Overcoming writer’s block isn’t always easy, but it helps to keep a pen and paper at the ready for when inspiration strikes.
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Many complain of experiencing writer’s block. It refers that time when writers attempt to write and nothing comes. Some complain that it last days, weeks, months. Others say it may even last years. The question came up in an authors’ forum. Here I share 13 tips recommended.
Take a day off from writing
Work on two different books at the same time. If you have trouble with one, move to the other. It helps with the creative process
If you don’t know what you’re going to write there’s no point in sitting down. What you can do is think during the day what the next few pages are going to be like (when writing fiction). So when you sit you know exactly what’s coming
One writer suggested that you leave the last sentence unfinished so you know what you are going to write when you next start writing.
If you have lost direction, print your book so far and re-read it. By reading the previous chapters (preferably in one sitting) it provides a run-up to the bit you are actually stuck with. Then you are able to put down your reading and start writing with a renewed sense of direction.
Read, watch a movie, play a game. Get your head back.
Give yourself permission to write badly. Tell yourself the story. Take a break and write something completely different. Read a lot.
It’s not a block but an opportunity. Time to edit and then later, see it with fresh eyes
Write, write, write…even if it’s not good or what you want. You can always cut it later or edit it into what you do want.
Disconnect and do something completely different.
Talk about the story’s events.
Take a walk.
Just keep writing. Don’t get discouraged. If one thing doesn’t work, try another.
Any thoughts missing that you would like to add? Do share. We would love to hear! By the way, if you are still dreaming of writing that book and don’t know where to start, let’s connect.
Relatable, encouraging, inspiring are words that describes the book “My Safe Place is With You.
Amazon Reviews
Are you discouraged and feel like giving up? What is going on in your life that feels like a giant? Is it a career decision? A conflict on the job? Your health? A conflict at home? When you think about your future, does it look bleak? If so, be confident that it does not have to be.
In My Safe Place, Dr. Shelly Cameron talks about what to do when life’s tragedies hit, when you feel stuck, confused, and your life spirals out of control, where do you turn? How do you handle it? Where is your Refuge?
In this book you will find:
Inspirational Short Stories and Exhortations to Uplift you
Prayers and Encouragement for Difficult Journeys
Guidance to Identify God’s Purpose and Leading when you are Confused
As a writer you have to have the three D’s: drive, discipline and desire. If you’re missing any one of those three, you can have all the talent in the world, but it’s going to be really hard to get anything done.
Nora Roberts
An author at a Writers forum asked the question whether to attend a writing retreat alone or with a group. Intrigued I dived in. Here are top responses as authors chimed in with their preferences.
A combination. Alone at first to get some writing done, then others can join after to chill
Always with at least one person, Would never travel anywhere alone
Either. Done it
Alone
I like both. But prefer to have a couple of other writers. That way there is someone to talk over plot points and such with.
Would probably accomplish more alone, but a group is nice too
I have done both. You can also go to the location (Tennessee Williams Writers Festival in New Orleans) with non writer friends who will go off sightseeing and leave you blissfully on your own to attend master classes, panel discussions and book signings. But bring your new writer friends with you to dinner so you have something satisfying and intelligent to talk about.
Both could be fun
Alone but towards the end I want to meet up with a friend for dinner
Writing retreats are so fun with a friend, but the point as in writing is not to have fun, but to be productive. Learn, write, make a few new friends after hours but you are there to write.
I think point 10 sums it all up. Writing is indeed fun but the point of writing is to be productive. Personally, I believe writers write alone but after compile the pieces and celebrate together.
As a writer, what’s your preference? Do share. We would love to hear.
Success Strategies of Caribbean American Leaders in the United States is a product of my research on Success Strategies designed to help emerging leaders rise to new heights.
The Book was birthed after in-person interviews with with top industry leaders in healthcare, politics, education, media, aviation and more. Leaders were either first or second generation immigrants from the English and non-English Speaking countries.
Intrigued but don’t have a copy? Snatch yours here and learn the challenges they had to overcome to be successful.
It’s such an exciting time to think about publishing your very own book! It certainly was for me when I did my research and got it published in the Journal of American Academy of Business Cambridge (JAABC), as well as my books on success strategies and leadership. I am now busy writing a new inspirational book. Tons of Lush near Edible excitement especially when you receive the first printed copy! Woo-hoo!
I have been getting requests from interested first time writers and decided to share my personal thoughts on how to get the writing done in order to get published. To be honest I understand the Seriousness of this goal. So here are my own 9 steps to get you going.
9 Steps to Getting Your Book Done
1.Develop that mindset. Goal achievement begins in the mind. Think of the saying “if you can imagine it you can achieve…
I was asked to speak with students who were about to graduate and take the steps as they embark on their career. In my curiosity to find out how to deal with their needs, I followed up with the enquiry to ascertain the major challenges they face as I spoke on the topic of Burst The Fear. I took the opportunity to share my own personal journey in the hopes that the graduating class would gain some inspiration of my own fears and how I countered them. Sky Dive anyone?
Here I share the top 10 challenges as gleaned and brief insights on how students and graduates can address them.
1.Lack of Money For Tuition
Lack of money is a common concern for students and graduates who wish to pursue further studies. There are many opportunities to combat this hurdle in order to move ahead . 5 include:
Applying for Scholarships
Seek Grants
Use Savings
Apply for Federal loans
Seek Private loans only as a last resort
2.Unavailable Jobs in Their Field
First of all, it is best to research the job market to ensure that you are investing the time and effort into a field that still exists. We are in an everchanging environment and some jobs have become obsolete. In other cases job titles have evolved over time. That said, ensure you look before you leap.
3.Income Levels not Enough to Meet Needs
One great thing that has happened in our changing environment is diversification. That said, job seekers can have a ‘day job’ while simultaneously working on their own to supplement their income. Hobbies anyone?
Separately, it is also very important that students live within their means. For example, if studying full-time, it makes no sense for students to sign up for off-campus housing if they are unable to afford the rent and associated bills. If studying part-time while living at home with parents, this makes things more affordable especially when studying remotely. Can’t afford something? Save towards it until you can have it or do without it until you can afford it. Again, it is very important to live within your means.
4.Uncertainty About What To Study
If you are not sure of what to study, do your research. Speak with your college Career Services. Do assessments. Make it important to check the market to understand what careers exist. Careers are everchanging and besides that you may not like the job if you tried it. So it is best to test the market. This can be done through signing up for:
Part-time jobs
Summer vacation jobs
Volunteering is an excellent way to get experience since employers do not have to worry about paying you. It’s unfortunate but it’s a real situation within the current economic climate
5.Inadequate Role Models To Emulate
It is always good to get a mentor in the area that you are interested in working. There are mentorship organizations that exist that will assist students in providing direction. In addition, your college Career Services has the necessary resources to assist your progress.
You may also find it useful to search for groups online that have discussions based on your area of interest. These exist for any employment or interest area that you can think of. All you need to do is search. Once you find the group you like, become engaged in garnering advice on the forum.
6.Eradicate The False Ideas Of Success
What is success? There are many false ideas of success that exist. Be careful what you follow. Overnight success is hard to reach and may not be lasting or it might be something conjured up by those who choose to defraud. Be very careful who you follow. Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers shared stories of what seems like overnight success in high achievers which turned out to be more than 10K hours of practice over time.
Additionally, Success is not an accident. We must create it on purpose. My research on Success detailed in book Success Strategies share steps to success for those in need of guidance. Similarly, the book titled Ditch It shares the steps for those interested in switching their miserable job that they are engaged in or ditching it for entrepreneurship if they so desire. The book provides information based on research conducted with successful leaders as they shared the commonalities that drove them to achieve success as they defined it.
So be informed. Read. Gather information and Ditch the idea of leaping into ‘quick’ success.
7.Poor Attitude Towards Money
Spend wisely. As discussed in lack of money to invest in studies, be certain to live within your means. There will be times when you have to forego a desire/want in order to achieve your long-term goals. I cannot help but emphasize the quote, “if planning is important, execution is everything“.
8.Lack Of Self-Confidence. What Do Others Think?
Success must be created on purpose. It is in the very act of taking the necessary steps to build your success. Essentially, you take the steps to build your self-confidence. This means a sense of self-esteem and self-assurance when you believe that you can make a difference in the career path you take. To build your self-esteem you should:
Reflect. Look at what you have achieved
Set Goals
Create a plan to take the steps to achieving your goals
Consider your strengths. Write down what you are good at
Motivate yourself. Do this everyday especially when the going gets rough. That’s how you stay focused
Don’t give up
Forget what others think. Focus on you, where you want to go and how to get there.
9.Unaware Of How To Adapt to the Changing Environment
Change is constant. That is one thing we can be sure of. Nothing remains the same forever. Bust the Fear. In order to succeed we must create that resilience to adapt, learn and grow. One of my favorite sayings is to do it afraid. Things change and with that we become fearful. Here are 5 things you can do:
Be flexible and adapt
Try new things which will help boost your confidence and creativity
Embrace Technology
Seek guidance and support from others
Build your skills and keep learning
10.Lack of Self-Awareness
Seek to understand yourself. What are your talents? What are you good at? Step forward, take the leap, and discover triumphs in your abilities that you never knew existed.
Motivate yourself. Motivation comes from within. The more you believe in yourself and your abilities the more you are able to accomplish. Learn how to exert control over your own motivation, behavior and your social environment.
Avoid negative people and situations. If your friends are not going in the same direction you are, find new friends. Those with whom you can strive to accomplish your best.
Binge Watching is the practice of watching multiple episodes of a television program in rapid succession, typically by means of DVDs or digital streaming.
Dictionary.com
Patty’s text excitedly read “hey, I’m here binge watching your YouTube videos”. Hmmm an untapped medium, I thought about it and decided to share a few of the top videos. Below are 9 listed and shown below for your convenience. Go grab a snack and tune in. Build your personal growth as a writer, leader, new entrepreneur and more.
And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. ~Sylvia Plath
Tips gleaned from experienced authors to those interested in venturing out on their own writing journey.
Write. Keep writing.
Read a lot so you understand how others do what they do
Learn the craft …that is part of writing
Proofread. Rewrite so it makes sense
Learn the craft. Books, classes, YouTube
Be yourself. Tell the story
Brainstorm writing ideas
It takes a lot of sacrifice
Find online sites that accept free submissions. Publish 800-1200 word articles on a subject that interests you. Write and submit articles to many sites. Once accepted try longer pieces
Don’t let “no thanks” deter you.
Read, read, master the language you want to write in. Read…
You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.
– Madeleine l’Engle
Personal Growth is a delight and it is a joy to participate in the Hogges and Cowins Book Festval and Writers Conference. Panelists will include Dr. Rose Stiffin, Dr. Susan Davis, Rosemarie Cole and yours truly. We will dive into the Challenges, Mysteries and Magic of Writing on Saturday, April 17th at 5:15pm.
You can’t expect to just write and have visitors come to you – that’s too passive.
Anita Campbell
Writing is a passion. Authors write because they love it. Many say that you will never get rich from writing. But as time has evolved into the 21st century authors yearn to earn profit from their quest. Here I share excerpts gleaned from a writers forum.
Write quality books
Audible is good especially with streaming services
Do interviews relevant to your book’s subject matter, share link and promo code
Share book reviews on social media
Build your email subscribers from before you launch your book.
Give updates about your upcoming book, or the ones you have written and publishing to your Email Subscribers
Make your Presentations educational and inspiring.
Book Club Readings
Virtual book signings
Speeches
Offer Promotional Book Swags
Videos Promos
Find businesses or local organizations such as Rotary that will benefit from your presence and host Author signings
Regular content creation
Pick a social media channel and stick with it
Engage with your readers. Nurture your super fans
Make products around your book
Get podcase interviews
Network with others to cross-pollinate
Interested in marketing your writing? These tips can help. Any missing that you can add? Do share, we would love to hear.
From Tanzania, Jamaica, and across the United States, 6 powerful women in reggae shared their thoughts on women singing, songwriting and the associated struggles of survival in a predominantly male role.
It was a such joy to cohost the event with artistes Marcia Griffiths, Carlene Davis, Jah9, Naomi Cowan, and Etana as we celebrated the occasion of VP Records Miss Pat’s new book. Thanks Dr. Claire Nelson, white-house champion of change and Founder of the Institute of CAribbean Studies, Washington DC
Reflection, Rest, Relaxation & Renewal
