Changing with the Seasons of Life

I’m a night owl through and through (so is my son, which is its own blessing and curse). I can’t remember a time I didn’t feel more productive in the evening. I’ve always felt more comfortable in the dark and cozy time in the night, when everything is quiet, everything is done, and I can finally let my mind play.

That is, until I had my son.

Turns out, as a mom, there is never a time when everything is done. The evening has transitioned for me from a time when I could finally relax and let my imagination run wild, to a time when I have to try and fit in the million things I wasn’t able to get done during the day. To the time when I still have my ear half listening for cries and whimpers, even though my son has been sleeping through the night for almost two years. To a time when I’m so depleted and exhausted, I have nothing left to give to anyone. Not even my story.

At first I thought I needed better systems. Ways to get more done, so there was less remaining to be done at the end of the day. And that has helped. I do feel like I have more mental bandwidth now that I have improved my system. But still, at the end of the day, I felt too tired to do anything. My body and brain were exhausted. Far too tired for the exciting—but also demanding—work of creating. While I love writing, it takes a lot of energy, and focus. And I just didn’t have that at night anymore.

I evaluated all the productivity advice I’ve heard over the years, and tried to think of another solution, but the only one I could come up with was to start my day writing. Its advice many have given before. Focus the beginning of your day on what matters most, when you have the most energy to give. Before, I’d never thought this advice would work for me. Because I’ve always been a night owl writer.

But desperation is the mother of invention, so I decided to give it a try. I set my alarm for six am, went to bed early and prayed for a good result. I even set up a reward system, to incentivize myself for getting up early, fully prepared that it would be like pulling teeth to get myself out of bed before the crack of dawn. And for the first week, I employed that system. But early on, I discovered something I never could have guessed.

I liked getting up early.

It didn’t take long before I began adapted my whole life around waking up early. I was naturally going to bed earlier, so I could get up earlier. I was even waking up before my alarm went off some mornings. I was getting mad when I couldn’t get up early. Because I found that I enjoyed that quiet time in the morning more than the quiet time at night. Because I wasn’t exhausted. I wasn’t already tapped out and only capable of doomscrolling on Instagram. I was able to be me. The person I was before all the mental labor of being a mom.

I started getting more writing done. I am now almost halfway finished with a revision/rewrite project I’ve been wanting to do for years. I’ve been consistently making progress, which I haven’t been able to do for over a year, and I couldn’t be happier.

When I first started this new schedule, I feared it would make the end of the day worse. That I would be run even more ragged than before, since I started the day earlier, but I haven’t found that to be the case. Sure I’m tired at the end of the day, and more inclined to go right to bed after my son falls asleep, but no more so than before. As I’ve made this change, I’ve noticed that getting up early gives me more energy. Taking time for myself in the morning, to focus on me before everyone else, has filled my cup in a way I’d been missing.

I wasn’t just able to do my writing, but to be a better mom too. I was also able to be more patient with my son, because I wasn’t waking up and instantly being thrown into mom mode. I was able to play with him in the morning, because I was already awake and enjoying my day. I found I was writing more. Not just in the morning, but any time I could find. I’m now more inclined to pick up my writing than I was before, because I’m already connected to my story from my morning writing session. 

The toddler stage is just a season, and I’m sure that once my son is through this season I’ll need to reevaluate my writing time again. Maybe in the future, writing at night will make more sense. Maybe in the future getting up early won’t be possible (I’m already dreading having to get him up another hour earlier for kindergarten in a few years), but for now I’m changing with the season of life I am in. And I’m grateful I’ve have found a way to be the mom I want to be, while also finding a little time for myself and my own goals. Even if it’s at an ungodly early hour of day.

So if you’re struggling and finding at this moment you can’t fit in what you need, or your losing yourself to the stage of life you are in, take a moment to evaluated what you need. Try to figure out where you can find time for those things, even if its somewhere you might not expect. Play around, experiment, try something new and see if it works. It might not. But once you find what does, and you’re able to find a way to fit yourself into whatever this tough stage may be, you’ll be glad you did.

A Break in the Routine #AmWriting #WritersLife #Summer #RestAndRecharge

 It’s July! I made it through a winter full of power outages and drudgery, and survived a spring season of house hunting and writing the last few chapters of Hawk’s Heart (Stranger Creatures book 5). Finishing that story really hurt my brain, until I finally, finally envisioned the ending, which felt just right. With a major project completed and the search for a house done, I’ve been sitting down at the computer, ready to plan my next writing projects and thinking about all the other things that need to be done, not to mention all the minutiae of house maintenance and cooking. The lists of things to do felt like an endless load of weight piling up in front of me, and I lost all energy and motivation.

Coffee and dark chocolate helped restore my energy and gave me some extra to store away, but the motivation to do any meaningful work or make any real choices? That stayed gone much like my short-lived love of waterfall cardigans and candy circus peanuts. Habits created by having to juggle a fair amount of hours at work while in college and then, the experience of raising children and everything that entails, has taught me that every minute must be used wisely or I will drown in a sea of tasks that require my attention. As the children have grown, I find myself still trying to do every single thing I think needs doing to keep the imaginary sea of entropy at bay. Summertime seems to be when I catch myself in this pattern of unnecessary overwork and overwhelm.

Maybe it’s the sunshine and lovely weather. Maybe the ocean is calling me through my seashell collection. Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s book Gift from the Sea was the inspiration for the sea shells that I have displayed in different places throughout my house. I intentionally left them out so they could become breadcrumbs that would lead me to remember to take some time for myself every now and then. Mostly, I just see the shells without really seeing them. Sometimes, though, could be the shells or the sunlight beckoning from the crack in my blinds, something snaps me out of my ultra-efficiency mode.

Whether it’s a staycation or traveling, or even short weekend trips, taking some time off always renews my desire to delegate every chore possible and to let the little things go for a while, maybe even completely. Habits are hard to break but the peace and the time for reflection regenerates a part of myself that I tend to neglect. With each reminder, I go further into the journey of finding what matters versus what is the kind of background noise that we, as humans, have been trained to fear and judge others about. Slightly messy houses, chipped manicures, simple, unglamorous dinners that don’t involve a ton of prep work and clean up, and souls that light up like flowers in the sun- that’s what summers are for. So, I’m taking a break and telling myself that it’s alright. This summer, I won’t get as much work done as far as actual words on paper, but the ideas are buried deep in the garden, growing into something better and brighter than they would have become if I had kept slogging through a constant routine of multitasking and mopping up messes.

 

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

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Christina-Lynn-Lambert/e/B01MCYK0K7

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Summer of Science Fiction #ScienceFiction #AmWriting #SummerReading

Approximately every ten years, I have an existential crisis. I will turn half a century old soon, and the current catastrophic philosophical questions on my mind are about whether humanity in general is hopeless or if, perhaps, there enough decent people to turn the sad state of things around to build a better system. What would that system look like? Would we build something that we thought was the perfect solution, only for it to be a true dystopian nightmare where choice is taken away and callousness is ingrained into every single aspect of the society, like in Lois Lowry’s The Giver?

As I get older, I don’t have as much faith in progress or in humanity in general, but I can never seem to give up hope for, not only progress, but hope that people can continue to find ways to find joy. A few years ago, I started writing horror and science fiction short flash fiction stories. I turned some of my major questions into “what if” scenarios. Like, how would greedy people try to seize power after a disaster hit? How would people fight back? What would the aftermath look like and how would life and the possibility of love, begin to flourish again?

This summer, while I write, and procrastinate, and take on the daunting task of moving house, I am also going to read as many science fiction stories as possible.

Here’s a few summer reading suggestions:

For a speculative look at how the environment and social structure can be affected by scarcity and disaster, check out-

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin

For a look at people finding love in the midst of the fight to just survive another day after zombie-style viruses wreak havoc on the world, check out-

Say You’ll Stay (Flowers from Ashes series) by Anna Calloway

Caitlyn Can’t Die (Serial Survivors series Collection) by Liz Hambleton

For a gentle, magical YA story with lovely imagery, read-

The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst features a teenager who discovers her inner strength and career passion while working for the summer at her great aunt’s supernatural Inn

 

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

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Christina-Lynn-Lambert/e/B01MCYK0K7

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Not All Tools Are For Everyone

Online I see a lot of authors using gorgeous tools for their writing. Beautiful laptops, monitors and keyboards. Journals full of stickers and mood boards just like their stories. Pens and post-its that match color exactly. Every time I see those beautiful plot journals and character inspiration sheets, I am jealous. I wish I could be that person. I wish I could make everything pretty and surround myself in the vibes of my story. But every time I try, I either get so intimidated by all the choices of making inspiring plot cards and character sheets, or I get frozen with fear of making a choice I can’t unchanged later, since they are on paper and permanent.

Unfortunately, no matter how much we might try, not all tools work for all of us. Everyone’s brain works a little differently, and we need to accept that about each other and ourselves.

Personally, I’ve always done better with digital tools. I like the ability to change things. To constantly adapt my process if it isn’t working without guilt. There is nothing truly permeant in my tools, and there for I can always change it match my current needs. Besides the time to set it up, I’ve lost nothing.

And I’m sure I’m not the only one out there that feels this way.

As a result, over the years, I’ve learned to use digital tools to give me some of the same effects that those beautiful plot journals and vision boards, while having the flexibility that my brain needs to explore and be creative. There are just as many fantastic resources out there for those of us who work better digitally. Most are a lot easier to find and create than a notebook or happy planner.

Spreadsheets, whether in Google sheets or excel, are one of my strongest writing tools. And one that doesn’t get enough love from the writing community. Spreadsheets malleable nature means they can be used for so many functions. Here are a few ways I use spreadsheets, but I’m sure there are hundreds more that others could add to the discussion. 

Series Binder/World Building Dictionary – using multiple sheets within excel file I keep track of every aspect of my world building. From what characters look like, to family trees, names and descriptions of locations, or anything else that I want to be able to find at a moment’s notice. I even sometimes add rules to have cells to color them for certain aspects of a story or world, so I can follow a family or storyline through all my sheets (though this might be a more advanced skill, and not necessary). Spreadsheets also have a find function, which makes it easy to search information quickly if you need to know a character’s eye color or last name in a pinch. And images can be added to still give that character reference and even story vibe that some of the prettier plot sheets that others create.

Vision boards– While I do create most of my vision boards and aesthetics in Canva, so that I can then add them to my computer, phone and tablet backgrounds, a spreadsheet is another great place to add all this information. They can be placed wherever needed on the spreadsheet to give the same appeal as a journal, without any commitment.

Outlining – since I’ve started writing longer and more complex books, I’ve needed a way to keep the story straight, since it doesn’t all fit in my head anymore. I use spreadsheets to track my progress and the story together. I can note what scenes I’ve completed, which ones need more work, how much of the whole story they represent. I even add columns to the spreadsheet to note where the characters are in their romantic relationship, and to track any subplots that might be happening. I add notes of things that I need to check or change when it comes time for revisions, all in one place. It’s great to be able to look at the whole plot in one quick glance.

Time tracking and goal setting – I use spreadsheets a lot to track time and goal setting. I love to create bar charts and line graphs and all that fun stuff to track my progress. I also like to track my time and determine how long I work on a story or scene. I find that tracking my time keeps me more productive and focused, while also offering me a lot of interesting information to analyze.

Tracking sales – This one is an obvious one. I’m sure most authors track their sales, progress and expenses in a spreadsheet, but it is valuable to be able to see your data so closely. I’ll track what series have the best follow through, what tropes are most successful for me, and even what projects I plan to work on and when.

There are plenty of other things that can be tracked in a spreadsheet as well, such as influencers and bloggers that have been contacted, who reviewed your book, where it’s published, and probably a million other things I haven’t thought of yet.

Another invaluable digital tool for authors is a word document.

In the past I have been a Scrivner girl. I wrote most of my books in Scrivner (though I have always revised in word). Since I am an inspiration writer—which means I don’t usually write in chronological order—I often find it distracting to have the words of other scenes and parts of the story I am not currently thinking about on the page before me. I loved Scrivner’s corkboard and the ability to not just work on one scene at a time, but also to move them around if needed. But for convenience and availability I’ve moved to using google docs. Especially since they have created the new tab function, where you can do the same thing as Scrivner with different scenes being on different tabs, unconnected and moveable. You do need to collect them into one document at the end, instead of the compile function of Scrivner, but a small price to pay for the convenience.

I’ve also used word documents the same way, with each scene being its own document to eventually be merged into one giant document. Just like with google docs, it’s more convenient if not a little more troublesome with the pasting.

Series Binder/Worldbuilding dictionary – Word documents are also a great place to create a worldbuilding document. With their bookmarking tool you can easily move to different locations in the document with just a click. And just like spreadsheets they are searchable, allowing you to find information quickly. Images can also be added easily, including a whole title page of a vision board or aesthetic, though images can’t be easily nested so you might need to do create the graphic in another product like Canva first, and just copy the image to your word document.

Character sheets/Plot sheets – whenever I want to write a character sheet, I find a writeable word document the best place to do it. Any questions desired can be asked and answered in the sheet, a grid can even be created for plotting if necessary. And images can be added. For anything, where I know the questions will be the same each time, setting them up in word is a great way to play with the characters without being afraid about the permanence of writing in on paper. They can be set up once and used over and over again.

These are just the digital tools I use to write my novels. Each one is easy to adapt and change depending on the story and current place I am in my head. What tools do you use to create your stories, worlds and characters?

Location, Location, Location

When it comes to writing a romance series, there's many elements that need to come together. Most of them are fairly obvious. There needs to be great characters, fantastic stories with lots of love and pining and banter and tension, some defining similarity between all the stories, whether it's taking place in the same place, or the same group of people, whether they are family, friends, coworkers, on the same team, something like that.

But one of the elements I see forgotten most often is the setting. The location where the stories take place is just as important as any of part of the story. Setting gives the reader a place they want to return to for multiple books. A place to escape to when they want to check out from the real world. And as the world gets more and more crazy, having that escape is more and more essential to all of us.

Not focusing on location is a missed opportunity for any author. Building that world in your story allows you to create depth, complexity, excitement, and conflict that might not be there otherwise. 

When I approach writing a series, I try to think of the setting as another character. A character I can grow, expand, explore. A character I can use to show the different facets of any of the other characters, just like how your heroine might react differently to her big brother than her best friend does. Wink, wink. A character I can use to increase the conflict and tension when it’s needed, or add levity. Whatever the story needs.

The more real and vibrant the location feels, the more the world is grounded for readers, and the more they can escape into your world and away from their own troubles. A place nothing like the world they live in.

But one of my all-time favorite parts about creating a locations is that I get to make up the rules. I can create a world where anything and everything is possible. I can write a small town that holds massive Christmas Ball that is attended by everyone in town. That isn’t happening in my town, or any I know, but it can happen in the ones I create. When I’m in charge, anything can happen.

And if in one mysterious small town, the town’s inhabitants can find love through mysterious letters that grant the opportunity to explore their deepest desires, I can do that. And that’s exactly what happens in Snowedin, VT. A small town where everyone knows everyone's business and fantasies come true, because I want them to.

In each of these Snowedin fantasies, a mysterious letter arrives for the characters that allows them to enjoy a night of fantasy with someone, or multiple someone’s depending on the fantasy, that wants to explore the same desires they do. And in my world, every fantasy always ends in true love.

If this sounds like the perfect way to spend a day, you should check out my Snowedin fantasies series. The first book, Reunion Makes Three, is currently on sale for only $0.99 at bookstrand.com.

Buy Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/reunion-makes-three

Blurb: Beth Lewis has always had a fantasy to be with two men who also want each other. For her birthday, her sister gifts her with a subscription to Fantasies Fulfilled, an exclusive online service to help connect people with the same desires. After losing her job and her fiancé, she deserves a little fun and to live out a dream that's been tempting her since high school.

Since his reunion invitation arrived, Dell Harrison hasn't been able to stop thinking about his high school sweetheart, Beth. When he and his live-in boyfriend Marcos Vitagliano receive a mysterious invitation to participate in the exclusive Fantasies Fulfilled services, they decide to add a woman to their dynamic duo. What Dell couldn’t have guessed is that the woman they connect with is the same woman who's haunted him since graduation.

Will Marcos be able to accept Beth in their bed and their lives? Or will adding an old flame to their couple turn their duo into a crowd?

My Writing Process and 4TheWords

 

 

Image by Patrik Houštecký from Pixabay

I'm old enough that I can remember composing on one of these suckers. 

I don't know if I'm going to be able to complete a story for the FCRW spring anthology. I keep starting and then switching horses. I don't know when or if this problem will resolve. I'm tired of people saying, "Well, if you just do it like I do."

Yeah, but that's you. It isn't me. What's going on with me isn't what's going on with you.

That's why other people's How To Write The Right Way advice never works for me. Perhaps it doesn't work for most people with ADHD or such. It wasn't created for us.

4TheWords has been a great help for me.

To be clear, 4TheWords is not an all-in-one document creation program. It does not have planning and editing features. It is strictly an online word processor. 

Some people find 4TheWords "too basic." At least this is the description used by one of the writing sprint livestreams I occasionally attend. He asked which writing system people in the livestream used. When I said I was using 4TheWords for composing because it helped improve my focus, he got attitude. 

Just an FYI, ridiculing something that is helpful to your neurodivergent overlords will not endear you to us.

I'm only joking about the overlords thing. I really hope people knew that without my say-so, but one can't be too careful these days. Anyway, that exchange made me a bit salty, and I didn't attend those livestreams for a while. 

As it happens, I used 4TheWords to compose this post. I am currently battling a creature called a Ylly with my words. I'm a fan of the Ylly because it looks like an eldritch horror. 

The above statement paints you a picture of who 4TheWords will appeal to: neurodivergent nerds. I am nothing if not a neurodivergent nerd.

It's taken me a long time to accept my differences. I will never be the model for a Hallmark author heroine. I lurk about in my bedroom/office in the old house in the middle of nowhere where I ended up planting roots. The decorating scheme in this room is not just nonexistent; it's ghastly. 

The guy who owned the house before we did drank a lot of beer and smoked a lot of wacky tobaccy before imposing his ideas on this unfortunate house. The paneling in this room looks like the side of a 1970s station wagon. I'm not even kidding about that.

Bad decor aside, I feel like this house was meant for this family. Perhaps one day we can afford to make it look pretty inside.  Even if that's never possible, I'm still happy to be here. I was unsettled for much of my life, moving every few years. I think this place is the last stop before I head to what Stephen King calls the clearing at the end of the path.

 

The forest of chances #amwriting #paranormalromance #love

The first snow of the season hit my little area of the world a few days ago. Everything looks so different, magical even. At first glance, the forest beyond all the cultivated lawns and car-lined streets looks like a winter wonderland, beckoning everyone to enter and explore. But is it safe? Is anything?

Things aren’t always what they seem. The seemingly picture-perfect cottage by an ice ensconced stream is not always, or even usually, inhabited by a sweet old lady baking apple cinnamon cake to share with weary travelers. Sometimes, the house is full of hungry, nightmarish things. An empty house off the beaten path might be waiting to steal an unsuspecting hiker who lost their way when the snow obscured the safety of the trail, or maybe the house is lonely and waiting for a found family to come inside, hang up their coats, and start a fire in the fireplace. There’s no way to know what the house wants without opening the door.

My stories are about walking through a forest of chances. One of the reasons I love writing paranormal romance is because I can create characters with abilities far beyond the ordinary, and yet, their journey is the same as it is for most— to find the courage to take a chance on life and in love.

 

What I’m currently working on:

These past couple of weeks, I’ve been writing the last few chapters of 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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinalynnlambert

Wordpress: https://christinalynnlambertwordpress.com

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/cllambauthor.bsky.social

Expanding My Stories through Journaling

On and off I’ve done journaling for my mental health. It was recommended by a therapist years ago, I have found it really helpful, especially when I’m dealing with a big decision or a difficult situation.

Something about the action of physically writing my thoughts on real paper allows me to think more clearly (at least for me, it has to be real pen and paper for it to work, I don’t know why but I’m sure there’s a psychological reason). I find writing down my concerns, my questions, or my fears forces my brain to think different than just ruminating or even talking a decision through does. Something about sitting alone with a journal and my thoughts, no one else’s judgements or concerns to consider, allows my mind a freedom and exploration I can’t find another way.

Even though I’ve found journaling therapeutic and helpful for making decisions over the years, I never considered applying the same process to my writing. The idea just never crossed my mind. Not until I was watching a YouTube video by Sarra Canon where she mentioned she used journaling for her plotting process.

At first I was a little confused how journaling could help my writing. Sure, I could sit down and write about my story, and the magic of the pen and paper was bound to do something, but what exactly was I going to write about in this journal. How would it be different than just sitting down at my desk and putting my fingers on the keyboard. 

But when I got stuck on my current story, I was a little desperate to find a solution.

Just like almost every story I’ve started for the last several years, I began writing this new story propelled by the excitement of a great idea, until I hit an impenetrable brick wall at about twenty thousand words.

As a writer my process is a little different than most. I’ve heard it described as inspiration writer, or stitching writer. I don’t write starting at the beginning and work my way to the end. I write whatever scene I am currently excited about. That could be the first, last, or any in between. I start with what I know, no matter where it falls in the story, and let the characters take me from there. Usually while I’m writing what I already know, the next part of the story will just unfold for me. The characters will show me more of who they are. And the next steps in the journey become clear.

But lately that hasn’t been happening. Instead, once I get to the end of what I can see of the story, all that’s beyond it is murky darkness. So out of desperation to get some clarity on my next steps with this story, I decided to give journaling a try.

I sat down with my pen and paper and wrote down all the questions I had about my current work in process. I listed all the holes that I needed filled in, and hoped that by writing them down, my mind might see these road blocks a different way. That it might find a solution I hadn’t considered yet.

Amazingly it worked. When I wrote down the concerns I had, the problems I’d found, the inconsistencies I needed to fix, ideas started to come to me. Solutions I had never considered before but that added fantastic complexity to my plot, twists that deepened my character’s goals and motivations. Giving me another way to access my story and to explore this new world I was so enamored with.

Unfortunately, these new discoveries have led to a lot of rewriting. But it’s more than worth it for the new twists and turns the story has taken. And the character depth I’m adding. For the first time in years, I have written more than 50,000 words on my latest work in process, the furthest I’ve been able to write on one story in more than two years. And there’s a lot of territory to still explore in this world.

After giving journaling on my writing a try, I’m a convert. I will definitely be doing it again. I’ve even designated a new journal just for tinkering with ideas, to find new twists and turns to add even more excitement to my story, and delve deeper into my characters. If you’re struggling with your writing, or looking for a way to delve deeper into your characters and your plot, consider pulling out a journal and writing down your concerns and questions, and seeing where your mind travels. Who knows what you might discover in the pages of your journal? It just might be the addition you’ve always been looking for.

Authors are the Best Teachers

It’s back to school time in my neck of the woods. The kids are running around to get the bus, the smell of freshly sharpen pencils and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches is in the air. The temperature is getting cooler. As I watched all the kids around me get excited for a new school year, I can’t help but reflect back on how many great teachers have made me the person I am today. And many great authors have made me the author I am by sharing their knowledge and experience and helping me to grow.

Here are a few of the authors that have proven to be fantastic writing teachers to me over the years and have turned me into the author I am today.

Stephen King’s On Writing is my favorite writing book ever. When I first read it, back in my high school days, it was transformative. Not only was it the first book that I’d read written an author I loved (before that all the writing books I’d ever read were more informational and written by people I’d never heard of before), but it also had such a different take on writing.

Just like the rest of Stephen King’s work, his writing advice was grounded in reality, realism, and wasn’t always rosy or optimistic. But I loved that. He made writing sound difficult but doable. He was the first author I heard make a word goal for the day and talk about grinding out the work instead of waiting for inspiration. It may sound obvious today, but at the time I’d never heard anyone detail how to become a writer in as plain terms as he did.

I haven’t read the book in quite a few years, I don’t know how well its held up over time. Especially when it comes to writing style, which is always evolving. But the advice on achieving your goals and improving your art are timeless.

I took Becca Syme’s Write Better Faster Class when I was going through a low point in my career. I’d completely burnt myself out trying to write fulltime after an unexpected job loss, and it was doing a number on my head. She’s the first person who I ever described my writing style to and didn’t think I was insane. She looked at the tests I’d taken for her class, and said my style made sense according to what my tests revealed. That was a vindication I never realized I needed but has helped me accept my style more than I can express.

Also, her advice to write like yourself is something I use every day. Whenever I start to get down on myself that my style isn’t like someone else’s that I love, or I can’t write like some author that is amazing, I always remember her advice that readers don’t come to your work for a copycat of someone else, or for perfect grammar and prose. They come to you for what makes you different. What is special about you. And you can’t do anything better for your writing than embracing who you are. That always encourages me to continue when writing is tough. Or more often, I’m tough on myself.

I don’t remember how I found Sarra Cannon’s Heart Breathing channel on YouTube. I must have watched enough other author vlogs that the algorithm sent her to me, but I am grateful. In the last few years, writing has become a lot for me to handle. All the millions of things you have to do on top of the writing. Maintain a website, create an online presence, promote on social media, self-publish books, liaison with vendors….it can be overwhelming. But her 90-day planning system, called HB90, has been a godsend. It helps me focus on what’s important and move projects forward instead of running around trying to do everything at once and getting nowhere. And her writing advice on plotting, and characterization is fantastic.

One of her recent videos on reverse outlining, or grid outlining as I’ve seen some others call it, might have changed my writing process for good. It combines the writing part of my brain, with the analytical data part of my brain, so perfectly I can’t believe I’ve never thought of it before. It’s been so helpful, especially with my frazzled mom brain, to have a way to focus my whole story displayed on one sheet, instead of trying to keep it all in my head.

Back when I had a commute, I loved podcasts. Music is great, but podcasts really help me make a long commute fun. The time flies by when I’m learning something new. Stephenie Holmes podcast was one of my favorites. She has such great tips on writing and marketing, that I couldn’t wait for her podcast to drop each week. I love how clear she is in her own goals. Unlike other authors that give advice, she’s very clear in what works for her and doesn’t hedge. She’s a high production author—meaning she writes a lot, and feels that’s the best way to make enough money to write full-time. And she gives advice in that vein.

I loved to hear how her different marketing projects went. From Kickstarts, to merchandise and special editions, to exploring new genres, she detailed every turn she took with her writing. What was successful, what wasn’t, how she might do things differently to avoid pitfalls in the future.

While she hasn’t offered a new podcast in some time, the old ones still have a lot to offer. From marketing tips and tricks, to mindset resets. If you haven’t checked them out, they are definitely worth a listen.

These are the authors that have been great teachers to me. They have all taught me so much, and I take their wisdom with me everywhere I go. If you have any other authors you have learned a ton from, drop them in the comments below. I can’t wait to find others that will open my mind and expand my insight, just as these fantastic authors have.

Using 5 Whys for Greater Character Depth

A few months ago, I started something new. Something that's been tempting my muse for a while, but I've been hesitant to write. 

I’ve always been tempted by lots of different stories. I have a million story ideas stories racing around my head at all times. Fantasy, paranormal, dark romance, historical. But I’ve found it a little too easy to settle into one type of story, with one type of voice. Mostly because I love these stories. There’s never been a time where I didn’t want to write a story about two sexy cowboys falling in love with a bookish nerd. I love each and every one of my characters and my quirky little towns. And I’ve been very happy writing them. 

But sometimes my crazy muse wants me to try something new. Maybe she knows that trying something different will push me to a new level, or help me find new enjoyment in my stories. Or a new kind of story that I love just as much as the old ones.

So I decided to take a chance and start a new, very different kind of story. Unlike some of the other books I’ve written, this one is more complex. Much darker. With more detailed worldbuilding and character arcs. One of the reasons I have put off writing a book like this is because the complexity and detail intimidated me.

Normally, I can hold my entire story in my head. I don't need outlines. I don't use note cards, complex character sheets, or plotting storyboards. I’m a pretty intuitive writer, and most of the time my intuition and an idea is all I need to find my story and get it to the finish line.

But these characters have been giving me more trouble than I’m used to. It's been harder for me to get my arms around them. Usually I know exactly what my characters are going to do, because it makes sense to me. Often it’s exactly what I would do, or a friend would do, or someone I might know would do. I understand all their fears and misconceptions. 

But these new characters are hard to figure out. They take actions I would never consider (some actions that are even illegal), and I've had trouble understanding their motivations. That’s when I knew it was time to pull out my writer’s toolbox and see if I can find a new strategy to understand these difficult characters.

I went back to an old but a goodie, and tried to determine in detail all my character’s goals, motivation, and conflict. But when I started to think about why they might take the actions they did, I found the goal, motivation and conflict didn’t go deep enough for me to truly get to the heart of their needs. Yes, I understood my FMC’s motivation for blackmailing her boss is money, but why? Why did she need the money? Why this man? Why? Why? Why?

That’s when I remembered the five whys. The five whys is an analytical tool that I’ve used in project management as part of my evil day job. The point of the five whys is not to address the first issue that arises, but to get to the heart of the problem and fix it. Hopefully permanently.

To use the five whys you only have to ask why something is happening, as you in the example on the left. 

When using this tool for character development you only need to keep asking yourself why your character is doing what they are doing. For instance, if your character plans to blackmail her boss, why? Maybe she needs the money quickly. But why? Maybe she has a lot of debt to a bad guy and she needs to pay him off fast. Why? Because he’s going to kidnap her sister if she doesn’t. Quickly, we’ve gotten to the real truth of why she is taking such a drastic action. To protect her sister.

The point of the five whys is to just keep winding down that rabbit hole, asking, Why? Why? Why? Why? Until you get to the very root of the issue. The rule is called the five whys, but that’s only to inspire you not to take the first few answers you receive. You can keep asking why as many times as you need until you get to the heart of the problem.

I decided to try and to apply this logic to my characters (why not😉), asking why they took their current action. Why they felt a certain way towards another character. And the more I asked, the more these characters—and the story—opened up to me. With the more whys I asked, the more complex, complicated and exciting the story became, but also the more understandable my characters and their actions became.

If you're struggling with how to determine why your characters are doing what they're doing, or what their next step would be, consider applying the five whys. Just keep asking. Why? Why? Why do they do this? Why do they keep doing this? Why is this important? Until you get to the very core of your characters. No matter how many whys it takes.

I think you’ll find a lot of secrets along the way, and a lot of fresh exciting ideas to explore, but most of all, you'll find a connection and understanding with your characters you never had before. Why not give it a try?

Avoiding Cooking and Despair

We’re deep into summer, where everything feels vibrant and green and alive with possibilities. In central Virginia, the sun is gentle in the morning but by afternoon, anyone lingering outside will become a soupy, sweaty mess. Hair either wilts or poofs, refusing to fight the humidity. Even the strongest deodorant grumbles about having to work under such unforgiving conditions. The air conditioning system in my house complains about the overtime work and refuses to cool my kitchen when the oven is in use. That’s fair, I guess, since there’s only so much a person or a machine can do without needing a break.

In the summer heat, instead of heating up the oven every day and turning my kitchen, AKA my office/workspace, into a sauna, I like to make simple meals and desserts. Sometimes I find recipes online that require very few ingredients and minimal effort. And to keep myself from falling into complete despair during this particularly weird time in history, I have been listening to music that fills me with good energy. I’ve also been watching movies and listening to songs that give me a measure of peace and hope for the future or at least distract me from the present.

Read on for a top five list of my current no-bake meal and dessert favorites as well as list of songs, books, and movies that I’ve been enjoying.

Top five favorite no-bake meals. (Dessert counts as a meal, because… why not?)

Charcuterie boards – I love this kind of thing because I can prepare everything as simple or elaborate as I wish. Sometimes, having little portions presented on a pretty plate in an array of colors makes me absurdly happy. I usually create a meal of crackers, provolone cheese, turkey or salami slices, grapes, orange and apple slices, and pretzels or sunflower seeds. Simple, easy, and not a bunch of dishes to wash afterward.

Guacamole – I smash up two ripe avocadoes in a dish then add some lemon, soul food seasoning, and pepper. Tortilla chips and homemade guacamole with nice a coconut and pineapple drink is perfect to have outside once the sun goes down. I just have to light a bunch of citronella candles so I don’t get eaten alive by mosquitoes.

Pasta salad- Okay, so you have to use the stove to boil the pasta but I have realized I can make a ton of pasta at once, which means I will have enough to several servings for different meals. I get the boxes of pasta salad mix from the grocery store and just make a few boxes at a time. I add in precooked chicken, shrimp, tofu, olives, mushrooms, tomatoes, or whatever else I wish.  

Watermelon slushie - I found the recipe online and never wrote down the exact specifications so basically-  two cups of frozen watermelon, a splash of lemon juice, and about half a spoonful of honey. Mix in the blender until smooth.

Chocolate pudding pie – I’ve been having some version of this since I was a kid. You’ll need two boxes of instant chocolate pudding, milk, 8 ounce tub of whipped cream, graham cracker crust (premade if you don’t want to spend a bunch of time making the crust). Make the pudding and add in a cup of whipped topping to the mix before pouring into the pie crust. Put the rest of the whipped cream on top of the pudding.

Books I’m reading or recently finished

Espresso Yourself by Lara McKenzie (just finished this one and loved the interesting format)

They Hang Me in Tokyo by Allan West (just started reading)

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Flea Market Magic by Bella Falls

Songs I’ve been listening to on repeat

We Don’t Need Another Hero by Tina Turner

All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix

Gloria by Laura Branigan

Breathe by Latroit and Charlz

Alive and Kicking by Simple Minds

Movies and Shows

Practical Magic (I like to have this one on in the background while I’m working or cleaning the house

Fried Green Tomatoes (I would love to run a cute little diner or café, but I suck at cooking)

Twin Peaks (I am a couple shows in and can’t believe I didn’t see this show years ago when it first came out)

X Files (I love weird monster stuff)

School Spirits (suspenseful without annoying jump scares)

 

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. 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 more poetry and learning how to write flash fiction.

 

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:

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

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinalynnlambert

Wordpress: https://christinalynnlambertwordpress.com

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/cllambauthor.bsky.social

Give Yourself a Tip

For the last month or so I’ve been having trouble getting motivated. I was doing well for a few a while. I managed to write twenty-four thousand words into a new story, brainstorming new ideas, and starting to get exciting about writing again. Then a month-long bout of illness hit my household, just one right after the other, and since then I’ve been feeling like I can’t quite get my feet underneath me. I want to get back to working on my goals again, but being so far behind already, it's hard to get the motivation to start grinding again. Even simple stuff like making dinner or cleaning the house can feel insurmountable somedays.

I’ve talked multiple times before about how I’m not good at giving myself rewards. I never seem to be able to find anything that can motivate me. I just don’t have a lot of things I want. Especially not little things. Earning books has worked okay for me, I can always use more books, but anything else has failed to be appealing enough to motivate me. And now that I have a toddler, my options for 'gifting' myself things are even fewer. I don’t have the time to get a manicure or pedicure, or take a workout class anymore, even if I was interested in doing something like that.

I decided to try something different this month. Since Covid,  everywhere now seems to be asking for tips. Everyone wants a little something extra when they do a good job. Why not me? 

I set up a new system where I get a dollar every time I go above and beyond in my own life. Or at least above and beyond what I have been doing. If I can get to bed on time and get a good night sleep, instead of staying up late into the night scrolling social media, one dollar. Make a good healthy meal for my family, one dollar. Organize an activity to keep my toddler happy and give me a break, one dollar. Anything else I want to encourage myself to do constantly, I give myself a tip when I accomplish it.

I take all these little tips and put them in a special bank account. The start of a savings account to do something really fun. Right now, I’ve unofficially earmarked this money for taking my son to Disney World in a few years, but we’ll see how quickly it grows, and if we’ll have enough funds for that when the time comes. 

You might notice none of these activities are directly related to helping me meet my goals, but indirectly they have been very helpful to get me back on track. Now that I’m getting better sleep and eating better, I have more mental bandwidth to start thinking about writing again. Now that I’m feeling better about where I am, and what progress I am making, I’m more able to conquer that massive cleaning projects on my plate or dealing with another terrible night of illness.

So if you’re struggling to complete what you need to do, think about giving yourself a tip for taking those critical first steps towards your goals. It's amazing what a little encouragement can do for your state of mind. And you can also be saving to some special future fun at the same time.

What would you give yourself a tip for doing? Is there anything you can think of that would be worth encouraging with a nice fat tip?

Writing: Trying a New Genre

We all get stuck in ruts at different stages in life. I'm in a writing rut right now. I've been writing in romance sub-genres for a few years. If I say how many, I date myself. :)

I'm sick of writing romance and writing sex scenes. How many different ways can you write a sex scene? Don't answer that. I'm sure there are many options for sex scenes, but I just don't want to do it anymore. At least right now.

Maybe if I try something new, that will wipe away my creative cobwebs and bring me back to romance writing with a fresh outlook. Maybe not.

I have this idea for a vampire thriller that's very relevant to all the rising hate and fear we are experiencing here in the U.S. Writing this story is a good way for me to deal with my anxiety and anger over the sorry state of our country. It's cheaper than paying for therapy.

Anyway, I'm working on the first draft, and it's refreshing to write non-romance, but it's also a challenge because I'm not used to it. I'm also writing this in first person from a jaded, grief-stricken, old male vampire's POV, so it can be dark at times to be in his headspace.

I'm excited to see where this new direction will take me.

Stories with fearless females and the men who dare to love them.

www.kelleyheckart.com

Finding Names for Characters

 

Friends and readers ask me how I find names for the many characters in my books. There are several sources that are easily accessible. I look up favorite male names or favorite baby names on the Internet. Or I search the International Movie Database for appropriate names from different countries, sometimes mixing first and last names. The names have to have a sound to me, and - I admit - when I write them, they have to be easy to type on the keyboard (okay, joke...).

When I write science fiction stories, I try to invent new forms of names that do not follow the pattern of first and last names, or I create new combinations and meanings. For example, I had a character named Antoniasis Nivellanor Ekris because on his home planet the first name was for him, the second was derived from the house he belonged to, and the third was added by the family branch. When he flew to another world to participate in a race, the immigration guard looked him up and down and claimed that having so many letters in a name was vanity. He immediately told him that he couldn't run around using so many letters just for one person. So he shortened the name to Anek and ordered him to use the short form wherever he went in the city and not to brag about his origins. Anek then found out that all the inhabitants used abbreviations in their daily lives, for food, clothing, even for activities. This caused some problems for the proud heir of a great house, but he managed to understand the people. He never participated in the race, but he certainly learned a lesson for life.

In science fiction and fantasy novels, it is satisfying to find a group of similar names associated with a people. So the reader identifies that kind of name with the people. This means that other races have different types of names. For example, all male names end in "ac", while all female names end in "au". This makes for a good distinction and identification of who they belong to.

As I write this, I'm thinking about going back to science fiction stories, which used to be very satisfying to write because they offered so many possibilities. It felt like writing without limits. Maybe that's what I need right now...

 

I add an excerpt from my 2012 novel Living for the Act, which took a long time in the making and is, so far, the longest novel I’ve written.

What the book is about

On the verge of extinction after a long war, the women of Raskayen take the only chance to enlarge their population–they capture men from other worlds to use them in closed facilities. Restricted by rules, men are only for mating, not for love and the clan chiefs watch their groups of fertile males closely. But when it comes to love, not even leaders can predict the outcome for their society. And there are men who want more than spending their lives as objects of lust.

 

Excerpt

The room, lavishly furnished had a large, broad bed made of carved wood, lushly covered with light brown blankets. It was cool to his careful touch. There were couches, chairs, a small table, a cupboard, and even an oversized bathtub. A pleasant smell rose from the different small bowls filled with dried flowers. The light was dim, almost like sunset, and his eyes still saw every detail clearly.

Ferris smiled bashfully. The scientist had quite a taste.

Mysan entered, closed the door behind her, and exhaled with pure bliss. She smiled, so satisfied to have come here that she did not know what to say.

All thoughts, including his mind, reason, and twenty-five years of experience as a man, vanished from Ferris's brain. He almost forgot to breathe and could not help but gape at Mysan. He had judged her a beauty upon first sight, but in a nice nothing of underwear, all lace and black and half transparent like a thin cloud, she took his breath away and made his knees buckle.

“You look…surprised.” Her husky voice was too much.

Ferris took a quavering breath and slowly shook his head.

“You mean you're appalled at my ugliness.”

“Oh, but no, I…”

“Just kidding.” She got closer. She had looked forward to that moment and chosen her outfit deliberately to stun him. How wonderfully it worked! Mysan put her hands on his shoulders and stole a kiss from his still parted lips. He felt so warm and smooth under her fingers it was amazing.

“Am I allowed to touch you?” The number of hormones outmatched that of his red blood cells at the moment, and his bashed brains spun with images of having sex in thousand varieties. “They told us that we—”

“I know. However, allowed is what we want. And I allow you to touch me where you want.”

Given so much freedom suddenly, Ferris got the impression of walking a whole moon whereas they had allowed him only a small island before. Shivering with expectation, he ran his fingers along her shoulders and arms, her flat belly and ribcage. He looked in her eyes, as she got closer for another, more intimate kiss. He put his hands on her buttocks and kneaded her. It was an overwhelming stimulation. He panted. “I never thought it to be like this.”

“Me, too.” Mysan devoured him with her kisses, then slowly, deliberately, let her hands travel down his neck and spine. “Hum, just like I thought it would be.” She nipped his lower lip, smiling impishly. “You're so good to touch, Ferris.”

“I don't even know your real name.”

“You know all you need to know.” Mysan gave his balls a soft squeeze that left him gasping. “On the bed, man from Ryk.” She directed him backward until he sat.

“Why did you put these—”

“Sshh.” Mysan gently urged him to lie down, kissing, and fondling him. She pushed his arms up on the covers. A soft humming emerged from under the covers, and suddenly Ferris's arms and legs were drawn and the metal bracelets clanked. Ferris tried to pull his arms down, but could not.

“No! Don't tie me up! No!”

“Be calm, Ferris.” Mysan caressed his face with her hands. “I will do you no harm. Just relax.”

“But…why?”

“It's just a game.” She cut off his rebuke by placing a finger on his lips. “You'll love it.”

* * * *

4.5 out of 5 stars. Reviewer Top Pick!

“The author of “Living For The Act Part 1” has presented an elaborately depicted alternative society ruled by women which I found to be extremely compelling and enjoyable.”

 

The complete review can be found here:

http://nightowlreviews.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.aspx?daoid=5297