Writing and Publishing Prolifically, Part 1: Discipline, Dedication, And The Damn Muse

Courtesy of SXC.hu

(Note: This blog post mostly goes out to other writers, specifically those who are trying to learn to write faster for whatever reason. Of course, readers are invited to enjoy too! Sometimes it's fun finding out what goes on in a writer's brain. And on that note, this is merely what works for ME. This is by no means a guarantee that you'll be writing as much as I do - or more - every day. Take from it what you can!)

I often have readers asking how I am able to put so many works out. Besides what you see under my real name, I also write fiction under another name (with far more releases) and do freelance article writing on the side. On an average day I write anywhere between 2-5 thousand words. (Any more than that and my fingers start falling off. Oops.) I rarely take days off from writing. It helps that it's also my biggest hobby and has always been my biggest creative outlet, so the idea of NOT writing for a day is ridiculous for me. The only times I don't write are when I'm ill or have something else major going on, such as traveling.

Trust me when I say it took me many years to reach a point where I can "pound out" 3,000 words of a story in one sitting. It wasn't until 2-3 years ago that I really became dedicated to writing so much and so frequently. Before that, I was lucky if I could finish Nanowrimo without crying. (I average about 70-100k a month now. Not all words get published.)

I firmly believe that you can't have prolific publishing without prolific writing. But since being able to write prolifically is a huge part of publishing at the same rate, it's a good idea to get that chunk down first. The following tips are not exhaustive. They may not even all work for you. You may try some out and quickly discover that they don't jive with your way of thinking. That's okay! For fun I've added some other tips and suggestions that I personally do not follow because they don't work for me, but are certainly sound and may work for you. Let's get down to the dirty.

Tip 1: Dedicate A Time Just For Writing

We're busy people. Unless you're fortunate to write for a living or don't have many responsibilities, finding time for our hobbies and future endeavors can seem futile. But your brain is a muscle. It responds to habit. If you've ever tried to get fit by exercising, then you have often heard the adage that you need make it a habit. The same is true for writing. Set aside a certain amount of time - an hour is good - in which your life revolves around writing, emergencies excluded. I know many writers with kids who do this in the early morning hours. They get up before the rest of their family and write write write. You can do the same after kids or other family go to bed.

Quickly you'll find which times work best for you. For me, personally, I can't get into the groove of writing until the sun goes down. I've always been more creative during the dark AM hours... BEFORE bed. (I have to stress that. I'm a person you don't talk to until three hours after she's gotten up.) I go to bed around sunrise. As you can imagine, I never fared well with "day jobs" and that thing called "school."

Writing is also a part of my sleep ritual. I take my laptop into bed and type about a thousand words or so before nodding off to sleep.

Tip 2: Keep Writing Even When You Don't Want To

Your allotted hour isn't up, but you just don't wanna do it, huh? Tough cookies. Get back to your Word document and start typing, slugger. I don't know how many times I've sneered at my WIP and said "GO AWAY" because there were 38493893 things I would rather be doing than working on that. But I kept writing. And I can hear the replies now. "But Hildred! My muuuuse!" Hey guess what?

Tip 3: Evict Your Muse Into Outer Space

You don't need her. Or him.  Or it. Or whatever your muse is. Seriously. Your muse is what's keeping you from getting work done half the time. How many times have I seen a writer say, "Oh, I just didn't feel like writing today. Guess my muse wasn't with me!" Yeah because you muse was off cavorting with someone else's brain. You don't need her, boo. All she does is give you excuses. I think growing up a lot of us were presented with the idea that "great" writers were these bastions of artistic integrity in which a muse guided their every word. And we hear a lot of chatter about "my muse made me do it." Here's some cold, hard truth: your muse doesn't exist the way you think she does. Everything you've created? Came straight from your brain, your creativity, your life, your experiences, your environment, and most of all, you. This isn't the same as inspiration, which may spur an idea. But you can't wait until your muse shows up, or inspiration strikes you. If you want to be a prolific writer, you have to put your ass in your seat and start typing some damn words. Get the idea that you need some outside force to help you out of your mind. It's only holding you back.

Tip 4: Allow Yourself To Write Crap

"Crap" in this case are those words, sentences, even whole scenes that end up being cut in edits. You probably know it's gonna be cut but write it anyway. Why? Because you were in the mood when you wrote it. That's fine! What they say about most first drafts being  "crap" is true. Part of the point of editing is getting rid of the crap. Don't get hung up in the middle of writing something because you think, "What's the point of writing this? I'm only gonna cut it!" Write it anyway. One of the worst things you can do while writing is sabotaging yourself with those thoughts. Trust me when I say I speak from experience, yikes.

Tip 5: Take Part In Writing Groups That Focus On Encouragement

Nanowrimo is probably the most popular group of this kind. If you have a hard time committing to certain writing projects, then having a group of other writers cheering you on may be just what you need to get your brain into the role of habit and ritual. I don't participate much at all anymore, but when I was getting serious about being a prolific writer, then Nanowrimo and the like were invaluable resources.

Tip 6: Start With Small Goals

If you're struggling to even write 100 words a day, then start there. Don't shoot for 2,000 right off the bat, because you're probably setting yourself up for failure and subsequent discouragement. Once 100 words is comfortable, then shoot for 200. Then 500. THEN 1000!

Other Tips That May Work For You

1: Turn Off All Distractions

Lock yourself in your room. Turn off the music (or on, if it helps.) Turn off your cell phone. Disconnect from the internet. Just type and type until you can't type anymore. Many writers swear by disconnecting from all distractions of modern life. Personally, it makes no difference to me. I actually prefer having internet access while writing so I can look something up on the fly.

2: Write Out Of Order

If you are really hung up on a scene, skip it and write another one. About half the writers I know write out of order anyway. They write whatever scene they are most inspired to write. This helps them stay on schedule and get work done without frying their brain. I'm the type of writer who has to write EVERYTHING in order. From first scene to last scene. That's me though. It's part tick, part knowing if I write something too much later, I'll have to change a bunch more things in editing and I'd rather avoid that.

3: Switch To a Text To Speech Program

If you have a disability that makes typing troublesome or are just a slow typist, then you may want to check out programs that let you do text to speech. This is especially popular in the article writing world, and has gained traction in the fiction world as well.

4. Outline Like Crazy

Many writers swear by outlining. Some of them even have entire scenes written as "bare bones" and then their "first draft" is filling in the details. Outlining can take the form of saying, "Here's how it will start, here's the middle, and here's how it will end." It can also just be general notes you want to make sure you don't forget. I am not much of an outliner. I have a general idea of what I want in my head as I write and let things go from there.

As you can see, there are many ways to become a more prolific writer! If you've been struggling with writing more, then I hope that at least some of these tips will be helpful to you! Remember that every writer is different, and what may work for me may not work for you. But I do believe in "ass in seat, hands on keyboard" above everything else.

Are you a prolific writer? What advice would you have to give to someone wanting to become a prolific writer?

Using All 5 Senses In Erotica (Or Sexy Scenes In General)

Source: Stock Exchange

Recently a post popped up in Kindle Boards about tips for using all five senses when writing erotica, or just erotic scenes. I ended up writing a fairly detailed reply, and thought I'd bring it over to my blog and expand on it for everyone else out there!

First off, if you're somebody looking for advice in this section, I want you to think about the #1 sense you associate with sex. (Or flirtation, if it's buildup.) For a lot of people, it'll be a different answer. But I'll bet you're thinking either "sight," or "touch." If you're writing scenes focusing on only two (or less) senses, however, you may find that readers aren't connecting as much to these physically and emotionally charged scenes as you want - and in erotica, that's not good!

So how does one try to work in every sense into sensual scenes? Whether harmless flirtation, or wall-bangin' fun, here are my top tips I hope will help and will ultimately tell you what a perv I am. (Please note that this is a bit more graphic than my post over at KB. Fair warning!)

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Sight - What do the characters look like both clothed and unclothed? How do their bodies visually react to stimuli? How sweaty is it getting, and how does that affect make-up, hair, and clothing? What parts of the body do your POV characters love the most and therefore focus on? Do your characters have body mods or birth marks that can only be seen when they're nude?

Touch - Seems like a given, but some things seem to get forgotten besides the, uh, mechanical feelings. What tickles? What's cold? What's hot? If you're going for realism, sometimes things might (unintentionally) hurt. Or, if you're going for hurt, what makes it so attractive? How do people feel compared to one another? Nails? Teeth?!!? 

Sound - Even if you have the quietest couple (or solo, or more) vocally, there's still gonna be sounds. Physics kinda demands it. Do you have a moaner? A squeaker? A screamer? Are the characters worried about people hearing them? Think of how the erotic acts are affecting the environment. Things falling off? Furniture adding itself to the chorus? Also, skin makes sound when slapping into other skin. (And don't forget the funny sounds if that's what you're after.)

Taste - Besides the obvious*, don't forget how outside factors may affect the taste of things. Diet and body chemistry affect everyone's "flavor" differently. No two people taste the exact same. Also, if you're not looking to get into THAT much detail, there may be other ways to approach this sense. Maybe it's time to bust our the chocolate strawberries.

*Wait, you don't know the obvious? Uh, just read this link. (NSFW, textually.)

Smell - This one seems the most forgotten anywhere that isn't dead bodies or Thanksgiving dinner. And I think in erotic scenes there's a fear, sometimes, of grossing people out with smell. But like taste, everyone has a different diet and chemistry that will contribute to smell. But I also think you can get away with really vague descriptions here, because most readers will have their own scent-related memories they can call up. Scent is one of the most powerful memories so I think it's important to play with. (If you need some ideas, try calling up environmental smells that may set the mood, such as candles, flowers, soap, shampoo, perfume/cologne, and yes, even the smell of sweat in these circumstances can be sexy!)

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A total package offering all five senses on your sensual platter is a great way to involve your readers in ways they may have never been expecting. Try a sense you often forget the next time you're writing and see where it takes you and your audience!

Are you particular to any particular sense when writing, whether a sexy scene or not? Would you add any other tips to this list?

SAS: How to Write A Page Turner, by Lorelei Bell

"Share A Saturday" is a weekly chance for you, yes YOU, to come on my blog and talk about whatever you want, so long as it's related to writing/books. For more information, such as if you'd like to "share a Saturday" with me, please see below!

In her teens and young adult years, Lorelei has always rooted for Dracula to be the dark romantic hero, but was often disappointed. She was considered odd because of her interests in the macabre, horror/vampire novels and movies well before it was 'cool'.

She went on to write novels that she had always wanted to find in bookstores, but couldn't. After 35 years of trying to impress agents/publishers, but failing, finally her first vampire novel, “Vampire Ascending” was taken up by a small publisher. She now has her sequel, “Vampire's Trill” out, and a third in the Sabrina Strong Series going through edits.

Inspiration comes from authors J.K. Rowling, Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, and Janet Evanovich, and others. Visit her blog here !

How to Write A Page Turner

You know how you'll hear people talk about a book that they couldn't put it down? Ever wonder how the writer's accomplished it? Well, I'll give you a few tips. I don't mess around, I learn from the masters!

Let's take J.K. Rowling's books because most people have read them. First of all when the Harry Potter books came out, I really wondered what all the big deal was. I didn't buy the books until I saw the first movie. That got me interested. I read the first book, and had to read the next one and the next one, and then could not wait for the fourth one, and after that, I was hooked. Why? Why was it when I was done with these books I felt like I had left my best friends? Why did I want to go live with Harry, in Hogwarts and be magical?

J.K. Rowling understood how to bring her characters alive, make them seem real and did it in such a way we didn't even notice. 

Sympathetic characters:

First of all, consider her main character, Harry. Harry, as you know, is the “boy who lived” after Voltermort killed both his parents and then went after baby Harry. He wore that mark from then on. 

What a way to begin a book, or a series! You've automatically made the reader sympathize with the main character. Then when you find out how horribly he's treated by his aunt, uncle and cousin—more of the same thing. You feel sorry for him.

But wait! Harry is not defenseless, nor is he stupid. He finds out he's a wizard. Plus, he knows better than to befriend people who are nasty. He's brave, and has pluck and daring, all the necessary equipment of a good hero of a story.

Application:

When I began my Sabrina Strong Series, I didn't want to have a kick-ass heroine. I wanted someone who most people could relate to. As the story opens, she's just lost her father, and her mother disappeared one day, and everyone thinks she was abducted, and never found. But Sabrina knows she was turned into a vampire. So, she knows that vampires exist. 

Problem (1): She needs a job, but can't hold one down because she is a touch clairvoyant—she has to wear gloves to keep most of her visions at bay, thus most jobs she's unable to do or hold down. 

Problem (2&3): Then comes along an ad for a clairvoyant. Ta-da! But wait, she realizes that the person who is to interview her is a vampire (she's clairvoyant, remember?). But she really needs the job, and this is something she can do! So, she goes on to the interview, but before she gets inside, she's attacked by a werewolf. Vampire Nicolas saves her. Afterwards, he becomes someone she needs to lean on in order to get through the first few nights of working for vampires under Bjorn Tremayne in Chicago. But Nicolas desires her, and so does Bjorn. Since Bjorn is the master, what he says goes and prevents Nicolas from having anything to do with her.

But hold on! Sabrina is not exactly certain she wants a vampire lover. Plus, the shiftchanger and her are getting really close. And they get even closer.

The job (problem #4): there is a murderer who is killing vampires and draining their blood. And soon, she is on the hit list. She has to find out who it is before anyone else gets killed—especially her!

Problem #5:

Meanwhile her best friend has been abducted by vampires. Sabrina is the only one who can find her. She does locate her, but she's near death and finally she meets the vampire who gave her the hickey on her inner elbow when she was young. Vasyl, a rogue master. He has come to her aide, and little does she know it, but he has been waiting for her to grow into a woman.

When I began thinking up the problems that Sabrina had to face, I knew that this was going to be somewhat action packed. There was also a mystery to solve, because I love stories with mysteries. And there had to be some romance. But it wasn't to be a simplistic romance, it had to be a little more involved, and make her choose the right guy. I didn't want the reader to figure out after the first chapter who she was going to wind up with at the end.

I never like an easy plot, not when I read, and not when I write. I'll become bored quickly. I need adventure, and working in an urban fantasy plot it is pretty easy to come up with all sorts of ideas to throw in there.

Creating an action packed novel, one that keeps the readers wondering what will happen next begins with creating problems for the main character to solve. And having a sympathetic character, someone the reader can root for and enjoy for a whole series. The romance thread doesn't have to be as difficult as I've made it. But I didn't want her to wind up having to be tied to one guy throughout the whole novel, or the whole series.

Make it Real:

Make your characters seem real by having them do some normal thing, like sleep, or eat (or needing to pee). One of my complaints about certain novels is where the characters never seem to eat or sleep. If you don't show them at least contemplating eating, or feeling sleepy, or getting up in the morning, remembering a dream, etc. they won't feel real. And if they don't do any of the above, their dilemmas must cause them to not feel sleepy or hungry, but for the right reasons.

I actually like to have my characters have conversations while eating. I find it a challenge for them to use utensils as props in speaking. Possibly you can think of other ways to make things interesting while they eat, depending upon the conversation. 

Even my vampires need to eat and have human emotions, desires, jealousy, and these are not totally centralized on blood, sometimes it's about power, and sometimes it's about other needs.

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If you'd like to participate in a Share a Saturday, feel free to contact me at my email, hildred @ gmail.com (no spaces) or through any of the other ways to get a hold of me through my Contact page. THE REST OF JULY IS OPEN~