Ten Great Writing Tips from Jeff Goins

 

If I could just get over my perfectionist tendencies!

I'm always on the lookout for great writing tips. Here are some wonderful ones from bestselling author Jeff Goins! 

Jeff Goins

• Write every day.
• Make sure your writing is effective.
• Don’t be lazy; do your best to avoid sounding stupid.
• Stay focused! Distraction is the enemy of all great art.
• Stop worrying about being a good writer; just write.
• Forget about fame; write what’s worth writing.
• Get over your perfectionist tendencies.
• Don’t write to get published.
• Write with conviction.
• Read.

Have any advice you'd like to share? 

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

10 Best Things About Spring

Where I live, it was about 35 degrees and snowing this morning. It's April 18, and that was just wrong! It's spring, and I'm ready for it to feel that way. I can't wait for warmer weather, to wear lighter clothes, and to ditch my winter coat once and for all (until next winter, at least)!

There's lots to love about spring and it's my second favorite season after summer! I found this article by Nicola Monro and thought I'd share it today:

No matter where you are in the world, one thing everyone loves is when the spring season comes around. Spring is a great time of year; the world seems to be renewed. Here are the to 10 most special things about spring that many people agree on.

1. Love – Spring is the time for love to flourish – it’s just the way nature works. Studies have shown that more people fall in love in spring than in any other season. Love makes the world go round, so if you’re looking for a lifetime partner, get searching this season!
2. Open Windows – Spring is a time when you can open all your windows and let the fresh air and mild breezes flow in. Spring allows you to freshen your home and makes you feel energetic, positive and rearing to get going with life!
3. Return Of Birds – The birds return when spring starts and you get to hear their beautiful chirping and songs from outside of your window. Bird watchers love this season when birds return from other climates which are entering their cooler seasons.
4. Clothing – Spring allows the transition from heavy clothing to lightweight clothing. It allows you to mix and match outfits, and try new colorful outfits that flatter your body you have been keeping healthy and exercised throughout the winter months.
5. Sunshine – Spring is when the sun shows its face again for longer periods of time and heralds warm days ahead. It’s a season that isn’t too hot or cold and the temperatures are ideal for playing sports or engaging in outdoor activities and pastimes. The sky is blue and the light clear days reflects your inner happiness.
6. Happy Colors – Spring also brings out the beautiful colors of the earth. From the blue sky and luscious greenness of the grass to the myriad of blossoming flowers, spring is a rainbow of colorful delight.
7. Spring Cleaning – No one likes to clean, but for some reason when spring rolls around we have an urge to spring clean, renew and throw out those unwanted items. Spring gives us motivation and a desire to move on with life.
8. Holidays – Spring is a great time to go holidaying. The weather is right, the mood is right, and with all those week-ends, there is little to stop you. Many Americans take holidays to tropical islands and destinations to soak up the sun before it gets too hot.
9. Baby Animals – A time of rebirth, baby animals are in abundance during the spring season. Baby ducklings, baby rabbits, baby birds- just cute baby creatures everywhere!
10. Express Yourself – Spring somehow makes you want to express the joyful and optimistic side of yourself, to show off your best side. So dress up, step out, and smile for all the world to see.

What do you love most about spring? Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Easter Symbols and Traditions

Easter is this coming Sunday, April 17. A few years ago I found an Easter egg dye kit stuffed in the back of my pantry. At the time, it was several years old because my kids had outgrown that tradition. Way back when, they enjoyed dying the eggs, but never ate them. 

In addition to outgrowing the fun of dying Easter eggs, they've outgrown the myth of  the Easter Bunny. However, one thing remains: they still enjoy eating Easter candy!

Ever wonder how these traditions came about? Here are some fascinating facts from History.com:

The Easter Bunny
The Bible makes no mention of a long-eared, short-tailed creature who delivers decorated eggs to well-behaved children on Easter Sunday; nevertheless, the Easter bunny has become a prominent symbol of Christianity’s most important holiday. The exact origins of this mythical mammal are unclear, but rabbits, known to be prolific procreators, are an ancient symbol of fertility and new life. According to some sources, the Easter bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.” Their children made nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs. Eventually, the custom spread across the U.S. and the fabled rabbit’s Easter morning deliveries expanded to include chocolate and other types of candy and gifts, while decorated baskets replaced nests. Additionally, children often left out carrots for the bunny in case he got hungry from all his hopping.

Easter Eggs
Easter is a religious holiday, but some of its customs, such as Easter eggs, are likely linked to pagan traditions. The egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring. From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus’ emergence from the tomb and resurrection. Decorating eggs for Easter is a tradition that dates back to at least the 13th century, according to some sources. One explanation for this custom is that eggs were formerly a forbidden food during the Lenten season, so people would paint and decorate them to mark the end of the period of penance and fasting, then eat them on Easter as a celebration.

Easter Candy
Easter is the second best-selling candy holiday in America, after Halloween. Among the most popular sweet treats associated with this day are chocolate eggs, which date back to early 19th century Europe. Eggs have long been associated with Easter as a symbol of new life and Jesus’ resurrection. Another egg-shaped candy, the jelly bean, became associated with Easter in the 1930s (although the jelly bean’s origins reportedly date all the way back to a Biblical-era concoction called a Turkish Delight). According to the National Confectioners Association, over 16 billion jelly beans are made in the U.S. each year for Easter, enough to fill a giant egg measuring 89 feet high and 60 feet wide. For the past decade, the top-selling non-chocolate Easter candy has been the marshmallow Peep, a sugary, pastel-colored confection. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based candy manufacturer Just Born (founded by Russian immigrant Sam Born in 1923) began selling Peeps in the 1950s. The original Peeps were handmade, marshmallow-flavored yellow chicks, but other shapes and flavors were later introduced, including chocolate mousse bunnies.

For more great facts regarding the signs and symbols of Easter, click here.

Happy Easter in advance! Is any of this information new to you?

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Laughter Really is the Best Medicine

In life, as in writing, it's important to see humor in even serious situations. In literature, humor eases the stress level in tension filled scenes to give the reader a chance to catch his breath.

American Heritage Dictionary defines comic relief as follows: n. A humorous or farcical interlude in a serious literary work or drama, especially a tragedy intended to relieve the dramatic tension or heighten the emotional impact by means of contrast.

Wikipedia says, "William Shakespeare deviated from the classical tradition and used comic relief in Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, The Merchant of Venice and Romeo and Juliet. The Porter scene in Macbeth, the grave-digger scene in Hamlet and the gulling of Roderigo provide immense comic relief... In popular culture, the character of C-3PO, featured in all six Star Wars films, is also considered to be used as comic relief. He is often found criticizing the desperate situation the other characters find themselves in, or being rescued from predicaments by his counterpart R2-D2."

In real life a good laugh is important, too. According to About.com's page on Stress Management:

• Laughter gives us a physical and emotional release
• Good belly laughs work out the diaphragm, contract the abs, and exercise the shoulders
• Laughter takes away focus from negative emotions like anger, guilt, or stress in a more positive way than an ordinary distraction.

To learn more about the health benefits of laughter, click here!

Here's my prescription for a happy, stress free life: Smile, laugh, hug often--oh, and read some good books with lots of comic relief! What's yours?

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!