I'M A BAD BLOGGER - I REALLY SUCK AT IT!

I’m a sorry excuse for a blogger. 

I mean, I seriously suck. 

I suck to the utmost and it isn’t even funny. What the heck is it about the blogging hemisphere that I simply cannot stay connected? Every time I attempt to leap back into this “hobby” of mine, I become distracted with stuff going on in my ... how shall I put it?

Let's call it my physical life. Heck, sounds about right. Geez, my wording even sucks.

TBH ("to be honest" - yeah, I'm hip), I have become so incredibly occupied with real life that I can’t keep up with this blog. I promise, ever since my last post I have seriously been on the go! Don’t believe me? You think I'm lying? Check the list, folks.

1. I’m now a Christian Non-Fiction Author for a publishing company I adore. Can't name drop, tho. 
2. I’m working on my MFA via online courses – but that’s a secret, so shh.
3. I’ve gotten myself into tons of freelance writing and editing projects like a freakin' genius. I literally spend a huge chunk of my day at my desk. Whether I'm writing, editing, proofreading ... or looking at Netflix or Hulu (hehehe)... I'm glued here, man! 
4. My Urban Fantasy WIP has morphed into a new WIP. I am obsessed with the changes! You guys know how the writing, editing and revising stages are with WIPs. So no need to explain there.
5. Plus other stuff. *averts eyes suspiciously*
6. Umm ... Does traveling count as a distraction?
7. Did I mention church functions? Family Functions? Just a lot of social stuff. Grrr.
8. My family – my sister in particular – has taken up loads of my time within the last few years. 
• FIRST, I had to plan her wedding. And she was a feisty Bride Zilla.
• SECOND, she decides to get pregnant on the honeymoon, so I planned her baby shower too. And she was a feisty Pregnant Lady!
• THIRD, she calls me quite often simply to chat. Seriously, girl. I am busy. I don't have time to chat. Tend to your fussy 1-month-old baby. Okay, Austin isn’t THAT fussy. But babies are blah. They pee, poop, eat, sleep and look cute. I can’t wait till that kid can say, “Hey, Auntie. You rock!” He gripped my finger the other day and I nearly exploded with joy! And all he did was hold my finger ... Not only do I suck, I'm a sucker. 

So, yeah. Your girl is spent! 

However, let’s cut the crap. I mean, can you smell the bull? I sure can. It stinks like a circus. 

If I was truly passionate about being a blogger, I believe I would have squeezed it in. I didn’t stop watching my favorite shows. I didn’t stop hanging out with friends and family. I didn’t limit my time with God.  Well, actually I have slacked on my prayer life. I need to fix that. Yikes.

ANYWHO! I’ve discovered that I just don’t have the passion for blogging like I used to.

Nevertheless … I WANT IT. In all seriousness, I have been extremely busy. I even find it difficult to spend the desired time on my WIP. Although I absolutely love and enjoy writing, I don't want it to become a chore for me. Yah know? Whatever ... I'm not even sure if I'm making sense. *Cringe* Furthermore, I'm the most organized person I know. Therefore, I know my neglect here has nothing to do with that. Like I said, if I wanted to keep up with this blog then I certainly could. 

It's the joy I'm lacking here, people.

How do I get it back? How do I rediscover that joy in blogging? Honestly, how? 

:-(

Overcome Writer's Block: Distractions

Phase III: Distractions

There is nothing new under the sun, right? Right. 

So you aren't the only one to ever experience distractions, or shall I say allow distractions to disrupt your focus on something you really need to accomplish, which in our particular case is writing. Just to name a few of my own distractions that got the best of me a while back ...

1.      Internet

a.    Social media especially. Get off Twitter and Facebook. If you’re a normal 9am to 5pm working chica like myself then you aren’t getting paid to do that crap. ;-) And let’s take a minute to be real, most of the folks you talk to on those social media sites you haven’t seen in your physical life in you don’t know how long. So, try to ease off of it a bit.

2.      Social Butterfly

a.    Look, it’s perfectly fine to be a homebody. Disconnecting yourself from the world for a little while may be just what you need to get your mind focused on writing again. Now, let’s not sink into depression or do anything crazy by your lonesome. Just get some time to yourself. Your friends will live if you take a break from the daily, weekly, or weekend outings.

3.      Reading Books

a.    I love to read. We all do. However, wouldn't it be awesome to hold your own published novel? As a Writer, it’s important to read a lot, but there has to be a limit so you can get some of your own work done. For the better part of summer 2011 I read, read, read and my book collection tripled. Lol crazy, I know. I didn’t even realize most of my leisure time was spent reading instead of writing until my father said, “…Geez, you’re reading all those other books, you need to work on your own…” He was so right.

4.      Work

a.   Most of the time your job never pays you what you’re worth. Sometimes your job may require you to take work home and you find yourself conducting research, analyzing data, compiling reports, and reviewing other folks work and so on. First of all, manage your time. There are plenty of hours in the day to arrange time to complete your work and squeeze in some hours for writing as well. Don’t allow work to consume your life…you might have a breakdown. I’m just saying…it can happen.

Now I've said it before and I'll say it again, I use the Bible to enhance my walk with Christ and knowledge of the Word of God...however, I also apply the information to my life in virtually diverse ways as well. For instance, the scriptures below are a few of my favorite verses concerning distractions. 

"I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel; which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ." --Galatians 1:6-7

"Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you." --Proverbs 4:25

"And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.--1 Corinthians 7:35

"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." -- 1 Corinthians 10:13

Just like I can't allow myself to get distracted by the things of this world and let them come between me and Jesus, I won't allow the distractions of the world to come between the gift God has placed within me to use for his glory. If you're reading this blog then writing plays a huge factor in your life, dreams, ambitions and so on. For me, this is my future. Although I have a degree and a back up with Education and all (my parents were sticklers for the "back up plan"), I want to live off my writing and I will. 

Be alert at your work. Get rid of the distractions that defer your dreams.

 What good are they to you anyway? 

Overcome Writer's Block: The Secret Place

Phase II: Find Your Secret Place

Phase I focused on giving your mind a break and stop thinking. For Phase II I want to discuss finding a place that comforts the soul of your writing, somewhere you can dwell that works your magic without you even realizing it. I call this the Secret Place.

Yes, it is biblical and has a virtually diverse meaning in that sense. However, as much as I apply the bible to enhance my spiritual walk and faith in Christ Jesus and simply guide/instruct my way of living…I have other usages for the bible as well. Considering books of the bible contain the greatest stories ever told,--honestly, have you read about the beasts and days of tribulation in Revelation? WOAH! –it’s a great text to delve into to get symbolism ideas…I’m so serious.

The Secret Place regarding writing and overcoming writer’s block focuses on establishing an area that you can call your own. Before my grandmother passed in July 2011, sitting in the lounging chair in her room alongside her bed was my own Secret Place. I pushed out some of my most effective and majestic writing in that chair in her room and in her presence. Now that she’s gone and I’m no longer at her house very often, I haven’t really found a Secret Place as good as that…somewhere I’m absolutely comfortable, a place full of light or good energy, a place where my gift of writing tends to go on overload. I honestly think I drew some of my writing energy from her. 

Your Secret Place can be your closet, in front of the fireplace, your back patio, a favorite beach, a corner in the public library, the cemetery, the church pew (not during service of course, haha), the bathtub or Jacuzzi, Panera, a local coffee shop, the rocks near a waterfall, under the bridge in a park, a lake-house or cabin in the deep woods, or wherever. Just find a place that promotes good energy, good concentration, and relaxation. Somewhere with not too much noise, you can leave your worries behind, and just get some awesome writing done!

Oh, and a tip! Your Secret Place may not want to surround noisy kids. Now, I’m just saying…I got 99 problems but a kid ain’t one!

Just kidding, Just Kidding, Just kidding…I love the kiddies! I work in Education for goodness sake! But honestly, it’s hard to hash out some awesome pages with my niece and nephew surrounding me…unless they’re napping of course! ;-)

Overcome Writer’s Block: Stop Thinking

Phase I: Stop Thinking

Not all creativity is art…and most of the time it’s our own fault. I learned this the hard way. For years I tried to force myself to conjure up creative premises, plotlines, unique characters, settings, themes, climaxes, and so on…but you can’t force beautiful creations. No artistic gift is stressfully pulled from someone. And you can’t goad provoking prose. It’s just not possible.

Creativity is Creativity. It’s new, original, imaginative, fresh, inspired, visionary, unmarked, and a whole list of synonyms you can look up for yourself. Oftentimes it comes to you when you aren’t even thinking about it. The most awesome and impossible for anyone to foresee twist will pop up in your head at the most random locations and at the most random time. I’m talking in the shower, in your nightmares, stuck in a traffic jam, at a boring meeting, droning out an annoying friend. Yah, I learned creativity has a sense of humor. It pops up when it pleases.

Honestly it’s a beautiful thing, being creative I mean. It’s not a learned skill, something you can practice; a habit you can just pick up and keep for life…it’s a valued piece of who you are. And the more you endeavor to force it, aggravate, provoke, or pull it out of wherever it is buried in your head…it just can’t happen captain! Creativity is a natural born characteristic God instilled in you and not many people are blessed to have it. And because it’s natural, it flows best naturally. You get me?

Yeah, it’s hard when your imaginary friends stop speaking to you and those friendly voices full of great ideas stop filling up your head, but give them time. Sometimes your ideas require time to gestate or your mind needs to pick up more life experiences to work off of. Now, how do you give those guys space to do their own thing?

Get out and enjoy life. Capture and store those new experiences I mentioned for your mind to chew off of. Of course, writing is essentially the best thing ever!! But hey, there’re loads of other activities you can enjoy to get your mind stimulating, or in other words, make those little imaginary jerks in your head keeping all the good secrets let you in on some of the action! It’s perfectly normal to take time off from writing or stop thinking of how you're going to write an action or kiss scene, begin or finish a book, which twists will come first or last. Know that although you adore writing, it can feel like a stressful job when you do too much of it. I’m sure Gabby Douglas loves gymnastics, but heck, she needs a break from all that flipping too!

Stop thinking about it for now. If you rush creativity it won't become the art you envisioned. Your beloved mojo will come flooding back when you least expect it. Trust me! Would I ever lie to you? Nope! Nevaaa!

Phase II Coming Soon! ;-)