Writing life – procrastination, process, and progress #amwriting #romancenovels #writinglife

During this season of changing leaves and impending snow, I am trying to finish a manuscript as well as maintain some sense of positivity and hope. For me, November is all about sharing and being thankful for the people, pets, and things in my life. The people and pets can be fairly distracting, especially at times like the present, when I need to be in deep concentration mode to finish a manuscript. When I’m not managing distractions, there are still times when I have uninterrupted time to work yet I can’t figure out what should happen next in the scene or chapter. I love being a writer, but pulling ideas out of thin air and putting words together to make a whole entire story isn’t easy.

Here’s a glimpse of what my process looks like as well as some of my strategies for getting past the dreaded writer’s block issue that comes for us all at some point.

Five things usually found at my writing desk (which is also my kitchen table) – a composition notebook with a ton of notes and scratch drawings inside, some type of fidget object (my current favorites are a dodecahedron fidget cube, a squishy foam cupcake, and a heart-shaped worry stone), at least one of my cats, my laptop, and a fair amount of dark chocolate snacks.

Five favorite procrastination activities – When I’m stuck on a scene or a chapter, I try to get up from the computer or notebook and do something else for a while. Some may call it procrastination but I find that doing switching activities helps get my mind off being stuck, which ultimately— well, usually— leads me to a solution. A walk outside, especially somewhere near the water, helps clear my mind. Cooking and cleaning are necessary parts of daily life but when I have writer’s block, my house gets extremely clean and a plethora of baked goods line the kitchen counter. Going for a drive with the music turned loud while I sing at top volume (car windows closed, of course) is one of my go-to strategies to cope when something is bothering me or when I need time to myself to think. Watching a movie or reading a book can get me totally out of my headspace while also fueling my creativity. If I try all of the above and still find myself stuck, then I work on a different writing project and leave the problematic one alone for a few days.

Five favorite fall foods – pumpkin pie (the kind from the grocery store bakery that I don’t have to bake from scratch), hot apple cider, homemade barbecue in the crock pot, dark chocolate peppermint bark, spaghetti and meatballs with plenty of bread and cheese

Five songs I’ve been listening to on repeat lately – What I Got by Sublime, We Don’t Need Another Hero by Tina Turner, Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton (even though it kind of makes me cry every single time), Say Hello to Heaven by Temple of the Dog, and Gloria by Laura Branigan

Five books/series I’ve read recently or am currently reading- Sugar Shack Witch Mysteries by Daneille Garret, Crescent Moon Mysteries by Tara Lush, The Enchanted Bird by Catherine Dotterer, The Body Shop series by Hailey Edwards, The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst

 

What I’m working on now:

I’ve been busy writing steamy, paranormal romance, Hawk’s Heart. This will be Jordan and Luke’s story, and the very last book in my Stranger Creatures series. Each book in the series features a different couple in their fight for a happily-ever-after. I’ve also been working on a couple of romantasy novellas featuring women in their forties navigating unexpected new paths in life, as well as writing poetry and learning the how to write flash fiction.

You can visit my amazon author page for buy links and to learn more about the books in my Stranger Creatures series and my Haven Forest Resort series (also available at other e-book sellers like Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, iBooks, Google Books, and Kobo).

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Christina-Lynn-Lambert/e/B01MCYK0K7

If you’d like to follow me on social media for my latest book information and excerpts, poems, contest info, book recommendations, and other fun stuff, you can find me at:

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/christina-lynn-lambert

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinalynnlambert

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15900423.Christina_Lynn_Lambert

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