By:
Karen Pashley
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Traveling
the writers’ road for the first time? Rest assured, you are in good company.
Every single author whose books grace your shelves once walked the very path
you are on.
If
you’re like me, you may have days when you question the journey. You
procrastinate, get frustrated, and endure gut -wrenching rejections. Will you
continue? Will you have what it takes to shed those moments of hopelessness and
press on?
Here
are suggestions to help you avoid some of those potholes on the highway and
encourage you to make it all the way to your destination.
1.
Get Inspired
- Start your day with something that inspires you before you write a single word. I like to listen to my favorite inspirational speaker while walking on my treadmill. You might listen to your favorite songs, take your dog for a walk, or play the guitar. Paint something. Order one of those fancy cappuccinos with the heart drawn in the foam and enjoy it in the solitude of a corner booth. Whatever works for you.
- Keep a Victories Journal. Met your word count for the day? Jot it down. Received an encouraging comment on your work? Write it verbatim! Resolved a pesky plot issue? That’s worthy of a note in your journal. Keeping a list of your mini victories can be the shot in the arm you need when the world looks gray and your pages look like gibberish. Make journaling a habit, and you’ll be amazed at how many positives you’ll record
- Read
excerpts from your favorite books. Sometimes, my creativity is as rusty
as the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz. My mind squeaks, “Oil can
. . .oil . . .can ” as I stare at the computer screen, fingers at the ready, and. . .nothing .
What
to do? Eat some M&Ms? Down another cup of coffee? Give up and try again
later? I find it helps to pull out a favorite novel and immerse myself in the
prose of someone whose writing I adore. I’ll read for a bit, marveling at the
author’s vivid picture-painting, her mastery of dialog. I’ll ponder her brave
rule-breaking sentences with wide-eyed admiration, amazed that she had the
audacity to write something so captivating.
With
my creative tank refueled, I’ll thank my trusty books for coaxing me back into
my own imaginary world, where words flow without self getting in their way, and
where I again find my voice.
2.
Learn How to Network
. .
.
Read the full article HERE!
~*~
If you
missed my writing & marketing tweets and retweets yesterday, here they are
again:
- How to Create Picture Ebooks for Kids | Jane Friedman http://ow.ly/Jvmex
- Fiction University: Revision Prep: Create a Revision Plan http://ow.ly/Jvmz1
- 6 Ways You Can Prepare Yourself and Your Manuscript for Success | Live Write Thrive http://ow.ly/JvmJB
- Ten More Most Common Editing Mistakes | Self-Publishing Review http://ow.ly/Jvp4l
- What to do when the fire of your first draft has gone out - Women Writers, Women's Books http://ow.ly/Jvpdb
- The Novel with Many Narrators is a Multiheaded Beast | Beyond The Margins http://ow.ly/JvpIr
- How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book: Gathering Phase and Structuring Phase--Two Stages of Building a Book http://ow.ly/JvpPM
- Top Tips on Translations | Advice for Authors Who Self-Publish http://ow.ly/JvpZ9
- Can writing be taught? And what do writing teachers teach? | Nail Your Novel http://ow.ly/Jvq8j
- Is It Okay To Start A Sentence With A Conjunction: And, But, Or... http://ow.ly/Jvqh5
- How Badly Do You Want Success? | Molly Greene: Writer http://ow.ly/Jvqtm
- 50 Surprising Tips for Getting Attention in Mass Media - Jeffbullas's Blog http://ow.ly/JvqFe
- How to Build A Social Media Following Like Guy Kawasaki http://ow.ly/Jvr4e
- Podcast - Social Media Just for Writers http://ow.ly/Jvrxu
- How
to Create Your Guest Blogging Strategy [with a 5 step template]
: @ProBlogger http://ow.ly/JvrNN - 12 Mistakes Authors Make in Connecting with Readers - Rachelle Gardner http://ow.ly/JvrVO
- Writer Unboxed » 5 Digital Media Resources for Every Writer’s Toolbox http://ow.ly/Jvs2x
- The top 9 writing mistakes and how to fix them http://ow.ly/JvsmQ
- The Roller Coaster Of Being A Writer. Do You Ever Feel This Way? | The Creative Penn http://ow.ly/Jvsus
- Why You Need a Business Plan For Your Book (Before You Blog It) http://ow.ly/JvsES
- [Video] What’s Up At BookBaby.com? Interview with Steven Spatz — The Book Designer http://ow.ly/JvsPo
- How to Get a Truckload of Reviews on Amazon http://ow.ly/Jvt11
- Format a Book in Word: Kindle Formatting | Format Book In Word http://ow.ly/Jvtcm
- [Electric
Speed] SEO What? 3
Wasy to Better Understand Search Engine Optimization http://ow.ly/JvtmT - The eBook Author's Corner: How Do You Develop and Use a List of Your Readers? - HBS Author’s Corner STUDY http://ow.ly/JvtyT
- Cool Ways to Promote Your Facebook Event | Social Media Today http://ow.ly/JvtQt
- Why One Star Reviews Mean Less Than Nothing | The Robert D. http://ow.ly/JwEYd
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