#AuthorToolboxBlogHop: Staying Creative While Sick

Hello All!

Welcome back to the Author Toolbox Blog Hop! I missed last month because of the flu, which unfortunately means that I also missed out on quite a bit of writing. Seriously, those days of just laying around would have been fantastic for working on my story. I know there is a saying, “Write drunk, edit sober,’ but I’m not sure it applies to the delirium of the flu. Let’s just say my story would have went from something supernatural based in reality to something no one would recognize. 

The flu is why this post is dedicated to the art of staying creative while dealing with illness.

1. It is okay to take sick days. I know that typically writers have a routine and sticking to it is important. That being said, sometimes your body breaks down because you need a break from everything other than sleep. So, sleep and let your dreams spark a little inspiration for you.
2. Keep a journal/notebook near you at all times. You know that sleep thing I was just talking about? Any dream you have might become inspiration for you story. If you happen to wake up and remember any of it, write it down in a bedside notebook. Honestly, I recommend keeping a notebook next to your bed for any dream inspiration that may happen. Some of my best ideas and lines of dialog came from my dreams.
3. Too sick to write but can’t sleep? Try reading a book or binge watching something on Netflix/Hulu/Disney+. Stick with the genre or theme that aligns with your story. I think it helps to look at things that are similar because it gives you an idea of what works and what doesn’t. My story is about witches and watching The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has helped me see that it works to write witches in a non-traditional way.
4. Last but not least, just rest. Don’t look for inspiration in dreams while you sleep. Binge watch a guilty pleasure that has absolutely nothing to do with your story. Read a book you’ve been wanting to to read but felt like you couldn’t while you were writing. But seriously, rest. We writers are human after all. You can always write once you are healthy.

Stay healthy fellow bloggers and see you next month!

To continue hopping through other great blogs in the monthly #AuthorToolboxBlogHop or to join, click here.

Blog Photography

Every good blog contains photos but you have to select those photos carefully. If you need a photo for your blog, please, don't use Google image search. Also, don't screenshot a photo from someone's Instagram to use a photo you find on Tumblr. By using photos you find in that way, you would be breaking the law and are opening yourself up to being sued.

So, where do you find photos that are free to use without purchasing the rights to do so? Well, you could just take the photos yourself. I love photography and creating an amazing image. 

You could also use certain website that provide free photos that don't require a license, a purchase, or to cite where you got the photo (though that is something you can do as a courtesy.) 

Here are the websites that I have found to have the best photos:

Pexels 

UnSplash

Stocksnap

Pixabay

I am sure there are more, but those are my favorites. 

I hope this helps you add wonderful images to your blog. Also, if you want to see my photos, check them out here: https://scottvanessam.wixsite.com/andyouwrite 

If you do check out my photos, please tell me what you think!! 

Thanks and May the Fourth be with you!!

The Importance of Word Choice

Have you every read a short story or a book that felt off? The story itself was good but something just didn’t feel right. There is a good chance that it was poor word choice that was throwing you off.

The way I see it, one of the most important things a writer can focus on is word choice. Especially when it comes to dialog. Dialog can make or break a story. As a writer I need to know when to have a character say “hello” versus having a character say “hey.” I need to know the connotation behind words, particularly if I am writing a period piece or a story taking place in a certain country (if the story takes place in the US but a character had just moved there from London, it would be a smart choice to have the character use British slang versus having them use American slang.) 

Along with good word choice, I find that my favorite writers aren’t afraid to use “colorful” language. They use cuss words and content appropriate slang. It’s kind of sad that I feel the need to mention this, but Americans are extremely weird when it comes to language. The word “fuck” will have some of them up in arms and they will act like you’re obscene idiot for using the word, but they have no problem watching something extremely violent as long the language isn’t too filthy (PG-13 movies.) 

Why is using colorful language important to me? Because it makes your characters easier to relate to. Think about Fifty Shades of Grey, it’s hard for to me to take it seriously because of the language that the characters use, whether in dialog or their head. The main protagonist is 22 and calls her vagina “my sex.” She says “holy crap” and “double crap” way more than most adult women do. The only Latino in the books says “dios mios” almost every time he appears. (Basically, you should read Fifty Shades of Grey as “what not to do” example.) It’s all good to have a character who has a tagline, but to have them repeat the same words over and over feels cheap and lazy.

So, when you’re writing your next story or editing your current story, please look at your choice of words. Did you make sure the language made sense? Did you make productive choices? If a sentence doesn’t sound right, try changing a word or two and see if that helps.

I hope this helps you in your writing. Please let me know if you have any word choice tips or advice!

Next week’s blog will discuss getting a job that allows you to use your degree. I would like to give a shout out to my great friend, Lori, for the idea!

Change: A Story Needs It

Last week I ranted about the changes that I am currently going through and I promised to share how one could use that change in their writing.

Well, how do you use what you’re going through in your life in your writing?

1. Keep a journal. Writing about your feelings about things as you are feeling them is the best way to capture the emotions in a raw way. 
2. Use that journal to help mold your characters. It is much easier to write a realistic emotional scene if you know you how that emotion actually feels. For example, if you have ever moved and felt said about it, you will know exactly how to have your character emote that without it being over the top or unrealistic.
3. The changes in your life, no matter how small, can be used as inspiration for your story. Maybe you have a character that feels like their life is piling up on them but it feels off to have everything be a major issue. I hate it when I read stories about people who literally have every bad thing you can imagine happen to them. So, if you have a character who has gone through a series of bad things (they got into a car wreck and lost their job in the same day) using a small change could be the best way to set the character off (like their favorite snack being taken off the market or even going to. different restaurant than their usual for a birthday dinner.) I feel like making the tipping point something small makes the situation for realistic. 

Why do I feel that way? Why wouldn’t it be something major that sets a character off?

When I think about my own life, I was fine with moving and getting a new job, but it was spending a holiday (Valentine’s Day, a day I don't even care about) in our temporary living space that made me cry. With everything changing around me, I couldn’t help but long for something to stay the same. I feel like that tends to be the case with most people. Most people say that big change freaks them out when it’s really the little things that get to them. For example, moving is a big change and while it is normally not a bad thing, a lot of people hate it. I don’t think they hate it because they don’t want a change of scenery, but because of the little things that will be different (you might have to use a different grocery chain, your bedroom might be set up differently, but mostly, it’s just not the same.)

Why is using your experience with change important in your writing?

Because you have no story without change. If your character’s life is the same from beginning to end, if there is no change, no growth, then you didn’t tell a story.

I hope this helps you harness your own experiences and using them in your writing. Next week I will talk about words and why word choice is extremely important.

Why NaNoWriMo?

Why should you participate in National Novel Writing Month this November?

Well, do you want to be a writer? If the answer is yes, then NaNoWriMo is definitely for you.

The way I see it, if you want to be a writer, you have to write daily. Since, NaNoWriMo requires you to write at 50,000 words in 30 days, you will have to write every day, and while 50,000 words in 30 days sounds like a lot, it is only 1,667 words a day.

Also, since you only have 30 days to write those 50,000 words, you have no time to edit. I know, that sounds crazy right? But honestly, it is actually the best thing about National Novel Writing Month. It forces me to stop self-editing as I go and to write all of my thoughts down with reckless abandon. Normally, I write a paragraph and edit it a million times before I move on. Not only is that counter productive, it is actually crazy. Writing without editing allows me to get my story down on paper completely without forgetting things because I was too busy fixing spelling and punctuation. 

The number one reason for participating in NaNoWriMo is that at the end of November you have your first rough draft of your story. Yes, it will be extremely rough and definitely not ready to send off to publishers, but you will have a good start to what could be a great novel. When November is over, take a break and enjoy your achievement. When you're ready you  can finish the story if 50,000 words wasn't enough and you can start editing it. 

Bonus Reason: If you reach the 50,000 word goal you reason some awesome prizes, and one is typically some form a free self-publishing so you can have a copy of your novel (beware, if you want the novel published later by an actual publisher this could make an agent/publisher decline to make an offer on your story, but some companies do purchase books the were originally self-published.) For more information about the prizes please visit: The Winner's Goodies Page.

Tomorrow I will be discussing what you can and can't write during National Novel Writing Month.

Countdown to NaNoWriMo

In about 25 days National Novel Writing Month will begin and I can't wait! For those who don't know what NaNoWriMo is, please, let me explain. NaNoWriMo takes place during November, from November 1st to the 30th you are to write with reckless abandon in order to reach 50,000 words. While there are technically no rules you shouldn't write the same word 50,000 times and it is recommended to start on a whole new story, but that isn't to say you couldn't start outlining a story in advance.

Throughout the month of October I will be blogging tips and tricks for prepping for and making it through November.

If you are interested in more information about National Novel Writing Month or would like to sign up to participate (it's free and there are some cool prizes for completing) please visit: http://nanowrimo.org.

Tomorrow I will be discussing why you should commit to 30 days of craziness even if you don't think you are a writer!

Writing Prompts

Sometimes all you need is a little inspiration. These are writing prompts I have collected over the years from classes and friends. Most of the time the prompts are a couple sentences that help to get the creative vibes flowing your way. Some are just suggestions on how to start your story or an idea for a story. I hope these help!

1. A walk through the woods helps me relax and release some tension, the fact that I am dragging a body behind me should be irrelevant.

2. Write a story that starts with a word you pick out of the dictionary at random.

3. His/Her voice brings back memories of dark rooms and broken bones.

4. They sent me because I do not exist.

5. Write about a world where you can purchase bottled emotions.

6. When I said, "Whatever helps you sleep at night... I didn't mean this!"

7. At birth, everyone has the date they will die tattooed on their arms. You were supposed to die yesterday...

8. Write a scene that happens immediately after a tragedy, but never mention the tragedy.

9. I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on glass. I got up and looked out my window, there was no one outside. I heard the knocking again and turned around slowly. The knocking was coming from inside my mirror.

10. In all the time I have lived alone in this house, I swear I have closed more doors than I have opened.

11. "Hey, there is a picture of you sleeping on your phone," he said, handing me my phone. I looked at the picture, my heart dropping into my stomach. "I live alone," I whispered.

12. Write a story that takes place in 60 minutes.

13. This was the night I finally understood why people fear silence.

14. Thirty years ago, you convinced a killer not to murder you because you would "change the world". Now the killer has come back to check your progress.

15. They had been recruited when they were young and desperate.

16. Everyone is forced to wear a warning label, what does your label say?

17. Write an overly descriptive piece about your current surrounding.

18. Sooner or later, everyone leaves.

19. Listen to a song and write a short story about it.

20. "The stars are that way captain," he said, pointing at the empty sky.

I hope these help to give you all some inspiration and get your creative juices flowing!

In my next post I will have some pretty awesome visual prompts!