writing encouragement

Encouragement Pages-03/05/2021

Here are three ways to keep your writing focus (Remember this is Month 3 of Writing A Book In A Year):

1.) Make a writing schedule.

Carving out time to write is the best way to write.

2.) Make an outline.

Outlines allow you to see your thoughts plotted out in a way you can follow. Use your outline when you get lost, discouraged or confused. Use your maps!

3.) Re-read what you have already written.

Re-reading what you have already written gives you enough time to jog your memory, and perhaps giving your a way forward to keep writing.

I believe in you. Get to it!

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Book In A Year Series: Month 2-Starting The Process

Let me remind you of one thing, and I hope that it repeats over and over in your mind.

“Do not write like someone is looking over your shoulder.”

If you write like someone is looking over your shoulder, you will never write! It is essential for you to know the first person you write for is yourself–no one else! The story you want to write needs to be the one you want to write.

This is an essential part of your brainstorming!

There is market for your book! There are people whom are willing to read it! You must be brave enough to write what you want to write regardless of the people around you who may not like what you want to write (Pin in that: We will discuss this in March under theme KEEPING FOCUS).

As you being to construct your story, as you begin your project, remember no one can see inside your head. The image you have for you story you are going to have to develop! You are going to have to write the story you see–so then the world can see what you saw all along.

Encouragement Pages-02/12/2021

Writers write. This is what we do!

Sometimes this is hard. Sometimes this is overwhelming. But the devastating thing is for a writer to not write. Frustration in momentary, writer’s block is temporary, but denying you talent? You are flirting with losing it forever.

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Encouragement Pages-02/05/2021: For The Love Of It (Part 3)

Rest is a weapon because it allows your mind to settle! It allows you as a creative person to clear your plate as it were to focus (or refocus) on what is important.

Rest also allows you to create other things as well! It is what I like to call a hard restart–it’s a warning before you get to a point where you cannot create or won’t create. Either option is detrimental to the artist!

Take the time to rest, dear writer. The rest will do you good. I promise.

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Book In A Year Series: Month 2-Starting The Process. Let’s Talk About Brainstorming

The first rule of writing, which will help you forever, is this: your imagination is yours. And only yours. All the things you dream up, want to create all belong to you. Since this powerful tool belongs to you, the power to create (and destroy) belongs to you. And just you.

With this confidence in mind, I want you to remember that what you create–you (and only you) will see first!

Before you start writing, I want you to get accustom to thinking about what you want to write about. And really begin to think about what you want to create. The more comfortable you are with it, the more you will want to write it down.

Here are some tips to help with brainstorming:

1.) If an idea reoccurs more than twice, that’s a queue to write it down.

2.) Think about the time of day that you feel most productive. Try writing at this time, or recording ideas that reoccur at this time.

3.) Isolate some time to think about what you want to write about. That dedicated time will help with creativity.

4.) Remember to be patient with yourself. Writing is a process. It is a marathon and not a sprint.

It’s only month two–we got a while to go. I believe in you. Keep going.