Our writing group (http://bit.ly/GRRWG) has a book exchange every month.  Books for Bucks.  Contribute a book you no longer need (ha! like that’s likely in a group of writers) and buy someone else’s for a dollar.  All money goes to the treasury.

Every month I send out a reminder and pick a handful of paperbacks to take along to the meeting.  It’s like drawing blood from one of my children.  It hurts.

Yes, I know I have too many books.  Too many bookshelves.  But the world is conspiring against us bookaholics.  There’s always a library sale.  And the bookstore’s discount table.  And don’t even get me started about www.paperbackswap.com! Everywhere I go, there’s a book begging me to take it home.

I grit my teeth, think of DH’s disapproval (not really) and remember the towering TBR pile spread across the house.  Sometimes, I’m successful in resisting the temptation.  Sometimes, I’m not.

How do you resist the urge to “buy one more”?

Elephant Walk

What is your talent worth?  A nice advance?  A large royalty check?  How about $250,000?

Participants in the 2nd annual Art Prize are vying for $450,000 worth of prizes with the winner taking home $250,000.  Never heard of Art Prize?  I don’t blame you.  It doesn’t have the fame of Burning Bush (yet) but it is the world’s largest art competition.  1713 artists in 192 venues over nineteen days, all within a three square mile radius of downtown Grand Rapids, MI.  The viewing public votes online, first for the top ten then the final winner.

Cavalry, American Officers, 1921

Admittedly, some of the “art” is in eye of the beholder, but the diversity and dedication of each entry is without question.

Is your talent worth $250,000 if the public voted on it?  Essentially, the public, your readers, do vote on it with their dollars, word of mouth, and loyalty.

Are you giving them their money’s worth?  Is every sentence crisp?  Can they feel your character’s emotions, or put themselves into the scene because you’ve painted it so well?

Have you polished your story the very best it can be for your first voter – the editor or agent? Or are you sending in a manuscript that is “okay”?

Pretend you’re competing for the biggest literary prize of all time.  Don’t settle for anything less than the best.  Your readers deserve better and so do you.

Keep safe,

Cheryl

Breakfast paid forward

This morning’s breakfast was paid for by the kindness of a stranger.  DH, DS and I were at breakfast this morning when a complete stranger stopped at our table and offered us a coupon for a free breakfast at the restaurant we were at.  They couldn’t use it and wouldn’t be back before it expired.  What a nice thing!

Do you pay forward a good deed?  Not necessarily a coupon for breakfast, but a word of advice to a new, struggling writer?  An offer to critique their work or mentor the beginning of their career?  Do you volunteer to be an officer in your local writing group?  Take minutes or find a speaker for a future meeting?

You don’t need to be obligated by someone doing you a favor to pay it forward to someone else.  Take a moment of your most precious commodity – time – and make a difference in another’s life.

Take care,

Cheryl