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.

On procrastinating better

Okay, so I’m sitting down to write this post instead of working on the novella I’m supposed to finish by the end of this month. Procrastination or legitimate writing break?

I guess it depends on you. Are you procrastinating on something, or taking a legitimate break?

Today’s world has plenty of distractions you can easily shut out on a good day. But when your energy is low, even a single unrelated blip from your phone can upend your entire day.

My question today is whether there’s a way to procrastinate better. When we don’t have the luxury of putting life on hold so we can get waylaid, how can we get the benefit of procrastination’s self-soothing effects while getting shit down without stressing the hell out?

A few years ago, I chatted about this with a professional PA, Karisma Carpenter. Here’s what she advised:

A dedicated workspace to avoid psychological contamination

“Well for starters try to give yourself a designated space to get your work done that’s away from distractions like the TV and snack cabinets.”

At least then you’ll have your work within reach while you’re being distracted. This lines up with James Clear’s tips in his bestselling productivity book, Atomic Habits, to get back on track quickly when you slip.

A clear, easily reference-able organisation system

“Set up something visual like a large calendar. This way you can put due dates and any other things you have going on in one central place. Try breaking up your task into sections so it’s easier to manage and not so daunting.”

A great tip to alleviate the kind of procrastination that comes from low self-efficacy, ie. the feeling that you’re not up to the task. When I can’t make the 2,500 words a day my fellow author makes, I aim for 250, which has often gone a long way to me finishing a manuscript during months too hectic for long writing sessions.

Social accountability

“Share your progress. Tell a friend or even post on Social Media what you plan to accomplish, so that you have someone or somewhere to check back in with about your progress.”

If the “social” part of social accountability isn’t your jam, it can also help to use word counts and progress bars to track your efforts. Some writers I know have one or two accountability buddies they swap work with regularly. Others keep beautiful notebooks of handwritten word counts. Even if emailing and logging numbers can come with distractions of their own, it’s worth it to keep you going.

Hacking your brain’s reward circuits

“Reward yourself! Everyone deserves rewards for doing things they need to, even you. However make sure you rewards are comparable, for example for 20 minutes of productive work give yourself 5 minutes to relax or do something fun.”

Certain kinds of procrastination stem from the mental exhaustion of dealing with a hard task, especially when it’s not immediately rewarding – like filing your taxes or squaring your accounts. Sometimes you just need a break, a way to get your energy back, so you can find flow again amidst a sea of distraction.

Mindful and deliberate self-care

“Know when to call it quits! I know, I know, we’re talking about being productive here but, if you have been putting true effort into getting work done and nothing productive is coming out it’s time to take a time out. Trying to struggle through it will only make you frustrated and make your task at hand suffer. So do something relaxing like take a 10 minute walk, or grab a bite to eat and come back to your task. Sometimes being distractible means you need a break, so remember to look after yourself too.”

There are whole frameworks built around how to approach self-care in service of high performance. My personal favourite is “Full Engagement” by Tony Schwarz and Jim Loehr, a system of flexibility that includes what you might call ‘indulgence’ if your work tends to give you tunnel vision. In reality, it’s just about acknowledging what you as a human being need in order to thrive while being productive.

Okay, enough “legitimate writing break” for now. My WIP isn’t going to write itself. Until next time!

More of my nonsense in Dot Club

If you liked this post, you’ll love my email newsletter, Dot Club. I’ve been writing it 2017, and it’s my favourite (and right now only) way to keep in touch with my readers.

For more of my writerly thoughts, weird stuff I come across in my research, and news about my books and stories, come join the club.

Let’s have a pondersome time together 💌

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JL Peridot writes love letters to the future on devices from the past. Visit jlperidot.com for the full catalogue of her work or subscribe to Dot Club for a collection of her tiny stories.

Untraditional Productivity Hacks

For years I’ve been scanning the internet for different ways to increase my productivity. As an author, there is never enough time to do everything you want. When I became a mom, I was even more desperate to get not just more done, but anything done. I became desperate to any new nugget I could find to improve my productivity. But a lot of what I heard was the same advice over and over. The same recycled ideas. So I decided to start trying some untraditional things, just to see if they worked. And a few did.

Here is a list of some of the habits I’ve been using to make myself more productive, that are either unconventional, or are in direct opposition to most traditional productivity advice, but worked for me. Maybe they will work for you too. 

Do what you want. Sounds good right. But I have some reasoning behind this, I promise. 

All of us constantly have a running to do list in our minds. Some things that need to be dealt with immediately, like make dinner, and bigger tasks like reorganizing the kitchen, or writing a novel. Each one of those little activities nipping at us like a dog, demanding attention, stealing our focus.

When I have one of those particular to dos talking to me more than any others, that’s the one I do. Even if its not my number one priority. Even if it doesn’t need to be completed for months. If it is being too loud, I know it will be easier just to do it now, and silence that voice rather than spend the next hours, days, or even weeks wasting precious energy and focus to ignore it.

I also think this leads to the best result as well. Sure, maybe I don’t need to write my May newsletter right now, but if I have something I really want to talk about, I think it will be a better newsletter in the end if I write it now, when I’m passionate about the topic. Rather than trying to strain my mind to come up with something the day before it has to go out.

Is it possible I would be further ahead in my revising right now, if I stuck to just want needed to immediately be done, instead of getting next month’s newsletter done ahead of time. Maybe. But I don’t think I’ll be unhappy when I don’t have to worry about my newsletter in May, and can instead spend that time revising. It's even possible I am further along in my writing because I do these activities ahead of time, since I’m not using an excess energy trying to ignore any of these to dos in favor of revising.

This definitely isn’t something you can apply across the board. Sometimes you have to do what’s right in front of you, regardless of your passion for it. Your kids can’t wait until tomorrow to eat dinner because you got the idea for a blog today. But you’d be surprised how just even jotting down notes about an idea that is pestering you can free up your energy and make you more productive than before.

Tackle the small things first. I’ve heard many productivity experts encourage people to do the hardest job on their list first. After that, everything else will seem easy. But that assumes that you have time to tackle anything else. Sometimes you just don’t. Instead I try to tackle the small things first. If there is something on my to do list that can be accomplished in fifteen minutes or less, I do it now. Period.

This helps me in two ways. One, I get more done. Sure, it's more of the little stuff. But it's still two things (or possibly more) coming off my list in that time instead of one. Especially since sometimes I just don’t know how much time I have. When your schedule is dictated by a toddler, you have to be prepared to finish what you are doing quickly.

But this also helps me focus my energies. I know I’m not decluttering my closet this weekend. I know I’m not painting the garage. So even if my subconscious nags me to do it, I can ignore it. This limits how much I’m trying to hold in my brain, searching for my attention, thereby freeing up more brain power for me to focus on other things.

And it also helps to keep you motivated. Nothing gets me more excited to move on to the next task as crossing off the previous activity. If you can knock five or six tasks off your list, you feel unstoppable.

Scroll on your phone first thing in the morning. This is one that every productivity and self-help guru tells you not to do. But first thing in the morning, is exactly when I allow myself to scroll on my phone, because I don’t have long to do it. There is a hard stop for when I have to get off my phone. Once my son is up, unless I want to share my phone with him, it has to go away.

When I pick up my phone other times of day, like at lunch or at night, with no hard stop, I can find myself scrolling for way too long. At night, I can spend hours just watching reels of bookish memes and parenting advice. Hours I could be spending doing something else. With only a few minutes to play in the morning, I get on social media, see what what’s going on, and then I have to get off.

If looking at social media first thing in the morning bothered me, I’d stop immediately. If it caused my day to start off poorly, or put me in a funk, I would change tactics. But luckily, it doesn’t bother me too much. But the point is to find a time in the day when, due to circumstance and not an attempt at willpower, you can only be on the phone for a set period of time.

Stick it in the closet. A few years ago I stumbled upon a YouTube video that talked about the clutter in your house having a voice. Which sounded a little crazy (cue Ariana Grande Saturday Night Live sketch where she’s singing with the couch) but what the youtuber meant is that the clutter creates a voice in your head. Every time you walked past that cluttered counter, or the pile of unfolded laundry in the corner, a little voice would go off in your head saying you need to do this. Stealing a little of your energy and your focus. If you walk by in multiple times a day, that little voice could be notifying you dozens of times.

For anything that caused this reaction in me, I either solve it immediately or shove it in the closet. To keep those voices as quiet as possible. That bag of clothes to be donated but I haven’t been able to find the time to do it, stick it in the closet (car might be better, or garage, getting it one step closer to going out). That pile of unwashed or unfolded clothes, keep them in the laundry room until you’re ready to deal with them.

This may seem like an avoidance tactic, and it is. But being constantly reminded of what you aren’t doing, doesn’t help you get anything done. So for the time being, if you can’t do something, just stick it in the closet, and free yourself to do other things now, and thereby giving yourself time later to handle what you’ve tucked away.

As a side bonus, if you stick a bunch of stuff it in the closet, and find you don’t need it for months, or even years, that might be decluttering all on its own. Now you know you don’t need it, and you can just throw it away. No sorting necessary.

Keep changing the system. A lot of productivity gurus make it sound like if you start their system, all your productivity problems will be solved. You’ll get everything done on your to do list and have time to spare. And maybe that does work for them. And many others. But I have never found a productivity system that solved all my problems. 

Instead, what I have found is most successful is to keep changing the system. Some months I’m making to do lists in journals, next few months I might be using a paper planner, the month after that I’m making excel spreadsheets full of plans. 

No matter how good the system is, after a while I always grow bored with it. I’ll find issues with it accommodating my lifestyle. Or I become overtaxed by it. And when that happens, I change it.

Switching up my system not only reinvigorates my interest in my goals, but it also brings them back to front of mind. Whenever I change systems, I usually have to spend a few hours resetting everything. Refill out trackers, and replan weeks. That gives me time to think about what I want. About what I need. And why these goals matter to me. Which only makes me want to achieve them more.

By no means am I saying throw out a system that works for you. If seeing your goals splayed out before you in your office keeps them top of mind, then continue to do that. But maybe you can change up how you display them, what you display. Maybe you show the end results of reaching your goals, like a big new house, instead of a written out list. Keep switching up what you do, until you find something that works for you, and when it stops working, don’t be afraid to change it again.

These are just a few of my productivity hacks that are rather untraditional compared to traditional advice, but have worked for me. Do you have any productivity hacks that you love and want to share? Anything you do that seems a little unusual or unconventional but works? Leave it the comments below. I’d love to find some great new ideas to try.

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.

Rewardin’ My Self

For any who have read this blog over the last several years, you know I’m big on goals. I love to set them. I love to achieve them. One might say I’m a little too obsessed with them. I have a tendency to set my aspirations a little too high, which is why I rarely meet them. That’s just how I roll. I know some people find this discouraging, but I believe if you reach for a high goal, even if you don’t make it, you are bound to end up somewhere great.

But as much as I love to make goals, and strive to achieve them, I’m not great at celebrating those achievements. Most years, I set a reward for myself if I ‘win’ Nanowrimo, but I can only think of one instance where I actually bought myself the reward. Last year, I wrote almost 20k in five days because I so desperately wanted the prize I promised myself, and I am still yet to purchase it.

We are now halfway through 2024, and I’m trying to get back onto my goals again. I still have a few things I want to accomplish this year, and I haven’t done nearly as much towards achieving those goals as I would like. So I’ve set up a new system of monitoring and achieving my goals. And with that I selected another round of rewards to gift myself if I achieve these goals. And so far, I’m doing a little better rewarding myself than I have in the past. 

But I’ve only managed to do that by applying these new rules for the prizes that can be awarded and the way that I give myself those gifts.

1. Set prizes I really want. Often I convince myself I want a certain prize for achieving a reward that isn’t what I actually want. And therefore it is not all that motivating. For years I have set rewards for meeting my workout goals that I didn’t really want. Usually I would set a goal of more workout classes, workout clothes, DVDs and music too workout to. These were the type of goals I thought I should get for this goal, but in truth it always felt like a reward of hard work with more work. No thank you. Instead this last month, I am rewarding myself with money towards house purchases. Things I want to buy, but always convince myself I don’t really need. Nothing to do with working out at all. Turns out I find getting a new mirror for my bathroom, or a milk frothier just because I’d like it, is far more motivating than new workout gear or yoga classes could ever be.

2. Make them frivolous. I tend to be a very frugal person. I don’t really like to buy things, and often convince myself I don’t need anything. Which is all well and good most of the time, but when it comes to being motived, the practical doesn’t do it. To find something that will encourage me to push that extra mile it has to be something I wouldn’t normally buy myself. Something a little extra, and frivolous. And making these rewards all the more special.

3. Immediately gratification. One of the issues I’ve had in the past is that I often forced myself to wait to receive a reward I’ve earned. Sometimes it’s because I’m waiting for the reward to be available, but most often it’s just because it doesn’t seem crucial. I’ll put off getting a reward, thinking that I can just get it later. But when I put off receiving that prize, not only do I not get the serotonin spike for achieving the goal, but I often convince myself it’s been so long since I was supposed to get the reward and I didn’t, so I don’t really need it. For this set of goals, I’m purchasing the rewards (or move money into an account if that is the reward) right after achieving the goal. Minutes after if possible. No doing it later. No thinking about, it which leads to not getting anything. Immediate gratification, and immediate celebration.

These are all the ways I am changing my system to reward myself for what I accomplish. And I hope, that by making these changes, and giving myself the rewards I deserve, it will not only be more motivating to me to complete my goals but also more rewarding. I want to start learning to fulfill the promises that I make to myself, and improve my ability to believe in myself and what I can do.

What tricks do you use to motivate yourself? Do you offer yourself rewards? And if so, what are they? I’d love to hear in the comments below.

Sometimes It’s Okay to Be Comfortable

 There is a thought in modern self-help that you always need to force yourself out of your comfort zone in order to achieve your dreams. That no truly amazing feat can be accomplished without getting uncomfortable. And I have always prescribed to this idea. Especially when it comes to my writing. 

For the last few years, I have been trying to push myself to write the stories I want to write. To not limit my ideas by what I think I can write, or to stay within the safe borders of what has always been the romance genre. The self-publishing landscape has opened up so many different stories I would have never guessed would be so popular or amazing, and I see no reason the same couldn’t be true for the stories I want to tell.

And I think actively trying to ignore the negative voices in my head has been very good for me. And my writing. I have grown as an author. I’ve developed my voice even more acutely. And I have created some stories and characters I lover, that I never would have without pushing myself in this way. 

But there are some negatives to pushing yourself out of your comfort zone as well. The biggest being it takes work—hard work—to be so uncomfortable and stay determined. It can be downright grueling and very time consuming to keep going even when things are uncomfortable. And while I am getting close to completing some of these new stories, it is often hard to put in the time and dedication it takes to push yourself in these ways.

When Nanowrimo started this last year, I intended to continue pushing myself and my writing throughout the contest. To keep going with these harder stories, and maybe even get one a little closer to completion. But the words just would not come. I was having a really difficult time connecting to the stories and characters in such a pressurized timeframe.

Out of desperation towards the end of the month, I decided to take a stab at an older story I haven’t played with in years (one of my goals for Nanowrimo this year was to only work on stories I had already started, instead of adding even more started but not completed projects to my huge backlog). This story was light, fun, sexy, and very much like the stories I wrote at the beginning of my career. And surprisingly, the second I settled back in this world, the words just flew from my fingers. It was almost like magic. Before I knew it, I’d written over twenty thousand words in less than a week (numbers far bigger than I had done in years).

Maybe the speed at which I could write this story was because of all the work I’ve been doing over the last few years. Maybe it is because this story had been brewing in the back of my mind of so long, it was already formed and ready to come out. But whatever the reason, it felt great. Fun, and freeing and a little like coming home. It was a wonderful reminder that sometimes it’s okay to be comfortable. It’s okay to not push yourself all the time. Sometimes it’s okay to take that break, spend that day on the couch, reread that book you love and have read a dozen times instead of starting a new one, or working on that project that is comfortable and enjoyable.

And while I will be going back to my other stories, and continuing to push myself to try things with my writing I haven’t done before, it was nice to have a break. And remember the fun and the joy that my old comforts gave me. After all, writing might not always be easy, there is always enjoyment and excitement to be had in all stages of the process.

So if you are looking for permission to embrace the comfortable today, to relax a bit and not spend every moment pushing yourself to achieve that next lofty goal, you’ve got it. Those lofty ambitions will be there tomorrow. Take today for you.

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.