A delicate paper garden rises from an open book in a dreamy, handcrafted scene.
It’s been a while since I made a post. There’s a reason. Life…
Writers block is a real thing. Sometimes life just steps in and fogs up your mind. It makes it hard to even focus. Then the anxiety steps in, robbing you of all of the creativity until you just give up. But then, just as you think you’ll just pack it up and never be able to write again, something triggers that creative part of your brain.
I have spent years writing almost every day, then poof, nothing. The stories would flood my mind so intensely that I had to keep a notebook in my purse to write it all down. Then life stepped in and robbed me of that part of my life. It was numbing to say the least. There would be small moments, then nothing.
A couple of days as I sat watching a video on TikTok it happened. The writer part of my brain woke up from the fog. The stories started flooding in. Writing had always help me combat the anxiety, but then the anxiety decided it wanted that part too. Well, this week I decided that anxiety wasn’t going to win.
With each word I typed, the brain fog began to clear up. So, I took a deep breath and stepped up to the ledge. Saying a prayer, I jumped… Now I just have to pick up where I left off. It might take me a bit before I’m back to my old daily word count, but I’m making progress. So, get ready… I’m back!
With that, I’m sending out good wishes and May God Bless You…
Good Wednesday morning! Let’s jump right in to today’s post. Wisdom… Sometimes I think that it’s a mythical concept when it comes to writing. Just when you think you have it all figured out, life throws you a curve ball. That’s how I’ve felt for the last six months or so. The fact that I’ve had a case of writer’s block, which I never thought I would get, well, it has only added to the issue. Not to mention my computer glitch caused me to lose three works in progress. One of those is almost totally rewritten now, but two have been put the side for a little bit.
So, with all of that being said. My bit of wisdom today is to not let things in life hinder your joy. One of my sources of joy has always been putting words on paper. I’ve let life steal that, but I’m working on getting back into the groove. And on that note, I was on vacation last week and wrote two whole chapters. This time last year I would write almost a chapter a day. That means I’m making progress getting back in the groove. It’s important to take one day at a time and write something everyday. Even if it’s just a paragraph, just do it. Get back into the habit and get back to writing.
Have you ever experienced writer’s block? What did you do to get past it?
Good morning! Yes, I’m back. It’s been a crazy couple of months. Between writing and tax season, I’ve been so busy. But I’m getting back on track and ready to get this blog back up and running. So, here’s to the rest of the year!
How many times have you made a plan and then didn’t go through with it? Maybe you set a book release and you couldn’t finish the book in time. It’s always good to make sure you write down your plan and try to keep to it. This keeps you from procrastinating. But what happens when everything is against you such as time, life, and all the things in between? Here’s a couple of tips for making things happen when you need them to…
I’ve been trying to finish my latest WIP and somehow I let my busy schedule take over. This is the first time in a long time that I didn’t meet my deadline. And yes, I procrastinated to the point that the book went to the back burner. As a writer, that hurts.Â
Let’s talk planning. When you have a book idea, excitement bubbles up and you’re pumped. But there’s more to it than just the idea. You’ve got to focus on the idea and make sure that it can be fleshed out into a book. This step needs a plan.Â
Look at it like framing a house. Without the frame, you wouldn’t have the house. A book plan is the same thing. Here are the steps to getting that book into the hands of your readers…
The Idea – Yes, this is the exciting stage where you get the spark. You know what I’m talking about. It’s the moment you’re sitting there and all of a sudden you have the best idea for a new book or series. But not every book idea comes to life. I’ve got so many ideas written down that didn’t meet the muster.Â
The Outline – Ok, I know some of you are more of a seat of the pants writer, but let me tell you, an outline can be the make or break for some ideas. When I have an idea, I sit down and figure out how it can go. Even if it’s just a simple, beat by beat outline, it helps you to know if you can make it work.Â
Flesh it out – Now that you have the idea and the simple outline, you can go back and give it some flesh. Fill it out and see if you have enough to make it a book. This is the point of no return or return to the pile of idea. Here is where you make sure that the idea can go the full gauntlet or get chopped off before it’s even finished.
Scheduling – Here’s where you need to be honest with yourself. If you think your idea can go 25,000 words, don’t schedule a release in 25 days. Maybe you can get it written in 15 days, but there’s so much more that goes into it than writing it. Make sure that you schedule every step of the writing process. I had to learn this the hard way. Here’s a couple of items to think about when scheduling: A. Cover design B. First Draft C. Revisions D. Read Through E. Editing F. Prerelease Marketing G. Final Draft, and this is just a few steps.
Writing – Now, here is the fun part. You finally get to put words on the page. The first draft isn’t perfect, so don’t expect it to be. Get the bones on paper, then go back and fill it in.Â
First Draft Read Through – This stage is fun. The bones of your book are there. You’ve finished the first part of the process which to me, can be the hardest part. This is the stage where you’ll know it the idea will actually make it. If the outline didn’t catch it, the first draft will.
Edit, Edit, Edit – Now, read it out loud as you edit. This is important before it goes to your editor. My editor has asked me before if I even read it before I sent it to her. LOL!Â
Cover Design – This process for me comes first, but a lot of writers don’t design theirs until this stage. Sometimes the cover comes to me with the idea. Make sure the cover represents your work. Don’t do something to deceive your readers. And simple still works…Â
Marketing – Plan your marketing early in the process. Set a budget and schedule some prerelease ads. You don’t have to spend a bundle to get results. Just make sure to stagger your ads. Don’t overwhelm yourself.Â
Release Day – Make this a party. Setup a blog post. Send out Tweets, Facebook posts, Pinterest, TikTok blurbs, and any other social media you use. Make it fun and relaxed.Â
I know this was a little crazy, but putting a book out to readers needs a plan. And my way may not work for everyone, but it does for me. Hope it helps in some way.
I’m almost to the last chapter of my latest manuscript and it’s so exciting. But with tax season deadlines breathing down my neck, I’m snatching writing times when I can. Of course the characters are always teasing me with lines to include and different scenarios. Good thing I keep a notebook beside me all the time.
But with the busy days and late nights, I lean on my coffee time heavily. Actually, that reminds me, it’s coffee thirty. Enjoy the rest of your Thursday and live, laugh, & most especially, love…
Take a little time for yourself everyday. It only takes a few minutes of sipping coffee or tea and a little relaxation to get yourself back up to speed. During tax season I try to take a moment to just sip my afternoon coffee and breathe.
Good morning! I’ve been swamped with taxes and office work, so I’ve been a little absent lately. But don’t worry, there is still writing going on in the background. Safe is almost complete and I’m so excited to bring it to you soon. Now, on to the post.
There are so many trends out there right now that it makes my head spin. So many authors fall into the trend hole and can’t seem to climb back out. Yes, it’s alright to write following those trends, but not if it puts your writing style in a cramp. Sometimes current trends are not what you excel at and that’s alright. Be yourself, not what others expect.
Every writer has their own voice. And we have a passion for different things. Me, I love writing clean romance that inspires others. And now I’ve added mystery and suspense to that love. But for so long I wouldn’t add that element for fear that it wouldn’t be accepted in my genre. I was mistaken and now that I’m almost done with the first novel in that genre, I know that I made the right choice. It’s unexpected, but wonderful. I’ve never felt more excitement over writing as I do at this moment. I feel that this is a huge step for my career.
Now, you need to sit back and figure it out. What do you love to write about? If it’s a couple falling in love over a lost puppy, then write about it. What’s important is writing about what you’re passionate about. Just focus on that.
As I sit here, sipping my coffee and getting my mind ready for the day, I’ve been thinking about my current WIP. It’s been such a refreshing new project that I’ve enjoyed working on.
Now, I could have stayed with my usual genre and kept the water smooth and ripple free. But, that wouldn’t be fun. I’ve been writing romance for several years. My genre ranged from sweet romance, to paranormal. So, how is my current WIP different?
My current WIP is a Christian Suspense Romance. What is that you may be asking? Well, it’s a clean romance that has Christian elements, along with suspenseful and thrilling parts, but as always that some romance sprinkled in. And with it being Christian, you know that it won’t be too over the top gory or crude.
So, I went from keeping the waters calm and smooth, to tossing a pebble and wrecking the calm waters. And it’s the best move I’ve made in a long time. I can’t wait to get it out to my readers because I think they’ll fall in love with the characters and be glued to the story. It won’t be anything you expect either.
Ripple the water… Make a change… Get a refreshing new look at romance…
You read that right. I said tea… Sometimes I do drink hot tea. Usually I grab an herbal blend, green tea, or spicy cinnamon. This afternoon I have a stuffy nose, so I’m grabbing some therapeutic green tea. Hopefully it will open me up and I’ll get my head back in the game.
This week is flying by. So much to do with so little time.
Lately I’ve been focusing more and more on being descriptive. I want my readers to take the journey with me, not just read it. It means more if they see the vision that I do when I’m writing. As I wrote earlier, show, don’t tell. It’s important to keep the readers interest and if they’re just reading words, it won’t. They’ll lose their train of thought. But, if you open up the world to them, then you’ll have fans for life.
For instance, in my current WIP, when Hadley is walking up the sidewalk, I get into the weather, the scenery around her and the neighbor that always stops her, keeping her from the tasks at hand. Also her little cottage on the sleepy street in the small town. I go into detail so that the reader has a sense of where she lives and during certain parts of the story, how close she is to possible danger.
So see, you have to be descriptive. Let your reader into your head. It can only make it better for them.
Good morning from icy Georgia! It’s below freezing and the precipitation falling isn’t rain… Time for the bulky sweaters that collect dust, but I keep them for just this sort of day…
Now, on to the post. Have you ever wrote a scene ahead of time? I keep a notebook beside my laptop for just this thing. And I label them as what they are. About 90% of the time I know in my head how the book ends and if I’m working on the first half and hit a snag, I’ll write the ending. It inspires me to push through the fog that clouds my thoughts sometimes.
But, will those scenes change and evolve as the writing prior to them does. Certainly, but it keeps you focused on the upcoming events. I’ve written several pages of scenes, then totally deleted some of them as the characters went in another direction. But it’s exciting to step ahead and see the future.
Did I say I could see the future? Yes, in my writing I can. So don’t ask me to read tea leaves or anything like that. I can’t see that kind of future. So, start looking ahead in your WIP and see what can be. It will help with the current part of the process.
Stephanie Hurt - Romance Author 