Take Good Care of Yourself: Write! And Laugh!

You all know how I love guest posts. I love to spread the love, talent and wisdom around. (-: Georgia Richardson (also known as Queen Jaw Jaw) not only has good advice but her work is a model for using humor in your work. Enjoy!

Writing – Celebrate your life!

By Georgia Richardson

If I had a dime every time someone said, “Oh you’re a writer. I’m going to do that some day,” I would be a rich woman; or at least wear better underwear in case of a wreck. Sorry Mom.

When you commit your thoughts to streams of words, you will invariably learn things about yourself, and along the way, you will grow as a person and as a writer. It doesn’t matter what kind of writing you want to explore, whether it’s poetry, that novel in your head, or god forbid, humor; writing is an immediate gift you can give to the one who matters most; YOU. It is a celebration of sorts, and shouts to the world...I matter.

Isn’t that what everyone wants?

For those scared to begin, take comfort in knowing your writing doesn’t have to go public. If you love to write, and writing helps express your feelings, then why not follow that inner voice that craves the extension? Talk about a stress-reliever! Write about your hard day at work, your relief at passing that exam, your husband’s love affair with his lawncar (lawn mowers with cup holders, headlights, a horn, etc), or your waistline needing its own zip code. Whatever emotional event passes through your day, write it down and release the tension. Now you have a history trail, or in some cases, blackmail. Yes dear, Friday you promised you would go shopping with me TODAY. See? I wrote it down. Busted!

Time is probably the biggest excuse used by would-be writers; yet everyone has the same twenty-four hours. Investigate where your time is spent and you might be surprised to find that time is irrelevant. If you want to see a movie, go on vacation, or phone a friend, you always find the time. Why not squeeze in a few minutes each day to begin writing?

If you can’t produce the world’s greatest novel, then why bother, right? Very few writers I know are on the New York Times Best Seller List, yet there are millions of wonderful books, articles, and blogs available for escaping reality, for entertainment, or for learning something new. I once fixed a toilet via a “how-to” article on the net, which led to an article about the joys (insert rolling eyes) of grandchildren. Did you know there isn’t one toothpaste tube on the market that will flush? Writers never know when inspiration will strike. Or grandchildren, for that matter.

If writing one genre leaves you flat, then try another. Maybe poetry holds your voice and makes your heart sing. It could be non-fiction; how-to articles, copywriting, or even writing catchy jingles for cereal boxes or greeting cards. Discover which one(s) speaks to you. Break free of the mindset that novels are the only path and you could find a new, exciting, and often profitable way of highlighting your abilities.

Writing publicly isn’t for everyone, and if that doesn’t appeal to you, try journaling. One major benefit is that writing thoughts down can bring clarity to problems that often seem to swirl around in our heads like a carousel. Seeing the problem in print can often bring you to place of understanding; an awakening or “A-ha!” moment.

Journaling is also very important as it is an imprint of your life. Where would we be today without the records of those passed on before us? You may think, “Oh, but what if someone reads this?” I say, wouldn’t it be sad if someone doesn’t. They would be missing a golden opportunity to know the real you. Nonetheless, if this concern persists, there’s always time capsules or bank vaults, or better yet, that best friend who will pinkie swear to swoop in and grab your secrets should you transcend to a better place.

Remember, writing is a choice and a very valuable tool in getting to know yourself, and to celebrate your life. I get a high every time I complete an article, write a blog, or even send a humorous email. I’m higher than a kite right now. Where’s my Oreo’s? I must celebrate!

How will you celebrate your life?

Author Biography

Georgia Richardson, official humorist for the National Association of Baby Boomer Women (NABBW), is also a motivational speaker/gablogist, Southern humorist, author, and stretcher of the truth. Better known as Queen Jaw Jaw or JJ, her work has appeared in GRAND magazine, Chicken Soup for the Soul magazine, Woman's World, Guidepost online, BOOMER—for Central Iowa, Boomer Magazine, Missouri, Shoals Woman and a host of other regional and national magazines.

Her debut book, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Throne, consists of every day life experiences with just a twist of the imagination. Her second book, an anthology, Pink Jasper- Gems from the Journey, was written by Georgia and five other women across the United States, Canada, and England. Amazingly, these women have never met. Mixing her sharp sense of humor with everyday life observations, the Queen says, “Every single story is true, honest injun… I'd rather walk on my lips than tell a lie.” Visit her Queendom where you can read all about her Lunch Hour Specials. Don't forget to “paws” a while and see what her good friend and writer-dog Trixie, a.k.a., da Trixster, has been up to. E-mail her at gjawjaw1@bellsouth.net


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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about it: