Need to get my shit sorted

Just to give you an idea of how my brain is right now... I had to check how to spell February.
I slept in till 7am. Sleeping through both mine and my hubby's alarms. Both of the children are snotty and sick. It is the day before Valentine's day and I haven't written in 4 days.
I know why I am stuck under this unholy leviathan known as writer's block. It is because I am stressed the fuck out and it is hard to escape into worlds of your own making when you can't keep your mind on one topic.
I will not beat myself up though.
This too shall pass.
Today I am meant to be starting my healthy eating again. Coffee and a cigarette is classed as a balanced breakfast, right?
I am also meant to be hoping back on the exercise train and the quit smoking train. LOL
Wish me luck at the florist today.
I hate Valentine's day...
Hugs xxx
#onewordatatime

Writing, depression and that hag in the attic

My writing efforts lately have been pretty dismal. Personal issues, coupled with a bad beta review and BAM there it is, that hag in the attic has crept down out of her hole, through the webs of my mind to come and tell me how shit I am.

Writing can be hard enough as it is, but couple it with a mental illness and it can be near impossible. I feel sometimes that it seems to be the curse of the creative. We are sensitive, we see the world differently to non-creative folk. We take in more than any normal person should and this can be a kind of catalyst for bad mental health.

Of course, there are many different reasons for mental illness: family history, brain chemistry, the fact that I am not a doctor. There are so many factors and so many triggers, it can be difficult to determine when you should seek professional help and when you are just having crappy time. 

I once posted on social media "If you don't or never have experienced either of these things (anxiety and depression) then you are a very lucky person. Depression is the vampire that sucks all that you are out. And anxiety is the bugs that crawl under your skin to take what is left…" I stick to my guns on this description. 

Anxiety and depression are not just problems that can be cured by drugs, they are not something that you should try to deal with on your own. But the trick is recognizing this before it is too late and then doing something about it.

Depression is serious. It can and will affect more than just yourself.

If you know someone with depression and anxiety issues, please reach out to them. Don't try to fix them. Just make sure that they know you are there. And stay there... This is way more difficult than it seems. People with depression can have sudden mood swings and staying around when it seems like you are not wanted is very difficult. Even more so if you both have mental health problems.

And if you have depression or anxiety yourself then stay strong. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Let people help you back up the spiral. If you feel that you don't have anyone to turn to there are lifelines to contact in most countries. Utilize them.

Now, getting back to the writing part. I do have a sense of ... ease with my anxiety and depression. That sounds a little fucked up, but hear me out. I have an insight into a world a lot of people don't. I see things differently, I have unique experiences that my fucked up brain gives me... so I use them. Most of my stories seem to circle around some sort of mental illness. I use these things because it is what I know. I'm not saying that I have DID (what my protagonist has in Dead Bunnies) but I have had poor experiences with doctors like she has and I have been given the wrong medication and panic attacks are something of an old family friend that I know too well.

Also, about the hag in the attic. And no, I don't have an elderly tenant that lives upstairs, this is my name for the doubt and fear and self-doubt and poor self-esteem that comes creeping down from my mind. She comes down and tells me how shitty my writing is, how no one likes it, that I'll never be a REAL writer and that I like terrible in my swimming costume. 

She can be a real bitch sometimes and what she says can really affect my writing and life in general. It is important to recognize these thoughts for what they are. Bull shit. 

When these thoughts come to you try not to make any big decisions. Just keep going with your routine and politely tell her to go fuck herself.  Your writing is awesome. Your art is awesome. You are awesome.

Hugs xxx

Get ready for 2017 with a more effective writing routine

I have said it before but I'll say it again. Routine is important… when it comes to writing… That is really the only routine I have. The rest of my day is left up to the gods and my children, but between the hours of 5am and 7.30, it is all about the writing.
If you don't already have a routine in place then now is a good time to set one up. With the new year only a few days away it is now that we make decisions to better ourselves in the new year. I am going to give you a few pointers to get you started on the road to a better writing routine for 2017.

Creative flow
First thing to do is decide when your best creative flow comes. Do you work best first thing in the morning? Are you a night owl? Are you better suited to lunchtime breaks at a coffee house? Find a time during the day that works and stick to it. I work best first thing in the morning, when everyone is still asleep. I can sit there in my PJs at 5 am and happily type away. Even if it involves making the time. Years ago, I used to say that I didn't have time to write. I would also sleep in until eight o'clock in the morning or later. Making the decision to make time for writing is one of the best decisions I ever made. You should also work out if you work best after or before big meals, after working out, or after meditation. All these things can help contribute to making your writing time more productive.

Set goals 
What is it that you want to achieve? Is it a word count? A time frame? I, personally, am terrible at word count goals. One day I will wake up and the writing flows out of me like blood from an open wound. Other days I will write seven words and then delete them all again… So, I work with time. Set a realistic goal that you think you will be able to stick to. Start small, you can always increase it. If you start too big and then fail you may become discouraged and start skipping days and/or stop altogether. 

Figure out what you want to achieve
And yes this is different to the goal thing. Is it just writing that you need to do for your career? Do you need to write your blog or vlog or social media? I try to set up my schedule so that everything is slotted in. Blog post are written on Mondays, social media posts and photos taken on Tuesdays… you get the idea. It is good to set out everything you need to do and give it an allocated time. Make sure you still leave more time for writing as this is obviously the most important part of your writing schedule.

Turn off your phone and internet 
No, like seriously. Switch those fuckers off. In your writing time that is what you are doing. Writing. Resist the urge to see if your great aunt Miriam's dog has had her puppies yet or if Vlogbrothers have posted a YouTube clip yet or if your crush is online and wanting to chat. 

Learn to close the door 
If you are serious about writing then you need to learn that this is your job. Close the door (even if this means listening to music) and try to stay in your own head.

Set up things you need before your routine starts 
If you read my blog on listening to music maybe now is a good time to implement this. Set up a playlist on YouTube now so it is all ready to go in the new year.

Pre-write
So, this sounds odd, but hear me out. When I lay in bed at night, instead of ticking over all the problems I might have or all the things I have to do or should have done or whether I locked the front and back doors, I think about what I am going to write in the morning. This is a good time to do it, because you are a little tired so your mind is loose and malleable, so you can kind of just give in and let your subconscious take over. Just daydream about what is going to happen next in your book. Perhaps put yourself in the body of your main character and see what unravels. Then when you get up the next day, you already know what you are going to put to paper.

Plot 
I fucking hate plotting but it helps some people. I still make myself do it a little… I write chapter notes on index cards and then put them on a wall or window so I can look them over and make changes. There are some great advice on plotting on YouTube and all over the web. I do like "beautiful minding it" (putting it up on the wall… this is what my husband calls it.) but I may not be the best to take advice from on this subject because I plot terribly and I always seem to stray from the original…

Don't be too hard on yourself 
If you do miss a day here and there, don't beat yourself up, just try again the next day. Try to be consistent, but life does tend to happen regardless of what we try to do to prevent it. Just keep trying.


I hope this helps you figure out what you are going to do in the new year. Stay safe over this holiday season. 

I will post another chapter of Between Lost & Found tomorrow… if I still have internet… 

Hugs AMC 
xxx

Writing to Music

I know that the holiday season is rapidly approaching and sinking its teeth into our throats to drain every last bit of our joy and money (Oh, yes, bahumbug..) but I wanted to post one last thing before everyone goes away on holidays and stuff like that.

I love to write to music. It is like a metaphorical door which you close to keep people out. Unless you have small children (like me) normal humans will leave you alone when they see earbuds dangling from your ears. It is like a big "fuck off" sign on your forehead. Young children don't get this, though... and they tend to need me much frequently if I cannot hear them.

Either way, I still love to listen to music while I write. And I'll show you what I do. I'll link my Youtube Playlists here. Feel free to use them. 

Music to write to - Piratey

I write a pirate short series so, I have a playlist for pirate music. Makes sense, huh?

Music is such an important art form. It doesn't need language. It can evoke so many feelings. I feel that it is a really important tool that should be used by authors, especially when we are struggling to get into the mood, or we are stuck on a particular scene/chapter/book/career. Music can be the hammer that brakes down that writer's block wall and opens up our minds to the worlds we dream of, enabling us to see it more clearly and find the words to express the vivid life we see in our own heads.

If you have not listened to music while writing before, I strongly suggest doing so. Start off with music without lyrics. (I personally find lyrics to be distracting while trying to write, but I am a compulsive singer...) Find an instrumental piece that rings with the same themes you are trying to portray in your story. Ignore the titles and descriptions and decide for yourself how the music makes you feel.

Listen to the piece of music first and see if you can imagine it playing in the background of your story as it plays out in your mind. Kind of like a soundtrack for a movie. If you think it fits, pop on your headphones and open up that document writer or grab your pen and paper and see how you go.

This, of course, is not for everyone, but it is worth a go if it helps demolish the barriers that are preventing your creative flow.

On a side not I will be posting Chapter 2 of Between Lost and Found tomorrow as an early Xmas gift and the I will resume posting chapters weekly after then.

Good luck, happy writing and let me know how you go.

Hugs AMC

xxx