Contributed by Tina Holland.

QUIT – I know that doesn’t sound like a very positive word in month full of posts about Inspiration and Renewal.   But it is an important step.

I’ve been reading a lot of books about time management and watching blogs on authors who are Resetting and Quitting.  Well, not the writing part, but everything else.  Two of my favorites are Sarra Cannon and Becca Syme.

Sarra Cannon is doing a whole Reset on her YouTube Heart Breathings Channel and she speaks frankly about letting things go so she can focus on writing this year.

Becca Syme has a book out called Dear Writer, You Need to Quit.  I haven’t read Becca Syme’s book but I do follow her Quitcast on YouTube.

Both of these women talk about letting stuff go to focus on writing and letting stuff go.  It sounds easier said than done and it is.  It can be difficult to get rid of toxic people, unused things and useless tasks.

Though it is hard, at times it is absolutely necessary for our own sanity and safety.  I will say for me it has always been easier to get rid of Unused things and Toxic People, but tasks – that thing I can validate with a checkmark or give myself a sticker.  I find those the most difficult, because you know, I’m getting stuff done.  But is it adding value?  Is it taking up more time than it should?  Do I love it?  I’ve started to evaluate these things more and more as I age.

Each person must decide for themselves what they should Quit.  But I encourage you to Quit those things that don’t meet the criteria for your well-being and don’t move you towards your goals.

We can’t move forward if we don’t Quit the things that block our path.

Contributed by Tina Holland.

It seems strange to look for a muse in the modern age.   I have an elderly dog that wants to hang out with me when I write.   His name is Kaiser and he’s a chocolate lab.   When my husband comes in, he will often say,  “I see Kaiser is musing” (yep he made it a verb).  This usually means Kaiser is napping in a nearby corner or at my feet.

Another phrase common in creative circles is, “Feed your Muse”.  This generally refers to doing something to fill your creative well – You’re not doing the “thing” but you are doing a thing related closely to it, like reading (for a writer) or something you love (I like scrapbooking).  Occasionally, in these moments you will find inspiration for your current work or maybe a spark of something new.

The modern muse can be an illusive entity.  In our modern world we have so much pulling us in different directions, it can be hard to find time for ourselves, let alone inspiration.  How do we change that?

What I’ve done when I’ve been blocked or overwhelmed is to make a conscious effort to carve out time for myself.  For me that means no distractions – No TV, no phone, no tech at all and I settle in with a book or a craft project for a couple hours.  I don’t even think about writing, because honestly when I’m blocked, I’m too fragile.  And looking at a blank screen when words won’t come makes me feel like a failure.

I’ve added more time to this creative block over the years and it does help me find inspiration and my muse and Kaiser usually joins me in all things so he enjoys a day without all the tech too.

Contributed by Tina Holland.

I have a visceral reaction to the word Organization.  I both love and hate it.

I love when each item in my house has its own spot on a shelf, in a drawer, on a hangar or in a closet.  But when the laundry stacks up, books are scattered, or my latest craft project has exploded in glitter all over my office, then I feel like a failure and I hate organizing my house back to its happy state.

I accumulate less these days.   Mostly because I don’t have the disposable income I had when I was employed so I’m more conscious of my purchases. I buy more ebooks and less real books, I check books and movies out from the library vs. purchasing them.  I buy less clothes, because I spend my writing days in sweats and loungewear.

I still have too much and I just inherited more stuff.  In some ways the stuff of my parents is harder to toss aside than the items I’ve accumulated over the years.

Enter “Swedish Death Cleaning.”  Here is an article that talks about the concept as it relates to personal possessions.

https://www.dumpsters.com/blog/how-to-do-swedish-death-cleaning

I used to get every issue of Storage Magazine and I’ve read Marie Kondo’s “Life Changing Magic of Tidying ” but it just doesn’t resonate the way Swedish Death Cleaning does.  One of the concepts of Swedish Death Cleaning is to prepare so your heirs do not inherit a mess.  So in many ways it encompasses all aspects of your life to include finances.   Perhaps that is why it is appealing.  In handling the aspects of my parents estate, I knew what I did not want to leave my children – the burden of having to figure stuff out.

In some ways it is similar to Marie Kondo’s concept of keeping items that spark joy and minimization, but also it feels less punishing in the sense that I haven’t done anything wrong because that was then and this is now.  I think too that it embraces a sense of legacy which feels very timely.

Contributed by Tina Holland.

On Monday I talked about getting from Idea to “The End” of your story.  Today I want to talk about Editing or as is sometimes referred to as Killing your Darlings.

Killing your darlings is a phrase that came about because of the difficult time authors have with editing and probably more likely cutting scenes out.  I understand the cutting of scenes because my writing style is short so I feel every cut shaving off my word count which can mean I’m out of word range for my publishers.

That being said, editing is a very important process in readying your story for the market – whatever market that may be.

I personally love the editing process, but I understand how it makes authors nervous, so let’s talk about the importance of each type of edits and what they do to help your story.

1. Developmental Editing – Sometimes this is called content editing. This is looking at the big picture of the story for plot holes and character inconsistencies.   I utilize my Critique Group for this as they are able to find most inconsistencies and ask the big questions regarding the story.
2. Copy Edits – This is grammar and spelling. I recommend that all writers use their spelling and grammar checks in their writing software.  It doesn’t catch everything, but it will catch 90% of what you need to submit to a publisher.  Grammarly and Pro-Writing Aide have free versions you can use too.   A Lot of Indie Authors will pay an editor to look over their story before publication and this is the one most often used.
3. Proofreading – This is the nitpicky details before you publish.  In my opinion this includes; formatting, cover design, back blurb, backmatter, and anything missed above.  Some authors use Beta Readers for proofing.  Actually this is a good spot to utilize family members who like to read.  While they may not be able to help you with your adverbs, they will tell you if page 16 is blank on the proof copy. 🙂

Editing should be thought of as scary. It is a way to improve your craft and make your story the best it can be.   That’s not to say there aren’t mean editors or critiques that won’t put you down to make themselves feel better because there are.   And if you’ve encountered a person like that then know they are the problem, not you.   There is a way to give feedback on a piece without eviscerating the recipient.   And really we are talking about  Killing YOUR darlings so ultimately any feedback you receive you can take or leave.  It’s your baby and if your story isn’t ready then nurture it a bit more until it’s ready for the world.

Contributed by Tina Holland.

There are many ways to take your IDEA  to a finished short story, novella or novel. Some work better than others, but that depends on the writer and their strengths and weaknesses.

If you’ve been writing for any length of time you’ve probably heard the terms – plotter, pantser, and plantser.  If you haven’t, here’s a blog that defines those:

https://thewritepractice.com/plotters-pantsers/

There is no right or wrong way to take your IDEA and turn it into a story.  Whatever gets you to “The End” is most important.

I myself fall into the plantser category so I will speak to my process and hope that you are able to gleam some helpful hints from it.

1. First I write a blurb for the book – sometimes this becomes my back blurb other times my book changes so much it will be radically different. This is basically my story idea.
2. Next I research my characters. I choose their names and pick their birthdate, birth sign, do their numerology chart, and cast an actor/model/singer to play them.
3. I plot the 12 key romance scenes and then I go ahead and fill in what I know. I utilize a template by C.S. Lakin.  Which can be found here. https://www.livewritethrive.com/resources/
4. The steps above are my plotter steps, once these are done I start writing and I write whatever scene I want. Generally I start at the beginning, write a few scenes then go to the end and write that before coming back and working on the middle, and I almost always write love scenes last.
5. If I struggle during stage 4 – then I go back and research my characters. I utilize “90-day Novel” if my characters require more introspection and motivation.
6. Once I’ve completed the rough draft I go back and layer in setting, clothes and all the other details like eye and hair color.   Sometimes I have to do this before the love scene because people need to undress and readers like to know where this couple is for the deed.
7. Now I go back and self-edit the novel. I personally love the editing process, but I’m weird.   Join me in a couple days when I discuss “Killing your darlings”.