Regeneration (for writers)

Unless you’re a Time Lord, this has nothing to do with changing your face and suddenly having a hankering for fish sticks and custard.

As I’ve said before, I’m the type of person that like to have a full plate. I like being busy. But every once in a while, we have to recharge our batteries.

This is easier said than done.

I don’t like slowing down. I don’t like relaxing. And I don’t like doing one thing at a time.

It’s actually hard for me to just stop and do nothing. To not multi-task. To not plan out my day in a myriad of lists and deadlines.

But it’s also difficult to do this day in and day out. There are some things I do to wake myself up, wipe the slate clean, and have a clearer head when I get back to work. They are:

1. Sleep. There’s nothing like taking a good nap or actually getting eight hours of shut-eye. You feel 100% better when you’re on a full night’s rest, and it allows your brain to function much quicker. Plus, you won’t be nodding off at the computer every five minutes.
2. Shower. This always wakes me up and makes me feel like the whole day is ahead of me. It’s refreshing and relaxing and comforting. Plus, I always do my best thinking in the shower.
3. Exercise. Whenever I’m super tired, but I know have a lot more to do, I’ll go exercise. There’s nothing like getting that adrenaline pumping to wake you up and make you feel better. However, I always get that inevitable crash once my body returns to normal. Therefore…
4. Eat. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes forget to eat during the day. I’ll realize I’m hungry, but I also want to finish what I’m working on. Hours will go by before I realize I still haven’t eaten lunch. I always get hungry after I exercise too, so I try to take in a light snack or a healthy lunch. It gives your body nutrients and energy to keep going. I always feel more awake after I’ve eaten.
5. YouTube. Some would say this is procrastination. And maybe it is, but it’s also motivation. If I’m editing something that doesn’t interest me at all, I find that I’m more likely to scroll through Facebook or check Twitter or do a hundred other things that have nothing to do with the project I need to work on at the moment. And there’s no set time on that, because you can get lost down those time-wasting avenues. Instead, I pull up some Whose Line is it Anyway? on YouTube and play one scene from one episode. Once I’m done with that, I edit five or 10 more pages. Then I play the next scene. It helps me to get through the work a lot quicker, and there’s a set time I “waste” between those chunks of pages – usually only a couple of minutes. It’s a reward system that doesn’t involve food, which is a habit I seriously need to break. (But, man, I don’t know what I’m going to do when I finish all eight seasons of Whose Line on YouTube.)

This is just what works for me, and I’m always looking for some new ideas. I tend to do #1 the least, and not often by choice. It’s unfortunate that the other solutions are just quick-fixes, but a more permanent relaxation is tough when you have a full schedule.

What sorts of things to you do to stay motivated and rejuvenate your body?

My Top 5 Favorite Free iPhone Apps (For #Writers)

I swear this is not an advertisement! I’m just an advocate.

When I finally got an iPhone last year, I did it because 1) I needed a new phone, and 2) I knew it would help me stay on top of things like my e-mail and various social media notifications. Plus, I’d be able to surf the internet. Because, you know, I don’t do that enough as it is already.

What I didn’t realize was that it completely revolutionized – and I use that term very specifically – the way that I manage everything I do. It really was like a revolution. Suddenly I had a one man army at my fingertips, allowing me to keep tabs on everything I do. And I do a lot. I became more efficient and was able to interact on social media a lot easier. This was important to me because it’s not just fun, but also good when you want to build a readership and make connections with other writers.

There are cons, of course. Anyone with a Smartphone will tell you that they can become addictive. I check mine constantly, though I try not to do it when I’m around other people. The internet can suck a lot of our time and energy without us even realizing it. And it can cause tension on relationships. I try not to let that happen.

As with everything, there needs to be balance. And one of the best things about the iPhone is that it actually gives me more time to do other things – namely writing, but also spending time with my family and friends. Instead of having 50 e-mails waiting for me at the end of the day, I can keep an eye on them as they come in and read or delete them sooner. I can respond to tweets instantly, or check Facebook when something comes up with Hypable.

It’s hard to pick just five, but I’ve narrowed down my favorite apps and why I like them so much. These are the ones I use most often, and the best part about them is they’re FREE! We all like free.

ONE. Notes

The notes app is just a simple little application designed to look like a yellow legal pad. You just open it up and start typing. You can use it for reminders, to keep your grocery list, or to write down ideas as they come to you.

I tend to use this for the last option. I have background information on my characters written out, lists of blog ideas, outlines for stories, and so much more. The best part is that it’s so portable. You don’t need to drag a laptop around with you just in case an idea strikes. And those ideas never strike at opportune moments, do they? Who doesn’t carry their phone on them at all times these days, especially given the fact that most bloggers/writers are so dependent to the internet.

TWO. WordPress

The WordPress app is one of my favorites (don’t tell the others). Instead of sitting down each night and replying to a dozen comments on a blog post, I can just respond to each person as they come in. And it’s so easy to keep track of it, as they end up in a queue in the comments section of the app.

For the longest time, I was only half using this application. I never used the reader portion – which is where new posts from the blogs you follow end up. Until recently, I would just go to my email and open up each one to read them, sometimes having to click through to the actual site. It wasn’t a pain in the slightest, until I realized there was a much, much simpler way to go about it.

When my inbox backed up to about 150 e-mails – most of them being blog posts – and I was drowning trying to keep up, I finally had the brilliant idea to check out the reader in the app. I flew through those blog posts like you wouldn’t believe. I could now do it anywhere – not just when I had my laptop on me. Of course, I could have done it from my e-mail on my phone before, but I’d have to log in each time to leave a comment and that was just such a pain.

Keeping up with blog posts now is a breeze. I hardly have any lying in wait in my e-mail because I can get to them whenever I have a few minutes. And the best part is that the app always has you logged in. You don’t need to constantly input your information, which can be frustrating on such a small screen when your fingers never quite hit the keys you intended.

The only problem I find with this part of the app is that I have to click into the blog post from the reader, then click into the person’s site, and click into post again in order to leave a comment and be able to mark it to notify me of any further replies. (I do this as an easier way to see when an author replies to me, but there’s also some hidden gems when other people leave comments. Plus, I’m a sucker for notifications/e-mails. Sue me.) But it’s a problem I’m willing to work with if it means I won’t be staring at an inbox of 150 blog posts any time soon. Hallelujah.

THREE. Twitter/Facebook/E-mail

Okay, I know I’m cheating here by giving more than one app, but these sort of go hand in hand for me. They’re ways I keep in touch with people – Twitter for writers (mostly), Facebook to keep an eye on our Hypable group, and e-mail for, well, e-mails. As with the WordPress app, these other apps keep you constantly signed in, which is one of the perks for me. (And I realize this makes me sound like someone who is too impatient to even sign in each time I want to go on these things. You may or may not be right…)

Twitter makes for great distraction. I keep to my lists, which I’ve broken down into categories for why I’ve followed certain people. I’ve followed a lot of people on Twitter, and so it can be a little overwhelming at times. Having it broken down like this is much easier to handle (though sometimes I still avoid certain lists because – WOW – so many things to read). Twitter is, unfortunately, inundated by an incredible amount of people all sharing links. I see this a lot with many of the writers I follow. Twitter is a great place to share information like this, but it’s hard to get through a list when there’s hardly any “real people talk” and it’s mostly just links. But it is what it is, and I still enjoy it. It’s a place where I can share my thoughts and be more of myself than I can be on Facebook (sad isn’t it?). The only thing I wish would change is the ability to add people to lists directly from the application, rather than having to jump on my computer to do it.

The facebook app is a great tool, and I mostly use it to keep an eye on the Hypable group (where we share ideas and make sure all the news is being covered) and my writer page. I hardly do any “real” Facebook-ing, but I don’t mind. I generally keep my thoughts to Twitter. The one problem I’ve noticed with this app is that I don’t always get notified when there’s new activity. But so far it hasn’t been much of a problem, and I just make it a point to check in on everything once in a while.

FOUR. Goodreads

The Goodreads app has so much potential, I’m sure, but I don’t really use it to its fullest extent. I’m not super active on Goodreads anyway, so I’m not bothered. It makes it much easier for me to update which page I’m on in my book – something that has no real use (because I don’t my friends on there really care I just read 15 pages), but makes me happy anyway. I also use it to quickly add books to my TBR pile or to add to my already-read list. It’s nice for when I’m suddenly struck with a memory of having read a certain book, or see a book in a store that I’d like to eventually read. I can just whip my phone out and input the title. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!

FIVE. Pocket Frogs

Yep, this is a tried and true app, and one that I am so glad I found. If you’re unfamiliar with the game, it’s pretty simple. You have a bunch of frogs that you breed and can either keep or sell. The game is super simple, but incredibly addicting. It’s fun to see what combinations you can come up with and to try to obtain all of the awards.

Smartphones can be distracting, and this is one instance where I can get sucked into a game like this (or Fruit Ninja, which I recently discovered and have a fondness for). When your main goal is to write and not be distracted while typing away on your computer (which sometimes feels like an impossible feat), having games on your phone isn’t always the smartest decision. But, I’ve also found it to be a nice break. A game like Fruit Ninja doesn’t take long (if you’re not too great at it like I am, that is), and it’s a good way to reward yourself once you’ve accomplished something on your to-do list. For someone who tends to reward herself with food (bad, bad habit), this is a much healthier alternative.

Do you have a Smartphone? Do you use any of the apps above? Which are your favorites? Got any good ones that aren’t on my list?

Are writers born or made?

The always-inspiring Belle DiMonté wrote a blog post a week or two ago that got me thinking (again – she tends to have this affect on me). She wrote about what it’s like to be a writer. She also wrote about the fact that having a perfect life has nothing to do with being successful. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. Because of the hardships, the pain, and the struggles, she’s been able to face her problems, push through them, and gain knowledge and experience that is invaluable to a writer.

About half way through she says that she firmly believes that writers are born, not made. “One does NOT make a writer! Writers, especially successful ones, are not made; the talent and desire is not created; it is simply THERE from the beginning and refuses to let us rest until we give in and begin to write the stories that populate our veins.”

She goes on to quote George Orwell by saying, “Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout with a painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist or understand.”

More beautiful words have never been said.

And on that note, let me just say – I disagree. Kind of. Well, no. I DO agree, but it’s complicated. Yeah, that works. It’s complicated.

Explanation:

Writers can be made. We’ve seen it done time and time again. Celebrities who I believe to have no desire to write (Snooki, anyone?) have gone on to publish books. Some have had more success than others. “Success” can be defined a number of ways, but for the sake of our argument, let’s just define it as someone who has sold a lot of books – regardless of the actual critical response.

Are these people necessarily good writers? No. Granted, they probably did it for the money and probably had eight editors read over their manuscript before it went to the press. But are they writers? Yes. Could they be described as successful in terms of how many books they sold? Yes. Therefore, are they a “made” writer? Yes.

(Disclaimer: Maybe Snooki had that intrinsic pull of the writer running through her veins much like the rest of us. I doubt it, but I honestly don’t know.)

Whoa, whoa, whoa, you might say. But there’s a HUGE difference between me and SNOOKI.

Yeah, I agree. And this is why I agree with Belle and why my answer is also complicated. There’s a difference – a huge difference – between a made writer and a naturally born writer. They could have the exact same careers – hugely successful, many books, dedicated fan base. They could even have vastly different careers. The “made” writer could sell a lot of books because of his or her fame, while the “born” writer could spend his or her time in squalor hoping an agent takes notice.

But there’s always going to be a difference in their blood. It’s not that one is real and the other is fake, but it’s that one has the calling and the other doesn’t.

I realized it a little late, but I knew I always had an affinity for writing. Back in fourth grade I remember writing entire stories in the span of a paragraph. Yeah, they weren’t exactly prize-winning manuscripts, but that’s when I first realized that writing was fun and it was an escape into another world. It wasn’t something that I decided to do one day… It was something I’ve just always done. I’ve always felt the need to put the made-up places in my head down on paper.

The other day my dad was telling me a funny story about when I used to go over to his house and how I’d spend all day on his computer, typing out my stories. His computer was in his bedroom, and I’d be content to stay in there the entire weekend if I could. But once in a while I’d come out into the living room and flop onto the floor. I’d stay there for a little while, watching TV with him.

“What’s wrong?” he’d ask.

I’d sigh. “Writer’s block.”

I’d be quiet for a while, probably perfectly at peace watching NASCAR (Go Mark Martin!). Then I’d pop up, say, “Ooh!” and run back into the bedroom to type out the rest of the scene.

I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that I had a story in my head that I wanted to get out. My writing skills were above average, but in no way were they good. (Given that I was probably about 10 at the time, I’ll let it slide.) I had no desire to get published, or even to have anyone read my stuff. I just wanted to write for the sake of writing, because I enjoyed it. Because it was fun.

Many moons later, I figured it out. I’m a writer. I was born to be a writer. My brain works in a different way than Average Joe’s. I see stories everywhere and my head is always filled with voices – but the good kind, not the crazy kind. As cheesy and silly as this sounds, I know that I was meant to be a writer. Baby, I was born this way.

Yeah, I just quoted Lady Gaga. Deal with it.

The point is, there is such a thing as a writer who was made. There’s such a thing as a writer who was born. Could they have the same exact careers? Yeah, probably. Could they have completely different careers? Also a possibility. While they’re both writers, they’re both completely different.

I think one is better than the other, but that’s just me. I’m a tad biased. There’s nothing wrong with a made-writer, but I think a story from someone who doesn’t have the blood of a writer coursing through their veins will never have the same spark as someone who simply goes through the motions because they’ve decided they can make money doing it.

Do you think there are such things as made-writers and born-writers, or are they all the same to you? Is one better than the other? Do you feel that deep seated call to write?

Writer’s Block is the Common Cold

Moroccan Guards

Writer’s “block” is a good way to describe it. It’s like you’re driving down the highway and you know exactly where you are and where you’re going. You can describe every bush and tree, every creature that scampers out of your way. And you can see beyond that, far beyond. You can make out the mountains in the distance, and you can see exactly how the road twists and turns before you reach your destination.

Then – BAM!

The cops have set up a road block. There are signs and cars and flashing lights, and suddenly you can’t go anywhere. It stops you dead in your tracks and all you can concentrate on is the distraction of the sirens and the officers waving their guns in your face. Your surroundings have disappeared and you can’t quite recall how to get to those mountains in the distance.

This is an accurate metaphor, but I’ve got another one.

Writer’s block is our common cold – everyone gets it, no one really knows how to cure it, and we just have to wait it out until we feel better. But, luckily, there are ways to prevent writer’s block, and there are ways to push through it. (Kind of like showing those cops you do indeed have a driver’s license. Or like pumping yourself full of orange juice and cold medication.)

The first question is: What is writer’s block, really? It’s important to realize that it affects people differently. For me, at least, it’s when my brain just doesn’t want to work. I can’t think properly or I can’t concentrate. Writing one paragraph takes me an hour instead of five minutes, and I don’t like anything that I put down on paper. For others, it is the complete inability to come up with any detail pertaining to their story. It is a frustrating and time-consuming illness.

But, like most bugs, you can do a variety of things to prevent yourself from catching it. I suggest writing every day, whether you have time or not. It’s hard to stop writing once you get in the swing of things, but sitting down for even ten minutes a day helps. Skills are learned through experience and patience, and the more you write, the more skills you’ll pick up. I like to keep my iTouch handy too – there’s an app on there for note taking, and I use it all the time. I even have some full blown stories and character backgrounds on it. I tend to get ideas when I’m away from my computer, and this is a simple thing that I can do to get those ideas on “paper” before I lose them. It’s aggravating to have a great idea that you can’t remember when you go to write it down later that night, and that’s actually one of the ways that my writing block gets set up.

Another thing you can do to keep yourself from getting writer’s block is to make an outline. I know a lot of people don’t like them, and even I’m not particularly fond of them, but they do work. Research shows that writing down your goals helps you to attain them. An outline works the same way – it shows you what you’re working toward, and reminds you of the big plot points that you need to have in your story or series. My first novel is complete, but it’s just one book in my trilogy. I wrote an outline for the next two books so that I would always remember what I am working toward. Knowing what’s coming next also allows you to put clues and important details in earlier installments!

But even the best drivers get pulled over, and even the cleanest and most careful people still get sick.

So, how do you get around that road block? It can be tough, and sometimes all you can do is wait it out. Our brains are powerful machines, and they’ll work through any problems on their own, but there are ways to help them out. As it is with the prevention of writer’s block, the best thing to do is, well, write.

I know what you’re saying. “Um, isn’t that the problem?”

Yes, it is. So, try writing something else. Work on a different story or try out a new writing exercise. Sometimes shifting gears is the best thing to get your mind working again. Like I said above, for me writer’s block is about not being able to think of anything good to write, or not liking whatever I do come up with. The best solution for this is to just plow through whatever you’re having trouble with and come back to it later. Sometimes, you have to write something really, really bad in order for you to get it off your mind. Then, you just move on and edit it when you come back around to it. It’s like how they always say not to edit while you’re writing, because it kills your creative buzz. Same thing.

I actually have a really good example of this. In my novel, there’s a battle scene near the end. I was having a lot of trouble writing it, and I just couldn’t come up with anything that sounded good. I also didn’t really know what exactly I wanted to happen – who should live and who should die? Which characters do I want to focus on? Where and how exactly will the battle take place? I couldn’t answer any of these questions, and all I could think about was what happened after the battle. Well, I couldn’t ignore what happened during the battle, since that was an important scene, so I just wrote whatever came to mind. It was bad. Like, very bad. The writing literally consisted of “This character does this. Then this character does this. Then this happens.” It was very choppy and very poorly written, but I left it and moved on to the next scene. Now, I had my work cut out for me when I got to this chapter in my editing process, but it was much easier having that outline of the scene and then just fleshing out the events once my brain had decided to work properly again.

A lot of writers use music to inspire them. I like to go outside and walk around in the woods, or visit somewhere peaceful where I can be alone. It allows me to notice the magic of nature more easily, and as my stories usually center around nature, this is quite useful. Something else that might help? Set your work aside for a while. That might seem counterintuitive – how can I get work done if I’m not writing? – but it’s not. Writing isn’t a science, and you can’t force yourself to do it if the inspiration isn’t there. Go mess around on the internet for a while or get some other things done that you’ve been putting off. Chances are that when you come back your mind will be a little bit clearer, and you’ll be able to write again.

Remember, the police are there to protect you. Sometimes you can overexert yourself by writing too much. Writer’s block might just be your brain’s way of telling you to slow down. And everyone gets sick – that’s why we have an immune system.  You’ll come up with your own way of overcoming the disease.

If you’ve got any additional suggestions, I’d love to hear them! Even my own tips don’t work for me all the time, so it would be nice to hear some other people’s thoughts.

Happy writing!