Cara Achterberg

SHOW YOUR WORK Controlling What You Can Control

Lately much of my life feels out of my control, not the least of which is this challenge of releasing a book in the time of COVID.

Today I spent my entire day begging for reviewers on Instagram, WordPress, Twitter, and pretty much anywhere I could find a dog-friendly writer (or bookstagrammer or bookblogger) who might be interested in reading my book and reviewing it on their platform.

This frenetic activity was triggered by the news that Continue reading “SHOW YOUR WORK Controlling What You Can Control “

SHOW YOUR WORK: Even If You Can’t See It

Today I am sad.

Everywhere I turn there is righteous anger and unspeakable injustice and unfair generalizations and misinformed assumptions and I hurt.

Hurt. Hurt. Hurt.

This hurt loaded on top of the fear and uncertainty that has become a part of our days. My right shoulder, that always lets me know when my load is too large, is burning. My stomach, which recoils at conflict, sadness or frustration is churning.

I’m craving quiet but Continue reading “SHOW YOUR WORK: Even If You Can’t See It”

SHOW YOUR WORK: Sometimes you have to get over yourself.

This morning I filmed an interview with a talented videographer (who happens to live in my house, at least temporarily).

He set up his studio on our screened-in porch, being careful to arrange my chair so the beam wasn’t coming out of my head in the shot. Then he propped up the microphone just out of the set on a box, pillow, and two books.

We waited out the neighbor’s chainsaw and then the garbage truck, and commenced filming. Normal Cara, who is ridiculously self-conscious, would probably have Continue reading “SHOW YOUR WORK: Sometimes you have to get over yourself.”

SHOW YOUR WORK: It is Who You Know

This month leading up to the book release is all about promoting, so it is a good thing that promoting is so fun.

Not.

In fact, I find a million distractions to keep me off task.

Today I took a walk with my friend Gina, had a strenuous discussion regarding the current news with my daughter, and tonight I’m knocking off early to go start training my dog, Fanny Wiggles, to dock dive.

Really.

We’re going to her best friend’s house who is a lab and has a pool. I’m hoping that Fanny will follow Edith into the water, if not this training could prove more challenging than I thought. Fanny already has the obsessive leap-after-the-ball/toy skill necessary for the sport. Now she just has to do it into water. (I say that like it’s no big thing.)

Continue reading “SHOW YOUR WORK: It is Who You Know”

Show Your Work

I’m reading a book called Show Your Work by Austin Kleon.

Show Your Work

The clever little book is written for writers or artists of any kind—those of us who are trying to make a living off our creativity and hard work (and momentary flashes of brilliance). The guy who wrote it is a rich writer. His book Steal Like an Artist made him a ton of money, as I imagine this book will too.

Probably sensing my impending cynical response, he Continue reading “Show Your Work”

HELP WANTED: From a Distance

So much can change in a week, right? Our world turns upside down. Everything is different.

And yet it is still the same.

For me, there are still dogs to rescue, family to feed, books and blogs to write, and with spring, a garden to tend.

I am so hyper-aware (and incredibly grateful—to what? God? Fate? Timing?) that we are lucky. Continue reading “HELP WANTED: From a Distance”

Focus, People, The Time to Write is Now

It’s very hard to write when you’re distracted.

For me, pieces flow out in one long deluge, so when other thoughts interrupt, it makes for disjointed writing. It also makes writing feel like a chore instead of an outlet.

I sat down to write this post multiple times over the last week or so. Each time, I had some wonderful gem ready to shine, but once I began typing, my thoughts were hijacked by worries about the cancelation of pretty much everything, especially events that were important to my high school senior.

I start to write and then find my mind wandering to my foster dog beside me or hear the one in the kitchen howling and I wonder what else I could be doing to rescue dogs, especially now that rescues are canceling transports (not ours!), shelters are closing to adoptions and dogs continue to wash up at their doors.

Even now, you probably still have no idea what I’m writing about because I keep interrupting myself.

My original intent, Continue reading “Focus, People, The Time to Write is Now”

Anybody Can Write

As a writer, I hear from would-be writers all the time. They used to write, hope to write someday, had a teacher who told them they should be a writer, and a few who have been working on a novel for years.

The thing about writing is that anybody can do it.

I’m not just saying that. It’s true.

Anybody can write.

What they write, the quality of it, the success of it, well, that’s another story, but that’s not the point.

I believe Continue reading “Anybody Can Write”

It Must Be Magic

I don’t understand the internet. Or my computer. Or my phone for that matter.

I’m pretty much convinced that it’s all magic. Mostly a good magic, but magic still.

My son is a professional ‘coder’ but I don’t really understand what that is beyond Continue reading “It Must Be Magic”

I’m Just a Distractible Girl

“The more willing we are willing to separate from distraction and step into the open arms of boredom, the more writing we will get on the page.” -Ann Patchett

#truth: Writing is boring.