On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
Here are five tips that will help motivate and re-energize you:
I’m happy to welcome author Dena Weigel. Today, Dena shares the long and winding road to her writing career and her new release, The Byzantine Cross.
Here’s Dena!
Briefly describe your first act.
Thank you for including me in your Second Act Series and allowing me to share my writing!
It’s been a long and winding road to a writing career!
During my twenties and thirties, I was rudderless. I went to college, received a Bachelor of Fine Arts, then traveled overseas to study art and culture with students from all over the nation. After the program’s conclusion, I arrived home with a head full of new possibilities for my future. I ended up in a corporate marketing job by default.
After ten years in the office, I took my marketing experience on the road, freelance blogging for fifteen years for businesses, government entities, and nonprofits. I also attended writing classes, conferences, and writing groups. This was great, but it left little creative headspace for my own writing projects. One year ago, I reached a goal of landing a job in the publishing industry with a position at a book review company, and now I’m surrounded by people who are so generous with their knowledge.
What triggered the need for change?
I floundered through my corporate jobs for far too long before realizing I wrote at a level that executives could use but freelancing left me with no creative energy to finish my novel. So, I eventually ended my contracts and worked with a developmental editor to complete the story and get it to a publisher. I knew that if I didn’t go after this dream, I’d regret it—so why wait? I jumped in with both feet hanging onto hope for dear life!
Where are you now?
Last year I landed a job with a book review company and have achieved another goal of leaving the tech industry and finding my way into the writing/publishing business. I get to talk about books all day long!
Do you have advice for anyone planning to pursue a second act?
Don’t wait to start. You never know what’s around the corner, and time slips away so fast. Those things you want to do in life may be out of reach sooner than you think, and you don’t want to live with regret. Even if you fail, you learn—and that’s not failure.
Also, ask for guidance and help if you feel it will get you to your goal. People are more often than not excited to help others and share their knowledge.
Any affirmations or quotations you wish to share?
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” – Albert Einstein
Blurb
Former OSS spy, Sarah Kraft, thought she’d left her dangerous past behind in 1950s New York City. But when her former boss tracks her down and convinces her to accept a new mission-steal the ancient Byzantine Cross from inside the Kremlin for the CIA-she’s dragged back into the world of espionage. Once in Moscow, she’s promised the aid of a Russian double agent, Nicolai Rodzyanko, but things aren’t as they seem. Someone hired a hitman to eliminate Sarah, and she and Nicolai realize they’re not the only ones after the mysterious cross. As the two dig deeper into the history behind the oldest known biblical relic, they discover it’s far more than a simple artifact. Sarah starts questioning the motives of her former boss and the agency she once trusted, and when supernatural forces come into play, she must make a decision that could change the course of history.
Author Bio and Links
Dena Weigel was born and raised in Western Kansas, where her active curiosity stoked her growing imagination.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, she studied art and culture in over thirty countries before settling in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and building a career writing for businesses and non-profits around the world.
Dena enjoys hiking with her husband and daughter, painting, and relaxing on her deck with a cup of coffee and a great book. She is currently working on the next Sarah Kraft novel, The Argentinian Affair.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
Here’s a thought-provoking reflection from international speaker and bestselling author Joyce Meyer:
Trials “try” us, and tests “test” us. Most of the time, the purpose of them is to show us who we really are, to reveal character in us.
We can think all kinds of good thoughts about ourselves, but until we are put to the test, we don’t know whether those things have become realities in us or not. We may consider ourselves generous, honest, or deeply committed to a particular truth or ideal, but the depths of these dynamics only reveals itself when we’re under pressure. When we go through trials, we learn whether or not we really have the character and commitment we think we have.
I believe it’s very important for us to really know ourselves, tests are good for us because they affirm strengths and reveal weaknesses. Don’t be afraid to face your weaknesses. God’s strength is available to you specifically for them.
I must say that before my trials worked steadfastness and patience into my life, they brought out many other negative qualities, mindsets, and attitudes I didn’t know I had. One reason God allows us to go through tests and trials is so the hidden things in our hearts can be exposed. Until they are exposed, we cannot do anything about them. But once we see them, we can begin to face them and ask God to help us.
God does not allow us to go through difficult times because he likes to see us suffer. He uses them for us to recognize our need for Him. Everything you go through ultimately does work out for your good because it makes you stronger and builds your endurance; it develops godly character; it helps you to know yourself and to be able to deal with things at an honest level with God and take care of those things so you can reach spiritual maturity.
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
In her latest release, 1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round, novelist Jami Attenberg shares her advice and that of over 50 other writers.
Here’s an inspiring essay from Jami Attenberg:
I can sit here and write about the pandemic and say it was an extraordinary historical moment where many of our lives shifted if not only in terms of physical or mental health or relationships but also in how and where we work. It happened on a grand scale. But there will always be one life event or another that can distract you. Be prepared for this. I don’t live in fear of this but merely accept it as the truth. No one lives an entire life without a crisis at some point or another. And this may distract you from your daily practice.
After a family member was diagnosed with dementia, every time I visited them, I found it threw me off my work for a few days, if not longer. Eventually I began to find myself rushing to finish work before a family visit so I wouldn’t fall behind afterward. Because I knew I would need time to decompress, and I would not be able to be my best creative self. I thought, There is nothing I can do to change this moment of time in all our lives, and I need to be as present as possible. Something had to give, and work was it. I didn’t like how it affected me, but I had no choice. I, like you, am only human.
What I do not recommend is being angry with yourself for not getting your work done. None of us need to make ourselves feel bad twice. All we would be doing is building yet another hurdle for ourselves. Most of us need to feel comfortable, relaxed, and at ease in order to work, or at least able to trick our brains into feeling that way for a period of time. Being in a moment of crisis, and then being angry at yourself for being in that moment of crisis, will make it even harder to get work done. Everything takes time. And the work will be waiting for you when you are ready for it.
The crisis is temporary. Your work will be there for you forever.
Source: 1000 Words, p. 191
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
A long-time fan of bestselling authors and coaches Marc and Angel Chernoff, I look forward to reading their emails and blog posts. Here’s an excerpt from a recent post:
Most people get irritated by those who seem “too optimistic,” but this is often just an unfortunate misinterpretation of the difference between an optimist and an idealist. An optimist is really just a positive realist who is neither naive, nor in denial, nor blind to the realities of life.
An optimist believes in the optimal usage of all the available options no matter how narrow the supply. As a result, optimistic people are able to better see the bigger picture. They can more accurately visualize and mange the present possibilities. For comparison’s sake: An idealist focuses only on the absolute best aspects of situations, a pessimist sees no positive possibilities at all, and an optimist strives to see all the possibilities so they can find the best possible option among them.
So, when picking lemons off a lemon tree, an idealist reaches for the ripest looking lemon and expects it to be the tastiest, a pessimist settles for whichever one is closest, while an optimist picks all the lemons in sight and makes lemonade.
Note: I highly recommend subscribing to Marc & Angel’s website.
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
Here’s one of my favorite quotations from Eleanor Roosevelt:
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
I highly recommend A Year of Miracles by spiritual teacher Marianne Williamson. In it, Marianne offers guidance and spiritual support for following the path of love. Here’s a thought-provoking reflection:
Faith is power. It changes your life by changing you. It places you on a different ground of being within yourself. It gives you a confidence based on something that’s in you but not of you, that can do for you what you can’t do for yourself. It keeps you from sinking into victim consciousness—a stance that attracts more victimization—and lifts you to positivity, which attracts more positive outcomes. Where we put our faith literally and directly influences what happens next.
I can have faith in the power of the world, or faith in the power of miracles. I can have faith in the power of fear, or faith in the power of love. I can have faith in the power of eternal things, or faith in the God who lives within me.
Source: A Year of Miracles by Marianne Williamson, Day 215
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
In her latest release, 1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round, novelist Jami Attenberg shares her advice and that of over 50 other writers.
Here’s an inspiring essay from Michael Weber:
Here’s something you probably already know: it’s too easy to avoid writing.
So my advice is to be hard on yourself about finding the time to write—extremely hard—but then be kind to yourself after that. Don’t worry about quality. Just put the time in, day after day. Make writing more important than any other things in your life. Because anyone can write when they feel like it, when they have a good idea, when they’re not sick or hungover or tired. I recommend writing when you don’t feel like it, when you have no good ideas, when you couldn’t be more busy and have a hundred reasons not to write. Turn writing into something you have to do.
My self-esteem is tied to my productivity. If I don’t write, I don’t feel good about myself. I’m no longer scared to write poorly because the worst feeling is not writing at all.
Source: 1000 Words, p. 161
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
Librarian and author Terah Shelton Harris shared the following thought-provoking advice in a recent post on the Writer Unboxed blog:
As a published writer, how do you define success?
That’s the question I posed to myself and two of my writing besties, Jason Powell, author of No Man’s Ghost, and Meagan Church, bestselling author of The Girls We Sent Away. Their answers, as well as mine, truly surprised me.
There are thousands of authors who never get their books in front of audiences. And thousands more who do, but never get any acclaim, Powell says. He believes it’s a cliché to tell an author that just being published is a victory and a mark of success if that author doesn’t yet feel accomplished. And some may feel a sense of accomplishment for having finished a book they felt comfortable sending out, because that was their goal.
“Make a list, no matter if it’s one item long or a hundred. I think even if one of those things is checked off, you’re a success,” he said.
Powell says his book is successful because people he didn’t send it to have read it. “It’s a weird feeling opening up something you’ve created to public opinion, but not a totally unpleasant one. I wanted this opportunity and I’m thankful to God and so many people that I’ve had it. It’s such a win to have someone pay money to read my thoughts.”
For Church, success for her as an author is if her books are widely available in stores and libraries, well received by readers, and bring financial returns for her.
“My goal is to write emotionally charged stories that engage the reader,” she says. “So, to be successful, I need for my books to have the opportunity to get into the hands of readers who will connect with them and do so in a way that I can afford to invest more time into writing more stories.”
Both of Church’s books have enjoyed wide distribution in bookstores and libraries and have certainly gotten into the hands of readers who are connecting with the stories on deep levels and in favorable ways, she says.
“Because my books released in 2023 and 2024, and taking into account the pace of reporting, we are still early in the financial part of the equation, but I was thrilled that I earned out my first book on my first statement. Now, future royalties will be earnings, giving me the ability to keep writing.”
The definition of success differs from writer to writer. It’s not always what you think it is. It could be as lofty as making the New York Times bestselling list or earning out an advance or simply finishing a book. Armed with their answers as well as my own self-reflection, I was finally able to define success and it’s what I originally imagined it to be.
My book is successful because it exists, because people have read it, and that’s enough for me.
Joanne Guidoccio 