Pembroke Sinclair's Blog, page 14

Movie Review Monday

The Maze Runner (2014)

I never had a burning desire to see this film. I saw the previews and knew they were based on a series of books, but that was where my knowledge ended—and where I was happy to let it end. My oldest mentioned a few times he was interested in watching it, but we always found other movies to watch instead.

One night, we went to a banquet with my spouse’s coworkers, and one of them mentioned that he absolutely loved The Maze Runner movie series. He went on about how amazing it was, so we decided to give it a watch.

The movie isn’t terrible. It has the expected elements of a young adult dystopian film: lack of adult figures, with the ones present being untrustworthy; teens who have to rely on themselves and each other to get out of dangerous situations; discontent within the ranks of the teens; creatures that have to be defeated; and an evil entity controlling everything.

I write dystopian stories, so I totally expected all of these elements to be there. I wasn’t surprised, but I wanted to be surprised. I wanted something new to happen that would completely blow me away, but it didn’t. In fact, I thought the film was a bit slow. I didn’t understand why it needed to be almost 2 hours long—and it felt every minute of being almost 2 hours long. Perhaps the goal was to build up the characters and make the audience connect with them, but I didn’t feel connected to them at all.

My kids enjoyed the film. They totally got caught up in the action, and there were moments where they covered their eyes to protect themselves from the scariness that was the Grievers. I’m a huge fan of creatures, but I wouldn’t say these would be in my list of top 10.

The film did make me slightly curious to know what happens in the books. After all, we all know that books and movies are completely different, so what happens in the books that they weren’t able to show on screen? How does the narrative in the story build up the characters and the tension that wasn’t accomplished in the film? I have a long list of books that I want to read, and if I ever get around to reading this series, I’ll let you know.

The Maze Runner was a good movie to entertain us for a night, and I didn’t feel like I completely wasted my time watching it. It was at least intriguing enough to watch the second film (review coming next week), so it had that going for it.

Has anyone else watched this movie? What were your thoughts?

Is Developing a Marketing Plan Easy?

For all my friends out there who run their own business or do a hobby on the side that requires letting people know about your product, raise your hand if you enjoy marketing.

C’mon. Don’t be shy. We’re all friends here. Raise them high.

Yeah, marketing isn’t exactly the most fun thing to do in the world. In fact, it can be incredibly exhausting and frustrating. Marketing takes a lot of time and more often than not, you don’t see a return on your investment. That sucks.

Marketing is a necessary evil. It’s really the only way to get knowledge about your product to the buying public. There are a variety of ways to accomplish that goal, and you can spend no money or lots of money on the process. Either way, we should be doing something to market ourselves and our products.

One of the most important things to do before jumping into marketing is deciding what you want to accomplish. Form a plan. How many times have you heard this? How many of you know what it means? For me, it’s confusing. My “plan” basically boils down to wanting to sell books. So, to do that, I’ve followed all the guidelines , including having a blog, being on social media, sending out newsletters, and developing audiobooks. So why aren’t my sales drowning me in profits?

You can Google ways to develop a marketing plan , but the answers might not be as helpful as you want them to be. They weren’t for me. I’ve sat down before and looked at my goals, when I wanted to accomplish them by, and the different avenues I could venture down to accomplish my tasks, but it quickly became apparent I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was just as lost as I had been before and even less inclined to attempt to market myself but not able to afford a PR company.

My goal for the next year is to become better at marketing and to take baby steps to get there. It’s not as easy as it sounds to develop a marketing plan, and it’s even more difficult to stick to it or follow through to the next stage. It’s also incredibly important to track your progress (if possible) during marketing campaigns. Analytics are so important, but they can be cumbersome to read. Still, I’m going to find a way to figure this all out.

Any of you out there have any good strategies or marketing hacks that have worked really well? How do you stay motivated and focused on your goal? Have you created a plan?

It’s Easy to Take Feeling Calm for Granted

Wow. January was an incredibly tough month. It’s been a long time since my anxiety has gotten that bad, and it wasn’t fun at all.

I was sick for most of January, so I wasn’t sleeping well. I also have anxiety when it comes to taking medication, and I had to take antibiotics to knock out the cough I had. Normally, I’m fine with taking antibiotics, but for whatever reason, this time it freaked me out. Maybe it was because it was a heavy-duty antibiotic and had some really weird side effects. I don’t know. I got through it, but it left me emotionally and physically exhausted, but it did get rid of my cough!

Side note: the side effects included tendinitis and the potential for my tendons to rupture unexpectedly . There was also the possibility of joint issues and nerve damage. Am I the only one who thinks that’s weird?

My doctor also wanted me to start taking low doses of Buspirone so I don’t burn myself out on anxiety. I was nervous about doing so, but also optimistic. If it was going to help so I didn’t feel out of control, it was worth a try. I took my first dose on a Friday night.

On Saturday, I felt like I was underwater. I could barely move, barely think, and barely form a coherent sentence. I was also incredibly grumpy. I’m well aware that it takes 1 to 2 weeks for this medication to have its full effect, but I felt terrible—whether from the medication or my own mind, it was real to me. I couldn’t bring myself to take another dose, which didn’t help my anxiety.

I also have anxiety when it comes to traveling. Both of my boys are in basketball at the moment, and they travel to different towns for tournaments. They aren’t far, an hour and a half at the most, but that distance is enough to get my mind working overtime. My youngest also had his birthday one weekend, and he wanted to go to Omaha to The Amazing Pizza Machine . Thankfully, I have Xanax to help for those short trips.

By the end of the month, I felt like I was at wit’s end. I had three panic attacks in the course of 2 days. On a Monday, I was freaking out so bad I couldn’t drive my kids to school—a task I’ve accomplished countless times in the past. I was able to ride that panic attack out, but on Tuesday morning, I couldn’t. I had to have Xanax intervention. Same with Wednesday and Thursday, but I was able to take my kids to school.

I don’t know exactly what triggered the panic attacks at the end of the month. It could have been because I was exhausted and no longer had the energy to sustain my emotions. Perhaps it was the super special full moon . It’s hard to say. Whatever the reason, it was horrible feeling like I had no control and being afraid to do normal, everyday tasks.

Feeling calm is one of those things that most people probably don’t think about. They don’t go through their day thinking, “Huh. I’m feeling pretty calm right now,” they just go through their day. I’m constantly looking for and acknowledging those moments when I’m calm so that I can replicate that feeling during moments of anxiety. During one panic attack, I was convinced my brain was broken and I would never feel calm again. That’s an incredibly difficult thought to deal with. It’s scary and depressing. Thankfully, it wasn’t true.

Because I’ve been in a heightened state of anxiety, I’ve been taking my Xanax more often than normal. I only take half a pill, but it doesn’t sit well with me. Remember, I have anxiety about taking medications. I was convinced that I was going to become dependent and wouldn’t be able to function without it. Once again, another scary, depressing thought. And I would feel that way right up until the Xanax kicked in.

It became apparent to me that something had to change. I had to fix my life so that I could feel better and deal with the anxiety. No matter what thoughts run through my head during an attack, there’s an underlying issue that is pushing me to feel that way , and the best way to figure out what that is is with professional help.

I got an appointment with a local counselor. I talked to my doctor’s office daily for half of a week. I researched online to find ways to combat this affliction naturally, and I found some things that are definitely helping . I can’t say if this trick will work for everyone, but it’s helping me. I’ve been able to once again take my kids to school in the morning without having to take a Xanax first.

My goal is to be able to get my anxiety and panic attacks under control without having to take medication. While it helps for my extreme, immediate needs, it’s not a viable long-term solution. Hence, I will continue to see a mental health provider, talk to my doctor, and learn natural techniques to keep me calm. It’s an awesome feeling to know that I can take back control over my body and brain. It’ll take a while, but the baby steps give me hope and encouragement.

Meet An Author Friday: Karen Cotton

I am an award-winning journalist and photographer. I worked for the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle newspaper in Cheyenne, Wyoming for 12 years as an entertainment/features reporter. My collection of audio interviews is at my alumni school, the University of Wyoming’s American Heritage Center. Here is the link to the collection: https://rmoa.unm.edu/docviewer.php?docId=wyu-ah12640.xml

I’m an National Endowment of the Arts Fellowship recipient. I’ve received three Individual Professional Development grants from the Wyoming Arts Council. I have self-published two non-fiction children’s picture books that were published using those grant funds. Both of my books are available at Barnes and Noble in stores and online, as well as on Amazon. They’re also in independent bookstores.

The first book, “Vedauwoo: Hidden Faces in Mysterious Places,” was published in 2014. Sierra Trading Post, now owned by TJX Inc., bought 300 copies of my Vedauwoo book and sold out of those copies. “Vedauwoo: Hidden Faces in Mysterious Places,” is about Vedauwoo, Wyoming, the animals, history, geology and recreation there.

My second book is “K-9 and Deputy Heroes of the Laramie County Sheriff’s Department.” It’s about the heroic acts that the dogs and deputies have done in Laramie County Wyoming.

I also am the editor and owner of an online entertainment magazine www.Sweetascottoncandy.com. I’ve appeared on KGWN TV, Wyoming Public Radio, and KGAB radio and in newspapers.

My third manuscript, a children’s chapter book fiction story, Carol and Santa, was completed in October 2017.
What works/authors have had an impact on you professionally or personally? How? This is so difficult to answer. It’s going to be long and I’m apologizing now. I have been reading all my life. I say that because even as a baby my family read to me. As a mom I started that same tradition in with my daughter when she was in the NICU. We got her first book at Colorado Children’s Hospital from the March of Dimes and Raising Readers.

I worked for a newspaper for 12 years as an entertainment reporter. I was fortunate to be able to interview a lot of authors that I admired. I’d say Linda Lael Miller writes incredible romances. She has hundreds of books under her belt. She has an element of mystery in her books. Not only is she a mentor, but she’s also been an incredible friend ever since I met her over the phone and later in person. She’s gotten me out of dark times with writer’s block. She has given me hope in the difficult world of publishing.

I’d also say C.J. Box has had quite an impact on me. He has incredible characters, especially Joe Pickett, that he has created in his mysteries. He was once a journalist, like me, and he has given me some good advice over the years. He became a family friend. He goes hunting and fishing with grandpa Don Johnson. He got grandpa to delve into reading. Something that has helped fill the void of grandma’s loss. He’s even dedicated one of his books to him.

Craig Johnson of Ucross, Wyoming is a great friend, too. I’ve been reading his Walt Longmire books ever since he started writing them. My first interview that I did with him was about Cold Dish. I try to go to his signings when he is in town to say hello. He’s a busy guy. He has given me a lot of advice about writing over e-mail back and forth and in person.

I interviewed Nicholas Sparks, and Nicholas writes about loss. He is known for his tear jerker novels and movies that are based on his books. I was inspired to interview him for the newspaper because I watched “Nights of Rodanthe” in the theater. I just cried my eyes out. I hate feeling sad. So, I asked him, why? Why do your books have to have to be so damn sad? He told me he has lost a lot of loved ones and it’s something that resonates with him. He writes what he knows. His books are based in towns where he lives by, or has lived in. But, I don’t read his books anymore because like I said, I don’t like feeling sad.

Michael Connelly is an acquaintance of mine. I’ve met him several times in person and every time he had a new book come out I got an advance reading copy of it. I soaked it up. He writes clean and crisp. He wrote a book called Crime Beat that details the stories that he covered on the crime beat at the newspapers he once worked at. Many of those stories wound up into the plots of his books. That fascinated me. Now I’m excited because he has a female detective lead character, Renee Ballard. He debuted her in “The Late Show.” I couldn’t see him when he had a signing in Colorado recently. I kick myself often for missing that one. I first met him when he came to Cheyenne, where I live. He signed my book, “Thanks for making me a star in Cheyenne.” He’s a quiet guy and he told me he likes writing more than doing book tours and traveling. I listened to Trunk Music on a car ride from Wyoming to Georgia and it’s almost more fun to hear someone read his books than to read them yourself. But, he throws some romance into his plots and I like that, too. I also like tweeting him and that’s how I keep in touch with him now.

I’m not going to lie that I have all those authors’ books. I honestly only “collect” and buy books of authors that I know, mainly. Weird I know. But, I like supporting their careers.

Now, I’ve also gotten into some newer authors. I’ve purchased their books for Christmas at a Barnes and Noble Black Friday sale. They were all signed books and I couldn’t turn them down.

I like a lot of non-fiction books, too. My favorites are about writing, cooking, memoirs, and how to do things like draw, paint and garden.

My favorite children’s book authors are Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary. I’ve read all their books growing up. I also loved “Blueberries for Sal” by Robert McCloskey, all of Shel Silverstein’s poetry books, and “A Pocket for Corduroy,” by Don Freeman. I checked them out every chance I could get at my school library. I also recited Silverstein’s poetry for talent shows because I was a geek to the core.

I was always good at reading, writing and spelling. I was even in spelling bees. Math I hated.

I need to add that I first knew I wanted to be an author when I went to a Scholastic Book Fair in Kindergarten at Harrison Elementary School. My parents let me choose three books on the flyers they handed out. Now that I have my own daughter, who is in kindergarten, I can admit that I easily drop about $100 at Scholastic book fairs each time they roll around because I’m a sucker for good books and so is she. We can’t choose just one. We also try to go to the library more often than a book store for the same reason. It’s bad when the book sellers at Barnes and Noble have your phone number memorized for your membership card. To both of us, my daughter and I, books are like candy and we’re addicted to books and reading.

I will say that I read so many children’s books, too, because of my daughter, that authors and books run together. I belong to the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and I’ve met some very talented authors, illustrators and author/illustrators and I’ve read a lot of their books, too. The two that stand out are Luke Flowers and Matt de la Pena. I admire J. K. Rowling. I mean who doesn’t want to be as successful as her? I have watched the Harry Potter movies. I haven’t read her books because I want to have my own voice when I write my books. I own her books, so someday my daughter can read them with me once I have my career established.

Now that my daughter is in kindergarten I miss our mornings when she was in preschool and we’d just sit in my bed and read about ten books before she went to school at noon. We had breakfast in between that time.

I like writing and illustrating children’s books because I like educating kids with my non-fiction books. I also like sparking imagination with the fiction books that I write. I haven’t released a fiction book, yet, but my first fiction book is in the submission process right now. I don’t want to jinx it, but it’s got some excitement building around it and that’s all that I want to say. Fingers, toes and everything is crossed. I am one big bundle of nerves.

Last, but not least, if you want to get into the classics; Alexandre Dumas is one of my favorite authors. My favorite book of his is, “The Count of Monte Cristo.” The next fave is “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,’ By Washington Irving. (I’ve been in his home/museum in Sleepy Hollow, New York and that’s fascinating. His library of his books was just nothing I’ll ever forget). Of course, I love Charles Dickens. My favorite book is “A Christmas Carol,” and in second place, Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.”

If you could be a famous person (living or dead) for a day, who would you be and why?
I’d be Oprah Winfrey. Why? Because she is goal oriented, she is very successful, she seems to be down to earth and honest, and she started out as a journalist and even though I’m not a minority, I have a disability, and that has always caused me some self-confidence issues. She overcame so much and is so successful, yet humble.

She is about empowerment, especially of women. She is very generous with her wealth and she’d be amazing to meet. I remember in high school we had to draw this map of things we wanted for our future. I went to college, I got a degree in journalism (back then it was going to be English, or journalism), I wanted to be just like Oprah. So, when I got my dream job at the newspaper in Cheyenne, I was an entertainment/features reporter. I was able to meet celebrities like she did and people from all walks of life. I learned about so many topics. I loved doing research. I watched her TV show and I’ve read her O magazine. It’s very difficult being a female journalist. There’s a lot of adversity that you deal with, competition and backstabbing. I always told the truth in my articles just like she did on TV and in her magazine. She’s just an inspiring person. Even though I voted for Hillary for president. I really wished Oprah was running instead and I honestly think she’d make an amazing president.

What is the oldest thing in your fridge and how old is it?
It’s a box of baking soda. It’s from 2000. Definitely nothing exciting. However, I do have a hot dog that’s been cooked. It’s in a Tupperware container and has mold on it, so yeah, I will toss that in the morning. EW!

Dessert or no dessert? Why? If dessert, what is your fave?
Dessert of course. Anything chocolate. Probably why I have Type II diabetes now, but there’s such a thing as sugar-free chocolate. It’s awful that Lent is on Valentine’s Day this year because I always give up chocolate. So, no chocolate dipped strawberries for me. Bummer.

But, yes chocolate everything. Plus, didn’t you know that desserts are stressed spelled backwards? LOL.

What is your favorite motivational quote?
I have two and can’t choose between either:

“The pen is mightier than the sword,” coined by Edward Bulwer-Lytton for his play Richelieu, Or the Conspiracy 1839. And “Many friends will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints on your heart.” Eleanor Roosevelt

The Cost of Being an Author

When it comes to being an author, you don’t really consider that it’s going to cost anything outside of blood, sweat, tears, and time. However, depending on how you are published, there can be additional costs that you might not be aware of.

Paying for writing doesn’t apply only to being self-published, although there are a lot more costs associated with that avenue than being traditionally published. If you’re traditionally published, there’s a chance you have a house with a marketing team behind you, but it’s possible you’ll still have to foot the bill for some of your own marketing—and every route of publishing nowadays expects the author to market themselves .

Since I have experience with indie publishers and self-publishing, I’d like to share some of the costs you can expect to incur becoming published.

One of the biggest expenses you’ll have is marketing. It is absolutely more than possible to have no cost for marketing if you know what sites to send your books to. It’s possible to have low cost for marketing too. It’s also possible to spend 1000s of dollars on marketing. Depending on your budget and what you want to accomplish will dictate how much you can/do spend on marketing.

Some of the best ways to let readers know about your books are through ads—both digital and in print. I talk a lot about different marketing ideas, which you can find here and here .

If you’re self-publishing your books, some of the expenses you will incur include editing, cover design, and formatting. Of course, if you have a friend or family member who does any of these things (or you do them yourself), you might not have to pay a dime for these services. Depending on how you acquire your ISBN numbers, that will cost too (Amazon offers them for free, but you have limited distribution with them ).

When publishing with an indie publisher, you shouldn’t incur any costs when it comes to book covers, editing, formatting, and ISBN numbers. All of those should be included in your publishing package. If they aren’t, you might want to reconsider your indie publisher.

In addition to the above, there are other costs that you might not think about when getting published. I know I didn’t. These include the following:

Cost of books for giveaways.

Whether you’re sending out signed paperbacks or doing a giveaway on Amazon, you will have to pay for the books (unless you get some free ones from the publisher) and postage.

You can keep your postage costs lower by sending your books media mail, but it may take them longer to get to the reader. You’ll have to decide if you want to pay more to get them into the readers’ hands faster.

You can keep your paperback cost down by ordering directly from Createspace/Amazon’s new paperback platform (if you are self-published) or from the publisher. Of course, it takes a fair amount of time for the books to get to you this way, so you’ll have to plan accordingly.

Giving away books on Amazon is a great way to drum up some interest and not have to worry about sending the books yourself; Amazon takes care of it for you. However, you will have to pay for the books you want to giveaway.

Cost to send out monthly newsletters.

I do my newsletter through Mailchimp , and they have a free program for newsletters until you reach a certain threshold of subscribers. Then, from there, you are charged based on how many people you send your newsletter to. On one hand, it’s nice to know that you have a bunch of subscribers that you have to pay, but on the other, it can get pricey—especially if you aren’t selling a ton of books (which can happen from time to time).

Knowing that you’ll have to pay in advance could help you decide which program will give you the best bang for your buck for newsletters. There are several companies out there that offer their services, so do what works best for you and fits within your budget.

Conferences and conventions.

You absolutely don’t have to do these if you don’t want to, but I recommend going to at least one. They are a lot of fun, and you get to meet and hang out with people who share many of the same passions you do. If you have the opportunity, try to be a panelist or presenter. It takes the experience to another level! You’ll more than likely have to pay for travel to get there (gas or airfare), food, hotel, and access to the conference or convention, which can get expensive. But by planning ahead, you can make it fit into your budget.

Being a published author is an amazing experience, and hopefully you’ll make more money than you spend, but be aware that at some point, you will probably have to spend money to make money. Not every venture you undertake will have a return on your investment, but you won’t know that until you take a chance. Keep in mind that you get to decide how much you want to spend and what you want to spend it on.

Strange Occurrence…?

I watch Netflix when I work out. It gets super boring on the elliptical, and I can only listen to music for so long. Watching shows helps alleviate the boredom and makes the workout go so much faster.

Some of the shows I’ve enjoyed include Z Nation , Frontier , Tales of Halloween , and Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer .

Weird things always seem to happen to me and/or my spouse after watching certain horror movies. One time, after watching a possession film (I can’t remember which one, sorry!) an alarm woke us up at 3:33, which is supposedly the time demons are out because it’s half of 666.

Another time, after going to see a horror film at the theater (I think it was The Ring, but I’m not positive!), we came home to the door leading from the garage into our house being open. In addition, there’s also been some weird occurrences involving ghosts .

After watching a particular episode of Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer—the one about Michel Fourniret and Monique Olivier (a couple who worked together to find their victims)—I was downstairs working on my computer when my youngest told me there was someone at the door for me. I got up to see who it was, and it was an older couple who were looking for a house on 5th St.

At first, I didn’t think anything of it. They seemed lost, so I did my best to help them—which wasn’t much. We live on 4th St., so I told them they needed to go a block over, but I had no idea which house they were looking for or who the people were who lived in it.

After they left, it occurred to me that this encounter happened after watching that particular serial killer episode. My mind started turning, and I wondered if they were really looking for victims but decided not to kill me because my kids were home. Of course, I laughed this off because it was absurd, and I’ve never seen the couple again.

It amuses me that these strange occurrences happen after watching certain horror films or shows. I know there’s a reasonable and plausible explanation for all of it, but sometimes it’s fun to focus on the strangeness.

Meet An Author Friday: Fran Lewis

Fran worked in the NYC Public Schools as the Reading and Writing Staff Developer for over 36 years. She has three masters Degrees and a PD in Supervision and Administration. Currently, she is a member of Who's Who of America's Teachers and Who's Who of America's Executives from Cambridge. In addition, she is the author of three children's books and a fourth that has just been published on Alzheimer's disease in order to honor her mom and help create more awareness for a cure. The title of my new Alzheimer’s book is Memories are Precious: Alzheimer’s Journey; Ruth’s story and Sharp as a Tack and Scrambled Eggs Which Describes Your Brain? Fran is the author of 13 titles and completed by 14th titled A Daughter’s Promise.

She was the musical director for shows in her school and ran the school's newspaper. Fran writes reviews for authors upon request and for several other sites. You can read some of my reviews on just reviews on word press and you can listen to her radio show: Literary Viewpoints with Fran Lewis on Blog Talk Radio. Her magazine is MJ Magazine.

What works/authors have had an impact on you professionally or personally? How? 
The authors that impacted my life both professionally and personally were Robert Louis Stevenson and Louisa May Alcott. I love Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde because it focuses on the use of opiates in the past and helps me understand the dangers in the present. The writing is realistic as is the storylines and the character of Mr. Hyde helps readers understand the impact of taking drugs that can change your mindset and your outlook in life. I love Little Women and the lessons about family love and loyalty that are brought out in this novel. My favorite works of all times is Gone With the Wind.

If you could be a famous person (living or dead) for a day, who would you be and why?
If I could be a famous person I would love to come back as Edgar Allan Poe whose writing mirrors that of any horror writer today but is better. His lifestyle was questionable and his story themes are dark and I would love to understand more about him so that I can use it in my horror series.

What is the oldest thing in your fridge and how old is it? The oldest thing in my refrigerator is Swiss cheese, which is beginning to smell since it’s buried in the back of my fridge. It’s probably a month old since I have the last half-pound in foil in the front.

Dessert or no dessert? Why? If dessert, what is your fave?
I rarely indulge in dessert but when I do I keep it simple: Vanilla ice cream one scoop with a touch of whipped cream and a cherry.

What is your favorite motivational quote?
Only I can change my life
No one can do it for me: Carol Burnett

How Do You Find Writing Motivation?

I’ve mentioned multiple times that I’ve been sick for several weeks so I haven’t had the desire or will to write. My brain has been cloudy and I’ve been exhausted, so I’ve spent a lot of time watching TV.

I’m not going to complain about the TV-watching thing. My boys and I have been watching season 1 of Ash vs. Evil Dead , and it’s been awesome! I love all of those movies, and I’m really enjoying the series. I’m every so happy that Netflix has both seasons in their lineup.

However, despite the fun and bonding my boys and I are doing over Deadites, as a writer, I still have a deep-seeded desire to put words on a page. I’ve had ideas running through my brain, but they’ve all seemed horrible and I had no energy to figure out how to make them better. As I regain my health, I regain my desire to write.

Being sick isn’t the only obstacle that stands in a writer’s way; there are many things that pull away from writing or suck away our motivation. Family and job obligations can take precedence. Life can get in the way. Depression can play a major role. Feelings of failure or stress can make it difficult to write.

The world will always attempt to stand in our way when we are trying to achieve our dreams—no matter what those dreams are—and we can either let it stop us or find ways around it. However, sometimes those obstacles can seem really hard to surmount and our motivation can get lost along the way. When this happens, how do fight back?

There is a lot of advice out there to help writers find their motivation . Some of it may work for some, and some of it may not. When it comes to writing, the writer has to find the drive within themselves to get a project done. Each writer is unique when it comes to finding this motivation, and they have to do what works best for them.

For me, a lot of my motivation comes from finding the energy. If I don’t have it, I don’t force it. There’s nothing wrong with taking a break, and when I’m sick, I really need a break. I want writing to be fun and stress relieving, so I only pick up a pen and paper when I feel the juices flowing.

What are some other ways you can find the motivation to write? I’d love it if you shared!

Finally Feeling “Normal"

The month of January has been a tough one for me. I’ve spent the vast majority of it coughing. After 2.5 weeks of dealing with my lungs trying to leave my body through my mouth, I went to the doctor. They put me on a heavy-duty dose of antibiotics, and I’m on the road to recovery.

Because I’ve been sick, I haven’t had a lot of motivation. I’ve been spending a lot of my time sitting in front of the TV or sleeping. There’s been no desire to write because my brain hasn’t been able to form a coherent thought. Now that I’m feeling better, my motivation is returning.

If there was anything good that came out of being sick it was that I was sleeping more and was taking medication, both of which had an impact on my dreams. I’ve mentioned previously one of the dreams I had, but I also had another one recently. This second one feels like a real contender to become a story.

It’s hard to say if the story will be good or not until I get it on paper. However, I’m excited about the prospect. Until I start, I won’t know if the story is worth finishing.

So, as I return to “normal,” I will get back to writing. As always, I will keep you informed of my progress.

Meet An Author Friday: AJ Brown

A.J. Brown is a southern-born writer who tells emotionally charged, character driven stories that often delve into the darker parts of the human psyche. Most of his stories have the southern country feel of his childhood.

A.J. writes in a conversational style that draws the reader in and holds their attention. His characters are average people with average lives who are layered with memories and emotions and are fallible, just like anyone else.

A.J. draws inspiration from every day events and conversations. The characters of his stories are drawn from people he has met or seen during his life. Some of the best stories are inspired by his two children.

Though he writes mostly darker stories, he does so without unnecessary gore, coarse language, or sex.

A.J. is also a husband to Cate and a father to two kids, who often inspire him in the most interesting ways.

More than 200 of his stories have been published in various online and print publications. His story Mother Weeps was nominated for a Pushcart Award in 2010. Another story, Picket Fences, was the editor’s choice story for Necrotic Tissue in October of 2010. The story, Numbers, won the quarterly contest at WilyWriters.com in June of 2013.

If you would like to learn more about A.J. you can check out his blog, Type AJ Negative. You can also find him on Facebook (ajbrown36).

You can purchase A.J.’s newest novel, Dredging Up Memories and his collection, A Stitch of Madness (both released by Stitched Smile Publications in January, 2016), or either of his other short story collections--Along the Splintered Path, and Southern Bones--on Amazon. You can also find his novel, Cory’s Way, as well as his collaborative effort with M.F. Wahl, All We See is the End/The End is All We See and his novella, The Forgetful Man’s Disease on Amazon. A list of his publications along with links to many of his stories can be found at Type AJ Negative .
What works/authors have had an impact on you professionally or personally? 
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, and The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone. What? You asked what books had an impact on me personally, and those three impacted my childhood! How? They are stories I loved as a kid that carried over into my adult life. Roald Dahl wrote interesting pieces that made you think, and Sendak wrote, what I feel, is the greatest children’s book of all time. And who doesn’t love Grover? I mean, for real?

If you could be a famous person (living or dead) for a day, who would you be and why? This was hard. I could have gone with the obvious and say Stephen King, but I’m going to say Ellen Degeneres. She uses her show, popularity and finances as a platform to do great things for people. I like to do things for people and given a day with her resources, I think I could help a lot of folks. That would be an awesome day.

What is the oldest thing in your fridge and how old is it? Probably a bottle of mustard and I honestly don’t know. It winked at me the other day and I closed the door quickly. I sent my kid in to throw it out and haven’t seen him since. I hope he’s okay.

Dessert or no dessert? Absolutely. Why? Nothing tops off a good meal like a great dessert. I love donuts, but for dessert, I usually go for the chocolate cake.

What is your favorite motivational quote? If you believe in yourself, anything is possible. (I have no clue who said it. I saw it once and said, yeah, totally true. I have believed in myself ever since.)