For the Criminally Inane

 I published my first book with the Wild Rose Press nearly ten years ago now. It's been an amazing journey. I have learned and grown so much! Here are a few things I wish I would've done when I first started writing. Start a newsletter and social media before publishing. I wish I would've let more people know I was writing. I was a little shy about it. It also took me a long time to figure out how to write a book, so partially this was because I wasn't sure I could do a good job. But having a group cheer you on, follow your journey, supporting you spiritually is such a blessing. I see other authors just starting out with their friends cheering them on. Realized this is a business, not just art. When I first started writing, I was creating stories that were personal, deep and complicated. Now I wish I had just written stories that were more marketable. So many people ask me what I write and often I can't exactly say. If I had started with a business mindset, I think ...

 I'll have to say, when I first saw Spirited Away with my husband after we were first married, I was uncomfortable. The movie didn't employ usual Western storytelling techniques and I couldn't predict the ending or what would happen next. Although the animation was beautiful and the characters were interesting, I still struggled. Now, fast forward twenty odd years. I'm so glad I raised my kids on Studio Gibli films. In case you are unfamiliar, let me give you a summary of my favorite ones and then I'll explain what I feel these movies do over other animation studios. Here are a few of our favorites Spirited Away: a young girl gets separated from her parents in the land of spirits and must work in a spirit bath house to find her parents and to find answers. She befriends lots of people who help her reach her goal. Porco Rosso: A young girl engineers a bi-plane to help a pilot win an arial battle post the Great War. Howl's Moving Castle: A young girl gets turne...

Actually, failing and anything worth doing should have been the title. But since I'm a writer, I'll use my personal example. When I first started writing, I was worried I wouldn't be talented enough to write. Thankfully I read in a book somewhere that you don't have to be wildly talented to succeed (although it helps). You just have to work hard to learn your craft. And be prepared to fail. Be prepared to fail A LOT. Anything worth learning how to do is worth failing for. Sometimes we get this weird idea that we shouldn't fail or that failure is bad. It's not. You're learning. You will make mistakes. I try not to let ego or pride get in the way of that. I know I'm going to fail. And trust me, I have made a TON of mistakes while I've been writing--business mistakes, marketing mistakes, writing mistakes. It never ends. I'll continue to make mistakes. But I learn and grow. I read somewhere that it's actually not easier for children to learn lang...