Welcome!
I didn’t post last month. I often publish sparingly in December because internet (and interstate) traffic is slow. This year something remarkable and unexpected happened. A pile o’ people found Writing in Color and signed up during December. Welcome. I trust you’ve already found value in the site. I look forward to hearing from new creative folks with varied experiences and ideas. Don’t be shy!
If you’ve just signed up to receive updates, you should have received your free copy of “The Lighthearted Glossary of Writing Terms.” This download is a great example of the helpfulness mixed with the humorous that I include in most posts. Some writings are more humorous such as this post, “Not Writing? Get a Better Excuse”, while others are more serious such as, “What to do on Dark Days When Words Do Not Come.” I wrote this post after my Dad’s passing in March 2014. The follow-up to that post was, “The Nature of Steam – Writing Even When Everything Slows Down.”
What kinds of trials and challenges have come to you this past year?
2014 Looking Back…
2014 was a year for firsts. I moved from WordPress.com to a new self-hosted site. I also created my first 5-page free download (mentioned above). In addition, I created a 1-page download of a quiz on quotes and writing, so people could take the quiz offline. I’ll be writing more on these creations and what tools I used. I learned about plug-ins and downtime, tweaked details on my pages more times than I’ll admit, and I started using MailChimp. This service streamlines sending post updates, makes emails look great and keeps information secure.
In addition to firsts, I revisited a subject we all feel when writing: rejection. Four other writers gave their best insight on how they handle rejections. I based this idea on a high traffic post I’d written in 2013, Receiving and Rising Above Rejection. I also created my first SlideShare presentation from material in this post. If you appreciate visual learning, you’ll appreciate SlideShare. If you’re a member and enjoy the presentation, a like or a share on Twitter would help you make my list of hyper-cool people of 2015. Point me to your presentations as well and I’ll take a look. I delved into the mix of toxic emotions we all experience and considered how carefully directing those charged feelings adds fuel to our writing.
Writers write for one reason: to create an emotion in the reader, to reach across and make them feel something. You want a reaction. Yeah, it’s nicer when the reaction is to throw flowers than it is to throw brickbats, but you have to accept both equally. J. Michael Straczynski
Don’t let the colder weather freeze your creativity!
Some of you who have been reading for a while know my favorite subject is harnessing creativity. One popular writing in 2014 
proposed developing an idea stash ready to delve into when you need it. Another I’m most reminded of as winter temperatures plummet is “Blazing-Hot Tactics to Combat Brain Freeze.” Has anyone else’s creativity flown south in search of warmer weather? I’ve had to coax mine back with promises of chili, mulled apple cider, and hot cocoa with the mini-marshmallows included.
I set some writing and productivity goals back in August. I’ll be posting soon on how those went in spite of difficulties. In November, just before Thanksgiving I stretched myself again. I recorded my Thanksgiving post from the previous year and uploaded it, allowing people to hear my voice. Give a listen here: Leaving a Legacy of Writing. Some challenges caused me to post less often than the previous year, including learning many details about running a self-hosted site. I’m so thankful for those of you who understood and continued to support me.
2015 Looking ahead…
I will be purposefully pushing forward in the coming months. I have a wonderful brew of ideas bubbling, such as “How to Use Low-Cost options for Over-Priced Programs” and “Writing: Expertise vs Motivation – Which Truly Matters .” However, I’ll also be carefully listening to and learning from you, the readers. It’s a good time to be creative. I look forward to sharing my time and my words with other writers and creative people.
How do you feel at the start of this new year? Excited…Cautious…Hopeful? Have you set goals for the coming months?
Follow
Hi, Peter. December is a good time to take a break from blogging.
This year is starting well for me, for which I am thankful. In the beginning of the year I’m writing out a full-fledged business plan (rather than carrying one in my head). It’s been something of a process though, kind of like harnessing a wild burro. :o)
Janalyn Voigt recently posted…Words to Live By Video: Beauty for Ashes
Hi Janalyn, great to hear from you. I’m glad your year is starting well. I pray it continues. I hope you can tame that burro. 🙂
Hi, Peter. I missed seeing you around!I have been in an incredibly busy time of my life and have (regretfully)let my blogging drop off to do other things. Your post has got me back to thinking about goals and post ideas and changes I can make to my blog site to improve it. I always enjoy reading your posts about writing because I can identify with them…someone else who feels my pain!!
Hope to see more of you in 2015 — on BOTH of our sites. 🙂
Beverly recently posted…Happy Holidays To All
Hi Beverly, I appreciate your encouragement as well. It’s nice to be missed. I’ll see you over at your pages too.
Great post Peter! On New Year’s Eve I posted on Facebook several examples of how 2014 was a weird year for me. It started out weird due to how 2013 ended and then one weird thing after another happened including way to many weird, toxic people.
Yes, I have already made 2015 goals and am on my way to achieving them! I’m excited about 2015. As someone said to me last week, “Rebekah, 2015 is going to be your year!” I agree! 🙂
Hi Rebekah, Glad you stopped by. I hope this year is a little less weird and a lot more productive. 🙂