Working through Writer’s Resistance

It has been a very turbulent few months in my life: from a car accident to sickness, from stress to fatigue. The latest illness put me on the couch for four days, giving me plenty of time to read, think, and re-evaluate where I’m headed in life.

As many of you know, my interests are scattered all over the place, yet as I lay there, condemned to the couch, I questioned the point of the many directions I’ve taken in the past years. And it hit me hard, what the heck am I doing?

My dream has always been to be an Author, and I don’t mean a one hit author either. I've pushed hard, accumulating story upon story. I've strove to understand the format of putting together a novel. I've succeeded in publication with a few short stories, two novellas, and even a children’s book. But, for the last year, I’ve been stuck.

Okay, well not entirely stuck. I have been working on my next novel, Broken Memories, but not nearly as much as I should have been. When the year began, the goal was for a February completion, then an August completion, and now here we are in September and it’s still unfinished.

I could say that life has been busy. I could say I haven’t had the time to work on it. I could even say I’ve been busy with other things, more important things. But the truth is I’m resisting the completion. Why?

Oh, I could come up with all types of reasons, such as Procrastination, Distractions, Over-scheduling, and all of these would be true. But, I think it all boils down to a hidden fear of failure, or perhaps it may be of success. No matter which way you weave it, the situation is merely a state of mind.

Most writers are in this game alone, for the most part. No one is going to stand behind you cheering you on to write that next page. Unless you have a contract, or a deadline of sorts, it is all up to you to get your butt in the chair and those fingers on the keyboard, or pen to paper. Only you can make your dream become a reality.

The most productive method I’ve found so far to push me through these ruts is the ‘Magic Fifteen Minutes.’ You basically devote ‘at least’ fifteen minutes a day to writing. Sometimes that will be all you write, but other times you’ll get caught up and end up with a couple of hours’ worth of writing. The main point is getting yourself in place for the process. Every step of story writing, drafting, editing, polishing, and so on, presents you with a new set of resisting qualities. Push through fifteen minutes and see if it can snap you out of your own resistance.

As I write this blog post, I’ve been back to writing for about a week, and God, it feels good. Maybe this time, I won’t fall off the horse. There’s still hope to finishing my novel by the end of the year, and it is my intentions to do so.

How do you push through your moments of resistance? How do you resist? Does your house become spotless? Do you take up yet another hobby? Are you over-researching an aspect of your story?

Feel free to share your comments and stories. If you have an angle on this topic, or any other writing topic, you’d like to share as a guest blogger, contact me. Other voices are always welcome here at Footsteps of a Writer.

Interview at Beth Bowland's blog

Fellow eTreasures Publishing Author, Beth Bowland interviewed me on her blog today.

Stop by to hear more about my current project, inspiration behind The Sacrifice, my favorite 'writing' snack, and more!

Hope to see you there.

Click Here to arrive at the interview.

Blogging for Success

When I began my blog in 2009, my main purpose was to build a foundation for my path to becoming a published author. At the time, I was an aspiring writer, submitting everywhere and anywhere. As I moved forward, I’ve shared writing tips, book reviews, author interviews, and so much more.

Today, I've decided to talk about Blogging for Success.

Has my blog helped me to sell books? I cannot say for sure, but my instinctive answer would be yes. My blog is my main source of advertising, and it auto posts to Twitter, Facebook, and Google+, and it links back to my Author Website. The Footsteps of a Writer blog is my foundation as an author, as intended from the very beginning.

As an author platform, your blog offers a sneak peak for not only potential readers, but also potential publishers and is evidence of an established readership. Publishers need books to sale. If you’ve already proven yourself, you may find the door opens a little easier. You still have to write the best book possible, but maybe they will take that second look if they know you have people ready to read what you have to offer.

Are there possible successes beyond foundation purposes for a blog?

A blogger can make income from advertisements placed on her blog. I’ve not looked too far into this type of income, but there is a lot of information provided on the internet about such ventures. My only suggestion is not to overload your reader. I, like many people, go to blogs to read the context, not to be run away by ads.

Book deals for bloggers – surprised? Are you aware that the author of Julie and Julia, Julie Powell, began her road to success by beginning a blog aimed at cooking recipes by Julia Child? Such stories may be rare, but there are a few, which makes it not so impossible.

It seems many bloggers are finding their road into the publishing world, by turning their blogs into books, or by publishers finding them through their blogs. Here a few links you may wish to visit to explore some success stories and maybe grab a few blogging ideas - From Blog toBook Deal: How 6 Authors Did It, How My Blog Landed Me aBook Deal, and Blog-Turned-BookSuccess Stories: Part One.

Have you found success through your blog? Are you thinking of starting a blog? What subject do you plan to cover? What direction do you hope for your blog to take you?

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Warning: A brief ‘ME’ Advertisement

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Angelina must travel to the castle to protect her sister, who is marrying the king of the land. But who will protect Angelina on her journey when she encounters a troll and other unexpected obstacles? Luckily, she carries her precious and powerful medallion. She will need it, for even after she reaches the castle, all is not as it seems.

The Sacrifice is a fairytale-like story of a young woman's journey to save her sister.

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Need some guidance, some Tarot Guidance? Stop by the Tarot Guidance Blog for a little Tarot and some creative writing inspired by Tarot. Interested in a personal reading? Email readings are available at the Tarot Guidance Website.

Voices of Fiction - Hobbies - Wrap Up

Welcome to the final post of Voices of Fiction.

Over the last few weeks, our authors have shared their hobbies, from gaming to exercise, from microbrewery to turtles, and beyond. The variety of activities engaged in when not writing has been huge and interesting.

What hobby do you enjoy when not writing?

My main activity outside of writing isn’t really a hobby at all. It’s actually a separate goal in my life journey, or maybe it runs parallel, joining at points with my writing.

Most of you know I’m referring to Tarot Guidance, my tarot website and blog. I became interested in divination in my late teens and never really got over it. Over the years, I’ve moved from reading playing cards to reading Tarot cards, Oracle, and Leonormand style decks. My main love stays with the Tarot, but I’m always searching for more. Recently, I’ve begun working with Numerology and even more recently the Akashic Records. There is so much to explore, and I’m eager to learn what I can.

Oh, we are supposed to be talking about hobbies, the fun things we do.

Let me take you on a journey, for some of the hobbies I enjoy, well, I don’t really do anymore. Why? I guess life takes us down different roads in life, some offer the environment for certain activities and others lead you to new territory.

I feel my life at this point has been split in two – one when I was once married, and now when I’m not. Each life has brought great rewards, not to say there haven’t also been great disappointments.

My past life: Fishing (Catfish), boating, cross-stitching, writing and tarot (these weren’t goals in this other life, not yet), reading, and Yard Sales!

New Life: Reality Check! I need a hobby. I still read - does that count? My energies are spent mostly on my goals of writing and spiritual growth. I feel the need to be outdoors, but this time is spent tending to my yard, work mostly. This could indeed turn toward a hobby-gardening, bird watching (my yard is full of birds!), or even just a connecting with nature. Since I do enjoy my work of writing and tarot reading, perhaps a hobby at this time isn’t a needed aspect in my life.

I hope you’ve all enjoyed this exploration of author hobbies and all of the topics discussed here on the Voices of Fiction series.

We’ve reached the end of the series, at least for a while. 

I plan to switch gears slightly and bring a more personal touch to the blog – personal insights, thoughts on writing, writing techniques explored, and such. Not to say, you won’t come across the usual – author interviews, book reviews, and guest appearances. 

I’m always open to help support my fellow author. Feel free to contact me.