my head at the oddest moments.
I just closed this book and I have tears streaming down my face. Usually, I wouldn’t care for a book that left me in this emotional state. This book was different, however.
This is one of the best books I have ever read, maybe in my whole life.
I was looking forward to this new book by Elizabeth Berg, The Story of Arthur Truluv for months. I have read all of Berg’s books, but I can’t remember when the last one was. It has been a while, that’s for sure.
It was so worth the wait!
This book is a love story, but not a typical one. You will be drawn into the lives of these people immediately. This is a book you will not be able to put down, and yet you must, because you are going to want to go slowly and savor the characters and the story, to make it last as long as you can.
You will truly love this book. The characters will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
Once I have chosen My One Word, I like to have some fun with it.
This year is no different.
Once you’ve settled on your word, the first thing to do is to start noticing anything that catches your attention when you are out living your life. Since I love rocks and crystals, I was very alert to a talk that I was listening to online that mentioned my word (CLARITY) in the discussion of the crystal. As soon as it was over, I looked it up.
Tanzanite!
Three tanzanite: the blue stones atop the chunk of pink rose quartz.
“Tanzanite is a deep blue and purple zoisite crystal. It is known as one of the most valuable stones for metaphysical healing.
They are strong stones to assist you to develop psychic power, so this aspect may help you if you are considering entering psychic employment.
They are high crystal energy stones. These crystals have a quite high vibration and are known as stones of transformation.”
So, you can’t make this stuff up, right? The Metaphysical Nurse is my alter ego. All of the points I just listed above are things I will be working on in 2018. I love having the support of the crystals as I create my best life in the coming year for the highest good of all.
A Mind of Your Ownby Kelly Brogan MD is an important book. There is no other way to say it. If you are taking medication for depression/anxiety
this book could quite possibly change your life!
Even if you decide not to follow the protocol she outlines. How? Because after you read this book, you will know.
And once you know, you can’t NOT know.
This book is very readable. Even though it’s written by a doctor, most of it feels more like you having coffee (whoops–I mean roasted dandelion root. Or, you know, water) with a friend. A very caring friend who believes in you and your ability to support your wondrous body in healing itself. And who, with any luck at all, will convince you of this.
Full disclosure: the protocol itself recommended by the author kind of terrifies me.
I’m wondering if I treat it like menu suggestions rather than maxims, if I can get the same benefit. (Probably not). There are recipes included in the book, some of which sound good to me. The author is Italian, after all, so there’s a good sporting chance that they’ll be good. Finally, I am a big fan of coffee, but am not excited about the idea of inserting a tube into my rectum to introduce it to my system. I love me some spicy eggnog coffee o.ral.ly. ‘Nuf said.
WHO are you?I’m 36. An artist, a woman in love, a widow, a crafter, a teacher, and a seeker of joy. I live in Wisconsin with my boyfriend, TJ, and my Beagle, Gracie.
WHAT is your One Brave Thing? It’s hard to pick just one – honestly, it’s been a journey. I was 32 when my husband died by suicide. After that, I found that I had to face new fears and learn how to create a new life for myself.About nine months after he passed, I went away for a week by myself. I was having trouble trusting my own decisions and I knew I needed to leave my comfort zone in order to move forward. The trip was transformational and ultimately led to my decision to leave my home in Iowa and move to Wisconsin for a fresh start. Art journaling and crafting were such a vital part of my healing process, and I really wanted to share that with others. My ultimate brave thing was to leave my day job in order to start a business teaching art classes and offering coaching services.
WHEN did you do it? I started my company, Determined to Shine, about 18 months ago. It’s been a bit of a crazy journey, to be sure. But without a doubt, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.
WHERE did it occur? Right here in Madison, Wisconsin.
HOW did you make it happen? One step at a time! Determined to Shine has grown into so much – weekend retreats, several online workshops, and even one-on-one coaching services. Sometimes it can seem like all of that happened at once, but it’s been a gradual process. For those looking to make a career change – don’t let the size of the task overwhelm you! Pick apart each task into small chunks, and just get started.
WHY did you do it? The idea for Determined to Shine had been in my mind for several years. Ultimately, I realized I was just going to have to take a leap and be willing to fail. I didn’t want to wake up in three more years and still be talking about it. Taking that leap was terrifying, and I had to build my plan along the way. But everything that’s worth anything is scary. Determined to Shine has brought so much joy into my life and the lives of others – I can’t imagine what life would be like if I hadn’t done that one brave thing.
Thank you, Allyson, for sharing your brave story with us!
Usually, I wouldn’t care for a book that left me in this emotional state. This book was different, however.
Karen Creamer Author, Coach, Speaker 
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