When I first aspired to become an author, I imagined my time would be spent filling a blank page with words to woo the masses… not taking into account the editing or marketing required, which is enough to drive a sane person to the brink of insanity. Write, edit, market, repeat. Over and over and over. See what I mean about the insane part?
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Depending on where you're at in your writing endeavors, this may be common knowledge. You may have listened to the multiple authors telling you the best practices to start. Unfortunately, I did not listen to them and learned the hard way.

A successful writing career comes down to 5% skill, 5% luck, and 90% who you know.

A crucial part of creating a profitable book is connecting with others. Marketing should come well before your book is even launched. It's easier to get your sale ranking up if you've gotten pre-orders at the ready and reviews already elevating the story.

Much easier than having the book be launched and having people give you a raised eyebrow, "Really? You actually wrote a book?" Even if your picture is on the back, it sometimes takes three forms of ID to convince a potential customer that you are, in fact, the author of the book in front of you. I sometimes wear a hat with the title WRITER on it to avoid confusion.

Why is skill so low? With enough money, you can pay someone to write your story. You could be a famous author and never type a word. I do want to point out that money should be spent on a good editor even if it is something like Grammarly pro.

Why is luck so low? Let's face it. Writing is hard. It takes getting your book in the hands of the right reader who will help promote your book. If those people grow exponentially, you have a fan base that will lift off the massive marketing load from you. But keep connecting with others.



I dabble in multiple genres.

The indie authors who can boast of their sales typically stick to one genre and write a series. I decided to experiment with my books and put together a collection of poetry to get my feet into the publishing pool. I tripped, fell face first, and discovered it was acid, not water. Okay, that may be an overstatement. A small press threw me a life preserver and helped me out of the deep end.

After publishing a non-fiction book, I released my first science fiction novel. At this point, it would have made sense to continue the series into space, which I plan to do. However, I then published my first book in a fantasy series. By now, any fans of my poetry are rightfully confused as I sprinkle in bits of verse in my novels. Don't worry. I'm working on a collection of short stories that will have some poems in it as well… it might be leaning more toward the horror genre, because, why not?



The marketing beast.

There's a healthy balance between too much and too little. It's easy for us to want to get all the swag for our story: bookmarks, pens, shirts, cups, tissue dispensers, etc. Unfortunately, it can lead to a surplus of supplies becoming more difficult to give away. If you have enough people you know, the merchandising can boost the profits for your book.

For me, I did radio interviews and became a feature in the newspaper for my home town. It might not be the smallest of towns, but rural Nebraska can be a hard sell for poetry books. If you're able to find an affordable marketing director, use that connection. If you are proficient in marketing, I like the outdoors, piña coladas, and getting caught in the rain.



Ignoring the fans is not a good idea.

Occasionally, I will have a reader comment on one of my characters or things they enjoyed about my book. It would likely happen more if I stuck with one genre and series. Listen to them. Find ways to work their ideas into subplots or suggestions. It's best to write for yourself in order to keep your passion for writing alive, but it's fun to entertain the idea that a character may be coming back in an upcoming story.



Writing alone.

Trying to write on your own is one of the quickest ways to lose your mind. Remember the scene from the Shining? It is easy to lose your motivation to write if you don't have people around to encourage your work. Writing is important. Your words are needed.

Finding a small critique group and having honest beta readers has been an invaluable blessing in my writing career. It is hard to take a book from draft to published. Even if the critiques and reviews are painful in this phase, you will be thankful for it once the book is in the hands of strangers.



A final note on publishing.

Being the first author for a small press, we learned a lot about publishing together. Countless businesses would be happy to print your book for you. Most of these require you to buy in bulk, and we had way too much bulk in poetry. If you're starting out, doing print-on-demand through KDP or Ingramspark becomes more affordable and economical.

I won't go into depth on either publishing company as there plenty of great articles on the topic. And we're talking about what I did wrong, like hardcover books. I've only had one book that was hardcover, and that was my poetry collection, which we bought in bulk. Needless to say, it did not sell as well as the softcover.



Hopefully, you have the opportunity to learn from other authors as you pursue a writing career. Although I became serious about my writing six years ago, I am at the beginning. The one question you should ask yourself is what you would define as success. Once you have a goal in mind, go out and tell others about your pursuit. Their support will save your sanity.

Do you have a book you've just published or are aspiring to get released? Let me know in the comments. I'd love to be one of your connections.

Research has shown that it takes at least 2 months to develop a habit. So while the event tries to push you to write every day, it only does so for half of the time needed to make it a habit. Try as you may, the companionship and inspiration you acquired while doing NaNoWriMo will fizzle out. Even before month’s end, if you are like me, the green/purple bar blues can hit and kill your drive to keep writing. It may even hit you during the dreaded week 2, which claims the lives of many wrimo novels who fail to slug their way through it. But through the fire of those trials, the steel of a writer is resolved.

​There are as many ways to keep a daily writing routine as there are writers. If you enjoy adding to your word count, tweeting, snapping, checking a box, or any other means to give yourself a reward for the daily achievement; have at it. While you are giving yourself your daily rewards, let me suggest 3 things to motivate you to become a habitual writer.


1. Write Down Your Progress
One of the greatest motivators for NaNoWriMo is a progress bar that shows how many words you have finished (or need to write to catch up). In my hunt for a similar program, I discovered some great apps and websites that allow you to track your writing goals. You can use a similar spreadsheet or journal to create your own progress on each book you are working on. I use our publications page to update my progress. Tweeting your daily goals is another easy tool I like to use.


2. Embrace Inspiration
You’ve sat at the proverbial typewriter and it stares back at you, mocking your futile attempts to write. This is good. In fact, the more fights you overcome in your commitment, the more likely you are to keep the habit going. If you lose motivation in one story, start another. Do it in a different style (poetry, prose, screenplay, etc). Some have suggested working on another skill or craft that enhances creativity. For me, it is sewing and acting. I participate in many Renaissance Festivals and conventions in the Midwest. It is my inspiration hive.


3. Give Away Your Passion
Become an author groupie. Every new author would love the opportunity to share their journey with you. They can help support you as you battle through the first few months. You can help them by reviewing their books on Amazon and spreading the word of their stories. Word of mouth is the best way for new books to bloom. Not only will it help other authors, it will help you grow as they catch your passion for writing. I’ve yet to meet another author who doesn’t love new stories. A great place to find other authors is from those you may have connected with during NaNoWriMo. If not, look for local authors in your area or even a Facebook group.


I’m always excited to find my new favorite story and write a review for it. Let me know in the comments if it is yours. I only ask you to return the favor.

​Making a good story is a lot like making a good soup. You have to have the right ingredients to get things started. However, when it comes to mixing it together, everyone has a different approach. You may be the type to measure every pinch of salt or throw it all in the mix until it tastes right. Some can even do it on instinct, the magical grandma’s recipe. Whatever the approach, the food must get in the bowl.


This is first drafting—the process of mixing the words together in your story pot. Get your spoons and bowls ready, it’s going to be tasty. After all, it is your masterpiece*… Once it cools down a bit.

Aromatics are the bold flavors that set the basis of the entire soup. The need time to release their nuances to the mix. For writing, this is where we define our genre or setting. What is the atmosphere of the piece? Where are they? What are some of the natural or supernatural laws of the world?
I must admit, this section I harbor in my mind and not write out on paper. A lot of writers prefer to have these listed before they begin. It helps create the scenes in our plot and flavors the entire piece.
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If you’re a pantser, you may not take too much time here and just add water. However, I would suggest getting a basic 3-point story broth—beginning, middle, and end. This will give your characters a good goal in their world. Yet taking that path may depend on the flow of the story.
For plotters, this is where you spend time perfecting a unique broth. After all, it is what holds everything together. Some may go into great detail of each scene in their story. K.M. Weiland has a great guide to creating scenes on her site: Helping Writers Become Authors.
I tend to fall somewhere between a pantser and a plotter. I like to use my canned “Save the Cat” Beat Sheet and let my main character sit in that journey.

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​So in a normal recipe for soup, you would sprinkle on the herbs to top it off. My initial remark in linking this to writing was something about celebrating with herbs... but I digress.
You can use this time to add in any extra character arcs you want to explore further in your story. Plot holes can also be listed. I typically write these as I’m cooking through the words so it doesn’t look as fancy in the end.
Be sure to let your first draft cool down before you dig in. That’s some mighty fine story soup you got there.

I’ve included the recipe to one of my favorite soups—an easy and comforting chicken noodle soup by my aunt. What are some of your favorite soups?

2 qts. water
8 chicken bouillon cubes
6-1/2 C. wide egg noodles
2 cans (10-3/4 oz.) cream of chicken soup
3 C. cubed cooked chicken
1 C. sour cream
1 grated carrot
In a large pan, bring water and bouillon to a boil. Add noodles and carrot. Cook till noodles are tender. Heat through. Remove from heat and add sour cream. Enjoy.
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What are Role Playing Games?​

Role Playing Game (RPG) is a genre of gaming in which the player takes on a role and plays through the game's story. Digital game examples of RPG games are Fable, World of Warcraft, Elder Scrolls, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and many others. Typically, in an RPG you create a character and enter the world. Some games have a narrow story line (the Final Fantasy series for example) you follow through to the end. The Elder Scrolls, Skyrim, and World of Warcraft games have different story lines you can interact with, but the order in which you interact with them are up to you. This is what makes an RPG attractive. Yet RPGs on the computer are restricted to the limitations of the developers and their abilities.

In a tabletop RPG adventure, you are only limited by your imagination and the imagination of the storyteller. In many cases, the system rules will limit your abilities to do certain things. If your rules system or setting doesn’t have guns, then having a character who is proficient in guns won’t happen. Your character design will play a key element in the adventure. Also, how you play your character can also influence the grand scale of a story.

For example, if you develop your character with a low intelligence but a high strength, he may be able to do a lot of damage when attacking. But when it comes to making skill checks, he may not be as good as other characters. Playing off the character traits like this while in an RPG adventure is an enjoyable time.



What is it like writing Tabletop RPGs?

I started writing adventures back with telling stories the players could go through. Some started off as small one shot adventures; others grew into massive campaign story arcs. It’s an adventure of its own coming up with creative stories and trying to focus on one adventure before another one pops into my head.

One shot adventures are those that can be done with a strict time restraint. An hour time slot that you would have at a convention, is an example of a one shot adventure. In most cases, one shot adventures are limited to one story. The key difference between a one shot and a campaign is that in a one shot, the story is over at the end of a session.However, sometimes it may be a small part of a campaign or story arc.  

Campaigns are created with several sessions in mind. Some campaigns I’ve been on lasted over a year, with us meeting once a week before we finished the overall story.  A larger campaign allows the player to be able to flesh out his character by how they interact with the world. Growth of character in a campaign is a fantastic way to explore one’s creative mind.

Finding inspiration for adventures can also be found everywhere you go. I have found inspiration everywhere from the zoo to watching my son play. One game settings I am currently working on was inspired after going to renaissance faires and science fiction conventions.

My projects have me writing an entire game world. Taking a framework built by the original writers, and providing narrative content to it. I have written many beasts with adventure in mind. What makes our dragons different and makes our RPG setting unique? How these creatures interact with the players? Yet, how the players will interact with these creatures is up to the players. While some of that comes through the written story and how the GM chooses to present the material, a player also needs the framework of the world.

A Role Playing Game story can consist of many different themes and elements to the adventure. Similar to how a novel can have different themes throughout the development of the story, and in some cases from book to book.



Suggestions for Writing Role Playing Games

Writing a Role Playing Game (RPG) has a lot in common with writing in other media. Both start with a common idea or theme and are fleshed out as the story develops. One of the major differences is in the presentation of the material. In a novel, the writer writes from the point of view of the story presented to the readers. The story is revealed to the reader to guide the imagination forward. In RPGs, the writer has fleshed out a story and provided a framework for players to explore the world. He has given the Game Master (GM) resources to help tell the story. Being a GM is a difficult task with a lot of rules to remember, a story plot to follow, and characters to present. But ultimately the story can take many different turns; even some that the writer, or the GM, never planned on.

• Outline
  Develop an adventure outline to follow when coming up with a story. My own mixes combat encounters, story encounters, and fluff events. I have developed this through experiencing different world adventures and through writing my own.
  
  
  
• Practice
  Practice your craft. As a writer should read and a game developer should play games, so too should an RPG writer play the games that he wishes to write. If you have an inclination to write for a cyberpunk setting, you should find a cyberpunk adventure to experience that world. Same for fantasy, steampunk, sci fi, super heroes, etc.
  
  
  
• Familiars
  Write what you know and you don't have to change things up. If you are already familiar with a game system like Sixcess Core, Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Star Wars, or any other rule system; I suggest writing for that system first.
  Caution is warned if you try to publish using the game mechanics already established. There are methods of getting published that you can explore through these companies. When in doubt, do some research into publishing first.
  
  
  
• Compatibility
  Make the game easy to follow and let the GM add the rules set to it. If you have a general idea of an adventure that you’d like to write but don’t have a rule system in mind, this is okay. Make the game system agnostic by adding any system to the story so the game can be played.

Caution should be stressed if you choose to play an adventure you wrote. This is a fun element to writing tabletop RPG adventures but you should be respectful of the GM if it is not you. They may put their own spin on the story, which may be different than what you had planned out. Don't worry. It is a natural occurrence as a GM. They want to make it just as much part of their own world and have fun with it as you do.
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Writing for tabletop Role Playing Games can be an exciting and challenging endeavor. Don’t try to plan for everything, but make sure to have enough information down so that the GM can run with what you have written.

Food eaten, Facebook notifications cleared, messages from mom read, and nearby Pokemon caught... Only 15 minutes left on my lunch break! What to do? What to do?
Why not grab a nice flash fiction story to pass the time? I know you may have a few questions about this style of writing so I’ve decided to answer some common questions to help you enjoy my own "Sci-Fla-Fi" story, XR-404.

A man must choose to save his pregnant wife or his entire civilization in ten minutes.
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​What is Flash Fiction?
Flash fiction is a form of writing that many have compared to poetry. The wording and action must be very concise and necessary for a complete story in under 1,000 words. Although flash fictions have a well-defined plot, there is much happening off of the page or layers in between that get sorted out the more you read through it. Example: this article is just over 600 words. However, there is no plot so it differs from a flash fiction.


Why Flash Fiction?
I decided to have my first published work in this style as it is an easy way to test the market of self-publishing and become an established author. This story is also a quick glimpse into my writing style and voice. Although the majority of my novels will be told through a third-person limited view, this story has been a good exercise of a first-person present tense story (which I hope to reserve for future flash fiction stories centered in the same universe as XR-404).



Is this story safe for kids?
I do not use any profanity in any of my stories. However, some of the action may be too intense for younger ones. It is not necessarily a YA story, as the description talks about a husband and wife, but may appeal to those dark humor/sci-fi types.



What happens when I purchase the story from Amazon?
You are able to send the download to any of your Kindle devices and read at your leisure



I don’t have a Kindle!?
Don’t Panic. You can download the Kindle app for free on any smartphone and use it to read the story. If you don’t have a smartphone, you can also download an app to your desktop from the Amazon site.



But I don’t have my own computer; I’m at work/library/etc; apps are evil! What do I do?!?!?
Not to worry. You can even read the story from your web browser. Just sign up from your Amazon account (which you used to purchase the book) and go to: https://read.amazon.com/



How can I help?
Write a review about the book, please! No seriously, most of the algorithms on Amazon use books with 20+ ratings/reviews. If you have time to write a paragraph of your thoughts, great! If you only want to leave a sentence or a few words, great! If you just feel like putting a *thumbs up* emoji… you may have to experiment on the Amazon review page… I’m not sure on that… if so, great!



Is there anything else I can do?
If you enjoyed the book, share it with your friends. I have no major publishing company doing any advertising for me so it is dependent on you and me. Tell others about this site, our Facebook page, or Twitter account. I am also available to speak at different conventions or events in the area (IA, NE, KS, MO, WI, MN, etc).

I would love to answer any questions you may have about this sci-fla-fi story in the comments below (Can I say that? Is it okay to acronize science flash fiction in such a way? Did you just learn what acronize means too?).
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  01.  Take A Movie/TV Break
November is always an epic month for movies. I’m sure you have a backlog of shows in your Netflix queue as well. They can wait. Determine ahead of time that you are going to focus on writing. You can rent the movies you missed and your queue will hopefully be there when November ends.


  02.  Character Sheets
Being a character actor, I find going into details of your character before you start writing gives you a springboard. Even if you prefer to let the story develop your characters, having a good “first impressions” for each character gives them depth. I created a character sheet that I takes me close to an hour to complete (click here).


  03.  3/15 Outline
If you are not a “pantser” (writing a rough draft at the seat of your pants) and like to have structure in your life, this is one of the best models to use. I have gone into further details about this outline and how it improved my current WIP (hint: click this sentence). Some pantsers have switched to an outline and have found it brings in a higher word count. If you know where you want to go, you have less roadblocks and are able to write through the slumps. Please be advised: detours can and will happen, follow them.


  04.  Let Social Media Know
This is often a task you cannot do alone and will need support from others to accomplish. By telling your followed friends and networked neighbors you are undergoing this feat, you will also have an excuse as to why you are avoiding them most of the month. Or the, “hey, let’s hang out at a coffee shop; I’ll be writing so bring something to do,” speech works too. This will also cause them to worry less about you as status updates start to wane or turn into frantic cries from the insanity of keeping up your word count.

The world of smartphones is a wondrous world indeed. It is good to know what is happening in the world of social media so we can join the conversation. But, the distractions can become worse than a swarm of Minnesotan mosquitoes. So apart from locking myself in a closet with nothing but pen and paper, how does one write that blog due in a few hours?
I discovered an organic mix of ingredients to spray away those bugs for this summer. These 6 steps can be used to keep away the annoyances. Okay, *I lied on the organic part,* but the odds are in your favor if you have a smartphone. Just be sure to turn it to silent while you write.

1. Before You Spray (plan ahead)
Make sure you set a specific time of your day for writing purposes and let people know about it. Your friends will be coming out of the walls if you do not let them know you are busy. Even then, there are those wrecking balls who like to swing in unannounced… hopefully clothed.


2. Apply As Needed (set an alarm)
If you must stay connected all the time, use a timer to write in short bursts. Most smartphones have these already installed. You can take a few minutes to update your statuses and catch up on anything you missed when it goes off. This will give you a sense of urgency to stay on task as well. 25 minutes writing, 5 minutes break is a recommended dose.


3. For Best Results (keeping the flow)
When your alarm goes off or you are needing to break, stop in an area where the scene is not resolved. If you end at a natural break, you will struggle with getting started again. This is a huge step in eliminating writer’s block. You may also think of a better twist or ending to the scene while you step away for a moment.


4. Active Ingredient (chewing gum)
This may seem crazy, but it really works. The phrase, “he can’t even walk and chew gum at the same time,” is partially true. You can write and chew gum, but your mind will not wander off as easy. You may have some other routine that helps you stay focused while writing. Let me know in the comments.


5. Subconscious Ingredient (inner sanctuary)
I had to start by locking myself in a closet. I would mute my smartphone and listen to the music on my computer while writing. Once I became comfortable in that place, I could bring it with me. You only have to imagine the atmosphere of the area. Remember that place and the peace it brought.
Robert Christensen blogged about this at The Octopus Garden: Your Creative Zone


6. Side Effects (reward your time)
You did it! You managed to ignore the culture and refuse to listen to all the attention it is trying to take from you. Now do something fun. It could be an easy writing prompt, playing a game on your smartphone, or jumping in to a live video event on YouTube (Click here for mine).


I hope these directions keep the distraction blight away. I try to apply these ointments as often as possible. What are some of your ways to avoid distractions?

Project Title
Enter your story title here.
(I'm just making this up as we go for this blog) Multipurpose Fairy
Log Line
Synopsis or Short Description
“A fairy discovers she could join a local performing troupe and with the help of a little pixie dust, the act takes off.” (*disclaimer: bad puns may be littered through the cat sheet*)
Word Count
Enter your desired count
7,500

1. Opening Image, 1-75 total words
   the “before” image; status
   Periwinkle is enjoying a stroll in the woods
2. Theme Stated, 341 total words
   another character poses theme to MC
   Periwinkle's sister tells her to explore further and do more with her fairy magic
3. Set-up, 341-683 total
   introduce each character in story A
   Periwinkle meets the actors practicing in the woods (on a mid-summer night... sorry, wrong story). They tell her of the great competition to be held for the magistrate.
4. Catalyst, 819 total
   life-changing event or trigger
   One of the actors is allergic to fairies and is rushed away. They need a replacement.
5. Debate, 819-1706
   critical choice, accepting the quest, point-of-no-return, etc
   The others convince Periwinkle to join their group. She has never acted before so she just wings it (ha).
6. Break into Two or Act Two, 1706 (part of 5. Debate)
   result of choice, change of pace
   Periwinkle's troupe enters to find the town overcrowded with actors.
7. B-Story, 2048 total words
   team building, fun time; love story and theme progressing
   Periwinkle and her troupe practice together. One of the others begins crushing on her (because fairy romantic stuff).
8. Fun & Games, 2048-3754
   what the premise is all about; fun with the story
   Periwinkle and the others meet some of their competition. Rivaling troupes begin to suspect the use of magic. Glitter gets everywhere.
9. Midpoint, 3754 total words
   Halfway through first and second half; fun and games are over; stakes raised
   Periwinkle's group performs for the magistrate. He is allergic to fairies (my imagination is running wild with thoughts of fairy-allergy symptoms).
10. Bad Guys Close In, 3754-5119
    Enemy gets together and attacks; MC's team unravel; anti B-story
    The other acting troupes begin to oppress Periwinkle's group. The group falls apart as they accuse the leader of being in love with the fairy. They are forced to regroup in a cramped room at the inn on the corner of town.
11. All Is Lost, 5119
    Opposite of Midpoint; No hope; The feels become real
    The group grumbles that the fairy is lighting the room up too much and they cannot sleep. The leader says he regrets casting her.
12. Dark Night Of The Soul, 5119-5801
    Darkest point in the story; MC loses all
    Periwinkle leaves the group and wanders into the town alone.
13. Break Into Three or Act 3, 5801
    A and B story combine to reveal solution
    Other acting troupes see her and try to convince her to join their group. The magistrate sends guards out to arrest her.
14. Finale, 5801-7433
    Wrap-up of the story; Dispatch “Bad Guys” in ascending order working to the boss
    The other actors abandon Periwinkle to deal with the guards alone. Her old group finds her and hides her from the guards just in time. The fairy uses her magic to fly all of them back to her home in the woods.
15. Final Image, 7500 total words (huzzah!)
    opposite of opening image, new state of the status
    The group performs their show for the Fairy Queen and they are hired as full-time performers for the fairy court. The group leader marries Periwinkle, Periwinkle's sister falls for the one no one liked, and they all live happily ever after (wow, I think I just wrote the new Tinkerbell movie).

I hope this adventure has helped you in creating your own story using the “Save the Cat” outline. I'm sorry if the fairy story went over your head; they do that (ha). Enjoy your writing/editing and let me know what tools you use to create a story.
(and I just searched for "periwinkle the fairy" and discovered that it is already in the Disney universe... no similarities are intended or even remotely assumed.)

“The bad news is, time flies. The good new is, you're the pilot.” ~Michael Althsuler
While attending a writing convention to improve my craft, another author gave some amazing advice. They said we each have the same 24 hours in a day. There is no magical spell that allows writers to have extra time to write their novel (As much as I wish… I could get more sleep). I have the same amount of time as Stephen King, J K Rowling, and all the others before and since. The difference is simple: they planned ahead and finished their work. Some may have the ability to dream and create a fantastic book from their subconsciousness. I have read fantastic stories from such authors (Maria Watson); but, that is not how every story is made. For the rest of us, we have to plant the seed and tend to it as it blooms into the magnificent collection of words and phrases arranged in the perfect bouquet. How do we do that? I offer you five pieces of advice I learned.
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1. Set goals for yourself
Even if it is something as simple as 30 minutes a day writing or editing, take time to do it. I set soft deadlines for each draft of my story. This helped me practice for the real deadline for a short story I submitted in April. The people who are great writers spend most of their time writing. It’s not always fun, but it’s worth it in the end.


2. Avoid distractions
It sounds simple enough, but ask any author about the number of distractions they have to wall out and they will tell you otherwise. The world screams for your attention. I had to use the small space of our coat closet when I started. Once I learned how to ignore those pesky things, I was able to move to other locations. Find your writing “closet” to work your magic. I wrote an article to help you with distraction pests.


3. Research
Wondering how to make your story better? Ask others. There are countless articles, blogs, tweets, and pictures giving you an arsenal to devastate that deadline. It helps to step away and dig a bit online, yet be wary of those internet holes. YouTube can suck you away for hours (Seriously, 2 or 3 videos of what you are learning about are enough… and watch out for kittens).


4. Plan ahead
This is where you have to experiment a bit. Maybe you enjoy creating characters and throwing them into a wild situation, letting their adventures write the tale. It could be you start typing with a writing prompt and let the words guide you. However, you could also be like me and spend hours creating an outline, character sheet, and thesis before you even start your rough draft. Research some different ways and find what works. I’ve enjoyed using the “Save the Cat” outline for my novels.


5. Panic! Freak out! or Reward yourself for making it!
Hopefully, you reached your goals and met the deadline. You somehow managed to avoid the “soldiers returning from war” videos and the endless updates on Facebook. There are always sacrifices made to be a writer, but that’s what it takes. If you have extra time left, take some time to reward yourself for a job well done. It may be breaking out that victory wine, watching those kitten videos, or spending time with your wife whom you haven’t seen outside of your writing closet for a month or so (NaNoWriMo was crazy last year). And if you are feeling ambitious, start researching your next story.

​I hope these tips help you on your journey as a writer. Let me know how it's going. As Red Green would say, “Remember, I'm pulling for ya. We're all in this together!”
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