A Bookish Sarah

encouragement & bookish things

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Sarah
Welcome, friend! Relax & rest awhile, if you please. I'm an ordinary girl, a follower of Christ, mama to Gabriel, Heidi, & Aidan; and wife to Evan. Here in this little space of the online world, I share all manner of bookish things, including full content reviews, writerly snippets, encouragement for everyday life, and a whole collection of names & their meanings.

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Encouragement

i can write. . .



Sometimes, that's exactly how I feel.  And then I don't write AT ALL for ages. . . Let me tell you what I'm sure you already know:  If one doesn't write, one will never become a best-selling author of ANYTHING. 

Ouch.  Kinda harsh, right?  But, good gravy, it's true.  It's been months to a year since I've worked on my Safia WIP. . . (Oh, the horror!) And I miss her terribly.  Since then, I've dabbled in many other WIPs because I felt hers was going nowhere fast.

So, what do you do when you have writer's block?  Or when your plot has NO depth whatsoever?  Or when your story seems to be the "Neverending Story" with more holes than Swiss cheese?

Well, there are a variety of solutions, m'dears.  Chainsaw Therapy, of course!  And browsing Pinterest (but do beware, that site can be a black hole for us aspiring authors where we find amazing ideas, but nothing. Gets. DONE.).  So, many options, yes! but you must simply find one that works for you.


Here are a select few to get you started:

As mentioned above, Chainsaw Therapy is a fun exercise to get the creative juices of your brain flowing.  All the ingredients you need are your characters from your current WIP combined with some guy with a chainsaw.  And there you have it: Easy! and great fun!  Believe me.  I've attached some links above of the two short stories I wrote with this exercise (which was about four years ago, so be kind regarding the quality of said writings. . .).

The second include writing prompts.  These are easily found on Pinterest, but you must be diligent to find them and actually use them (something I've not excelled on lately. . .).  Below, are a few that I found compelling:





Maybe you need a tiny nudge forward?  Well, finding an intriguing writing prompt is a great place to start.  It could be the piece of the puzzle you were looking for, or it could be an exercise to get your brain back on track.  Whatever it be, make it fun!

And lastly, the simplest of all.  Write every day.  While I cannot recall which blog I saw this inspiration and encouragement, I remember it as clear as ever.  And that is to take a portion of each day and write.  If you are a busy little bee--whether that's juggling college and part-time jobs or managing a household and kids--then be conservative.  Set a timer for 10 minutes each day and just WRITE.  There's a catch with this one:  you must be diligent.  This is something in which I must take my own advice.  

Usually, we take different things and complicate them, when in all actuality they are rather basic to the extreme.  Start small and expand.  But don't let it take away from what you value most in life!  Nothing is ever worth the loss of the blessings of family, friends, and your quiet time with God.  Find an accountability partner!  This could be a close sibling, a dear friend who shares your passion for stories (or not!), a long-distance pen-pal, or even a parent!  Send a text every day to check on them.  Write a letter of encouragement.  Swap stories!  Share what you wrote during your ten-minute-story-time.  :]  Have fun!

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What is the name of your main character in your current WIP?  And what is their one, major weakness?


Much love, dearies!
Sarah

Comments

  1. I like this chainsaw therapy idea. I'm going to have to try it.
    What will happen if I shake it up a bit? Space ship therapy? T-rex therapy?
    Oh yes, I could have a lot of fun with this!

    ReplyDelete

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To each is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass, and a book of rules,
And each must make, ere life is flown,
A stumbling block or a stepping stone.
-Anonymous-

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