Dealing with Writer's Block

                           Writer's block... we've all had one.
  

    They aren't fun.  So I've compiled 5 ways to deal with "WB". 

   #1.  Read your favorite book.  This can help trigger your creative writing process. 

   #2. Imagine your favorite movie character having a conversation with your main character... What would they say?  Build on that.

   #3. Kill off a semi-important character.  Not always the best way, but it works sometimes.  This will enable you to write about the deep sadness of your other characters. 

   #4. Go outside, go for a walk.  Nature, and the offline world in general, have a great effect on creativity.

   #5. Imagine a white blank space in your mind.  Create in this space a scene (location) that would likely appear in your book.  Add a tragedy (also that could happen in your book).  Then, add one by one you book's characters... How will they react?  What will they do?  Build on this until you have an idea to bring you out of your writer's block.  

   #6. Go to a hustling, bustling place.  People watching (however creepy) is a great way to come up with stories.  

   #7. Imagine you're a newspaper journalist.  What kind of headlines will you write about?  A major car crash?  First lady pregnant?  Adding in some pop into your story can really help pick up the pace.  

   #8.  Write a short story about anything. Nothing long, just a single page.  Write about something completely random, that has nothing to do with your actual story.  About how a flower smells, or a little monkey that's lost in the forest, just something to get your mind off your book.  After you've finished go back to your book and see if something starts to flow.

   #9.  Ask for ideas from friends.  You never know what crazy stuff they'll suggest, but sometimes this can really help.

  #10.  Don't get discouraged.  Every writer, in the history of writing, has had a writer's block.  Keep going strong. 


~Allison

   

Passionate Writing

  Get readers hooked by a passionate and emotional beginning, and they won't want to put it down.  The best thing you can be as an author is passionate.  Let your passion come through in your writing. 

   Passionate about writing? Write about an author at a busy news station.

   Passionate about horses?  Write about the fast-paced life of a jockey. 

   Passionate about God?  Write about a man searching for salvation.

   Passionate about sports?  Write about an althete trying to make it to the top. 

         Passion is the key to good writing, so whenever you are writing be passionate.  


   And I'm saying this as a reader, not just as an author. 

                 ~Allison

Top Ten Tips--about publishing a book

   I'm no expert, but these are 10 things that I either did wrong, or did right before publishing my book. 

#1. Page size!
  This is one of those things that I did wrong.  When I was wanting to publish, I had to change the size of my pages smaller.  When I did this, however, almost all of my dialogue shifted from how I had originally had it.  I would very much advise starting out with your pages already set smaller.

#2. Develop characters! 
   People might not always be able to relate to your main character. So create other characters with a variety of personalities.  I.E. witty, shy, funny, anxious, smart...

#3. Add humor!
   When I got later into my book, I wished that I had written more humor.  For me, writing the deep, dark, tragic, and depressing parts are more fun.  But no one wants to read a completely depressing book, so add a little humor to liven it up.

#4. Develop relationships!
   They add so much depth to the story-line. Whether it be a friendship, rivalry a love interest, it keeps the story moving along quite nicely.

#5. DIALOGUE!!!!!!!!
   Even if you are writing in the first person, dialogue is sooooooo important.  It helps the reader understand the situation better, not to mention it is a great way to: add humor, develop character, and develop relationships.

#6. Keep writing!
   Don't be afraid of writing too much!!! It can always be edited out later.  Keep writing, and don't worry about it.  The worst thing you can do is wish you had written out a part that you didn't.

#7. Page count
   An average book runs from 200-400 words in length.  Don't go too short, but don't go overboard by making it too long.  There is a delicate line in-between the two.  Be careful either way.

#8. Font
   DON'T GET TOO ATTACHED TO YOUR FONT!!  This is another thing I did wrong.  In the final stages of formatting being too attached to your font can cause difficulties, because you might have to change it.

#9. Gutter margins (printed books only)
   Gutter margins are the inside margins of each page (i.e. for a right side page the left margin... and visa versa).  You want your 'gutter' margins to be slightly wider than your exterior margins, as the inside is where the book will be bound together, and you don't want your precious words to be cut off.  --unfortunately Google docs does not allow you to set your 'gutter' margins, so I'd suggest converting your file to a Microsoft word, or another type of document. 

#10. Deadline
   If you have a deadline that you'd like to meet, it helps sooooo much to write out a chapter by chapter plot.  That way your story moves along to an ending very smoothly.  Also, you know what you have to include in each chapter, but you can still run with whatever you're feeling. 


Hope these help!!

~Allison