M.C. Frank's Blog, page 442
September 15, 2017
Books + glasses.
.
Seriously. Have you seen a prettier cover?
Books + glasses.
.
Seriously. Have you seen a prettier cover?
evilscientist:thank you to all the followers who give me that 1 note on my text posts
thank you to all the followers who give me that 1 note on my text posts
Ruined + lavender .
.
.
Read the first 4 chapters of Ruined for...
Ruined + lavender .
.
.
Read the first 4 chapters of Ruined for free at mcfrankauthor.com ☕
September 14, 2017
Robin Hood WIP diaries (3) - Writer’s Block
Some writers experience writer’s block when they are sad, too stressed or lack original ideas. To me, it happens when I sit down to write a story that has been with me so long and I love it so much, I’m worried I might not do it justice.
The fear can get overwhelming. I know most people will tell you to just “sit down and start writing regardless”, but those people don’t know what they’re talking about. If they are ‘writers’ then they have never tried to write from the heart, because the amount of pain and struggle real writing causes is not something you can get over by just sitting down and doing it, like you would any other job.
So, here are my ten top tips for writer’s block:(disclamer, these work for me, feel free to add any that have worked for you in the past, that would actually be a great help.)
1. Get your priorities straight. Right now all you need is to get something on the page. It’s ok if it sucks. It’s ok if it’s nothing like you imagined your story to look like. You can edit it to your heart’s content. We are not after perfection right now. We are after creation. And that is a rare and wonderful thing, even if what we create needs to be heavily improved upon.
2. Distract yourself. And I DO NOT mean via the internet. I mean, fool your brain into thinking you are doing a mundane task, writing an essay, a paragraph, stringing three words together. Don’t let it think about the bigger picture. “Let’s just write the beginning of a sentence. Good. Now let’s just write the middle. That’s all we’ll do, no biggie…” And go from there.
3. Set small and achievable goals. Just tell yourself that your goal is to write one paragraph this week. Personally when I do this, the floodgates open. My brain, free from the “obligation” to write 1K words a day (which is my usual schedule), feels so over then moon that I’ve managed this one paragraph I had set as a goal for myself, that I have written 10K in one day on numerous occasions, when I’d previously thought I was blocked. Which goes to show, mind over matter.
Your brain is strong, that’s why you’re a writer. Now train yourself to be stronger than your brain.4. Put a movie on. Preferably one you’ve seen a hundred times, a favorite. I usually put on a playlist of episodes from my favorite easy-going TV series, something funny but not too distracting, people living their every day lives. It will make you feel safe and protected, but in a way that you can control the noise. It’s not the same as going to the livingroom where your seven little siblings are learning how to write. But if you put on someone talking in the backbround, it will unlock all sorts of creativity in your head.
5. Get rid of all inspiration sources. I’m serious. Get off tumblr, especially pinterest, and stay AWAY from songs. When you’re blocked, your brain gravitates towards worlds and ideas someone else has created, as it’s easier for you to enjoy work that’s already been done than create something yourself. So, you might think it’s improving your mood, but if you’re experiencing any kind of creative block, listening to songs or seeing aesthetics can be DEATH TO CREATIVITY.
6. Give yourself time. Time to stare at the blank screen, to look at your notes, to wait. To type one word every minute. Who cares? As long as you’re writing, anything goes.
7. Ask a friend for help. It has to be someone who cares, understands, and can keep their mouth shut. It’s no time to be told advice or opinions. You just need someone (irl, or online, I have a great support system online, 3 amazing people who never fail me) who will just listen to you, and keep you accountable. If the person you confide to starts asking questions like “How did it go? DId you write today? How many words?” Get rid of them RIGHT NOW. Seriously. There’s nothing worse someone can do to a writer. Instead, look for people to whom you can simply say: “I’m trying to write. Wish me luck.” and they’ll be just there for you, to cheer you on, to listen to you.
8. Get inside your head (in a good way) and remember why you’re excited about this particular story. Make the necessary changes so that you WILL be excited, if you’re not. Or move on to a new story.
The great Ray Bradbury said, “writer’s block is your brain’s way of telling you, what you’re writing is crap and I don’t want to do it.”So if it’s crap, your brain knows. There’s no hiding from your brain. Move on. When it’s right, the floodgates will open, you’ll see. That other story can keep. Maybe you’ll get excited about it in a few years.
9. It HUGELY helps to have planned ahead. Outline. Outline the heck out of your story, so that when you get stuck in the beginning or the middle, you can go back and see what’s going to happen and at least have one less thing to worry about: the plot. If you haven’t outlined, you’re not blocked: you’re unprepared.
10. Have fun. Whenever I scroll through my writer friends’ feeds on tumblr, I’m amazed by how they all talk about writing. It’s therapy, entertainment, our lifeline. If it’s all these things, then screw money and our carreers (well, not entirely, but you get what I mean). Write for you. Write what you want to read. Write on a pink desk, wearing your favorite socks, write smutty fanfics or gory scenes, write whatever makes you happy. Write whatever makes you YOU.
I sometimes think that when I’ve got writer’s blog, I’ve got life’s block as well.
So if I write to make myself happy, then I’m not writing to get out of writer’s block. I’m writing to stay alive.
Books + vintage hearts
.
.
#books #book #read #htfla #reading...
Books + vintage hearts
.
.
#books #book #read #htfla #reading #reader #page #pages #paper #instagood #kindle #nook #library #author #bestoftheday #bookworm #readinglist #love #photooftheday #imagine #plot #story #literature #literate #stories #words #darcyandelizabeth #janeausten
Robin Hood WIP diaries (3) - Writer’s Block
Some writers experience writer’s block when they are sad, too stressed or lack original ideas. To me, it happens when I sit down to write a story that has been with me so long and I love it so much, I’m worried I might not do it justice.
The fear can get overwhelming. I know most people will tell you to just “sit down and start writing regardless”, but those people don’t know what they’re talking about. If they are ‘writers’ then they have never tried to write from the heart, because the amount of pain and struggle real writing causes is not something you can get over by just sitting down and doing it, like you would any other job.
So, here are my ten top tips for writer’s block:(disclamer, these work for me, feel free to add any that have worked for you in the past, that would actually be a great help.)
1. Get your priorities straight. Right now all you need is to get something on the page. It’s ok if it sucks. It’s ok if it’s nothing like you imagined your story to look like. You can edit it to your heart’s content. We are not after perfection right now. We are after creation. And that is a rare and wonderful thing, even if what we create needs to be heavily improved upon.
2. Distract yourself. And I DO NOT mean via the internet. I mean, fool your brain into thinking you are doing a mundane task, writing an essay, a paragraph, stringing three words together. Don’t let it think about the bigger picture. “Let’s just write the beginning of a sentence. Good. Now let’s just write the middle. That’s all we’ll do, no biggie…” And go from there.
3. Set small and achievable goals. Just tell yourself that your goal is to write one paragraph this week. Personally when I do this, the floodgates open. My brain, free from the “obligation” to write 1K words a day (which is my usual schedule), feels so over then moon that I’ve managed this one paragraph I had set as a goal for myself, that I have written 10K in one day on numerous occasions, when I’d previously thought I was blocked. Which goes to show, mind over matter.
Your brain is strong, that’s why you’re a writer. Now train yourself to be stronger than your brain.4. Put a movie on. Preferably one you’ve seen a hundred times, a favorite. I usually put on a playlist of episodes from my favorite easy-going TV series, something funny but not too distracting, people living their every day lives. It will make you feel safe and protected, but in a way that you can control the noise. It’s not the same as going to the livingroom where your seven little siblings are learning how to write. But if you put on someone talking in the backbround, it will unlock all sorts of creativity in your head.
5. Get rid of all inspiration sources. I’m serious. Get off tumblr, especially pinterest, and stay AWAY from songs. When you’re blocked, your brain gravitates towards worlds and ideas someone else has created, as it’s easier for you to enjoy work that’s already been done than create something yourself. So, you might think it’s improving your mood, but if you’re experiencing any kind of creative block, listening to songs or seeing aesthetics can be DEATH TO CREATIVITY.
6. Give yourself time. Time to stare at the blank screen, to look at your notes, to wait. To type one word every minute. Who cares? As long as you’re writing, anything goes.
7. Ask a friend for help. It has to be someone who cares, understands, and can keep their mouth shut. It’s no time to be told advice or opinions. You just need someone (irl, or online, I have a great support system online, 3 amazing people who never fail me) who will just listen to you, and keep you accountable. If the person you confide to starts asking questions like “How did it go? DId you write today? How many words?” Get rid of them RIGHT NOW. Seriously. There’s nothing worse someone can do to a writer. Instead, look for people to whom you can simply say: “I’m trying to write. Wish me luck.” and they’ll be just there for you, to cheer you on, to listen to you.
8. Get inside your head (in a good way) and remember why you’re excited about this particular story. Make the necessary changes so that you WILL be excited, if you’re not. Or move on to a new story.
The great Ray Bradbury said, “writer’s block is your brain’s way of telling you, what you’re writing is crap and I don’t want to do it.”So if it’s crap, your brain knows. There’s no hiding from your brain. Move on. When it’s right, the floodgates will open, you’ll see. That other story can keep. Maybe you’ll get excited about it in a few years.
9. It HUGELY helps to have planned ahead. Outline. Outline the heck out of your story, so that when you get stuck in the beginning or the middle, you can go back and see what’s going to happen and at least have one less thing to worry about: the plot. If you haven’t outlined, you’re not blocked: you’re unprepared.
10. Have fun. Whenever I scroll through my writer friends’ feeds on tumblr, I’m amazed by how they all talk about writing. It’s therapy, entertainment, our lifeline. If it’s all these things, then screw money and our carreers (well, not entirely, but you get what I mean). Write for you. Write what you want to read. Write on a pink desk, wearing your favorite socks, write smutty fanfics or gory scenes, write whatever makes you happy. Write whatever makes you YOU.
I sometimes think that when I’ve got writer’s blog, I’ve got life’s block as well.
So if I write to make myself happy, then I’m not writing to get out of writer’s block. I’m writing to stay alive.
The thing about depression
1. is that people stay away from you, as if you’re a ticking bomb that could go off any second. They fear they won’t know how to handle you, or they don’t care to find out, so they take away the only thing that could save you: themselves.
Stars + true love
.
The first signed paperbacks of No Vain Loss...
Stars + true love
.
The first signed paperbacks of No Vain Loss are scheduled to be shipped out sometime next week! Go #nosstreetteam
booksquoteslit:“I’m not the person you left behind anymore. There’s no one here to miss.” - Iain...
“I’m not the person you left behind anymore. There’s no one here to miss.”
- Iain Thomas, I Wrote This For You
