How to get out of a writing slump!

Every writer has periods in their life where it seems like no matter what, they cannot get back into the swing of things with their writing--either because they're just too lazy, unmotivated, or just can't seem to find time. Personally, I have writing slumps more times than I think one should, but it happens to the best of us! We're only humans, not writing robots.

Here are some tips that could get you out of that awful writing slump:

1. Step away from your work.

What I mean by this is put your manuscript or whatever it is you are working on on hold for a while--I know this seems strange as a writing slump is essentially not connecting with your work, but taking the time to step back (not for too long) and taking some time to yourself to let your brain relax and refresh could be all you need to spark a new idea.

2. Find a new perspective.

Writing from a certain character's point of view? Why not change things up a bit and brainstorm and make jot notes from a different character's point of view. Doing this may add different dimensions and plot points to your story that you never even knew existed.

3. Set goals.

This is pretty obvious, but setting goals and deadlines for yourself could be the drive you need. Start small and set short term goals that are realistic and attainable.

4. Find a fresh set of eyes.

Why not enlist the help of a close friend or family member? Getting advice and feedback from someone you trust with your work can generate new ideas. Ask them what they think of certain characters and plot points and what they liked or disliked. Take this time to make changes to your manuscript.

5. Try a different environment.

I find writing in the same place, at the same time, every day can get boring and monotonous. Changing up your scenery could set a new tone for your writing and will help you feel refreshed.

6. Stop editing.

Turn off your inner editor and just write. Get your ideas out on the page and forget about your grammatical and spelling errors. The world needs to hear your story--worry about the minor details later.

7. Move around.

Get up from from your desk, kitchen table, sofa, whatever, and move around. Try some relaxing breathing techniques or a few yoga poses to calm your mind. Go to the fridge and get a snack.

8. Try something new.

Change up your writing style. Are you writing a young adult manuscript? Why not change it up for a while and write some poetry. You can always come back to your major project when you feel ready.

The Connection Between Cancer and Leggings

I currently own countless pairs of leggings--more than what should be owned by one person. On the contrary, I only own four pairs of jeans. Four pairs of jeans in which I never wear simply because of the size on the tag and the feeling that I get when I put them on.

Leggings have become my best friend over the past two years since finishing chemotherapy and radiation.

During cancer treatments your body will either love you or hate you. As a cancer patient, you think your body hates you anyway because it's doing everything in its power to work against you and make you more ill than you already are because of the stupid cancer. There are, however, a few lucky patients that actually don't get too ill. I, unfortunately, was not one of those lucky few.

You see cancer stories on YouTube or elsewhere online, or on TV that tell about how so-and-so ran a 5K while getting treatments, or how yoga and eating well can help you during treatments. In my case, I couldn't leave the bed to go to the bathroom without puking my guts up, yet alone make a decent sandwich or something. I was one of the unlucky ones. My body hated me. I became so drugged up and so sick from all the toxins that are chemotherapy going into my system that I could barely keep my eyes open for five minutes in the run of a day. The time I spent getting treatments, I spent high on drugs. I can barely recall things that happened or people who visited me while I was sick. My body was a toxic pit.

During this time, I was either extremely nauseated and leaning over a toilet (while not realizing I would reach back to hold my non-existent hair from falling in the toilet) or eating everything I could get my hands on (when I didn't have my mouth full of sores or yeast infections from the treatments). I was either starving and not able to keep any food down or I was a 600lbs obese man eating everything under the sun. There was no in between.

So what does this have to do with leggings? Well, after treatment my appetite came back. They don't tell you that steroids will make you eat your own body weight in McDonald's, but that's essentially what happened. I ate everything I had missed out on during treatments and I enjoyed every last bit of it until I started looking in the mirror more. You see, when I was going through treatments, I barely looked in the mirror because the person staring back at me, wasn't me. I was bald, skinny, and sickly. I wasn't the healthy person I once was. But when the hair started to grow back, that became a bit easier, and with each inch of hair growth, came three inches on the waistline. Leggings were the one thing that I felt comfortable in and were somewhat socially acceptable to wear as pants so I wasn't constantly wearing sweats everywhere. It didn't matter how many pounds I put on, the leggings would fit regardless...so I threw out all my old clothes and settled for a body I didn't quite ask for. 

Cancer does a lot to a person emotionally and most times body image isn't the first thing we think of. It isn't vain to want to look like you did pre-cancer treatment, it's human. You want to feel like your old self. It's not possible to be who you used to be before cancer (or any traumatic event in your life), but you have to take the healthy steps to becoming a better person in the body and mind you have now.

I'm so excited to get back into jeans and throw out all those leggings some day.

Book in the Spotlight: Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

Book in the Spotlight: Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

For this blog, we will recap the YA novel by Sarah Dessen called Someone Like You. 

To be completely honest, I'm not a huge reader of romance novels--something about them just drives me insane, so the thought of reading this book sort of turned my stomach. I shouldn't be so quick to judge a book by its cover, literally. My feelings about romance novels quickly changed after I read this book.

This story starts off with your typical teenage girls in high school until one of the main character's boyfriends die in an accident. It isn't long until we find out that she is pregnant with said boyfriend's child. The other main character falls in love with the typical bad boy who turns her life upside down. Together, the two girls try to make it through high school with all this drama and the new baby coming.

I don't want to give away too much of the novel in case there are people reading this post who have never read the book and would like to. But the way Sarah Dessen has taken a typical teenage romance and turned it for a loop is incredible. There are so many twists and turns that the reader will never get bored! Not to mention, it's a quick read. 

I have never read one of Sarah Dessen's books before but after reading this story, I'm sure I'll pick another one up along the way. I would give this book a 3.5 out of 5. There are some things that are dragged out and predictable but in the end, the author tied it all together and took the reader's imagination for a spin.

The Writing Process: Take Two

Happy Thursday!

A year ago I wrote a post about the writing process and I thought why don’t I write an updated version?!

Within this past year, I have learned a lot more than what I thought I knew about the writing process and a lot more about what it means to be an indie author.

Let’s begin with the basics—writing a book is frickin’ hard work, for instance, I have been working on Dream Catcher since April 2013, and it’s not finished yet. Three years I have spent slaving over that manuscript even throughout my cancer treatments. It has been a wonderful, yet tiring, experience.

First there’s an idea. An idea can spark from anywhere. The idea for Cleo’s adventure in Dream Catcher came to me when I was driving up the road of my hometown, out of thin air. I knew I wanted to write something, but this idea came to me out of the blue. I think with all creative minds, our brains are developed to spark new ideas and always look for inspiration in the simple things.

Next, there’s brainstorming. This is one of my favorite parts of the writing process. You can literally throw any ideas onto a page and let your imagination run wild. There’s no need to worry about if the story fits together perfectly at this point. You have so much freedom with brainstorming and you can let the story flow in so many different directions. This is the basis of your soon-to-be manuscript. This is the part where you design the world in which your characters live, the relationships among those characters, and the whole plot of your story.

Then you begin to write your first draft. This will be the first of many, many drafts. I cannot even tell you how many times I have re-wrote Dream Catcher. But don’t worry, the first draft can be garbage, so to speak. The main point of the first draft is to get the story out on paper. Do not worry about editing yet. Don’t change your mistakes—go back and do that later.

After the first draft comes editing and rewriting. This is the part that most authors hate about the writing process. Writing the book is fun! Editing…not so much. It is the part where you have to spend the most time. This should take twice as long as writing the book. You have to go over plot holes, world building, character development, grammar and spelling, and the list goes on. You will have to write and write until you get sick of looking at your own words. But don’t give up yet, this is just one hurtle you will have to get over to get to the end goal. All of the frustration will be worth it in the end.

Let’s just say you have all your rewrites complete—now what do you do? Well, the choice is completely up to you. If you are thinking about going the traditional route, you will have to find a literary agent through writing query letters, and keeping fingers crossed you will be picked up. Then you will hopefully be signed by a publishing house. If you choose to go through self-publishing, well, your road is very long (but rewarding). You will have to market and publish your book all on your own.

Either way, like in a previous post from a few weeks ago, whichever way you choose to publish, is completely up to you! Both are great! Even if you choose not to publish, having written an entire story or manuscript is an achievement in itself. Way to go, you!

Book in the Spotlight: See Me by Nicholas Sparks

Book in the Spotlight: See Me by Nicholas Sparks

This Thursday's Book in the Spotlight is See Me by Nicholas Sparks. This review is written by a Guest Writer who will remain anonymous. Here is what they had to say about this novel:

Once again Nicholas Sparks has outdone himself with the novel “See Me”. 

Nicholas Sparks has an uncanny way of drawing people into every book he writes; this book being no different. Although I found it to be very different than his usual writing, it was nonetheless a great page turner. 

His books are wonderful love stories with people’s lives thrown together for some unforeseen reason. This book holds much intriguing mystery with the two main characters. There is the mixture of friendship, desire, family togetherness, sadness, thriller, and happiness all combined into a wonderful novel that is hard to put down.

This novel deals with bullies and the family outcome in dealing with the situation along with the heartache that is attributed to a family not being able to find a way to overcome it. It deals with two very different people coming together and falling in love, without letting all the obstacles of their backgrounds (life and family) keep them apart. It deals with not understanding heartache and then the fallout from it.

If you plan on reading this book, make sure you do it at a time when you came fully immerse yourself into and you have no other distractions. You will not want to put it down because it will capture your interest right from the beginning. 

If I were to rate this book from 1-5 (5 being the best) I would give it a 4. Not because it wasn’t deserving of a perfect 5, but because I still have my favorites that Nicholas Sparks has written. And, if you are a fan of his, I am certain you have your favorites also.  Enjoy J