Getting over the hump

You know the feeling….the blank computer or page in front of you…the pen in hand…some good tunes in the background. You hand it hovring over the keyboard or paper…you’re excited. The blood is pumping and you just know it’s going to be good.

2 hours later…

Yea…I get that too. Sometimes, I just stare at the ceiling, fingers poised over the keyboard till my wrists cramp up and I take a nap. During the nap of course, I get all kinds of ideas but then when I have to put them to paper…ugh

Let’s discuss how to combat this dreaded issue…or at least how I go about it.

1. I like to reread the story that I’m working on. Yesssss…the one that is giving me the writer’s block. Sometimes, I can lose sight of where I’m going in the story, what I’m trying to achieve. I go back through to see where I was going, what the mood was or where the characters are at in their growth. A good chunk of the time, it does get my juices flowing again. And if not…I can get some editing in while I wait.
2. I like to read fan fiction (dodges a few tomatoes). Seriously, good fan fiction is some good stuff and can get the juices flowing again. It give your mind a chance to shut off and reboot, which can help in jumping the hurdle of finding something to write.
3. Music…just music. It helps relax the muscles, soothe the soul and calm the spirit.
4. I have a dog and I like to play with her during these times. Sometimes, we talk. Or I talk to her and she just looks at me like “I have no idea what you are talking about.” I bounce ideas off her, I chase her a bit and in that time, my mind unwinds and loosens it grip on my creativity. At least enough to get another paragraph in.
5. I like to edit my other stories. Usually these are stories that I’ve finished and need to be critiqued. I will go through them and edit, all the while my other story is in the back of my mind, stewing.
6. Last but not least…I do use some social media. Again, this is a time to unwind. What I may do is use this opportunity to promote my blog or a story that I’ve finished…perhaps see what the trends are in the book world. Other times, I just goof off and give the brain a rest. You can push yourself too far and maybe the writer’s block is there for a reason.

 

Now that we have talked about my strategies… what are some of yours? I would be very interested in what works for you. Leave me a comment.

Making an impact

Have you ever read a book so good that it stays with you for not just weeks or months, but years and decades? And each time you open the book or even just see the cover, you are taken back to that moment when you first read the book and your whole life changed?

Let’s talk about mine for a second.

There is one book…okay one of a just a few…that changed my life. It stuck with me and even today, I can think back to the first time I cracked it open, how excited I got to read it, how just looking at it made me feel happy and alive.

Little House on the Prairie

Don’t laugh…I’m being completely serious here. The whole series really started me on my journey of a love of reading and books and just…everything.

The first thing that stuck me about the entire series is the closeness of the family unit. I liked that aspect of it. It reminded me of my own family, even though at the time we were far apart, we were still a unit and deeply loyal to one another.

I also liked the wholesomeness about the whole series. Of course, at the time I think I was like 8 or 9, but still. No blood and guts. just day to day living and struggle. Never giving up and always taking the high road, even when you wanted to knock someone out. I liked it and still do.

Laura was definitely my favorite character. Of course, the books were mostly centered around her, but still. I liked her independence, her love of family, her pluckiness *LOL* I wanted to be her in a sense. Still do at times.

Reading the books was vastly different from watching the TV series and honestly…this is when my dislike of movie and TV adaptations of books started. You can not imagine the intense disappointment I felt when things did not happen like they did in the book, even if it was impossible. Just don’t do it then! Ugh…*deep breath* Let it go Desiree, let it go.

This series in part, definitely had a hand in shaping how I thought the world should work. That spark of independence, that wonder in adventure and devotion to family. Along with my family and how I was raised, the books unquestionably had a part in making me who I am today.

With all that being said, I ask you:

What book/books had an impact on your life? Is there a book out there that you take with you if the zombies attacked?

Let’s talk about them.

Switching Gears…or direction

A few posts back, I previewed a chapter from my latest project “Perfect Planning”. As a matter of fact, I did quite a posts about the story, including posts from the character’s point of view.

Oops…

That is not the direction that we are going on. After going through my stories and how far I still have to go with “Perfect Planning”, I decided to go with a story that was already done.

This story that I’m going to be coming out with next I feel is very relevant to today’s current events and it’s something that I’ve been working on for a few years now. Right now, I’m in the critiquing stage, but I’ll be doing the same thing that I did with my other story. I’ll post a preview chapter and do the posts in their point view and all that good stuff.

I’m very excited for this change and I hope that you are as well.