Quick Motivators - For When You Don't Feel Like Writing

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It’s July! Happy Summer! The weather is warmer, it is vacation time, and I have the urge to go outside and do something. Sometimes, it’s hard to keep your writing routine on track. Here are few ideas that might help.

  • Get up earlier than normal to start your writing session. Sometimes, it helps if you finish earlier in the day, and there’s still time to do something else.

  • Or flip your day, so you’re inside writing during the hottest part of the afternoon.

  • Editing/revising is the hardest part for me. I really have to focus (and stay focused) to make sure all the changes are made. I usually reward myself with a social media break, a walk outside, or a quick research break after I hit a milestone in the process.

  • If I really can’t concentrate, I put on my noise-cancelling headphones and listen to relaxing music. I have playlists for every mood (and writing task).

  • I always keep a few, small pieces of chocolate on my desk for writing sessions. It’s a nice pick-me-up.

  • Take an exercise break when you need to get up and stretch. There are plenty of chair yoga and chair stretch videos online to get your endorphins going.

  • And don’t forget to celebrate when you hit your milestones or make your goals.

What would you add to my list?

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Athina Paris

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I’d like to welcome author Athina Paris back to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: I enjoy the slowness and creativity of journaling.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: I dislike housework, it cuts into my writing time.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Hot coffee or tea, and cookies.

Things that distract you from writing: Too much noise, and occasionally, my cat.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Finding the time when inspiration strikes, and you’re away from your desk.

Easiest thing about being a writer: It’s a comfortable endeavor: inside, at your desk, dress warm or cool depending on season, have something to drink.

Things you will run to the store for at midnight: Definitely for jellybeans.

Things you never put on your shopping list: Meat and bacon, I hardly ever eat them.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: I bought a small label printer, which I have given to my daughter-in-law as she just had a baby and needs to label all kinds of things.

Things that make you want to gag: Anything to do with animals’ internal organs.

Something you’re really good at: Taking knots out of things.

Something you’re really bad at: Saying no to chocolate.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: I wanted to be an actress when I was young. Because I loved the idea of being multiple people. Now, I write about multiple people.

Something you wish you could do: I wish I could swim.

Things to say to an author: Well, done, you finished writing your book.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I have an idea for a book, I’ll share it with you, you write it, and we’ll share the profits fifty-fifty.

Favorite places you’ve been: On the ocean, on a cruise ship, around the Caribbean.

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Margaret Atwood, Joyce Maynard, and Brandon Sanderson.

Favorite things to do: Reading, journaling, and revamping old furniture.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Travel to the United States on my own.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I loved your book, your characters were so interesting and relatable.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: I get to create new lives, and new worlds.


About Athina:

Athina Paris was born and went to school in Mozambique. Living her formative years in the confines of strict convents and boarding schools, she escaped by dreaming of faraway exotic places, and it created a deep curiosity about life and people. Feeling the need to liberate her inquisitive mind from conformist restraints, she took refuge in libraries and bookstores, leading to an avid interest in reading, storytelling, and a lifelong obsession with the written word and books.

At age fourteen, she joined her family: father, mother, and a younger brother in South Africa, where she continued her schooling. Now able to read English, she quickly went through most of the classics, discovered ancient civilizations, and became fascinated with various mythologies; a love she has kept to this day. After her father left the family, she went to college to study Interior Design, but the pull of her true talent took her into Creative Writing. She followed that with Scriptwriting.

Athina has recently vacated the position of high school teacher, where she polished her skills to concentrate on her professional goals of writing, editing and proofreading. She has joined RockHill Publishing LLC as Editor-in-Chief.

 Let’s Be Social:

Website: About - AUTHOR ATHINA PARIS

 

#WriterWednesday with Mary Lee Ashford

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I’d like to welcome my friend, the fabulous Mary Lee Ashford, to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: The actual writing. I so wish it came easier, but it doesn’t.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Story ideas. They are everywhere!

Things you need for your writing sessions: White board, sticky notes, reference books, and my cat.

Things that hamper your writing: Noise, to do lists, my cell phone, and my cat.

Last best thing you ate: A homemade Scotcheroo. So delicious…

Last thing you regret eating: That second Scotcheroo.

Things you always put in your books: Older characters. Just like in real life they have great stories to tell.

Things you never put in your books: Children in jeopardy. Just can’t do it.

Favorite places you’ve been: Scottish Highlands, English Cotswold’s, Hawaii.

Places you never want to go to again: The underground tour in Edinburgh. One and done for me.

The first 8-track, record, cassette, or CD you ever bought:

Carole King’s Tapestry album. To this day I really love singer/songwriters and the genesis of that love was probably that well-played LP.

A type of music that’s not your cup of tea: Rap. I’ve tried. I really have. My kids love it but it just doesn’t speak to me.

Your favorite movie as a child: The Wizard of Oz. Watched it over and over.

A TV show or movie that kept you awake at night as a kid (or as an adult):

The Day the Earth Stood Still. Not scary at all by today’s standards but it totally freaked me out as a kid.

Words that describe you: Caring, upbeat, optimist.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Worrier, overthinker, over-analyzer.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “Your book helped me through a really rough time.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “I read your book to my dog and he loved it.”

Something you’re really good at: Listening. People’s stories fascinate me.

Something you’re really bad at: Meeting new people. I know, I know. It’s hard to hear people’s stories if you don’t meet them first, but it’s that first break-the-ice conversation that I’m bad at.

Things you’d walk a mile for: Definitely a bookstore. I’d walk a mile for a bookstore. And if they had coffee there too, I’d probably walk more than a mile.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Math problems and spiders. Equally to be avoided at all costs.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: I worked in the public sector for more than thirty years so there are a few of those scattered throughout my books. Of course, names changed to protect the guilty. In fact, look for a UFO reference in Night of the Living Bread.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: The baking. I’m not the baker in the family. My husband is. But I’m a world-class taste tester…

About Mary Lee:

Mary Lee Ashford is a national best-selling author, a lifelong bibliophile, an avid reader, and a supporter of public libraries. In addition to writing the Sugar & Spice series for Oliver Heber Books, she also writes the Pampered Pets mystery series as half of the writing team of Sparkle Abbey.

She is the founding president of Sisters in Crime – Iowa and a former board member of the Mystery Writers of America Midwest chapter, as well as a member of Novelists, Inc., and Sisters in Crime Guppies.

She loves encouraging writers and is a frequent lecturer and workshop presenter for writers’ groups. Mary Lee has a long-time interest in creativity and teaches a university-level course on creative management. She also presents workshops on creativity and on various elements of writing and publishing.

She currently resides in the Midwest with her husband, Tim, and Zoey, her feline coworker. When she’s not writing, her passions are reading, travel, and time with her family, especially her six grandchildren.

Let’s Be Social:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/maryleeashford1

BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/profile/mary-lee-ashford

Threads – https://www.threads.net/@authormaryleeashford

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/authormaryleeashford/

Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/maryleeashford.bsky.social

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17806883.Mary_Lee_Ashford



What Are You Streaming?

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Here are some things we have been streaming lately, and things I’m waiting not so patiently for.

My Favs…

Poker Face - Natasha Lyonne is a non-tradition sleuth with the uncanny ability to tell when people are lying.

The Residence - This fun murder mystery, set in the White House, has some quirky situations, and everyone has a reason to want the butler dead.

Man on the Inside - Ted Danson is the amateur of all amateur sleuths when he moves into a senior community to solve a crime. The characters are original, and there are some heart-warming moments.

Department Q - This is an intense, character-driven series with lots of twists and turns.

Please Hurry and Release These…

What have you been watching lately?

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with James Hill

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I’d like to welcome author, James Hill, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Beer, wine, and bourbon.

Things that distract you from writing: Beer, wine, bourbon, and friends to drink with.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Editing what I have written. Sometimes I will go over a sentence for days. Then days later change it back to the original version.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with plots and storylines. I will read a headline or see a person and be on my way to a new story.

Things you will run to the store for at midnight: Beer, of course. And donuts.

Things you never put on your shopping list: Milk. I am lactose intolerant.

Favorite snacks: Chocolate donuts.

Things that make you want to gag: Milk. See above.

Something you’re really good at: Telling stories.

Something you’re really bad at: Spelling.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: A scientist, mostly a chemist or a physicist.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Accountant.

Something you wish you could do: Play guitar.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Database Administration.

Last best thing you ate: Steak from my BBQ pit.

Last thing you regret eating: The new dragon burger from Burger King.

Things to say to an author: I love your book, I can’t wait for the next one.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Hey, you know what would have made your book better…

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones. The surviving members of Led Zeppelin.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Donald Trump.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Don’t know, I don’t recognize people when they are out of character. Also, I don’t recognize them when they play a different character.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I loved your book. When is the next one coming out.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: I loved your book, but I hate you for killing Maria.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: Going to book fairs, conferences, signing, and meeting readers.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: Start publishing earlier.

About James:

James L Hill, a.k.a. J L Hill, is a multi-genre author, currently working on a three-part historical fantasy Gemstone Series, The Emerald Lady and The Ruby Cradle are published. And the third book, The Diamond Warrior, is due soon. The four-part adult urban crime series, The Killer Series, is complete. Killer With A Heart, Killer With Three Heads, Killer With Black Blood, and Killer With Ice Eyes are five-star novels. Then there’s the psychological dystopian science fiction thriller, Pegasus: A Journey To New Eden for your reading pleasure. He also owns and operates RockHill Publishing LLC which published twenty books by eight authors in Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Romance.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: AUTHOR J L HILL - Home


#WriterWednesday with Tricia Copeland

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I’d like to welcome Tricia Copeland to the blog for #WriterWednesday.

Favorite thing that you always make time for: running

The thing you’ll always do just about anything to avoid: folding laundry

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Diet Coke, chocolate

Things that distract you from writing: noise

The thing you like most about being a writer: talking books and characters with readers

The thing you like least about being a writer: editing

Things you will run to the store for in the middle of the night: did I mention chocolate & Diet Coke?

Things you never put on your shopping list: beets, collard greens, coconut

Your best recipe: Adding extra chocolate chips to brownie mixes

Something that didn’t turn out like you planned when you made it: almost every other dish I cook

Things you always put in your books: happily ever after

Things you never put in your books: graphic sex

Things to say to an author: I loved “x” character

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: will you put me in your book

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: gone snow skiing

Something you chickened out from doing: riding a roller coaster

The best job you ever had: being an author

The worst job you ever had: fast food cashier

The one thing you cook/bake that is better than a restaurant dish: lasagna

The one thing you cooked/baked that turned out to be an epic disaster: quiche

About Tricia:

Tricia Copeland is the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of Kingdom of Embers, To be Fae Queen, Lovelock Ones, and Azreya, Aztec Priestess, and dozens of other titles. She is the host of the Finding the Magic Book Podcast who weaves magical stories about love, courage, and finding your passion.

Tricia Copeland believes in finding magic. She thinks magic infuses every aspect of our lives, whether it is the magic of falling in love, discovering a new passion, seeing a beautiful sunset, or reading a book that transports us to another world. An avid runner and Georgia native, Tricia now lives with her family and four-legged friends in Colorado. Find all her titles including contemporary romance, now penned under Maria Jane, young adult fantasy, and dystopian fiction at www.triciacopeland.com.

 Let’s Be Social:

https://www.facebook.com/TriciaCopelandAuthor/

https://www.instagram.com/authortriciacopeland/

https://twitter.com/tcbrzostowicz

https://www.tiktok.com/@triciacopelandauthor

https://www.youtube.com/@triciacopelandauthor

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Tricia-Copeland/author/B00YHN5Q4G

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14055439.Tricia_Copeland

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tricia-copeland

Alternatives to Doom Scrolling - Ways to Make Your Feeds Uplifting

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I enjoy social media. It’s a great relaxation break and a way to catch up with people and to be entertained. Lately, the doom scrolling has not been that much fun, and it often feels like a dark cloud hovering over everything. Here are some things you can do to make your feed more uplifting and interesting.

  • Click, comment, and interact with posts and sites that you are interested in. The algorithms will take over, and you will see more of that in your feed. (The converse is also true. Don’t interact with what you want to see less of.)

  • Most of the social media sites have an option on the posts to see more like it or fewer items like it. Some even have a pause or a mute to stop seeing that site for a time period. Look for the ellipse (…) on the post to see the options. A little cleanup will help curate the content of your feed.

  • Sites like Facebook have an option to tag your friends (on a personal page) and mark them as “Favorites.” You can do this too for pages you want to see more often.

  • Facebook and other sites let you follow pages that you’re interested in. It’s good from time to time to open the list (It’s under “More” on your main page under the banner.) Select “Following” and delete any that you’re no longer interested in.

  • If something is really not interesting or not worth your time, you can block that site permanently.

What would you add to my list?

#ThisorThatThursday with Lynda Williams

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I’d like to welcome Lynda Williams to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Rejection and promoting myself.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Writing dialogue between characters.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Pens, notebook or laptop, coffee, and sometimes music.

Things that hamper your writing: My phone and the internet.

A few of your favorite things: The quilt on my couch, the coffeemaker, and my husband’s sweatpants that I keep borrowing.

Things you need to throw out: Random cables for electronics, worn out socks, and income tax returns from the 90s.

Favorite foods: Strawberries, chocolate.

Things that make you want to gag: Liver and organ meats.

Something you’re really good at: Brainstorming.

Something you’re really bad at: Replying to text messages and keeping succulents alive.

Favorite music or song: 90s rock alt. ( Matchbox Twenty, Everclear, Oasis).

Music that drives you crazy: Heavy Metal.

Favorite smell: Lilacs, coffee.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Inside of the washing machine.

Things you’d walk a mile for: Ice cream, Somersby apple cider, any book by Danila Botha.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: How much of your story is autobiographical?

Favorite places you’ve been: San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver

Places you never want to go to again: The Greyhound bus station in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Hopping on a Greyhound and moving across the country to Calgary when I was 19.

Something you chickened out from doing: Sending my manuscript to agents.

About Lynda:

Lynda Williams’ stories have appeared/are forthcoming in Grain, the Humber LiteraryReview, and The New Quarterly, among others. She holds a graduate certificate in Creative Writing from the Humber School for Writers and is a recipient of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award. Her debut collection, The Beauty and the Hell of It & Other Stories is forthcoming from Guernica Editions in September 2025.

 Let’s Be Social:

Website: www.lyndawilliams.ca

BlueSky: @lwilliams-author.bsky.social

Instagram: lyndawilliams_author

Facebook: Lynda Williams

Where to buy:

US: amazon.com

Canada: Guernica Editions