Tag Archives: quality use of writing time
Suggestions on How to Get Out of a Writing Rut
Has there ever been a time when you wanted to get essential thoughts down on paper but just could not get yourself moving to do so? Whether you are a writer, student, or simply someone wanting to inscribe a thank you note, it can happen. The magic question is what can be done to get out of the rut?
Helpful Suggestions
Think about what you are trying to write about in the first place. Start by focusing on the task at hand and then begin mentally de-cluttering your mind of everything else.
Put your thoughts down on something tangible like paper or a computer. If you are anything like me, as soon as a great inspiration pops into my head I have to immediately write it down. When you have a busy schedule, it’s very easy to forget things. With this method, you then have the option to go back to your notes later on. It’s a helpful way to kick-start your creative juices to get it flowing again.
Select a means to push your productivity. This can be a special room, a selective piece of furniture like a bed or chair, a special music playlist, or even something straightforward as a change of scenery like sitting in the park or going to a coffee shop. Whatever you decide to do it should be something that is refreshing, and will give you the ability to concentrate.
All it takes is the decision to get started, and as long as you stay motivated and passionate you have the foundation to work through getting out of a rut.
R. Lynn Archie
Website: www.rlynnarchie.com
Using Points of View (POV) in Your Writing
When I first began writing, I wasn’t aware that stories were written in points of view. So, what is a point of view? Simply put, it’s a way that writers allow readers to see and hear what’s going on. Point of view in books will contain detail, opinion, or emotion the author wants to accentuate; therefore, a point of view catches the attention of the reader.
The Three Major Kinds of POV
First-person point of view involves the use of either of the two pronouns “I” and “we”. The advantage of this point of view is that you get to hear the thoughts of the narrator, and see the world depicted in the story through his or her eyes. A good novel selection would be Twilight by Stephanie Meyers. The main female character Bella Swan is the narrator; we see things from her point of view.
- (Example) “I loved Phoenix. I loved the sun and the blistering heat. I loved the vigorous, sprawling city.”
Second-person point of view, the narrator tells the story to another character using “you” and “your”. This is the least used POV. You will see this used more in literature such as a cook book. Although a perfect selection of a novel used this way would be Jay McInerney’s, Bright Lights, Big City.
- (Example) “You are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning. But here you are, and you cannot say that the terrain is entirely unfamiliar, although the details are fuzzy.”
Third-person point of view is the most popular of the three and uses pronouns like “he”, “she”, “it”, “they” or a name. The narrator isn’t present as a character. The writer may choose third-person omniscient in which the thoughts of every character are open to the reader, or third-person limited, in which the reader enters only one character’s mind, either throughout the entire work or in a specific section. A good third person POV book is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
Examples:
- When Jane and Elizabeth were alone, the former, who had been cautious in her praise of Mr. Bingley before, expressed to her sister how very much she admired him.
- “He is just what a young man ought to be,” said she, “sensible, good humoured, lively; and I never saw such happy manners!”
My preference is third person point of view because it’s what I feel the most comfortable with, and it allows me complete freedom in telling my story. I would like to hear from you. Tell me, what point of view you use in your writing?
R. Lynn
Helpful Tips for New Indie Authors
I noted in my prior post that it’s been a year since self-publishing my first romance novel, and I have to admit that my journey on becoming an indie author has been an enjoyable one. Throughout the year I’ve received so much useful writing advice and information; all which has helped me grow as a writer.
In this post I’m giving back in hopes of helping others; my advice for new indie authors starting out would be, have patience and stay committed. Everyone has hopes and dreams of becoming rich and famous, but realistically there’s a chance that might never happen. Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean you can’t succeed in what you love doing, and what I mean by that is whatever you’re passionate about just stay focused on executing your goal from start to finish. When you can accomplish that then you will always succeed by coming out on top.
Lastly, one final point I’m going to share is do not burn yourself out. I did that writing my first and second novel by not allowing any downtime in between — that was such a bad idea and a big no-no. Nowadays, it’s mandatory that I take breaks in between writing projects. Trust me, even something as small as doing nothing for a weekend but being idle will do you a world of good.
Just remember when it comes to your writing routine make sure you choose a non-stressful schedule that works best for you. All things considered, being an indie author is great, and the best part for me is there’s no one to answer to because I’m the boss!
Talk to you soon,
R. Lynn
Website: www.rlynnarchie.com
Email: info@rlynnarchie.com
KDP: Updates Regarding Series Books
Recently, I contacted Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) inquiring about series books, and there was a discussion about some new things happening soon that I thought I would share.
KDP is making updates to the way series books get listed on Amazon.com. Series books are books with multiple volumes whether they’re each complete books, or individual sections of a longer book. In making these books easier for customers to find, in mid-May they are updating how they organize them in the Kindle Store.
The detail pages will now display the title for series books as Title: Subtitle (Series Title Book Volume). KDP states these changes will help make sure that customers can find all of your books easily.
Here’s how KDP instructed series information should be used:
Series Title: Your Series Title in KDP should be the name of the series. By ensuring that all books in a series have the same value for Series Title, you will improve the discoverability of your books.
Volume: Enter only a numerical value (e.g. 1, 2, 3; not “Book 5” or “Book V”)
For example, if the name of your books is The World and is the second book within your Science Facts book series, your information would be as follows:
Book title: The World
Series title: Science Facts
Volume: 2
The title for this book will show up as The World (Science Facts Book 2). I hope this is information is helpful.
R. Lynn Archie
Mind Mapping Can Be a Useful Tool
Plain and simple, a mind map is a graphical way to represent ideas and concepts. It is a visual thinking tool that helps with structuring your information and makes it easier for you to analyze, understand, remember, recall and create new ideas.
Mind Mapping can be created by hand or software. Some software is free and there are others that need to be purchased. In addition, and because it’s not noted in the linked article, if you know how to use Microsoft Office Excel, it’s another good substitution for creating mind maps.
Whichever way you decide, it all starts out with a starting point to which you write down the main idea that you want to develop. From there, you are going to expand by building supporting subtopics, and as you do so, you connect each of them with a line back to the main idea.
The subtopic step will be repeated so that you can make as many lower layers as needed to support your main idea. Just remember that for each new lower level, it needs to be connected to the top corresponding subtopic. See diagrams below.
I think mind mapping is a great diagram to follow because you can always go back and reference it when you’re stuck or forget something. Give it a try; it might be a helpful tool for you.
Thanks for visiting,
R. Lynn Archie
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An Effective Writing Plan
When I start a story, I always begin by putting my thoughts on paper. I find it to be more beneficial than to sit in front of a computer and start typing. I prefer doing it this way because 1) I’m getting my thoughts down before I forget (I hate to say it, but I get sidetracked a lot). 2) I’m able to set up a starting point and structure where I want my story to go. And, 3) I have a written plan that I can refer to which allows me to put out more work in the time I’ve allotted.
I do have one rule that I created for myself that has worked quite well, and that is never to stop writing mid chapter. When I’m on a roll words come effortlessly, so I always like to continue until I finish a section before I stop. From experience, I found it tedious to come back and try to recreate the flow that I had prior.
Everyone is different, so whatever works for you is what you should stick with to get the best quality use of your time. Do you have a system that you follow? If so, I would love to hear what you do.
R Lynn
Website: https://www.rlynnarchie.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EBooksByRLynnArchie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rlynnarchie
R. Lynn Archie, Romance Author 