writing

About NaNoWriMo & Lowered Expectations

November 17, 2017December 13, 2017 Lindsey P. Brackett1 Comment

Chances are if you’re NaNoWriMo-ing (writers love to make up words), you’re halfway through and you might’ve hit that wall. The first five days it’s all bliss and world-building. You’re as smitten by your characters as they may be with each other.

Then this story has to actually go somewhere.

You’re halfway in–maybe you’re even on track to hit the 50K goal. Or maybe you’ve already missed a couple of days and figuring your deadline is shot, you settle in for a Netflix binge promising yourself, next year. Next year, you’ll exceed expectation.

Can I give you some advice?

Just lower your expectations for this year. For right now. This moment. NaNoWriMo or motherhood or Christmas or whatever you’re figuring has to be done a certain way in a certain time frame to get a certain t-shirt.

Me? I’m only pretending to NaNoWriMo. I’m finishing the next novel in my Edisto series and it hit the sand dune at about 50K. So I promised myself, if I just wrote 500 words a day, every day in November (which is the whole point of National Novel Writing Month’s challenge), then I would be at a point so close to the end, I’d be able to see it.

500 words a day. That’s 15,000 words in a month in case you’re wondering.

Some of you write that in a day. (I am not your friend but good job.)

My usual writing goal is 1000 words a day on whatever my creative project is at the time. Then there’s blog posts and newspaper columns and social media. I don’t know about you, but my words have been running dry. I couldn’t make 1000 words a day on this novel. I could barely get motivated to crank out a scene every 3 or 4 days.

But when I lowered my expectation, something happened. Psyche no doubt. Related to my need for achievement, I’m sure. But at 500 words a day, I could suddenly write 800.

And I could finish my novel.

Whatever’s pushing back on your expectation, give yourself some grace to maybe not go at it so hard. Set your expectation on reality–not the castle in the sky–and see if you don’t find yourself climbing higher than you’d ever imagined.

This sequel I’m writing? It’s even better when you’ve read Still Waters. Right now every purchases benefits my fundraising efforts for Dancing with the Stars for Hope. If you’re already one of my faithful readers, consider leaving a review on Goodreads or Amazon. Much love and thanks to you!

Ordinary Graces (Book Review + $75 Giveaway)

November 14, 2017November 14, 2017 Lindsey P. BrackettLeave a comment

I believe wholeheartedly in the glory of the everyday ordinary.

The morning light through the window on the hardwoods of my kitchen floor. The coolness of clean sheets after a long, weary day. The colors of peppers and onions caramelizing in a cast iron skillet.

In her new book of everyday devotions, Lucinda Seacrest McDowell distills the great ordinary graces of this world into one word a day.

Sleep. Flavor. Resource. Restore. Story. Weary. Carry. Baggage.

Sustain.

I’ve been reading out of order, choosing a word that suits my early morning, sipping my first cup of coffee, dark-thirty before everyone’s up mood. I guess you can tell some of my struggles just from some of those words.

But each day, Lucinda’s reflections speak to me. She pulls out a verse, such as Psalm 3:5–

I lay down and sleep; I will wake again because the Lord sustains me.

Then in only a few short paragraphs, she unpacks its simple wonder and reminders that first and foremost, I am God’s beloved, and He is mine. Sometimes there are statistics (apparently I’m not the only one whose anxiety rears up during sleep), references to movies, pop culture, or great theologians. Always, the reading closes out with a short prayer, a moment when I close my eyes, breath in my coffee’s steam, and open my heart.

A lovely devotion perfect for any one, in any circumstance, Ordinary Graces will bless your heart. In the good way of course.

Want to win a copy for yourself or a friend? How about $75 for Etsy? I’m delighted to be participating in this awesome blog tour giveaway with LitFuse Publicity. You can enter to win below.

Are you ready to receive gifts of ordinary grace and abundant life from God and His Word? Join Lucinda in focusing on one word a day through devotional readings and short benedictions in her new book, Ordinary Graces. God has given us many gifts, such as his grace—the gift we don’t deserve and can never earn. Promises from the One who declares we are already loved, already accepted, already created in his image. The question becomes, will we truly receive that gift? Will the reality of it actually change the way we think and notice and reach out?

Celebrate the release of Lucinda’s new book and grace your holiday season with a $75 Etsy gift card giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

A copy of Ordinary Graces
A $75 Etsy gift card
A grace bracelet
A set of Ordinary Graces greeting cards

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on November 24. The winner will be announced November 27 on the Litfuse blog.

Did you know Lucinda endorsed my novel? She called it a “brilliant debut”. I’m still smiling. You can get it right here.

I adore this book. It is wonderfully written and tells the story beautifully.

Friends · just write life · reflections · writing

Lessons Learned from Red Shoes

November 8, 2017November 7, 2017 Lindsey P. Brackett2 Comments

My friend Kim (aka The Well Dressed Writer) loves red shoes. She says they’re sassy and classy and can elevate an outfit from boring to brilliant.

She’s right.

I like comfortable shoes. Clogs. Crocs. Converse. These go-with-everything clearance finds that slip on easy when I’m headed out the door for the elementary school drop-off.

Y’all. I’m all about the easy.

But sometimes, sometimes, it’s good to be all about the brilliant. Good to find a new place to connect–even if it’s over something as simple as shoes. When I wore these fun (but so-not-me) plaid heels of Kim’s at the Ohio Christian Writers Conference last weekend, they sparked conversations and broke down barriers.

One pair of sassy red shoes. All it took. Because suddenly, I wasn’t just a writer talking about her book. I was a writer wearing cute shoes and others–even the men–made commenting on my shoes a thing.

And I made it through the whole day in the highest heels I’ve ever worn. I’m not going to lie. My feet hurt at the end of it. But isn’t that the way of life? Don’t we sometimes let ourselves hurt and sacrifice just a little so we can pour into others?

Obviously this is about more than red shoes.

I can get pretty obstinate at times about wanting to do things MY way. MY plan. MY goal. MY expectation. But sometimes, when I let myself be given a piece of advice and then I take it (i.e. these shoes will look better), I find myself experiencing a whole new world. One where I can suddenly connect with a woman I wouldn’t have known how to approach. One where I can praise my friend for her fancy and frugal eye. One where I can wear a pair of shoes that caused me fear–what if I trip? What if everyone can tell I don’t usually dress this way?

What if everyone still sees me as just that mom scribbling words in her yoga pants and praying they get read?

Or… what if I wear these shoes and I feel smart and confident and well-dressed? What if all that spills over and out as I talk about my book and my writing journey and motherhood and the chaos of everyday life that makes a non-ordinary day with it’s non-ordinary shoes so very, very special.

Get yourself some red shoes, friend. Or your equivalent. Do something outside your norm and embrace the doors that open, welcoming you inside.