• About
  • Book Reviews

Beth Ann Post Writes

~ This Writer's Life: Taming the Voices in My Head

Beth Ann Post Writes

Monthly Archives: April 2013

A to Z Challenge Day 5: E is for…

06 Saturday Apr 2013

Posted by bethannpostwrites in Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

E     is for Excuses.

Don’t make excuses and Don’t talk about it. Do it.
Melvyn Douglas

It’s very easy to come up with excuses as to why you couldn’t write today. TV, pets, family, social media, day job, meals, shopping, exhaustion.  Everyone wants or needs a piece of you and your time. It’s up to you to decide what’s really important to you.

If writing (or anything else) is your dream and you’re ready to go after it, make it a priority. Yes, food, shelter, the day job that pays for said food and shelter, family are all important. But you needn’t feel guilty about stealing moments to do what feeds you.

Our instincts tend to be to help others first, make sure they’re safe and cared for, that their dreams are being nurtured and chased. Airline attendants always say, for safety, “put your own oxygen mask on first.”  The reasoning behind it is that by taking care of yourself, you can better take care of others. You’ll be happier, healthier, more fulfilled and energetic. And then you’ll be able to better help those you care for. And they’ll learn from you to chase their own dreams instead of someone elses.

Steal moments at lunchtime, during kids’ practice, during the game when your kid isn’t on the field, 30 minutes before or after the Day Job, waiting for appointments, waiting in line.

It took me decades to learn this lesson. But then again, I’ve always been a late bloomer.

                        Where do you steal your moments?

Advertisement

A to Z Challenge Day 4: D is for…

05 Friday Apr 2013

Posted by bethannpostwrites in A to Z Blog Challenge

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

A to Z 2013, Cocktails, Writer Fuel

D.  is for…

dragonmead

That’s “Drrrrragonmead.” You have to read it with the rrrrolled r’s and a Scottish-Irrrish brrrogue. This is my favorite microbrewery. It’s beers are crisp, flavorful and clean. And with it’s Final Absolution’s 8.5% alcohol content, you don’t have to drink

Ring of Fireis my all time favorite, brewed with jalapeno, serrano and habenero peppers. If you like things spicy, you’ll love this! It’s surprisingly smooth with a surprising little afterburn of spicy goodness. While it does have a lovely heat to it, it’s more of a complex spicy flavorburst. One sip and you’ll be hooked!

Unfortunately, it’s only available on tap in Warren, Michigan sporadically. But any of their other house made brews will definitely make it worth the trip. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, let me know. The first round’s on me!

What’s your favorite local flavor?

A to Z Challenge Day 3: C is for…

04 Thursday Apr 2013

Posted by bethannpostwrites in A to Z Blog Challenge

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

A to Z 2013, Chocolate, Cocktails, Coffee, Writer Fuel, Writing

C is for…

Coffee, Chocolate, Cocktails

You know, basic writer fuel. It’s our birthright, practically an obligation, as writers to enjoy copious amounts of external stimulants and rewards.

Coffee: To wake up those brain cells and accelerate the synapses so we can create and type really, really fast.. I like it dark and bold and straight and just a little bit sweet. Like my men. Or with the works, a venti-triple-shot-caramel-coconut-peppermint-hazelnut-mocha-iced-no-foam-frappa-scalding-hot-frozen-chino. Non-fat, of course. But don’t scrimp on the whip. Every girl needs a little whip cream. And sprinkles. Did I miss anything?

Chocolate: To reward, bribe, or just keep my blood sugar up for one more chapter. But mostly because I LOVE IT. Again, the darker the better. And organic, if possible. Here are five little words of golden writerly wisdom: Dark chocolate covered espresso beans. Enough said.

Cocktails: Deep, dark red wine, the drier the better & craft beers are my every day go-tos.(Watch the next post for my favorite.) But at heart, I’m a tequila girl(I’m pretty sure I’ll go further into depth when we hit “T” day), so it’s usually a top shelf margarita on the rocks if I’m going for the hard stuff. I make a killer Raspberry Royal margarita. Or a mojito, in homage to Papa (yeah, that’s the reason), while writing on the imaginary beach in my mind…

So, what’s your favorite? Feel free add your favorite recipes or plug your favorite local brewery.

A to Z Challenge Day 2: B is for Believe

03 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by bethannpostwrites in A to Z Blog Challenge

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

A to Z 2013, Believe, Writing

Day 2: B is for…
Believe

“Believe in love. Believe in magic. Hell, believe in Santa Claus. Believe in others. Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams. If you don’t, who will?” – Jon Bon Jovi

Writing isn’t for the faint of heart. No matter what you hope your end game will be (the next J. K. Rowling or just a joke on the bathroom wall), you have to believe in yourself. You can’t wait for validation, accolades or even encouragement from anyone else. YOU have to believe.

It took me a long time to believe that I could do this, that my dreams were just as important as anyone else’s. It’s easier to help someone else achieve their dreams than to risk failure. If you don’t try, you can’t fail, right? WRONG! Not trying, not believing, is the biggest failure. Be fearless! And if you’re going to fail (in your own opinion), then DO IT BIG! If you’re going to mess up, do it loud! Do it kicking and screaming all the way down. And at the end, still don’t stop believing.

When writing, there are good days and bad days. There are days when words flow effortlessly onto the page accompanied by unicorns and fairies, and days that you can’t buy a vowel from the miserly trolls that have imprisoned your muses. Still, you write on. You’re a writer. You’re an artist. You’re a goddess/god. You’re worth it. Believe it.

As long as YOU believe, you cannot fail. There will be trolls and cheerleaders,\; pay attention to that which serves you and ignore the rest.

“Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Clap your hands if you believe!

How do you keep the faith and keep believing? Let me know! I’d love to hear! I’ll be your cheerleader or slayer of trolls.

A to Z Blog Challenge: A Writer’s Life, Warts and All

01 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by bethannpostwrites in A to Z Blog Challenge

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Alter Ego, Courage, Writing

Day 1: A is for…
Alter Ego

“My name is Anastasia Beaverhausen. Anastasia, as in Russian royalty. Beaverhausen as in where the beaver live.” ~Megan Mullally as Karen Walker in Will and Grace.

I used to love watching Will and Grace. My favorite episode, or at least the one that really struck a chord with me, was the introduction of Anastasia Beaverhausen: Karen’s alter ego. When Karen wanted to do something or go somewhere that didn’t fit in with her public persona of a New York socialite, she would become Anastasia. Or Shu Shu Fontana, her drag name. And then she would do whatever she wanted, like eating greasy tacos at Taco Time, or become the queen of a gay Halloween party, consequences be damned. After all, it wasn’t Karen, it was Anastasia (or Shu Shu). She gave herself complete, guilt free deniability.

We all have things we wish we had the courage to do. And we might even dare to do them, if no one we knew would find out it was us. This is where the beauty of the alter ego comes in. Or the pen name. Or the jet black wig in the back of the closet, metaphorically speaking, of course. This is how Stella Got Her Groove back, on a vacation far away from prying eyes of those who judge or have best interests at heart.

And it’s LIBERATING to put your truth out there, be it a dream, a goal, a thought or prayer, or just something that YOU wouldn’t normally dare to do, if someone was watching.

What would be your alter ego’s name? (You’ll meet mine later in the challenge.) What would you dare to do if you didn’t have anyone to answer to?

Newer posts →

Calendar

April 2013
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930  
« Oct   May »

Recent Posts

  • Starting Over…Again
  • A to Z Challenge W – Z
  • A to Z Challenge Day 19: V is for…
  • A to Z Challenge Day 18: U is for…
  • A to Z Challenge Day 17: T is for

Archives

  • August 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • October 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012

Categories

  • A to Z Blog Challenge
  • ROW80
  • Uncategorized
  • Writing Tips

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 15 other subscribers

Recent Tweets

  • RT @Lora013: Inspired by @HaileyPiperSays, sharing some books for you to check out! 🖤 https://t.co/1335IRiTMg 4 months ago
  • RT @maseditor: I had this argument with a good friend so often. She had been burned a few times--hasn't everyone?--and decided not to buy 1… 4 months ago
  • RT @neilhimself: The rumours are true. Netflix is thrilled that so many of you have been watching Sandman, and the thing we were all hoping… 4 months ago
  • RT @WajahatAli: My latest: "Over the weekend, President Obama reminded Democrats how to galvanize the base, take shots at extremist Republi… 5 months ago
  • RT @DemonBob_Badman: Helping out the CDC Director here because she apparently forgot an important point… COVID IS AIRBORNE! WEAR A FUCKING… 5 months ago
Follow @bethannpost

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Beth Ann Post Writes
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Beth Ann Post Writes
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.