The Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle

Sunday, October 18, 2015

The Seventy-Nine-Words Story Challenge


I don’t know when it happen, but I remember reading the MONDAY FUNNIES, one morning and bursting out with laughter.  I was hooked on the funnies. Laughter is not typical for me before eleven a.m. If you ask the people very close to me, they will tell you, Pat is usually unapproachable before eleven. 

Honestly, as a writer, I find myself experiencing highs and lows.   It’s a writer madness that takes hold and motivates me to write what I see as I write about the world I live in during the early morning hours.

Thus, Chris Graham’s, CHRIS THE STORY READING APE’S BLOG has become a necessity in my life. It touches the humor within me, and laughter comes bubbling out.

Recently, Andrew Joyce, an author, sent out a dare, a seventy-nine-words dare to writers and it has been running on Chris’s blog as the Seventy-Nine-Words Story Challenge.  Each week, stories are chosen as the best submitted. This week, one of my stories from The Child and The Prophet (a W.I.P.) was among the ones chosen and to be very honest with you that makes me happy. 

To read my story and the stories of the other participants, please go to the link below. It’s only 79 words, and drop a line on Chris’s blog and let him know you were there and me too, of course.

 http://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2015/10/18/more-new-79-words-story-challenge-entrants/















Shalom,
Pat Garcia

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Women's Fiction Festival, Matera, Italy

Been facing my insecurities and moving ahead at a turtle's pace, this month, taking one step at a time.  I attended the Women's Fiction Writing Festival in Matera, Italy.  The workshop, held in Matera, gave me a chance to practice what I preach. Driving down challenged me because it gave me insight on the refugee situation in Germany, Austria, and Italy.

Scared? Of course, I was. Any time you move beyond what you know into the unknown, you will be emotionally challenged. Fear arises and you yearn for what is behind you, but once you start out conquering those fears by moving forward, the fear dispels.

I met many people and now  have the opportunity to build a network with outstanding writers  on one of the Social Media Network platforms.
 


V
Very much impressed with the panel speakers and their professionalism, I enjoyed listening to their lectures and participated in workshop discussions with people who were from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zeland, South Africa, and Italy. The translators were magnificent and were  able to switch from English to Italian or from Italian to English within a heartbeat, and I had the opportunity to practice my Italian.


However, for me the biggest highlight was Matera and its inhabitants. The  Italian people in Southern Italy captured my heart.  As I departed Matera on Monday morning, I was singing, I left my heart in Matera, instead of San Francisco.  







Shalom,

Pat Garcia

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Finding The Right Mix

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

It’s time for another meeting of the Insecure Writers Support Group – IWSG started by the amazing Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh. Alex stood out and caught my attention during the A to Z Blogging Challenge this year. Checking out his IWSG Website, I’ve found writers who are excellent in their craft and don’t mind sharing their weaknesses and strengths to encourage each other.  I can honestly say this site is a safe haven for any writer whether secure or insecure with writing.

The awesome co-hosts for the  September 2 posting of the IWSG are Julie Flanders, Murees DupĂ©, Dolorah at Book Lover, Christine Rains, and Heather Gardner!


Finding the Right Mix

Returning to writing after a vacation break causes great anxiety for some of us.  We come back refreshed and raring to go, but we ask ourselves, where do we start?

The desk is piled with work we didn't complete before our break, our email postbox is overflowing with an unbelievable number of emails, and our mobile rings because we have turned off the do not disturb sign. Looking at our text messages, the panic starts rising, and as the day sets in motion, minor spasms of anxiety trouble us as our anger build with each email, each text message, each phone call.


There are no pat, instant, easy answers and no universal one-size-fits-all to learning how to cope with success, anxiety, failure, procrastination, insecurity, inferiority complex or anything else we can name.

So, where do I start? I start with my 'first things first' list that I left open before I went on my break. This helps me to get back into my workflow, slowly. I turn on my ‘do not disturb’ on my mobile, quickly, and I force myself to not glance at my emails until the end of the second day.  I’d rather apologize to the senders of emails for being late responding than suffer anxiety attacks throughout my first day back at work. Anxiety attacks don't help me at all.

How do you handle getting back into the flow of things after a break?





















Shalom,
Pat Garcia

*First Things First is a trademark of  Stephen R. Covey and Associates


Click the highlighted IWSG if you would like to be a part of this phenomenal group. You won’t regret it.

Our purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak.


Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG


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