The World Spins Madly - A Lesson in the Meaning of Empathy and Pain as a Writer

It's been a whirlwind of a year. I graduated from UC Santa Barbara in March, and just received my diploma in the mail yesterday!

In the last six months I have experienced some terrible personal losses that sent my life spinning. This is terribly unusual for someone who has been working since age 13 and always, always had a concrete Life Plan ahead of me. Due to many strange circumstances beyond my control, I am perhaps experiencing true Young Adult Life for the first time. It's terrifying. It's fun.

Most importantly, it's a time in my life that will shape the writer I become. It's important to remember that whether or not you believe in God, fate, or sweet serendipity, this life is going to pick you up and drag you somewhere you never expected. You might not enjoy the ride, but you might be surprised to find how resilient you can be. I have experienced great pain and love and joy and horror since December, and I can honestly say that I will become a better writer for it. The ability to deeply experience these strange and very human emotions is what makes me a good artist - or at least a very passionate one!

I think it is because of my dedication to being a writer that I am able to see purpose and meaning in the good and bad in my life right now. I will continue to experience the extremes life brings me because I believe that feeling my emotions honestly, no matter how painful, allows me to better empathize with others. And what is a writer without empathy?

I promise to you, dear reader and friend, that the pain I experience is worth it because it will bring me closer to understanding you. And I want to understand everything I can about you because sometimes you are also broken or hopeful or brave or scared and you are always, always beautiful and loved.

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!
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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

Why I Write

Are you still alive? Are you sure? Sit back and shut your eyes. You’re breathing, aren’t you? But are you still alive?

Some stories thread your life together. I hope you have a few. I do. Because these are the things that separate us—the dead and the living. The feelings. The stories. The memories of touch, taste, smell. A man I met only once, but remember every day.

Some memories are bound to stick. Moments seep in, tell you to change, and for once in your life you listen —really listen. You aren't waiting for your turn to speak.

Tattoo these on your body and soul. Someone will ask. Someone will listen.

Other memories seem fleeting at the time.

The first time you touched his hand. Eating croissants in your mother’s bed when you were sick. Driving your first car to a football game in the snow. The smell of grandmother’s black coffee spilled on the carpet.

Things that make you inexplicably sad and happy and beautiful all at once.

Remember these things most of all. If you remember them, you can create them again.

Why do we put ourselves through this? Remembering things that hurt—the last time you ever kissed, your favorite band’s break-up, where you stood when you answered the phone call that sent your world numb?

But I ask again, remember these most of all. If you remember them, you can create them again. And if you create them, you will feel again.

You will be alive—sad and happy and beautiful all at once.

If you are too afraid, too tired, too defeated to accept living, know this. If you remember, you can create.

If you create, you can bring others to life with you.

This is why we are artists. This is why we are alive.

My SpoCon Schedule

SpoCon 2014

It's getting close to August again, and you know what that means...

Come join me at the Spokane Comic Convention from August 15th through 17th at the DoubleTree Hotel in Spokane, WA!
As many of you know, I've been working with the SpoCon for years now, and even though I'm not in Spokane this year, I'll be coming up from Santa Barbara to be with you all at the event. It's not set in stone yet, but I'll post my schedule so far for you here.

Friday, August 15th
Building Dynamic Supporting Characters - Learn how to write strong supporting characters like Sam, Spock, and Ron at 12:30 PM in Ballroom B.
Fallon Jones Reading - Join me at 6:00 PM in the Reading Room, where I'll be reading from my newest novel The Lazarus Serum.
Up & Coming - At 8:00 PM in Ballroom D, learn tips and pointers for promoting your work and taking it to the next level.

Saturday, August 16th
Self-Publishing 101 - Learn about the pros and cons of self-publishing with me at 3:30 PM in Parkside II.

Sunday, August 17th
Writing a Dynamic Children's Character - How do you turn back time to relate to a child character? Solve the riddle with me at 9:30 AM in Ballroom A.

Meet Me at MacWorld

What are you doing in a couple of weeks? Playing with gadgets? Exploring Apple technology-infused art, music, and film, in all its glory? Hanging out with me? Yes?

MacWorld takes place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco from March 27-29th. As you may know, PhatWare Corporation brought me out a few years ago, since I write pretty much all of my books on their iPad/iPhone app, WritePad, and do all my brainstorming on PhatPad, the iPad app. 

Hey, we can't all be Moleskine-toting all the time today! My purse gets heavy with all those notebooks, pens, journals, sketchpads, books to read...you get the point. 

Come find me at PhatWare's MacWorld booth signing and giving away copies of my newest novel, The Lazarus Serum, all weekend! 

I hope to see you there!