Five Links 3/9/2020 Traci Kenworth

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Five Links 11/23/19

Traci Kenworth

Writing:

1. http://booksbywomen.org/step-away-from-your-comfort-zone-by-beverley-harvey/ “For the last month, my writing has stalled. Spectacularly. It’s not time, opportunity or commitment that I lack, it’s motivation and self-belief. 

Like myriad writers, I am prone to introspection, anxiety and low self-esteem. No sympathy required here; I count myself lucky that I manage these personality traits – and that they do not manage me. However, it does mean that I have to push myself hard and set realistic goals and achievable targets.

Regardless, my writing habit is strong and on a good day, feeling wildly optimistic, I can fly through 1,200 words – and words that I still like the next day – other times, just conjuring 500 can be a colossal challenge. Nevertheless, I keep chipping away and so far I’ve managed to write and publish two novels in this way. 

So why now do I find myself mired by indecision about whether to finish my Work in Progress or not?”

2. https://megdowell.com/2019/11/19/writers-dont-quit-when-youre-falling-behind/ “ used to be an “all or nothing” achiever.

This meant that went I went all in on something — such as National Novel Writing Month, for example — I really went all in. And I would do everything I had the time and resources to do in order to make sure that I completed every task, every goal, no matter what.

But this mentality had a darker side. If for whatever reason I could not even come close to meeting a goal I had set for myself — especially if starting was the issue I found myself struggling against — I just quit. I wouldn’t even try. If I couldn’t give 100 percent to the cause, I wasn’t going to give anything at all.

There is a reason I was not a great student. When it came to studying for an exam, I would either abandon all other obligations and necessities and study every waking moment until test day, or I wouldn’t even bother printing out a study guide. It was always one extreme or the other, every single time.”

3. https://stevelaube.com/what-were-they-reading/ “In attempting to declutter, I am culling my book collection. Parting with beloved tomes is one of the hardest parts of decluttering for me since I enjoy books so much! I’m keeping copies of all the books I’ve written and the many I have had the honor of representing. Because I tend to buy nearly every book that interests me, I have a massive stack to review.

Re-reading bestsellers from the past has made me think of writers and researching. By “bestsellers,” I am not necessarily referring to books that students are assigned to read in school as the best of the best in literature, although, of course, those are always good choices. Instead, I refer to books meant for entertainment and leisure for the audiences of that time. Books that accompanied readers to the beach, or whose primary purpose was to make readers forget their worries so they could become absorbed in the concerns of characters making bad choices, being victimized, and fighting for their lives. Plots in which good may or may not overcome evil because no character is so exemplary that a reader can root for her without reservation. Regrettably, unlike in Christian fiction, characters’ relationships with God tends to be none, not addressed, or set aside. This realization caused me to appreciate Christian fiction anew, by the way.”

4. https://www.booksandsuch.com/blog/holiday-writing-plan/ “No getting around it, the holiday season is here. Next week is Thanksgiving, families are gathering, and stores are already playing Christmas music. The joys, the stresses… here they come.

What does this mean for writers? This season can easily lead to frustration for people trying to juggle a busy life on top of their writing. The time available for your writing dwindles and you start to feel behind and get stressed that you’re not meeting your goals or deadlines.

It’s time to make a Holiday Writing Plan.

Let’s face this time of year head-on with a strategy that will take us through to January 2nd with the least”

5. https://conniejjasperson.com/2019/11/20/creating-depth-subtext-amwriting/ “NaNoWriMo is in full swing and sliding toward the finish. We have slightly less than two weeks left. My manuscript is inching toward completion. I have crossed the 50,000 word line, but the book is less than half finished. Many scenes that currently exist will likely be cut, and new scenes written that better show the story.

A lot of new authors are discovering words like “subtext” and wondering what that means. Subtext is a complicated aspect of the story, existing in the depths of the inferential layer of the Word-Pond that is Story.

Since nothing has changed since I last wrote on this subject, here is the reprise of the post Subtext, first posted here in March of 2018.”

Research & Fun Bits:

1. https://ryanlanz.com/2019/11/20/writing-action-scenes/ “

2. https://wilfredbooks.wordpress.com/2019/11/20/25-free-tools-to-improve-your-writing-in-2020/ “Writing tools promise to make our life easier. But first you have to choose which one to use. And God knows there are plenty of them around nowadays! I counted four posts on the subject on my blog alone, with dozens of links to promising tools. So, wouldn’t it be if someone organized that information into an Infographic, letting you compare what they can each offer with simple single-line tips?

That is exactly what WikiBuy did, with their Infographic, “Free Tools To Sharpen Your Writing Skills.” I’m sharing here, in the hopes of helping you discover your”

3.  https://hughsviewsandnews.com/2019/11/20/5-easy-ways-to-get-readers-to-leave-comments-on-your-blog/ “During the time I’ve been blogging, I’ve found many ways of getting readers to interact with me. Today, I’m going to share with you what I believe are the five most important and easiest ways of generating comments.

In one of her recent blog posts, blogging expert Janice Wald says that search engines such as Google and Bing are attracted to blog posts that contain at least 30 comments. Why? Because they show that the blog is active.

Janice goes on to say that value-added comments can bring in lots of extra traffic and boost the post’s SEO ranking too. Comments help lengthen a blog post, and search engines are attracted to long posts rather than short ones.”

4. https://annetterochelleaben.wordpress.com/2019/11/21/angel-messages-november-21-2019/

5. http://booksbywomen.org/from-news-release-to-novel/ “When I was about seventeen years old, my father asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I said: “I’d like to write novels.” 

His response was less than encouraging. “It’s really hard to write a novel, you know,” he said. “You’d need to do a considerable amount of research, and that’s not easy.” He went on to say that, in essence, people like us didn’t write novels. 

I was a little deflated, I have to admit. But, to be fair, my father had a great respect for authors. He really did think you had to be extra-special to become one – though I’m sure he wanted me to get a ‘proper’ job and that was at least partly why he said what he did. I don’t blame him for his response: in those days, not many people became authors and there wasn’t the huge range of entry points – novel-writing courses, MAs in creative writing – that there are now. 

So, anyway, what was I going to do? I went off to university to study a subject I was inspired by, Linguistics, and I continued to nurture my love of language with no clear idea of what I was going to do with it. In those days (further off than I care to say!) you studied the academic subject you wanted to, with no imperative to attach any long-term plans. You enjoyed yourself as much as you could, with a little learning thrown in.”

Some Things More Serious:

1. https://beckiesmentalmess.blog/2019/11/20/november-20-2019-working-on-us-week-24-mental-health-blogging-community-mental-health-series-topic-managing-your-mental-health-during-the-holidays/

2. https://mybipolarmind.com/2019/11/19/late-nights-anxiety/

3. https://beckiesmentalmess.blog/2019/11/21/%f0%9f%8d%8e-november-21-2019-quotes-and-food-for-thought/

4. https://megdowell.com/2019/11/20/when-no-one-reads-a-different-kind-of-rejection/ “I don’t think there is a writer in this world who particularly enjoys being rejected.

There are some who seek it out, who make it a point to accumulate as many rejections as possible to both increase their chances of success and prove to themselves that “failure” is a necessary part of the journey.

But we all secretly wish it didn’t have to happen — and that it didn’t happen to so many of us in such a variety of unappealing ways.”

5. https://allaboutwritingandmore.com/2019/11/20/accept-yourself/ “Do you accept yourself for who you are, or are you the type of person who doesn’t feel comfortable in their own skin? In other words you are always trying to be someone else? Feeling comfortable and accepting yourself is important if you want to lead a fulfilling and happy life. Let’s take a look at how you can achieve these feelings. 

Your first step is to ask yourself a couple of questions:”

Teaser Fiction & Poetry:

1. https://somethingferal.wordpress.com/2019/11/20/a-notional-realm/

2. https://butismileanyway.com/2019/11/20/tallis-steelyard-bringing-the-joys-of-civilisation-blogtour/

3. https://phillipknightscott.com/2019/11/20/in-the-shade-an-awakening/

4. https://charmedchaos.com/2019/11/20/stark-array/

5. https://syl65.wordpress.com/2019/11/21/thoughtfulthursday-time/

Book Reviews, Cover Reveals, & Author Interviews:

1. https://mystictalestintin.wordpress.com/2019/11/21/review-till-we-meet-again/ “Everyone leads a unique life; a life that could be penned down in a book. In Shibaji Bose’s novel ‘Till We Meet Again’, we come across one such ordinary, young man Aryan, whose only aim is to cross the threshold of being an average. After his father’s untimely death in a political riot, Aryan finds himself the man of the household. He somehow has to let go of his inhibitions and hold his breaking family together. In the midst of it all, he encounters life like no other. This is a tale of an ordinary man living an extraordinary life. Will he be able to fulfill his much-needed duty? Or will the average tag remain his only identity?

I wish I had read this book earlier. It’s inspiring, bold and has a wide spectrum. I loved the overall narrative tone of the story. It’s so motivating. Each of the women in Aryan’s life taught him something; Rhea taught him to let go of the past and move forward, Kavya’s sensuous and unapologetic nature made him bold, Priya taught him the lesson of life, and Ahana held his heart and made him shed his shell. It’s amazing that he met so many women and they were all different from each other. Even his mother is such a strong character in the book. I enjoyed the character development, even the minor characters had their rightful place in the novel. The political growth displayed throughout the narration was splendid. The ending was fulfilling; it did justice to the plot. It was realistic until the very end.”

2. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/2019/11/21/bookreviews-books-by-sue-vincent-and-d-g-kaye/ “The relationship between Ani, the inimitable Small Dog and her two-legs, first came to light in ‘Notes from a Small Dog: Four Legs on Two’. Their poetic adventures continued in ‘Laughter Lines: Life from the Tail End’. In this new collection of poems, their daily life together takes centre stage. From the perfidy of humans who insist on bathing dogs, to the unpunctuality of writers at mealtimes, the relationship between two legs and four is explored in verse. The Small Dog reveals her continuing fascination with chicken, tennis”

3. http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2019/11/22/sweet-baby-yoda-do-i-have-some-news-for-you/

4. https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2019/11/22/friday-book-share-a-comprehensive-list/ “This is a most generous post. Staci dedicated her Story Empire post to her fellow SE members today. Check it out and meet some pretty cool authors.”

5. https://mariacatalinaegan.com/2019/11/21/all-of-my-every-things-by-l-bachman-genre-poetry/ “his is not a normal poetry book. It is an exorcism of the soul. A poet will write about the highs and lows of their life in excruciating beautiful ways. Wrapping their pain with a ribbon to either be kept as a secret or presented. L. Bachman has gathered some of her most emotionally raw verses selected from a nineteen-year period of her life and is the first volume of complete non-fiction to date.

With bruised white knuckles, created by a humbled self-diagnosed battered and broken being on the road to healing and coping from a painful childhood. This is a display of work created to express personal struggles and surviving through periods of insomnia, moments of love, depression, anxiety, and healing.

Cover to cover you will read the inner workings of a reclusive introvert that has spent her lifetime trying to answer her own questions about who she is, what part she plays in life, and trying to heal from things she couldn’t. You will see into the mind of the woman known as L. Bachman through over thirty poems left up to the reader to interpret with an introduction by author KJ. Taylor.”

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Writerly Ways 3/3/2020: Making Excuses Not to Try Traci Kenworth

Image by Susan Cipriano from Pixabay

Writerly Things 1/13/20: Making Excuses Not to Try

Traci Kenworth

Are You Where You Want to Be?

Have you reached all your goals? Is there still one more or a few to go? For years now, I’ve strived to be published. It wasn’t my time, I know. There was still a lot to learn. What kept me from doing so earlier? Those stiff rules for one. You know the ones. Don’t do this. Don’t do that. A lot of wasted time unlearning that. Next, thinking I knew what I needed to. Way off. Each day I learn more than what I did before.

The Fear.

This is a BIG staller. I didn’t want my family/friends/others to see what I’d written because I might suffer embarrassment, failure, whatever. Though I still care what they think. As I age, that doesn’t hold me back anymore. Everyone that steps toward that spotlight embraces fear. Some just handle it better than others. That you feel it doesn’t make you less. Or that you shouldn’t step forward.

Failure.

We all experience rejection. This writing business is BIG on that. Not every story, poem, form of writing you do, will make it. There’s going to be a drawer or a chest or a wall filled with rejections if you pass go. No one is immune. No one garners acceptance after acceptance. Even the biggies. Stephen King almost gave up. J.K. Rowling faced years of “No thank yous,” till she garnered interest. If you put words down in some form, you will be rejected sooner or later.

Excuses.

You can lie to others. Not yourself. ARE you writing? Or just poking at it? Are you fixated on research to avoid putting those words down? Do you constantly accept things to do outside the home so that you can avoid writing? Would you rather watch TV? Do the dishes? When you find yourself enthralled with housework do you regret—even a little—that you’re not honing in on those stories?

Do you remember the first time you heard a story? How it held you in its power, it’s truth? That’s what you need to examine: your truth. Do you really want to do this? Make a career out of it? Or do you just want a scrapbook of memories to frame? If so, there’s an easier route nowadays to such.

If you want to endear another person with those feelings though, you’ve got to work at your writing. You’ve got push forward past pride, past humiliation, past everything. You can do this! If you want to. It takes practice, practice, practice. Most importantly, reading. Yes, reading. The more you do so, the more the words will flow through you onto the paper or screen. Your stories are important to the readers. You’ll never know whose life you’ll change just by opening up a document. I know my life has been changed by various books I’ve read. Some gave me the will to go on. Some opened up new worlds to me. Won’t you do the same for another? So, stop the excuses. Decide what you want to do, who you want to be. It’s never too late.

Horror Reveal

Horror Reveal

Traci Kenworth

 

Is it better to reveal the monster in the beginning all at once or to show glimpses as you go along? I prefer doing the snaps, the flashes that make the characters wonder: what’s out there? To tease the reader with your monster leads to a build-up that you must pay off in the end, each time the monster enters, you show a bit more than before. The teeth. The claws. The horrible, stinky breath. Each reveal getting a little closer and in-your-face. That’s how you build suspense, that’s how you make your reader gasp when the reveal happens.

When you go all out in the beginning, there’s no mystery, nothing to make the terror in your heart grow. Most horror writers know this and stick to this pattern. You don’t show the thing in the basement in scene one, but make the reader hear it, smell it, imagine it in their minds before you bring it on stage. It ups the ante, so to speak. So when, at last, that door opens and the thing creeps up behind the hero or heroine, we anticipate/shrink in fear/scream at what they see when they turn around.

What do you think? Show things up front, or take it slow?

Regulating Your Writing Time

A Writing Kind of Day (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Are You Regulating Writing Time to the Background?

 

Traci Kenworth

 

 

 

It’s so easy to let time get away from us. Letting time slip away that’s reserved for writing here and there due to errands, appointments, life is hard to get back. I know I’ve been going through this for a while now and it’s like being stuck in a whirlwind. You promise yourself you’ll make that lost time up another day, another hour. The problem is, every day we face the risk of losing more. Soon, it becomes a pattern, dare I say, even a habit to skip? Surely when life stops being so complicated, we can get back to our Muse. If we don’t put up a stop sign—even for just ten minutes out of our day—writing becomes less important to us.

 

Now, I know there are days we can skip on occasion, but when it adds up to weeks or even months, we’re ultimately hurting ourselves. It’s tough enough to make it in the writing world without becoming our own worst enemy. Not spending time doing something you love (and I assume you love writing, why else would you do it?), makes it easier to let it slip to hobby status and then just fall by the way side. It’s hard to say, “No,” you can’t do something when you’re a writer. After all, the majority of people in your life assume it won’t be a bother to you to take care of something. Your writing doesn’t account for bosses, time cards, and set hours. So letting things slide shouldn’t matter.

 

Oh, if they only realized. Writing is a business. If you don’t do it, you don’t get a chance to be published, an opportunity to be paid by your bosses (the publishing house/s). So don’t feel guilty for scheduling time to write. More time writing also equals more growth in your work. Take the time. Stick to it. Schedule appointments around it as much as possible. Now, this is not to say, emergencies won’t come up and I’m not saying to ignore them when they do. Just don’t let your set time become less and less until there’s nothing there anymore. Because getting the Muse to work again, takes a long time. That’s time that could be spent moving on to the next level in your career. Lesson learned. Now, to get back to it.

 

When the Muse strikes…

A classic fairy with a wand (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

When the Muse Strikes…

 

Traci Kenworth

 

 

 

Often, if you’re like me, the Muse strikes whenever it wants to. Sometimes, it’s convenient, sometimes not but if you’re a writer, you learn to deal. Do I lose some fragments of ideas when I’m driving or at the doctor’s office? Sure. It happens, but most of the time I can capture those clues with the help of the pens I keep in my purse and various post-its, scraps of notebook paper, even napkins. Hey, whatever works. This weekend I was recovering from surgery when I had some complications hit me. Needless to say, I spent a LOT of time resting and while I did so, who should show up? The Muse fairy. She tickled her wings and voila, the solution to some of my world’s problems rested in my palms.

 

Things that should have been obvious in my character’s universe suddenly clicked. Not only that, I discovered the title and plotline to how the 3^rd book (all of these written to be stand-alones) rocketed into place as well. Sometimes, it just takes a bit of quiet, a bit of reflection to uncover what will/or should be. I feel more on firm ground again and I’m ready to move forward. Happy writing, everyone.

 

Procrastinating…and the details

Writer’s Stop (Photo credit: Stephh922)

 

Procrastinating…and the details

 

Traci Kenworth

 

 

 

Procrastination has been a serious wrench in my editing/rewriting as of late. Doubts sometimes creep in when we’re working on a project and this was no exception. Not misgivings about the story, but, well, me as a writer. Around me, I’ve watched others moving on with their books, getting published, receiving awards etc. while I’m still in the same place. Although, really, I’m not. In the same place. I’ve been learning, growing, coming to terms with things. I think it’s a path a lot of writers take in their journey, sort of losing that momentum, falling behind. The truth is, we need that to happen in order to re-focus on why we’re doing this, who we are, and to realize everything will fall into place when the time’s ready.

 

This is the time when some writers fall by the wayside, lose hope, and walk away. What’s more, I’m sure from what I’ve read on other author’s experiences, that it won’t be the last time something like this happens. You’ve got to decide whether you’re going to let circumstances make you or break you. I’ve decided to persevere. It hasn’t been my time yet, but one day, it will be. Since last fall, my writing has slid to a crawl in pace. Slowly, now, I’m picking up speed. It didn’t happen overnight. I’ve had to fight to get there but Spring is dawning. There is hope. Reading over my wip, I realize, I have something here. I have only to open myself up to the possibilities.

 

Ideas are brimming, popping up when least expected. Avenues that make sense, that excite the story. One day, I hope to be able to write as fast as I used to, but for now, I’m taking it one day at a time, knowing that I’m headed in the right direction. I may not get there as fast as I wanted to, but I’ll get there. How about you? Do you feel like giving up or have you walked away in the past, only to return anew? Hold on. You’ll reach where you’re going, it just takes time. I know that’s a pulling teeth answer, but it’s the truth. Juggling this life is tough in itself. That’s why we need each other’s support in this. Cheer your fellow authors on because in doing so, you’ll lift yourself up to the next level and soon, it’ll be your turn.

 

 

 

 

 

The Confident Writer

Writer Wordart (Photo credit: MarkGregory007)

The Confident Writer

Traci Kenworth

 

When I first began to take this journey to write for publication, I still viewed it through

the lens of an unsure writer. I lacked discipline, a regular schedule, and knowledge of my craft. I was ready to grow, I just wasn’t sure how. That’s why writing in itself is so hard to teach to another. It takes a drive, a confidence in yourself that builds over time through experience. What works for me, might not work for you and vice versa.

Something happens as you practice putting all those words together, into forming

sentences, and developing your writing. There’s no style at first. The story part is not quite there. You have the passion, but not the know-how to breathe life into your stories. Don’t give up. There’s untapped magic there waiting to be brought to the surface. Each of us will approach the study part of writing just like the journey itself.

I started with craft books. Tons and tons of them. A writing course here and there. They

helped but I still wasn’t seeing what I wanted to in my stories. I studied my favorite writers, even first-time novelists to find the key. What I discovered was this: there is no key. No one can tell you how to do it. Because the trials and tribulations we all experience are like life: no two paths are alike. They diverge at points sure, but the getting there happens different for everyone.

The next part of my journey involved cps (critique partners). I had some bad and good

ones. Those were more lessons that helped me grow. I was still unsure of myself at this point, not trusting myself to go with my gut about things. Along came one of the best things to happen to me as a writer: I met a wonderful cp who introduced me to a writing group called yaff (YoungAdultFictionFanatics). These ladies took me under their wings and taught me how to write a story, queries, etc. Some of which I didn’t realize were necessary in my earlier efforts.

Under their tutelage, I have seen my writing go from shoddy to better. I won’t say I’m an

expert. I doubt any real writer ever thinks their work is good enough. But I have seen the potential for telling a good story emerge over the last year. I can look at something I wrote a long while ago and something current and see a vast difference. The growth I was seeking is there. I’ve learned that I don’t ever want to stop learning. Perhaps, in truth, there is a key to be learned after all. It comes in having a confidence in yourself, in seeing a truth to what you put down on your paper.

You have to learn to let go, to let your writing happen, to trust that you’re doing what the

story needs, when it needs it. Talk to your characters, build those settings, but don’t forget: everything begins with you. Your life lessons, the study of your craft, and building writing relationships. Don’t try and be some other writer. Be yourself. You’re unique. No one will ever approach the story you’re writing the way you do. That’s where you find your voice, that’s where your path widens to draw in the things you’ll need to continue your journey. Confidence will grow inside you and that will help you face the rejections, the pitfalls, and the bad breaks then when you reach the horizon, everything before you will be blessed. Good luck on your journey.

Writing in the Dark

Writing in the Dark

Traci Kenworth

 

I used to write religiously with an outline as I’ve said on here before but lately, I’ve been “writing in the dark” so to speak. Which is to say, I’ve thrown out my outline with my current project and what I’ve begun to do is to take each chap as one/or several long scenes and jot down notes before writing the chapter. Then I proceed to the next chapter and start the process over again. I’ve discovered a freedom in this type of writing and it’s really opened up the creative doors for me.

Part of why I’ve down so is reading several Stephen King interviews as well as going back over his The Stephen King Companion. He’s admitted he isn’t one for knowing exactly how a story is going to go, but with his writing, “finds what he needs, when he needs it.” I’m paraphrasing here, these aren’t his exact words, but I’ve found this to be true when it comes to my own writing. See, I was having a hard time getting enthused about a wip when I knew what was going to happen down to the ending. Writing this way lately, has multiplied the possibilities.

I’ve found new life in my story, my cps are enthusiastic about it, and it’s turning out to be one of the most complex stories I’ve written. So, it just goes to show, sometimes if you throw all the rules out, you find the will to go on, and what’s more, you’ll soar in your efforts. How about you? Are you an outliner or a pantser or a little of both? Any tips on how to do writing your way that you think might help others?

Reading

Cover of So Many Books, So Little Time

Reading: How Important is it to Writers?

Traci Kenworth

 

The more you read, the better you become as a writer. You’ve heard this before from other authors, people in the industry, etc. But the question is: how important is it?

Very.

When we read, we open our minds to knowledge, entertainment, and more. Some of this “more” is learning about character arcs and how to introduce them and sustain them throughout the story. We learn about the importance of plot, hooks, how to build a book and how to come up with a fantastic ending. We do this by studying what’s on the page.

If we don’t read, how can we know what’s out there? How can we grow to know and love characters that inspire us in creating our own? What adventures are we missing out on? It doesn’t have to be great literature at our fingertips. It just has to appeal to you. Comic/graphic books. Fiction. Non-fiction. This genre or that. There’s something to be learned from everyone.

Nor would I confine myself to reading just one type either. To read out of your area of expertise will broaden your horizon. I read almost everything I can get my hands on. There are a few that I have a hard time getting into—biographies, hard science fiction, and adventure novels. Although, recently, I picked up a copy of The Ice Limit by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, and was surprised by it. I usually don’t care for suspense, but give me a Linda Howard or Nora Roberts novel and I’m there.

You see, it all has to do with taste-testing. We do it with our food. We don’t take a lot of something we don’t like/if anything at all, but sometimes we find we like what we try. I can’t imagine sitting in a room surrounded by books and never pulling one from the shelves, never appreciating an author’s words. And with e-books today, there’s a whole new virtual library opening up for us all. Books of poems, horror stories, love stories, stories of hope and promise, it’s all in there. So don’t read a little, read a LOT, because with each book you’ve covered, you’re discovering and pushing boundaries into your stories.

Another book might inspire us to find a solution for something we’re working on. Albeit, I’m not suggesting stealing the exact same idea from someone else’s books but expanding on what we have in our own fictional worlds. How many authors out there have “borrowed” the vampire, werewolf, or Frankenstein image? How many more will? It all comes down to coming up with something original about them. And we do this by learning what’s out there.

Reading is so important in teaching our craft. It’s both a blessing and a curse. A blessing to open our imagination, a curse with so many books, so little time. But every minute spent in a page is so worth it. It sharpens our intelligence, sails us to faraway places, and grows something on the inside of us. So pick up that book and another after that. Go ahead, get inspired.

When Life Gets in the Way…

young life (Photo credit: lorenzo cuppini verducci)

When Life Gets in the Way

Traci Kenworth

 

You’re going along strong, every word is falling into place, every scene playing off of each other when *boom* something in life happens. It can be a car accident, the birth of another/or your first child, or as often happens, health problems. What do you do when any of these events happen? Do you give up? Put your writing away for a while? Struggle through?

For me, the keeping on seems to not only help but to get me over the hill and coasting along again. I won’t say it’s easy. In fact, sometimes, it’s a downright rough but things can and do turn around. How? Brainstorming. Jotting down anything and everything that comes to mind on a story helps get the creative juices flowing.

So, too, does pressing forward on a piece. Maybe you only get two lines down, that’s still an accomplishment. It’s setting you up for the next move, and the next one after that. Just keep pushing the boundaries and you’ll find yourself getting further immersed in your wip again. And before you know it, “the end,” will come along.

Any tips on how to keep going when things get tough? I’m sure we all have our own way of pounding on those keys and making our book open up to us again. I’ve found when life throws serious situations my way, to turn back to my writing, it’ll pull me through. And often, when the scare is over, I not only faced it to the best of my ability, I also have a lot to show for my efforts. How about you?