Tuesday, December 7, 2010

What I Believe

Dude, this isn't going to be like uber-religious or anything. I know some of you are quaking. Or hoping for something juicy. Sadly, there won't be either of those things. But don't stop reading!

1. I don't believe in signs. I believe in hard work.

2. I don't believe in wallowing. I believe in creating your own luck, and accepting luck you don't create. (See yesterday's post.)

3. I don't believe in hoarding knowledge. I believe in sharing and paying it forward.

4. I don't believe in waiting for something to happen. I believe in working hard. (Come back for tomorrow's post. And see #1.)

5. I don't believe in vampires. I believe in Edward. Ha! (Just checkin' to see if you were paying attention.)

6. I don't believe in isolation. I believe in whining, er, chatting with your writerly friends. And blogging. And tweeting. And then more chatting...

7. I don't believe in chocolate. I believe in bacon.

What do you believe? What don't you believe? 

Oh, and bonus: I'm up on Badass Bookie's 2011 Debutante Event today! All about me today, all about POSSESSION tomorrow. There're chances to win...not only my book, but 11 others too! So make sure you go check it out from now until December 31!

82 comments:

Matthew MacNish said...

I do believe you're awesome. Off to check out the Badass Bookie.

Natalie Aguirre said...

I believe in hard work too. But sorry, not in bacon. Not at all. I'm a vegetarian. Will check out the link.

Unknown said...

#7 = WIN

Anonymous said...

I believe in hard work, signs, luck, dark chocolate, & coffee. Coffee should really be higher up on my list.

Jemi Fraser said...

Hard work always pays off - just not always in ways we expect. Sometimes those unexpected payoffs are the best things ever!!

Lola Sharp said...

I believe in bacon AND chocolate.

I believe in love and...bacon and chocolate.

I believe we get by giving.

Shannon said...

I like this post, Elana. =) Thanks for sharing.

- I believe in love
- I believe in forgiveness
- I believe in paying it forward
- I believe in doing the right thing
- I believe it's easy to be nice
- I believe smiles are contagious
- I believe it's our actions, not the events in our life, that define us
- I believe in coffee. Especially right now

Candyland said...

You know,...I believe you.
I think hard work, and learning and whining and DOING are what gets the job done...but sometimes a little lady luck doesn't hurt.

Christine Danek said...

I do like bacon, but chocolate gets the job done for me.
I do believe in signs and luck, but in order for those to be in your favor, you must work your tail off and share the knowledge.
Of course, all of that will come with some whining.
Off to check out your link. :)

Christine Danek said...

Oh and thanks for waking me up with the Edward comment. *big smiles*

Laura Pauling said...

Yes, but do you believe in rainbows and Kermit the Frog?

Jules Ausborn said...

Bahaha - I believe in Edward. Hehe... too funny!!

I believe in Hardwork. I believe in Rewarding Others. I believe in Giving others a chance. I believe you ROCK.

Jen/Jules

Karen Jones Gowen said...

I believe in your list here, especially the part about not isolating *oh thank you internet for saving me from that* and about giving back and being generous. And I believe in the timing of things, which I guess could be another way of saying luck. And bacon is the best!!

Unknown said...

Do you believe in chocolate dipped bacon? :)

Kerri Cuev said...

I believe Edward is Santa Clause and everything you said is awesome!

Kelly Polark said...

I believe that children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way.
A little Whitney Houston lyric to keep it going.
And I believe you are right. (though sometimes bacon hits the spot and sometimes chocolate.)

Angela Ackerman said...

Elana, these are great. And you know I have a soft spot for bacon. :)

You are a great inspiration--keep doing what you do, woman!

Angela @ The Bookshelf Muse

Kelly Lyman said...

I believe that your posts are always good for a laugh or a smile first thing in the morning! Thanks!
I do believe in hard work- lots of it and I believe in determination. I believe in never giving up. I also believe that we need to encourage each other.

Amie Borst said...

you don't believe in chocolate??? i think i might seriously have to reconsider this relationship.

just kidding!

these are definately great things to believe in. if your belief system is right, then hopefully my hard work will pay off...soon!

Michelle McLean said...

Amen to all of the above :)

p.s. How do you feel about chocolate covered bacon? :D

Shelli Cornelison said...

I believe I'm glad I read this because I needed to smile this morning. Thanks, Elana. Excellent post.

Meredith said...

Haha, yep, totally believe in hard word. And Edward. And I will always believe in chocolate, sorry :)

Angela said...

I believe in writing down my feelings, especially when I find them overwhelming.

Summer Frey said...

I believe in cheese & that everything happens for a reason. I also believe that if I were to change just one tiny event from my past, then I might not be where I am today, and that would be tragic. So, I don't regret anything that I've done.

I also believe in eternal scholarship.

Lenny Lee said...

hi miss elana! pretty cool post for sure. theres lots of stuff i believe in. mostly i believe you gotta believe in your self and you gotta love your self before you could love any body else. but the most important for me is i believe in peanutbutter cups!!! ha ha. and for sure i believe raccoons rock!
...laughs and hugs from lenny

Jenilyn Collings said...

Awesome list! Although I am totally a chocolate believer. Sorry. :)

Katie Ganshert said...

Can't a girl believe in both chocolate AND bacon?

Anonymous said...

You don't believe in chocolate?!?! *gasp* I don't know if we can be friends anymore.

Just kidding. You already don't know me from Eve. *grin* Though I'll never mess up your name again. It's burned onto my brain.

I'd like to add: I believe things happen as (and when) they should. While I think you're right about hard work, timing does play a role and not to sweat it if it's not your time. Keep working/writing/editing and it will come when the time is right.

Julie Hedlund said...

I believe, first and foremost, in cheese.

After that, I believe in bacon.

But then I had an epiphany...

What about chocolate covered bacon???

Melissa Gill said...

I believe in chocolate and bacon, and I'm really feeling the chocolate covered bacon thing.

I love what you said about connecting, giving back, and sharing. I heartily agree.

Anonymous said...

I believe we reap what we sow! I believe in giving back something of what I've been so abundantly given.

I love this blogger community where I can read such wonderful posts as this!
Ann Best, Long Journey Home

Aubrey said...

I believe that patience is a virtue: one I don't have yet.

I believe in being happy for other's success: and not being jealous of it.

And I have to say I believe in chocolate! ;)

VR Barkowski said...

I believe I need a blog name like Badass Bookie - that rocks!

Seriously, I believe in every item on your list except for Edward (he's a wuss), and while I like bacon, i prefer sausage - I am Polish after all.

And I would add to the list that I believe in respect.

Tina Lynn said...

Mmmm...bacon. And Edward.

Nichole Giles said...

I believe having a good attitude is ninety percent of the battle. Because whiners don't usually win.

I believe a person can do whatever they set out to do, as long as they're willing to take the right steps and work hard to get it done.

I believe any circumstance can be overcome with the right amount of determination.

I believe in Karma. How you act, how you treat others, comes back to you in one form or another. Eventually. Never fails.

I believe in the power of friendship and chocolate. With both, a writer can withstand a million rejections and still keep going. (Or you can substitute bacon I guess.)

Ishta Mercurio said...

I believe in hard work, and strength in numbers. And paying it forward. And I believe that you totally rock.

Cassandra Frear said...

What you are describing here is just a good work ethic for writers. Except for the chocolate.

How can bacon fuel writing? Unless you meant "Bring Home the Bacon!" ??

Let's see a post on that!

Kate Hart said...

I believe in chocolate AND bacon, but not together.

I also believe in community, and you do a great job of supporting it. <3

Melissa Hurst said...

I believe in chocolate. I lurves me some bacon, but chocolate is my go to comfort food when the writerly things aren't going so well. Oh, and I believe in Dr. Pepper. It is essential for staying awake:)

Unknown said...

How about deep fried chocolate covered bacon, re-wrapped in cripsy slab bacon, sprinkled with confectioner's sugar. Hmmmmmmm.....

Shari said...

I believe in your list, except for the bacon one. I totally believe in chocolate.

Heather said...

Amen to all of those~in a totally non-religious way! ;) I loved and believe in every one of those, except for Edward. Sorry Edward. Vampires don't sparkle.

Anonymous said...

You don't believe in chocolate? Oh. My. Word. . . I'm not sure I can still come to this blog anymore.

:)

Chocolate is way up on my list of things I believe in. It can cure almost any mental ailment as far as I'm concerned.

I love your #3 there. It's so true. You demonstrate that often with all your hard word on this blog and writeoncon. Nice job! You're a great example.

Colene Murphy said...

I believe you always have the best posts! Love it! And bacon. Oh, a friend of mine made bacon cupcakes a little while ago. She said they were good. Didn't know if you had ever tried such a thing.

Jessica L. Brooks (coffeelvnmom) said...

Oh ha ha -- this was a great post. (Especially the vampire part.) I agree with pretty much everything you said, aside from the bacon part. Oh, and I believe in coffee. Like, all the time.;)

Jessica

Carol Riggs said...

Haha, baconmeister. I don't care about chocolate all that much either. I like #1 and #4--it takes hard work, diligent work. Even if luck plays into things, you have to have done the work first. Meanwhile, #6 makes the journey more enjoyable and bearable: other writerly friends!

Unknown said...

I believe in sweet tea, coffee with hazelnut creamer, love, strength in numbers, chocolate, and writing amongst so many other things, and God. I don't think any of us could do what we do without the power of so many comforts, faith, and friends. Oh, and I too believe in you:)

Shannon O'Donnell said...

I believe in You.
I believe in all day coffee.
I believe in long naps on the weekend.
I believe faith can move mountains!

Susan R. Mills said...

Bacon all the way, baby!

Miriam Forster said...

#2 and #4 are AWESOME!

I don't believe complaining about things I have no control over: the state of publishing, the submission process, etc. I DO believe in working hard to become a better writer.

And I don't believe in birthday cake. I believe in PIE. :)

Liz said...

I don't believe in/do believe in:

- perfection / learning from mistakes
- failing / fixing
- fate / reaching beyond your grasp
- manipulating people / karma for those who do
- envy / celebrating others' successes as well as your own

There's a huge list of other things I WANT to believe. I'm still working on those.

Kristen Knight said...

So...frighteningly enough, this entire list can also apply to dating (particularly when you're over 20).

Especially the bacon part. Do they make bacon-scented perfume?

Golden Eagle said...

I don't believe in chocolate, or bacon, unfortunately . . . but I do believe in hard work.

Shannon Messenger said...

I believe you are one of the smartest people I know. And this is why I'm honored to be your friend! :)

Krispy said...

Sneaky! I was paying attention!

I can't believe you don't believe in chocolate. Not even a little? Bacon is very delicious though...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I believe in Hot Tamales!
And NetFlix.

Joanna St. James said...

I believe in Edward, I believe in the Edwardian Era, I also believe in sparkly book covers

Corey Schwartz said...

Hmm...

I believe that timing is important.

I believe that it's okay to wallow once in a while.

I believe that if you are talented and persistent, you WILL succeed.

Susan Kaye Quinn said...

Those are awesome ... except I believe in chocolate, not bacon. But on everything else, YES! :)

Sara B. Larson said...

Ha ha, great list! Except that bacon part... I'll take a hot fudge brownie sundae any day over bacon. ;)

Larissa said...

OMG - I am so with you on the believing in bacon thing!

Great list! I needed that today. :)

Anonymous said...

LOL! I believe I haven't found luck in my writing journey (as far as getting an agent, etc). I also believe I've learned a LOT and that sometimes you have to make your own luck. I hope the past two years and six novels is part of that.

Marsha Sigman said...

I believe you are a genius.

I believe there is still magic in the world just harder to see.

I believe I will be published in the future, it's not a matter of if, only when.

I believe the only thing better than chocolate or bacon is...chocolate bacon.

Krista said...

I believe in bacon dipped in cocoa, and deep-fried mozzarella cheese.

And I believe life is one big messy backside of a tapestry and when we're done we get to see the finished side and say, "Ohhh,of course. That's quite beautiful isn't it?"

Julie Musil said...

I believe in reading Elana Johnson's blog for awesome inspiration! Oh, and macadamia nuts with caramel, dipped in chocolate.

Lindsay said...

Great post.

I believe in hard work, writer friends being amazing, blogging, chocolate, being creative rocks, enjoying the moment, cookies, cuddles from my goddaughter being the best thing ever. And bacon. :)

Chris Phillips said...

I agree that bacon > chocolate.

Lisa Potts said...

I believe the writer-blogger community is awesome and you are a big part of that.

I believe life is what you make it and if you don't like the way yours is going, it's up to you to change it.

And as other have stated, I believe in chocolate covered bacon. Don't knock it before you try it.

Lisa_Gibson said...

I believe you're right! That's all I have to say about that. :)
Lisa ~ YA Literature Lover

Paul C said...

Wonderful credo. I believe that good luck comes after a lot of preparation.

Catherine Denton said...

I don't believe moodiness is a good reason to be rude. I believe kindness reaps all kinds of good.

And don't tell Captain Hook but...
I DO believe in fairies, I do, I do.

Nicole Zoltack said...

Sorry, gotta believe in chocolate.

I not normally one for wallowing but just for today, I will. Tomorrow I'll snap out of it, I promise.

Anonymous said...

So, I saw something yesterday that I'm TOTALLY tempted to get for you. But it's a secret. (gwa ha ha)

Hmm. I wonder what tomorrow's post have to do with...bacon-wrapped vampires? ;P

Anonymous said...

I believe in coffee, my beta readers and critique partners, working hard, coffee, my laptop, my desktop, coffee, spellcheck, my family, coffee...oh and coffee.

Maybe bacon flavoured coffee? Okay, never mind.

Abby Minard said...

I believe in great crit partners!! Without them, I probably wouldn't see half the things that need to be changed in my novel! And yes...yummy Edward...but I think I believe in Buffy more...

B.J. Anderson said...

Hells yeah about the bacon!! Great list of beliefs.

Karen Baldwin said...

I do believe in me, I do believe in me, I do, I do, I DO!

PurpleMist. said...

I was loving the list until the last one!
How could you prefer bacon over chocolate?!
Haha, btw, I love #5, nice way of getting our attention!

PurpleMist. said...

I was loving the list until the last one!
How could you prefer bacon over chocolate?!
Haha, btw, I love #5, nice way of getting our attention!

Valerie Ipson said...

And another one--something like, Opportunity comes knocking, but many people don't recognize it because it is dressed in overalls and workboots.

Elena Solodow said...

I agree that you're awesome : )

Jess said...

I can vouch for your #3 belief--I have learned so much from your blog! Thank you!

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