TAYLOR’S TIPS for a more productive you…
“Gosh,” I said to my image in the mirror, “you look naked without makeup on.”
The shower felt refreshing, the scrubbing of my face rejuvenating, but all of my adornments to my 60-something face were gone. After the makeup base (powder or liquid…depending on how good I wanted to look that day), came the mascara.
The eyes are the window to your soul.
William Shakespeare
I pulled the brush end out of a mascara bottle and applied the first coat to a set of eyelashes that were almost nonexistent. After that, I did it again, feathering up. And again, filling in the gaps, and again, adding another coat, building up the lashes to be as full, lush, and dramatic as I could get them. In contrast to the bare little stingy lashes I started with, my mascara did a great job (or as good as I could get since I’m not an expert and I don’t do fake ones).
Why Putting on Mascara is a Lot Like Writing…
and a lot like pursuing ANY goal.
As I worked on my eyes, I began to think about my novel. Any writer will tell you, every character and nuance in the book is with you A.L.L. T.H.E. T.I.M.E. So I’m at the bathroom mirror and thinking about how my face is as naked as the first day I opened a word document and typed the working title on a blank page. Subsequent entries brought in characters (feathering up the lashes), scenes (filling in gaps), plot lines (building up), drama (more building up) and emotion (finishing touches). The pages became filled with thousands upon thousands of words, and I have gone back again and again to add more fullness, lushness, drama and intrigue. I started out naked and now I am fully clothed. The final touches will be blush and a bit of lipstick when I polish the draft and give it my final revisions.
My novel has grown from a single page with just a title, to a full-grown manuscript. And if the eyes are the window to my soul, then my novel will also plunge a reader into the depths of my emotions. And that will be just fine with me.
Hugs
and love,
B.J. & Charlie Bear
Follow your
dreams…
B.J.
http://amzn.to/1H3PxWy
What’s Going On:
I’m still working on revisions to my novel (can’t get enough mascara!). Seems like this is the hardest part, but I know there are lots of hard parts ahead of me. I had this really cool video I wanted to share with you here, but I decided to put it in a blog post on www.bjtaylor.com/blog. As for my novel writing, THANK YOU to those who said they are praying for me. Can I pray for you too?
Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference – www.writers.mounthermon.org and https://www.facebook.com/christianwritersconference and https://twitter.com/MH_Writers This is the conference’s 25th Year! Happy Anniversary Mount Hermon! Many writers have cut their teeth on this great location from which to learn, share, pray, pitch, eat, talk, laugh, and grow! Welcome Writers to another super wonderful conference in April from the 11th to the 16th.
Life is Good!
YES!!! Great comparison! Love this post!