Six Strategies to Overcome Writing Anxiety

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It doesn’t happen often, but every now and again, I suffer a bout of writer’s anxiety. I could be typing along at a pretty brisk pace, making progress on my novel, but in the back of my mind, I begin to wonder if my writing is good enough. Other times, the anxiety is brought on by a challenging client assignment. In those instances, I want so much to do well and impress the client that I worry myself to death over the details.

Fortunately, my cases of writer’s anxiety are usually short-lived and not so severe that I can’t continue writing. But it does give me pause about my capabilities.

According to the Writing with Anxiety blog, writing anxiety is the feeling of apprehension, tension and fear that occurs when you’re about to write or even in the middle of writing project. It can affect you physically, emotionally, mentally. Physically, anxiety can manifest as sweaty palms, a faster heart rate, rapid toe tapping, or excessive blinking. Emotionally, the anxiety might make you cry or pace the floor. Mentally, it could freeze you to the point where you can’t think straight, or you might relive an episode from your past when you were criticized for your writing.

It’s usually not the act of writing that causes the anxiety, but the outcome. There’s worry and fear about how your work will be received, and those feelings can galvanize you into inaction. Memory can also play a role. If you’ve been criticized too harshly in the past, or if people doubted your talent and commitment to writing, those memories can carry over into your current work.

Sometimes deadlines can set off a series of setbacks. With a looming deadline or something valuable at stake, such as a winning a scholarship or completing a MFA program, that can also bring on a sudden case of writer’s anxiety.

In an interview with Writers.com, writing instructor Giulietta Nardone believes writing anxiety starts in childhood. In school, she says, we are often taught that there is only one right answer to a problem. But writing isn’t about finding the right answer. Writing is about exploration. It’s a process of discovery—of ourselves, of the world around us, of life’s mysteries, etc.

When you stop searching for the one right answer and focus instead on exploring the infinite possibilities around you, your writing will flourish and you won’t worry so much about what other people think because it will no longer matter what they think.  

Every writer is different, of course. Some people have more severe cases of writer’s anxiety. They may stare at the blank page for hours, summoning up the courage to begin writing. But they are so beset by fear that they don’t write a single word.  

I believe a little bit of writing anxiety is normal. Even the most experienced writers and those with numerous published titles to their name experience some anxiety when starting to write a new story.
So it’s natural that you might suffer writing anxiety too at some point. When it happens, know that there are several things you can do to minimize the tension. While these strategies may not work for everyone, they can be a starting point to helping you feel more grounded and secure about the writing process.

Strategy 1: Talk to someone. When you begin to feel anxious, find a friend, your spouse, a writing buddy, teacher, or even your pet (who may not say much but make good listeners.)  Venting your emotions to someone close to you can help you feel better. Writing buddies, coaches and teachers can be especially helpful because as creatives themselves, they’ve likely experienced anxiety about their work and can provide meaningful insights.

Strategy 2: Write in a journal. Even if you don’t keep a journal, writing down your thoughts and feelings can help you understand where your anxiety is coming from. Knowing the source of your anxiety is the first step to overcoming it.

Strategy 3: Practice yoga and meditation. Both of these practices can help you develop mindfulness and help you stay focused on the present moment, which can counteract the mind spinning we do when we worry about the future.

Strategy 4: Go for a walk or do some form of exercise. Tension can build up in your body, especially if you have no outlet to release it. Make sure you’re getting some exercise every day. When anxiety hits, going for a walk can release that pent-up energy. By the time you get back to your desk, you might feel more energized to start writing again.

Strategy 5: Focus on what you can control. Realize that you can’t control people’s feelings, and you can’t control what happens in the future. What you can control is how you feel and what you do. What you can control is your writing—when you write, how much you write, the types of stories you write, etc. When you focus on yourself and not on how others perceive you, you empower yourself to do your best work.

Strategy 6: Feel the fear and keep writing anyway. Sometimes the best way to keep the anxiety away is simply to acknowledge that it’s there and keep writing in spite of it. Use the fear and tension you feel to your advantage. Let those feelings propel you, not paralyze you. Feel the fear (about writing) and do it anyway.

Conducting Research for Your Novel

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One of my favorite types of novels to read is historical fiction. I’m certainly not a history buff, but I do enjoy the mix of history and storytelling that transport me to a different time and place.

What impresses me most about these novels is the amount of thought and preparation that must have gone into it before publication, and the amount of research the author had to do before writing a single word.

If you read historical novels, or any kind of fiction for that matter, I encourage you to read the author’s notes and acknowledgments pages. The notes will tell you a little about the author’s thought process in the writing of the book and share the various sources they used in their research. That might include interviews with experts, places they visited, and specific books that they read. The acknowledgments page includes names of people who helped the author in the writing of the book, such as beta readers or experts in a certain field of study, like a police detective with knowledge of police procedure, for example.

Why Is Research Important?

Research is critical to get the story details right, or as close to right as they can possibly be. Research makes the story more authentic and believable and helps bring readers into the story as if they are there with the narrator.

But what kind of research is needed? How much should you do before writing your story? How much of your research should make its way into your story? You don’t want to overload the story with non-essential details that could bore readers, but you do want to include just enough to make sure they understand the context of the story.

When you’re thinking about your next story concept, take a moment to brainstorm key details you might need to know. For example, if you’re writing a novel that takes place in the Florida Keys and you’ve never actually been there, you might need to know the region’s history, the types of shops one would find when visiting the Florida Keys or how to fly fish. If there are scenes that take place on a yacht or sailboat, you might need to research the various parts of the boat. Remember you want to provide an authentic picture of the region to build context for your story.

Even if you’ve never visited the location of your story, there are other sources you can use for your research. Other sources of research are newspaper and magazine feature articles, YouTube videos, and tourism sites. Don’t overlook local libraries and history museums whose staff may know more about a locale than you ever thought possible.

The Power of Interviews

Interviewing experts can also boost your knowledge and give you ample background for your story. Begin by compiling a list of experts you might need to interview. Do a Google search for sample questions, if you can’t think of any of your own, or use AI if you’re more inclined to go that route. For example, you can give AI the following command: Give me a list of questions I should ask someone who is a professional fly fisherman.

Don’t be shy about doing in-person interviews. You’ll likely get more detailed and relevant responses that way. People are usually flattered to be asked to participate in an interview. I find that most people love talking about the work they do or their hobbies—whatever they’re most passionate about.

When you think you have enough basic research to understand the setting and background for your story, start writing. When you’ve finished the first draft, review the manuscript and note where you might need to include more historical information or other details you didn’t think of before.

More Tips about Research

  • When writing your draft, avoid information dumps. Too much information can bore readers while insufficient information might confuse them.
  • Use primary resources whenever possible over secondary. Primary is first-hand knowledge, like a subject matter expert. Primary knowledge will make your story more credible.
  • Don’t use research as a means to avoid writing. It’s easy to get lost in your research. You can spend weeks immersed in history. Experts suggest giving yourself a time limit, say two weeks or one month, to use exclusively for researching and preparing to write your story. Once the draft is complete, then you can go back to see where you might need to do more research. Avoid the urge to pause writing to look up a topic.
  • Before you start your project, make a list of all the places, topics and details you need to research. That way you won’t forget what you need to find out for your story and you won’t pause in the middle of your writing to look it up.
  • Conduct interviews with experts either in person, by phone or in an online chat. You’ll get the best detailed information that way. Leave emails for follow up questions

    Research may either seem like grunt work to you, or a trip down the rabbit hole. When you make a list of what you need to know, and the sources that can help you find it, you’ll be able to craft a story that is authentic and believable.

When You’re Stuck in the Middle of Your Story, Here’s How to Dig out

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Ever watch a golf tournament when a player hits the ball into a sand trap, or worse, in a deep ravine or thick weeds? The player then has to figure out how to dig the ball out with his club so it lands back onto the fairway.

I understand exactly how that player feels. I’ve been editing my tennis-themed sports romance (for the fourth or fifth time), and I keep getting stuck in the same middle chapters. Each time I edit them, I feel like I’m making the story worse. I wonder if they make any sense or even if they fit properly in the story any more. Part of it is my perfectionist nature, my need to get things “just right.” It’s my version of a writer’s sand trap, and now I’m trying to figure out how to dig myself out of it.

In fiction, publishing experts often talk about the muddling or sagging middle, that dark and dreary place that writers occasionally get lost in. My initial instinct is to rework and revise the scenes to find the “magic” of the story again—and it’s just not happening the way I see it in my head. So now I’m muddling through the middle chapters. And it always seems to be the same chapters, the same scenes that don’t seem to work the way I envision.

Perhaps you’ve had similar experiences with your own writing where you go over the same terrain over and over with nothing to show for your efforts. Even if you haven’t gone through this dark and lonely place in your writing, you might one day.

So I thought I would share with you some of the tactics I’ve tried to dig out of this rut. I’m hoping one of them will eventually work for me—and for you as well. Here are my tips for getting yourself “out of the weeds.”

  • Write the same scene from a different point of view. You could try writing it from another character’s perspective or switch from third person to first person. For example, in my romance novel, I alternate between the female and male characters. I’ve rewritten the scene from both perspectives to see which one works best. Writing from a different point of view can sometimes open you up to a new way of writing that scene that you hadn’t considered.

  • Skip over the scene and work on the next one. This is especially useful if you’ve already written the first draft. Since I was working on a completed draft, I had other chapters I could edit. This made it easier for me to skip the one I was struggling with and move ahead in the story. Working on those subsequent scenes might help you see where there are plotting or character arc issues.

  • Go to the end of the manuscript and work on the final chapters. Work backward from the last chapter until you get back to the middle scenes. This tactic worked for a few chapters until I got stuck and overwhelmed again, so I went back to editing the middle chapter. Again, by working on a later chapter, you might see something in the plot or character that needs to be fixed.

  • Work on something else entirely different. Sometimes switching gears and working on a different project can clear your mind of the problem. It can help you relax and get your creative mojo back. When you’re ready to tackle the weeds again, you can go back with a clearer mindset and more confidence. Sometimes taking a step back allows you to see the problem in a new light.

  • Abandon the project altogether. I have not reached this point yet, but the thought has crossed my mind that the story, as written, is simply not working and it might be better to stuff it back in a desk drawer and forget about it. But I don’t want to quit on this story. I’ve spent too much time on it, nearly three years, and I still believe in it. I also want to feel that sense of accomplishment when I get to The End. That said, abandoning a story after getting stuck in the middle is an option too, but not one I would recommend.

These are the tactics I’ve tried, with mixed results, but there are other alternatives you can try.

  • Interview your protagonists or have a discussion with them. This exercise entails putting on a journalist’s hat and interviewing your main characters. Ask them what is bothering them, where they’re headed in the story, etc. Get inside their head for a moment. Caroline Leavitt of the Center for Fiction blog says she uses this approach every time she gets stuck in her story. You might not be able to use all of what the characters tell you, but you might find a nugget or two that may be useful.  They might even provide some solutions you hadn’t considered.

  • Print out the sections that you’re stuck with and read them out loud. Make notes about what isn’t working. Or print them out in a different font, Leavitt suggests. Sometimes seeing the scene in a different font can open up new ideas you didn’t see before.

  • Focus on the supporting characters. According to NY Book Editors blog, sometimes we focus so much on our lead characters that we forget about the minor ones that might have a significant detail to contribute or an undeveloped backstory that can re-shape your plot.

  • Refer to your outline. Or if you never created an outline for your novel, take the time to do it before you progress much further in your editing. The outline can give you an idea of where your plot points should be hitting, and if you are hitting them in the right time and place.

Getting stuck in the middle of your story, whether writing the first draft or editing it for the fourth time, can be frustrating. But it’s a normal part of the creative process. There are ways to dig out of those ruts. You might have to experiment with a few of these review methods before you find one that works for you.

How to Nurture Your Love of Reading During National Reading Month

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I realized only recently that March is National Reading Month, a month-long celebration of reading and literacy. Inspired in part by the author and cartoonist Dr. Seuss (The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham), whose birthday is March 2, the event is sponsored by the National Education Association to encourage people of all ages to develop a love of reading.

According to literacy experts, reading has numerous benefits, including:

  • Building your vocabulary
  • Improving writing skills
  • Helping us understand the world we live in
  • Improving our mental well-being and reducing stress
  • Keeping up with current events
  • Sparking creativity and imagination
  • Developing critical thinking skills
  • Developing empathy for others and emotional intelligence

    With so many benefits, it’s a wonder more people aren’t in love aren’t in love with reading. One statistic I came across noted the average person reads only 12 books a year. Meanwhile, the top 1% of readers consume 80 books per year. I’m lucky that I’m usually able to read 30-35 books a year, or roughly 2-3 per month.

There are several ways to develop your love of reading:

* Increase the amount of time spent reading
* Increase the number of books you read in a given year
* Share your love of reading with others
* Ramp up the quality of your reading experience

I’ll tackle each one of these in detail.

Increase the amount of time spent reading. I get it. Life gets busy. There are too many responsibilities and obligations getting in the way of valuable reading time. If a hectic schedule limits your reading time to only two hours a week or less, consider ways to increase that time. It doesn’t have to be significant either. Even an extra 15 minutes a day can bring you some of benefit. Start by bringing a book with you wherever you go so you have something to do while you wait for your ride share driver or sit in a waiting room for a doctor appointment. If you take public transit, sneak in some reading time instead of staring into your phone. Or start your day with a brief reading session while you have your morning coffee or tea. If you look carefully enough, you may find openings in your schedule to enjoy a little reading break.

Increase the number of books you read in a given year. This might be harder than it looks. Again, hectic schedules often get in the way of our reading intentions. If your current reading number is the average 12 books per year, how can you increase that by one book? You may find that by squeezing in those mini reading breaks I mentioned above, you can add that one extra book to your annual total without much stress or fuss. Another option is listening to audio books. This might be especially beneficial if you travel by car or take public transit. 

Share your love of reading with others. It’s fairly easy to find other bookworms who share your reading interests. Check with your local bookstore or library for book discussion groups that focus on a specific author or genre. So if you love cozy mysteries, you might be able to connect with a group that loves those types of stories.

Or consider joining a reading club, which is often confused with book discussion groups. (This post by Dany Books blog does a nice job of explaining the difference.) Reading clubs don’t have a set author or genre. Members get together periodically to simply read together, usually a book of their own choice, followed by a social hour where they enjoy refreshments and talk about the books they’re reading. Check out The Silent Book Club, for example, which caters to the more introverted readers among us. The focus of reading clubs is on the reading experience, while book clubs focus on the book they’re discussing.

Ramp up the quality of your reading experience. This might seem a more nebulous task. Rather than increase the number of books you read, try improving the quality of the experience. Maybe it’s finding a quieter, more solitary place to read or lighting a candle to read by. Maybe it’s sipping your favorite beverage while you read, or reading alongside a best friend who also loves to read. Maybe it’s focusing on one favorite genre, say memoirs or graphic novels. Only you know what will enhance your experience of reading.

While National Reading Month might take place during a single month, the love of reading can be nurtured all year round.

Authors with Irish Roots to Add to Your Reading List

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No doubt you’ve heard of Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker and Jonathan Swift. Besides being well-known for their published work, they share something else in common: they were all born in Ireland.

There are many other talented authors, screenwriters and playwrights who have produced notable works from Maeve  Binchy to Roddy Doyle. Most were born in Ireland, while others were born elsewhere but make their homes there now.

With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, it seems fitting to profile a few of these Irish authors, both past and present, who have given us a glimpse of life and love on the Emerald Isle.

Admittedly, I’ve only read a few of these authors, while others I’m willing to explore. There’s something for everyone here, whether you’re a fan of the classics or prefer more contemporary themes. While they represent a wide variety of genres and writing styles, they bring wit and intelligence to their work and provide an insider’s view of Ireland.

Authors I’ve read:

* Frank McCourt. Though born in Brooklyn, N.Y., McCourt and his family moved to Ireland when he was four years old to the town of Limerick where his mother grew up. He recounts his childhood in Angela’s Ashes. Unable to find work in Ireland, his father became an alcoholic, forcing the family to live in poverty. In his father’s long absences, McCourt, the oldest of four siblings, took it upon himself to look after the family, often stealing food and taking on odd jobs to survive. It’s a sad and compelling story that won McCourt a Pulitzer Prize.

* Maeve Binchy. I remember reading Binchy’s first novel, Light a Penny Candle, many years ago. I barely remember it now, but It was my introduction to women’s fiction. Binchy went on to publish 16 novels and numerous short stories, many set in Ireland. She’s known for writing about Irish life after World War II, often with themes dealing with the conflict and tension between urban and rural life.

* Lucy Foley. Okay, I know Foley wasn’t born in Ireland, but her book The Guest List makes my list because of its setting on a secluded island off the coast of Ireland. Written from the points of view of five different characters, readers are taken on a suspenseful journey that unfolds between two timelines—the night of the murder of one of its characters, and the few days leading up to that moment. One of the best page turners I’ve read in long time.

Authors on my reading list:

* Tana French. Though born in Vermont, French now makes her home in Dublin, and she has become known as a leading lady of psychological thrillers in the same vein as Ruth Ware and Megan Abbott. Her first novel In the Woods, is probably the best known and is the first in the Dublin Murder Squad series which contains six books, all taking place in Dublin. She’s also published several standalone novels of psychological suspense.

* Marian Keyes. Born in Limerick, Keyes writes contemporary fiction that tackles some darker issues like alcoholism, depression, cancer, grief and domestic violence. According to her profile on Wikipedia, her stories are often written with a light, humorous tone and feature strong female characters who overcome challenges to find lasting happiness and hopeful futures. Her first novel, Watermelon, was published in 1995.

* Emma Donoghue. Born in Dublin and now living in Canada, Donoghue has made a name for herself writing historical fiction featuring lesbian characters. Her best-known work, Room, became a feature film. Donoghue wrote the screenplay for that film and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Her latest novel, Learned by Heart, explores the relationship between diarist Anne Lister and Eliza, an orphaned Indian heiress during their time at a boarding school in 1805.

* Cecelia Ahern. Since 2004, Ahern has published 18 novels of contemporary fiction. Her debut novel, P.S. I Love You, was published when she was 21 and was later adapted to film starring Hilary Swank. Her stories feature characters at transitional points in their lives, dealing with loss or who feel lost and powerless themselves.

* Tricia O’Malley. I enjoy a little magic with my romance, so O’Malley’s work appeals to me, though I have yet to read any of her novels. She has published several series: the Althea Rose Mysteries, romance with a touch of mystery; Siren Island, feel-good romances with a touch of fantasy; Mystic Cove series, combining magic and romance with Ireland as its backdrop; and The Enchanted Highlands, set in Scotland.

Other notable Irish-born authors, not on my reading list, but other readers might enjoy:
Roddy Doyle – novelist, children’s author, playwright, and screenwriter. His novel, The Commitments, was turned into a film of the same name in 1991.
Sally Rooney – The only millennial writer on this list, she’s just getting started with three award-winning books published so far: Conversations with Friends, Normal People, and Beautiful World, Where Are You?
Frank Delaney – writer of historical fiction set in selected areas of Ireland.
Edna O’Brien – novels often take a bleak view of the despair and plight of women in contemporary society

Of course, we cannot forget the classics:
Oscar Wilde –The Picture of Dorian Gray
Jonathan Swift – Gulliver’s Travels
James Joyce – Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man
Bram Stoker – Dracula

Do you have a favorite Irish-born author or book about Ireland? What did you enjoy most about it? What other authors would you recommend?

Making an Emotional Impact on Readers

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When I think back to the best books I’ve ever read, the ones that stand out most have made an emotional impact on me. They have made me feel something that I didn’t feel before. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s magic. And isn’t that what we want to create with our writing? Magic. Wouldn’t it be nice to make readers feel something when they read your work?

That something can be anything—joy, anger, surprise. Some books I’ve read have put a huge smile on my face, like The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick. Others have left me feeling sad but hopeful, like The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Yet others leave me feeling introspective, like The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen. 

While each of these books represent different genres, the one thing they have in common is the presence of empathy. Some would call that heart. Without heart, without empathy, what kind of story do you have? A story that isn’t memorable.

How do these authors create this literary magic? Why do their books touch my heart and soul when so many others don’t? There are five things that these stories have in common.

They craft an engaging plot. Not only do these best stories begin with a compelling premise, they take me on a journey with more twists and turns than a roller coaster ride.  Note how many twists occurred toward the end of The Nightingale that, at times, shocked and saddened me (and many other readers, I’m sure). Those plot twists were even more dramatic to me because I bought into the story from the very beginning. I had connected with the characters, and I saw what was at stake for them. With rising stakes, the story built momentum toward a dramatic conclusion.

They create relatable main characters. If I can’t connect with the main character, I’m not likely to follow along on their journey. Creating meaningful and relatable characters takes skill. Authors need to understand everything about them—what they look like, what they think, their habits and hobbies. Even if they aren’t the most likeable people, there is something about them that makes me want to root for them, like Ruth in The Book of Ruth, who was smarter and more observant than people in her life gave her credit for. There is usually something they desire, something they feel is lacking in their lives, like love, success, respect, or wealth. Put them into difficult situations with rising stakes, and I can’t help but follow them on their journey. When I can see the complexity of a character’s personality, complete with their strengths, flaws and desires, I can relate to them more easily

They bring us inside the character’s world view. There are moments when the lead character pauses to reflect on the world around them and what they have experienced. Through their thoughts, I’m able to see how the character was changing and growing. Dessen is especially adept at this, often bringing me inside her character’s head so I could see the world through her eyes, often written with an emotional depth and empathy far beyond her character’s teen years.  

They provide vivid sensory details and imagery.  Through vivid sensory details and imagery, these authors created a world for me to experience along with their characters. I saw what they saw, whether that’s the deep blue of the ocean or the various shades of green in the forest. I could taste the crispness of the apple, smell the sweetness of freshly baked cookies just out of the oven, or hear the roar and whistle of the wind during a storm. These details, gave me a sense of place as if I was there with the characters. It’s another way I connected with the characters.

They provide a satisfactory ending. There is nothing more disheartening than to spend hours reading a book that doesn’t resolve all the conflicts to the readers’ satisfaction. When I’ve spent so much time with a story, I want to see the pay off at the end. When it doesn’t come, I feel cheated. In the best books I’ve read, the author tied up loose ends in a way that made sense to the story. It may not have been the happiest of endings, but at least, it provided some hope for the characters’ future. And that makes reading the story worthwhile.

The best books are ones you want to keep reading, even after the story ends. The best ones touch you in some emotional way, and that’s what makes them memorable and shareable.

What about you? What books have left an emotional mark on you? How did the author accomplish that?

10 Signs Readers Connect with a Story

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Over the weekend, I stayed up past my regular bed time to finish a book I’d been reading. That doesn’t happen often. Usually, after reading a chapter or two, I’m ready to hit the sack.

But this book, The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen, made me want to keep reading until the end. With about 40 pages left to read and the climax fast approaching, I didn’t want to wait until the morning to find out how the story ended. So I kept reading.

That experience made me wonder about reader engagement. Are there certain signs or behaviors that show readers are engaged with your story? I thought about my own reactions when I read. I started to notice the differences between how I feel about a story that truly engages my heart and mind and ones that fail to connect with me.

There’s a lesson to be learned here for aspiring writers. When writing your own stories, think about how you want your readers to react to them. What do you want them to remember about your story? How do you want them to feel when they finish reading it?  

So how do you know your story is connecting with readers? Here are the signs I’ve noticed in my reading experience. Which of these reactions resonate with you?

  • I keep turning the pages to find out what’s next. Sometimes that means staying up late past my bed time to finish reading a book. Especially if I’m getting close to the end of the book and I want to finish it. It’s that feeling of unfinished business that prevents me from turning off the light. So I keep turning the pages until I get to The End.
  • I mark the pages with memorable passages. Some of the books that are the most engaging tend to have moments of profound insight. When I find a passage that’s especially poetic and insightful, I use a post-it note to tab those sections, just in case I want to go back and read them. That way, I can find them more easily.
  • I want to find out more about the author. Where are they located? Did they obtain an MFA? How many other books did they write? After reading Dessen’s book, I did a Google search about her and read summaries of her other books, making note of which ones I want to read.
  • I refuse to give the book away—at least not right away. After I’ve read my favorite books, they tend to sit on my shelf for several years sometimes. A part of me wants to stay connected with the story for as long as possible. By giving the book away, I feel like I might forget the story. So I hold onto it until I’m ready to part with it, usually when I need to make space for other books.
  • I share my experience with other readers. I gladly refer the book to someone else who’s looking for an engaging read. I might even take a photo of the cover and share it with my friends on Facebook. Or I might write about it here on my blog. If the book is that good, it’s a shame to keep it to yourself. I have to let other people know about it.
  • I tell myself that this is the type of story I want to write. I observe how the writer has weaved the plot points, developed the characters and created suspense. There’s a lot I can learn from observing how they developed their story. Add to it some emotional insight or message that resonates with me, and I’ve found the formula for success. I know then that that’s the type of story I want to write.
  • I constantly think about the story and the characters when I’m not actively reading it. I could be doing some house cleaning or going for a walk, but I may still think about certain scenes that somehow stay with me.
  • I occasionally think about the book long after I’ve read it. It could be six months later or several years later, and I’m still thinking about the story. Perhaps that is the greatest level of engagement—longevity. I will always remember how I felt reading the ending of The Nightingale, even though I read it about five years ago. Some books simply have staying power.
  • The book touches my emotions in some way. When I get to the end of a story, I check in with myself. How do I feel about how the story ended? Satisfied? Surprised? Disbelieving? When I finished reading The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick (which is still sitting on my book shelf), I recall having a big smile on my face. The book gave me such joy, and the journey the author took me on was satisfying in so many ways. Patrick resolved all the plots in a way that not only made sense, but made me feel good. That’s a mark of a smart story teller.
  • I develop a relationship with the main character. When I can connect with the main character, I have more at stake in the story—the protagonist’s story. I’m a bit partial to first person POV, and Dessen used it effectively to bring emotional depth to her main character. I felt her pain and her joy. I saw what she saw and experienced what she did. When I connect with the main character, I want to keep reading to make sure they find their happily ever after.

    What about you? What signs do you see in your own reading experience that show you are truly engaged with the story?

Measuring Your Progress as a Writer

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment
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A writer-friend recently asked “How do you know you’re making progress as a writer?”

I’m somewhat baffled by this question because I’ve never stopped to ask myself that same question. I’ve never thought about my own “progress.” I simply assumed that writing is about continuous improvement, that the more you write the better you’ll get.

But I don’t think there’s a clear cut answer to my friend’s question. It’s difficult to answer.  After all, what does progress really mean?

Progress can mean different things to different people. For some, progress means how their writing is improving. Writing progress is subjective, which makes it harder to measure. What is good writing for one person may not be that way for someone else.

For others, progress means how close they are to reaching some end goal, like finishing a manuscript. That’s easier to measure because it’s an actual, tangible result.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself regarding your writing progress:

* Am I writing every day, or at least on a regular basis?
* Do I have a clear idea of my end goal for my work-in-progress? Can I visualize what it will look like?
* How does your current writing compare to earlier efforts?
* Are you satisfied with the results so far? What would you like to do differently?

With these responses in mind, If you’re as baffled as I am by this question, here are a few suggestions for gauging your progress as a writer.

  1. Define what you mean by progress. What does it look like to you? Are you trying to reach a certain goal with your writing, such as a work count per day or complete an essay within a week? Or are you trying to measure the improved quality of your writing?
  2. Visualize the end result. What does your end goal look like? Visualize what you want to achieve. If you want, create a visual to inspire you. Sketch a picture or make a collage. Then put those pictures on a bulletin board or somewhere where you can see it every day. Let the picture inspire you to keep working toward your goal.
  3. Create a timeline. On that timeline, mark the starting date of your writing, whether that’s for a particular project or your overall practice. Also mark the ending date of that project. In between, mark periodic points which can designate review point. For example, you might have a timeline from January to December with each month marked off in between. Each month, you can compare where you are currently on your project with where you were the previous month.
  4. Mark the milestones. Celebrate every small victory. Whether that’s completing a chapter in your latest work-in-progress, finishing a writing course, or meeting your daily writing goals for an entire month, do something to commemorate the occasion.

For example, if you’re trying to monitor how often you write, use a calendar and put a star on each day that you complete a writing session. By the end of one month, see how many stars you’ve earned. If there are stars on only half of those days, then you know you have work to do.

When you take the time to assess where you are now and how far you’ve come, you’ll know what steps to take next.

Measuring the quality of your writing is a different animal. Quality is more subjective. What reads well for one person may not work for another. Likewise, writers are a notorious difficult bunch, often judging their work too harshly. However, if you’re truly concerned about the quality of your work and whether you’re getting better at expressing your ideas, there are several things you can do to gauge your progress.

1. Compare current and previous drafts. If you’re working on a piece with several drafts, you can read the current version and compare it to the first and rough draft of it. That will tell you if the story is developing the way you envisioned. Or read a recent work and compare it to something you wrote when you first began writing, say five or eight years ago. See how it has changed over time. Is it more descriptive? Does it have the right amount of narrative and dialogue? Is there too much emotion, or not enough?

2. Read your work out loud. By reading it out loud, you’ll notice words or phrases that don’t seem to fit or you’ll stumble over long sentences and tricky phrases. The mistakes will become more obvious. Then go back and revise.

3. Get feedback from an objective party. Hire a professional editor, recruit beta readers or work with a writing coach who can provide insights about the quality of your writing and provide suggestions for improving it.

4. Take a writing class. With an instructor to guide you and classmates to read your work, you’ll get plenty of feedback that can help you refine your writing.

5. Read widely. That means reading a variety of genres and authors which will expose you to different writing styles. You learn to write by reading as much as you can.

If you’re focused on improving the quality of your writing, progress will be difficult to measure. Each project is different, and you may tackle it at different points of your life and bring to it different experiences. So you may write beautifully one day while you might lost your creative mojo the next.

Whether you want to improve the quality of your writing or you want to create a tangible product, one thing remains true: progress occurs when you write as often and as consistently as possible.

So to truly make progress as a writer, keep writing!

How Rituals Can Inspire Your Best Writing  

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment
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Sitting down to write may be the hardest thing to do when you don’t have a clear idea what you plan to write. Or perhaps you have the writing blahs where writing process doesn’t excite you. In those times, it might be helpful to develop a writing ritual.

 Writing rituals are a set sequence of actions that put you in the proper frame of mind for your writing session. They usually involve words, gestures and revered objects or symbols similar to what you might see for a religious or community ceremony, such as a child’s baptism. Simple actions like lighting a candle, listening to a particular piece of music, burning incense or doing a brief meditation can all be part of a ritual.

Most important, rituals set the tone, opening up mental and emotional space so you can write. They’re intended to create mindfulness and spark creativity.

I must confess I do not have a writing ritual. I usually don’t have a problem getting into the proper mindset for writing. But I can see how they can help other writers who may be stuck staring at a blank page.

Who needs writing rituals?
 * People who are stuck in a current work in progress
* People who want to begin a writing practice but don’t know what to write about and fear the blank page in front of them
* People who want to keep creative ideas flowing

Rituals shouldn’t be confused with routines, which are a set of actions designed to move toward a particular goal, such as finishing a chapter or producing a certain number of words on the page. They can involve a set of steps to get your writing session started or setting up your physical surroundings, such as making a cup of coffee or tea, clearing your desk, getting your notes together, and using a particular pen to write, writing at the same time and in the same place every day, etc. Routines deal with the physical surroundings and logistics of your writing sessions and are usually done every day. 

What routines lack, however, is mindfulness. Their focus is on the mundane tasks that make your writing session possible. But rituals bring intention and awareness to the activity, inviting imagination to open up for you.

Rituals are transformational, explains Mason Currey, author of Daily Rituals: How Artists Work (which admittedly I have not read) as interviewed by Vox. “Rituals create and mark a transition towards a different kind of mental and emotional state.” They create a state of awareness that you can’t get from routines.

When I think of rituals, I think of a ceremony. Rituals are often connected to faith or community, like attending church or practicing yoga once a week. While routines are performed every day, I don’t think rituals can or should be done every day, but perhaps once a week or once a month to reclaim your focus. Rituals are separate from your writing routine and should be treated differently.

“Writing rituals help us nurture habits that are essential to our creativity,” writes Nicole Bianchi at The Writing Cooperative. She shares the rituals of some famous authors, including Jack Kerouac and Neil Gaiaman, although by their descriptions they sound more like routines rather than rituals.

When designing your own writing ritual, consider what types of actions will put you in the proper frame of mind to write. What can you do to create the mental and emotional space to write?

Examples of writing rituals:
* You might play a certain piece of music that inspires you and puts you in the mood to write.
* You might enjoy a cup of coffee while staring out the window for 10 minutes, allowing your mind to flow freely.
* You might do some freewriting or journaling if you mind is troubled and prevents you from thinking and writing clearly.
* You might light a candle and sit still in meditation.
* You might do a 10-minute yoga session which can help bring mindfulness into your activities. Yoga can help unlock whatever is stuck within you.

Whether you follow one of these examples or you create one of your own, writing rituals can signal the transition into a more mindful state that prepares you to be your creative best.   Do you agree or disagree? Do have a special writing ritual? How has it helped you with your writing?

Create a Reading Challenge That Truly Challenges You

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment

It’s usually at the start of every New Year that I look forward to my annual reading challenge. While I aim to read on average 30-34 books, I really try to focus on diversifying my reading interests. I like to challenge myself by reading new authors, different genres that I don’t normally read. By mixing things up, I expose myself to different writing styles which can only make my own writing better.

This year I decided to switch things up by creating a challenge based on monthly themes. I considered each month’s holidays and seasons for potential book themes, then browsed my TBR shelf for books that matched that theme. For example, January is the start of a new year. It has a wintry theme, with cold, snow and wind. It’s hockey season too.

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.co

Selecting books from my TBR shelf that fit these themes was fairly easy. I wound up reading The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman and The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. I’m already looking ahead to February with two more novels based on the month’s themes (Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, Mardi Gras and African-American Heritage month), and I only have to look at my TBR shelf to find those selections. Other options are the local library and the Little Free Library in your neighborhood.

This is one way to complete a reading challenge. The beautiful thing about them is that you can create your own challenge based on your own goals and interests and start it at any time. They can last three months, six months or a full year. They can either be focused on diversifying your reading selections or increasing your reading time. It all depends on what goals you set for your reading challenge.

Since there are so many ways to go about completing a reading challenge, it may be difficult to decide the best one for you. If you’re not sure what type of reading challenge you want to do, check out this nifty quiz at MindJoggle.com. The site also has some cool resources you can use to get the most out of your challenge, such as reading journals and book lists.

The first step for any reading challenge is to set a goal. If your reading goal is to squeeze more reading time into your life, there are several ways to approach this:

* Increase the number of pages you want to read every day. For example, if you usually only read 10 pages, see if you can increase that total to 20 or 25.

* Increase the amount of time you spend reading. If you currently read 15 minutes a day, see if you can increase that reading time to 30 minutes a day.

* Set a goal for the number of books you want to read in a given month. If you’re used to reading only one book, challenge yourself to increase it to two.

On the other hand, if your focus is to expand and diversify the types of books you read, there are ways to accomplish that too.

* Focus on monthly themes. For example, during the month of February, you might read a romance novel (Valentine’s Day), a political thriller or presidential biography (President’s Day) or a novel written by an African-American author (African-American Heritage month). Pick one or two to fulfill the February theme, then do the same for March (St. Patrick’s Day, Women’s History month and the start of spring) and the other months that follow.

* Focus on one genre for a short time period. For example, if you’re used to reading the latest bestsellers, you might do a three-month challenge featuring classic novels that you’ve never read before.   

* Using the monthly system, you can select a book for a different genre each month. For example, in January, you might read a fantasy novel, in February a biography, in March a historical fiction novel, etc.

These are just ideas to get you started thinking about your own reading challenge. When you create a  challenge that fits your interests and schedule, you’re more likely to stick with it.

Here are a few other tips to maximize your reading experience:

1. Start by determining your reading goal. Do you want to increase the amount of time you spend reading in a given week? Or would you rather experiment by reading books in different genres?

2. Think short-term mini-challenges. Sometimes all you need is a three-month challenge to kickstart a reading habit or improve the one you already have. With shorter challenges you can do a deeper dive into specific genres, like mysteries or historical fiction that you probably didn’t read before.

3. Create a reading calendar. Whether you commit to a full one-year challenge or a mini-challenge of three months or six months, use a calendar to choose the books you want to read. Create a mix of longer and shorter books so you don’t get bored with books of the same length. When you see the calendar at a glance and know what books you’ll read and when, it will be easier to stick with the schedule and with the challenge.

4. Join a reading community. To keep yourself motivated, it might help to join a reading community where you can share book reviews and reading experiences with other like-minded book lovers. Check the internet for possible online communities, or visit your local library to see if they have a reading community. (Note: Don’t confuse a reading community with a book club. Reading communities focus on the reading experience, no matter what you’re reading, while book clubs read the same book for the purpose of discussion.)

5. Be consistent with your reading. A little bit each day builds a new habit and will keep you motivated to keep reading. Also be flexible with your challenge. If a book isn’t working out for you, skip it and come back to it later. Switch to something you will stick with. It’s okay to change the schedule as you go along.

6. Beat reading slumps by mixing up formats. It never fails that by late autumn, my reading interest lags and I just don’t feel like reading. Experts suggest changing up book formats with shorter pieces that don’t require as much time or energy. Think short stories, an essay collection or a novella.

Remember, reading challenges are meant to help you stretch yourself, learn new things and get out of reading ruts. Most important, have fun with them. That’s what makes them worthwhile.