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An Evening of Poetry

In the nine years since I graduated from Murray State University (MSU), it feels like I’ve done a lot of traveling even though I really haven’t been anywhere. Not like before. After graduation, life happens and sometimes the path to those dreams you held encounters several detours. It doesn’t mean you won’t ever get to where you want to be — it just may take a bit longer. Last November, I spent…

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Dis(en)couragement

The Next Hundred Miles new blog post: Dis(en)couragement

I know strange title. Why not just put discouragement? Because it is going to be a strange post about encouragement out of discouragement – and it was a lot better than WTF?? It’s the day after Christmas and sadly I didn’t get to go home as planned, but I got over that (a little bit), and then something told me to look and see if my last mentor posted my grade for this past tutorial session. I…

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Here We Go Again

Here We Go Again

I survived another residency and I’m glad to be home – sort of. Before I get into all the bitter-sweetness of driving back to TN let me first tell you about my latest residency. It amazes me how they can pack so much into nine days. Towards the end my brain was turning to mush and pleading with me to pull the plug and succumb to my hotel mattress, but I persevered. It took me about 1 hour and 40…

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Adulting, a necessary evil

Latest post from The Next Hundred Miles

Definitions from Oxford Languages A decade ago I cringed at the sound of the word adulting. I may have even rolled my eyes and said it wasn’t a word. But now, the word has taken on a new meaning for me. At eighteen, you’re considered an adult. Gen X practiced adulting from the moment we could string together a complete sentence. Only then, it wasn’t called adulting — you were mature for your…

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Plot Twist: Destination Unknown

Plot Twist: Destination Unknown http://wp.me/p2nYJd-eH

In fiction, conflict can arise and create a plot twist. These plot twists propel the story into a new direction and help “build” the character or get them to where you want them to be. If life were fiction and I were a character, right now we would be encountering my plot twist. It reads something like this:

The fearless Texan, with a yearning to travel and desire for knowledge, sets out to…

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We're Not Supposed to Have All the Answers

We’re Not Supposed to Have All the Answers

Today I finished my second semesteras an MBA student at UNT. So far, it has been the most difficult one. The MBA is a path to understanding leadership, decision-making, supply chains, organization, and management. In my case, it also covers behavior analysis. I’m happy to say, after three changes, I finally settled on an MBA concentration. I tried Marketing and Marketing Analytics only to realize…

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Begin Again - 100 mph

Begin Again – 100 mph

I originally planned to write another career post, but it’s been a while since I gave an update on my latest journey. Buckle your seat belt. It’s a wild one.

https://giphy.com/embed/Cj2Y5NnFqLiec

via GIPHY

Regular visitors to The Next Hundred Miles are familiar with my long distance journey to the MFA.  My last postannounced my decision to pursue a second masters, this time an MBA, at the…

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Déjà vu - Defining Your Career Path to Make Good Art

Déjà vu – Defining Your Career Path to Make Good Art

I’m about to test the limits of my sanity by returning to graduate school in January for another masters degree. Before you ask, no I was not drunk or under duress when I made this decision. I was thinking of the future and trying to determine what would be most beneficial to advance my career. Since moving to Forth Worth two years ago it seems as if I’m still assembling puzzle pieces in this…

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How to Write About Something That Doesn't Interest You and Still Get Paid

How to Write About Something That Doesn’t Interest You and Still Get Paid

Not all topics are exciting or interesting to write about, but as writers we are occasionally tasked with the impossible – to make that which induces boredom and encourages narcolepsy sound interesting. Sometimes this requires superhuman writing powers: a monthly energy conservation newsletter no one reads, a review of a a hotel with a history of thefts and drive-by-shootings, or a travel…

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Why Hire a Freelance Writer Instead of Doing It Yourself?

Why Hire a Freelance Writer Instead of Doing It Yourself?

  Remember the time you decided to paint the living room yourself and an hour later it looked like a group of three-year-olds helped you play hide the baseboards? It’s the same concept when it comes to hiring a freelancing service to complete a creative project. You are capable of doing it yourself, but a professional has certain skills that would provide a more professional output. Hiring a…

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It’s never too late to start over. The original plan after graduation was to turn my thesis back into the novel it was on the way to becoming. At the time I was working on a novel of linked stories and to comply with thesis requirements I had to choose three to present. After thesis when I began to put it back into its original format I realized I no longer liked the way it was laid out. Not only that, I had grown as a writer and my characters had matured. So basically, I started from the beginning.

Many writers cringe when they look at their old writings. I started by separating what I liked about what I had written from what needed to be discarded, and now I’m in the process of rebuilding the story.

For me, the most difficult part of writing is self-judgment. I’m my harshest critic. I learned at a young age to aim for perfection, but in writing, as in life, perfection does not exist. Unfortunately, this habit of harshly criticizing my own work produced writers block and delayed the progression of my work.

I was pleased to discover I’m not the only writer with this habit. I follow @thewritelife on Twitter and saw their blog post “The Real Source of Writer’s Block (And and Exercise to Beat It).”  The post recalled how as children we effortlessly told stories because our audience mainly consisted of our parents. As we grew older we became aware of a larger audience and doubt settled in, which produces writers block.

To combat writers block the author recommends a five-minute free writing session before you begin to write. During the five minutes you are encouraged to purge your thoughts onto the page. The purpose of this exercise is to find your writer’s voice in a judgment-free place so that you can once again capture that childlike spirit of producing judgment-free work (that will one day be harshly judged by others). The exercise may seem menial at first, but if you stick with it, eventually when you do start writing again you’ve stopped judging your work enough to write freely.

I have not tried this technique, but definitely plan to do so. I have a novel to finish.

        Back to Basics – A Writer’s Journey It's never too late to start over. The original plan after graduation was to turn my thesis back into the novel it was on the way to becoming.

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#freelance #fear #goals

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Unfinished Business

Life after graduation feels a lot like being on a Ferris wheel at the carnival. The ride begins slowly. When it picks up the pace it sometimes takes you places you realize you don’t want to go, but you must stay seated until the ride comes to a complete stop. At times, it seems as if the ride will never end, but eventually it does, and you get to try something else. I received my masters degree…

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The Right Fit

Finding the right career is a lot like trying on shoes. It’s difficult to find the perfect fit and looks can be deceiving. Sometimes what you try on in the store feels different later because it’s the wrong size. Often, it’s just the wrong shoe. After graduation the hope is to immediately settle into a career. Some students have positions lined up before graduation and already know where life…

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Nothing says "I appreciate you" more than receiving desk gifts from your co-workers/boss. Great to know that freelancers get love too.