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May 8, 2015
I'm actually traveling right now, so if I'm slow to answer emails or Tumblr asks , then you know why! I'll be at the Romantic Times Convention all next week (CANNOT WAIT!), and I hope to see some of you there. :)
Also, in case you haven't seen it yet, the #YARunsA5K for 2015 is fully in swing! I'm on the sidelines this year, so I'd somehow missed how many amazing prizes there are to win, guys. WHOA. So be sure to stop by and help a good cause! :)
For the Misfits:
Join the #Witchlanders!
 Thanks to an INCREDIBLE reader/book-lover I connected with on Twitter (you may know her as @Truthwitch or @HeirofFire), we now have a Truthwitch street team!
Meet the #Witchlanders!
#Witchlanders will get free swag, extra content, and insider looks before the rest of the world. Yeah -- even more free, extra stuff than the Misfits already get. ;)
Here’s where you sign up! And I should mention that anyone who signs up this week is also eligible to win an ARC of Truthwitch (giveaway is international!) as well as a signed copy of Something Strange & Deadly!
We’ll announce the winner on next week’s #TruthwitchTuesday (5/12/15)!
Now, you might notice on the form that we’ll be dividing the team into 6 clans. These clans are linked to the various elemental witcheries from Truthwitch -- you can read a bit more about those in the graphic above or we'll be sharing loads of details over #TruthwitchTuesdays still to come!!
Basically, there are a bajillion different kinds of magic in the Witchlands -- from Truthwitches to Firewitches to Windwitches -- yet each magic falls under a certain elemental category: Aether, Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and the mythical (does it exist or not?) Void. Each element is linked to an Origin Well, and these Wells are the source of all magic in the Witchlands. (Can you find the Wells on the map?)
But some of the Wells are dying -- or already dead -- and magic is out of balance. Now, only the legendary Cahr Awen can heal the Wells and the Witchlands. But no Cahr Awen has been seen for centuries, and people aren't even sure the mystical pair truly exists anymore...
So join the #Witchlanders! And don't forget that all people who sign up are eligible to win a signed ARC of Truthwitch and a signed copy of Something Strange & Deadly!
BookExpo America (BEA), May 27 at 3PM -- Signing ARCs of Truthwitch at the Macmillan booth (Note: this will be the ONLY chance to nab Truthwitch ARCs at BEA!)
For the Daydreamers:
Write (and Revise) in the Now
I got a question in the forums about revising -- specifically about how crippled this writer feels every time he/she is faced with the prospect of revisions. So much work! It's daunting, and to avoid all that overwhelming work, the writer will just start drafting a new book instead...
It's funny because I'm the opposite. I will revise and revise and revise but avoid at ALL COSTS the terrifying journey that is a first draft.
Only recently did I realize part of my problem -- if not ALL of my problem -- was planning ahead. You all know that I'm not an outliner, yet I still liked to daydream and follow a vague set of events toward some hazy ending.
Yet, a few weeks ago, as I sat at my desk trying to write a scene...while also imagining all the scenes I still HAD to write to get to my intended end destination, I found myself paralyzed. Freaking out, even. All that work ahead! All those steps and character interactions and plot events that still needed to come prior to the end...GAH!
Just stay in the now, I told myself. Focus on this scene and don't even think about the next one.
I repeated that mantra to myself a lot over the next hour...and an amazing thing happened then. The scene came out smoothly. Even better, an unexpected twist showed up that took me in a completely NEW direction. One that might not even connect with all the ideas I've been planning.
But I followed that new idea the next day. I stayed in the NOW for the next scene too, and...whoa! Another scene flowed -- and yet again, I shifted the story's trajectory in a way I hadn't expected (but LOVED).
Since those days, I've realized that, for me, planning and outlining are actually harmful. They choke out my muse and overwhelm me with ALL THE WORK AHEAD. I'm not a drafter. I'm a reviser, and what I love about revising is that I can break the book apart and look at it as individual scenes. Lots of small, not overwhelming puzzle pieces that ultimately make up a book.
And I think that's the key for ANYONE feeling paralyzed by all the work ahead. Take it one step at a time. Get into the scene, sink into the NOW. Don't look ahead. Don't make lists or fret over how long this is all going to take you. Don't worry about plot holes you might need to fix or sudden abrupt changes in a story's direction.
Take one scene at a time. One word at a time. One emotion or one conflict at a time. You'll reach the end a lot faster than you might expect.
And, if you find the fear taking hold and the work weighing you down, take a pause. Sink into the moment. Sink into the NOW. Feel who your characters are, embrace why you love THIS book and chose to write it.
Then get back to work. :)
Now, as always, if you have any questions about, drop by the forum to ask. Thanks for reading, and here are a few links to wrap up your week.
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