Friday, May 29, 2015

Guest Author, Sally Yolanda... Talks about writers' block


Welcome to guest author, Sally Yolanda as she takes over Write What Inspires You and chats about writers' block

How to Overcome Your Writer's Block with this New Perspective

by Sally Yolanda

What is the biggest fear among writers? It is not the fear of losing their job or the fear of losing money? It is the fear that they will run short of creative ideas and thus, experience a block. The dreaded writers’ block. The name of this terror can bring jitters to even the most experienced writer out there.

Reasons behind writers’ block

It can really sap the motivation of even the best writers out there. Why does it happen? There are a couple of views on this. It can happen owing to exhaustion; can happen because you are trying to force yourself to come up with neat ideas and that process is creating resistance to you, within you; it may happen owing to an intense, internal fear that the work you produce may never be good enough for people, that it may invite mockery and laughter and as a self defence, you subconsciously throttle your thinking process.

And within the factors, which give rise to this “block”, lie the answers to the question of how to solve the problem of writer’s block. The most important thing in this would be to change our perspective towards this issue as well as to methods we use to solve it.

Change our perspective, unblock the block!

One of the most important things we should realise is that we should stop fearing failure. Fear of failure is what makes a person even hesitate from starting on something new. So one great way of approaching writing challenges is to take them as stimuli to create something new. If something does not work out, use it as a starting point to explore other ideas, to stretch across different fields to find something that help the endeavour to go forward. Success need not come in one shot. Sometimes you have to try many different approaches that may take variable time to show their results. When a writer stops fearing failure, he may tend to develop patience. The ability to wait. For that creative spark, that idea. This would also help him or her to be open and receptive to all ideas that float across.

Stop taking things personally. Let Go.

Another way is to stop taking it as a personal threat to your ability to write. Maybe it is the way of telling the body to take it lightly or the mind to recharge itself. Use the opportunity to do other things, which had got pushed back to the back of your mind; go for outings, vacations. Take your problem off your mind. You can also engage in discussions with yourself or with a silent listener such as your pillow. Such kind of “pillow talk” may help you to reach within yourself to find out things or thoughts or attitudes that may be actually being a hindrance to your creative process.

Do creative relaxation.

Instead of forcing your creative mind to work under circumstances that it may deem unpleasant or unsatisfying, let it relax. Let ideas float in. Try out even the weirdest sounding ones. Sometimes, all it takes is a change in approach to the situation and bring it on from there.

Get rid of distractions!

It is all possible that your creative soul is not getting that space and silence it needs to chew on ideas in peace. Maybe all the noise from the electronic media, the Internet and the mobiles are distracting and leaving the mind in a state of overstimulation. In such a case, it would be useful to go on sabbaticals where you can stay away from all distractions in the world and work on your writing.

Reduce self-criticism

Another way of improving your writing is by decreasing unnecessary criticism of one’s own work. Changes can be made at any point of time. A great way of motivating the brain to work is through exercise and sleep. Getting lots of sleep, doing couple of runs in a day is sure to let those nerve cell gets recharged. Getting an outline of what you want to see in your writing and embarking upon it is a great idea to get the ideas coming and noting it down.

Experiment with new!

Changes in writing between routine, boring but necessary writing tasks may help you in recharging and refreshing your mind at regular intervals. This will reduce the kind of thoughts that lead to the occurrence of writers’ block.

Develop the habit of writing from consciousness first. Allow the thoughts, whatever they are, to pour out, to run out in whatever form they take. Do not try to force them in a particular direction. Edit them later. So, there are multiple ways of looking at the phenomenon of “Writers’ Block”. Changing your attitude towards it is a great way of overcoming it! So, go for it.


Bio: Sally Yolanda is an academic counselor at Assignmentwritinghelp.com. She has been teaching online courses for bachelor, masters, and doctoral level education programs. Her interests include online teaching and learning with focus on active students engagement.
Visit Sally at: 


Thanks for taking over the guest author spot. It's been a pleasure hosting you! 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Multi Award-winning Children's Author


Ignite curiosity in your child through reading!

Connect with

A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2014 Purple Dragonfly 1st Place Picture Books 6+, Story Monster Approved, Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Powder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Hockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ New England Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Prayer for Memorial Day


On this Memorial Day, we pray for those who courageously laid down their lives for the cause of freedom.  

May the examples of their sacrifice inspire in us the selfless love of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Bless the families of our fallen troops, and fill their homes and their lives with Your strength and peace.

In union with people of goodwill of every nation, embolden us to answer the call to work for peace and justice, and thus, seek an end to violence and conflict around the globe.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Credit http://www.diocesepvd.org/a-prayer-for-memorial-day/) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Multi Award-winning Children's Author

Ignite curiosity in your child through reading!

Connect with

A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2014 Purple Dragonfly 1st Place Picture Books 6+, Story Monster Approved, Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Reader's Favorite Five Star Review


Powder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Hockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ New England Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Guest author, Chrys Fey Visits Write What Inspires You

It's with great pleasure that I announce Chrys Fey as the guest author today at Write What Inspires You! Chrys and I met through ISWG and we continue to stay connected via social media. 

A huge round of applause for Chrys...welcome!


Donna asked me to share the stories behind Ghost of Death and Witch of Death, so I shall. :)

A few years ago, I found out about a very well-known contest. At the time, I was struggling to get anything published. I thought this contest would be a good one to enter because it goes on all year. First, I needed a story idea. That night, while watching TV, I pondered a good story idea that could show off both of my strengths...suspense and the supernatural. Instantly the thought of magical murders committed by a witch strike my mind. Immediately after that, I knew I also wanted a witch to be the detective on the case. I wrote it, edited it, and sent off. But I did not win that contest. That story changed over the years with the help of beta readers and now it is Witch of Death.

***

I got the idea for Ghost of Death when I was seventeen. One night, when I was reading in bed, the concept of a diary from the perspective of a sixteen-year-old ghost popped into my head. I had wanted to call it Diary of a Dead Girl, but after getting that idea, I didn’t do any writing on it. It wasn’t until I was ready to send Witch of Death to my publisher for consideration when I thought of this story, so I wrote it. However, it’s different from that first concept. It’s not in a diary format and it’s about a twenty-one-year-old.

While I wrote the first version of Ghost of Death, I did have a bit of inspiration...an article by Ann Lander that I’ve kept which featured a story/poem called Dead at Seventeen by John Berrio:
Agony claws my mind. I am a statistic. When I first got here, I felt very much alone. I was overwhelmed by grief, and I expected to find sympathy. 
I found no sympathy. I saw only thousands of others whose bodies were as badly mangled as mine. I was given a number and placed in a category. The category was called "Traffic Fatalities." 
The day I died was an ordinary day. How I wish I had taken the bus! But I was too cool for the bus. I remember how I wheedled the car out of Mom. "Special favor," I pleaded. "All the kids drive." When the 2:50 p.m. bell rang, I threw my books in the locker . . . free until tomorrow morning! I ran to the parking lot, excited at the thought of driving a car and being my own boss. 
It doesn't matter how the accident happened. I was goofing off -- going too fast, taking crazy chances. But I was enjoying my freedom and having fun. The last thing I remember was passing an old lady who seemed to be going awfully slow. I heard a crash and felt a terrific jolt. Glass and steel flew everywhere. My whole body seemed to be turning inside out. I heard myself scream.
Suddenly, I awakened. It was very quiet. A police officer was standing over me. I saw a doctor. My body was mangled. I was saturated with blood. Pieces of jagged glass were sticking out all over. Strange that I couldn't feel anything.
Hey, don't pull that sheet over my head. I can't be dead. I'm only 17. I've got a date tonight. I'm supposed to have a wonderful life ahead of me. I haven't lived yet. I can't be dead.
Later, I was placed in a drawer. My folks came to identify me. Why did they have to see me like this? Why did I have to look at Mom's eyes when she faced the most terrible ordeal of her life? Dad suddenly looked very old. He told the man in charge, "Yes, he's our son."
The funeral was weird. I saw all of my relatives and friends walk toward the casket. They looked at me with the saddest eyes I've ever seen. Some of my buddies were crying. A few of the girls touched my hand and sobbed as they walked by.
Please, somebody -- wake me up! Get me out of here. I can't bear to see Mom and Dad in such pain. My grandparents are so weak from grief they can barely walk.
My brother and sister are like zombies. They move like robots. In a daze. Everybody. No one can believe this. I can't believe it, either.
Please, don't bury me! I'm not dead! I have a lot of living to do! I want to laugh and run again. I want to sing and dance. Please don't put me in the ground! I promise if you give me just one more chance, God, I'll be the most careful driver in the whole world. All I want is one more chance. Please, God, I'm only 17.
Title: Ghost of Death
Author: Chrys Fey
Genre: Supernatural/Suspense
Format: eBook Only
Page Count: 41 (short story)
Release Date: April 22nd, 2015
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Blurb:

Jolie Montgomery, a twenty-one-year-old woman, wakes up in an alley next to her corpse. She has no memories of her murder or the night she died. She didn’t even see the killer’s face before he or she took her life. Wanting justice, Jolie seeks answers in the only way a ghost can...by stalking the lead detective on the case.

Avrianna Heavenborn is determined to find the person responsible for a young woman’s death. She gets closer to the killer’s identity with every clue she uncovers, and Jolie is with her every step of the way.

But if they don’t solve her murder soon, Jolie will be an earth-bound spirit forever.


Book Links:

Available for PRE-ORDER:


Blurb:

Detective Reid Sanders doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but when he’s faced with a crime scene that defies the laws of nature, he has no other choice but to start believing. And solving a magical murder involves working with a witch.

Liberty Sawyer embodies the look of your classic evil witch, so, it’s no surprise when she uncovers the murderer is a witch that she becomes Reid’s number one suspect. If she can’t convince him otherwise, more people could lose their lives to dark magic, including her.

Book Links:


BIO:

Chrys Fey is the author of Hurricane Crimes and 30 Seconds. She is currently working on the sequel to Hurricane Crimes that’ll serve as book two in the Disaster Crimes series.

When Fey was six years old, she realized her dream of being a writer by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve, she started writing her first novel, which flourished into a series she later rewrote at seventeen. Fey lives in Florida where she is waiting for the next hurricane to come her way.

You can connect with her on Facebook and her blog, Write with Fey. She loves to get to know her readers! 


Author Links: 
Thank you for having my on your blog, Donna. You rock!

Chrys, it was a pleasure hosting you today. Best wishes for your continued success! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Multi Award-winning Children's Author

Ignite curiosity in your child through reading!

Connect with

A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2014 Purple Dragonfly 1st Place Picture Books 6+, Story Monster Approved, Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Powder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Hockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ New England Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Happy Mother's Day


To my mother, Lorraine, who has been the wind beneath my wings from day one...

A Mother's Prayer For You
~Anon

I said a Mother's Day prayer for you
to thank the Lord above
for blessing me with a lifetime
of your tenderhearted love.
I thanked God for the caring
you've shown me through the years,
for the closeness we've enjoyed
in time of laughter and of tears.
And so, I thank you from the heart
for all you've done for me
and I bless the Lord for giving me
the best mother there could be!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Multi Award-winning Children's Author


Ignite curiosity in your child through reading!

Connect with

A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2014 Purple Dragonfly 1st Place Picture Books 6+, Story Monster Approved, Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Powder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Hockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ New England Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist