writing is work

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The Complete Imagination-What If…

“What If…”

This is a question that I believe is at the heart of every writer. I believe this the infinite thing we all chase–often. It is the thing that we strive to capture a little bit a time. When we allow our minds to wander to the far off places, doing the far out things, we get more confidence in what we desire to write about!

Who doesn’t want that?

Who doesn’t want more confidence to write about what they want to write about and not just about what people think they should write about?

Chase the Robin.

Unlock the doors.

Use the key.

Write bravely.

The world is waiting…

Book In A Year Series: Month 9-At Peace With The Final Draft

To Series or Not To Series…?

Ah, that is always the question! Who am I to dash your hopes and dreams, dearest writer? This is the only time where the end of a story is the beginning of another–and even then, series do end. However, don’t despair! This is one to the thing that I need to tell you about series versus stories.

If you are building out a world with people, specific mythology and characters, you might want to consider a series.

If you think that you story can be told with just one book, you might want to just write one story. If you want write a sequel–there is more story to tell. A series gives you more or multiple stories to tell.

Series are investments! They allow your mind to flex and wander!

Stories allow your the freedom to focus one story at a time and develop what you want to say to its conclusion.

Don’t stifle your voice by the space you think it might take up.

Keep going!

Encouragement Pages-09/15/2021

Dear Writer-

There are some things that can only be told if you tell them. There are only some stories that can be told if you have lived through them. Some people need to be shown that that you lived through, happened to you, and–you survived it.

Write.

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Book In A Year Series: Month 9-At Peace With The Final Draft

Writers are weird when it comes to the end of things.

Writing a book is an investment in time, resources, talent and imagination. It is perfectly natural to feel anxious when you come to the end of this process. It is an expenditure! There are famous writers that take time to decompress after finishing crafting the world with these ink and paper people. Again, a part of yourself goes into the making of these worlds and people! Why would you not want to rest?

Yet, you must. Your mind and body will insist on it. Even if you have to take breaks between drafts, this will prepare you to say everything that you need to say–so you can get it all out! One of the tricks with writing is to be brave enough so say everything you need to say, even if you need to take breaths in-between.

Rest. Write. Repeat.

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The Complete Imagination-The Power Of A Wonder and Wander

One of my mentors during my undergrad (shouts to Dr. Wall at UM-St. Louis), told us to make ‘make time for the mind.’ When she told me this, I thought it was odd, but it was the most rational thing she could have told me.

When you choose to make this time a thing, when you choose to make time to wonder when you wander, and wander when you wonder, you will be amazed with what you come across. When you make this a habit, you are stretching your imagination–you are allowing it to flex. You allow it to tumble. You allow it to fall over and under thoughts…and those thoughts no longer become foreign to you.

A writer’s imagination should never be foreign to them. There can be parts willing to be explored, but it should never be ‘foreign’ to them. The goal of accessing your imagination in a greater capacity so that it doesn’t become a foreign place. Think of your time of the mind as a type of housekeeping. The more apt you are to clean it, you know what is there, what isn’t there, and what needs to be there more often.

Make the time…you’ll be amazed what you find!