On Writer's Block: 5 Tips

I'll be honest; I started this article with the series of links at the bottom of the post. So you're not alone if you're experiencing writer's block.

Writer's block comes in many different forms. Sometimes I'm busy with life outside of writing, sometimes I get sick of spending so much time with my characters, and sometimes I just don't feel in the mood for writing.

While I am an advocate of taking days ( or weeks) to step away from writing and reacquaint yourself with the real world, there comes a time when you have to sit down, focus, and just get the story out. And what better time to initiate change than autumn? A time of transition when leaves fall, weather is capricious, and coffee shops are full of new students (not to mention pumpkin spiced lattes.)

 In case you still need a little inspiration, here's a list of my favorite tips on crushing writer's block:

1. You are a writer. Remind everyone you know.

• Let them hold you accountable for your work. Penning the next Great American Novel? Good! Tell all your friends. Better yet, give them a date when it will be finished. Having friends constantly ask where you are in your work might give you the extra push you need to get going.

2. Play dress-up. 

• Sit yourself down at a nice writing desk at home. Put on your glasses. Are you a sensitive and starving artist, a scholarly novelist, or a mysterious poet in black? Play the part! Even if it's just for yourself. If you'd like to take it a step further, go out to the library or coffee shop and let people wonder if you're already famous.

3. Force yourself to write for just 15 minutes.

• Come on, it's not that bad. Just grab a legal pad/moleskine/laptop/typewriter and hack away. It doesn't have to be good. It doesn't have to be more than a sentence. Just try for 15 minutes. You'll be surprised at what comes out of it.

4. Read for 15 minutes.

• Reading something will either inspire you or make you competitive. Win-win!

5. Still don't feel like working on that novel? Give up - for now.

• Do something else creative to get ideas flowing. Like writing a blog post. (Example A)

Got any better ideas? Let me know! And as always, good luck on your adventures!
-

Links: 

HelloGiggles - How To Cure (And Prevent) Writer's Block
The Renegade Writer - 6 Proven Tips For Getting In The "Write" Mood
OWL - Symptoms and Cures for Writer's Block

Vlog 1: Character Creation

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Guess What I Just Bought? IN PAPERBACK?

Release Poster

The Lazarus Serum--Release Info

The book market is changing. There's no denying it.

Along with these changes comes uncertainty in the future of publishing--especially for writers. There are plenty of different ways to publish a book now--self publishing, epublishing, ebooks, print paperbacks, expensive hardback editions. Most authors need to ask themselves what the best option is for their books.

I occasionally find myself uncertain as well.

When I first started writing Bite Me. I was twelve and didn't know anything about the industry. I just knew that I wanted to tell stories. At fourteen, my dream was to get my work picked up by Harper Collins so I could become the next L.J. Smith. At fifteen, I decided that self-publishing was my best bet because I could keep all the rights to my works and I would know that however my book sounded in final form, it was 100% mine. At eighteen, I decided I should try to get a literary agent--someone to help me promote and support my work. Someone who would love these characters and their lives as much as I did. While I did receive some very positive feedback from a few of these agents, I have yet to find the one for me.

The Lazarus Serum has been edited, formatted, and approved for Premium Distribution (the Kindle, Nook, & iPad market.) In other words, the book is available for release now.

But something inside me keeps warning me to hold off, just for a few more weeks, just in case the agents of my dreams is about to pick up the phone and fall in love with these stories the same way I have.

And so, I will continue to wait.

I am thrilled to show you all what is waiting, so I've found a compromise. Although I still find myself holding out for my literary knight in shining armor before I release the novel in its entirety, I can give you the first quarter of the book, absolutely free. 

Click here to be linked to The Lazarus Serum's page on Smashwords. This will give you access to a variety of different ways to download the first 25% of the book.

The complete book will be released on October 1st.

I hope you're holding your breath the same way I am. Or not, since we'll probably all asphyxiate by the end of the month.

Happy reading,
Fallon Jones

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