Tag: keep writing

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Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Grow as We Go

Earlier this month I learned an article I wrote was a finalist in the 2023 Selah writing awards contest. The Selahs are Christian writing contests. I was so surprised by this great honor because last year I decided to give up on pursuing writing altogether.

The nomination was more than affirmation, it is proof that I have improved and grown in my writing skills over the years. Recently I caught up with an old writing friend from church who shared with me how impressed with how much my writing has improved. Over the last year, I decided to focus on a few aspects of my writing.

  • My voice
  • Polishing my writing
  • Growing my brand/platform

Since I have a brain injury, I decided to get more active in the brain injury community. Living with a brain injury means I have to fight hard to stay focused on whatever I am doing. Brain injuries can limit a person’s attention span, and I can get distracted easily.

Since this month is brain injury awareness month, I wanted to focus more on being vocal on social media about the community. In the meantime, I couldn’t concentrate on a lot of my writing projects. In the early days after my accident, my neuropsychologist worked with me on staying focused on one task at a time, she told me that as I improved in each area, I would grow as I go.

Grow As We Go

A lot of times, we writers get so focused on our writing goals and careers, we forget to continue learning the craft and polishing our writing and fail to be prepared for our goals when we achieve them. Remember our journeys to publication are meant to prepare and equip us for it.

“It’s none of their business that you have to learn how to write. Let them think you were born that way.”

Ernest Hemingway

Writing requires consistency; the best writers are always learning and growing in their craft!

This is why I encouraged my old writer friend to attend her first writers’ conference at the Blue Ridge Christian Writer’s conference this year. When she saw the faculty and the schedule, she was almost overwhelmed by the opportunities she had to learn.

”In any writer, I look for the –ilities: humility, teachability, coachability, availability, and flexibility.”

Jerry B Jenkins

Writers must grow in their craft before reaching their destination; they must improve their skills while they are on the journey.

Below are skills for writers can work on while on the journey from Coursera:

  1. Grammar
  2. Vocabulary
  3. Spelling
  4. Sentence construction
  5. Structure
  6. Research and accuracy
  7. Clarity
  8. Persuasiveness

Writers must keep growing, and that is why each year most of us try to attend at least one writer’s conference, it’s not about seeing our friends, we are growing in the craft together.

I apply the same mindset to living with a disability, it has been 26 years since my life-changing accident and I am still learning new things about my injuries and how the brain works. If you follow me on social media, you may have noticed that I have been using info-graphics almost daily to share facts and information about the brain.

My goal is not only to get stronger despite my disability but to help others grow stronger in their recovery as well. For the past two decades, my motto has been, “Make progress, not excuses.”

Progress

“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.”

Benjamin Franklin

As writers, we each strive to improve in the craft of writing. Sometimes progress comes easily, others it is a labor of love. Regardless of how it comes, writers should strive to get better in the craft. If I hadn’t pushed myself I would’ve never become a finalist in the Selahs.

Likewise, people with brain injuries are constantly trying to improve their health and strive to make progress in recovery every day. March 31 will be the 26th anniversary of the accident that resulted in my brain injury. It hasn’t been an easy journey and I have faced a lot of setbacks, but with help of others in the brain injury community, I have made a lot of progress over the years.

  • Mental focus
  • Relearning to walk
  • Learning how to talk again

I am fortunate to be part of two amazing supportive communities, the brain injury community, and the writing community. Both of these have given me resources and encouragement to continue to make progress and that helps us grow as we go!

Martin Johnson

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJohnson.com  and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Getting Started

As the year comes to an end, we are all eager for a new year and a new start. It’s safe to say we are all tired of this pandemic life and are hoping for a better year. If you are like me you have an idea or a journal full of ideas for writing projects.

The writing life is a never-ending process. But we all must start from scratch when creating new projects. Unfortunately, the first step is often the hardest to take, especially after trudging through the winter and holiday season. It’s like going from 0 to 60 in under a minute, getting there sounds good but in reality, it is a chore just to get going. It is even harder for someone who lives with a brain injury.

  • Inability to focus
  • Movement is restricted
  • Lack of stamina to finish the task.

The writing life can be just as difficult to be productive as being disabled. Some writers are procrastinators by nature, they perform better under pressure. Some are self-starters, others must be nudged and guided where they need to go.

Perhaps you have more self-discipline or willpower than most writers. Either way, we all need to get started at some point; writing is a marathon, not a sprint—although they may start at the same point.

Getting Started!

A new year means new opportunities for each writer. Personally, I have quite a few projects in mind for this year: blogs, articles, and even a new screenplay. Like most writers, the problem isn’t coming up with new ideas, but just getting started and writing them.

Each writer has their own way of getting motivated to write: work out, go for a walk, overindulge in coffee/caffeine. Unfortunately, due to my brain injury, I must limit my intake of caffeine which only stimulates our nervous system to give us a buzz, not energy.

 Where do you find yourself in the quest for motivation to write? I looked online and found ways writers use to help them get started:

  1. Set writing goals: Set goals that are easy to meet. Give yourself a minimum daily word count you need to reach. At the end of each writing session record your word count in a writing diary.
  2. Set deadlines: There is no better motivator than a deadline. Look at a calendar and set a due date for each chapter of your book and I completed the first draft.
  3. Write now, edit later: An essential part of creative writing is to just get your story down. When words are flowing don’t stop to edit. You’ll forget your thoughts and ideas and you lose momentum.
  4. Find the perfect writing space: Find a spot where you do your best writing. Make sure it’s away from distractions.
  5. Remember that the journey is the destination: Be in the present and enjoy the experience of writing.
  6. Commit to a regular writing time: Getting into a regular writing habit is easier when you use time management skills and schedule a specific time to write every single day.
  7. Change your thought processes: Remind yourself that the only way to become a better writer is to sit down and write.
  8. Join a writing group: Sometimes writing for yourself, is simply not enough motivation. Join a writing group that meets regularly so you are accountable to other people to turn and what you write.
  9. Take five:  If you have writer’s block, step away from your writing routine. Go for a walk or a jog. Sometimes just getting exercise helps open the creative flow of gates.
  10. Switch up your setting: Changing where you work can get you out of a creative rut.
  11. Switch directions: When you stall out during the middle of a writing project, change what you’re working on. Switching to a new writing style can refresh your thoughts.
  12. Try writing prompts: A fun way to find motivation is to use writing prompts to ignite a story. Prompts are often a short text passage that a writer uses as fuel to launch into a bigger story.
  13. Reward yourself: Use bribery for a little motivation every now and then never hurts. Promise yourself a sweet treat, a cup of coffee, or some little reward for reaching a milestone in your writing session.
  14. Read a book: If you’re having a hard time finding motivation, pick up something to read. Reading will turn off your creative engine and give your mind a rest.
  15. Remember why you started writing: Remember why you started writing in the first place and refocus on the story you set out to tell.

During my early years in rehabilitation I had to see a neuropsychologist to help me not only understand what was going on with my brain and body, but to keep motivated in my recovery process, it was there I learned the difference between motivation and inspiration; motivation comes from within us, whereas inspiration is an external means to inspire us.

As a disabled person, I have learned that I am responsible for how I handle my disability. When I cannot motivate myself to get going, I can always turn to someone or something for inspiration to get going.

Inspiration?

Most Christian writers hope to inspire their readers through their writing. Where do you find your inspiration? As a disabled American I found so much inspiration in the story of Joni Eareckson Tada, her success, despite her disability, has inspired millions of disabled Americans. The late Dick Hoyt is another inspiration of mine, his unconditional love and support for his special needs son have encouraged millions of men.

As a writer I have also looked to other’s for inspiration and specific areas of my creative writing process, below are a few:

Regardless of what you write or if you’re disabled or not, there will come a time when we all need a little help getting started!

Martin Johnson

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJonhson.com  and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
A Lighter Look at the Writer's Life

Dream Fulfilled . . . Now What?

lighter look at a writer's life

Several years ago, God placed a dream in my heart to write. I have always considered myself a good writer, dating back to eighth grade when my English teacher noticed my talent and asked me to be a reporter for the high school newspaper.

Do you know what an ego boost it was for a chubby, awkward 13-year-old being asked to join the “big leagues” of the Jenkins High School Review? HUGE.

From that point, the ink was in my blood. I became editor of that paper as a sophomore, continued through high school, and majored in journalism in college. I then took my first detour.

With no major market newspapers or tv stations lining up at my door after my college graduation, I went to graduate school and began the path to becoming a college professor. I don’t regret that decision, and the massive volumes of research writing certainly sharpened my skills.

In my teaching career, I have been a newspaper adviser, mentoring young writers. When I moved to a new college in the early 90s, I even resurrected my own writing and became a newspaper columnist. That lasted for a while, until life happened–another detour.

Several years later, after I became a Christian, God called me to write and planted that aforementioned dream—specifically, a dream to have my own book published. At times, it seemed like a pipe dream, but, after many false starts and rejection letters, I finally got an agent and had a book traditionally published, with my co-author Holland Webb.

After years of anticipation of seeing my name on the cover of the book, it was a surreal experience to hold that book in my hands. IT FINALLY HAPPENED!

Then the pandemic hit, with quarantines and lockdowns one-month before the release date. My co-author and I faced many challenges, but we adjusted and learned the ins and outs of marketing a book during a once-in-a-lifetime national medical emergency.

It’s been nearly a year since the dream came true, so now what? What is one to do once the dream is fulfilled and the book is in hand? Continue writing, of course.

Is it really that easy? Yes.

I love watching basketball and following my favorite teams. It’s such a thrill when one of my teams wins a big game, such a great feeling. But then the coach has to bring the players back down to earth to get ready for the next game. It’s the same in writing. The thrill of seeing a book published is an awesome feeling, but then it’s time to get back to work on the next project.

So, it’s time for to gear up for the next game, to get back on the horse, jump back in the ring.

Hmm . . . maybe my next book can be about cliches . . . stay tuned.

Carlton Hughes, represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary, wears many hats. By day, he is a professor of communication. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he serves as a children’s pastor. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer. Carlton is an empty-nesting dad and devoted husband who likes long walks on the beach, old sitcoms, and chocolate—all the chocolate. His work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game, The Wonders of Nature, Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. His latest book is Adventures in Fatherhood, co-authored with Holland Webb.