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First, I’d like to thank Sonia for giving me the opportunity say hello to all of you! She is guest posting over at Gary Gauthier’s blog, Literary Snippets today, so please stroll on over there and tell her “hello,” too.

Taking Perseverance to a Whole New Level

If you have ever listened to motivational speakers, therapists, or life coaches (among others) talk about goal achievement, the chances are great that they used the word “persevere” at least once. I have used that word, frequently, myself.

Perseverance is the ability to see a goal through to the end. It’s not giving up or quitting, even if the way becomes tough to navigate. It’s a very important quality to have to achieve goals and dreams. Just recently, though, I began to wonder if perseverance is enough.

For the most part, I’ve had the mindset that, if I persevere long enough, I will become a successful writer. I tell myself it’s just a matter of time before others recognize my brilliance. (Come on, fess up! Don’t you talk to yourself that way? It’s okay if we do. I promise.)

But one day, several weeks ago, I had a gut-wrenching, hand-trembling moment of fear.

Okay, maybe it wasn’t that bad. What I did have was a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach at the possibility that “it,” meaning success, wouldn’t happen.

My nemesis, What If, showed up, prancing around and whispering doubt directly into my heart. What if… you don’t do it right? What if… you’re just wasting your time? What if… you suck?

I wish I could say that experience has taught me not to listen, but I would be lying. Of course I listened, or else I wouldn’t have had the totally emotional response of wanting to curl up into a little ball.

Okay, maybe it wasn’t that bad. I did become disoriented, though. I wasn’t sure how to respond to the loss of optimism.

This didn’t seem like a moment that called for perseverance. I didn’t need to slog through the doubt until I came out the other side. I needed something more. I needed…. wait for it…

Tenacity.

Tenacity comes from the 17^th century Latin term “tenac”, which means “holding fast.” The Encarta World English Dictionary (Microsoft 2009) defines tenacity as “tending to stick firmly to any decision, plan or opinion without changing or doubting it.”

What was that you said? Without doubting the decision? Ah-ha!

Doubt is the fear of failure. We experience doubt when we start wondering if we are capable of achieving our goals. Can we do it? Am I good enough? Is it worth it?

Fear is an emotion.

Tenacity takes the emotion out of the equation.

We hold fast to the plan-not the outcome of the plan-without changing or doubting it. We do not lose sight of our goals, because it doesn’t matter how we feel. We follow the plan, because that is what we said we would do.

For me, in my moment of weakened optimism, it didn’t matter how I felt. I had decided a year(ish) ago that I was going to write a novel. And now, all I had to do was to do just that – one chapter, one sentence, or even one word at a time.

I’ll worry about the outcome later.

What do you do when you have “one if those moments”? What helps you make it through?

Lara Schiffbauer writes contemporary fantasy and general fiction, and has been lucky enough to see some of her short stories published.  By day she works as a school social worker in an elementary school and at night juggles writing, playing with her two adorable little boys, and doing everything else that has to get done in a day. You can find her on Twitter at @LASbauer or blogging at Motivation for Creation.

Author and criminologist, Jennifer Chase, talks about forensics, crime and the inspiration for her novels. Recently she talked about a serial killer who led authorities to human remains in a well.

Gene Lempp digs up fascinating and sometimes chilling bits of history in his Designing from Bones series, like this one on the Mayan crystal skulls.

Stacy Green’s thoroughly researched profiles on crimes, such as this one on disappearances, and the paranormal are sure to keep you up late, leaving on nightlights and checking the locks.

Darkness wanders the back roads and byways and Catie Rhodes brings it out into the light.

One of the creepiest shows recently on television is American Horror Story. Tiffany A. White takes us on a terrifying creep through the sinister Murder House. Tiffany and her co-conspirator, Amber West will also surely feed your tv addiction with their  Why it’s Worth a Watch Wednesdays.

If you’re in the market for a little scary Vote Your Own Adventure, check out Jen Krichner’s The Relic and Site 27 and Mark Lidstone’s Zombies II. You might want to keep a machete handy after you read…just saying.

What about you, got any favorite blogs that go bump in the night? 

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February is careening towards March but there’s still time to join the love fest. Got a favorite blog post or link (yours or another’s) to share? Hop on over and tell us about it.

Fellow blogger, Anthony Schultz, recently blogged about two such movies, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey:

I don’t recall when I first watched “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” or its sequel, but I do remember laughing hysterically.  It is one of those movies that is so dumb and out there that it is hilarious.  The jokes are timeless and the ridiculous speech is filled with wonderful catchphrases…

Click here to read the rest of the post.

The Bill and Ted movies are unlikely to be ranked up there with the cinematic greats but they are everything a brain candy movie should be.

Another fun favorite is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Along with  silliness and llamas galore, this film has also provided some of us nerdier types with decades of great lines.

What’s your favorite brain candy movie, show or novel?

I mean…okay…maybe they’re a little on the overripe side but who says the undead aren’t loveable?

Check out Adriana Ryan’s excellent arguments for why zombies really do deserve our love.

And, if you’re still not convinced, let Ray William Johnson melt your heart with his undead love song:

Are you convinced? Do the undead deserve our undying love? Or is a machete bouquet the only Valentine’s gift you’d be willing to give a zombie?

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Maybe zombies don’t give you that loving feeling but the pimp-or-promote love fest is sure to give you the warm fuzzies. Share a favorite link or blog post (yours or someone else’s). The love fest will be going on the rest of February.

I’m holding steady with my non-goalishness. Things are easing up in the work-project department, so I should be back on track with ROW80 next.

If you haven’t checked out ROW80 and you’re wondering what the heck it’s all about, check it out here. Anyone’s welcome to jump in at any time. ROW80 is the writing challenge that knows you have a life but it’s not just about writing goals (you can have exercise, family, household, work, etc goals too) and the community is AWESOME! So…what are you waiting for?

How’s your week going so far? Tough times? Any big wins?

Find more ROW80 peeps cheer on here.

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You’re all invited to join in the pimp-or-promote love fest going on. Share a favorite link or blog post (yours or someone else’s). The love fest will be going on the rest of February.

Happy Valentines, fellow bloggerites!

Now, take it away Gary…

Creativity May Be Our Last Line of Defense

It started with Jeopardy, and then it was on to medical school. On Valentine’s Day, one year ago, IBM debuted Watson, a computer that understands spoken language so well it earned a spot as a contestant on the TV game show, Jeopardy. In the end, highly talented humans were put to shame. Aside from great PR for IBM and the entertainment value of the event, there are more sinister practical reasons for the creation and development of Watson. IBM is training Watson so that it learns one of a doctor’s most valuable skills—the ability to review a medical history, glean relevant information from conversations with a patient and then arrive at a medical diagnosis.

Change is coming to a profession near you. Technology is taking over the work of humans and it isn’t something new. Not so long ago (in historical terms, 200 years is a flash), nearly everyone did farm work. Fast-forward and the workforce transitioned to manufacturing. Today, most of us work in service industries. The changes keep coming and the pace of change is not letting up—in fact, it’s accelerating. Some economists and futurists point out it will get to a point where society won’t be able to keep up.

New technology can come and go like a fad. On a day-to-day basis, it’s hard to appreciate what’s really happening. Here is an explanation why we don’t notice the accelerating pace of change. One example is the life-span of vinyl records (music-storage technology) compared to that of CDs. While music CDs may seem, to some, like a fad that died, vinyl records were the primary method for replaying music during the greater part of the 20^th century.

It’s not just bank tellers who are at risk. Even journalists aren’t safe. Computer technology has advanced to the point where software can prepare a quality news article from a database of facts. In one instance, a machine outperformed a human writer. It’s a sure bet that the software algorithms will get better and the computer processors will get faster.

Securing a professional degree may not be the guarantee to financial security it once was. The point is brought home in a New York Times article entitled “Armies of Expensive Lawyers, Replaced by Cheaper Software.” Software can now process documents, analyze facts and summarize findings in a way that once was the province of attorneys and their paralegals.

Creativity, Talent and Access to Markets In my opinion, the huge changes taking place in the publishing industry provide an excellent window of opportunity for writers. I recently wrote about the digital revolution’s impact on publishing and how writers no longer need publishers to reach readers. Creativity and talent now have unfettered access to the marketplace.

Window of Opportunity: An advantageous time; a short period of time during which an opportunity must be acted on or missed.

Creativity may indeed be our last line of defense, but there’s a catch.

Marketing, Branding and Packaging The truth of the matter is that while raw creativity and talent are ingredients to a successful writing career, they alone are not enough to guarantee success. Having access to readers doesn’t mean they’re coming to knock on your door. You have to invest the time to bolster your entrepreneurial skills and develop some business savvy.

• Learn all you can about the publishing industry.
• Find out what successful writers did to achieve their success.
• Develop an appreciation for the importance of creating a niche and servicing it.
• Investigate different marketing techniques and decide which may work for you.
• Identify your strengths and build on them.

Get to know and accept your limitations. Business people have a keen understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their product and its position in the marketplace. They are also knowledgeable about the services of professionals who can assist them in achieving specific goals.

 Gary Gauthier is working on his first novel, a crime thriller set in New Orleans just before Hurricane Katrina’s landfall. His blog, Literary Snippets, gives him an opportunity to express and share his appreciation for art and literature. He occasionally posts articles as well. Some of his favorite writers are Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe. But this changes from time to time. Stay tuned! Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus.

Here are five of my favorite scary movie quotes (in no particular order):

“I am your number one fan.” Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates). Misery (1990)

“We all go a little mad sometimes.” Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). Psycho (1960)

“Here’s Johnny!” Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson). The Shining (1980)

“They’re hEEEeere.” Carol Anne Freeling. Poltergeist (1982)

And possibly my all-time favorite creepy quote is not from a movie but from The Twilight Zone:

“I’m Talky Tina and I don’t think I like you.” Talky Tina. Living Doll (The Twilight Zone Season 5, Episode 126, 1963) *brrr*

What movie lines send a chill down your spine?

Creepy Movie Quote Mini Mash

• Catie Rhodes reminds us what can happen when a stranger calls.
• Do you hear voices? Jess Witkins does.
• Tiffany A. White reminds us of how a little nursery rhyme can be so chilling.

Another week at warp speed. It was all I could do to hold on at time. Although I would like to have gotten more done, I got as much done as I could.

As you can see, I’m keeping those rose-colored glasses on!

One of the fabulous things about ROW80 is how it encourages us to be adaptable. Every time we fail to meet a goal, we have the opportunity to ask ourselves “why?” Why didn’t this work for me? Am I taking on too much? Not prioritizing well enough? Is the goal unreasonable or is there something holding me back?

When we fail, there’s not a lot of sense in beating ourselves up over it. Better to stop, take a deep breath and figure out why we failed and what we can do about it.

*insert incredibly inspirational quote from Thomas Edison, slightly paraphrased by that dude in National Treasure, about failure and half a bazillion ways not to make a light bulb*

And now…

Where I’ve been since last Wednesday:

• Write at least 3 scenes for MIP or work on backstory/story notes at least 3 days: Half a new scene but lots of outlining for more new scenes.
• Keep up blogging schedule: Yep! Today is the only post I’ve been late with.
• Visit Twitter 2-3 times daily: That second check in time keeps slipping through the cracks. I’m going to move it earlier in the day so that it doesn’t get buried under end-of-the-day work and home stuff.
• Visit Facebook at least once a day/5 days this week: I think so.
• Reach the 3/4 mark in Brooke Johnson’s The Clockwork Giant: Still behind on this one.
• Exercise at least 3 days this week: 2 days this week. I need to move my workouts to earlier in the day too. That way I’m not as tempted to blow them off.
• Catch up and then keep current with the Blogging to Build Brand class with Kristen Lamb: Still not 100% caught up but getting there.
• #Wordmonger at least once this week: *blush* I can’t remember if I did or not.
• Check in with Triberr each morning (except Sundays): Yep. Starting to get the hang of it.
• Update Twitter Hashtag Hula page: Yep. There wasn’t as much to update as I thought. Silly me.
• Post blogging schedule in the sidebar: Done. With linkies to each day’s category and everything. Go me. LOL.

I’m taking a week off from the goal setting. I’m still going to be blogging and fraternizing on the social media and whatnot but I’m not going to set any particular goals. I’m swamped with work projects and I need to take care of that first.

Got your pom-poms? Shake ‘em for some more ROW80 folk over here.

How’s it going for you? Things going smoothly or are you finding you’re having to readjust a lot?

Not Special Enough

Let’s hope the owner of this window tint shop has the darkest windows this side of the Mississippi…

Click here to see the whole post from Grammaniac.

…totally cracked me up and reminded me of another funny sign.

This one is from a pho (pronounced “fuh”) restaurant we visited while travelling.

Yup. That’s really the restaurant’s name. And they were really proud of it too…had tee-shirts that said “I love Pho King” and everything.

The pho was delicious, by the way.

What funny signs have you come across? Share your links and pictures!