I’ve written several times about letting life get in the way of writing. And uh, no, I haven’t figured out how to shut out the world and write. But, I’ve found a few writers with suggestions to help me with this problem. (Fingers crossed.)
Does doubt dog your writing?
Every damn day. Doubt I will ever finish, doubt no one will read my book, and doubt that anyone will really ever give a damn. Thank God for writers who share their doubts and fears too. I learn something every day. Don’t let doubt kill your dreams.
Do you find excuses to NOT write?
Yep. I sure do. I mean a good movie can help a writer, don’t you think? I just received a new book and can’t wait to read it, 2 days later I’m still engrossed in someone else’s story. Well, I guess it’s time to give up the excuses, again.
“We are so scared of being judged that we look for every excuse to procrastinate.” – Erica Jong
Maybe it’s simply the act of sitting down and starting that is stopping you, not your talent.
Thanks to a few good writers for help in overcoming:
Write even if you don’t want to. (Put writing in the same category as a chore. Someone has to wash the dishes, right?)
Accept writing is not easy. (If it were easy, everyone would write.)
Admit your book may not be the next Great American Novel. (But then again it might.)
Remember no one can write like you. (Thank God, there’s only one of me.)
Don’t worry about what other people think. (They don’t use all their brain anyway.)
A comfort zone is a rut. (Climb out and write your truth.)
Now go read the entire posts (links below) and find a few more tips to help you ‘Get Er Done.’ For those of you who said, get what? Click the video. LOL
Right or Left all agree on the need for term limits.
I’m taking a break from my usual subject to write about change.
So here’s an interesting fact.
According to McLaughlin & Associates who in January 2018, conducted a National Survey regarding term limits in Congress. The result…
McLaughlin & Associates National Survey
The American people overwhelming approve of term limits.
This isn’t news. Most voters have stated in other surveys, again and again, they believe term limits are a good thing. Unfortunately, most of our esteem elected officials disagree. I understand why. Really, who wouldn’t want to stay put in a job that pays well, has a great pension and lifetime healthcare? But, unlike Congress, most people are forced to retire after twenty-five or thirty years on the job.
But voters don’t need a law to enforce term limits. We, the people, can instill our own set of limits. How?
Vote out lifers.
So many of our representatives in Congress have no idea what is happening in the life of everyday people. Many can’t send an email, they’ve got interns for such menial stuff. They don’t even understand how to search the Internet. Or how to discern fake news from real news. When an elected official can’t speak intelligently about current changes in society or relate to their constituents, it’s time they go.
After too many years of an ineffective Congress, it’s time for a change.
It’s time to vote in new blood, and younger representatives. Representatives who understand how, with the click of a button, a person’s life can be turned upside down. That, thanks to the internet, our world is becoming a little smaller every day. Without the knowledge and understanding, Congress cannot protect us from a tsunami of technology surely coming.
Electing the same Senators and Congressmen, year after year and hoping for a better outcome, for an effective government, we are in the words of Albert Einstein, insane.
Let’s get off the government hamster wheel, going nowhere and accomplishing nothing. Send a message to Congress – Vote this November and let your voice count.
Let’s elect new blood into the House and Senate. It’s time to thank the old guard for their service and send them home. Vote this November.
A recent article by author ALEXANDRIA Constantinova explains what sets successful books apart from the masses. If you want to have a competitive edge your story must have…
Last week I wrote about seizing the reader. (click to read.) In that post, I talked about using the dramatic pause to capture a reader’s attention.
But, we don’t just want to capture a readers attention, we want to keep it and get them to share with enthusiasm. And that usually happens through word of mouth. Think back to the last book you couldn’t stop talking about…
What compelled you to tell others about the book?
Something made you want others to share in your love and excitement for the book. But what did that book have that others did not?
Even if you want to take the traditional publishing road, consider agents receive thousands of submissions each year. And of those thousands, agents usually take on between three – ten new authors a year. (Click to read more.) And should you choose to self-publish, your competition is thousands released every day. So we must write better than ever.
What I learned from Alexandra:
URGENCY must be woven into the fabric of the plot, character, and voice of your novel. It can’t be just slapped in as an afterthought.
No matter the genre, URGENCY must evolve naturally from the characters, in the plot and circumstances.
URGENCY, it is the Voice itself that makes the audience want to continue reading.
To achieve a well-rounded story, I should try and incorporate URGENCY in as many areas as possible.
Let my characters deal with conflicts in their way, NOT in the way I might deal with a conflict. This should prevent me from writing the same thing over and over. Hmm.
Any section where a reader’s attention might wander is where I need to add URGENCY.
There are 3 basic areas where URGENCY should be included:
Plot which must include conflict.
Character development.
Voice
Places to add URGENCY…
First sentence
Last sentence of the first paragraph
Beginning and end of each chapter
Beginning and end of each section, IF divided into sections
When changing narrators or Points of View
Periodically throughout the novel
End of a novel IF it is in a series
I can’t stress it enough, head over and read Alexandria’s article. It’s jam-packed with information on how to write a stand-out, attention-getting, well-rounded novel.
What do you think? Is style as important as the story?
Jean's Writing 