- Lots of red pens.
- Highlighters, in a rainbow of color. I’m not surprised that the ones I bought during back to school are all gone. The monsters took them
- Chocolate, again.
- I bought a french press! Just another way to make a copious amount of coffee, which I’ll be needing.
- Some really good sharp cheese, to keep my energy up.
- Some VOD movie vouchers, so I can edit while the monsters watch movies.
- index cards, for when I have to rip my outline apart and start over. Again.
- A pillow for my desk chair. My hard, unyielding, desk chair.
- A playstore gift card for loud music. (It helps me think)
- Asprin, for headaches and wrist aches.
- Lots of trips to the printers, which will also mean lots of stops by the coffee shop.
- A large bottle of red wine, to celebrate finally (hopefully) finishing Broken Patterns!
Why Do We Want Horror Stories?
Now, I’m going to talk about something that has been gone over at great length by Stephen King. I learned a lot about writing and appreciating the horror genre by reading Danse Macabre, On Writing, and the intro to his short story collection, Graveyard Shift. I would highly advise anyone who wants to write horror to read all three. That being said, I’m going to try to say something that Mr. King hasn’t already. Since brevity isn’t his thing, this may be hard.
I am a grown woman. I pay taxes, have a good job, raise two kids and have a loving marriage. All indications that I am a responsible adult who should know better than to do certain stupid things.
But I am also a stupid fourteen year old girl. Here’s an example.
Before I go to sleep every night, I like to lay in bed and read things on Pintrest. I don’t want to get back up after, so I do this in the dark. This is all fine and dandy when I’m reading articles about plot, homeschooling, making pickled eggs, looking at cat pictures, reading comics or being ‘inspired’ by all the lovely quotes.
It becomes a problem when I find a post titled “The Creepiest Chat Session I’ve Ever Seen.” Now, I was actually reading funny posts, so I thought there was a joke at the end. Spoiler, there wasn’t. Now, just to make matters worse, here’s some things you should know about my house.
- I have a dark colored cat, you’ve seen pictures.
- My new house is creaky, and I’m still adjusting to the fact that we are the only ones in the building, so if there are noises in the basement, it’s not our downstairs neighbor.
- The closet in my bedroom has a built in crevice, that has a swinging door. Perfect for Christmas gifts and creatures who want to rip out my guts and show them to me before I die.
- The way my bed is positioned, my head is three feet from said scary ass closet.
And there I am, reading the creepy boards. (If you want to read this post, btw, it’s on my Pintrest board, random.)
Why the hell did I do this to myself? I’m aware that stuff like this keeps me up at night. But I did it anyway. I know I’m not the only one. There’s a reason why “When you see it,” is all over the internet.
So why do we want to scare the hell out of ourselves?
It makes us feel young
When I talked about being scared in the night, I likened myself to a fourteen year old. That’s not an unusual analogy. When we’re kids, everything scares us. There is nothing not scary about being a kid. What’s that spider? Will I die if it bites me? I don’t know, so I should probably stay away. What’s that creaking in the basement? Who is that person walking very close to me? Do they mean me harm? Where’s my dad, I can’t see him in this crowd!
Being scared as a child, until you learn better how to deal with the world around you, makes perfect sense. Scared keeps you safe, after all.
As we get older, though, we aren’t scared so easy. We become jaded. There is nothing that really scares us anymore, because we think we’ve seen it all. Then something scares us, and we feel young again.
Fear goes hand in hand with curiosity
This one is pretty simple. Things that are scary are also fascinating. We want to know about them, because they’re new. Humans have this need to know things we don’t know. It’s something that I, and The Doctor, love about us. Zombies scare us, but they also sort of facinate us. Because it’s something new. We are curious.
Horror stories have heroes
Lots of people die in horror stories. But usually one or two make it out okay. I think that’s really comforting, don’t you? If that chick can get through a whole movie with a chainsaw wielding murderer chasing after her, I can probably get through whatever is going on in my life.
More than that, though, the hero in a horror story is often doing something selfless, something brave and stupid that risks their own lives to save others. Horror story heroes are braver, I think, than other heroes. An adventure hero is usually a marine, or a firefighter, and they’re saving people from natural disasters and bad guys with guns. A horror story hero is usually a regular person who happened to stumble on a nightmare situation, like a mist that spawns terrifying monsters. But there they are, acting all heroic. It’s inspiring. I wouldn’t do it, by the way. If zombies come to my town, I am getting my monsters and getting the hell out of dodge. But it’s still inspiring.
Horror stories reinforce our moralities
A couple weeks ago we talked about the ‘rules for surviving a scary movie,’ as seen on Scream. The later ones varied, but the first movie’s rules were pretty moralistically upstanding. 1. Don’t drink or do drugs, 2. Don’t have sex. 3. Don’t say “I’ll be right back.”
Now, the last one’s just common sense. It’s right there with, ‘don’t ever say what a good thing it is that the weather’s nice,’ and everything else Newton has ever said. But the first two are absolutely based on a moral standpoint that I think we would all like our teenagers to have. It’s a moral code that a lot of people hold themselves to, avoiding ‘vices’ like casual sex and booze. I think that anyone who is working so hard to repress a desire for such things would appreciate seeing those who indulge in them get chainsawed. Horror stories tell us that we are right to stay on this side of the moral line.
Horror stories make us feel better about our lives
Well, maybe this one is just me. But when I watch The Walking Dead, I have a hard time complaining about my day job. I read Misery, and it puts my sad life into focus.
The horror story, basically, is a chance for us to see the real, honest to goodness, worst case scenario. It is never going to be worse than zombies. It’s never going to be worse than a demon house that wants to eat you. It’s never going to be worse than a town full of men who are replacing their wives with machines.
And yet, as I mentioned earlier, the characters of a horror story not only survive their terrifying experiences, they often find a better, braver part of themselves that they didn’t know they had.
In short, as strange as it might sound, horror stories give us hope that in the end, everything is going to be okay. Just so long as we’re the main character, that is.
And so long as you keep your closet door closed, and stick to cat pictures late at night.
A Writers Horror, Depression
Writers are weird. We all know this. We voluntarily lock ourselves in rooms and write made up stuff. We are weird.
Statistically speaking, we are also often depressed.
I found out recently that, in addition to being an introvert, I suffer from depression. That puts me on the list with Stephen King, Mark Twain, JK Rowling, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sylvia Plath (guess everyone knew that one), and Ann Rice. It probably also puts me on the same list as some of you.
I’m not going to go into signs and symptoms of depression. There are lots of sites for that. If you’re worried that you might be suffering, here is a link to a site that can help.
What I am going to talk about, is what we can do about depression. I also want to talk about what you should do if you’re not depressed, but you have a loved one who is.
What can you do to help yourself if you’re depressed?
- First thing, get help. Find a doctor, get diagnosed, and get the facts right away. I put this off for longer than I should have, telling myself I was just tired. The problem is, just tired turns into I’m always tired. That turns into, maybe I’m just lazy. Then it’s ‘what’s the matter with me? Why can’t I just get it together and handle myself?’ Once I was able to understand that this wasn’t just me being unable to adult properly, I was able to make better, healthier decisions.
- Understand your triggers. For me, I can only stand talking to people face to face for so long. It takes energy away from me. I also can’t stand being alone for too long, or going too long without writing. Seriously, if I go too many days in a row without writing something, it puts me in a very dark place, emotionally. Clutter and mess also do this to me.
- Learn what can help you when you’re already depressed. Like a shower, or a long journal session. I’ve found listing reasons to be happy helps, if I’m not too far gone. I also pin animal videos on Pintrest, because they always make me smile, at least a little bit. Stuffed animals and origami help me, too.
- Learn what long term habits can help you. For instance, I’ve found that if I don’t think I look nice, I’m more likely to get depressed. So I don’t own anything I don’t like how I look in. I am super low maintenance with my make up, but a little grey eyeliner makes me feel better about my face. I also know that I feel light years better if I’ve accomplished something. So I plant little goals in among my big goals, for a boost when I need it. Healthy eating also helps me feel overall happier.
- Do not indulge in depressants when you’re not well. You all know I appreciate a glass of wine in the evening. And while I don’t enjoy the ‘Colorado experience’ myself, I’ll not judge. But I do not have a drink if I’m having a not healthy day, mentally. Because I know it won’t help, and with my family history, can lead to a serious addiction. And do I really need to go into the list of creatives who have died from drug overdoses? No, I bet I don’t.
- Build a support system. My husband is mine, but I’ve got some loving friends that I can call up too. You need people around you who don’t judge, but who can also help you make healthy choices.
- Have a pet. My cat Harper seems to know when I’m having a not good day, and she’s extra cuddly.
- Trust yourself. If you think you should call in sick, do it. If you think you’re feeling overwhelmed and need to exit a situation, do it. If you need to just be alone for awhile, make it happen. If you listen to yourself, you’ll know what you need.
Living with depression is kind of like living with a little bracelet on each wrist, that over the course of the day gets heavier and heavier, until you can’t move your hands or arms at all. Living with depression is like someone suddenly setting off a smoke bomb with no given warning. Living with depression is like someone else has the power to make it a rainy day when before there was nothing but blue skies.
Living with someone who has depression is hard on a whole different level. If you’ve got a spouse or child who suffers from it, here are some things you should keep in mind.
- It’s emotionally hard! Please, consider having a therapist yourself, or risk falling right down the dark hole with us. You know that old adage about putting your own oxygen mask on first? Remember that! Full disclosure, I have depression, but it’s mild. It’s incredibly mild compared to my husband. I spent a long time ignoring my own symptoms, and my own emotional well being, because I wanted to take care of him. That just meant I was in no fit state for anything, and failed him when he needed me the most, because I’d broken down inside mentally.
- Being depressed is like being physically sick. Don’t get mad at us, we can’t help this anymore than someone with the flu can.
- Know the difference between an annoying habit related to depression, and a dangerous one. My annoying depressing habit, spending three hours in the only bathroom in the house, soaking. My dangerous depressing habit, spending money we don’t have on worthless junk that doesn’t even make me happy and just lowers my self worth further, thereby making me feel worse for having wasted my family’s resources. Pick your battles, is what I’m saying.
- Make them go to the doctor when they’re supposed to. Make them take their medicine.
- Don’t take behavior that makes you feel bad. Yes, depression is hard, but there is nothing that excuses abusive behavior, either verbal or physical. Don’t use, ‘she’s depressed,’ as a reason it’s okay for your wife to say hurtful things to you.
Listen, the point is that I want all of you to live long, happy lives creating. I want the same thing for myself. Take care of yourselves. Stay clean, stay healthy. We don’t need anymore creatives to drink themselves to death, or committing suicide.
Finally, here’s a list of writing exercises that can help fight depression.
- Journal every day. It tracks your moods, and can help you see patterns in your behavior.
- List reasons you have to be happy.
- List all the reasons you’re sad, and then try to think of things you can do to fix them.
- Free write, about anything. Maybe, if there’s something that’s really bothering you, it will come out.
- Make a list of things that can make you feel better. Keep it near, for when depression strikes.
- Write about your depression, and if you can, be open about it. You’ll never know if you’re the person to tell another writer that it’s okay to feel this way, and it doesn’t make us bad people.
And that is the lesson I’d like to leave you all with. Depression is not a failing, it’s not a thing that makes us bad or weak. It’s a chemical imbalance, or it’s flat out PTSD from something dark or horrendous that happened to us. Either way, we are not to blame for our depression, and we should not feel ashamed because of it.
Words Change Worlds, The Plight of Rottewilers
As promised, welcome to a new monthly column here on Paper Beats World, called Words Change Worlds.
This column is dedicated to charities and causes that we, as writers, can help with. It’s based on the theory that we can make a difference in our world, as writers.
This month, I’d like to talk to you about dogs. Pitbulls and rottweilers to be specific.
I’m sure you’ve heard the stories, and know something of the controversy. Rotties and pits are thought to be vicious dogs far more likely to bite and injure people.
But it isn’t true. The truth of the matter is much darker than that. The truth is that this myth of the dangerous dog breed has lead to countless cases of death and abuse for these dogs.
In the past, rotties and pits were bred to be guard dogs, much like german shepherds. The shepherd, however, has obtained a great reputation. Recently, pitts have been used in cage fighting, banned in 13 states, and generally treated as a dangerous breed.
What these dogs need are advocats. They need people to say a dog is a dog, and it is the owners and breeders who train them to attack who should be punished. They need to be treated with love.
The plight of pit bulls and rottweilers is dark. In addition to being banned in many states, owning one of those dogs can be dangerous for the owners.
- Owning a pit or rottie can raise your homeowners insurance.
- You are more likely to be in danger of a lawsuit when you own a pit bull.
- You will run the risk of your dog being accused of attacks. And if your dog does bark, or become territorial about your yard, you are very likely to lose your pet, even if no one was harmed.
- In many cases, owning a pit or a rottie will limit the places you have to live. It’s already to the point where owning a cat or dog can greatly restrict your rental options. Even pet friendly places might not be keen on these breeds.
Oh, and let’s not forget the worst case scenarios for these animals. Most shelters who still have kill policies will prioritize the breeds they kill, and remove the pits and rotties first. Now, I have mixed feelings about kill or no kill shelters to start with. But when you throw in killing an animal for its breed, I have no mixed feeling at all. It’s just wrong.
Of course, being humanely put down is preferable to being tossed into a gage being forced to fight each other. Let’s not forget that the whole image of the vicious breed is promoted by illegal fighting rings.
So what can you do, to help protect the pits and rotties? Here’s some things you can do.
- If you live in a state that bans pit bulls and rottweilers, write to your congressman and representatives.
- Write your local ASPCA, encouraging them to ban the killing of pit bulls and rottweilers.
- If you can, please post something on your own blog about the plight of pit bulls and rottweilers. They need us.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed this first issue of Words Change Worlds. If you have any suggestions for charities or causes that you’d like to see spotlighted, let me know at nicolecluttrell86@Gmail.com
In Defense Of Swearwords
If any of you were to meet me on the street, or in a professional setting of any kind, you would never be able to guess this, but I have a really dirty mouth. I’m fond of saying that my monsters got their advanced vocabularies from me. That includes some four letter words we try not to say in front of Grandma anymore. Unless the Steelers are playing, then we are reminded that my mother in law was actually a sailor.
I cannot stand to hear someone say that swearwords show a level of ignorance in a person. I am an intelligent, professional person with a wide vocabulary who sometimes thinks that fuck is the right word for the given situation.
I’m not here to tell you that you should start swearing in your everyday life. I’ve found that swearing is like smoking; people who do it are offended by people who don’t, and people who don’t are grossed out by people who do. I don’t smoke, though, that’s disgusting.
I am, however, here to make the point that maybe your characters should swear. Here’s why.
It’s honest
It is not realistic for every one of your characters to have clean mouths all of the time, because that’s not how the world works. It’s full of people swearing at other drivers, their spouses, their bosses, strangers on the bus. Not everyone swears, and not everyone swears all the time. But lots of people do, and if none of your characters do, it’s not going to feel as real.
It tells us about your character
Whether or not someone choses to swear does tell us things about that person. But you can do so much more with it than that. When someone chooses to swear is often far more telling. For instance, someone who swears but has the good sense to not do it in front of the boss is a far different person than the one who doesn’t. Likewise, the character that never swears, but then tells someone to go f*%& themselves is telling us a lot.
It can help set a scene
If you have a scene in church, or an office, or a child’s birthday party, there isn’t going to be a lot of swearing. But there are a lot of places that can be more flexible. Take, for instance, an ER. If your mc is walking into the ER and she hears “Son of a bitch!” well, you know it’s an ER with a problem. People don’t generally swear for mellow, pastel feelings. I always say that it’s a strong word to convey a strong emotion. Use that.
Our language is so versatile. It’s colorful, it can be very subtle or very direct. Don’t limit yourself by declaring certain words out of bounds.
Book Review, Nightblade
A few months ago, I started reading indie books to review. I really love the whole concept, you know? Self publishing, being like an indie band, selling copies of books out of our trunks. Still flat broke but with some die hard fans. I mean, how cool would that be?
For the longest time, I’ve wanted to start posting reviews of books I read. Lots of things have prevented that. Time constraints were a big issue, of course. I just don’t have enough time to read as much as I want. And I read a lot that isn’t indie, of course.
Then there were the books themselves. I really didn’t want to write a review of an indie book that I really hated. That seemed cruel.
But then! I just finished an indie book that I truly enjoyed. Then I read some traditionally published stories that I wanted to share with you all, too. So I’m going to start reviewing books on Paper Beats World. My hope is that I’ll be able to do two a month, and I really hope a lot of them will be indie books. But I make no promises.
Anyway, the indie book that changed my mind is called NightBlade, by Garrett Robinson. It is the subject of Paper Beats World’s very first book review.
This was a really fast paced fantasy story about a girl named Loren. She’s a pretty miserable young woman. Her parents are horrible to her, seeing her only for what she can do for them. But she’s got little more than a fantasy of being a thief to sustain her until a mage stumbles into her village, tailed by lawmen.
Now,the book isn’t without it’s flaws. The secondary characters like the father and village boy who’s in love with Lauren are pretty one dimensional. Other characters, like Lauren herself, aren’t though. While I do question her desire to actually run off with some stranger, she’s interesting.
All in all, I liked Nightblade. It was a fun read, even if it didn’t do more than that.
Said Is Not Dead!
I’ve been seeing this phrase around the internet recently, and I’ve got to tell you, it’s pissing me off. “Said is dead.” Have you seen this? I really hope that it’s just a trend, and it dies a merciless death soon.
Said is a simple word. He said, she said, they said. I like simple words when I’m writing, and I’m not alone. Steven King and I might not agree on outlines or how many sex scenes a horror story needs, but we do agree on this. At least according to his book On Writing, which should be on every indie author’s reading list.
I understand that there are a lot of reasons people want to use more complex words, especially in transition. You might think they’re boring, or that maybe your line of dialog wasn’t clear, so it needs a little help. Maybe you just want to show off how smart you are. Here, though, are five reasons why you should reconsider.
You should always use the right word for the situation
For example, the word very. (This is about all simple words, not just said) I hate the word very when used in description. The sun was not very bright. It was blistering, it was sparkling. He had never seen a brighter sun. The writer who uses very in description is being lazy. They are half assing it.
But, your characters should be free to use very whenever they please, so long as the dialog rings true for them. If “the sun is very bright today,” sounds like what your character would say, then let her say it. The same goes for any simple word.
If a simple word will do, it’s probably best to just use it
Especially if it was the first word that came to mind. That is most likely to be the most natural, and most comfortable word. Which means that it’s less likely to jar the reader. If I read a line with the word pejorative, for instance, that’s jarring. I know what it means, but negative would have worked just as well. Now I’ve got the chant from that Simpson’s episode where Homer is accused of pinching the baby sitter’s bottom because she had candy stuck to her. Totally great episode, but now I’m not thinking about your story anymore. Complex words, when not needed, confuse laymen and distract word nerds.
Using complex words doesn’t mean you’re talking down to your readers
The New York Times is written to a fifth grade reading level. Let’s just start with that. So if such a well known big name newspaper is aiming there, you shouldn’t feel bad at all about writing to a similar level. But always remember that simple words do not equal a simple thought. Think of Steinbeck, author of such books as Of Mice And Men and Grapes Of Wrath. Do you consider those books condescending? Me either, yet the language is the very simplest.
If you’re writing for kids, don’t listen to me
I have a pretty impressive vocabulary, because I watch Simpsons and read Calvin and Hobbs. I am not making that up. My monsters are even better than I was at their age, because they read Calvin and Hobbs and Series of Unfortunate Events. I love children writers who use great stories to teach difficult words.
I, however, am not writing for kids, so I really do not care to expand my audience’s vocabulary. I would settle for teaching people to use the words they already know better.
Finally, the number one reason to use simple words
Your job as a fiction writer is to tell a story. Your job as a non fiction writer is to convey information in an entertaining way. Whatever words you chose should help you do that, not distract from it. Just use said, and tell the damn story.
My Goal has Been To Entertain
So, today is a pretty important anniversary. Paper Beats World is officially, today, a year old.
Honestly, a year ago I didn’t have any faith in my ability to get this far. Full disclosure, this is not my first blog.
When I was a high school kid I started a political blog, like I had any idea what the hell I was talking about. I kept it up for about a month, and had one follower that I think must have followed literally every political blog on the internet. This was the early 2000’s, so it was possible.
About two years ago, I started a blog called Mad Mod Moms, a blog dedicated to modern mothers. I blogged under the pen name Mad Hat Mom, shortened to MHM on all of my posts, and worked with my real life best friend who is also a career mom like me. That didn’t last. Neither of us had the time, really, and neither of us really wanted to write about parenting that much. Maybe we would have stuck with it if we’d had any followers, but no one, it seemed, cared to hear what the Mad Mod Moms had to say.
So it was with great fear that I started Paper Beats World. I don’t know that I would have if not for that fateful phrase my little monster said to me, over a year ago now. For those of you who haven’t yet read my very first post, “I am a writer,” this is what she said. “I want to write when I grow up, like as a hobby, like you.” Thus began my year long tirade against stamp collectors.
I started because I wanted to not only make myself feel like more of a writer, but also help and inspire others to feel like writers too.
I kept going because of you.
Right from the start, you have all been so amazing, all of you who read me. You like my posts, comment, follow me on social media. I hope that you’re getting something good from Paper Beats World, for all the good that you have poured into my life.
Over the past year, I have learned so much. Today, I want to share what I’ve learned with you.
People do not like it when I change themes too often.
I notice a dramatic drop anytime I change the theme of Paper Beats World. Like crash and burn drop, for at least a week. So I try to avoid it. Besides, I like the theme I use now. It showcases the posts, and that’s what you guys are here for. I hope.
Free programs help
When I used to look at other people’s blogs, I’d get so jealous of their graphics. I was sure they must have some intense software or mad art skills to pull that off. I was also sure that I would never have a way to make those. And newsletters? No, no way, not going to happen. Those sorts of things were for writers with way more time/money/friends with computer graphics degrees. But then I discovered Canva and Mailchimp. With them I, for free, make super awesome graphics and put together a really neat newsletter. It’s just amazing what’s available to use out there.
Schedule Everything!
Because life happens. As I am very fond of saying, we don’t write in a bubble. I have, multiple times now, run into emergency situations that prevented me from posting. But I didn’t miss a beat, because I had already posted everything for the week. Now with Buffer I can do that with Twitter and Facebook. I love it.
People in countries will read me
Hello, everyone in Russia, Australia and all the other super cool countries that read me! You are a constant surprise and an endless source of joy. It reminds me every day that I am a citizen of planet Earth, not just America. I love you guys.
No one is going to click on ads on my site, and I don’t care at all
I really don’t. My first collection of short stories will be done soon, and that’s what I want to do to make money. Not selling adspace.
One person can make my whole life light up
Some days, I get a like on a post. Some days, I get a retweet, or a like on Facebook. And some days, I really need that. So thanks, guys. Thanks for this past year, and here’s to many more to come.
Stay tuned.
What to Do When You’re Stuck
What do you do when the ideas don’t come? When you stare at a blank page, and there is nothing inside your heart or your brain to put on it? This is something that every writer must face at least sometimes.
What’s worse, for me at least, is when I’m looking at a story, and I just have no idea what to do with it. The parts that are there are good, they are so good! But they don’t click together, they don’t make sense, they don’t mesh. I hate that so much more.
One way or another, if you’re stuck, you’ve got to get unstuck. I can think of nothing worse. It’s like all the color goes right out of my life. Now, I know there are a lot of home remedies for curing writers block. It’s kind of like hiccups, everyone’s got their own weird thing that works for them. (Mine’s sugar, pured right on the tip of my toung, then drunk down with warm water.) So I’m going to try to avoid the cliches like go take a walk or wash your hands. Not that those things don’t work, I just bet you’ve probably heard them enough. In fact, if your like me, the next person who tells you to take a walk while suffering writers block is likely to get knocked in the jaw.
Read through your idea book
That’s always my step one, and why I have an idea book to start with. I don’t need to think of something new, I’ve already thought of a whole little purple moleskin book full of ideas! I just have to start from there, and see where they take me. This only works if I’m stuck for a short fiction idea, though. If I’m stuck in the middle of a book, I have a different tool.
Read your story notes
Because you forgot about something. Some sub plot that you wanted to explore and you haven’t gotten to yet. Maybe there’s a character that you meant to expand on, a relationship that was supposed to go north or south but instead has broken even. At very least, your first notes represent your first splash of inspiration for your story. Don’t discount that.
Go somewhere else
I like coffee shops, personally because sometimes I’m Captain Cliche. But usually the first sign that I’m suffering from writers block is when I start cleaning during my writing time. When the call of the dishes is louder than the call of my pen, I need to get out of the house. It doesn’t matter where, but I need to get out.
Plot Bunnies
A plot bunny, if you don’t know, is an event in your story line that spawns other events by necessity. Like if a character gets pregnant, or dies, or there’s a natural disaster. Anything that causes other things to then happen. Just don’t forget the first law of plot bunnies; just because you write it doesn’t mean it has to stay. If it’s a dumb plot line that doesn’t fit with the rest of your story but it did get your pen moving again, then it served it’s purpose and it’s time for it to die. Better one plot bunny than the whole story.
Free write
Alright, so I know this is my cure for everything, but there’s a reason. It really does cure everything. I think it works because I know I’m going to throw it away. There’s no pressure with free writing. I don’t even put it in a book, except for my morning pages. Usually I scratch it out onto a loose leaf page and toss it when I’m done. So if you’re stuck, just get your pen moving, and thow it away later.
Find a contest with a theme
When I look onto a blank page, the possibilities are endless. Thats…frustrating. There are so many directions to go, and I sometimes can not make a decision. If I have a theme to work with, I have a starting point. I have a direction. Some of my best work has been inspired by theme contests. I didnt’ win the contest, but I got the story published elsewhere. So, I won in the end.
Read writing forums
I love talking shop. You could probably tell that, what with the writing blog and all. But I love listening to other people talk shop too. Sometimes I just need to feel like a writer, surounded by other writers, talking shop like it’s just any other job. I think sometimes I get caught up in the whole ‘artist’ mindset. I’m creating! I’m inventing! That’s super and all, but sometimes it’s crippling to think like that. Sometimes I need to see it as a job that needs done, so that my Western Pennsylvania blue collar ‘you go to work with a broken arm because that’s what you do’ mentality kicks in. Childhood conditoning to the rescue.
Read in general
Okay, this one might be a cliche, but it bears repeating. If I can’t write, I read. My tastes vary, but I usually find myself reading young adult fiction or horror. Short story collections are another favorite of mine. Anything that reminds me how good a good story feels will do.
Take a day off
Go explore a cave, or walk the dog, or visit the zoo, or sit at the park by the fountain. Take your bullet journal, but don’t feel compelled to write. If you haven’t take a break for awhile, that could be why your stuck. Your brain needs a break just like any other part of your body.
Think about what might be blocking you
Here’s what it comes down to for me. Usually, writers block means the story isn’t working for me. If it doesn’t work for me, it’s not going to work for anyone else, so that’s a problem. I need to figure out why it isn’t working. More times than one, that has lead me to toss out whole quarters of my books, whole rough drafts of short stories, and once a whole half of a manuscript. But if it’s not working, it’s not working, and it’s better to scrap the whole thing and start over than to try to make a square peg fit into a circular hole.
I hope that you are never faced with writers block, but you probably will be. Hopefully, you aren’t stuck there too long.
The Importance of Keeping a Journal for Writers
Not long ago I got that Erin Condron planner I’ve been wanting for about a year. I was so excited, snoopy dancing around the house. It holds so much information!
It also held my weekly and daily to do lists, moving them out of my bullet journal.
Now, to be fair, that leaves a lot of things still in my bullet journal. Here’s a small list of what’s still there after six months.
- Lists of movies I want to see, books I want to read and songs I want to download.
- Short story ideas.
- Notes for Woven
- Lists of things I want to do every season.
That still leaves all sorts of room, though. After all, that cuts out my daily, weekly, and monthly goals. That takes the vast majority of my journal.
Well, I needed to fix that. I have been really bad about keeping a personal journal my whole life. Try as I might, I will keep a journal for a day or two, maybe a week, then stop. But now I’ve got all these lovely journals lying around.
So I’ve been keeping a journal for about two weeks. And I’m realizing something. I should have started this a long time ago. Here’s what I’ve learned after just two weeks of consistent journal keeping.
- My attention to detail has improved, because I’m writing more of them down. It’s kind of a good skill for a writer to know.
- I find that I’m writing about people around me. Character studies, people, character studies!
- When I finish my day by writing down details, it helps me to see the day in perspective. I can see it, good and bad, for what it was. It was a day, and now it’s over.
- I think when my hand is moving, and what comes out is not always what I thought would.
- It’s therapeutic. Really, it is. Let’s face it, as a wife, mommy, and crippling introvert, I am not always at liberty to say what I’m thinking. Sometimes, though, you’ve got to get something out. Like poison.
Basically, what it comes down to is this; keeping a journal helps you learn people, details and your own brain better.
Of course, because it’s me and I’m always incorporating new things, I added a few new things. One big one in particular. I’m listing three things I’m grateful for at the end of every day. I got the idea from a book called Simple Abundance, by Sarah Ban Breathnah. As she says, you will just not be the same person after listing your blessings at the end of each night.
If none of those reasons are enough, consider this. Your story, your every day story, is more interesting than any story you will ever write. There are reasons why autobiographies are published every year. Consider I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou or One More Time by Carol Burnett. I love stories about real people. It doesn’t need to be about someone famous, though I do love stories about writers. Everyone’s life is amazing, everyone has stories to tell. Tell yours.
Paper Beats World 
Recent Comments