May 30, 2018 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
May 30 is National Creativity Month. But, I think y’all might have picked up on that based on this post’s title. Am I right?
So, I just got back from a lovely trip along the milky way my yearly excursion to the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. It was, as always, life changing. How many life changes can This Girl go through and still be changed? I’m so glad you asked. Apparently, the answer is, well, quite a bit.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : That One Time I Celebrated National Creativity Day
I still can’t put into words all this year’s trip meant to me. So I’m using my other creative notions today. Oh, but I do wanna add this. First, Mr. Laube started the Scooby Snack fight this year . . . Okay. It’s possible likely accurate that I may or may not have provided him with the snacks prior to the throw-down. But he’s the one who stalked me all the way to the airport just to chuck another pack at me. [Shhh. I don’t want to hear how he was “actually” flying home on the same plane we were taking halfway across the country. Reality has no bearing on this tale.]
Oh. Also: They. Served. GUMBO. #truestory
Frankly, My Dear . . . Gumbo at Blue Ridge
Oh, sorry. Did I get my drool on you? Anyway . . .
Creativity for many of us isn’t just one thing. Sure, we have That One Thing we do awesome-sauce well, but it’s not the only thing. So today, I’m embracing the many pieces of my creativity that make up the mosaic of me.
Whether you are an artist, a writer, a construction worker, a parent, sibling, or child, there are many ways you can express and celebrate today.
You can use this day as your catalyst to begin a creative project [click here to Jump and Jot], or start a new Happy Planner layout for next month. You can celebrate your muse by taking it (and yourself) to a movie, a concert, or a park and pay attention to the world around you.
Frankly, My Dear . . . Celebrating National Creativity Day
I’ll be sketching, cooking, journaling, plotting a backstory, editing some NOLA. Oh, did I tell you? I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a publisher . . . And now that publisher knows me. Fingers crossed, this may be the year of the NOLA. Schweet, yes?
Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get some fun/work done.
With smiley balloons and a song to sing,
Happy National Creativity Day.
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Click on the photo below to sign up for my monthly Author, Etc. newsletter, filled with marketing, social media, and other creative aspects of being a writer. And if ya do, there’s an award-winning short story in it for you. You’re welcome. [Insert creative smiley face here, wink-wink.]
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Writing Isn’t a Disease. It’s a Diagnosis
May 11, 2018 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Ohhhmagosh. This thing happened. I got this email, and I swear to you, the sweet tea poured and the heavens sang. Wanna know what it was? The Happy Planner is looking for new Squad Members. #trustory!
And I’m over here like Donkey in Shrek, screaming “Pick me! Pick me!” And as I’m trying to wrap my head around the application, I decide music is the way to soothe the soul (or at least drown out the pleading taps coming from my own fingertips as I type out why I’m a good selection for the Squad) so I say, “Hey, Echo. Play music.” And, #truestory again, she/it says, “Here’s a song you might like.” And I hear “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” You know what I’m gonna say to that, right? *Insert Southern-Belle-Bohemian-Hurricane nod of approval here!*
Frankly, My Dear . . . : That One Time I Crafted a New Envelope System
So I’m trying to impress them with my amazing creations and my. mind. goes. blank. I have written blogs and shared Instagram photos, tweets, and endless Facebook posts about my love need addiction for Happy Planners since my first recipe for Hobbes, my #NOLA-inspired Creole Meatloaf, and even using the blank calendar pages to storyboard my novel-in-progress. (Which, btw, is coming along quite nicely in the rewrite stage. thankyouforasking.) But right now, oh-the-pressure of coming up with that one ahh-mazing idea and submitting it in time to be considered but I have so many other things to do like clean house and make dinner and do the work and the coffee and the budget and the cat love and writers conference prep pack and and and . . .
Ah. Mental click and the light comes on.
Stop. Breathe. Focus. Use what you already have.
Well, I think it’s quite evident I already have enough to create some great pages.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Happy Planner #SquadGoals: Getting Started
I parked myself at my big-enough-to-work table and spread out all the Happy love I could muster. Oh, and this is just for the daily planner. This doesn’t include my essential oils planner, my recipe planner, my novel planner, or my writing conference planners. Yes, plural. I have a writers conference planner from 2017 and a writers conference planner for 2018.
All of which you can scope out by searching for them here on the blog and my other social media sites. [Shameless self promo, what can ya do?]
Wait. What was that? Prepping for the annual writers conference? Why, yes. What kind of planning does that take? Oh, I’m so glad you asked. You got your story writing. You got your schedule. You got your journal. You got your packing list, to do list, coffee appointment list, travel itinerary list. Ohsomanythings. And then of course there’s the money, honey.
So it’s a good thing I created an envelope system to keep my funds organized, yah?
Frankly, My Dear . . .: My Happy Planner- A New Envelope System
With some blank cards, washi tape, paper clips and HP stickers all tucked into a Happy Planner organizer tote, This Girl is ready to go places.
But wait! There’s more! I can track it all with my budget pages, too. Remember this awesome Budget Inspiration Dashboard? I love the ability to keep stickee notes on it, and move it to the current month. It keeps me focused, on track, and aware of my spending.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : My Happy Planner Budget Dashboard
That little turtle sticker is there to remind me that “slow and steady wins the race.” I don’t need to pay off everything all at once, or buy everything the first moment I see it. I just need to know I can do all things, with God, with a budget, and with a plan.
Who knew a Happy Planner addiction could keep me so fiscally responsible?
I have plenty of other Happy Planner creations in the works, and I’ll be sharing them with you more regularly. For now, I wish you many pages and tons of stickers.
With an open planner and lots of plans,
Happy Planning.
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Be Your Own Scarlett
Sep 28, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Now, y’all know my five-, or maybe ten-year plan includes a move to the Carolinas. Will it happen? Prob’ly not. My desert roots run deep. Having said that, I do consider them my vacation home especially since I head out to Asheville every year for a quasi-family reunion known as the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.
There’s Nothing Like Coming Home. . .
A lot of my people live in South Carolina, but it’s the beauty of the northern C we’re celebrating today.
Imagine my joy when I received my Daily Celebrations email and National North Carolina Day was listed for tomorrow. This Girl say wwhhhaaat?! I didn’t even know there was such a thing! Well sweeten my tea and bake me a biscuit!
Here’s a few things you may not know about the Tar Heel State:
- There are 29 state parks. South Mountain is the largest, at around 87,000 acres. (Of course, I’m partial to Blue Ridge.)
- The state flower is dogwood. The state tree is pine. The state bird is cardinal. The state insect is honeybee. The state reptile is eastern box turtle. The state gemstone is emerald.
- It is the birth place of Virginia Dare, the first person born to born in America to English settlers
- In 2013, the entire state population was less than 10 million. That’s roughly the same as Los Angeles.
- In 1903, the Wright Brothers made history with the first manned self-propelled airplane flight from a cliff near Kitty Hawk.
- One of the original thirteen colonies, North Carolina was admitted to statehood on November 21, 1789.
- It was the first state to tell its delegates to vote for independence from Britain.
- After the Revolutionary War, it developed an expansive slave plantation system. It was a major exporter of tobacco and cotton, even though the slave population was smaller than other states.
- In 1861, North Carolina seceded from the United States with ten other states. This began the American Civil War. And while no major battles were fought in North Carolina, the state sent more soldiers to fight for the Confederacy than any other rebel state.
I’m pleased as punch that my second home has such rich history.
And let’s not forget the pizza.
The Biltmore Pizza, Asheville Brewing Co.
What do you celebrate about where you live?
TWEET THIS: Happy National #NorthCarolina Day! @RealMojo68 #celebrate
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Sep 1, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Things Friday
True story. I’m on the phone with SuperGirl ~ our weekly two-hour catch-up call ~ and she says . . . Wait for it. Get this.
She says, “I don’t know if I’m going to Blue Ridge next year.”
MoJoWriterGirlsays “Say, whhaaat?!”
Of course, Blue Ridge isn’t Blue Ridge without my posse. And I’m super happy because during the interview for my now-you-know-about-it new career, I told them straight up, I need a week in May. I’m already committed to being out of state. They nodded. They approved.
So. Girlfriend. If I’m going, you’re going. You got that?
However, I understand that sometimes, as you so patiently pointed out, conferences may be out of reach financially. What’s a writer to do? I’m so glad you asked . . .
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Instead of a Writers Conference
For you, and for so many others, here are five ways y’all can grow your writing skills if you can’t attend a conference.
- Online podcasts. Oh, please. Like y’all didn’t see this one coming. In particular, I’m fond of Aaron Gansky’s Firsts in Fiction (and I don’t even get paid to say so!). Another good choice is Novel Marketing with Thomas Umstattd and James L. Rubart. You can Google whatever keywords you’re looking for and “podcast” and a plethora of choices pop up. Try audio only so you can listen in your car, or video so you don’t miss our pretty faces. Just sayin.
Firsts in Fiction cohosts and their photobombing producer
- Local writers club. These are great places to meet like-minded people. Let’s face it: When you’re a writer, the only time you fit in is with other creatives. Why wouldn’t you want to join the club? You can trade tips and tricks, hire guest speakers, and reach into the community for sales and marketing. If there isn’t a local club where you’re at, or one that suits your style, create your own.
Frankly, My Dear . . . Make Your Own Meeting
- Critique groups are another great source of feedback. Members commit to share their writing in progress and give honest opinions. Think of it as your pre-edit edit. While you’re writing your novel, your team can tell you what works and what doesn’t, which characters need more development, and what scenes are spot on. They can help you hone your first draft into a fine, and sometimes final, draft.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Critique Groups draw out the best in your manuscript.
- Learn online. You can find answers to almost everything online. From blogs on how to write better (The Write Conversation) to writing seminars to college courses and everything in between. And, bonus, you can do it any time, and in your PJs. How’s that for sweet in your tea?
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Learn Online.
- Magazines. For realz. What’s a writer without stacks of papers around her? [Note to self: Clear the sofa before next week’s dinner party.] Magazines can be everything from the craft of writing to a collection of stories in your genre to generic use as tear sheets to put in your story bible for reference. You can almost hear it, can’t you? Okay, I’m gonna say it. “There’s no wrong way to use a magazine.”
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Learn through magazines.
And there ya have it, all. So, I’m curious: How do you learn without breaking the bank?
TWEET THIS: When you can’t attend a #writers #conference, try these. @RealMojo68 #amwriting
With cozy sweats, a working pen, and a large coffee,
Happy Writing!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
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Aug 18, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Things Friday
We’ve been doing the Five Things Friday posts for a while now. A start, a stop, a hiccup, but now we’re steady at it. I’ve enjoyed your topic suggestions and comments on these posts.
Recently, someone asked what my five favorite posts on FMD are. Y’all are smart. You already know where this is going. Of course, I could list twenty or possibly a hundred. So choosing my five favorite posts is a bit of a challenge. thankyouverymuchforthesuggestionyouknowwhoyouare.
And I’m betting once I hit “publish” I’m going to think up five other posts that could do justice. Or ten. Or twenty. Or, oh, heck. Just read them all.
But for now, here’s what comes to mind whenever I fondly think of Frankly, My Dear . . . I hope you’ll click through to find why these mean so much to me.
- Life Lessons from Willy Wonka
Willy Wonka: You Have a Better Chance, Because You Want It More.
- My Broken Thumb
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Depression is not a spiritual deficiency.
- Champagne and Supernovas
Frankly, My Dear . . . Effervesce, baby.
- And They Say Getting There is Half the Fun. . .
The Three Writing Amigos. . . and a Photobombing Flight Attendant
- What If We’re Not Drowning?
What If We’re Not Drowning?
Of course, y’all know I couldn’t choose just five. Right? I mean, there were hundreds of posts for me to choose. And can I just say narrowing it down was like the first time I baked those biscuits from Lindsay Reine’s Cookbook. #epicfailure
Having said that, I give you the Honorable Mention:
#EmbraceTheCrazy: Climb the Mountain
Frankly, My Dear . . .: Latch and Climb.
Now it’s your turn: What are some of your favorite posts from around the blogosphere? Are you a blogger? Which ones are you most proud of?
TWEET THIS: Five Things Friday: Frankly, Favorites. @RealMojo68 #franklymydear #amblogging
TWEET THIS: What are some of your favorite blog posts? @RealMojo68 #amblogging
With a full computer and coffee mug,
Happy reading!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
