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.

New Systems, New Momentum

I've noticed over the past few months I've been struggling to get anything done. As a toddler mom, I probably never have enough time or energy for everything I want to do, but with a few prolonged bouts of illness this summer, I’ve been struggling more than usual. As someone who is used to being productive and going after my goals, it’s been difficult to deal with this season where I have nothing left to give. Physically or mentally.

One of the difficulties of having a young child is that you often have so many balls in the air at once, and you are so focused on keeping them going, you can’t think about anything else. I’ve got to keep my son alive, which includes bathing, feeding (even though he only likes three things), and forcing him to sleep the best I can. Maintain the house while he simultaneously tries to destroy it. Remember snacks for daycare and the swim stuff for lessons. And that doesn’t even touch on all the needs for my evil day job.  It can be overwhelming to keep all those plates spinning when you’re already on empty.  Trying to remember everything is a full-time job of its own.

So this month, I made a list of everything that need to get done on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis (a quarterly or yearly list might be necessary too, but I'm holding off on those until I've refined the system more). I assigned everything a day of the week and created a daily to do list of every day of the week with everything I need to do, down to putting the recycle in the bin each night. What days the laundry is done. What day I fill the coffee pods. What day I clean the fridge. Anything that needs to get done. Thereby allowing myself to release those thoughts from my mind. I don’t need to worry about when the flowers were last watered or groceries were ordered, because I have a day set aside for that and I know it will be done on that day, and it doesn’t need to be done sooner. If it did, it would be on my list sooner.

And as the month progressed, I’ve added more and more things to lists. More areas of stress or irritation that can be solved by being ahead of the game. I create list of items in the house that need to be constantly restocked, and designated a day to when I would determine if they needed to be purchased or not. No more getting home from the grocery store only to realize I’m out of soap and I need to go back. I’ve moved some activities from the morning to the evening, such as refilling the coffee pot with water (because nothing is more upsetting to my morning than having to delay getting coffee because there is no water in the pot), focusing my nights to set up the best morning, and day, I can.

I've even started adding meal planning to my daily list. Giving each day’s dinner a theme, such as Mexican on Tuesdays and Pizza on Friday. It might not be an exact meal, but even just having a theme limits my options, and allows me to decide what to make for dinner faster.

And so far, it’s been working well. It’s amazing the freedom taking these many little decisions throughout the day off my plate has created. I don't have to wonder if I should do the laundry, or if it’s been too long since I’ve scooped the cat’s litter, or if we are almost out of laundry pods. I have a day for that, a system for that, and until it shows up on my list, I don’t need to worry about it.

And limiting how many decisions I have to make throughout the day has freed up my mind for other things. Most importantly for creativity and writing. I didn’t realize how much all those little decisions were draining my energy. How much trying to keep everything in my head was stealing my creativity. Until it was gone. I just knew I was always too tired, too overstimulated to focus on writing. I never looked deeper.

But now that I’ve freed up some of this mental headspace, I’m able to think about my characters. To ponder what they are doing, how they arrived in their current circumstances, and how to get them out of it (and probably their clothes). I’m able to hear the words again, and get random ideas while walking or doing dishes like I used to.

I’m still working through the kinks of this new system, and finding new areas I can embrace to eliminate even more decisions from my daily routine. And once I have it perfected, I’m sure life will change. My son and his needs will no doubt change over time. As will mine. But finding these areas of relief, even if it’s just for this moment in time, has been so vital to my mental health.

So I encourage you, if you’ve been feeling overwhelmed in this season of your life for any reason, or even if you’re not feeling overwhelmed but just feel your life could improve with more organization and focus, take a moment to write down everything that is bogging you down. Everything that splits your focus, or raises your stress, and trying to create a system to eliminate or minimize it. Find ways you can take duties off your mind and put them on paper, and free your mental space up for more. No matter how difficult it might sound to start, it will be well worth it in the end.

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.

A Thank You to All the Authors Who Helped Make Me

Since it’s almost thanksgiving, I thought I would take this moment to thank some of the authors that have made me the writer I am today (if I tried to thank them all, we would be here until next thanksgiving). These authors I have learned from, I have been encouraged by, and they have offered me the opportunity to grow into the author I am today.

Margo Maguire has probably had the biggest impact on me as a writer. She was the first romance author I ever read. I found her book by accident, on the end cap of a walden books (yes, I am that old). A historical romance about the illegitimate child of the king road tripping to court and finding love with the man escorting her. Instantly I was hooked. This started not only my love affair with romance novels, and specifically the historical romances novels, but after reading her book I realized not only that I wanted to be a romance writer, but I already was one. 

All of my stories up to that point had strong romance elements, but before reading her book I didn’t see that connection. I just thought I was writing books, trying to figure out my genre, and they just all happened to have romance. After reading her book I couldn’t deny the truth. Instead I embraced it. I started to create the stories I had wanted to tell all along, even if I didn’t know it back then. And its something I have continued to do, with all twenty seven of my published books (and many many yet to be published books).

Thank you Margo Maguire, for showing me not only a whole new way of writing, but the types of stories that I would be passionate to write for the rest of my life. Without you my characters wouldn’t get the happy endings they deserve, and I would still probably be searching for the genre I wanted to write. Whether it be mystery, paranormal, historical, or something else entirely.

Just like Margo Maguire, Joely Sue Burkhart changed my writing direction by showing me a whole different kind of story. When I first started writing romance I wrote much cleaner tales. They might have been a little steamy, especially for the era, but would be downright clean by today's standards. That is until I stumbled upon Joely Sue Burkhart in a romance writers yahoo group. She was talking about writing a book that would eventually become Hurt Me So Good, the second book in her Connaghers series. She made the first book sound so appealing I had to check it out. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I picked up Dear Sir, I’m Yours, but it's safe to say my life has never been the same since. Her book was the first BDSM book I ever read, and started me on a journey into the deep steam and smut I love today.

Thank you Joely Sue Burkhart for opening my eyes to the stories I love to tell. Without you, my heroes would use far less rope, and my heroines would end up with far fewer bruises, and they would all be lesser for it.

I met Lexi Blake, who at the time was writing as Sophie Oak, at a conference many years ago. She was the speaker of the luncheon I was attending and by coincidence she ended up seated at my table. I was just a baby author then, with three or four books to my name and still trying to figure everything out. But she took the time to talk to me, to give me some good advice on how to conquer the industry, and made me feel like a valued part of the community, even though I was just getting started. This is a lesson I have always tried to pass on, offering whatever help and support I can to other authors, and to pass on the care and respect she showed me.

Without her advice on how to create a series, I would be a very different author today. My Frostbite Fall Christmas Ball series (which will be discounted during part of the month of December) is inspired by her advice and her Bliss, CO series. I even set my series in Colorado as a nod to her great writing and amazing series.

Thank you Lexi Blake for being so kind to a new author and giving me the encouragement to continue to chase this crazy dream we all have to put words on the page. Without you, there might be far fewer books in the world with my name on them.

These are just some of the authors that have made me into the writer I am today. Author’s whose words and stories have changed my life drastically. And though I doubt they will ever truly know the impact on me, I wanted to offer my thanks this November. Whether writing damsels in distress, smutty BDSM masters or kooky towns full of menage romances, they have all changed the direction of my life for the better and I thank them for every romantic, smutty, uplifting word.

You Are Not Alone

 

Image by Mira Cosic, Astrologer from Pixabay

You Are Not Alone

“When we want to write, sometimes the blank page stares back like a judgemental enemy or a white-washed wall. But what if the page isn’t blank to start with?” --Maria Berg

Writers at all levels may struggle with feeling stuck, lacking motivation, and battling self-doubt when faced with a blank page. People who feel pressure to meet external expectations or who suffer from imposter syndrome may find it difficult to overcome these barriers.

What would I know about this?

I am a hybrid author with a catalog of self-published works (fiction and poetry) and stories published in small press anthologies. I am a professional freelance editor. 

Since first grade, I have written poetry and stories. Throughout the years, I have primarily created for catharsis or my own enjoyment. My first attempt at professional publishing in 2007 was a terrible experience, and I quit writing. In 2012, I began writing again, assuming I would create nothing but fan fiction or poetry. When I became disabled, I decided to try publishing again.

My ADHD brain's constant chatter leads to prolific verbal output. In theory, this might indicate that I would excel at writing competitions such as NaNoWriMo, but that is not the case. I thrive when I work on multiple projects. Until I changed my strategy, every project I created for The Word-Based Writing Competition That Must Not Be Named was irredeemable crap. 

For the past several years, rather than trying to churn out one linear novel-length book by barfing out words to reach a specific numerical goal, I shove everything I write during the month into one horrible, never-to-be-published document that exists only for word count purposes. This yields severable viable projects at the end of November rather than one steaming pile of word salad. I do not intend to delve into the politics of the current NaNoWriMo situation. I'm simply using this well-known word count-based competition as an example.

Most writing advice is geared toward people with brains that function the "normal" way, not weirdos like me with heads full of squirrels and trauma. I've always been ashamed that my imagination spins out subplots like a spider on LSD rather than a spider that abstains from mind-altering substances. I'm working on not only accepting my spider on LSD synapses but also being proud of what they weave.

I rarely have difficulty coming up with ideas. My problem is developing ideas that aren't entirely out of control. I've also learned that being verbally prolific isn't the sole trait necessary for creating an enjoyable story. Even though I can work with words, I have blind spots. Since my audience is not in my head to get the inside scoop on my stories, they may find themselves lost. Another common criticism I receive is that my work is technically proficient but lacks emotion. The challenge comes in accepting such critique without taking it personally or interpreting it as "your writing stinks."

Those who were frequently shamed during childhood often struggle with criticism. ADHD remains misunderstood in modern times. It was never even discussed during my school years. I didn't even realize I had the condition until I was in my fifties.

Throughout my life, I have always assumed that I was wrong, stupid, and irreparably damaged. Teachers constantly admonished me to pay attention. At twelve years old, I was branded borderline retarded because of a low score on a pattern recognition test. I received this label despite possessing advanced reading comprehension and writing abilities. I find it difficult to accept criticism of something that, for me, is more than just a creative exercise. Without my stories, I would not be here preparing to celebrate my twentieth birthday for the third time.

I often turn to word and picture prompts to control my overflow of ideas. A blog called The Daily Spur offers a creative prompt every day, and I recommend it as an effective strategy against the blank page.

https://thedailyspur.wordpress.com/

In October, I learned that for me, too much planning leads to overcomplicating things, resulting in a story that is all outline, never to be written. Still, I'm not a pure pantser. I need a basic structure before diving into a story. 

A technique that works for one writer may not be appropriate for another. Stephen King is one of my favorite authors, but I would tear my hair out if I emulated his writing process. For one thing, I need a window to look out of, or I quickly start feeling like I'm being kept prisoner. 

Whatever does the trick to break free from writer's block is A-OK. It need not be what works for me. It does not have to be what works for Stephen King or your favorite author. Find what feels right and let it guide you to success.

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https://bit.ly/orneryliteraryservices

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Finding That Writing Mojo Dojo

I have always felt like physical places have energy. Sometimes its inherent to the place itself, and sometimes it can be created by what happens there. When buying all my houses, the second I stepped into the building I could just feel it was the place for me. Realtors would tell you they created that feeling (and I don’t think that’s completely untrue) but I think that the buildings themselves have a certain energy that I picked up on. Energy that welcomed me and soothed me and made me feel like this place could be my home.

I’ve also always believed that places have writing energy as well. Not that I can’t write anywhere, if properly motivated. I’ve written in some weird places throughout the years (during hockey games, in closets, on the couch while my whole family watched avatar), but when I settled down to writing in a place with that good writing mojo it always feels like the words flows better. It’s easier for me to get in that right headspace. Like everything just clicks a little faster, a little easier, a little deeper.

As a result, I tend to frequent places with good writing energy far more often. Especially when getting into that writing headspace can be even harder, due to stress, or real-life complications, or a strict deadline.

Here are a few of the places I like to write. Either because they have inherent great writing energy or because I’ve created it, by writing in these places enough that I can pick back up on that mindset the second I walk in the door.

While it may sound boring, my desk is one of my favorite places to write. Not because there is anything special about my desk. In fact, it’s pretty bland. Every year I think about fixing it up, getting some new stuff to make it more exciting and conducive to writing, but I always put it off. Regardless of how blah my desk might be, it’s a great place to get work done. Without any windows, and far away from the rest of the house, there are limited distractions to disrupt my flow. On a day when I don’t have the time to go anywhere else, I’ll put on some sounds (I need sounds instead of music, because lyrics can distract me when I’m writing, especially if it’s a good song), and shut off the world. 

After my desk, the most common place for me to write is my couch. I’m not sure it’s the best. It probably horrible for my wrist or back, but it’s the most well used spot in my house for everything. For eating, for reading, for writing/working, probably even for sleeping (I’m a big napper, which most often happens on the couch). But while it might not be the best for my body to write, the positive energy on my couch has served me well. Not to mention, there is something really nice about how writing on the couch connects my writing to my everyday life. While it can be freeing to escape from reality into my writing, sometimes it’s also nice to see my writing world as not a separate entity, but as a part of my life. An extension of the real me.

Barnes and Noble is one of my favorite places to write outside the house. I think being surrounded by all those books is great motivation. I look at all the books around me, at all the people who love those books, and it fills me with motivation to bring my characters into the world to be loved by readers just like the ones around me. Not to mention the snacks and coffee really help lubricate the writing process.

After Barnes and Noble, Panera is my next favorite place to write. The food is great, and the atmosphere—at least at my Panera—is focused. Maybe it’s because I live close to a large college, but most days I write at Panera at least half the restaurant is filled with other people on their laptops, writing presentations, trading stocks, editing videos. It can be quite a communal feeling, to see so many other people working to their goals, just like I am. And they make a mean grill cheese. What could be better than that?

I’ve always found walking very helpful for my writing process. It gives me time to think, to let my mind wonder and the ideas to flow. If I am going through a period of increased productivity it is almost always a time when I am consistently walking. And when I walk it isn’t uncommon for me to find a nice grassy spot to sit down and write. There is a perfect spot I used to tuck away into near my evil day job, just beyond the building I can’t see my office, or any other part of the realities of home, and I can just escape into my writing, with nothing to distract me from the world and characters I’m creating. I wrote most of my Frostbite Falls series in that spot, and to this day it is one of my favorite places to write. The wind, the trees, the birds, the sunshine, all only add to my enjoyment and my writing mojo.

These are the places I like to write the most. That have offer me just that little extra energy to make my words come to life. Where do you like to get your work done? What places have the best energy to you? Or help you be even more productive? Leave them in the comments below. Maybe we have some of the same places in mind.

10,000 Hours to Mastery

They say it takes 10,000 hours to be a master at anything. I’m not exactly sure where that number came from, I guess it’s just one of those things people say. And I understand the logic behind it. It does take a lot of work and a lot of determination to master any skill. More time than most people want to put in. 

That’s why masters of anything are so rare.

I am not about to call myself a master of anything (nor do think I have put 10,000 hours into anything) but it is certainly something I aspire to when it comes to my writing. Though I’m not sure if I believe anyone can truly be a master of writing, as a artform it is constantly evolving. What readers want, what they expect, even the words we use and the way we use them, is always changing. But that doesn’t stop me from trying. Even if I end up falling short, someone a little short of a master is still pretty damn good.

This is what I’m doing to try and work towards my 10,000 hours to master writing. Read. Both books of fiction and craft. I think reading fiction books, especially books in my genre is so vital to increasing my knowledge. Not just good books, but the bad ones too. There is so much that can be learned about the craft of writing from reading other books. What worked, what didn’t, what made you love a character, what made you hate them, how the authors style set them apart and why you loved or hated it. I’m often amazed by how much I pick up from reading without even realizing it. And as far as homework goes, it’s not to exactly a hardship to have to read a bunch of amazing books.

Reading craft books is also important (though I won’t lie, it’s not nearly as much fun). I try to read at least one craft book a year. Ones on writing, storytelling, plotting. My writing process is always evolving, and I love to get a different perspective and see how others are do what I love. All their tips might not be for me, but it’s impossible to tell when you might stumble upon that one idea that changes everything.

Take courses. Getting to mastery is about always learning. I love to take new classes, to learn a new tip or a new technique that can improve my writing. Even new knowledge that can expand and deepen my world. I don’t see myself ever writing a gory serial killer thriller, but you never know when I might write a character obsessed with murder podcasts, and all those police procedural workshops I attended will come in handy.

Listen to podcasts. I love to listen to podcasts by other authors. To hear what is working for them and what they are struggling with. Not only does it give me new ideas, I love the camaraderie that I get hearing about others in my profession. It’s comforting to know that others struggle with that exact thing that I have been struggling with. Or have a big success in a genre or project I’m considering pursuing. Some of my favorite podcasts are Six Figure Authors, Rage Against the Manuscript, and the Self-Publishing Show. Though I’m sure there are many more fantastic ones to discover.

Watch YouTube videos. Just like classes and podcasts there is a whole array of authors that create videos for YouTube. Content on what they are working on, what they are struggling with, how they are getting stuff done (these are my favorite, I’m a huge productivity nerd), even craft. There is a whole world to be discovered and explored on YouTube, and I love to do it.

Critiques. Getting critiques, or receiving a beta read, can be incredibly helpful. Getting a fresh new set of eyes on your work can help you see your writing more clearly than you could ever do on your own. Whether it’s a character trait, a writing crutch, or a confusing passage, getting feedback is vital to improve. Sometimes critiques might just find errors in this manuscript, but often they can bring to my attention bad habits and crutches I lean on far too often. Not just helping me improve this one work, but to improve my writing from this story going forward.

Just having a friend look over a few chapters or receiving a beta reader on the beginning of a book can be so eye opening. Though it can be tempting to skip this step, and plow through to the end (especially in this high-pressured publishing environment) I have learned from experience that nothing is more valuable to my work, and my mastery of this art, than feedback. No matter how hard it might be to hear sometimes.

Not only do I learn from receiving critiques and betas, but I learn from giving them as well. Seeing where someone else is succeeding that might be a struggle for me, or where someone else might be struggling that I am as well, can be valuable. Without the emotional attachment to the work, it can be easier to see the cause of the issue, as well as ways to apply it to my own work. It can offer the opportunity to meet other authors, and find others to not make you feel so alone in this crazy writing thing we are all doing together. Writing can be lonely, it’s nice to have someone to go to when the struggle gets too hard.

Edits. Getting edits from a professional is invaluable. My writing really improved when I started to receive edits from my publishers. True honest feedback, not tainted by friendship or imposter syndrome, is worth its weight in gold. If you get the opportunity to receive such valuable insight, take it with both hands.

Network with other authors. I am always amazed by how much I can learn from fellow authors. Even just having a writing group to bounce ideas off of can be a huge help. It’s impossible to do everything yourself. To go to every course, read every book, experience every conference. Having other authors to bounce ideas off of, to listen to and to commune with goes a long way to filling in those holes that might exist in your knowledge. We are all different, we perceive things differently, and I love to get those other perspectives.

And of course, writing. There is no other way to learn than to sit down and get your fingers on those keys. To write the book, to find the processes and stories that are working for you. The ways that don’t. To figure out how to push through a sticky situation. To persevere even when it gets hard. And then open a blank document and do it all over again.

These are the ways I’m working towards my 10,000 hours to master writing. And becoming the best writer I can be. What ways are you working towards your goals? What skills are you trying to master?Tell me in the comments below.

How to Brainstorm a New Direction

Brainstorming is an important tool for any author. Whenever you are stuck, when you're struggling with your characters, their actions, motivations, or goals, brainstorming can be a great way to get out of that stagnant loop. Or at least get to the bottom of what the problem might be.

As an author, I don’t do a ton of brainstorming. For me, when I’m struggling, writing more is usually the answer for me.  But sometimes, no matter how much you push, no matter how much you try to fight through it, you need to take a break from your regular process to find a new solution.

Here are a few techniques I use to find that new direction the story needs. Or really any time I feel stuck and unable to figure out how to get to that next turn.

1.  Take a walk. This might sound counter intuitive, but its works. I’m always amazed by how many ideas I get while walking. Every time in my life I have been especially creative have always been consistently walking. I’m sure there is a neurological reason for it, extra oxygen pumping to the brain or something like that, but I think it has something to do with your mind having the space to work while the rest of your body is occupied with another tasks. I’ve heard other authors talk about cooking or doing household cleaning to have the same effect. And of course, there is the best idea generator in the world – the shower. I don’t know a single author that hasn’t gotten a dozen great ideas in the shower and wish for oil-based pencils to be able to jot them all down.

2.  Take a nap. Another one that might not sound like the best way to get new ideas, but there is something about letting your subconscious take over for a little while that can create some of the best ideas. Often your brain knows the solution, even if you don’t know it yet. And allowing your subconscious to take a turn at the wheel can open up a whole new world of possibilities.

3.  Ask a friend for help. Another writing friend, or even a friend that reads a lot or watches a lot of movies, can be a great source to get new ideas. Being outside your story and the world you’ve created, they can come up with something you might never have thought of on your own. Also, talking about your ideas out loud, instead of writing them down or just thinking about them, also allows a different part of your brain to enter into the action—just like reading a story out loud allows you to hear and see it differently—and that alone can be enough to start your brain down a different path than before.

4.  Do some stream of consciousness writing. Constantly trying to push an idea to come can only make it harder to find the right solution. Just sitting down and writing whatever comes to mind can unearth ideas you didn’t even realize was hanging out in the back of your consciousness.

5.  Make list of all possibilities without any filter. If you are struggling with a specific plot point or character issue, sitting down to make a list of all the possible ways to solve this problem can be enlightening. Throwing out every possible idea, no matter how crazy or illogical can sometimes lead to ideas you never would have considered before. When we are writing, we often place an unconscious filter on ourselves, limiting the ideas we should consider by what we think is needed or what we think works. But taking the top off our creativity and letting our writing freak flag fly, you’d be amazed by some of the jewels you find.

6.  List the questions you are have. If I’m struggling with a scene, I will list out all the questions I have. What I need to know to move to the next scene. What is making it difficult for me to move on to the next scene. Sometimes writing down my concerns, being very clear about where my difficulty lies, can make it easier to figure out what you need to do to fix it. Having the problem clearly defined, makes it easier to find the solution you need.

7.  Write down what you do know. More often than not you know more about your characters or your story than you realize. When trying to force an idea to form it can be easy to get into the rut of what you don’t know, the questions you are having, fixating on what you are struggling with, but when you start to list out everything you do know it can be surprising the answers you already have. Some you probably knew but needed to be reminded of, but some you probably didn’t even realize. And possibly even a few tidbits that have the answers you need right before you.

8.  Do a tarot card reading. This one might sound a little out there, but I know a lot of authors that use this method to get out of a bind. The randomness of pulling a tarot card and having no idea where it might direct you, can offer up a new idea that you might never have come up with on your own. The idea is just to get the creative juices flowing, and bring in some new out of the box thinking, that might just solve your problem. You can do this with your own deck of tarot cards (which probably makes sense to buy if you use this method a lot) or there are several websites or apps that allow you to do a small tarot card reading digitally. When you are really stuck, sometimes you need an out of the box solution, to find an out of the box idea that just might be perfect for your story.

These are just a few of the ideas I’ve come across over my years of writing on how to brainstorm through a hard spot. I’m sure there are many other strategies, ones I haven’t heard about, but these are few that I have used. And so far, they haven’t steered me wrong.

If you have any other techniques for brainstorming new ideas, I’d love to hear them in the comments below. There is no such thing as too many ways to build the perfect story.