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Writing advice

Writing a Novel Really is Like Winning the World Series or Super Bowl

October 23, 2013 3 Comments

I know you’re probably thinking, “Two blog posts from Isabella in six days?” Well, you’re right!

If you follow sports, then you probably know that tonight is the first game of the World Series. For the National League, the St. Louis Cardinals will be playing the American League Champions, the Boston Red Sox. (For those of you that know me, you know how hard it was to write the words, American League Champions and Red Sox, right?)

Non-sports fans, I will stop boring you now…

Practice: If you’re a writer, you know that it’s best to write every single day. Whether it’s 100 or 1,000 words, it’s important to just get something down. This is especially important if you’re on a deadline. Practice, practice, practice = write, write, write! (Blogger note: After “The Right Design” is published in January, I need to learn to take my own advice to write each day!)

The Game: Yay! You’ve written a book! Sit back and relax! Take a week off (at the most, two), but be prepared to come back to your novel, knowing the hard part is just beginning! “The hard part?” you ask me. “YES!” Playing the game, is the hard part! If this weren’t true, being a writer would be easy, but it’s not. It’s the part where you look back over your MS, and even dabble in the thought of sending it out to beta-readers (I loved mine) and to anyone else who you think would like to read it over. The most important part of this process is picking people who will give you honest and helpful feedback.

Championship Games: If you’ve revised your book and are happy with it, now it’s time to play the game. Since you have coaches (um, I mean, editors), then you should feel in safe hands with them as they guide you down the field (or, in this case, page by page). Every whistle they blow (comment they make), time out they call (email they send you to cheer you on or answer a question you had), they’re there for you. If you have talented people to help you along the way, then you’re bound to learn to play the game the right way, and I’m sure you’ll learn a few things in the process.

World Series or Super Bowl: Congratulations! You’ve made it to the World Series or Super Bowl! How do you feel to have your manuscript completed? Now that it’s gone live for the world to see (meaning you’ve pressed “PUBLISH”), it’s time to be welcomed out onto the field. Whether you’re the starting pitcher or quarterback (a well-known author) or you’ll be playing in the outfield or wide receiver (a debut author, who’s being welcomed into the world of publishing), it’s time to start gathering your fanbase. While it’s nice to have your friends and family support you, it’s also important for others to do so, too. Using social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter are the two places I highly recommend. Create Facebook and Twitter pages and enjoy receiving “Likes” and “Follows” along the way. **Blogger tip: When using Facebook, do not create a page using your book’s name, use your author name. This will be easier for when you playing in the World Series or Super Bowl again and your fans know what you’re up to.

The most important step in playing this game is to know that you won’t win each game. Sometimes, you’ll just come to play (publish a book and just having it just do okay). Don’t worry, there will be next games (books you’ll write), and you might even win the World Series or Super Bowl. When you do, it’s important for you to take time to enjoy being in the spotlight. Tell yourself, “I can do this! I’m an author!” (It might take even weeks for it to hit you that you’ve written an Amazon or B&N top ten list).

My question for you is, “Are you ready to go to Disneyland?” If so, start practicing! 🙂

Filed Under: Isabella Tagged With: baseball, Books, Chick Lit Goddess, football, Romance, sports, Super Bowl, World Series, Writing advice

What We Give Up, To Get A Great Reward

April 12, 2012 2 Comments

I had a hard time coming up with what to write for today’s blog, but then I saw THIS blog post, I knew I had found my topic!  Perfect!

As writers, we are fortunate to be able to be on the go-wherever, whenever, and with anyone!  This is a perk, but it’s also a challenge.  We give up so much of ourselves to be with our characters, that it’s hard to juggle fiction vs. real life.  Here are five biggest distractions that we seem to give up when our book consumes our life:

FAMILY: Spending time with my family is very important to me.  It’s something I’ve treasured for a long time, and as I age, I want to spend more time with them.  So, when NaNoWriMo hit, the same month as Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday), and family came to town, I knew it was time to push it into high gear.  It was my first time to partake in NaNoWriMo, but I won.  Yes, I missed out in bonfires on the ranch and bonding with family, and watching football (go Cowboys), but when it was November 30th, at 11:59 p.m., it was over.  I had won NaNoWriMo, and I was happy!  (I must also say that I went to Orlando for a “Girl’s Only” weekend with my sister!  I wrote and she supported me!  I still have to tell her how much spending time with her helped my story).

My advice: Spend time with family as much as you can, but make each moment count!

FRIENDS:  I am thankful for my friends.  My true friends have been there from the moment I wanted to be a writer, and have supported me throughout this journey.  I love spending time with them, whether it’s going to Vino 100 for a night out on the town or staying home to play Settlers of Catan, I feel at “home” with my friends-my true friends!  Though, there comes a time when saying, “No, I can’t go out tonight,” can change your life.  Deciding to stay home on a few occasions in November helped add to the MS, word by word, and chapter by chapter.

My advice:  Surround yourself with friends that support you!  You’ll be glad you did!

EXERCISE:  Taking care of your self by exercising is very important.  It doesn’t matter if you’re under or overweight, exercise is (and should be) a factor in your life.  Often when I’m writing my MS and I get struck with writer’s block, going for a walk (thirty minutes at the most) can help jumpstart my writing.  It gets me back on track, and helps me reevaluate where I am and why my characters are doing and/or saying something.

My advice:  Doing something physical for thirty minutes a day can help you not only improve your health, but it might give you inspiration for you MS.

HOLIDAYS:  I’ve already mentioned how writing can be stressful during the holidays, but from January to December, doesn’t it always seem like there’s a holiday coming up.  Can this add more stress to you “career” as a writer?  Yes!

My advice:  Celebrate the holidays, but don’t stress about your writing.  Think of the holiday as a vacation, just for that day specifically, and know that you’ll get back to it the next day!  Most of all, don’t worry about anything, and have a wonderful day off-you deserve it!

LIFE:  Before you were a writer, you were a person.  Go out, and have fun.  (By doing this, it give you a chance to come up with more story ideas).  Find new hobbies, meet new friends, go to a sporting event or concert!  Live life breath by breath, because if you don’t you’re going to miss it!

My advice:  Do NOT let your book(s) consume your life!  There is more to life than writing.  Enjoy it!

My biggest message to you is that as writers we give up so much, but it’s okay to not make it your entire lie.  You can have both!  Just use your time wisely!

Filed Under: Isabella Tagged With: Books, Chick-Lit, Exercise, Family, Friends, Holiday's, Isabella, Life, Link, NaNoWriMo, Random, Writing, Writing advice

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