Writer's Defensive Line.

What do I write? Where do I go from here? Who ARE these people in my head?

Every now and then I face the well known opponent, Writer's Block.  And once in a great while, it's not just a block, it's an entire defensive line, keeping me from driving forward and making that first down.  Thats when I turn to my own offensive line to get the creative juices  flowing. Sometimes the difficulty is knowing which play to draw from my playbook.  This morning, I'm in the huddle, trying to pull out the play that will punch through those blockers, so I thought I would share some ideas for pushing farther down the field.

1. Don't take a knee: Just write.  No matter how bad the metaphors, how unorganized the line, or how big the gap in the score. Case in point, this blog!

2. Try a new/trick play: Find a site for writing prompts and just spend some time writing about something new. A short story, a description, an idea. Anything different that can get you're creative juices flowing again, then reapproach it. You may not have solved the problem but maybe you can come back to it with more confidence and energy.

3. Halftime Huddle: Talk to friends, critique partners, or anyone you find helpful. When you're behind and discouraged, sometimes you just need someone to remind you why you are putting yourself through this and give you a peptalk to get you through the end of the game. Sometimes just talking to yourself, out loud, is all you may need.

4. Warm up: Get out of that seat, take a walk, take a shower,  work out. Do something that invigorates your body and settles your mind.

5. Kick a Field Goal: Work on something else. A query letter, synopsis, another chapter... anything that gives you forward momentum.

6. Play street ball: When you find yourself stifled by your routine, change it up. Take your writing somewhere else- the park, the mall, any place that will help you find a new focus.

7. Take a time out to talk to the coach:  Utilize wisdom from other books, blogs, websites.

This morning I began reading "No More Rejections. 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript that Sells."
I'm not tackling the entire book at the moment, just started with the first chapter which happened to talk about the difference between an idea and a story.  I've been doing alot of brainstorming about ideas, but realized, none of them had become a story yet. And THAT, my friends, is where my trouble began this morning. I have been working on an idea, but didn't take the time to develop the idea into a story before writing.  I had no idea where to go with it because I hadn't really delved into who my characters are, why they do the things they do, what their weaknesses and strengths are, what they want in life. You get the idea.

When writer's block comes to play, tighten your offensive line, use all your players, and punch through until you finally score that touchdown.

Now I promise, no more football analogies for at least 6 months!

"After the War" - a different kind of story

Over the weekend I sat and reviewed some upcoming contest deadline. I came across a contest that I couldn't pass up. An excuse to try my hand at a short story. So with Monday being my busiest day of the week, I figured I'd share it. It reminds me that no matter how bleak the situation may be, never give up on finding love.


After the War


Kady stood atop the gentle slope, shotgun slung over her shoulder, looking over her sprawling garden and admired her handiwork. There were no neighbors left since the War of 2012. Sadly, she realized that she liked it that way. No one to 
fight with, no one to worry about. The only problem was, now she grew more food than she could eat and there was no one to share it with.

She reflected on the day everything had changed. Her choice to purchase and move onto her own land could not have been more timely. Moving day also marked the beginning of the end of life as she'd known it. The day gas reached five dollars a gallon. The day pandemonium broke out in the streets. The day she became 
completely self sufficient, if not nearly alone. The months leading up to moving day Kady had purchased a library of how-to 
books, learned to do and make everything possible with very limited supplies.

She'd seen it coming, even as her friends, family, and neighbors had called her a lunatic conspiracy theorist. No one had wanted to believe what was really going to happen. The more she tried to raise the alarm, the more the people she loved pulled way from her. They were all gone now, taken by illness, starvation, 
and serious injury.

She missed her children the most, though her longing for male companionship ran a close second. She couldn't even remember how long it had been since she'd shared her bed. Eight years? Ten maybe? Shaking her head, she tried to knock loose the image in her mind. The more time passed, the more she thought about 
what she missed.

Maybe those that died quickly had been the lucky ones. Sure, she had prepared for survival, but within the first three years she'd buried every family member and friend she had left, read every book she owned,twice, and lost the use of her solar powered generator. Not that it mattered, since there were no new books 
to read. She lit a candle for her minimal needs and generally went to bed when the sun went down. 


She gazed down at the healthy, colorful garden, and marveled at the clearness of the sky, the beauty of her food growing. Before the war, she'd wasted all of her garden space on flowers. Sure, they were pretty, but they really served no purpose. The flowering plants that produced her food were far more beautiful to her now.


Movement from the trees below startled her from her reverie.


"Who's there?"


"I mean no harm," came the voice of a man.

Kady watched closely, searching the woods for other signs of movement that may signify an ambush. It wouldn't be the first. "You alone?"

"Yes, ma'am. I travel alone. I was hopin' you might be willing to allow me to work for a meal."


"Come out where I can see you."  She'd heard spending too much time alone could cause hallucinations. After all of these years, was she finally losing her mind?


She watched as the man came out of the trees fifty yards from her, his arms reaching toward the sky in surrender.

"Well, come on up this way. I'm not gonna shoot you for christsake."


"A man never knows," he laughed, drawing closer. "I'm Charlie. From New York."


"City?"


"Yes, ma'am." 

The sounds of another human voice left her feeling disoriented. "Lucky to be alive, I'm thinkin'. I'm Kadence, from right here in Oklahoma. What brings you so far from the city."

"Well, the cities were dangerous, and the military had everyone locked down. People were dying of communicable diseases and they wouldn't let us out. I was lucky to escape with my wife and daughter, but they died a month later from what I think must have been pneumonia."

They stood and sized each other up. Kady decided he might have been a handsome man before he'd lost so much weight. He appeared about her age. "I'm sorry for your loss. 

"Thank you."

"So what did you do in the mundane world, Charlie?"

"I was an electrical engineer. Not that it does me much good now."

Kady's heart flipped. Maybe life could still be worth living. Maybe there was a God still looking down on them.

"Charlie, I do believe we could be benefit each other," she smiled and turned to lead him to the house. "Now lets go put some food in that belly of yours."

Never give up

I am beginning to learn that the most important part of writing is to never give up.

After six years of starting the process, then setting it down, my book is still a work in progress (WIP). Yet every time I reapproach it, I feel more ready to complete it. I used to see my lack of follow through as a failure. Now I'm learning that by not giving up I can never fail.  Each attempt to complete my novel has brought with it new knowledge and inspiration.

So what is different this time. Why do I feel this is the attempt that will end in a Harlequin submission? What am I doing differently? The list is short, but has made a world of difference for me.

1. Joining RWA- Just the realization that I have put out that much money for a membership is a motivator for me. It may not be for everyone, but when I shell out the money, I want my money to yield something.

2. Contests- I am finding that contests help me set deadlines, work on aspects of my book that I previously neglected, and get myself out there.  For instance I am currently preparing my query letter for the Query Quandry Contest sponsored by the NHRWA. This entry is due March 1st.  Would I have started working on my query letter before my book was finished without this contest? Absolutely not! But in writing the query, it helped me to define my book, and therefore condense my story into a more active voice.
I'm also preparing my first chapter for one of several contests due March 15th.  All are basically first chapter entries. But when I read my chapter, realizing that it needed to stand alone, I didn't like it anymore. The contest pushed me to condense the chapter further, causing me to merge the first two chapters into one and making it a far more entertaining read.

3. Critique groups- Whether local or online, these groups are a must.  To see your writing through someone else's eyes is priceless. And by critiqueing anothers work, you learn to view your own with a more critical eye. I haven't found the group I am looking for... yet, but I'm working on that now.  I just wanted to be sure that I would get into a routine again before I let someone else down.

4. Write every day-  It's a no brainer, but often times our daily lives take precedence over our hobbies. Children, jobs, whatever the distraction, make time to write every day. It may only be a paragraph in a journal or blog, a one page edit on a current piece, or just some brainstorming for a new story idea. Just keep those juices flowing.

5. Read- When you just can't seem to find your voice and frustration takes over, slow down and read for pleasure. Not only are you keeping in touch with your targeted publisher, you are also remembering why you wanted to do this in the first place and refreshing your mind. Sometimes it may even spark an idea that breaks through your writers block.

6. Study - And dont forget to learn something new.  I have resolved to look at or revisit an aspect of writing each week. Anything from punctuation, POV, query letters, character development.... whatever catches my interest or helps with a  current problem. Find articles or chapters that expressly relate to that subject.  And then try to apply it to my writing on a daily basis.

There are so many things you can do to improve  your writing and get that book finished. Everyone has their own routines and schedules, but the  most important thing is NEVER GIVE UP!  Happy Writing!