A Dream Is Just a Dream

First off let me say - the contest is STILL ON! I'm talking about the Krispy Kreme Giveaway from Friday's post. I have the most awesome group of fantastic people who have left their lovely comments, and I can't wait to see who wins!
Haven't entered yet?
As mentioned in my post, you have until Monday night to enter (10pm mountain). Get your comments in by then and you'll be entered in the drawing for a $20 gift card to Krispy Kreme (or Barnes & Nobel if you'd prefer, in which case I'll have to assume you don't have a Krispy Kreme in your area because as much as I love Barnes & Nobel I don't have the will power to choose books over doughnuts.) 

So later on this week, I'm going to tell you guys about the time I almost gave up on writing. A time that I hung in there, despite all the discouragement. It's easy to get discouraged when we're pursuing a dream, and I'm sure we've all found ourselves ready to let go because it's simply too painful to push past the hardships that come along. I'll be sharing my personal experience, along with what helped me press on.

This week's posts will go as follows:
Tuesday: Query Tips
Wednesday: I'll announce the WINNER of our lovely contest and highlight him/her (and their blog if they have one) on my blog (as well as on twitter and FaceBook).
Thursday: I'll share with you the lowest point of my writing journey thus far. (I know there are more to come, but I'm buckled up and prepared for the pits and bumps. As much as I can be, anyway.)
Friday: To be determined. If you have any ideas, share them with me. I'm game.

To warm you up for Thursday's post, I thought I'd leave you with a few inspirational quotes about pursuing dreams. I love these ones!

"If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it." Jesse Jackson

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." Anatole France 

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." Brian Littrell 

"A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline." Harvey MacKay



Got any quotes/ words of wisdom that have helped you in rough times? A request for my Friday blog? Anything to say at all? Leave your comments with me; I promise to take good care of them! 

Krispy Kreme Giveaway!

 

I LOVE fellow writers/readers, and I LOVE Krispy Kreme. Why not bring the two together?

Who's that lucky girl out front of Krispy Kreme? Oh yeah. It's me. But it could be you standing there, holding an adorable white box with green little polka dots filled with warm, delicious freshly made doughnuts. IF - you win my lovely Krispy Kreme Giveaway.

Exactly what do you win?

   

A $20 gift card to Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. (If you don't have a Krispy Kreme in your area [so sorry for you!], perhaps a B&N gift card?) 

Also, you (and your blogspot if you have one) will get major shout outs from me on my blog, twitter, and FB. (I know, I know, it's too much, right?)

How do you enter?


1) Follow my blog. This gives you ONE entry.

2) Post a link to my blog on FB, Twitter, or your blog. ADD ONE ENTRY FOR EACH. 

3) Leave a comment telling me what you did, how many entry points you get, and the link(s) (if you can) to where you've mentioned the blog.


Easy, right? 
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Do this by Monday night. I'll draw Tuesday morning and announce the winner on Wednesday of next week. 

Have a great weekend, folks. Looking forward to your entries! 
~ Kimberly Krey ~ Spreading literary love one Krispy Kreme at a time.

 

 

Stop Whining and Do It Already! Platform Building

Okay fellow writers, you've been told you should blog, tweet, facebook and do anything and everything you can to build your -dun, dun, dun- PLATFORM. Is that dread I see brewing in your eyes? No, really. Some of you are even giving it a go, right? I mean, you're here, aren't you?

Yes! You are. And I love you for that! In fact, I'd like you to give yourself a nice pat on the back. No, forget that. I never liked when a teacher told me to pat myself on the back because it didn't actually feel nice and it seemed more like a chore than a reward.

So ... hmm... I know! Treat yourself to a melt-in-your-mouth Krispy Kreme doughnut. Or maybe a great big delicious Oreo shake. Indulge in the scrumptious treat of your choice, knowing you deserve it for doing what you've been told. Even if it's a bit time consuming. Even if you can't actually KNOW it's going to help you down the road.

One thing to keep in mind is that you're not alone. There are a ton of writers out there just like you. One great way to find them (aside from lovely blogs like this), is to get onto Twitter. Did you know there's a cool sort of code word we writers use to make it even easier to find and follow one another? True. To learn more about that go to best-selling author Kristen Lamb's blog: http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/join-the-love-revolution-mywana/

If it's time that's getting in the way (Uh...Yeah!), then set a limit. Maybe a half hour in the morning, another just before bed. This is what I am going to do. Starting tomorrow. I swear. 

Anyway, I think that if we go into it like it's a terrible chore, it will feel like a terrible chore. But if we dive in with the intention of meeting and helping others along the way, we might actually enjoy the journey.

Click here to check out Kristen Lamb's best-selling book, We Are Not Alone–The Writer’s Guide to Social Media.
 
So what has your journey been like? Are you blogging? Tweeting? Facebooking? All of the above? I gave you a Krispy Kreme (sort of), so now you give me your savory comments, and I will eat them up! Yum!