Unleash Your Creativity

"I wish I could write a book..."
"I wish I was creative enough to write a book..."
"I wish I was creative..."
I hear these kind of things all the time. People are always telling me they wished they were more creative than they were. Honestly, I don't understand. Creativity can come naturally but it doesn't always. Just because you weren't born creative does not mean you can't be creative. Creativity is a choice.
Of course, if it doesn't come naturally, you can't just sit around and expect that to change. Here are some ways to boost (unleash) your creativity:
1. Read a book.
2. Go for a walk.
3. Take a break.
4. Listen to music.
5. Exercise
6. Take a nap.
7. Paint or draw.
8. Do something with your friends.
9. Make something.

When Should I Send in my Manuscript?

So, you've written a novel. It's been polished a few times and you really like it. Now what?
Now, my dears, it's time to find an agent or a publisher. I know, I know, you're freaking out, right? I know it seems kind of scary, especially if you aren't sure your writing is ready for rejection or acceptance. I'm guessing you're worried about these kinds of things:
What if it gets rejected?
What if they say yes but I don't think it's right yet?
What if I lose my chance because I sent in the manuscript to soon?
I get it. I was worried about the same kinds of things. But I was lucky enough to get an extra push from my mom (LOVE YOU MOM!). If she hadn't sent it in, I probably wouldn't be published still. Point being, I understand your fears. They were mine. But you can't let that take control. There will come a day when your story is ready. It could even be today. But YOU need to be ready, too. And that's what this post is all about: figuring out if it's time or not.
How to know if your manuscript is ready:
1. You're happy with it.
So, yes, we all have those days where we just hate every word. But, for the most part, do you genuinely love it? If so, it might be time to consider checking out agents and publishers.
2. You're considering publishing.
So, if you find yourself wondering if someone would pick your work up, then maybe you're getting close. You may very well find your thoughts straying to publishing because it's time to move on to that step.
And now a few points on your worries:
1. What if it's rejected?
If it's rejected, it's rejected. It's as simple as that. I know, easier said than done. I'm sure rejection letters can't be easy to deal with. But have faith in yourself and your writing. Your chance will come.
2. What if they say yes but I don't think it's right yet?
Okay, here's the thing. The moment it's picked up doesn't mean you are done and it's published as is. I went through four or five more revisions with the publisher before publication was finished. Point being, there's still time to fix the things you don't like.
Of course, you've got to remember that NO STORY is perfect. That's impossible.
3. What if I lose my chance because I sent the manuscript too soon?
This is a silly thing to fear. How are you ever going to know that? If you live in fear of sending it in too soon, you may never send it to anyone. You're going to have to take a leap and hope for the best. If it's ready, it's ready. And there are so many publishing options. I don't know how you can really "lose your chance" so to speak. Besides, what if you send it too late? You never know what the future holds. Just trust it'll happen when the time is right and jump.

So I hope this has been helpful. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask!

Understanding the Writer's Mind

Odd.
Insane.
Eccentric.
Chances are, if you know a writer, they've been accused of these kind of things. I know I have. And a lot of the time your writer has probably taken these things as compliments. Again, I certainly find it more of a compliment than an insult when people tell me I'm crazy. But for the everyday person, this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. And that's why we're here.
Today, I'm going to try to help your average Joe understand what makes the writer tick and how to deal with their sometimes bizarre behavior. Okay, so let's get started!
1. Writers are hardly ever completely in reality.
Whether we're talking about poets or novelists or anything in between, writers are constantly dealing with their stories. Being a novelist, I'm always at least one foot in the story world. When your writer stops paying attention to your conversation, it's probably because they've stepped further into the story. For the writer, reality is just plain old boring. They'd much rather deal with the imaginary worlds than every day life.
If a writer happens to get this far away look or stops paying any attention to the world around them, leave them alone. Their mind is elsewhere.
2. They do in fact talk back to the voices in their heads.
So, yeah, a lot of people claim to have little voices in their heads. But most of us don't actually talk back to them. Writers do. I don't know what normal people's voices are but a writer's inner voices are probably their characters or something. Mine are and, yes, I do talk back to them. Sometimes, arguing with those little voices are all the writer needs to be inspired. So, if a writer mentions an argument they had with the voices, it's OK. Don't be concerned.
3. Ideas may be dangerous.
I don't know how other writers react to getting ideas but, for me, they really are dangerous. I usually scream "epiphany" at the top of my lungs before grabbing something to write on and write with. I imagine other writers scramble for pen and paper just like I do. It may seem like a wild frenzied thing to do but there's some logic behind it. If an idea doesn't get written down immediately, it could be forgotten.
So, if a writer starts scrambling for paper and pen, do not be alarmed. Once the idea is down, they'll be fine.
4. Writers write.
Chances are, if you know a writer, you've worried about their eating, sleep, and social habits. They forget to eat, forget to sleep, and completely forget about friends and family. That's the thing about writing. Writers get into their stories and its hard to pull them out. If it's dinnertime and they're writing, it might not be a bad idea to leave a snack for them and leave them to their work. I know as for me, I just forget that I do in fact have to eat. As far as sleep goes, you may have to remind them that they do need to sleep. And socially? Writers typically aren't all that social. They get caught up in the story world, where their characters take them on adventures. Sometimes, we need to be reminded to have real life adventures.
5. Talking about writing.
One thing that you should never worry about is what a writer means, particularly if they mention how sad they are to kill someone. No worries, they aren't feeling murderous, at least not to anyone outside the pages of a book. And another thing: if you happen to see their browsing history, do not freak out on them. It's all research. They aren't planning to assassinate you or anything. No worries.
So that's basically it. The thing is writers are crazy, absolutely. But that goes with the job. They have to have voices to inspire them, and reality will sometimes be less real than the story world. But, chances are, they have a heck of an adventure every day.

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