Writers' Block: Cure #13

There are a number of reasons why an author could suffer from writers' block. In fact, there may be more reasons than there are cures. Maybe. Over the many years I've found that there are many ways to get the creative juices flowing.

One of the many reasons writers deal with writers' block is stress. Stress can cause a lot of problems. A person's health, personality and performance in life can all be affected by stress. Writers have a lot of things in their career that can cause stress; deadlines, tour schedules, marketing, editing and even technical difficulties. These are just the stressful things that our jobs can cause. Stress can also be brought on from outside influences. No matter where the stress comes from it can cause a creative blockage that every writer must surpass to continue their story.

My answer? Destress. It sounds simple but it isn't always as easy as taking a day off. Relieving stress should be a regular thing to ensure your health and writing stay in good shape. People deal with stress in different ways. I make sure to take at least ten  minutes a day devoted to me. This does not count my writing or housework. This is ten minutes a day of me time. Whether I spend it meditating or pampering myself with a nice cup of tea and a great view I take this time each day to not worry about everything else.

A healthy diet can also play a big part in relieving stress. A well balanced diet gives the body more energy and reduces the aches and pains that come with poor diets. A diet of fast food or frozen diners can lead to heartburn, upset stomachs and a range of other problems. These problems add to the already heavy load of stress we deal with every day. I'm not saying never eat junk food again. That's just crazy, but by balancing out your diet you can relieve some of that stress in the long run.

This cure for writers' block isn't a quick one you should try if you're facing a deadline. This is a long term cure that can work wonders. So for a happier writing life filled with that creative spark remember to take some you time and leave the stress behind.

Peace and love!

Life is a Little Crazy

Crazy, like leaving me standing alone with an armful of colorful stuff. Crazy, like falling back onto a mountain of blankets and pillows laughing for no reason. Life is a little crazy, but that's why we love it so much. I've been a bit blocked lately and so I started thinking about all the other projects I've got sitting on the sidelines, waiting for me to get to them. I have to admit, those poor stories have been neglected lately. So I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to set some time aside just for those wacky fun little short stories.

Here's a touch of what I've got going on in the short story department:


West Lakes: Stories of Chaos
This set of short stories combine to make up the story of West Lakes and it's Earth Angel. Each short deals with something that has happen to either the Earth Angel or someone who affects the way things are run in West Lakes' supernatural society. Most of the residents are normal humans, but a few handfuls of people are supernatural; whether they are demigods, servants of gods or just pure supernatural beings like elves. This is a project I have been working on for years, but have very little honestly written out.





Sci Fi
I have several sci fi shorts that I want to get onto paper. Each story is a story about side characters in a novel I have on the back burner. The goal for these was to inspire a little more work on the main story itself and to gain interest from readers. In these stories we have clones, bio androids, one sleep deprived ship captain and one great fire fight that I'm hoping rivals the OK Coral.

Well, those are the two project shorts I plan on devoting a little more time to. With my main novel on the table right now it can be hard to find time for these and my more traditional writing work, but what makes life more crazy than a little challenge?


Peace and love my faithful readers.

Writers' Block: Cure #03

Over the last few months I've had a lot on my plate. The move is finally over and the failed attempt at CampNaNoWriMo has brought a lot into prospective for me. Writing has been a large part of my life for nearly my entire life and I don't know what I would do without it. Of course with the good comes the bad. Some days (and months) you just can't get that creative spark to flare into an idea and your stuck staring at a blank piece of paper or computer screen.

I'm going to explain Cure #03 for writers' block. It is a simple cure that doesn't always work, but it is a lot of fun if you have the time and interest. Here goes:

First, grab a group of friends. That's right, you're not going to need that notebook either.

Next you will need to introduce an alcoholic drink of your choice. I personally like margaritas, but this can and has been done with whine, beer and other drinks. If you don't drink but you're friends do this could still work. If you nor your friends drink then you might want to try something a little different.

Once you and/or your friends are just a little tipsy and in that good have a laugh feeling start the conversation. Start talking asking what if questions. What if you were stuck on an island? What if the sky was green and the sky was blue?

Before too long these what if questions can turn into a lot of interesting ideas that you can use for inspiring you writing muse. Remember, if you're drinking try not to get too drunk. If you get too sloshed you might not remember the great ideas you came up with.

Also play it safe. Try this at your home or at a friend's home, and friends don't let friends drive drunk. So if your friend needs a place to sleep it off then offer up that couch. After all they may have just given you an idea for the next best seller.

Good dreams and happy writing!