So You Want to Write a Book? Pt 2

Springing off of last week Wednesday's post about inspiration, today is about how long it takes to write a book. This is one the Top questions I get asked.
Oy Vey. This one is both straight forward, and difficult to explain.


The best answer I can give is this: The time it takes to write the story is inversely controlled by how much time you have taken in preparing for the writing.


Confused? Me too.


I have found that the more work at setting up the novel: doing research, character sketches, imagining the places and scenes, even doing scene cards for plotting, the faster the actual writing time takes. Mostly I do this much intense prep for my fantasy novels, which I can write in 30 days during NaNoWriMo. As a control, I wrote a romance at the same time. For this book all I had were names, a general location, and an idea. That's it. I even had to make up characters, and places, and plot devices while writing. (This one, after a year, was still unfinished, and took a lot of work to get it into shape)


For me, the more time I spend prepping, the less time I need to spend writing a first draft. NOW this does not include re-writes, edits, and beta reading. Just the time it takes to sit down and write a rough draft.


To do the proper amount of prepping before writing, the time varies for everyone. But once you have done this, it is much easier to "see" and get into your story. Once this is happening consistently, you will find that the words just tumble over your mind and onto the keyboard without you having to force them.


If you have a well thought out idea, it won't stay shoved up inside your mind, it will beg to be released onto the page.

Monday Motivation...On a Wednesday!?!?

It's something that every writer will deal with, lagging motivation.
If you haven't experienced this yet, congratulations! This post will hopefully help whenever that day hits. If you have dealt with this seemingly universal truth, I hope that you can find something new below to help re-spark you.


Lack of motivation can be caused by any number of situations, or even a combination of them. Usually I find my motivation lagging:


After a NaNoWriMo month.
After a negative review or comment on my work.
When I'm not happy with where the story or characters are.
When I'd rather be working on something else.


If at least one of those instances sound familiar then this post is for you!
How does one combat these situations?


In the case of the after NaNo blues, I actually cut myself some slack and give myself time away from writing/editing. It might be a day, a week, or a month. In this case taking some time away from writing is going to benefit you in the long run. You just completed a challenge most people wouldn't dream of trying for! You may/will need to take some time and recharge your creative batteries. Do not feel bad about this! It is completely normal. Just give yourself a set amount of time, and then get back to it.


Ugh, the dreaded negative review/comment. Sadly there is nothing to do in this instance but to remind yourself why you started writing in the first place. Was it for the readers? Or was it because you had this story that you wrote, for you? Because you had an itch and had to scratch it? Always, first and foremost, write for yourself. Write characters, worlds, and plots that you love. Writing and finishing a book is a long labor of love, you need to fall in love with it. And really, what is one person's opinion? Art is subjective, and writing is no different.


Oh boy. You're writing, cruising along, and then BAM you're getting no where. The time between writing sessions lengthens, or that cursor blinks accusingly at you. Something happened, and you're not sure where, but suddenly the characters actions aren't what they should be. Maybe the plot got off track. The best thing to do is to back track to where you were still enjoying the story. Start over. Nothing is written in stone, and sometimes you have to go back before you can go forward.


That side project looking more and more appealing? Instead of completely jumping ship on your current WIP, or the thing you're supposed to be working on, take a break. If you have ideas for a different story, take time and write them down in a safe place. Whether that is snippets of dialogue, possible names, locations, or world building notes. Just get that idea out, and get back to work what you're "supposed" to be working on. It may help you come back with fresh eyes!


I hope that these tips helped! As always, happy writing my friends!

I finally got Tagged!!

Okay, so I'll admit it...I'm a sucker for "tag" videos or blog posts. I think they're super fun and help to create a sense of community in the blogging/vlogging world.


So thank you to the incredibly nice and real Raychel Rose (http://www.thatbrightyoungthing.com) for tagging me!


The Rules:
Answer eleven questions, tag someone, then ask them eleven questions.


Here are the questions that Raychel gave to me!


1. What's your favorite type of cookie?
    That's tough....Usually I'd say Snickerdoodle, but I've been in the mood lately to make Oatmeal cookies. ...might be baking later this weekend... :)

2. What genre of music do you enjoy listening to?

      Honestly? Everything. I have rock, rap, punk, hip-hop, country, classical, Celtic....everything except Jazz. Not a fan of Jazz. Lately I've been really into the older CD's from Building 429, and The Rend Collective.

3. Have you ever swam in the ocean? If so, which ocean?

     Yes! I used to live in WA near Seattle, so I've swam in the Pacific. In 2005 we went to my dad's high school reunion in NJ so I also swam in the Atlantic.

4. Do you like stingrays?

    In zoo's and aquarium's, sure. They're fun to feed and pet.

5. Who do you share your birthday with?

     No idea.... to Google!

     Apparently I share April 25th with: Al Pacino, Renee Zellweger, Matthew West, Jason Lee, and Len Goodman. Who knew?

6. Are you allergic to anything?

    Amoxacillin- some antibiotic that made me *literally* climb the walls as a child.

    Latex- Yes I am one of those weird people.

7. What's something you do, that normally people think you wouldn't do?

     I'm a writer, there's probably a lot that people normally wouldn't think I do. Such as acting out battle scenes, and making faces so I can accurately describe it.

     I also crochet, which has the stigma of being a "granny" craft.

8. Do you have any fears you outgrew?

     Not really, I never had any childhood fears. I still don't like leaving an appendage hanging off the bed at night though.

9. Do you have any scars? If so, how'd you get them?

     Oh boy, too many. But here goes:

     I have a scar on my right ring finger from a pet guinea pig we had when I was a kid.

     There's actually two scars on my face, one is on my chin from a horse accident, and the other is right above my lips in the "cupids bow" from a cocker spaniel who also knocked out my front tooth while leaving his mark. Both are only found when looking reallllly closely.

     Above my right hip I have a small, round scar from my first chicken pox that I scratched before my mom noticed.

     There's a scar on one of knees (can't remember at the moment) from when we were camping and I tripped over a railroad tie and the doctor had to scrape out the wood from inside of my knee.

     Not a scar, but equally interesting: From a horse riding accident, I actually shifted the bones in my left hand, just below the wrist. There's an extra ridge when running your fingers over it that isn't on my right.

     .....yeah...Grace is NOT my middle name....and this doesn't include any of the soft tissue and hair line fractures I've had LOL

10. What's your favorite decade?

      Eh, not much for decades. But I really love any ancient history, or American history prior to the Civil War.

11. Who are 5 celebrities you don't like, but everyone else does?

      Not really big into celebrities in general, kinda boring that way.

BONUS QUESETION:

12. What's your favorite pizza topping?

        Sausage! Pepperoni! Canadian Bacon! Sensing a theme here? :) A vegetarian I am not.






I really don't know anyone to tag, other than Raychel that tagged me and Stefanie who was also tagged! The link to their blogs:
Raychel:  http://www.thatbrightyoungthing.com/
Stefanie:  http://authorstefaniemacwilliams.blogspot.ca/


OH wait! I tag Rebekah Bryan (http://rebekahnbryan.com/)
and Anna Malnory (https://almostherblog.com/)


Also anyone else that likes tags! Please let me know in the comments if you decide to do them, I'd love to read your answers!


Here are your questions!


1. How old were you when you had your first crush?
2. Favorite piece of clothing that you couldn't live without. Why?
3. Tea or Coffee? Or neither?
4. What is your favorite 4-legged animal, and why?
5. Do you like chocolate?
6. What is the hardest thing you've ever had to do?
7. What do you do in your free time?
8. Tell me about your favorite book.
9. Are you a morning or night person?
10. Can you juggle?
11. What is your favorite holiday?

So You Want to Write a Book? Part 1

As soon as people find out that I am not only a writer, but a novelist, they ask tons of questions.
Ranging from:


"How do you get your ideas?"
"How long does it take?"
"Where do you find the time?"
"How do you get started?"


It seems that while there are many writers producing books on this planet, we are still the minority. People appear captivated my the "mystery" of writing a book. They often see writers as this untouchable entity that sit around all day, maybe with a few self-destructive vices, that magically produces great books for them to read. In the majority of writer's cases, this is simply not true. We are just like the rest of the population, except we see, hear, taste, touch, and emotionally feel things a tad different. In every interaction or experience is a story.


That woman in the lane behind you on the freeway who's been riding your bumper for the past mile?
She's trying to get to the hospital to see her loved one who was in an accident.


The man fumbling with his cash at the register and taking longer?
He just found out he's dying.


The mother with the child screaming in the middle of Walgreens?
She's a single mother working two jobs, because her husband left for work six months ago and hasn't returned.


See what I mean? There are stories everywhere, all around us. Past, present, and if you have a large enough imagination, even in the future. Writers just pay a bit more attention and ask themselves the ultimate question: What if? 


One of my favorite quotes is this:
A writer is working when they are staring out the window.


Cultivating your ideas takes time. It takes not only conscious brainstorming, but random daydreaming as well. This can happen at home, in the shower, in the car. Most people call this their "muse" when they suddenly get a good idea for their project. Really, it's just your back brain shifting through stuff and finally finding a solution. Once you are practiced in seeing the stories that are everywhere, it becomes easier to "find" topics and subjects to write about.


Practice saying and thinking "What if"" or "Why" to everyday situations, and see what you can come up with. I had a new idea for a romance set in Scotland come up while I was crocheting a scarf and watching Person of Interest on Netflix. Just always have that notebook handy for when the ideas come.

The Dreaded Writers Block

It starts slowly, the keys don't pound as quickly as they did, the pen isn't scrawling like it used to, and maybe that main character is looking a little boring. You sit at the screen, staring. Hoping by some magic that your book will write itself and you can curl up on the couch and watch Netflix all day.


You've hit the much feared Writers Block head on. Either you wish you could write and nothing happens, or you don't even want to try because fear has you paralyzed. But there is no reason to fear "writer's block", in fact it is an opportunity for growth!


Typically writer's block is an internal issue. A mental game if you will. Maybe you've spent too much time with this specific project, and you need some time off. Maybe you wrote yourself in to a corner and don't know where to go from here. Maybe you just have a fear of getting started on this epic journey called being an author. Writers block is something that must be dealt with immediately or it will fester. Whatever the case may be, I have complied a list of the techniques I have used to beat writers block.


1. Get up and go for a walk. Sometimes all you need is a change of scenery. Maybe even go to a new coffee place and bring your laptop.


2. Shut down the electronics, or notebook, and take a step back. This could be for ten minutes, an hour, or a few days. Take some time to clear your head, then think about what could be blocking you.


3. Work on something different. Just get words down on a page. Keep a journal, do a writing prompt, get a writing sprint buddy. As long as words are on the page, you're winning this thing. Get in the habit of writing SOMETHING daily.


4. Read. I know this seems counterintuitive, but most writers become writers because they love to read. Just because you're writing your own stories doesn't mean that you can't enjoy others! You may find your inspiration again!


5. Talk to someone who believes in you and your writing. Nothing is more inspiring than that.


6. Remember that you are only writing a rough draft. "Writing is where we make the words. Editing is where we make the words not suck." Believe me, having something down makes the editing and revising process much easier. No one sat and wrote a perfect rough draft, so you don't either!

May Review- Self-Published Book

This month was another self published book! The book I read was "The Thirteeth Hour" by Joshua Blum. (All of the links to buy and Joshua's pages will be down below) I first came into contact with Joshua when I was paired with him for a book blog tour. He posted about me and my books, and while perusing his site I decided to order a copy of his book!

The description from Amazon: 

When a boy falls asleep while reciting number facts in math class, he is teleported into a magical medieval world reminiscent of a 1980s fantasy movie, where flying dragons searching for gold raze cities to the ground with crimson fire, vengeful wizards weave terrifying spells, and even brave warriors wearing leopard-skinned underwear are given a run for their money.
In the 1st volume of this epic fantasy series, Logan has grown into a young man and must leave his sleepy village to become a soldier in the Imperial Army. It does not take long for the King’s wizards to see Logan’s potential, and he is selected to be specially trained as an Imperial Ranger for a mysterious quest to find the secret to eternal life. When he is surprisingly reunited with his childhood friend, Aurora, they set off on an adventure of a lifetime.
And so begins The Thirteenth Hour, an illustrated fantasy novel about dreams and wishes, wild hearts, and the quest to find the unsung hero that lies in all young men and women. 


The description really caught my attention. When I ordered this from Joshua, he even sent a magnet as well as a book mark. Both include the art depicting scenes from the book that he drew himself! I was really impressed with the artwork throughout the story. Throughout the entire book I was so impressed by the time and dedication that was clearly put into this book. A lot of effort was put into this to make it one cohesive unit, and to have such unique features such as artwork, and poems was a treat for me. Just on that alone, this book deserves a 5 out of 5 stars.

The story line was very interesting. The reluctant hero is forced to join in a quest to find the secret to eternal life. (Though sometimes I felt that he just went with "the flow" and didn't really care what happened) I liked that he wasn't perfect. In fact he was far from it. He wasn't particularly skilled at anything. One could almost describe him at under average for much of the army training. But what he lacks in skills, he makes up for in determination. This kid has heart!

It actually took me almost halfway through to "get into" the book. It was definitely a slow start for me. A few things that did not help with the readability were the longer flashbacks that Logan has throughout the book. Also to denote different POV's and character voices, the words of the text shift color. This I found distracting, and instead of continuing to read to see who was speaking I was constantly flipping to the beginning of the book for the legend. Also, sometimes the language of the book jarred me out of the story. The swearing almost always seemed not only out of place, but unnecessary.

This book is set in what seems to be a medieval world complete with castles, kings, and horses as the main mode of transportation. But when Logan gets to training, he is essentially trained in Eastern Martial arts. Partway into the story Logan even obtains a hover board. They also talk about and use bottled water, know about martinis and mixed drinks, use note cards for a speech, used the phrase "the bee's knees", had winter jackets, don't know what coffee is but understands what a rocket is, had caricature paintings, used bubble gum, and had a box of salted crackers.

The writing was well done, with minimal errors, and all of the paintings were formatted and well placed. If you're looking for a story to whisk you away, look no further!

I give this story a solid 3 out of 5 stars.

http://www.amazon.com/Thirteenth-Hour-Illustrated-Fairytale-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B00RFHG6WW/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1459731113&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=the+thirthteenth++hour 

http://www.amazon.com/Joshua-Blum/e/B00RFTLU5S/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1459734685&sr=8-1 

https://13thhr.wordpress.com/