Monday’s Pen to Paper: Surround Yourself with Positive
In Friday’s PeaceLoveBasketball blog I wrote about how a person’s energy can affect a group. Our friend’s favorite holiday became our favorite holiday (at least for the day). We donned the parties theme attire – red, white and blue 70’s – and came prepared to celebrate. I related this concept, how one person’s enthusiasm can change or alter the opinions of many, to basketball, but of course it relates to life and writing as well.
Writer’s often work alone. So one person’s input and energy can have a great impact.
Years ago, when I started my book, Back on the Court, a writing coach read through bits and pieces of my first-draft. She was so positive and encouraging I felt inspired to move forward. A couple of years later (yes, a couple of years, that book was a 10 year project), an acquaintance, and fairly accomplished writer, read my much improved manuscript and had nothing good to say about it. Initially I was devastated, but after I sorted through the hurt and irritation, I moved forward and reminded myself that his opinion was just that, an opinion.
It was also a reminder to surround myself with positive energy. That’s not to say that a person can’t, or shouldn’t, have readers and editors that suggests changes or recommend new ideas or tell you that a portion of your writing isn’t up to par, because that is why you have people read your work, to help make it better, but this help can come with a gentle heart.
Surround yourself with people who share your ideals and support your hopes and dreams with enthusiasm.
WRITING PROMPT #1: Write about a positive, supportive writing experience. Write about a negative experience.
WRITING PROMPT #2: Della and Jonathon joined the party just as…
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: A Fire of Energy
The 4th of July is one of my friend’s favorite holidays. I have alway liked the day well enough, but it’s interesting how one person’s enthusiasm can change or alter the opinions of many. I now have a group of friends that are excited about celebrating the day. Today we will be dressing red, white and blue 70’s style.
This type of energy can do the same thing on the basketball court. If you get one or two players with positive competitive enthusiasm, it will spread like wild-fire. (Of course this can happen with bad energy and that fire needs to be put out quickly.) Whether you are a coach, player or fan, spread positive energy on the court and enjoy the game!
Happy 4th!!!
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Blog Hop
Recently I was asked by friend and blogger, Jenny McGlothern to join her in a Blog Hop. The idea behind a blog hop is to expose readers to new writers and to share information about their writing life. I jumped right in.
I met Jenny seven years ago. A mutual friend realized we were both writing books and said we HAD to meet. We have been writing together on Thursday mornings ever since. Jenny inspires me by keeping me accountable with my writing, but also with her fearless ability to express what needs to be out there. She blogs from the heart in her www.heartwriter.com blog every Monday. And she encourages mothers, and others, to “refill their cup” in her www.mamaneedsarefill.com blog. She is a life coach, retreat leader, writer, teacher at Seattle Life Coach Training and mother of two, and is a passionate, funny and inspiring writer. Check her out.
BLOG HOP QUESTIONS ON MY WRITING LIFE:
What am I currently working on?
My heart is in YA right now and my current novel is a story of a young woman’s journey through a post-apocalyptic world.
“Dylan wakes in a post-apocalyptic world where a majority of the human species have died. With no friends or family left alive in her small town in central Washington, Dylan embarks on a challenging journey across the state in search of her sister, her strength and ultimately her future.”
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Often post-apocalyptic titles take place quite some time following the event that has changed the landscape and political structure of the world, my novel bridges that gap between the two and carries with it the memories and the […]
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Team Camps
I took my high school basketball girls to a team camp this week. It was a lot of fun and I really saw improvement individually and as a team.
It’s interesting how team camps have changed over the years. When I went with my teammates back in the 80’s, camp was filled with drills and skills, and coaches didn’t participate (a college player from the camp coached our team). Now team camps are more like tournaments. Teams play a lot of games and coaches coach their teams. It would be nice if we could meet in the middle, more skills and drills for the players and games that coaches could be a part of, but either way these camps give the opportunity for growth for players, coaches and teams.
At camp this week our overall focus was on being more patient. If we didn’t have the fast break (BTW we won first place in the camp’s fast break league), we wanted our point guard to bring the ball up top and set up our offense. We also had a specific focus for each game; blocking out, catching in triple threat and bumping the cutter, for example. The camp was a success because as the days progressed players improved their individual skills, I learned some new drills during clinic times (and enjoyed being back on campus where I played college basketball 30 years ago), and most important, as a team we played harder, smarter and with patience, and after working through some bumps in the road, we became an even closer team.
Consider going to team camp to grow as a player and as a team.
Meet Sonya
Meet Sonya
Sonya Elliott’s memoir, Back on the Court: A Young Woman’s Triumphant Return to Life, Love & Basketball, is her story of finding hope in the wake of tragedy after she and her fiancé were hit by a train. She blogs about writing, basketball, and life and is currently working on a Young Adult Novel and a Non-Fiction Coaching book. Stories of her career as a fashion model are woven through her memoir, as both the Soloflex and Easy Spirit Shoes commercials were filmed during that time period, and this unique and intriguing business continues to be a part of her life.
Sonya played basketball at Eastern Washington University and was a starter for the Big Sky Champion team that went to the 1987 NCAA tournament. She coached for almost 25 years and was voted Seattle Times Coach of the Year, Seattle Officials Women’s Basketball Association Coach of the Year, and twice voted Metro League Coach of the Year. She loves the game of basketball and is thankful, not only for her husband and kids but for her ability to continue to get back on the court.
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Variety is the Spice of Life: Say NO to playing select sports year-round
Say NO to playing select sports year-round.
My daughter is doing her senior project on this subject. Her instructor wasn’t crazy about the idea, but my daughter was adamant that it was an important topic and stuck to her guns. I agree. Today’s young athletes start specializing way too early and often for all the wrong reasons.
When I was young we played select sports because we loved to play. We wanted to play more and try to be the best. Today young athletes (often with pressure from their parents) play because they believe it will give them the upper hand for an athletic scholarship. But what most don’t understand is that playing one sport year round not only costs more than college itself, it often puts young athletes in harm’s way emotionally and physically.
Fact: Less than 2% of high school […]
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Life In Triple -Threat
I had the opportunity to speak to the seniors at my old high school. And when I talked to them about setting goals and making choices, I brought basketball into the mix. It may not seem like there is a connection but let me explain.
When I play basketball my goal is to win, and in order to do that, our team must get more points than the other team. So, I play tough defense and every time I catch the ball, I catch it in triple-threat position, facing the basket (my goal). Triple-threat means I am a threat to the opponent in three ways, I can shoot, pass or drive. I must read the defense, assess my options, and make a choice. Just like I do in life.
If I’m open and in my range, I might shoot the ball. If I see […]
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Time To Soar
I don’t remember having National College Declaration Day when I headed off to school. Is all the attention on this choice a good thing? I’m not sure, because it’s already a stressful time for seniors. There’s a ton of pressure to make the perfect decision on a school to attend, during a time when they are smack in the middle of taking AP tests, finals and applying for scholarships.
I know, because my daughter has been going through this over the last few months and it has been stressful. Her original college choice ended up being WAY too expensive. It had been our understanding that with merit aid, etc, the cost would be close to the University of Washington, it was not. Even with scholarships she was looking at paying $51,000 a year. We couldn’t, and wouldn’t, pay $240,000 for four years of college. […]
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