Misty Mornings or Nebulous Nights?

"Day vs. Night" by TangYauHoong via foter.com

I want to be a Morning Lark. I read this beautiful post on writing in the morning and it inspired me to try (again) to set my alarm for crazy o'clock and try this morning writing thing. 

It sounds so artsy, so sophisticated. I love this idea of writing in the morning when everyone is still caught up in their pre-dawn dreams and the world holds its breath waiting for the sun to rise. I love the idea of writing in this dim, gray stillness and quiet. 

So I set the alarm every night for weeks, sure of my intention to get up and work before BoyChild wakes. I anticipate the relief and gratification of spending my days knowing I'd already written my words.

One Lovely Blog Award

Bronzed award from Cassandra Page's blog

Wow. I'm excited and humbled by Amber A Bardan's nomination for this One Lovely Blog Award. It's especially flattering because it's an award given to writers by other writers (blush). Thank you, Amber!

It's much like a blog hop in that I was tagged, I must tell you seven random things about me, then I'm to tag seven other writers.

Back in March, 2012 I wrote a 5 Random Things About Me blog post. Though it was tempting, I did not duplicate any of those things here.

Semi-Annual Book Review: Jul-Dec, 2012

Click HERE to check out my second book review post up on MyCakeFace: Random Bloggery by AJ Bradley.

"I Love to Read" by Carlos Porto via foter.com

Can Making a List Change Your Life?

In the spirit of the New Year, I've completely gutted my desk. Threw out dead pens, empty tape rolls, crumpled receipts, and tattered notebooks. What should have taken an hour, took several because I got all swept up reading through some of these old notebooks. 

I've discovered I have a serious list-making addiction. Grocery lists, party-planning lists, gifts to get BoyChild lists. And then I stumbled upon another list, a little different from the rest. In fact, it was a series of 4 lists: "How to Get Happy Starting Now - 2011".

"Colours" by Camdiluv via foter.com

 

Merry Christmas Everyone!

It's Christmas Time! from rbieze on 8tracks Radio.

I want to take this brief moment to wish you all the best over this holiday season. 

I hope that this time of family and friends brings you comfort and peace in these troubled times. 

I wish you and yours health and happiness.

Thank you for visiting me here on Scribbles & Strikethroughs and welcoming me into your online family. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope to see you again in 2013: Year of the Snake

XOXO

AJ

4 Things That Kept Me Writing: Lessons from NaNoLand

Garry-Tony's-Cave USA by Christian Panama

Here are 4 things I want to share with you; things that I've learned, mostly over the last year, but more profoundly over the course of my NaNoWriMo experience.

1. 

Myelin, Baby!: Learning by Doing.

See, there's this stuff called myelin in our brain. I learned about it by reading this post by Justine Musk called The Dirty Secret Truth about Talent - and How to Grow It. We grow myelin by struggling, by learning something new and challenging. 

"...every time you struggle with a new skill, every time you push yourself,  you’re firing the right signals through the right neural channels.  Myelin adds itself to your neural circuitry…until one day the skill comes so “naturally” that it looks and seems effortless.  You are “talented”. But that “breakthrough” you experienced didn’t come out of nowhere.  It’s not a gift from the gods."

 It's hard work and myelin working together to 'grow' your skill, your talent.

So keep pushing yourself, keep working hard, keep striving. It will pay.


2.

Give up on Passion: What I Mean, is this...

NaNoWriMo Progress Report

NOVEMBER 29th:
So, BAM! I did it. 
My first time ever attempting NaNoWriMo, and I 'won'...!!

I learned a lot this month, and I've already started planning a whole blog post about this (because, omg, time to get blogging again!), but I can't not say right now, what is the most important thing that I learned. It's so simple, and so powerful.

I CAN DO IT.