What to do When You're Not Motivated to Write

Every writer hits a block from time to time, but the pandemic and all its struggles have taken a toll on everyone. I attended a writers’ event this week, and over 75% of the people there said that they haven’t felt or been motivated to write recently. It is a struggle. Be gentle with yourself. Write when you can.

I decided early on in the pandemic that I was going to use my normal commute time to and from work for writing time. It provided some bit of normalcy for me, and I have a daily time that I work on writing and revisions.

Here are some ideas. I hope they help you.

• Schedule some writing time daily or weekly. Know that that is your task for that amount of time.

• Find your writer friends (e.g. critique group, writing buddy, writers’ group). The support and encouragement is invaluable.

• Many writing groups are hosting “write-ins” or “check-ins” where you talk about your goals and work on your writing. Some groups do this on a virtual call and others with social media posts. It’s a daily check-in on your progress. It helps to have encouragement and to know that you’re not alone.

• Set a writing goal with a deadline. Nothing makes me move faster than a pending deadline.

• Work on other writerly tasks. Update your website or social media pages. Update your biography.

• Find a writing friend and check in on each other weekly. I have two critique partners, and we do this almost weekly as we provide new pages or edits to our chapters.

• If you don’t feel like writing, try doing some research or outlining for a future project.

• Exercise or at least move around. Do something you enjoy (e.g. walks, dancing, yoga, hula hoop). Take care of yourself.

• Check in on a friend. Reach out to to someone and see how they’re doing.

• Find ways to volunteer. If you can’t do it in-person, a lot of groups are looking for people to help with at-home projects.

I hope you and your family are safe and well. We will get through this together. And when we’re able to gather again, we are going to have the most stupendous celebrations and book events. Take care of yourself. And Happy Holidays!

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with E. W. Cooper

I’d like to welcome author, E. W. Cooper to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: Books, dinner with family, my kids, and a glass of wine with husband after a long day of work. But most of all, time with my family listening to their stories about the past and present.

Things you need to throw out: All those clothes from college I’ve convinced myself I will fit into again.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Time, music, and a good idea of where I need to get to in the story.

Things that hamper your writing: Sometimes I just run out of words. That will stop my work cold. That’s when I focus on reading and replenishing that reservoir of ideas.

Things you love about writing: I love the scenes I see inside my head taking shape on the page and hearing the characters talk to each other. Sometimes what they say and do is unexpected. When that happens, I can barely tear myself away.

Things you hate about writing: Editing feels like it can go on forever which can become discouraging. When that happens it’s important for me to remember that the better a book is edited, the better it is for a reader. That’s the goal, after all.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Finding the time to write.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with ideas for Penelope and Lund is about as easy as it gets. I have the next four books plotted, just not enough time to write them.

Favorite music or song: I love opera, like my main character Penelope Harris, but I listen to all sorts of music new and old. Favorite music from an opera – the “Barrcarolle” from Tales of Hoffman, favorite classic rock “Rock and Roll Suicide” by David Bowie, favorite modern song “Uncle ACE” by Blood Orange.

Music that drives you crazy: Easy listening jazz. Please, no. Sorry Kenny G.

Favorite beverage: Unsweet iced tea – can’t get enough of it. I love it so much, but it keeps me awake all night, so I’ve had to cut back. Unless I’m writing – then I drink it by the gallon.
Something that gives you a sour face: Buttermilk – it makes a great cake but ick!

Favorite smell: Baking bread
Something that makes you hold your nose: Pancake syrup mixed with bacon. Strange but true – I can’t stand the smell of those two things together.

Something you’re really good at:  Writing
Something you’re really bad at:  Singing – don’t even ask me to try. I am so bad at singing it isn’t even a good joke. No one who has asked me to sing has ever asked me to do it again. Perhaps that’s why my main character is an opera singer – she does what I always wish I could?

Last best thing you ate: Chocolate cake        
Last thing you regret eating: That chocolate cake

Favorite places you’ve been: My mother grew up on Long Island, New York and introduced me to it when I was a baby. It’s a little slice of heaven for me. I go back as often as I can to visit family and restore. Santa Fe, NM is a close second.

Places you never want to go to again: I once spent a very uncomfortable and spooky night on a derelict sailboat and I will never do that again.

Favorite books (or genre): Historical mysteries are my favorite, but I have a soft spot for speculative fiction and noir thrillers.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Sadly, I do not enjoy poetry. That is not the fault of poetry. But otherwise, I will read just about anything. My mother is a retired librarian and always has something new to read. We do a lot of book trading between our households.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Cate Blanchette – she was so friendly and happy. And did I mention – drop dead beautiful? A class act.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Johnny Depp – really not what I expected at all. He was a very long stretch of bad road. Oddly, he spoke with a British accent the entire time.

About E. W.:

Booklife Prize 2020 Finalist (Mystery/Thriller) E.W. Cooper lives quietly with her partner, children, three dogs, and one cat in a very noisy house in South Texas. A lifelong fan of mystery novels and Grand Opera, Ms. Cooper is hard at work on the next book in the Penelope Harris Mystery series. To read more about the author and the other short stories and novels featuring Penelope Harris, visit her website at www.ewcooper.com. 

Let’s Be Social:

Roll up of everywhere The Jade Tiger is sold: https://books2read.com/thejadetiger

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mysteryattheopera

Twitter: E (@ewc_cooper) / Twitter

Instagram: EW Cooper (@ew.cooper) • Instagram photos and videos

Website: www.ewcooper.com

What I Learned from Art Taylor and Tara Laskowski about Building Suspense

I love the programming that the Sisters in Crime chapters do. I learn so much from the guest speakers. Recently, Art Taylor and Tara Laskowski did a presentation on building suspense in your writing for the Sisters in Crime - Central Virginia chapter. Here’s what I learned.

• Write what you love to read.

• Use what you read as models for your writing.

• Your openings need to catch the reader’s attention and keep it.

• There is a difference between action and suspense. Use shorter sentences for dialogue, action, and suspense.

• Start your story quickly and show the conflict immediately.

• Pacing is key for dramatic tension. When and where do you put in the plot twists? You don’t want to bore your reader, and you don’t want to spoil the twist.

• You want your reader to have a level of uncertainness or uneasiness.

• Increase the dramatic tension to make an ordinary situation menacing.

• Slow down the story or the passage of time to turn down the velocity. Long sentences slow the pace.

• Slowing down the pacing makes it unbearable for the reader. Make them want to find out what happens next.

• Three ways to end a chapter are cliff hanger, a question, or a reflection.

• Reflection at the end of a chapter is often more powerful than a cliff hanger.

• Vary your chapter endings. They all shouldn’t be the same technique.

• You always want the reader to turn the page.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Lane Stone

I’d like to welcome author Lane Stone to the blog this week for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: Dogs, lighthouses (I’m on the board of Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation) and travel.

Things you need for your writing sessions: white noise – pre-COVID Panera’s background noise was absolute perfect. 

Things that hamper your writing:  My husband talking to me.  Too honest?  Ok, let’s go with clutter. 

 Things you love about writing: Hanging out with readers.

 Favorite music or song: Cold Little Heart by Michael Kiwanuka is the ring tone on my phone.  I thought the whole soundtrack from Big Little Lies was amazing.

Music that drives you crazy: Neil Diamond music. 

Favorite beverage: Starbucks Trenta Black Iced Tea, Light Ice, Light Water, One Stevia, No cane syrup.  (I’ve gone to Starbucks almost every day since COVID started.).

Favorite smell: My dog, Cordy, wet or dry.

Something that makes you hold your nose: The smell of turnip greens cooking.  (But some days I miss my Mom so much I’d gladly smell it if I could see her again.)

The last thing you ordered online: Alice Boatright’s Christmas mystery, WHAT CHILD IS THIS.  Every year I like to read a holiday mystery. 

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: When my husband plays his Neil Diamond tapes. 

Things you always put in your books: Our first Standard Schnauzer, Abby, is in each of my books. 

Favorite books (or genre):

Books you wouldn’t buy: Autobiographies by negative people, who just want to get in the last word. 

Best thing you’ve ever done: Marry my husband, Larry Korb, 30 years ago.

 About Lane:

Lane Stone is the author of the Pet Palace Mysteries and the Tiara Investigation Mystery series.  The first book in her new series, The Big Picture, will be available in 2022.  She lives in Alexandria, Virginia during the week and Lewes, Delaware on the weekend.

When not writing she’s enjoying characteristic baby boomer pursuits:  traveling and volunteering for good causes, like the Delaware River & Bay Lighthouse Foundation and American Association of University Women.  She recently earned a post-graduate certificate in Antiquities Theft and Art Crime.  She can be found at www.LaneStoneBooks.com and https://twitter.com/themenopausedog. 

Let’s Be Social:

Website  

Twitter

Facebook

Book Links

What I Learned from Lori Rader-Day about Book Marketing

I am loving all the workshops and classes that are available on Zoom. I had the pleasure of attending Capitol Crimes’ presentation on book marketing for introverts with SinC past-president, Lori Rader-Day. She is such a talented writer with a the best sense of humor. I had the pleasure of being on a panel with her a few years back at Malice Domestic, and we had more fun that should have been allowed on an early Sunday morning. Here are some nuggets that I learned from her Zoom presentation about book marketing.

• Work on your craft (the writing part) first.

• Build a supportive network of other writers to share information and experiences.

• Make a plan for your launch. Don’t think of your launch as a single event. Gather your resources as you plan.

• Decide what you’re good at and do those things. You can hire people to do some of the other tasks.

• Find role models and examples. Buy/read their books, look at their newsletter and website, and attend their events.

• Know where your readers are and who else they read. Where do you have a built-in audience?

• Schedule events (in-person or virtual) and guest blog posts ahead of your book launch.

• Don’t contact booksellers during the holidays. Plan ahead.

• Don’t overload your schedule. You don’t have to do everything.

• Leave space in your schedule in case anything amazing pops up.

• Good self-promotion is not including “buy my book” in every conversation.

• Carry business cards and bookmarks with you.

• Make real, authentic connections. Just be yourself.

• Protect your personal and writing time.

• For those who are shy, try doing an event. The more you practice, the better you’ll get.

• Talk about the interesting things in your story/research, your hobbies, or your pets.

• Give first before you ask for favors.

• Read the books in your genre.

• Write another book.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Jodi Rath - Holiday Edition

I’d like to welcome author Jodi Rath back to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday! Today is a holiday edition.

A few of your favorite traditions:

Decorating the tree, inflatable holiday cats in the front lawn, wreaths around the home.

Something holiday-related that you’ll never do again:

Tree with eight cats—yet, I still do it every year! BWWWAAAHAAHAA!

Favorite holiday song:

“All I want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth”

Holiday song that always gets stuck in your head for the wrong reason:

“Jingle Bells”

Favorite holiday treat:

Peppermint bark

A holiday treat that makes you gag:

Eggnog

Favorite holiday show or movie:

Love Actually

A holiday show or movie that you’ve seen too much:

Love Actually

Favorite holiday beverage:

Peppermint Mocha iced

A drink that gives you a sour face:

Eggnog

Favorite holiday smell:

Baked ham

Something that makes you hold your nose:

Deviled Eggs

Best holiday gift ever:

Oxford English Dictionary—I know—I’m a weirdo😊

Something you wished for but never received:

Peace on Earth that never ends

Best holiday gift you gave to someone:

Cats—my husband and I like to adopt cats😊

A gift that needs regifting:

Fruitcake

Best thing you ever cooked/baked for the holidays:

Cast Iron Skillet Honey Glazed Ham

Your worst holiday kitchen disaster:

Souffle—I was SO wrong to try it!

Favorite place you spent the holidays:

Home

The worst place to spend the holidays:

Anywhere but home.

Yuletide Cast of the Iron Skillet

Holiday folly—LITERALLY! Alongside a murder comes another new little addition to the human race in Leavensport, Ohio. Not to mention a broken-off engagement, a double wedding, and buried bones in the village chapel cellar. The Martinez family is back in town to observe Nochebuena with Ava as the Tucker family gears up for their Christmas feast. Leavensport community center is abuzz with preparations for the village multi-cultural shindig until the discovery of an old unresolved crime casts a dark shadow over the town. Will Jolie and Ava solve their first cold case in time to save the holiday celebrations—and will they both survive it?

Welcome to Leavensport, OH, where DEATH takes a DELICIOUS turn!

About Jodi:

Moving into her second decade working in education, Jodi Rath has decided to begin a life of crime in her The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series. Her passion for both mysteries and education led her to combine the two to create her business MYS ED, where she splits her time between working as an adjunct for Ohio teachers, educational writing, marketing consultant work with authors, and creating mischief in her fictional writing. She currently resides in a small, cozy village in Ohio with her husband and her eight cats.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: www.jodirath.com 

FB Author page: @authorjodirath or https://www.facebook.com/authorjodirath/

Twitter: @jodirath

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jodi-rath

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard

Book Links:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Yuletide-Cast-Skillet-Mystery-Holiday-ebook/dp/B085ZR2CRQ/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Yuletide+Cast+of+the+Iron+Skillet&qid=1606691798&sr=8-1   

All other e-platforms:  https://books2read.com/u/mdzPwR

Newsletter link to A Mystery A Month—sign up for my monthly newsletter to receive a free Mystery a Month and a chance to win prizes for those who guess the right answers! http://eepurl.com/dIfXdb

What Have You Done for Your Writing Life Lately?

Professionals in all kinds of fields need to do continuing education or training for their certifications and careers. Writers need to keep up with new trends and old standards in the writing, publication, and marketing worlds as well.

This is a lot easier in the pandemic world since many workshops and conferences have gone virtual. I have been able to attend writing conferences, training, workshops, and other meetings that I wouldn’t normally be able to do if I had to travel. And I’ve learned a lot this year.

Writing organizations offer many free or low cost courses. Many of these are recorded, so you can watch them on your own schedule and not have to participate in the live event.

Many tools like Google Analytics, Canva, Bookbrush, etc. have great training videos for their products. And if the vendor doesn’t, more than likely you can find some folks who have posted how-tos on YouTube.

You need to make sure that you’re growing and learning. You need to add new tools to your toolbox and improve your craft, but don’t overdo it and let it cut into your writing time. Early in my writing life, I bought every book on writing that I could find. Then I realized I was reading more about writing that I was actually writing. I kept two of the best books, and the rest went to the friends of the library sale for someone else to use.

Life-long learning is important. The publication world and social media seem to change on a daily basis. Make sure that you do something for yourself.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Melissa Powell Gay

I’d like to welcome my friend, Melissa Powell Gay, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things:

Rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens (and all the Sound of Music songs.)

Things you need to throw out:

Reams of paper that are drafts of my first novel. (Was saving them for the posthumous library.)

Favorite music or song:

See answer to first question.

Music that drives you crazy:

Songs filled with profanity, written and performed to shock. I like hip-hop and rap. But the more radical rappers (especially women) do a disservice to womankind when they verbally masturbate, eviscerate, eliminate, and denigrate their sexual partners in front of millions of followers. Not a good example for the young ones watching-and we know they’re watching.

Favorite beverage:

I’m addicted to Diet Coke. I know, I know, it’s not as hip or as funny as saying I’m addicted to Coke but DC is my monkey.

Something that gives you a sour face:

Lemons, definitely lemons.

Favorite smell:

Lavender. And the top of a baby’s head. Is the latter too creepy?

Something that makes you hold your nose:

These days? Voting in the national election.

Something you’re really good at:

Seeing both sides of an argument. However, it’s a curse when I have to decide which flavor of ice cream is the smarter choice.

Something you’re really bad at:

Extemporaneous answers but give me five minutes and a web browser and I can nail it.

Something you wish you could do:

Fly. With a cape. And boots. Got to have the kick-butt boots.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do:

Scroll while writing. My daily writing routine sometimes gets highjacked by The Sirens of Social Media

Something you like to do:

Nothing.

Something you wish you’d never done:

Told my husband I can cook.

The last thing you ordered online:

Is this a trick question? A book, of course.

The last thing you regret buying:

That dress I really liked but it was a tad snug however I convinced myself that I’d drop a pound or two before the day of the big event then I didn’t so the dress is still in the closet, with the tags still on it, staring at me EVERY TIME I OPEN MY CLOSET DOOR.

Things you’d walk a mile for:

Water. A bathroom. In that order.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room:

Listening to political speeches. Listening to others talk about the political speeches.

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living):

Martha Stewart and Snoop Dog. You mean together, right?

People you’d cancel dinner on:

The guy that forgot his wallet the last time we meet for dinner.

Favorite things to do:

Make up stories. This comes in handy since I’m a fiction writer.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing:

I don’t react to coercion very well. I do, however, force my characters to do it.

The coolest person you’ve ever met:

My husband.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video:

I met Samuel L. Jackson at a Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas once. He was gracious and polite, unlike the surly and devious characters he often plays in the movies.

The nicest thing a reader said to you:

Ah, “I read your book.”? No, seriously, the nicest thing a reader has said to me is, “I liked your book. I gave it to my friend to read.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you:

Reader: “I really like that part where she smashed in the guy’s head.”

Me, to reader: “Wow, thanks.”

Me, to myself: “I’ve never written a scene like that. Maybe I should.”

About Melissa and Her Books:

Melissa Powell Gay lives and writes in Glen Allen, Virginia. Featuring the Southern storytelling genre, her novels and short stories champion themes of self-reliance and independent thinking. Sprinkled with a dash of humor, her work is for any reader over the age of eighteen. She is the author of four books and is busy working on her fifth.

Talking To Herself  (October, 2020)

 It’s Christmas. The year is 2049 and Amara Vivian Graves is mourning the loss of her husband of forty years. While participating in a bio-nanochip treatment plan to address her depression, Amara finds herself hurled back to the year 1999. There she meets the younger version of her future husband. Over the course of her second Christmas of 1999, Amara must decide to stay in the past or return to her reality of day-to-day living without her one true love.

When Are You Leaving (2016)

 Set in southwestern Virginia, this story is about small town living in a 21st century world. Iris Lee, an unemployed bank executive, comes home to Mt Pleasant to take care of her aging parents and to find out why the local police want to arrest her father, a paragon for Virginia gentlemen, for selling drugs to the locals.

Every Now & Then (2018)

Every Now & Then is a second Mt Pleasant novel. A dual narrative, the Now reveals hidden family secrets and why they called Iris Lee’s father “Mr.” Henry. The Then narrative takes the reader back to mid-20th century and tells the story of Henry and his brother Ben and their love for one woman.

Parkland Tales, Stories for 3 a.m. Readings (2016)

Hailed as a pleasant distraction on sleepless nights, this series of connected stories is about the furry and feathered residents of Parkland, an urban park. Inspired by city parks and classic literary characters like Don Quixote, Bambi Deer, Romeo and Juliet and others, Parkland Tales is for every adult who still likes a good story to ease into sleepy times.

 All titles can be found at Amazon Books, Barnes & Noble Online, and any Indi Bound Online bookstore.

Support a local bookstore. Consider purchasing these books online at Book No Further (Roanoke, Virginia) and Book People (Richmond, Virginia.)

Let’s Be Social:

Website

Facebook

 Twitter