Do you get joy from writing? Some will say they write because they have to and that doesn’t bring joy. But for the majority of writers, you write because you love the art of putting words on paper. Keep that joy and your writing will fill you with such pleasure that you’ll always find inspiration in the small things.
Inspiration can come from many sources, so go out into the world and explore. Go for a nature walk. People watch. Listen to music that inspires you. But always strive to find joy in what you do.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:11
Description is key! What am I talking about? Well, if you want a reader to take the journey of your story with you, then you need to help kick their imagination in gear. So, take them there with words. If the walls are red, then tell them. Because the reader can’t read your mind. Show don’t tell… Just my thoughts…
I have the rainy Monday morning blahs… But sipping some strong coffee, so hoping this feeling passes. So, let’s dive into writers and their health. It’s a double edged sword…
If you’re like me, you work a day job and write in your free time, which leaves precious little time to exercise. Even full time writers don’t take the time to exercise. So, what do we do? The fact is, it’s important to get moving as much as possible. Yes, we love to chase the words, but are we doing it at the cost of our health.
Let’s look at some things you can do to help stay healthy and keep up with your word count:
Get in those steps! Try to get in at least 10,000 steps a day. Yes, I know it’s hard, but even on a rainy day you can walk inside. I’ve set a timer on my phone to make me get up and move. Today is my first day of keeping track of it better. I’ve been slacking since I had a book deadline, not to mention it’s tax season. So, get up and march in place for a few minutes, or walk to the mailbox a couple of times a day. Whatever it takes to get those steps up? Give Yoga a try. It’s a great mind clearing way to get healthier and stay in shape.
If you have to snack while writing, then grab something healthy. A couple of examples are: 1. Freeze some grapes and eat when writing. 2. Cut up an apple and get a little peanut butter to dip it in. 3. Eat low salt nuts such as almonds or cashews. 4. Yogurt with granola. 5. Cut up veggies such as carrots or even bell pepper and dip in ranch.
If you grab coffee, like me, then opt for no creamer, or less creamer. Maybe even grab some decaf at times. Also, remember those fancy coffees from the coffee shop add a lot of calories to your day. Opt for a simple cup of joe.
Tea is great, unless you’re southern like me and love it sweet. Change it up to green tea or herbal with antioxidants to help you out.
Last, but not least, stay hydrated. Drink lots of water. I keep a bottle of water with me all of the time. Get in your allotted amount of water a day. If you can’t handle plain water, then grab some of those no calorie flavorings. I love those. But staying hydrated is important.
Remember, the only way to get that bestseller seen is to be healthy enough to finish it. If you’re not here, then it won’t see the light of day. And as your fellow writer, I want to see you succeed and stay healthy. This goes for me. Let’s start this today!
Good morning! Who wants to write in an organized way? Who wants their outline and characters right at their fingertips? Me! Here’s how I do that…
I use the program, Scrivener. And no, I don’t get any money for talking about this program. What I do get by using this program is piece of mind. So, here are my top five reasons that I use Scrivener to bring my words to life.
Easy to use. Folks, once you sit down and start using Scrivener, you will realize that even though it has all those bells and whistles, it’s so easy to use.
Character Bio list. Yes, this is amazing. I have all of my main characters running down the left side of my manuscript. And if I forget a characters occupation or eye color, all I do is click and double check.
Place list. This is a life saver. I can keep the places in my story straight. Because it’s hard to remember everything, but with Scrivener, I have it at my fingertips.
Outline. Yes, I’m an outliner most of the time. And with Scrivener, I have my outline to the right. And it’s always open. The fun thing is, I can separate it by chapters or sections, then mark done when I’m finished with that section. This helps because Scrivener also separates by chapters.
Word count progress. I have a window to open that tells me how many words I’ve typed in a session. I also can put a daily word count need, manuscript word count expected, and keep up with my progress. It helps keep me on track!
So, this is just a little look into all of the things that Scrivener can do for you. There’s also a script writing part integrated in the same window. And you can change the way your Scrivener looks at every turn. I use cork board for my outline, which gives a story board feel.
Ok, so we all have things happen to us that make us just laugh at ourself. None of us are immune from doing things that in hindsight, we question our sanity.
So, today I’m talking the Oops of writing…
Here we go!
1: Someone from the 1800’s can’t flip a switch for power. Yes, it’s something that happens to the best of us. But, it’s a face palm moment when your editor asks you if the book was no longer a historical romance.
2: When your editor texts you and says, ‘Do you even know the name of your main character?’ Yep, renamed midway, then went back to original in the same manuscript. (Character Lists are essential!)
3: You publish your book, then realize that your name is not on the cover. AT ALL!
4: This one hits too close to home. You’re writing more than one book at a time, and you get the storylines mixed up. My editor hates at times! I know she does! You can’t be riding a horse across the wild west one moment, then in a limo headed from the airport in the next chapter. Yep, I did that!
5: The last one for this post, but a goody. Hit submit and realize you submitted the proof copy, not the edited copy… Enough said!
I could go on and on, but you see where I’m going with this. As a writer, you have to laugh and move forward. There is way too many voices in our head to comprehend the simplest task. And yes, that sounds like maybe we need brain scans, but it’s normal for a writer.
Add to my list and give all of us some comfort in knowing we’re not completely crazy.
As always, good writing and May God Bless You…
And remember to laugh… Laugh hard… Then continue on…
Good afternoon! It’s that time of year to get your tax papers organized and ready for tax time. Yes, I know, it’s a hassle if you’re not organized. Even organized people struggle with this time of year. Do I have this form? Did I make that donation before the end of the year? When did I buy my laptop for writing?
As an accountant, I understand the struggle. But, just take it one day at a time. Sit down with your check register and scan it. Make sure you grab all of your expenses for your writing business or the business that you’re in. Also this is a good way to find donations you made during the year.
Here’s a list for writers to use for expenses and other business can use it too…
Writing programs – Microsoft office, Scrivener, Adobe, etc…
Writer Group Subscriptions – Romance Writers of America, All Author, Bigstock, Etc…
It’s another cool morning here in Georgia, but I’m warm and cozy under my blanket with my laptop. Today we’re discussing how to organize your published works. You may be asking what I mean, well, let me enlighten you.
With over 50 published books, sometimes I get lost in where every book is already published. I can’t remember which book is on which platform. Organization is needed even if you only put your books on one platform. So, here is what I do…
Platform Organization
First, I sit down and make a spreadsheet. The header includes all of the platforms that my books are on. The first column lists all of my books. This way I can mark off the books that are already on certain platforms. And this also helps when republishing older works with new covers. Doing this, I don’t miss out on having my books everywhere.
The moment I started working with this spreadsheet, I realized that I was missing several platforms for some of my books. This is missed opportunity, so everyday I work on at least one platform, updating files and getting my books everywhere.
Published
Amazon
KU
B&N
Kobo
Apple
Smash
Audible
Google
5 Oaks Ranch Series
Ridge
Oakley
Chase
Luke
Maggie
A Christmas to Remember
5O Collection
Book Organization
Now, you may be asking how this is different. Book organization is a spreadsheet similar to the above one, but this one is book formats. In this one, I just copy the previous spreadsheet and change the header. In the header I input Ebook, Print, Audio, Front Cover, Back Cover, Blurb, and Publish date.
This has helped me to keep up with what needs to be done for each book. It’s like a checks and balances, but for books.
outline
character
front
ebook
blurb
exerpt
print
back
spine
5 Oaks Ranch Series
Ridge
Oakley
Chase
Luke
Maggie
A Christmas to Remember
5O Collection
I do hope this helps you in some way. It’s helped me a lot.
Good Monday morning! I hope that you’re staying warm wherever you are this morning. It’s cold in Georgia and looks to be a dreary day with cold, icy rain. Burrrrr…. I’m sitting by the fireplace, wrapped in my fuzzy blanket, sipping coffee and writing.
So, here’s my Monday thought as I drink my coffee and get my eyes open. What length of book do you like to read or write? Do you love a long, 50K or more book, or a quick read of less than 25K?
Here are my thoughts on the length of a book that I read or write for that matter. I’ve heard from fans that say they love the longer ones, then others love the shorter ones that I write. It’s hard to know what will be the best length based on fans wants.
Now, if I’m picking up a book to read, it’s entirely up to my mood. If I’m kicking back and have the luxury of a whole afternoon to sit by the fire and read, then I’ll choose a longer book, but if it’s just a quick moment of sitting in a bubble bath, then sometimes I prefer a shorter book. Especially if I’m stressed or had a particularly hard day, then I need that quick, mindless read, meaning I need to see the story from start to finish in one sitting and have that heartwarming feeling of a Happily Ever After.
For my writing, it’s a toss up. Some of my series or books are setup to be quick reads. I make them short for a reason. A couple of my series have been wrote in short form just for those fans that write to me all the time wanting what they call, lunch time reads. But I do have long novels in my list. My new series that will start rolling out in March will be long books, each one.
So, long or short read… long or short writing… We all love to read and write, so keep it up and let’s get lost in another world or time at least for a moment or maybe for a whole day. Who am I kidding? We readers tend to read into the night sometimes… There’s nothing wrong with pulling an all nighter!
Happy New Year! It’s 2021, can you believe it? Alright, it’s time to get this year started and as with any new year, it’s a chance to make a change. Maybe it’s financial, career, life, or any other change you need to make. It’s time for second chances and new experiences. So, here’s a list of things to change:
Faith – We all need to work on that one, especially after this last year. Last night as I knelt at the altar, I prayed for more faith. We’ve got to let go of the bad and work on bringing in the good. Build on your faith and find hope!
Finances – As an accountant, this is something most people need to do. Make a resolution to save more money, get rid of debt, or clean out your budget. I have a Budget book to help and it’s a great time to get started on the new financially stable you. https://www.amazon.com/Budgeting-Simple-Plan-Better-Year/dp/1793955611
Career – Alright, this one can be hard to do, but if you make the choice to make this change, then jump in. Maybe you want to expand on your current career. Then jump in feet first. There are so many chances out there to change your career.
Life – If you’re stuck in a rut, then climb out. You have the power to do this, even if you don’t think so, you do. Make a list of what in your life needs to change and start working on it. Some things are harder than others to change, but it’s your life and you only get one!
Write a Book – Wow, that one hits close to home. I’ve been writing since I was 13, but only published my first book in 2012 which was 31 years after I wrote my first manuscript. So, if you have a book inside of you, get it out there and take the leap. You won’t regret it.
And don’t forget the coffee!
Now, get to work. You have a new you to make. Smile… Laugh… Love…
Wow, the last Wednesday of 2020. That’s crazy. It’s hard to believe this year is almost over. So, what’s my tidbit of wisdom that I’d like to give to you before the year ends.
This one is for writer’s, but you can use it in anything you do. And it’s really simple…
JUST BE TRUE TO YOURSELF!
When writing, always write what makes you happy. If you are trying to please someone else, then your heart won’t be in it. It’s the same in life. If you’re just going about life trying to make someone else happy and never thinking of yourself, then you’re missing out of life.
So, be true to yourself. Write what makes you happy and you’ll see a big difference in your writing. Have fun, enjoy life, and love with all of your heart.
Stephanie Hurt - Romance Author 