Get Inspired: Weekly Newsletter with Ideas and Resources for Writing

We are officially halfway through 2025, and although it is inspiring that we’ve made it this far, I know I have so much more that I want to accomplish in the second half of the year. This makes it the perfect time to take a step back and reflect on how far we’ve all come in following our dreams.

Earlier this year, we bought our home from Fred’s parents. The land has been in the family for over 100 years, so it’s a really special place that we want to take care of but also make all our own. We started updating the kitchen, bathrooms, and landscaping, so the house has been all out of sorts for the past few months. I feel like we’re finally on the tail end of things, and it’s nice seeing everything come together. 

I’ve also been writing a TON! I have my next project out to a few select agents and have been drafting my next project (think Bones and All mixed with Challengers ). 

I’ve also been hearing from old students as they graduate and start their next phase in life. I started teaching writing in 2015 and loved storytelling. I wrote some in my free time but never thought I’d be published. It was only in 2017 that I took up a NaNoWriMo challenge and drafted a terrible attempt at a novel. Although that project “failed”, parts of it live on in Pocket Full of Teeth and some of my forthcoming manuscripts. Fast forward to today, I still work in curriculum and am a published author and am very involved in the writing community. Things might not have worked the way I envisioned, but they turned out way better than I ever could have imagined. 

So as the summer heat builds, allow yourself to dream big. Follow your passions and lean into your voice. Things might get messy as you “construct” your dreams, but that’s life. And right now, you’re exactly where you need to be.

How to Beat the Heat of Writer’s Block

We’ve all heard of writer’s block, but creative blocks can happen to anyone. Have you ever started a project with a clear direction and high motivation only to feel uninspired and lost a few weeks later.

Here are a few tips I’ve learned for how to “beat the heat” when it comes to creative blocks:

Get Outside: Sometimes, we’re blocked creatively because we’ve turned the creative process into work. Although art and writing can be profitable, they often follow their own path… at their own pace. When you feel blocks prevent you from creating stories, take a break, get outside, and have an adventure. Connecting with new people and new experiences helps you put your art in context and helps you reset so you can regain your motivation. Play: We can also be blocked creatively when we’re no longer enjoying the creative process. If you hit a block, approach your project with a sense of play. Try new things, add new aspects in your art (new characters, conflicts, colors, sounds, etc.) and see where these new experiments take you. Remember, you can always go back to your first draft, but these new explorations can teach you new things along the way. Go Back to the Basics: If things still aren’t working, try going back to the beginning. In the ideation process, we are driven to create things that cause us to look at things from a new perspective and learn something new. Go back to the purpose of your art. What do you hope it will change? What conflicts and contradictions might you want to explore? What new perspectives do you want to highlight? Going back to the basics of your art can help you understand how you want to adjust things to align with your vision before you dive back in to your project.

Remember, your creative path is all your own. Don’t be afraid to step away to get perspective, play with different ideas, and reconnect with your inspiration. Just keep going!

Five Must-Read Gothic Novels

In the summer, I love a good gothic novel. To me, gothic is all about atmosphere. It’s heat, humidity, and a bit of mania. I grew up on novels like Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle (my personal favorite gothic novel), and I always chase the feeling of being fully enveloped by a book so that it transports me somewhere new.

So, as summer sizzles, here are a few of my favorites from modern authors:

Beneath the Poet’s House by Christa Carmen: I love atmosphere of this one. When a writer moves into the historic house of an old poet, she channels that creative energy into her work, but that energy also contains ghosts from the past. This book has all things gothic: a haunted house, a black cat, seances, Poe references galore, and an unreliable narrator. This is the perfect pick for a spooky, atmospheric summer. Much Too Vulgar by Viggy Parr Hampton: You know things are going to get a bit messy when you read Viggy. When a pre-med student is denied from her dream research program, she decides to take on questionable research (tests on dead bodies, anyone?) and eliminate the competition one by one. This one is perfect for dark academia lovers and those looking for a good anti-hero tale. I loved indulging in this “good for her” gothic tale that’s also full of humor. The Artist of Blackberry Grange by Paulette Kennedy: The surreal nature of this one was so indulging. It starts with a woman who moves in with her great-aunt. As her aunt paints haunting images of past lovers, the eerie images start to come to life. I love the way Kennedy plays with time and structure in this one, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking to be fully engulfed in a story. Roseneath by Dana McSwain: This novel definitely pulled me in from the first page. When a couple move into an abandoned estate, the woman finds the ghost of a child in the attic, but her husband finds a monster in the basement. As the two get more involved with the spirits of the house, a divide deepens between them, but will they be able to bridge that gap or will it have disastrous consequences? This one was chilling and also unforgettable. I truly wish I could read this for the first time again. What Kind of Mother by Clay McCleod Chapman: Anything Clay produces is sure to be sharp and unforgettable. This story starts with a woman returning to her hometown to read palms to support herself and her seventeen-year-old daughter, but when she reads the palm of an old flame, she’s plagued by terrible visions. I got lost in the labyrinth of this one and will truly never be the same.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Pocket Full of Teeth. If you’re looking for my take on gothic literature, specifically from a Southern perspective, check out my book. It starts with the police interview of Eddy Sparrow as she reads aloud from a haunted manuscript. Inside, we’re confronted with an old house, a creepy maze, and a ghost that walks the grounds. Is there anything better than a story that truly takes over and transports us to a new place and time?! And what a perfect way to spend those hot summer nights that in that hazy clouds of mid-summer stories.

Writing Must-Haves

Writing every day is hard, but I find that if I set up my space, it’s easier to get-and stay-creative. Here are my top 10 Writing Must-Haves that help me stay consistent with my writing:

Playlists: I love creating lists for the characters or the mood of a story. You can check out a sample playlist I designed for Birmingham Mountain Radio’s She-Show for Pocket Full of Teeth HERE. Coffee: I love starting off my mornings with a nice cup of coffee. My favorite coffee is from Domestique, a local Birmingham coffee roaster. Snacks: This helps me avoid getting hungry and stay focused. Also, I bring an extra glass of water, and yes, I’m the writer who has at least two beverages and plenty of snacks on hand at all times. Candle: I enjoy shopping for candles and incense locally. Birmingham Candle Co. has some great scents that are soy-based and non-toxic, perfect for my small office. Ambiance: This is particularly helpful if I want to be transported to a certain setting while writing a specific scene. Need some inspiration during a scene with a thunderstorm? Cue the lightning! Notebooks: I love getting a new notebook. Writing things on paper helps me slow down and organize information so I can refer back to it later. I do use digital tools, but when I need to make sense of things, it always goes into a notebook first. Pens: Although I love the feel of a nice fountain pen, I typically use a ballpoint multi-pen and Frixon pen on a day-to-day basis. This allows me to take messy notes, use different colors, and even erase when I make mistakes. Pomodoro Timer: I use a Pomodoro timer to engage in deep work for 25 minutes before taking a break. This helps me balance work and rest to help me make the most of my writing time. Craft Writing Books: I always keep a collection of craft writing books beside my desk. I love playing with character and structure, so I reference books like Save the Cat for writing, Seven Drafts by Allison K. Williams for editing, and The Artist’s Way for staying creative. Free Downloads: I also use my Character Arc Workbook when writing and editing my projects. This helps me map out my ideas and stay consistent. It also helps me stay true to my vision and add interest to my characters. Check out my FREE CHARACTER ARC WORKBOOK HERE.

Although these “essentials” aren’t required for writing, they help signal when it’s time to write and allow me to settle into my creative process. The “must-haves” are different for everyone, so find the ones that work for you and use them to help set the scene and allow you to slip in to your creative process.

Roses and Thorns

In order to grow, we must experience struggles that can be as annoying and painful as “thorns” and areas of growth that can be as beautiful and awe-inspiring as “roses”. This week, I had tons of new lessons (both good and not so comfortable). Here’s a roundup of what I learned this week!

Struggles: I definitely struggled this week. I didn’t write as many pages as I wanted, but I did start focusing on social media and getting involved in the community. I learned that I need to better prioritize my time so I can be productive but also play and engage better with those around me.

Successes: I had a lot of success this week on our renovations. Work on the house is almost done, and I got to celebrate how far we’ve come by enjoying our bathroom and not having to wake up super early to let the contractors inside. I’m so happy we’re finally in the final stretch!

Thanks for sharing this journey with me this week! I can’t wait to see what next week has in store!