#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.

#AuthorToolboxBlogHop: Tips from Stephen King's "On Writing"

Welcome back Author Toolbox Blog Hoppers!! This month I am sharing my favorite tips from Stephen King's wonderful book, "On Writing." If you don't already own this and/or have never read it, I definitely recommend it. Will every piece of advice work for you? Probably not, but the advice is valuable nevertheless.

1. If you want to be a writer you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.

This is so true. If you don't read, it's going to be a lot harder to write. If you don't write, why would you want to be a writer?

2. The best stories always end up being about the people rather than the event.

I agree. When stories focus to heavily on the event and not the people experiencing it, the story ends up feeling empty.

3. You should avoid the passive voice.

Yup, the passive voice is annoying. When the story is told from a passive voice, the characters lose their agency and become someone who has things done to them instead of doing things themselves.

4. The road to hell is paved with adverbs.

I agree with this when the adverb is added to a dialog tag. However, I feel like adverbs can be used wisely in dialog. 

5. Never use "emolument" when you mean "tip."

Yep, step away from the Thesaurus! I understand wanting to change up a few words here and there or if you have a character that only uses the biggest words possible. But constant use of big words in place of smaller ones that mean the same thing is tedious to read and can take the reader out of the story.

6. Description begins in the writer's imagination, but should finish in the reader's.

This is classic show-don't-tell. Yes, you have to be descriptive to an extent, but you don't want to take the reader's ability to imagine away from them.

7. If you can do it for joy, you can do it forever.

YES YES YES!! If writing makes you happy, you won't want to stop!!

Well, it's nice to be back at it. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and happy new year. I wish you all nothing but the best in the year to come!

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

Book Review: How to Hang a Witch

I have always had a love for everything Salem and witches. So, when I heard about "How to Hang a Witch" by Adriana Mather I couldn't wait to read it. Especially when I found out that Mather is related to Cotton Mather, a key member of the Salem Witch Trials.

The main protagonist, Samantha Mather, also related to Cotton Mather, and her stepmother move to Salem after her father ends up in the hospital. Her arrival in Salem means that all of the descendants of the Salem witch trials are together and brings about bad luck, pain, and even death. Sam is instantly an outcast and her only friends are the boy next door and a ghost. As the stakes get higher, Sam is determined to change the future by searching the past and with the help of her ghost friend, she discovers the truth about what happened during the witch trials.

"How to Hang a Witch" mixed the past with the present effortlessly while inserting the supernatural elements organically. Sam was relatable and so were her feelings about everything that was happening around her. I felt like her actions and reactions made sense. Mather truly locked in on what it feels like to be an outcast as a teenager. She also captured the beauty and creepiness of Salem and the witch trials.

I recommend "How to Hang a Witch" to anyone who loves stories about witches and Salem, but also to those who love reading about teenage angst and outcasts.

LIEBSTER NOMINATION!

Thank you Hoda for the Liebster nomination. Your blog is full of inspiration and amazing advice. I definitely recommend following her blog!!

The 11 questions from the nomination are:

1. If you were stranded on an island, what three books would you want to have with you?: The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
2. What’s your favourite food?: Popcorn
3. You can have dinner with one person – dead or alive – who would you choose?: This is a hard one. Honestly, President Barack Obama. I have so much respect for him. He held his head high when so many tried to tear him down. I would love to have a beer with him and to talk to him.
4. What’s your favourite travel destination and why?:  I love Table Rock Lake in Kimberling City, Missouri. It is a relaxing place that is far enough away from my home to be a get away but close enough for it to be a weekend trip. Table Rock Lake is a calm lake that is clean and family friendly. 
5. If you could be best friends with any fictional character, who would it be?: Minerva McGonagall 
6. Sweet or sour?: Sour
7. Plotter or pantser?: Plotter with a hint of pantser.
8. Give a tip for anyone struggling with writer’s block: Listen to music while taking a walk (make sure to take something to write down any ideas that come to you during the walk.)
9. Give a tip for anyone thinking about starting a blog: Just do it. I promise it will be worth it. 
10. What’s the best book you read in 2017?: The Black Witch by Laurie Forest
11. What book are you most looking forward to reading in 2017?: One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Now I’m going to pay it forward by nominating other bloggers for the Liebster Award.

Liebster Award Rules and Nominees:
Rule 1: Thank the person who nominated you for the award.
Rule 2: Answer the 11 questions the person asked you.
Rule 3: Nominate 5-11 people (comment on their blog to let them know)
Rule 4: Ask the people you have nominated 11 questions.

Below are my nominees and my questions.

1. https://lyndseyhallblog.wordpress.com 
2. http://www.lindseyfrydman.com/blog
3. https://carolienacabada.com/blog/
4. http://mcfrye.com
5. http://www.thedabbler.ca

Questions:

1. What is your favorite word and why?
2. Where is your favorite place to read/write?
3. If your blog had a playlist what song would it have to include?
4. What is the next book you plan on buying?
5. What is your favorite quote?
6. If you could hang out with one author (dead or alive) who would it be?
7. What inspired you to start writing?
8. What would you choose for your last meal?
9. If one author could critique and comment your writing, who would it be?
10. What do you most admire about yourself?
11. Where can your readers find you on social media?

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 is the Only Constant

Lately it feels like everything in my life is changing. We have recently sold our first home and are moving into a new one, but we haven't closed on the new house yet. I feel like I am in limbo in our temporary shelter, living out of a suitcase and never feeling quite right. I may have somewhere to lay my head but I feel homeless. 

I also got a new job as a Digital Marketing Assistant with a small, woman-ran company. So, I quit my part-time gig and while I should be so happy that I finally got a job that allows me to use my degree, I can't help but miss my co-workers at H&M. Some of those people are like family and it's going to suck not seeing them daily. BUT, I am happy about my new job and I love that I am helping companies reach out to their customers in an organic way (the only downside is my lack of time for writing...)

My sister is getting divorced, making holidays and family get togethers different. America is being ran by a narcissistic psycho, making me fear for the future. The QuikTrip near my work is closing and being moved down the street. In 2018 my driver's license won't be an acceptable form of ID to fly because Missouri is stupid. My kiddo will have to go to a new school district because of the move and he fears he will lose his friends. I miss our first house terribly and makes me regret the decision to move.

I just want something to stay the same in my life, even if just for a minute, but it can't. The only constant in life is change.

And how can I use my feelings about this change in my writing?? 

I'll tell you next week...

(P.S. Thanks for reading my rant about problems that aren't really problems. I don't handle big change well and writing about it helps.

Advice from Legendary Authors

These tips are exactly NaNoWriMo related but they are great tips for becoming a writer in general. I hope you find them helpful.

"It's doubtful that anyone with an internet connection at his workplace is writing good fiction." — Jonathan Franzen

"Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass." – Anton Chekhov

"Fiction that isn't an author's personal adventure into the frightening or the unknown isn't worth writing for anything but money." — Jonathan Franzen

"Remember: when people tell you something's wrong or doesn't work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong." — Neil Gaiman

“The first draft of everything is shit.” -Ernest Hemingway

“Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout with some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.” — George Orwell

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time — or the tools — to write. Simple as that.” – Stephen King

“If writing seems hard, it’s because it is hard. It’s one of the hardest things people do.” – William Zinsser

“Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you’ve been to college.” – Kurt Vonnegut

“Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” – Mark Twain

“Don’t take anyone’s writing advice too seriously.” – Lev Grossman

“Start telling the stories that only you can tell, because there’ll always be better writers than you and there’ll always be smarter writers than you. There will always be people who are much better at doing this or doing that – but you are the only you.” ― Neil Gaiman

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.” ― Maya Angelou

Notecard Piece

Sometimes it is a good thing to limit the amount of space and words your use in a story. I used a 3x5 notecard to write a story and I'm going to share it with you. Using the small space helps the writer to put the most important information down and to leave the fluff behind.

Here is my notecard story, I hope you enjoy it... (maybe not the content but the writing)

Waste by Vanessa Scott

     I woke up on the bathroom floor; the tears still fresh on my cheeks, the smell of blood and vomit still lingering in the air. I got myself up slowly, using the sink to steady myself. After regaining what felt like balance I stepped into the shower, fully clothed, and turned on the scalding hot water.

     I wanted to burn the previous night off of my skin. After a few moments I yanked off my soaked clothes and tossed them over the shower curtain. Even with the hot water I got chills. I scrubbed and dug into my skin without looking down, I didn’t want nor did I need to see the damage. I didn’t need a visual reminder of the pain and embarrassment. I tried hard not to think about the previous night, but I couldn’t help myself.

     “What a waste, what a fucking waste, I’m never going to get clean,” I whispered to myself and to the water that wouldn’t erase anything. I slammed the faucet off and got out of the shower. As I reached for the towel on the rack I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I didn’t recognize the person looking back at me. The weird shade of purple on the apple of her cheek and the haunted eyes, I looked broken. I was broken. I stepped toward the mirror and without a second thought I punched it. As the glass shattered and fell to the floor, so did I. 

How to Write a "Novel" in 30 Days

How to Write a "Novel" in 30 Days

Why "novel"? A novel is typically more than 50,000 words. Also, even when November is over, there is a good chance you will continue to finish your writing after the 30 days are up. Use the 30 days to get a start on your novel.

1. WRITE! To be a writer one must write. With NaNoWriMo you have to write everyday to reach your goal. Write, write, write. Write until your finger bleed and your head bursts! Just fucking write!

2. During the event, DO NOT EDIT! This is the one time when run on sentences, misspelled words, and forgot punctuation is accepted. 

3. Some say December is for editing, I say hold of until January. Sometimes, in order to better edit yourself, you need to take so time away from your story. I mean, you did just spend 30 straight days with it.

4. DO NOT send your draft to an agent immediately. Agents and editors tend to hate NaNoWriMo because they receive so many half-assed novels in the months following. Please, edit your piece thoroughly, look over it ten million times, and only send it in when you are ready to fight for it.

5. Break the rules. NaNoWriMo's website has a list of rules. Its supposed to be fiction and nothing you have worked on before. I say do what you want. If you want to write ten short stories, do it. If you have been working on the story already, finish it. As with every rule of writing, break them all!!

6. November sucks. It is only 30 days and it begins the winter holidays. It is the hardest month in which to get shit done. But, if you can survive it, writing may just be what you were meant to do.

7. If you do reach your goal, please celebrate loudly and happily! Just remember, you will still have work to do and that it isn't really over until you finish that novel.

8. If you don't reach your goal, please celebrate loudly and happily. Why? Because you wrote something. You don't have to stop just because November is over. You didn't 50,000 words, so what? November is a hard month. You did something amazing.

9. Discipline. You have to want it. You have to need it. You have to sit your ass down and write every fucking day. Even if it's just a sentence, do it. Again, write, write, write!

I hope these tips help a little. There will be more, I promise. 

My next post will showcase some authors who participated it NaNoWriMo and published their novel!

Awesome Yet Sadly Underused Words

Here is a list of words that need to be incorporated more into daily life and literature!

Bibulous: excessively fond of alcohol
Cantankerous: cranky
Concupiscence: horniness
Desuetude: A state of obsolescence
Disingenuous: insincere
Festoon: To adorn or decorate
Fulsome:Insincere to the point of being grating
Futz: to fool around
Gallivant: to roam joyfully
Lubricious: Arousing sexual desire
Maladroit: Tactless or clumsy
Malfeasance: Wrongdoing
Mercurial: Fickle or erratic (unless we're talking 50 Shades of Grey, then it is overused.)
Numinous: Awe-inspiring
Panoply: An impressive array
Quash: To suppress
Skulduggery: Underhanded behavior
Susurrus: A whisper or murmur
Vituperative: Bitter or abrasive

Now, go futz with these words and gallivant with them!!