Since I started travelling around, I have not only been noting different accents within this huge country of Canada, but also, how words are being used, or should I say, how OFTEN words are being used.

I personally have had experience with the word "PERFECT". I have known people who have grown into adulthood haunted by this word. A word that is a catch 22 since the striving for perfection like the striving for virtue is a good thing, the total acquisition of it however, is not within the grasp of most of us humble humans.

I have especially noticed since coming to Vancouver Island, in a number of geographic locations this word "perfect" which I have also noticed is insidious and can crawl it's way into your habitual speaking patterns and take hold! Sometimes it feels like a loosing battle each time I find myself saying it in acknowledgement of something good or that is going smoothly or even serendipitously. I keep reminding myself it is a word I NOT want repeatedly used in my vocabulary. I work with children and what child needs to have the pressure of striving for perfection?  Indeed what adult does?

I am sure there are other words that can also do just as good a job without being "loaded", without being set up to create failure for who, as I said, is perfect?

I remember reading certain studies about how children succeed academically and in other ways.  I read you can create "pleasers" by constant praise, or you can create people who strive to meet their own unique limits but asking the child, "oh, look at that, you must be so pleased with yourself."

You may think this is all just semantics and makes no difference, however I beg to differ as do so many studies out there.

So how do you compete with a word like "perfect" in your face constantly by those who like the sound of it, or who cannot be bothered to really look at what they are saying or see nothing damaging about the constant use of it.  Perhaps in some settings, like so many words, they have no power, however in some settings, words can be both painful and damaging. Look at cyber bullying and just bullying in general.  Words have power.  And power, for me, is something that I don't want to neglect or take for granted.

There are so many wonderful words out there to fixate and get in the habit of using, and I am the first to admit, I would love to use more, however like so many habits, I think the first step in breaking them, is to admit responsibility and then take steps to make positive changes.  Not something anyone else can do for you!

So, for now, every time someone says "perfect", I will work to correct it, even if it is just in my head, that I am replacing it with another more appropriate word.  I have a few zillion other words I want to correct, however ANY word that does harm, that I can find a way of extinguishing, well, for me, that is at least a step in the right direction.  How about you?

National Writing Month is upon us!  The best part for me, is from now until March 31 there is a promo code with Ingram Sparks for free uploads in acknowledgement of so many people taking the writing challenge to write their first book.

I did not find writing a book difficult since everything I needed seemed to fall at my feet. The universe certainly has been supportive of my writing journey and for this I am grateful.  Always I have on my mind the plot or characters coming in my next book. Every story I hear, every person I meet, and every dynamic I am involved in, some part of me is thinking about how I will use it.  Indeed, my little hand held recorder I use to record my thoughts, is humming much of the time!

Ingram Sparks Lightening, for those who do not know, is the printing and distribution service which has been getting on board with the whole print on demand method of self publishing so many folks have been getting involved in.

It means I upload to their site, fill in their forms and they will print my book when contacted.  They will also distribute to Amazon and other places both on line and in brick and mortar stores if I wish.  I have not decided how I will deal with this issue. I am still working out how to create an online presence, which I will have in place before I put my book out there for the first time.  Writing books is one thing, having others find those books for sale, is another. I have three decent books I am reading on how to do this, all with helpful tips and suggestions I will take into account when I can really settle in to write. This will happen from Dec til May while I am house sitting in Ecuador.  At this time, I will be alone with the puppies, a donkey and some chickens with a few chores and plenty of time to delve into everything fully.  In the meantime, I will not do this challenge, it is not what I feel is necessary, there is so much I am already motivated to do.

For anyone who has ever wanted to write a book, (this is my third and first one I will put out there), then the Nano challenge is a great way to go about it.  Thing is, for me, even though I can be not very fussy on these blogs, when it comes to my actual writing I put out there for sale, I am not going to do it and just knock it off one month and put it for sale a month or so later. 

The learning curve and mistakes I have made in the course of my first book, I don't think I could have processes or proceeded with in just a few months.  Writing it down is one thing, going back and proofing/editing, choosing a writing stye (CAN or UK or US) is something that takes time. Even deciding on character names, ages, time of year, finding consistency and accuracy in research is all time consuming. There is no way I could write a book in Nov and publish it by March 31. I would not be happy with it.  I originally intended the book I wrote to be just for me, and it was only after other's reading it, that it was encouraged to become more.

I think there is more than one way to approach writing a book, and I have grown in my understanding of what I am doing as I learn more, and this is why it is taking so long. I will continue to make mistakes, however now, I am also correcting them.

This approach may not be for everyone.  Some people will be pleased to have anything on paper, and they may be happy to say "it's good enough" which is a phrase my son began bringing home from school from his teachers and was banned from our home.  My book will certainly not be perfect however I intend to make it more "than good enough".

For you, it may not matter, and that is fine, or like myself, things may just continue to interest and excite you and the learning may become more and more of a gift which puts off the inevitable publishing.  Either way, enjoy the ride because it is an interesting one.