Slaying the Word Dragon, or: What to do When Writer’s Block Strikes

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One of my G+ homeys asked for some writing tips the other day, namely advice for combating writer’s block. I chimed in with my own advice (just one nugget of it, but still) and it got me thinking that I might as well write a post on the subject. Perhaps it will help you as you fight the word dragon who threatens to keep all of those luscious verbs and adjectives locked away in the dark cave of mediocrity. Or something…

Anyway, here are a few suggestions that may help you out:

Let the Music Flow

Some writers work with music on the entire time they write, and others find it to be a distraction. Regardless of the type of writer you are, music can help. Crank the tunes up and dance around your home office or program some tracks that put you in a certain mood. One of my tricks is to imagine what one of mycharacters might think of the song that’s playing. Imagine two of them dancing to it – or having a dance-off to it. Need to write a creepy scene? Put on creepy music. Need to write a fight scene? Hard rock, baby.

Just Start Writing

Yeah, yeah, I know what you’re saying: “I have writer’s block! Keep writing? Are you crazy?” Me being crazy has nothing to do with it. The answer is simple: Yes, keep writing. If you need to start new, try some free-association or stream of consciousness writing. Just start with the first thing that pops into your brain, whether it’s the mood you’re in or the weather outside. Start describing something. Even if you write a bunch of disjointed sentences, they’ll start to come together after a few minutes and you’ll get those creative juices going again.

Imagine Your Characters

I like to think of a situation my characters might be in: a fight, checking out at the grocery store, walking their dog. How would they do it? What would they be thinking? Would they like that song on the radio? Would they scoff at the books sitting on the corner of your desk? When you understand your characters better, you understand what you’re trying to write.

If All Else Fails: Walk Away From It

For a while, not forever. Go for a walk, do the dishes, watch “The Vampire Diaries” (mmm…Damon…). Get away from it for a bit and then come back and try again.

Sometimes the answer is just to push through it. I know you may not want to hear that, but it’s still the answer. Sometimes we just have to suck it up and write. I have a short passage in my current manuscript that is little more than bare bones narrative because I had a little writer’s block gnome sitting on my shoulder, but the passage immediately after it is juicy and wonderful. I can go back and put some meat on those bones, but if I hadn’t kept at it, I wouldn’t have that juicy prime rib paragraph at the end.

Happy Writing!

I think I can

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I’m trying a prompt from The One-Minute Writer today. Let’s see what I can pound out in 60 seconds (yes, I’m using a timer). Today’s prompt? Sixty seconds to tell about a time you had to repeat the “I think I can” mantra to yourself.

My first yoga class after I-don’t-know-how-many years.

It wasn’t the usual teacher – she was a substitute – and she was nice and knew what she was talking about, a really great teacher, but I caught myself looking at the clock and then thinking, “Dear Lord! It’s only been 20 minutes?!” I pushed myself through the rest of the hours and half class, and it was hard.

And I paid for it. I mean, it was great and all to be back in a yoga class, but I was so sore I wondered if this particular school was right for me.

Now I’m in class with the regular teacher who is AMAZING. I don’t have to force anything or remind myself that “I think I can” with her; I just do.

Words for Chocolate: A Valentine’s Tale

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So I posted a bit about this on my Book of Faces page, but I have to tell the full story here of my little one and her love of books – because you need to hear this story. And because it makes a Mama Writer’s heart proud.

I recently turned 31 (yay me!) and my sweet grandmother sneaked a Target gift card into my birthday card. She’s a sneaky sweet old lady. So anyway, Mike was out of town last night and, me being my irresponsible self, I hadn’t eaten any lunch and had no plans for dinner. And then I was struck with an idea!

I picked the Minty Ninja up from school and we went home for a bit so I could get some work done before going out for a very early dinner to one of her favorite places to eat:

After [early] dinner at Chili’s, I asked MN if she’d like to accompany me across the street to go shopping. Of course she’s always down for shopping, especially when we go to Target. “I love Target!”

Ha! No, that’s not me. I’m neither that svelte nor that posh when discount store shopping. Anyway, I went to go blow my b-day money on fun stuff. I got earrings and sparkle bracelets for our German Sparkle/Mardi Gras/Chinese New Year/Laser Party party this weekend.

I also found this:

2013-02-07 22.28.40

That’s right! It’s a pink (!!!) clutch with Brainy Babe glasses on it, reminiscent of my publishing logo:

Brainy Babe Micro Pub Logo copy

Yay! Total win. But I digress.

So while at Target, I decide to stop by the book section (surprise). I picked up Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger and I’ll have a review of it up soon on my GoodReads page, but while walking around, MN found a display for the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books.

I think a chorus of angels sings in my daughter’s head the second she sees one of these books. I mean, seriously. She becomes entranced by the mere sight of them; stops dead in her tracks and practically starts salivating. So we started talking about them and she tells me all about the volumes she’s read – about 3 of the 7 – and then she tells me which ones she owns a copy of. Of course I already know this since I’m the one who bought them for her, but I’m not going to squelch book excitement for anything.

In the course of our discussion, we determine that she neither owns nor has read the third book in the series Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw.

The Last Straw (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 3)

If there’s one thing I can’t resist, it’s indulging my kiddo’s love of reading. And, well, they’re all of $10 (oh, I’m sorry, $9.99) each so I looked at her and asked, “Do you want this for an early Valentine’s Day gift instead of candy?” I was going to spend at least that – if not more – on chocolates I was just going to eat half of anyway.

“Oh yes!” She says and jumps on me to give me a hug. “I can have candy any time. I love these books!”

Then she started talking about making a shelf in the library dedicated to her copies of the Wimpy Kid books, and I told her that we certainly have room and she should do it. She carried the book through the store and lovingly laid it on the conveyor belt at checkout. Once it was in the bag – along with my b-day swag – she picked it up so we’d be sure to get it, and she even started reading it when we were in the car.

I don’t know what it is about these books that she loves so much, and I know she’s not the only kid who’s mad for them, but they’re like literary catnip for her. There will be plenty of times to come during which she’ll be forced to read Dickens and Melville and Willa Cather and the other snooze-worthy classics. Why not give her that angelic chorus now? Or, you know, trumpets:

Pimped Out Pontoon Boat

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So this is a thing.

I jumped on here to clear out the spam folder that will quickly get out of control to the point of overflowing if I don’t do something about it every once in a while. I looked over at the stats and something caught my eye: the top search term for yesterday was “pimped out pontoon boat.” And because I’m me, I had to Google this.

Oh my Neptune, it’s a thing.

There are searches with the titles of “Have you tricked out your pontoon boat?” and “Pimp my Pontoon.” What the what? To each their own, but this seems a little “Thrift Shop” chic to me.

But whatever.

The more important part – although pimped out pontoon boats are kinda amazing – is the question this search term raises: How the hell did “pimped out pontoon boat” get someone to this site?

File:Pontoon boat.jpg

A Preview of Ruins of North Texas

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Mike & I started a project a few months ago and we’re almost done with it: a photo book of dilapidated structures around North Texas. Keep an eye out for Ruins of North Texas, out soon. Here’s a quick preview of what you can expect.

Trophy Wife

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That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. “Trophy Wife” is the most active search term in my stats. That means only one of two things:

1) There are a lot of people searching for trophy wives on the internet,

or

2) There are very few sites that talk about trophy wives.

Or, it could be something else. Like you internets are weird.

Hey, ever notice how weird doesn’t follow the “i before e except after c” rule? How weird is that?

Didn’t I tell you that my theme for Mondays is Manic Monday?

Oh, no? Hmm…. Surprise?

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – This is what I’m Reading

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I’m about halfway through Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and it’s definitely an…interesting read. It’s a mad dash across the Nevada desert, full of drugs, alcohol, and the hallucinations and hangovers associated with each.

Here’s one of  my favorite parts thus far. And if any of you know the “unacceptable” joke, you’ll know why. The rest of you can just enjoy. ;)

“The possibility of physical and mental collapse is very real now…

…but collapse is out of the question; as a solution or even a cheap alternative, it is unacceptable. Indeed.”

Hunter S Depp Painting by Borbay

Amazing painting by Borbay of a Hunter S. Thompson/Johnny Depp mash-up. Click on the image to see his entire, painstaking process. Do want!!!