Music is a wonderful thing. I thrive on it. I’ve got playlists for different moods, seasons, days of the week. I use music to help me clean, calm me down, or pump me up. Recently I’ve fallen in love with lo-fi and ambient music for reading and, of course, writing.
This, of course, is our topic for today. What do you listen to when you write?
I can’t write in silence. It’s too loud. Neither can I write with any music that has lyrics. I’ve learned I can’t even listen to instrumental versions of songs that I know normally have lyrics, because I’ll just fit them in myself and get distracted by that.
I was not born knowing this information about myself. Nobody is. This is one of many reasons it’s important to understand ourselves as creatives and as people in general.
Understanding how you react to music, or just sounds, can help you be more productive, sleep better, and overall be happier throughout your day. So it’s worth taking some time to learn this about yourself.
To do this, I suggest three exercises.
Listen to music and journal how you feel
Yes, my answer to everything is journaling. But this is a fun exercise you can do just about anywhere. I’m not suggesting a long freewriting session, though some songs might inspire that. I’m saying to jot down a few words or sentences that come to mind.
You can also do this the opposite way. Write a list of songs that make you feel excited. Or that make you feel brave, nostalgic, or safe.
Freewrite while listening to different music
This is another fun one. Listen to some music and free write while you’re doing it. Then, see what you’ve written. Does lo-fi help you write romance? Does rock music bring out battle scenes? How does the soundtrack from Wicked work for you?
Try to free-write without judgment, and see what comes. You’ll probably find that some genres work better with some writing than others.
Try listening to something brand new
This is a great exercise if you’re feeling stuck with your writing. Find a genre or music style you’ve never listened to, and try to write with it. Or some other sort of background sound. Ambient noise videos abound on YouTube. You can listen to the sounds of a coffee shop, a library, or even a train station. I love fireplace videos. Recently I’ve been listening to videos of vintage music played in another room. Here’s a link if you don’t know what I’m talking about.
So that’s it for today. I hope these exercises help you learn a little about yourself and what kind of music makes your creative brain happiest. And for those of you participating in Nanowrimo next week, I wish you the best of luck. I’ll be right there with you.
It’s the last full week of October. This means that we’ve reached week four of Preptober.
This also means that next week is Halloween and the start of November which means any sitting down or breathing you plan to do you’d better get out of the way now.
Week four of Preptober is always my favorite week. Because it’s the week we start outlining our stories.
Hold your applause.
That’s right, we are outlining this week! Now, there are as many ways to outline as there are writers. But I thought it might help today to tell you the way I outline a rough draft. It might work for you, and it might not.
Step 1, Start with the big scenes
Whenever I start thinking about a story, some scenes just jump out at me. Or, if not a whole scene, an image. For the book I’m working on now, I have an image of an older woman in dress clothes, standing on a battlefield with a sword.
Start with the scenes you’re excited about. The scenes you know need to happen.
I like to write my scenes out on index cards. These can be moved around, erased, and thrown out if need be. This will be important later.
Step 2, Plot out the main storyline
Now that you’ve got the big scenes in place, we need to figure out how we’re getting to them. Figure out the plot points for the main story you want to tell.
Now, here’s where some people get caught in the weeds. And by some people, I mean me.
You don’t need to write down every single little that happens in this story when you’re outlining. For one thing, you probably don’t know everything that’s going to happen yet. That’s the joy of a rough draft. You’re still learning about the story. Just get down the points you’re pretty sure you want to hit.
Step 3, Layer in subplots by order of importance
Next, you’ll be outlining your subplots. I usually have too many of these, to be honest. But a good subplot adds to the main part of the story. It cannot generally be lifted out without requiring a change to the main storylines.
There’s no time or space here to go into the hows and whys and how nots of sub-plotting. But if you want, I could do a post about that at a later time. Let me know in the comments if that’s something you’re interested in. For now, it’s just important that your sub-plots come after your primary plot.
Step 4, Prepare for this to all go out the window when you start writing.
Writing a rough draft is a wonderful discovery process. You do not know everything you want to say in the book until you start writing the book. Which is, of course, the fun of writing a rough draft.
Yes, an outline is a great place to start, so you have some direction when you’re beginning your rough draft. But don’t get committed to it.
Give yourself the freedom to redo your entire outline. Let your story go off the rails if it seems better or more exciting. I usually redo my outline at least once before my rough draft is finished.
So that’s it for our Preptober series. I hope you’re eager to get into Nanowrimo next week, armed with a solid story foundation.
We are back to our back-to-basics series, after a bit of a delay. I did mention this was going to be a delayed series.
But, as they say, timing is everything.
With that awkward segue out of the way, we’re talking about time today. As in, when you write and how often you write.
I’ve never been a big fan of the advice to write every day. While it sounds terrific in theory, it’s unrealistic. We’re all adults here. However, if you’re not, you still have responsibilities.
We are writers. But we’re also humans trying to survive in late-stage capitalism. We have to fit writing in where we can when we can. And that’s just not going to happen every day.
Don’t despair, though. I manage to finish a book or podcast season a year, most years.
So today let’s consider when we can fit writing in, when the best time to do it is, and how we can make the most of the moments we have.
Let’s start with some questions to figure out where you are, time-wise. First, when is your best time of day, energy-wise? This is basic advice, yes, but it’s worth knowing about yourself.
Me, I’m a morning person. The later it gets to the day, the less likely I’m going to get anything done. So getting up early to write before I go to work works best for me.
If you would rather stick needles in your eyes than get up a minute earlier than you have to, this isn’t your best bet.
I wouldn’t spend a lot of time fighting your internal clock if you didn’t have to. I’ve tried to write in the afternoons, after work, and it just doesn’t work as well for me. I’m tired, I’m irritated, and this is the time of the day when my family needs the most from me. Dinner needs made, Oliver needs walking, the cats need attention. This is also the time the darling husband and I tell each other about our day and all the cool things we saw on social media. To think that I’d be able to write during all that is madness. To think that I’d want to write after all that is settled and dinner is done is also madness.
So know your internal timing and honor it as much as you can.
This brings me to our next step. Before you can decide when you’re going to write, you need a crystal clear understanding of when you cannot write.
You want to start with a blank weekly calendar. I like a Google calendar, but a paper one will work just as well.
I start by putting in my work schedule. Not because it’s the most important but because it’s the thing I can’t control. These hours I am working, and I cannot plan to do anything else.
Next, I put in my family time and self-care time. This includes when I need to sleep, cook, and clean my space up a little. I’m a pretty spiritual person, so I also like to add in times I’m going to spend doing rituals, spells, or studying.
This might feel like writing, my art, is coming in fourth place.
And sadly, it is. Writing is vital to me, but I have to make money to survive. I have to take care of myself and the people (pets) that I care about.
That being said, making time for my writing is a priority. And as such, I schedule time for it.
So what if you write out your schedule and you don’t think you’ve got any time at all for writing? I get that, schedules can get tight fast. But I am sure that everyone can find some time most days to write.
If you’re sure you don’t have time to write, start by tracking your time for a week or two. Myriad apps will help you with this, or you can just keep track on paper.
Keep track of how you spend your time, without judgment. There is no reason to beat yourself up. This is your time and you get to choose how to spend it.
Once you have an idea of how you spend your time, you can see where you can cut out some space for writing. Maybe you find that you’re puttering a lot in the morning, so streamlining your morning routine might help. Maybe you’re spending too much time cleaning at the end of the day.
This is the first place I’d start cutting, by the way. If you let them, household chores can consume every second of your free time. There is always another chore, another task, another project. Don’t let yourself get sucked in.
While you will likely find a few half hours or even hours that you can spend on writing, you’ll likely also find minutes.
Likely you won’t find these while mapping out your time, but by living out your day.
Waiting for other people’s doctor’s appointments are my most common times like this. But I also travel by bus, so there’s lots of time there.
But, you might ask, what can you possibly get done in these snatched moments? Well, not a lot individually. But when you count them all up a the end of the day, week, or month, you’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish.
Finally, I want to give you the best advice I’ve ever found.
Be firm and flexible.
Here’s what I mean by this. If you have looked at your schedule and you’ve found time to write, write then. Tell the people in your life that this is your writing time, and that you are not available to do anything else during that time.
Take it seriously, and require the people who love you to take it seriously.
But understand that God laughs when men make plans. You’re going to have days when that writing session isn’t going to happen, no matter how respectful anyone is about it. You’ll get sick, pets will get sick, kids will get sick. You’ll have to pick up overtime because your gas is about to be shut off. Your water heater will explode, or the septic system will start backing up into your basement.
On the flip side, make yourself ready for unexpected moments of writing time. Maybe you didn’t realize you were going to have to wait twenty minutes to see your doctor. You didn’t know your car was going to break down. In short, you now have time you didn’t
Be prepared! Take a notebook with you wherever you go. If you prefer to type, take a tablet or laptop with you.
Because we are artists. We are creatives. And sometimes to make our art happen, we have to get creative.
So that’s it for this week. I hope that you’re finding time to write right now, as we get closer to the holidays. Let us know in the comments when you write.
Now, it’s time to start casting characters. For me, characters are always the most interesting part of any story. I want to know about the people.
I have for you two lists of questions. The first is for your main character or characters. I almost always have two main characters, but you can have just one or a full ensemble cast.
Main character questions
What is their full name and nickname?
What do they look like?
Why is this their story to tell?
What do they want at the start of the story?
What are they afraid of?
What don’t they like about themselves?
How are they going to change?
Do they fit into their world as it is?
How is the world going to change because of them?
Next, we’re going to consider our secondary characters and villains. A story’s main character shouldn’t be the only interesting person in the cast.
Your main character also shouldn’t have main character syndrome. Which is to say, they should be aware that the world doesn’t revolve around them. The rest of the cast should also be aware of this.
And don’t skip planning your villain. In fact, this might be the most important character. A good villain makes a story. Consider the Borg, Magnito, Ursula, Voldemort, The Other Mother, and Beetlejuice. These characters were way more interesting than their heroes.
Secondary characters and villains
What is their full name and nickname?
What do they look like?
Why are they the main characters in their own story?
What do they contribute to this story?
What do they want at the start of the story?
What are they afraid of?
What don’t they like about themselves?
How are they going to change?
Do they fit into their world as it is?
How is the world going to change because of them?
Join us again next week for week four of Preptober. And don’t forget, you can download the Preptober Planner now on my Ko-fi shop.
Happy spooky season! It’s October, and it’s Friday the 13, so that’s pretty awesome.
While I always love a good horror book, they’re the best this time of year. There’s nothing better this time of year than curling up with fresh sugar cookies, a fire video on the TV, and a book about someone getting their face mauled in a haunted house.
Today I’m sharing with you the eight best horror books I read this year so far. Sadly there are only eight because I am well behind on my reading list. It’s not that I’ve been in a reading slump. It’s just that editing a podcast takes time, and life takes time. Then I decided to start reading Needful Things, which maybe wasn’t the best idea when I’m trying to finish my Goodreads goal because it’s almost 700 pages long.
But here we are, and eight is better than none. And I can honestly say, that not a single horror book I read this year disappointed.
(Speaking of podcasts, the second season of AA is out now. You can listen to all of it and season one right now on Haunted MTL.)
Now, some of these books I’ve talked about before. Some of them I either have already reviewed on Haunted MTL or plan to. So I’m not going to go into a ton of detail here. But any of these stories would be an eerie addition to your Halloween season.
Hide by Kiersten White
A tantalizing offer of money and fame lures fourteen strangers to an abandoned theme park for a massive game of hide and seek. This is not the story I thought was going to tackle the deep theme of generational guilt, but boy did it. Watch for my full review on Haunted MTL.
How to sell a haunted house by Grady Hendrix
This review is out. I read this book in a day, and it has me on a serious Grady Hendrix kick.
This book has family drama, generational pain, and Southern charm. What else could you honestly ask for?
Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine
Again, I have talked on and on about this book, its tie-in with American Horror Story, and how this was a whole thing for me.
It’s a great book, and it’s led to a great season of AHS so far. However, if you have any trauma related to miscarriage, birthing, or anything baby-related, this is your trigger warning.
Dread Nation andDeathless Divide by Justina Ireland
Again, I went into great detail about these books here and here. If you like historical fiction, you’ll love these. If you like zombies, you’ll love them.
I do need Ireland to write another one in this series, though. Like, today.
Silver Nitrate by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia
I love this author so much. And after being kind of disappointed in the last book of hers I read, this one was such a relief.
It’s got witchcraft, movie trivia, love affairs. Watch in late November for the review.
How to survive your murder by Danielle Valentine
Again, this was something I read because of American Horror Story. You can read the whole review here. But while I was expecting a light, fun slasher book, I instead got one that talked about some very disturbing questions.
Check out my whole review here.
The Roots GrowInto The Earth by Bert S. Lechner
What says Halloween more than a collection of Lovecraftian horror stories?
I got an arc of this book to review for Haunted MTL, but it’s out now. And it is well worth the read.
So now it’s your turn. What’s the best horror book you’ve read so far this year? Let us know in the comments.
It’s week two of Preptober, and time to start writing. How exciting is that?
This week our focus is world-building. I’ve compiled a list of questions to help you figure out your world and how people live in it.
But what if your story is set in the real world? You probably still want to fill this out. Things like food, clothing and culture vary wildly depending on where you’re from. And it never hurts to get things down on paper.
Besides, thinking of these details will help you step into the world of your story. It’ll get you thinking of those intimate details.
What is the weather like?
This is pretty straightforward, but no less important. There’s a reason one of the first things I do in the morning is check the weather.
Does it rain a lot? Is it sunny? Is this a place where the weather impacts travel and crops? Does any of this have anything to do with your story?
What do people wear?
Clothing tells us so much about a person. What do people usually wear in your world? Cloaks, jeans, sweaters? Are mink coats the style, or Foster Grants?
What do people eat?
This might largely be impacted by the first question, and where your story is taking place. An ocean-side city is going to eat a lot of fish. A more rural land is going to have a lot of farm food, like chicken and corn.
What’s the popular entertainment?
This is always a fun thing to consider. What are people doing to entertain themselves? Are plays popular entertainment? Do people gather at the local tavern to hear music? Or is this a more modern story where people prefer to stay home and stream a movie? No judgment.
Is there a magical structure? What are the rules?
Here’s where things get fun. What kind of magic exists in your world, if any? What rules does the magic have? What are its limitations? Because of course, magic isn’t fun when it doesn’t have limitations.
What is their technology like?
Even if you’re writing a fantasy novel, there’s still technology. It’s just that it’s going to look wildly different depending on when in time your story takes place. Do they have smartphones or water wheel power generators? Or, if you’re writing steampunk, maybe a fantastic combination of both?
What political structure do they have?
Politics might be frustrating, but it’s something that impacts us all. Whether it’s going to impact your story or not, you should know what political structure is. Even if it’s just a local sheriff and a disinterested mayor.
What cool element exists in this world that isn’t in ours, and how does that impact everyone?
Yes, this applies to every story, even if it’s set in the real world. This doesn’t have to be magical. It doesn’t have to be fantastic pieces of technology. Though of course, that’s fine if it is.
This can be an old mill, a fantastic coffee shop, or a stretch of road that has the habit of moving around on certain nights of the year.
Banned Books Week is winding down. But frankly, I don’t think it should. With all the attacks on literacy this year, I think we should keep right on celebrating banned books.
So today I want to share with you my ten favorite banned books. Some of them are fun, some are heavy. Some I was blessed to be taught about in school. Some I only discovered because of events like Banned Books Week.
None of them should be banned.
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The absolute irony of banning a book about people controlling the thoughts and actions of their citizens is not lost on me.
I talk about The Giver all the time. Everyone should read it. There are so many lessons here about valuing people for more than just their productivity, for championing individuality, and for bulking authority.
I wonder why some people don’t want us to read that.
1984 by George Orwell
1984 is, in my opinion, the next step up from The Giver in terms of anti-conformity, anti-government overreach, and overall pro-individual life choices. It has many of the same themes as The Giver, with some frightening additions. Our main character writes news reports and masterfully lies to the people. If the ration of chocolate is being cut, he’ll write about the great increase in the chocolate rations.
Then, of course, there are the rats.
Maus by Art Spiegelman
If you never thought you could get emotionally broken by a comic, you will know better after reading Maus.
Maus is a messy, dark, horrific tale of the Holocaust, told with cartoon mice and cats and pigs. In it, the author tells the story of his family and friends during one of the most horrific events in history. And it pulls no goddamned punches.
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This is my favorite book. This is why we named our cat Harper. When Harper Lee died, I cried in public.
I was taught To Kill A Mockingbird in school. It was a dark story of false accusations, horrific racism, and the penalties for standing up for what’s right. This book has given me courage during some dark times in my life.
This is the great thing about dark books. They can give us strength during hard times.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
I wonder why some people don’t want us to read this.
Just on the off chance you haven’t read this book or seen the show inspired by it, this is a dark tale of a dystopian future in which birth rates have plummeted.
But of course, people with money and power will not be denied anything they want. Even if it means enslaving women and forcing them to have sex and carry babies against their will.
This felt a lot less realistic before last year. Did you know women needed their husband’s permission to have a credit card before 1974?
1974.
Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
Yes, Rowling is a problem. And I’m not gonna defend her. I’m gonna defend trans women and men.
Yes, these books have a host of issues. Yes, they’re still fun to read. And the reason they were banned was not because of the author’s opinions of womanhood, or the cringy way she named characters of other nationalities.
These books were banned because they contained magic. Gee, wonder why that might piss me off. It’s not even real witchcraft. Censoring magic in a child’s life is just never going to make sense to me.
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
It really is amazing how many dystopian future books about all-powerful and abusive governments get banned.
Hunger Games is a great series. It has a lot of dark things to say about how media is used to manipulate and control us. Which is something we all need to be more aware of.
Have you ever wondered, for instance, why there are so many cop shows?
Bone by Jeff Smith
Unlike the rest of the books on this list, Bone is not heavy. Well, the copy I have is physically heavy because it’s the whole damn run in one hulking volume.
But this is not a massively deep tale or one with problematic undertones. It’s just a cute adventure story about a little bone and a warrior princess.
I honestly am not sure why Bone was banned. I suppose there’s some drinking, some suggestive situations. But it’s nothing serious.
And if you’re going to read the other books on this list, you could probably use something a bit lighter afterward.
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Reading the work of Maya Angelou always makes me feel like I’m sitting in the room with her, listening to her talking just to me.
This first book begins the tale of her life, which has been a fascinating and difficult one. It tells of her childhood, living with her grandmother, father, and mother. It tells of her childhood and teenage triumphs and the horrible tales of her abuses.
If you’ve never read I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, read it now. It is astonishing.
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss
I have purchased copies of this book for every friend of mine who has a small child. Let it never be said that spite can’t create something beautiful.
This is the story of a bunny named Marlon Bundo, who happens to belong to Former VP Mike Pence. Marlon is gay and has a beautiful relationship with another boy bunny.
It’s cute, sweet, and a great book to explain LGBTQ+ to little kids. And that’s something we could use more of.
So that’s it for today. I see no reason to stop reading banned books just because Banned Books Week is over. And I’d love to hear from you in the comments. What is your favorite banned book?
As promised, we’ll be walking through each page of my Preptober Planner together until we reach the big event in November. Because everything is better as a team.
Week one is all about making a plan. We’re going to answer some questions, make some lists, and get signed up on the Nanowrimo website.
First, some questions. Let’s make a plan for when you’re going to be writing, and how you’re going to make that time.
1. When are you going to write?
2. What projects do you need to wrap up before November to make space for writing a novel?
3. Are there any days I know I won’t be able to write? What days can I get in extra words to catch up?
4. What are the other obligations that you still need to meet like work, school, or home care?
Now, we’re going to consider the other people in your life. First, let’s make a list of the people who can help you this month. Who’s going to cheer you on? Who can pick up some extra work around your home? Who might bring you a coffee?
Now we’re going to make a second list of people. These are your fellow writers who are participating in Nanowrimo. Who are you writing with? Who can you meet up with for writing dates?
Next, we’re going to consider the physical things you’re going to need to write your novel.
Do you type or write on paper? Do you need index cards or post-its for organizing and brainstorming? How about a file folder for notes? Make a list, it’s time to go stationary shopping.
Finally, it’s time to go onto the Nanowrimo website and announce your project! It’s an exciting moment if you’ve never done it before.
That’s it for this week. We’re on our way to a successful month of writing together. Let us know in the comments what you’re going to be working on this November. And I’ll see you next week.
I think Banned Books Week got moved to October this week because it’s getting scary out there for our freedom of expression.
Now, normally I post the top ten most banned to kick off Banned Books Week. But that’s been done to death. We know what got banned. More importantly, we know what kind of books get banned.
Books about queer people get banned.
Books about black people get banned.
Books about Native people get banned.
Books that make kids think about someone outside of their experience get banned.
This isn’t surprising. It’s just disgusting that it’s getting portrayed as protecting children. The only ones protected by book banning are the people threatened by children’s learning.
We know the kind of people who are doing this. Since they seem to want so much attention, let’s call them out by name. Ron DeSantis seems to be on a mission to wipe out literacy and basic human decency in Florida. It’s gotten so bad there that rather than having a list of banned books, there’s a list of allowed books because that’s shorter.
Then there’s the great state of Texas, which according to Axios leads the nation in book ban attempts.
Everything really is bigger in Texas, including the assholes.
Of course, the real star of the book-banning show is the organization called Moms For Liberty.
That name is just some pure doublespeak for you. And if you get that reference, it’s because of a book called 1984, which Moms For Liberty doesn’t want you to read.
Moms for Liberty has a very specific view of the world, and certain things just don’t fit. By those things I mean children who aren’t white, straight and conservative.
Whether they say it out loud or not, their message is clear. Black children, brown children and LGBTQ+ children might exist in our schools. But they are not welcome there.
But that’s the point of all of these book bans. Do not ever believe that the intention is to protect children from inappropriate material.
The book bans are step one. The final point is a final solution. To remove LGBTQ+ people from our society. To segregate our schools. To make a world where only a certain kind of person feels safe. Where there is a right way to love, a right way to look, a right way to pray.
My God, Banned Books Week used to be a celebration. Pride used to be a celebration. For a few shining years, we were making some progress.
But here we are. Please, I am begging you to write to your politicians. Show up and counter-protest if Moms For Liberty creeps in where you live. Learn and sit with uncomfortable parts of our history. Protect trans kids. Protect kids of color. Stand up for drag performers. Show up for the next generation.
Paper Beats World 
Recent Comments