Tag: Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

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Appreciate the Little Things

As I spent Thanksgiving by myself this year, I had some time to reflect on not just 2022, but my life since my accident. Part of me grieved the things I lost due to my disability. Those things aren’t in my life for a reason; I gained new skills and insights that appeal to me more now.

I purposely choose not to entertain things I used to enjoy because I know it would only disappoint and depress me more now. If I choose to focus on what I cannot do, I become bitter and ungrateful. Instead, I choose to concentrate on what I can do and try to get better at it.

Because not everyone in life gets a second chance, last month a childhood friend died in an accident, leaving behind his new wife and children. I can choose to grieve forever or learn to be grateful for the gift of today that I have. 

” When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. “ 

Philosopher Marcus Aurelius

I have learned to be grateful for the small victories since my accident. Things that I once took for granted until I lost them.

  • Being able to smile.
  •  Eating on my own
  • Simply walking

For a disabled person, it’s the small victories that give us hope, bigger goals are more challenging and harder to accomplish. After relearning how to talk and smile, I was content not to return to college or my old life, I chose to focus on the simple things of life.

Appreciate the Little Things

Audre Lorde stated, “We are all more blind to what we have than to what we have not.” Before my accident I was so busy with getting from school to work and having a social life that I never bothered to tie or untie my shoes, I just slipped my feet in and out.

I took for granted that I could tie my shoes and chose not to until I had to tie my shoestrings. It two weeks for me to retrain my left hand to tie and untie my shoes, and button and unbutton my shirts. Still to this day, it takes me more time to accomplish those tasks than the average person.

Brain injuries affect people’s fine-tuned motor skills drastically, so we must celebrate the little things that we can accomplish. The same principle applies to our writing careers. We will never achieve our goals without first making small achievements because we won’t be prepared for the bigger picture of a writing career.

Below are some small steps writers can take from author Jerry B Jenkins

  1. Don’t wait to call yourself a writer.
  2. Don’t quit.
  3. Write from your passions.
  4. Work at it every day.
  5. Create your water’s website.
  6. Look for opportunities.
  7. Seek like-minded writers.
  8. Network, network, network.
  9. Focus

Jerry Jenkins also advises writers to never start their careers with big projects like a book, they start with smaller projects like articles, reviews, or a blog. One of the takeaways I learned from going through rehab is to start with smaller goals before attempting larger tasks.

Large endeavors can be too physically or mentally overwhelming for persons with brain injuries before they are ready to attempt them. Smaller victors keep us motivated and help us get stronger in the process.

Before trying to walk after my accident, I had to do physical therapy in my hospital bed and work my way up to trying to stand for certain periods. A month and a half of lying flat on your back causes the body and muscles to become weak.

I can still remember the excitement and gratitude I felt the first time I was able to walk from my bed to a chair in my room. After months of getting around only a wheelchair, I was very grateful to be walking again.

“The best way to show my gratitude is to accept everything, even my problems, with joy.”

Mother Teresa

Grateful

As I look back to those months following my accident, I am grateful for the hard times I went through, because not only did they make me stronger, they help me realize how much of a gift the simple things in life are.

Cartoonist Bill Keane said it best, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.” Trust me, I no longer take for granted the simple little tasks of life. I learned to appreciate what most people don’t think twice about.

I have to work twice as hard to do what most people can do without putting much thought into it. I have fallen and failed a lot, but I understand disappointments and setbacks show us where we need to get stronger and improve.

This year I didn’t achieve my main goals of landing an agent or getting a book contract, but I can still celebrate the small victories.

A couple of my achievements from this past year:

  • Attending another writing conference and speaking in a class about my book.
  • Publishing my first article for Focus on the Family.
  • Growing my YouTube channel to over 1000 subscribers (over 450 new this year to date).
  • Growing my Twitter account to over 3000 followers.
  • Getting a chance to speak on PJnet.tv.

These victories may not be all I wanted for this year, but they are special and I consider them a gift that I even had the opportunity. Nothing in this life is guaranteed, so I urge everyone to treat each day like it is a gift.

“Life is precious, and when you’ve lost a lot of people, you realize each day is a gift.” Sometimes the best gifts come when we learn to appreciate the little things.

Meryl Streep
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 MartinThomasJohnson.com  and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

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Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Fear Factor

As I write this month’s post, I am waiting to hear back from agents and publishers to whom I sent book proposals. While I am playing the waiting game, I cannot help but notice how my writer friends post about how busy they are.

  ”A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” 

Thomas Mann

It seems there are three seasons in a writer’s life: writing, waiting, and all hands on deck busy. While waiting, we can write, build our platform, and follow up on proposals sent out. To be honest, I’ve procrastinated on writing and sending my follow-ups. In a way I felt safe not knowing, I didn’t want to have to face my writing fears.

  • Fear of rejection
  • Fear of being too overbearing and unprofessional
  • Fear of waiting

Living with a brain injury, I already have enough things I need to focus on daily. I pay close attention to my health for changes in my mental and physical health. Depression isn’t the only side effect of brain injuries.

Survivors also deal with an inability to focus or OCD tendencies, and physical limitations.  We also have irrational and uncontrollable emotions that can come from nowhere. To be transparent, I have to work on these things daily.

In addition to not being able to control my thoughts and emotions, my biggest fear is having a seizure and losing control of my body. Fortunately, I have learned what can trigger seizures for me and can avoid them to lower my seizure threshold. It has been over a decade since I had my last seizure, but the fear is still very real today as it was then. Fear can help us or hinder us.

Fear Factor

Fear is a common reality everyone must deal with at some point in life. But instead of avoiding fear, we can learn from it. Fear is an emotional or mental response to anything that may harm us.

Fear begins in the amygdala; this small organ in the center of your brain goes to work warning your nervous system.

“This leads to bodily changes that prepare us to be more efficient in dangerous situations: The brain becomes hyper-alert, pupils dilate, the bronchi dilate and breathing accelerates. Heart rate and blood pressure rise. Blood flow and stream of glucose to the skeletal muscles increase. Organs not vital in survival such as the gastrointestinal system slow down.”

Arash Javanbakht and Linda Saab, Smithsonian Magazine

So fear is our mind and body’s attempt to protect us, don’t be ashamed of having fears. We each have different triggers and must learn from them.

In school I had a friend who had a seizure while she was in the shower; I remember listening to her about how scared she was. She learned that she’d developed type I diabetes which caused her seizure.  She learned about managing her diabetes and hasn’t had any more seizures.

When we learn about what scares us, our fear can prepare us to take precautions to keep us safe. Life can be scary for us all at times regardless of being disabled or not. Writers also have fears since the writing life isn’t an easy career path. Below are some of the most common fears writers have:

  1. Fear of rejection
  2. Fear of not being good enough
  3. Fear of criticism
  4. Fear of Success
  5. Fear of inadequacy

What we can control is how we are going to deal with our fears. I could let my fear of seizures scare me to the point where I remain stationary and never drive or do anything productive.

Instead, I chose to learn more about brain injuries and seizures and then make the necessary changes in my life. I chose to be proactive, instead of reactive, to deal with my fears.

Deal with It

Fear can be dealt with in one of two ways, by avoiding it or attacking it. At the beginning of the pandemic, the popular cliché was, “Faith over fear,” the whole concept was confusing for me, why is faith necessary, if we don’t have any fears? Instead of dealing with fear many used faith as a means to avoid it. The absence of fear isn’t faith, it’s denial!

I learned from my neuropsychologist that it is better to deal with my fears than to deny them. Again, fear begins in the brain and it can raise our stress levels, neither of which is good for a person with a brain injury.

Instead, I learned to study and pay attention to the things that scare me, in the process making them less frightening, and learned how to appreciate the small victories. I can use my faith to help me handle and live with my fears, but not avoid them. That is not beneficial for me. Writers too can learn how to deal with the fears of the writing life. Below are a few tips from The Write Practice on how writers can overcome their fears of writing.

  • Do what scares you
  • Stop procrastinating
  • Learn from criticism
  • Embrace the fear of writing

I highly encourage you to go to The Write Practice and read the full list to help you deal with your writing fears. Remember it is healthy to have fears, as long as we learn how to deal with them productively.

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

Ernest Hemmingway

 I have learned to deal with many fears by living with a disability for over 25 years. Every writer will have to face their unique fears at some point. I want to close by encouraging you to leave a comment for this post about some of your writing fears and how you have overcome them in your life. Hopefully, this will help others deal with their fear factors!

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 MartinThomasJohnson.com  and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

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Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

S.A.D.

For almost half a year, I have gone through another rough season in my life. I have left a church home of almost a decade and lost friends. Additionally, I have developed more health issues that affect my daily activities. All the while, still trying to work on numerous writing projects and still awaiting a response to book proposals I sent out earlier this year. Needless to say, I have been feeling pretty overwhelmed. But I know I am not alone because the writing life comes with its anxieties.

  • Feeling overworked
  • People issues
  • Work-life balance
  • Job security

Each of these can easily disorient a writer as we try to communicate through our art, the written word. When we can’t get the words out and express ourselves, it affects every aspect of our lives both professionally and personally. And since this month is national suicide prevention, I want to address it.

Looming deadlines and careless typos further frustrate us, writers. It’s no wonder, a recent study found that writers have a greater risk of experiencing depression. Author and psychologist Rollo May notes, “All people are struggling to be creative in some way, and the artist is the one who has succeeded in this task of life.” Personally, as summer comes to an end and the days get shorter, I am more prone to feeling depressed due to S.A.D.

S.A.D.

For those who aren’t familiar with the term, S.A.D. stands for seasonal affective disorder and is a type of seasonal depression disorder that causes a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, feeling hopeless, and even suicidal thoughts.

Although fall is one of my favorite times of the year, I sometimes dread it. SAD exacerbates the depression, inability to focus, and lack of energy as well as other difficulties of living with a traumatic brain injury. When there is less sunlight and time in the day to be active, there can be less to look forward to.

Tips from Active Beat for those who struggle with SAD

  1. Exercise regularly
  2. Make social plans
  3. Plan a trip
  4. Soak up the sun as often as possible
  5. Let the light in
  6. Light box therapy
  7. Consider seeing a therapist
  8. Make room for ‘me’ time
  9. Avoid overloading on carbohydrates
  10. Take medication if needed

“Depression is one of the most common problems associated with TBIs. Studies show that about half of the people who experience a TBI will suffer from depression during the first year after injury. About two-thirds of people with a TBI will suffer from depression within seven years of the accident. Some studies have also shown an increased risk for suicide and suicidal ideations in the first few years after a TBI.”

Study.com,

Couple that with an increased risk of mood disorders among creatives and you have a recipe for disaster. It’s hard to survive when you cannot focus enough to be productive. When you deal with depression, regardless of the cause, it is helpful to stay active. There are many benefits to keeping our bodies moving, for writers, disabled persons, and even the average person.

A recent study on walking regularly at a pace that gets your heart rate up can decrease your risk of developing dementia later in life. There is an obvious connection between physical activity and brain activity. Writers need to keep writing to harness the power of the brain and their creative muscles.

In the early days after my accident my biggest fear was losing my ability to walk again. Every time I suffer a seizure, that fear returns because seizures exhaust my body and brain to the point where I cannot walk. The old adage is true,” Use it or lose it!”

Use It!

We all know how fear, anxiety, and depression can stifle our inspiration as writers. However, just like with a disability we cannot let them keep us from writing. When disabled persons fail to use their muscles, atrophy sets in which causes the muscles to deteriorate. Constantly working creative muscles help strengthen them so we can keep going when we do lack inspiration. Don’t worry if you’re feeling sad and uninspired now, you’re in good company. Successful creatives have pressed on through tough seasons and become stronger.

  • Vincent van Gogh
  • Charles Dickens
  • Virginia Woolf
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

We can find encouragement in knowing we are not alone in our fight to remain creative and optimistic. Every successful creative has faced obstacles at some point on the journey, I know it is scary, but there’s no reason to be sad!

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.

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Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Plateaus

Lately, I’ve been battling a tremendous amount of brain fog. I’ve been distracted by personal issues while dealing with physical ailments. Sometimes it feels like I’m taking more steps backward in life than I am making progress.

Life after suffering a TBI/stroke is measured by making progress, which takes time. The recovery process feels like an endless cycle of lows and plateaus. Some days are easier to function, while others are a fight just to get out of bed. Below are a few tips from persons who are plateauing in their recovery after injury.

  • Track your progress to make sure you are plateauing.
  • Stay motivated.
  • Make training a priority.
  • Join a support group.
  • Try something new, a plateau can be an opportunity.

Recently, I was heartbroken to see on the news the little leaguer who fell out of bed and suffered a brain injury. He now motivates other kids in his recovery process and even encouraged his younger brother to take his place at the Little League World Series!

“Motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going.”

Jim Ryan

Consistency is key to creating any habit. As writers, we must remain consistent in our writing, especially when we don’t feel like writing. Writer’s block is another name for a writing plateau.

Writers Block

We all, at some point, have hit a wall in our writing. Professionals and newbies alike experience plateaus. According to WritinGeekery, there are four basic types of writer’s block (plateaus): perfection anxiety, burnout, nothing good is coming out, and lack of inspiration without burnout. Chances are, your wall (writer’s block) lies in one of these four areas.

Ironically the best way to break through a writing plateau is to write.

“The best way in the world for breaking up a writer’s block is to write a lot.”

John Gardner

But how do we do it?

7 Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block

  1. Step away from whatever you’re writing and do something creative: The key is to keep exercising the creative part of your brain and eventually, you’ll tap back into the flow of writing.
  2. Do freewriting: Spend 15 minutes a day writing whatever comes off of the top of your head. Don’t worry about grammar and punctuation, just write.
  3. Move your body: Dance or exercise. This may sound funny but when you get your body into a flow, your mind follows.
  4. Eliminate distractions: Giving yourself time and space to be in solitude is important to staying focused.
  5. Write early in the morning: When you first wake up in the morning, your brain is in Theta mode, the brainwave pattern that your mind is when you dream.
  6. Write while you sleep: Your subconscious mind is always problem-solving, even when you’re sleeping.
  7. If nothing else works, I resort to my number one lethal weapon to cure writer’s block: the glass of water technique: before you go to bed, fill up a glass with water. Hold it up and speak an intention into the water.

“The wonderful thing about writing is that there is always a blank page waiting. The terrifying thing about writing is that there is always a blank page waiting.”

J.K. Rawlings

Don’t let the fear of failure paralyze you.

After living with a brain injury for almost 26 years, I have learned to be creative in how I deal with my plateaus. Depression is the most common side effect of brain injuries. Due to the nature of my depression being a head injury, I choose not to take any medications for treatment, I choose to listen to my doctors and practice my faith. It is faith that has helped me handle life setbacks without medication. That is how I have chosen to break through my writing plateaus.

Breakthroughs

“Breaking through writer’s block is like thinking outside of the box: Both require an ability to imagine a world outside your four walls or rearranging them to get a better view.”

Susan J McIntyre

In life, focus is critical to staying on target, whether as a TBI survivor or as a writer. Too many stimulants can be overwhelming, especially for somebody with a brain injury. My ears are super sensitive to loud sounds; even soft sounds can disrupt my ability to focus.

It is hard to break through a plateau when we’re not 100% focused. At times, I was paralyzed by the pain of loud noises, that wouldn’t bother the average person.

Harmful side effects of sound on the human brain.

  • Your brain becomes inflamed
  • Your mood darkens
  • Your immune system weakens
  • Your focus goes out the window
  • You may have difficulty sleeping

I’ve learned the importance of a good night’s sleep and getting the rest from living with a brain injury. While the length of time to recover from brain injury is different for everyone, the amount of sleep we each need isn’t. Overstimulating the brain is a clear factor in hitting a writing plateau.

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.

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Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Strong Writing

Seventeen years ago I wrote my first blog on Myspace, back then I had no idea what I was doing; and not just technically, as an English major I knew how to write. But as a writer, I didn’t know what I wanted to write about or who my target audience was. Since then a lot of things have changed.

  • I’ve studied the craft more.
  • I’ve focused my writing.
  • I’ve embraced my disability and the struggles that come with it.

Understanding the craft improves writing in many ways: it helps us communicate more clearly, it refines our message, and it helps us target our audience. After I posted my latest blog on my website (which is another big change, I have my own website), a fellow writer messaged me and said, “Your writing is bold.” Bold writing is strong communication.

Strong Writing.

Strong writing holds our attention, is concise and to the point. A writer has “trimmed the fat,” cutting out all the extra words, and has a clear core message that comes through in the writer’s unique voice.  

Unfortunately, most new writers get stuck in an information dump approach, have so much to say but fail to organize it and give the writing focus. They just put all of their thoughts on the page and expect the audience to dig through the adjectives, adverbs, and fluffy talk and walk away with a clear understanding.

After my accident, I was so determined to get back to life as I once knew it; I failed to listen to my therapists and neglected their training. Along the way, I failed to strengthen my muscles and fell a lot more than I walked.

Strong writing is developed over time, like muscles; we have to work our writing muscles before we can have strong writing.

“A word after a word after a word is power.”

Margaret Atwood

A good idea and determination only get us so far on our writing journey. Good writers have strong writing skills. They listen and they read. Reading teaches us the characteristics of strong writing.

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

Stephen King

Below are some tips on improving your writing from Marbella International University.

  1. Make writing a daily exercise.
  2. Read, Read, and read some more.
  3. Be Succinct.
  4. Never underestimate the power of a thorough editing session.
  5. Develop a clear message.
  6. Sit down and write.

Whether its physical rehabilitation or rehabilitation for substance abuse, the motto is, “You have to do the work!” You don’t just go back to life until you get stronger in your area of weakness. There are assessments to test what a person can and cannot handle.

The goal is to get better and not simply get by.

Writers need to honestly test their writing muscles and hone their writing voice. Getting stronger doesn’t come from being lazy and staying in our comfort zones. Writers and disabled persons cannot become complacent on their journey. There are no easy paths to publication.

Getting Stronger Takes Work.

Often, when the journey gets tough, a lot of people give up instead of letting the journey make them stronger. I can relate, there were so many times in the early stages of my rehabilitation that I wanted to just get stronger and not struggle anymore. But then my muscles wouldn’t have  gotten  stronger.

When we fail to do the work, our physical muscles can atrophy. This means our muscles literally deteriorate causing further delay in the recovery process. This is why nurses and physical therapists keep disabled persons active and motivated to continue the journey.

When writers struggle in the craft, they too want to give up or simply plateau in their career. Many writers never find their “voice” because they simply stopped working their writing muscles or they try too much to mimic other writers instead of concentrating on their journey.

Below are a few tips from Writers Digest for finding and strengthening your unique writing voice.

  • Dictation-Refers to your choice of words. Words affect the reader’s experience when they are chosen with purpose. For example, instead of saying house, consider using the word mansion, cottage, or Victorian.
  • Details- Include the facts, observations, and specific moments you choose to share in your story or essay. You can enhance the reader’s experience by choosing concrete details.
  • Imagery – Adds an extra layer to your prose through sensory details. These sensory details evoke a vivid experience for the reader. The tools at your disposal are the five senses: sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste. Using these, you can trigger pleasant or unpleasant emotions, create confusion or surprise, or be provocative—all through your choice of images.
  • Syntax –Is the order of your words, which creates the rhythm of your piece. You can manage this effect by varying your sentence length.
  • Tone- reveals your underlying attitude toward the characters/people and situations in your writing and your story’s/essay’s subject matter.

Strong writing muscles and voice only come by putting in the hard work. Easy isn’t always a good, because easy makes us lazy and causes our writing to plateau. It’s the struggles of the journey that makes us stronger. It is a difficult process to develop strong writing!

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.

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Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Challenges!

Earlier this month I faced the daunting challenge of driving home from a whirlwind five-day writer’s conference. Although I was excited about the connections I made and the new information I learned, I was exhausted from getting less sleep than I normally do.

I cannot over emphasize how important it is for persons with disabilities to rest. The lack of sleep was having an impact on my brain..  My eyes wouldn’t focus.  My left hand felt number.  I couldn’t think clearly.

Times like these can be pretty scary for persons with disabilities, even when the person seems normal, they are facing numerous internal challenges nobody ever knows about except for them.

I knew that I needed to get off of the highway before something bad happened, so I pulled into the parking lot of a dealership outside of Asheville North Carolina. After that brief pause, I was able to get back on the highway and continue on home. Sometimes, we have to hit Pause when we began to face challenges.

Below are a few common benefits of taking breaks from Psychology Today.

  • Movement breaks are essential for your physical and emotional health.
  • Breaks can prevent “ decision fatigue.
  • Breaks restore motivation, especially for long-term goals.
  • Breaks increase productivity and creativity.
  • Waking ”rest” helps consolidate memories and improve learning.

Medical science shows that taking breaks helps us better handle the challenges of everyday life;  perhaps, more so for the challenge of the writing life.

 Challenges

You don’t have to be disabled to face challenges in life, they are a part of life. The pandemic has taken challenges in life to a whole new level. Life is pretty stressful for all of us these days thanks to the challenges of our new normal.

Listed below, according to the International Psychology Clinic, are the ten  most common problems we face in life:

  1. Health Crisis
  2. Workplace issues
  3. Emptiness
  4. Friendship issues
  5. Failure
  6. Financial crisis
  7. Career pressure
  8. Unfair treatment
  9. Inner peace
  10. Mental health issues

The writing life comes with its unique challenges: learning the craft, creating ideas, building a platform, finding agents or publishers, and marketing/promoting your publications.

Rest assured, no matter how good your book is, you will face challenges at some point in your writing journey. This is why the best writers are prepared for it.

Preparation

Preparation is a big part of being successful. Most of us want to skip the challenging phase and go straight to life on the mountain top, but we’d miss the most important parts of the journey of life.

We fail to build our life muscles when we shortcut the journey. We also fail to find a support group when we’re struggling. After my accident, I foolishly thought I was able to do everything I once could before I sustained my brain injury. I didn’t want to do the work to get back to where I used to be. And I only encountered more hardship because of my desire to succeed.

The first step in any recovery process, whether physical, mental or substance is to first admit you have a problem and need help. We don’t have to face these challenges alone and we definitely don’t need to avoid them.

After my accident, I had to see a neuropsychologist to help me deal with the psychological aspect of living with a traumatic brain injury. Once I was out of the hospital, I began going to support groups for alcoholics, these are the places where I got the support I needed to navigate the challenges I faced in life at the time.

Traumatic brain injury survivors must go through a series of rigorous tests that challenge them before they can start a rehabilitation routine. It’s imperative to learn what challenges they have to live with and how to handle them. Years later, I still have to take specific tests with my annual exam to determine where I’m at in my recovery.

The areas tested include:

  • Cognitive
  • Physical
  • Visual
  • Emotional

I learned from author Jerry B. Jenkins that no writer starts at the top in their writing journey. Before they can ever write a book, they need to start out with smaller tasks to get stronger in the craft.

“Don’t try to become a writer until you’ve: studied the craft, written things smaller than a book, joined a community of writers, start building your platform.”

Jerry B. Jenkins

These are the steps writers must take to get stronger and be prepared for the challenges ahead!

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
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Do the Work

Last year I entered a pitch for my newest screenplay into a competition to get an opportunity to pitch to the powers that be in LA. I learned last month that my pitch wasn’t even a semi-finalist.

Of course I was disappointed and even a little bitter. So I spent some time praying for direction. Then I remembered that I could query one of the management firms directly and I decided to take a step of faith and pitch to one of the biggest literary management companies in LA.

I took the same pitch that I entered into the competition and added my writer’s bio, then hit the send button. Less than an hour later I had a response from the management company requesting me to send a copy of my entire screenplay to them.

After making a minor update to my screenplay based on some evaluations I received, I confidently sent my screenplay to the management company. The response email stated it may take time before they responded to my submission. But they only replied to projects they were interested in working with. As I wait, I remembered important lessons I learned in rehabilitation.

  • Falling down is okay
  • Always s get up and try again
  • Progress only happens when we do the work

Rehabilitation also taught me a hard life lesson. . . I could spend all my time feeling sorry for myself and dreaming about recovering from my injuries or make an effort to get stronger and healthier. Ultimately, I had to do the work!

Do the Work!

Rehabilitation taught me about success and recovery, I could waste time dreaming or do the work to get where I want to be. I could feel sorry for myself if I  failed or get back up, learn from my mistakes and try harder.

“Writers write. Dreamers talk about it.”

Jerry B. Jenkins

I can dream about where I want to be in life or do the work to get there. Below are some tips from Flint Rehab to help restore physical ability after a brain injury.

  1. Activate neuroplasticity to help the brain heal– This allows the brain to rewire itself.
  2. Encourage repetition to maximize recovery- Repetition helps the brain rewire itself.
  3. Push through plateaus even if progress slows- When things seem to go nowhere press on.
  4. Maintain a nutritious, brain-boosting diet.
  5. Avoid regression-Forward momentum is the goal.
  6. Keep making progress by continuing therapy at home.
  7. Get enough sleep to help improve brain function.
  8. Find clarity by setting attainable recovery goals.
  9. Pursue a full recovery.
  10. Motivate yourself with accountability.

Whether you’re recovering from an injury or pursuing a writing career, doing the required work is essential to success.

But, like the road to recovery, a writing career takes time to develop.

There will be low points before you reach the high points. The journey is hard, but success only comes to those who keep pounding away.

Keep Pounding!

Most writers know success isn’t guaranteed and it surely won’t come easy. However, each little victory gets us one step closer to where want to be in our careers. No writer starts out at the top of the publishing food chain.

Successful writers start out with smaller projects like blogs, columns, or magazine articles. These small publishing feats help them hone their skills, develop a writing voice and even build platform.

Unless you’re a world-famous celebrity or have connections to one, a writer’s platform starts out small and must be built piece by publishing piece. With each byline, a writer’s platform grows.

With every word or project, a writer’s voice and skill are honed. These tediously small tasks are part of building a writer’s career. Author Jerry B Jenkins offers a few tips on how to build a successful writing career.

  • Don’t wait to call yourself a writer
  • Don’t quit
  • Write from your passions
  • Work at it every day

I want to congratulate you. Learning the craft is the first step in pursuing a writing career, then you have to use what you learn.

“Pages don’t write themselves, start with the first page.”

Scott Myers, Screenwriting Coach

Serious writers know they have to do the work!

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
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

enjoy it!

Being disabled causes one to find new sources of enjoyment. The things I used to enjoy before my accident, I can no longer do without strenuous effort, for that reason I no longer play video games or the guitar.

At first, I tried to force my hands to do what I could no longer do, when it started to take more effort to do, it was no longer enjoyable. I got to the point where I had to decide whether to keep looking back or press forward.       

I began to focus on what I could do instead of what I couldn’t do. I started learning new things or doing things I hadn’t done in decades. The disabled life makes one appreciate the little things in life. Things most people take for granted. Things I never thought I would enjoy again.

  • Walking is a basic function not everyone can enjoy.
  • Feeding myself, not depending on others to help me.
  • Tying my shoes.
  • Going to the restroom on my own.

As simple as these may seem to most people, many disabled persons don’t get to enjoy doing because of physical or mental inabilities.

When you lose the ability to do what others do naturally, it can cause you to become depressed. It will make you want to give up.

If you’ve been aspiring to be a writer for any amount of time, perhaps you’ve become depressed as you’ve seen others have success in what you struggle to do yourself. Sometimes the struggles of the writing life can take the enjoyment away. That’s why writers must learn to enjoy the journey and not focus as much on the destination!

Enjoy It!

It may be cliché, but I believe it is true. “As long as you enjoy your job, you’ll never work a day in your life!” It is human nature to seek enjoyment, and it is natural to seek the path of least resistance.

I don’t want to sugarcoat the writing life, but as a reminder that the writing life is hard, living with a disability is hard—an easy path doesn’t necessarily mean success. It’s what we learn on the journey and the truth is we learn more from hardship.

Keep in mind, few writers can make a living as a writer full-time, most writers have side jobs and other sources of income: a day job, teaching, speaking, etc.

Yet, thousands of people aspire to become writers every day. Most of us don’t write for money, we write for the art and enjoyment of the craft. If we break through the barriers one day great, regardless, we enjoy the creative process! Below is a list of other reasons writers keep writing.

  1. The best way to communicate is by speaking. The second-best way is to write.
  2. Writing helps see your thoughts clearly.
  3. It is a good practice to look back on how your perspectives have changed.
  4. Having a place to share your ideas helps a community to grow.
  5. Writing is a fun pass time.
  6. You can write your thoughts and make an impact.
  7. You can voice concerns for a cause through your writing.
  8. For you to write, you will start reading and taking more life experiences.
  9. Writing helps build a relationship in any community.
  10.  I love writing.

Recently, on a brain injury podcast I follow, a doctor explained how muscle memory is developed and works. The “memory” isn’t stored in the muscle but is a habit that is formed in the Basal Ganglia (operates in the frontal region of the brain), sort of like an algorithm that has been programmed into the brain by repeating a process.

           So, the more we write and flex those creative muscles, the more we program our brains to write and the process will become involuntary, less strenuous. Maybe that’s when we really start to enjoy the writing process, instead of the destination of “success”!

           Once again, the writing life is hard and few find financial success in it. So, if you’re feeling burnt out, perhaps you should just learn to enjoy the art of writing, instead of focusing on writing success. We can always write, even if we aren’t being compensated for it. Yes, the struggle is real!

The Struggle Is Real!

After living with a disability for almost 26 years and pursuing publishing for a decade, I have learned the hard truth that life is full of struggles, but I keep pressing on. Not to become rich and famous, but because I enjoy the craft and life.

I’ve learned that it’s the simple things in life that make it enjoyable and worth the struggle. Each path is different and difficult in its own right; however, if we learn to grow on the journey, the struggle is worth it. Below are a few inspirational quotes from the disabled community to help inspire you on your writing journey.

  • “However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.” – Stephen Hawking
  • It’s not our disabilities, it’s our abilities that count.” – Chris Burke
  • “Know me for my abilities, not my disability.” –Robert M. Hensel
  • “God always seems bigger to those who need him most. And suffering is the tool he uses to help us need him more.” – Joni Eareckson Tada

I have personally learned over the years that struggles in life aren’t meant to stop us, but help makes us stronger along the journey to where we are headed. Just because I can no longer do what I used to do doesn’t mean I cannot excel at doing new things. We don’t have to do big things in life to be successful, it’s appreciating the little things that helps us enjoy it!

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
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Building Your Platform

One of the biggest fears of mine and a lot of people with disabilities is that our voices no longer matter in society, almost like we have become irrelevant to the world. This goes beyond depression and inabilities. Sometimes disabled persons struggle to find their purpose within the larger community.

Recently, I discussed with a fellow writer with health issues about how our struggles can either silence us or make us stronger. The truth is, disabilities can give us another perspective on life—one that matters now more than ever! Our lives are forever changed, I like to think we haven’t lost anything but, gained more insight into life.

  • Perspective.
  • Empathy, not sympathy.
  • More to say.
  • A new audience/community.

When I had my accident I became part of a new community, the brain injury community. Each year an estimated 1.5 million Americans sustain a TBI.1 One in four Americans lives with a disability, 61 million adults in America who want to believe they still matter.2 Each year I add more friends within the brain injury community.

My circle of influence has grown thanks to my disability, it hasn’t become less important —quite the opposite. This serves two purposes. It allows me to learn from others and allows me to share with others what I have learned. In the writing world, we could call this my platform.

Platform!

Over the years the definition of platform has changed. In the beginning, it was all about the social media numbers, but social media can be manipulated. Nowadays it encompasses who you are, who you know, and who cares about what you have to say.

Your platform is your visibility as an author and/or speaker. It can be used to sell your products, book speaking jobs, and share what you have to say.

Altogether, these factors work together to get your message out. It’s easy to understand the importance of having a platform as a writer or speaker, disabled or not. The following are a few building blocks to help writers build their platform:

1. A website and/or blog with a large readership.

2. An e-newsletter and/or mailing list with a large number of subscribers/recipients.

3. Article/column writing (or correspondent involvement) for the media—preferably for larger outlets and outlets within the writer’s specialty.

4. Guest contributions to successful websites, blogs, and periodicals.

5. A track record of strong past book sales.

6. Individuals of influence that you know—personal contacts (organizational, media, celebrity, relatives) who can help you market at no cost to yourself, whether through blurbs, promotion, or other means.

7. Public speaking appearances—the bigger, the better.

8. An impressive social media presence (Twitter, Facebook, and the like).

9. Membership in organizations that support the successes of their own.

10. Recurring media appearances and interviews—in print, on the radio, on TV, or online.3

Having a brain injury not only gives me more to say in a different way, but it also gives me a new audience to share it with: people who understand me. All writers write to communicate with others. It is human nature to connect with others, even with those we do not know. Each of us has a message or story to share.

Your Story!

When I first began writing, one of my writing mentors always asked a question, “What’s your story?” Author Jerry B Jenkins teaches writers how to share their stories with their voices. Regardless of who you are, as a writer, you have a story and a voice.

It always reminds me of the saying in the brain injury community, “Every brain injury is different.” Although each is different, each has a specific purpose and audience. Each writer writes for a different reason and purpose, such as:

  • Inform.
  • Persuade.
  • Goodwill.

Regardless of why we write or who we are trying to connect with, we can each do it through our platform.

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.

1  https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/pubs/tbi_report_to_congress.html

2  https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/infographic-disability-impacts-all.html

3  https://www.writersdigest.com/improve-my-writing/building-a-writers-platform

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Find Your Unique Voice

One of the things I look forward to about attending a writer’s conference is meeting new writers and hearing about what they write, their passions, and their hearts. It’s fun meeting writers from different parts of the country and even the world!

This year as I talked to another writer with a disability, I remembered my days in rehabilitation. I was fortunate enough to be at one of the best rehabilitation hospitals in the Southeast and people came from all over the region to get help. It was here that I first heard the saying that each brain injury is different because each person is different. There are no cookie-cutter recoveries. Perhaps you’ve experienced this within the writing community.

  • We each sound different.
  • Have different experiences.
  • Develop unique perspectives.
  • Write different types of writing.

During those months of recovery, I learned to listen to others’ stories and journeys. I learned it’s okay to make mistakes and not have all the answers. It’s a lot like a writer’s journey, it will be different for each of us. Regardless of the path we are on, it is sure to give us a unique voice.

Your Voice!

A writer’s “voice” is an important tool in their toolbox. A unique writing voice is a sign of good writing. It is one of the distinctions that set writers apart from one another. It helps a writer stand out from the crowd. Take the time to learn and polish your voice. Below are a few tips to help you find yours:

1. Determine your point of view. Before embarking on a new creative writing project, ask yourself: Why am I writing fiction or (nonfiction) in the first place? People pursue the craft of writing for different reasons, and understanding your intentions will help you develop a strong voice and your style.

2. Pick a consistent voice for your narrators. While plenty of famous fiction writers toggle between first-person and third-person narrative voice, you can help establish your writing voice by picking one style and sticking to it.

3. Think about sentence structure and word choice. Adopting specific policies about word choice and sentence structure will further establish your voice as an author.

4. Find a balance between description and dialogue. Some authors layer their novels with long passages of description—they describe actions and emotional responses through the narrator’s voice and use dialogue to reinforce the narration. By contrast, other authors let dialogue drive their narrative and only interject narration when dialogue simply will not suffice. Picking one of these styles and committing to it is yet another way to establish a specific and unique voice.

5. Right all the time. Finding your voice takes time. Experiment with different voices and writing styles.”1

In college I majored in English. My instructor’s number one pet peeve was writing that didn’t stand out. She encouraged us to find what we’re passionate about, and to write about it in our unique way.

I can still remember struggling to find focus in my writing and praying for inspiration and clarity in my craft. I wanted to be able to make a change with my writing. But I felt like my voice was lost amongst the other aspiring writers.

Then, I had an accident and lost part of my brain. Along with it I lost my unique way of talking. For the first month after my accident, I spoke in a monotone like Tom Hanks in the movie Forrest Gump. The craziest part is, I didn’t even know it.

Know it!

The only way I could learn how to talk with my normal voice was to spend hours listening to the greeting I recorded on my old answering machine. The more I listened, the more I heard the differences in tone my voice made with certain vowels and consonants.

I had to remember how to change the volume of my voice with different emotions and feelings. Nowadays, I hate listening to it when it’s recorded, especially on my YouTube videos. But, I understand the value of having a unique voice in life. Once others know it, it gets harder for them to forget it. Our unique voice gives us instant recognition into our: personality, character, and culture.

Below are a few tricks to help your writer’s voice be unique and distinguishable:

 Listen – This means reading what we’ve written out loud.

 Remember – Re-reading things we’ve already written.

 Repeat – Copying the pattern and style of previous work.

In the rehabilitation process, patients do a lot of repetitive movements to create muscle memory and help retrain muscles and the brain to function as close to normal as possible. The same principle can be beneficial for writers struggling to find their writing voice.

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.

1  https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-find-your-voice-in-writing#5-steps-to-find-your-writers-voice

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

We All Fall

Twenty-four years ago, I experienced one of the most embarrassing moments of my life: I fell off the commode in the hospital.

When it happened, I had two choices: stay down or get up. After trying to get up on my own, I fell again. That moment is etched in my memory until I die. It is my motivation to keep pressing on.

I shouldn’t have been surprised I fell. It was only two weeks since I had part of my brain removed and only one week since I woke up from a coma. My body was weak, although my determination was on overload.

My doctors and therapists had already warned me about the difficulties and what I needed to work on, but I knew better and did things my way—the hard way. I still learned a lot during that time:

  • Keep learning.
  • Get stronger.
  • Stay motivated to not give up.

My reaction and history of rejection helped prepare me for disappointment. One of my early writing mentors Jerry B. Jenkins has a saying, “Writers need a thick skin.” Because the writing life can be full of disappointment and rejection. Writers must learn to take constructive criticism and not give up but get better—be prepared for the fall.

The Fall!

Nothing sucks the life out of a writer more than spending hours on the computer pouring their hearts out and creating their masterpiece, only to face rejection. It is human nature to fear rejection, failure, and falling.

The thought can trigger a fight or flight reaction that sends most writers into a panic. That’s when most writers make careless mistakes that will harm their careers. The fear of falling can sometimes do more harm than the actual fall.

By trying to avoid rejection and pain, writers can often miss opportunities to grow or achieve publication. When our dreams of overnight success are not fulfilled, our instincts kick in and many abandon their passions altogether.

The ones who make it are the ones who fall, face failure, and learn from the rejection. I enjoy hearing stories of successful writers who keep rejection letters to motivate them to keep going. Below are a few quotes I found to help writers deal with rejection:

I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career, that before developing his talent, he would be wise to develop a thick hide.

Harper Lee

Was I bitter? Absolutely. Hurt? You bet your sweet ass I was hurt. Who doesn’t feel a part of their heart break at rejection? You ask yourself every question you can think of, what, why, how come, and then your sadness turns to anger. That’s my favorite part. It drives me, feeds me, and makes one hell of a story.

Jennifer Salaiz

I tell writers to keep reading, reading, reading. Read widely and deeply. And I tell them not to give up even after getting rejection letters. And only write what you love.

Anita Diamant

Rejected pieces aren’t failures; unwritten pieces are.

Greg Daugherty

Rejection slips, or form letters, however tactfully phrased, are lacerations of the soul, if not quite inventions of the devil –but there is no way around them.

Isaac Asimov

You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you’re working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success -but only if you persist.

Isaac Asimov

I love my rejection slips. They show me I try.

Sylvia Plath

You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance.

Ray Bradbury

When I work with brain injury survivors or disabled persons, we often share our stories of recovery. We know it’s not a matter of if you will fall, but when you will fall—and what you do afterward. The choice is yours!

Make Your Choice!

We all have two options when we fall and you don’t have to have a perfect brain to know what they are—stay down our get up. Over the past 24 years, I have fallen more times than I care to admit, some publicly but most privately.

Sometimes I cry and sometimes I laugh, but in the end, I always get up and learn from my circumstances. It has shaped my perspective on life. Grieving what is lost keeps us from making the most of what we have.

This is true of the writing life, with each rejection or missed opportunity, writers can either wallow in self-pity or learn from the experience. Grow in the craft and carry on, or stay down.

I’ve seen disabled persons and writers throw in the towel and never reach their potential because they made the wrong choice. But the writers who succeed and achieve publication are the ones who tough it out and learn from their disappointments. I like to tell people a few things to keep in mind about disappointment:

  • Be willing to fight.
  • Be ready.
  • Be prepared.
  • Don’t be defeated.

Life is hard, it will knock you down, but we don’t have to stay down when we fall down.

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 Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Reaping the Rewards

It took 11 months after my accident before I was finally released from doctors’ care. That season was more than just recovering from a gruesome life-altering accident. It was a time when I had to adjust to my new normal.

Over 20 years later I’m still not used to it. There are times I encounter new challenges, but despite what life throws at me, I understand each challenge has its reward.

  • Processes to help me learn patience and how to listen.
  • Setbacks to make me stronger.
  • Rejections to grow my desire for my goal.

As I look back from this side of my recovery, the process changed me just as much as my disability has.

Regardless of how and why, here I am over two decades later walking when I’m not supposed to, eating on my own, and taking care of myself, despite what I was told by my doctors.

Actually, physically I’m in better health than a lot of people half my age. The struggles and long recovery have made me a better person. Now I get to reap the rewards of nearly a year of hard work. But, the cliché holds true, it wasn’t about the destination, but the journey to reaping the rewards.

Rewards?

The dictionary defines a reward as, “A thing given in recognition of one’s service, effort, or achievement.” Rewards are a result of hard work and take time to receive. There were times during my recovery I thought I would never get to where I wanted to be physically. Each negative result only made me want to succeed more. Failure was not an option.

Writing is a business and it works like any other business. Contracts aren’t given to just anyone with a good idea. Successful writers do the prep work and put in the time to get where they want to be. As I learned during my rehabilitation, anything worth achieving is worth fighting for, even when the struggle is unbearable.

This is especially true if we plan to reap the rewards of a long-term writing career. One of my life hacks is to mimic people who are where I want to be. This is why so many artistic fields now offer “masterclasses” to help others achieve success. Below are a few tips from successful writers.

1. Develop good habits – Most beginning writers will have to balance their writing with other responsibilities.

2. Use your limited time wisely – Before you sit down to write, think of ideas, remind yourself of where you left off in the story, or make a mental plan for what you want to accomplish during that session. Some writers strive for 2,000 words per day.

3. Network with other writers at conferences – Conferences are an invaluable help if you’re looking to network with other writers, publishers, and agents.

4. Find an agent – publishing via a traditional publishing house means you need to find a literary agent. These professionals are the gatekeepers of the publishing world.

5. Build a relationship with an editor – Editors are a hugely important part of your publishing process.1

My recovery wouldn’t have been a success if I’d done it my way. The rewards I gained came from working together with countless therapists, nurses, and doctors. As I look back now on who I used to be and what I could do pre-accident, I am amazed at how much I learned and what more I can do now than before. Recovery, like writing, is a process—and that process changes our perspective on what matters.

Perspective?

When I was younger I thought I was indestructible and life was at my fingertips. This thinking caused me to take everything for granted. My disability humbles me and keeps me on my toes.

I can vividly remember in college wanting to be a writer, but having nothing unique to write about. I can even remember praying for inspiration to write a screenplay that would touch the world.

Since my accident, I have worked with other disabled persons and shared my story. I am also inspired to write encouraging movies about people with disabilities. My accident changed my perspective on writing and life alike.

Too many people, especially writers look at success as the goal and miss the journey. Success may never be riches and fame for most writers. Success looks different to each of us.

  • Writing full-time.
  • Traveling the world.
  • Huge book sales.
  • Or a simple byline.

In one of my favorite books on writing Jerry B. Jenkins concludes with this, “I’m living my dream as a full-time freelance novelist, writing about things I believe in and care about. And you can too. The path is crowded and the passage long, but the reward is worth it. You can write for the benefit of your soul. And you can write to reach the soul of another. Welcome to the journey.”2

For some, the journey may be the only reward they receive from a writing career, for others it may be a New York Times best-selling book. Personally, each baby step I take both in writing and in my physical recovery, I know I am reaping the rewards.

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 Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

1  https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-become-a-published-author

2  Jenkins, J, B 2006 (Writing For the Soul) Writers Digest Books, Page 214.

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

You Can Do It!

I have shared before how difficult those first days after my accident were. This month I want to give more detail. Not all of my struggles were in the form of physical struggles. There are things in life that are more crippling than physical trauma.

Sure the loss of feeling on the left side of the body, loss of motor skills and inability to walk were tough to deal with. The toughest parts were more mental and cognitive. This is why most brain injury survivors must be counseled by neuropsychologists.  Life is hard enough without a disability and some days I would wonder if it was even worth it.

Being so young and so helpless was almost unbearable for me. To make matters worse, I was constantly being told by friends and family about how serious my injuries were. Even the nurses and doctors, including one of the best surgeons in the world at the time, would cautiously remind me that I was one stroke away from dying instantly.

Regardless, it was a given I would never walk again. Being young or just hardheaded, I was determined to prove everyone wrong—only to find myself falling off the toilet and eventually a bicycle. But each time I failed, my heart told me I could do it!

You Can Do It!

While I was going through rehabilitation the movie Waterboy came out and I went to see it with some friends from college. It featured a main character, Bobby Boucher, who was mentally challenged.

The premise of the movie was Bobby’s challenges kept him from doing things in life, like playing football or even getting married. However, by the end of the movie his rallying cry was, “You can do it!”

After seeing the movie, I unintentionally adopted this statement as my mantra.  As I faced each setback or trial on my road to recovery, I would remind myself that, “I could do it!”

The writing life is challenging; at times we will have to encourage ourselves just to keep going when things don’t work out how we hope or plan. When it does, we must learn to adapt and press on. Here are some other thoughts to help you remember, “You can do it.”

  1. Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s not worth it.
  2. If you fall, you don’t have to stay down.
  3. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
  4. Learn from what you’re going through or it’ll be wasted time.

Resistance!

Despite all the resistance we will face on our writing journeys, we must remember that resistance isn’t meant to stop us, only to make us stronger and better writers. During my rehabilitation, I learned that muscles I hadn’t used during my hospital stay had become weak and the only way to make them stronger was to put pressure on them. 

The same principle applies going to the gym and working out. Our muscles don’t grow unless we test them by increasing the weight to give us more resistance. While the gymnasiums are closed during this pandemic, I decided to purchase a high-end resistance band set.

I don’t want to spend these weeks and months being sedentary and letting my muscles get soft because I have become comfortable. While the economy has slowed down to a record standstill, we writers need to be flexing our writing muscles to keep the creative juices flowing. Below are a few advantages of resistance.

  • Keeps us motivated.
  • Keeps us moving.
  • Tests our strength.
  • Keeps us productive.

Writing is a mental and physical workout that requires discipline to keep growing in our creative processes. Don’t avoid the resistance because you don’t feel like doing the work.

This is why I use the hashtag #Youcandoit on social media when I post about writing. Once you learn to process the struggles of writing, it can fuel your creative process in the long run. You can do it!

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 Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Keep Motivated

This year has been a year of crazy weather in the South with abnormally high temperatures late into fall. Georgia weather is always bipolar, but this year has been worse.

Just when we thought the mugginess of summer was gone and the crisp fall was here, de ja vu set in as record highs smothered the South.

The irony for me is I generally like warm weather because it helps keep me motivated and going in my outdoor activities. Although I bike year-round, cooler temperatures can suck the life out of a person with a brain injury.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the beauty of fall, but I know the ugly reality of SAD (seasonal affective disorder):

  • Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day.
  • Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed.
  • Having low energy.
  • Having problems with sleeping.
  • Experiencing changes in your appetite or weight.
  • Having difficulty concentrating.
  • Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty.
  • Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide.[i]

Add to these the effects of cooler temperatures on brain injuries and the outcome is almost paralyzing. Cooler months plus the holidays can make it impossible for writers to stay focused and keep motivated to write.

Motivated?

Webster’s defines motivation as, “A motivating force, stimulus, or influence:incentive, drive.” Often during this time of year most of us begin to focus on the holidays: the planning, shopping, and schedule rearranging can be overwhelming itself, much less waiting to see what crazy weather may be coming our way to throw a wrench in our schedules.

The additional stress of the holidays can suck the creativity out of writers like a vampire. During this season, while I’m physically struggling due to my disability,  I have to force myself into my home office and hope I can be creative instead of just looking out one of the windows as the leaves gradually change colors and drift off to their final resting place on the ground.

Recently, I searched online for some tips on being productive with my writing over the holidays. Writership.com suggests ten tips to keep our creative flow, flowing during this congested time of year:

  1. Know yourself – think about what distracts you and avoid those things. And if you can’t, devise a backup plan to help keep you on track.
  2. Remember your writing goals – keep your writing goals posted and in your line of vision so you can focus on that to help keep you motivated while holiday parties are calling your name.
  3. Stick to your routine as much as possible – although there are added commitments during the holidays. Keep doing all the things you can to support your writing.
  4. Schedule your writing time – figure out what you need to do to stay on track with your writing goals and schedule that in. If another activity requires your attention, then reschedule your writing time so that your writing doesn’t suffer.
  5. Lean on your accountability partner or group –let your support group know what’s hard for you and what you’re trying to achieve.
  6. Make use of the time you have – as Steven Pressfield says, ‘work in the cracks.’ Get up a little earlier; go to bed a little later. Use your lunch hour. Have your spouse watch the kids for an hour. Bring your writing tools wherever you go. Think about characters while you drive.
  7. Don’t give in to discouragement – if you miss a milestone, allow yourself to be disappointed for a few moments, and then get back to it.
  8. Say no when you need to – prioritize what’s important and say no to everything else.
  9. Prioritize self-care – among your priorities should be getting enough sleep, eating well, and moving your body.
  10. Continue under all circumstances – something will always compete with your attention, whether it’s the holidays, a day job, or a life-challenging circumstance.[ii]

I think the basic idea here is to work with what you have, something is better than nothing. 

Work with Whatever You Have?

This year I focused on building my platform on brain injury awareness. Whether connecting with survivors or caregivers online or in person, I always try to tell people to focus on what they can do instead of what they can’t.

Last month in an article published in a brain injury magazine, I discussed letting go of the past and what we used to do and instead focusing on the present and what we can do. Having a brain injury doesn’t mean my life is over, just life as I used to know it. I’ve learned to keep three thoughts in mind to keep me motivated:

  • Keep moving to keep momentum and stay moving.
  • Don’t make excuses, make progress.
  • Don’t wallow in self-pity; this is a season and it will pass.

For the most part, just like in life, seasons change and life goes on. When the weather blues get to you, look within and not around you to stay motivated.

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 Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

[i] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651

[ii] https://writership.com/news/2016/12/16/10-tips-keep-writing-through-the-holidays

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

In Context

When most people meet me, they often tell me they can’t tell I’m disabled. Sometimes, they will never notice unless I’m tired. When I need rest my brain injury often affects my speech, I tend to slur a lot of words or mumble.

Continue reading “In Context”
Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Able!

Recently, I was asked by a fellow writer to work with him on a project. Admittedly, I was pretty unfamiliar with the subject matter of the assignment. But, I was excited about the opportunity to work with another writer and possibly learn something new.

However, it wasn’t long before that excitement turned into dread. After spending hours sitting in my creative workspace staring at a monitor bursting with information, I was unable to parlay the information into a cognitive summarization which would motivate others to care about what I obviously didn’t.

Once I realized this, I began to feel bad about having to back out of my commitment. Until I remembered a lesson I learned years ago when I first became disabled. It’s a truth that not many people are able to admit and it has become a principal I live via my personal and creative lives.

It is okay to say you are not able to do something, for whatever reason (physical, mentally, financially and emotionally). Sure, the world and my faith tell me to never give up and I can do anything.

But, over the years I’ve come to learn this is a fictional lie and I can’t accept it, I’m at peace with that. You see everything about me, including what I don’t know and can’t do is what makes me Martin Thomas Johnson.

If I spent my life doing what everybody else can and wants to do, then I’m not being authentic to myself and who I’m meant to be. Speaker and author Mike Foster says it best, “Embrace it all. Every flaw and imperfection. Every wound and broken place. Everything belongs in the story of you.” Do what you are able to and don’t worry about what you are not.

Able?

 Webster’s defines able as, “Having the power, skill, money, etc. that is needed to do something.” Being disabled has taught me to understand better what I am able to do. I don’t like putting on façades.

This vulnerability and transparency has drastically shaped my writing style. It’s given me my writing voice and a connection to my audience. I learned quickly after my accident that I was different from who I used to be.

I remember falling off of the toilet after lying to the nurse about being able to walk. To say I was humbled would be an understatement. It was devastating for 22-year-old man to be unable to do basic things for himself. It wasn’t until a month later when I entered a rehabilitation hospital to relearn basic functions (smiling, eating, and walking) that I realized I wasn’t alone in being broken, suffering.

I remember watching another patient who was younger than I struggling to get out of his wheelchair so that a nurse could help with his bath. At one point we locked eyes and I could feel his shame and embarrassment. Although he couldn’t even talk, I understood it was taking every ounce of his strength to attempt to do what he was no longer able to. He couldn’t fake it if he wanted to.

Fake?

 Just in case there are some reading this who believe you can do enough research and write anything–think again. Research can be fun and informative. But, there are people who know more about what you are researching and even those who don’t can tell when you’re faking it. For fiction it works, but I write mainly nonfiction and someone who knows more about a subject can easily spot my lack of expertise.

Take for example sports; although I am a fitness fanatic, when it comes to more popular sports like football, basketball and baseball, I’m clueless.

I grew up playing sports like soccer, volleyball and tennis and living in the deep South that really makes me different, if I were to try to write about any of the previous sports; people would know immediately that I have no idea what I’m writing about. So I choose to stick with what I know.

In closing I’ll quote Dirty Harry, “A man’s got to know his limitations.” Write what you know about. Regardless of how much research or brainstorming you do, you just may not be able.

About Martin Johnson

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Truamatic 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 Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Here I Am by Martin Johnson

The desire to write has burned in me ever since I was in middle school. I grew up in a military family that traveled the world until we settled down in the South. Daydreaming about the places I used to live and the wonderful sights I’ve seen led me to write about them.

I wanted to share with others my adventure before moving to the South. I can still remember walking the cobblestone streets of Rome—the beautiful fields of flowers that zipped past the windows of school buses while in route to Italian countryside farms.

The serenity of the early morning fishing trips with my father on Pike’s Peak in Colorado. But, my favorite was always having a white Christmas to celebrate the holidays. Writing was just as much an escape for me as listening to the words of Bing Crosby’s White Christmas.

That’s why I chose to major in English during college. I wanted to take people to great places with my words. However, working two jobs and partying in my spare time, left me little time to escape and write. I was stuck in reality.

I had no more stories to tell—I’m not talking about the lies we tell—wait, is that why our parents called lying telling stories?

My Story

We all have a story to tell, it may be fiction or it may be a-real-life, gut-wrenching truth. Sometimes my story seems like a dream… or nightmare.

When I was 22, during college, I died after a severe car accident. At the hospital the doctors had to do emergency brain surgery to remove bone fragments from my brain and I stroked out. After I was revived they removed 30% of my brain so it would rewire itself and I could function.

I remember coming to a week later and having the doctors tell me I would never walk again. Moreover, I still feel the embarrassment I felt when I fell off of the toilet after lying to a nurse about being able to walk.

After eleven months of inpatient and outpatient therapy, I returned to work and even began mountain biking as part of my recovery. There’s nothing like wearing yourself out pushing a bike pedal for hours to make you feel alive.

I spent a decade trying to write my story by pursuing a modeling career in Atlanta. Then, one night on the set of a popular dance movie I was an extra in, the writing bug bit me again.

I wanted to write again, I wanted to tell a more encouraging story. I wanted to tell people about the things I’ve seen God do in my life.

So, I wrote my first screenplay and it won awards. And my desire to write grew more. But I had a problem. My brain injury kept me from being able to type without hurting my hands.

So I prayed for help and got it. I learned that Georgia had a trust fund for people with brain injuries like me. I was awarded grants to pay for speech dictation software to help me write.

I was also awarded grants to take writing classes from Christian professional writers. And I was encouraged to write a book, and then another and still more.

Sure, I’m no big-name rock star writer and there have been plenty of people look down on me because my story doesn’t look like theirs, but that’s what makes it my story.

I was recently reminded by a fellow writer, “Keep in mind that if God is calling you to write, then you only need to do your part and write the book(s) He gives you to write out of obedience. He can make a way for publication in His timing and in His perfect plan!”

God is using my story to write His story.

History?

Now that I look back to my childhood, I can clearly see where God was giving me a story to write and making a way for me to do it. At this point I’m not sure where the climax is or how it ends, but I know it must be written, it’s part of history.

Years ago, when I volunteered in men’s ministry for Promise Keepers I heard, “God doesn’t use the able, He uses the available.”

Dr. Henry Blackaby says it best, “Will God ever ask you to do something you are not able to do? The answer is yes—all the time! It must be that way, for God’s glory and kingdom. If we function according to our ability alone, we get the glory; if we function according to the power of the Spirit within us, God gets the glory. He wants to reveal Himself to a watching world.” So here I am.

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Truamatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He 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 https://spiritualperspectivesofdasingleguy.blogspot.com/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mtjohnson51.