Hello again!

Remember me? It’s been almost a year since I’ve blogged last, and honestly during that time I wasn’t sure if I ever wanted to start blogging again. But as I’ve been writing lately — and struggling to put myself on a habitual writing schedule – I’ve realized how helpful (not to mention fun) it would be to try it again. Let me explain my dilemma a bit: for writers (as well as aspiring writers), taking at least a little bit of time each day devoted to doing any kind of writing is the best way — and perhaps the only way — to get better. Even if you want to be a published novelist like me, blogging about something on your mind or even writing in your diary helps you expand your creativity and think of new ways to say what you’re thinking. So even though it doesn’t get you any closer to completing your 200 pages of science fiction glory, it improves your skills so that when you have time to write more of those 200 pages, the words you’re putting down are loads better than what you would have written after picking it back up fresh out of finals week.

Really, that makes writing the same as anything else. If you play an instrument, you know that taking a few days off means the next time you pick it up, it’s probably going to feel a bit awkward for at least the first few minutes of playing, and your repertoire isn’t going to sound as polished as where you left it. If you exercise daily, you know that after taking a few days off, you might have to ease your muscles back into your workout routine. Even if you stop reading a book for a few days, you might have to flip back a few pages to remember where you left off. Everything you do in life requires consistency and freshness before any true improvement can enter the picture. So that, in a nutshell, is why blogging (and even Twitter) can be one of a writer’s most valuable hobbies.

So why did I quit? I’m not really sure what the answer to that is. Maybe it was because I got busy, maybe it was because I got burnt out. But I think a huge part of my problem was that I was too much of a perfectionist. (I won’t go into this now because I’m bound to write a blog entirely devoted to perfectionism in the future. It’s been on my mind a lot lately.) Like most of the material I write, each blog took me a long time to compose, not because I didn’t have ideas or didn’t know how to say them, but rather because I doubted myself as I was writing. There probably wasn’t a sentence that escaped a scathing edit, whether it was during its composition or after. So in all honesty, blogging was exhausting. I couldn’t stand to publish something until it was perfect, and, as all writers know, being 100% happy with a piece of writing is wholly impossible. (Depressing? Maybe. True? Absolutely.)

Though that statement is true, I’m still just as committed to my future goals as I ever was. Why? Because writing makes me happy. It’s really as simple as that. I love it, even if it means there are bad days when I suffer from writer’s block and look fondly on paper-pushing or cleaning cars. And the more I think about it, the more I realize that mistakes are just a product of being human. The occasional typo isn’t going to gain me a hate club; no little grammar fairy’s light will go out. And as cliché as it sounds, life goes on. Why let myself get stressed when I could put all that energy toward improving my skills, instead of doubting them?

So here I am, blogging again, and this time I plan on being more regular about it. There will be plenty of times when life takes over, and papers and exams and projects for my classes will have to come first. (After all, at this point in my life, they are the things with deadlines.) However, I don’t plan on taking another year-long hiatus to rediscover how important (and fun!) blogging can be.

Stay on your toes! I’ll be back…

-Andrea

Writer’s Block – 7 Tips to Overcoming a Writer’s Archenemy

Well if you’ve ever written anything — and chances are you have — then I’m sure you’re more than familiar with something called Writer’s Block. Writer’s Block is basically when you have difficulty writing or don’t feel very creative. Whether you can’t conjure up good imaginative ideas or you simply are having trouble getting good ideas into words, Writer’s Block is frustrating and can put a damper on not only your progress, but your confidence in your writing. Though you can’t just go to the doctor and get a prescription for some medicine to make Writer’s Block go away, there are a few things you can try to help yourself recover from it and revive your writing.

1. Take a break. Maybe your biggest problem is that you’re trying to force ideas from your brain. Try “taking five” and doing something simple, like getting a glass of water or going for a quick stroll around the block.

2. Look for inspiration. You can’t necessarily wait for inspiration to strike, but sometimes looking at pictures or reading the news can give you ideas about what to write about or how to start, or other valuable thoughts that could help you get the ball rolling.

3. Get up. Sometimes all you have to do to trigger your creativity is get your blood flowing. Try taking a walk or doing some light exercises.

4. Make deadlines. Sometimes taking a chill pill is just what you need to do, but other times it’s not a bad idea to give yourself a healthy dose of pressure. If you set deadlines on your writing and keep them, you’ll make a lot more progress than if you sit and stare at a blank page or screen — and you might actually find you write better when you have a goal to reach.

5. Brainstorm. Think about any number of topics or possibilities. Whether you stay realistic or let yourself fantasize about things that are way beyond reality, just think. You’d be surprised what a little randomness could do to help your writing. Don’t stress out and force yourself to come up with stuff though: just let your thoughts run wild and see what you come up with.

6. What if? (This one applies mostly to story-writing, but you could apply it to other forms of writing.) If your mind isn’t creative enough to come up with anything helpful from brainstorming, maybe you should make up a fantasy situation for your characters. Even if you know the “what-if” isn’t what you want in your story, it could trigger your creativity enough to come up with exactly what you want or give you a good idea to incorporate. As with the brainstorming exercise, just let your thoughts run wild. Sometimes the best of ideas are hidden somewhere in your mind — you just have to find them.

7. Enjoy just writing! If you don’t like writing or are trying to work through Writer’s Block, this can be pretty difficult, but the best way to overcome Writer’s Block is to just write, write, write! Raymond Chandler, a published author, once said, “The faster I write the better my output. If I’m going slow I’m in trouble. It means I’m pushing the words instead of being pulled by them.” Don’t stop and wonder if your writing is any good or if you spelled something correctly (save that for the 2nd step: editing). Just write the first thing your brain tells you and let your thoughts flow.

-Andrea

Tips for Successful Writing

This is something for all you writers out there. Over my oh-so-many years of writing, I’ve collected quite a few tips from other writers and from reading blogs, books, and articles on writing, and I put them all together in a document on my computer. If you’ve ever tried to write anything (from short stories to full-fledged novels to essays for school), you’ve probably noticed that certain environments, sounds, or visuals help you think and focus better. It’s different for everyone, but I made a list of some of the general suggestions that I have for writers when you’re trying to get in some seriously good writing time. Some of them might work, others not so much, but I advise you to give them a try. You never know; life can surprise you.

1. Play music. If you’re writing a story, try finding some music that fits with the story. (If your story was a movie, what music would be in the background?) If you’re writing an essay, sometimes just some simple classical or instrumental music can help you focus less on distractions around you and zero in on writing.

2. Look at pictures. Sometimes all you need when you’re struggling is to look at some visuals of what your story’s scene might look like, or even something general like what the overall message of your story might look like summed up in one big picture. (You know, “A picture’s worth a thousand words”?)

3. Observe. One of my favorite ways to get inspiration is to just look around me. Whether it’s people, cities, or even trees (whatever works), sometimes just being able to see it in person is all it takes for it to come alive in your mind. A lot of times I also snap some pictures. Doing that helps me remember what something looked like, when I actually get time to sit down at my computer and write; and it helps me remember certain details that I may not have retained in my mind. But the overall impression I got when I saw it in 3-D is still there.

4. Smell. That may sound weird to you, but it really does work! If you’re trying to describe a pine tree, then smelling a pine-scented candle or even an actual pine tree can help you not only describe the scent (if you want) but also other details about it. It helps to put you in “the mood.” If a scene in your story takes place in a kitchen, smelling food-scented candles or (again) actual food can help you come up with a more accurate and realistic description and atmosphere for your story. Your senses are wonderful gifts — use them!

5. Make notes when reading other writings. When you’re reading someone else’s essay, a poem, or even a book, a lot of times you’ll come across something that you really like — whether it’s a well-known saying, a kind of sentence structure, or a new word that you like. Of course, you can’t plagiarize (copy someone else’s ideas or words), but if it’s one of my three examples up there or something similar to them, it’s pretty much “up for grabs.” Anytime you find something that you really like (or even kind of like), make a note of it — and don’t forget to write down where you found it in case you need to take another look at it later!

6. In the case of story-writing, have some friends read your story and see what impressions they get of your characters, scenes, and plot. This works especially well with characters. You, as the writer, have a picture in your head of what you want your characters to look and act like. Sometimes when you’re writing, though, you don’t give readers as clear or accurate an impression about the characters. So by having some friends read your story, they can tell you what they think your characters (or scenes or plot) are like. If they get a different impression from what you wanted, then chances are lots of other readers will get similar impressions; so you can fix it and make it just how you want.

7. Also in the case of story-writing, act it out. I will warn you: this only works for certain people. If you’re not into acting, then this probably won’t do you much good. But for those of you who like to act, give it a shot. Put yourself in one of your characters’ shoes and try to think like them. (If there are people within hearing distance of you, whispering works just as well as talking out loud. ) A lot of times when you’re writing, you’re “putting yourself in your characters’ shoes” whether you’re meaning to or not; but sometimes it helps to stand up, look away from the computer screen or notebook, and pretend you’re where your characters are. Think like your character would: what would they say? What would they do?

8. PRACTICE! I bet you knew that one was coming! But it really is true — even writing in your diary is writing. Try to write something — anything — daily. You don’t have to consistently do short stories; write a poem one day, just to be different. Or, if it makes you happy, keep on writing short stories! Just try to get some kind of writing in every day — and have fun with it!

These are just eight suggestions out of MILLIONS, but give them a try. I’ll give my testimony: they’ve worked for me! I’ve tried all of these at some time or another, and it all depends on my mood and what I’m trying to describe; sometimes they work well, sometimes not so much. Don’t get frustrated if you do one of these and an idea doesn’t magically pop into your head. (I’m not Harry Potter, for crying out loud.) Sometimes you have a bad day and just can’t think well. In that case, you probably have Writer’s Block. HANG ON A SECOND, let me give you a quick commercial: I’ll be doing a blog on Writer’s Block and some tips on getting past it; so stay tuned for that! Okay, back to Harry Potter. Ideas sometimes do just “come to you” like that; but usually you have to put some work behind creating a really good story (this is real life, you know). But writing can be a lot of fun and a great hobby. (Plus, I bet your mom and dad are a lot more eager to buy you some notebooks and pencils than a Wii or an Xbox 360.)

-Andrea