Be Productive During This Time

Happy Friday! For those that are working, I know you are excited that this day has come. To those who are home with pay or just at home, this blog is for you. I go back to work on Monday ( from home), but I am a little mad at myself that I wasted 2 whole days watching YouTube and sleeping, lol. Granted I am getting over being sick, but I could have more productive. How, you ask? Well, I have so many books that I need to finish writing and finish reading.  If you read yesterday’s blog, you know I want to blog every day! I’m proud to have stuck to day 2 of consistency.  Nonetheless, my point is to take the time to do some things that you didn’t have time to do because you were working.

If you wanted to start a business, now is your chance! Want to write that book that you’ve been putting off? Do that to. We can’t allow this situation to put fear in us from continued living. I’m going to continue writing and figure out how I can be paid to do just that as a side hustle. Learning is re-learning. Always remain teachable  and the sky is the limit. Taking action steps to do the unthinkable shows not only character, but that you don’t give up. Tell me, what is one thing that you enjoy doing that you would do it for free if it still brings you joy? Whatever that is, figure out how to bring in income doing just that. It just maybe your calling. I know I am. Be Productive. Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

Unavoidable Suffering

Good morning everyone! It’s very early, but my energy and my words are ready. I was listening to a speech by Les Brown this morning and he said, ” If you are unhappy, figure out what will make you happy and do that.”  I shed a few tears because I knew I was guilty of not being happy.  As I sat on my bed I knew what was going to make me happy and what was missing. The love of words! It was by chance, my friend called me last night who’s an actor and have worked with Tyler Perry and doing some independent films. Last year he bought my screenplay, ” I’ll Never Tell”. He said,” Krystol, I know it’s been a year since I bought your script, but I just came from LA and I pitched it to a few directors who love it. He said, ” I don’t know if it will be picked up, but I’m going out on faith and I am going to make your film in LA.”

I said, ” Ty, you bought the film.” He said, ” Yea, but I didn’t write it. I haven’t changed anything,  we love it the way it is. If it become an indie or make it to a big screen you are the original writer and will get the credit.” Now, of course it’s in our contract, I get a writer credit, but the fact that he still holds to it says a lot. Then he asked about me writing and I said I have lost motivation. He said, ” You are a great writer whether it’s a book, film or TV show idea. Keep writing. Don’t stop. He said as a matter of fact, re-pitch your work to the celebrities you’ve worked with.”

It clicked, He was right. I’m working in finance and I enjoy it, but my heart is telling stories and putting them down on paper. I got the courage yet again because I was super confident now. I e-mailed the actor Omar Dorsey and Leon.

LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 23: Actor Omar J. Dorsey attends the premiere of DreamWorks Pictures and Universal Pictures’ “Thank You For Your Service” at Regal LA Live Stadium 14 on October 23, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)

It was late. I know Leon is on the east coast and Omar on the west coast. I said a prayer and took a chance. I pitched my work to both and said what the synopsis was. Now, both men have read some of my work before and we have somewhat of a rapport being as though I interviewed them when I used to write for CNN I-report. Leon, actually e-mailed me back right away and requested the script. That is just the first step. I am excited that he loved my ” elevator pitch”.

I’m saying all of this not to boast or brag, but to inspire and hopefully restore your faith and your passion. It took my friend Tyrone to make me realize that I need to keep fighting. There are jobs that we hate or things are not bringing out your true self of what you want to be in life. It does not matter the age! Don’t allow unavoidable suffering stop you from trying and continuing to move forward. I let life get in the way of my craft. But, it’s not in vain at least not all the time. I am happy that I have this new found interest of finance and budgetiting because when I REALLY  REALLY make it as a writer, I will know how to handle my money. Then it got me thinking, God is preparing me for making the six figures that I keep praying about. I will be my own accountant and handle my own money.

I no longer want to be conditioned or convinced that I shouldn’t do something just because the few people in my life whom I’m value said so. I used to always say, ” oh I’ll tell my mom this cause I value her opinion, or I’ll tell my Dad this because I value his opinion or my best friends because I value their opinion. No more of that. I love you guys dearly, but I have to sink or swim on my own. Ask yourself, ” what your life be like if you decided to not tell anyone or ask anyone if you should lead your life a certain way and actually do it?” STEP OUT! Your family isn’t in your shoes, your friends or foes are not in your shoes. Try it for yourself, not because people think you should or should not do it because of their fears or them holding you back.

I just know I can’t let my life go by without truly giving it my all in this writing business. Life is too short. Look at Kobe Bryant. He started playing the game at 2 years and never quit because it was what he wanted to do. He had a full life playing professional ball for 20 years. What is the benefit of listening to yourself? What is the beneift of not fighting for your dream? Don’t allow unavoidable suffering stop you from playing the game and have you watching on the sidelines wishing you’d be called up to play. Sometimes you have to stand up while the game is played and walk forward so they can see you coming.

You Decide

Good day, everyone! I hope this Saturday finds you well and in the best spirits. Where I am located it is raining and I just want to sleep. But, I have to work tomorrow so currently, I am washing clothes and getting things ready for dinner. I’m going to try and get back into meal prepping.

In the grand scheme of things, I am focusing on my writing yet again. I had a nice chat with my YouTube subscribers aka ” the achievers” and the amount of support and encouragement that I got from them was overwhelmingly thoughtful. Granted, I go through spells when I say I’m over writing or it’s not bringing me the success that I thought it should. That is a bunch of nonsense! My heart is the pen, my mind is the pen, the soul…is the PEN! I can’t shy away from something that I am feel I am called to do. I just hate that I am cheating on writing with life. I should always have time for my first love, even if my life seems to be in disarray at times.  With that being said, writing also includes this here blog. So, I want you guys to decide what I should write about and focus on. Should it be, a finance blog? Writing blog? A little of both? I want to know what you guys want to read from me. And a goal of mine is to get  to 10k subscribers here on my blog. Think I can do it?

 

My Week In A Nutshell

Hey Readers!

Happy Saturday, to you! Boy, this week has been something else! I mean it was eventful, but stressful as well. I started a new job and although I’m grateful, I started to feel like I was taking steps backwards. Don’t get me wrong the pay is amazing, but the content of the position is like ugh. Working in a call center at a bank is daunting, but rewarding. I know you maybe thinking, ” Krystol, what are you talking about?” Let me vent and express my feelings. We all know that writing is my passion and life. It’s what I want to do, so taking a job to work in yet another call center is where I feel like I’m backwards. But, I am praying that I change my mindset for Monday. It’s the first day we get on the phones and my anxiety is through the roof. Now, I know you maybe thinking again, ” Krystol, this isn’t your first call center job.” I know, but the system is new and it seems like I’m solving a jigsaw puzzle.

But, did I also mention that this job isn’t the DREAM job. Granted, I am sure everyone feels that way working there, but ugh! We gotta start somewhere, right? Of course, I consulted and sulked to my mom who said, ” Never stop applying for the dream job, but be grateful for the one you have.” It’s easier said than done. I mean, this week I had a great first day, then it kind of went down hill. I don’t fit in with the other workers ( not that I have to) and all of a sudden the thought of being on the phones is annoying to me, lol. I feel like I didn’t go to school and get all of these degrees to work in a call center and talk on the phone all day.

New Idea, Need YOUR advice

I’ve had this idea for a while of starting my own column. I want to call it, ” Krystol Speaks” where people ask me advice on writing, their situations, and more. When I used yo write for a magazine, I pitched it to the CEO and she didn’t like it. So, they say, ” When you want something done, you have to do it yourself.” I want to do just that. What do you guys think? Would you read it or care to ask my advice? My goal is to get a domain name for this blog and write on Krystol Speaks about three times a week. Hopefully, I can create a job by sharing it with future employers like NewYork Times or even Huffington Post, or anywhere. Then goal is to write for a living. If you think I should go with it, thanks for your support. If not, that’s okay, I will still do it anyway, lol.

Who Are You?

Lately I have been thinking a lot about this. As I’m reading a current book titled, ”  The Hollywood Commandments A Spiritual Guide To Secular Success and watching a few of Evan Carmichael’s videos this has my mind pondering. Who am I? Sure, I am a girl, a writer, a daughter, an aunt and sister, but deep down who am I really? My grandmother once told me that a person in their 30’s should know who they are. Yet, I feel like I am still trying to find myself.  I was recently diagnosed with cirrhosis and it has me thinking a lot about life. Am I happy where my life is right now? The more I dwell I am not. i was watching this video that Evan Carmichael had on finding your purpose. One of the exercises that he mentioned was to make a list of things that you would do if you were a millionaire or only had one week to live. Of course the living part really caught attention.   If you don’t mind, I want to share my list with you guys. If money wasn’t an option and I was living on ” borrowed” time these are what would fulfill my life.

 

1. Become a New York Times Bestselling Author
2. Make one of my movies and have it on a network
3. See one of my Pilots on screen and even picked up
4. Write for TV
5. Live in a warm climate
6. Have the world enjoy my stories on and off screen.
7. Become a mother
8. Work as a Researcher

All of these things have one major thing in common. Can you SEE what it is? If you haven’t guessed it, it’s WRITING. It’s being a writer! Writing is something that I would do all day long and for free and still be happy. But, then I ask myself, why haven’t I been writing? The stress of everyday living has started to take the joy of just jotting things down and finishing projects away from me. I’m not happy with my job, it’s not brining me joy, I’m afraid of my health and dying. So many things that hold me back from really going after the dream. The fear is called THE DEVIL. He’s busy and I have to continue to not be here for it. Ignore  the voice in my head that tells me it won’t happen, it’s a long shot or  think if I will fail. Failure isn’t an option. I choose to live and not just exist, I chose life over death.

There are so many battles that people have in their lives, mostly with their self. We are human. It’s okay to be afraid, but we can’t give in to the fear. We must be risk takers. I was applying for a lot of jobs ( even though I’m starting a new one) where I am able to utilize my writing and research skills in some way, but not where my heart lies. Granted, I know the bills have to be paid and sometimes you have to do what you have to do and not want to do. But, where does that leave me? Sure, I can still write until I make it, I mean, that is what I plan to do. My goal is to not loose focus on the writing when life happens. Life clouds my judgement and it has really been getting to me lately. There are so many projects that I need to finish it’s not even funny. I had made a post on Facebook where I stated I was going to finish writing a film. I re-read what I wrote and then closed the computer. I keep asking myself, ” who are you?” I am a writer who will keep writing until her dreams come true no matter the obstacles. To my readers, who are you?

Want to join my read along?

I hope that your Thursday was really good! It’s almost Friday so don’t worry. I wanted to invite you guys to a read along that I am hosting on my YouTube channel! We ( me and my subscribers) do a weekly read a long where we vote on books to read together. This has been so successful and I wanted my subscribers here to join in. I will posting DAILY reading updates about the book and what I have read thus far and my thoughts. The readathon will start on Monday, September 18,2017 at 12am. We will be 75 pages a day  of this book here!

This will be my FIRST Bronte book so I am excited to see how it is. I did watch the movie a while ago and I fell in love with it. Hopefully, the book will not disappoint. If you had read this book before, please let me know what you thought about it. I hope that some of my subscribers here are able to join me!

 

Learning To Play The Hand You Were Dealt

Good evening, readers! As I sitting in my bed thinking, I thought I would write a blog for today. Things have not been going well as I thought it would. The job fell through that I was working for. Turns out, I was hired when I did not have the correct credentials to teach. This is a bummer. Luckily, I still have the writing gig, but it is not full-time. So, back to the drawing board I go. When life gives you a hand, you have to play in order to win the game. No matter what, I will always stay in the game.

I am not blogging to complain, but to inspire. I have cried long enough today. My tears are now dry and it is time to keep playing the game and win. This is all a part of God’s plan to show me my next move. But, whatever it is, trust me, my next move will be my best move. Learning to move in silence. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

Want A Paid Writing Gig?

My fellow writers! I have a GEM for you! I know how we writers want to make a living writing or at least be appreciated for what we have to bring to the table, right? I came across this online paid magazine by networking right here on wordpress. I started to read other’s blogs and BOOM there it was! Yes, I am talking about this banner right here:

This is totally legit! I even signed a contract and met other writers for the magazine as well. This is a new magazine and I must say that I very excited to accept the position of a columnist! My areas of expertise will be for Bookish News and Reviews, Writer’s Life and Fashion & Beauty sections. I could not be more proud to be a part of a great magazine. If you have more questions please do hesitate to email the editor at EDITOR@CONSCIOUSTALKMAG.COM.

My Thoughts:

If you look back on my  What’s On Your Writer’s Bucket List?  back in 2013, I stated that I wanted to write for a company. I did not specify what type of company because it could be anything. I have been a contributing writer for a few magazines, but never having my own column(s). This opportunity is so exciting for me. You have no idea. I want all of my writer friends to join in on this venture with me if you are interested and have the time.

Procrastination

Happy Monday! I know please do not sound so grim. It will not be that bad today. We are all going to have a good day, right? Right! I wanted to touch on procrastination. We all do it and as we do it, we wish that it was not a thing. For any writer it is hard to keep on track sometimes. We may have something going on in our lives where writing seems impossible. I have been there and I know that life happens.

How do we not procrastinate? Well, I have a couple of things that have helped me. Sometimes we have to do things that are out of our norm or things we would usually do. There will be trial and error, but figuring out what works for you.

• Keeping A Schedule  – This can work many ways. You can keep a calendar and put different things that you write on different days. For example, on Monday, write a blog, Tuesday, write three chapters of a novel, on Wednesday work on journaling. Having a calendar can be beneficial. But, if you are like me, this does not work. It will work for a few days and then that is it.
• Writing Daily  –  It’s a little similar to keep a schedule, but not really. Writing daily can be for the same project. If you are writing a novel or a screenplay, you may write every day until the project is finished. This can be more of a habit because on the days you do not write, you will feel weird when you have not written anything.
• Writing Partner  – I have had many writing partners or buddies through out of writing career. They are there to hold you accountable with your writing. Your partner may suggest sprints or even put you on a writing schedule to make sure that you are keeping busy. I have an accountability partner, her name is Jennifer. She is a great friend. We met in a writing group on Facebook and have been rocking out together since. I have read her work and vice versa.
• Writing Prompts  – I know we have those days when we are not really into our projects. It is okay. We are human and have those days at times. What works best for me is to still write by utilizing a writing prompt. Sometimes I will blog it or write in my writing journal.

These are just a few things that you can do to not procrastinate. Will you follow these examples and never procrastinate again? Of course not. I will not even follow these all the time, but it is nice to do when you are feeling like you are in a writing slump. Let’s talk in the comments, what do you do to not procrastinate?

24in48 Readahton!

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Hey readers! I want to let you know about a readathon that I will be in at 12am Friday night ( early Saturday morning.) I am so excited because Booktubeathon starts next monday and well and I am so ready. But, first, let me tell you about 24in48.

Join me on July 22 & 23rd for a weekend full of reading. It promises to be another great one. (You’ll be happy to know I’ll not be steering the good ship 24in48 alone this round. I recently relocated for a job in another country and finally decided to call in reinforcements.

If you’re new to 24in48, this is the basic gist: beginning at 12:01am on Saturday morning and running through 11:59pm on Sunday night, participants read for 24 hours out of that 48-hour period. You can split that up however you’d like: 20 hours on Saturday, four hours on Sunday; 12 hours each day; six four-hour sessions with four hour breaks in between, whatever you’d like.

I will definitely be taking breaks because you guys know that I am also down CampNanoWriMo as well. I am going to be one busy reader and writer. But, I would not have it any other way.

My Choices For The Readathon

 

I am so excited to read these books! Stay tuned for my wrap up and book reviews.