Sorry I haven’t written in awhile! This month has been crazy! I hope you all had as wonderful a Valentine’s Day as I did. My husband is so thoughtful and always goes overboard on buying me gifts! He is so thoughtful!

I have started working on a story for the Writer’s Digest contest, but I don’t know if it will be ready for this year’s competition. I still have a long way to go. How is your story developing? If you are experiencing writer’s block, follow some of these tips to get the ball rolling:

1. Challenge yourself. Consider trying a new setting, adding a new character, or inventing a new situation to challenge your creativity. You don’t even have to fit it into the story. Just sit down and write about something completely separate from your work. Sometimes it helps just to divorce your mind from the project at hand and to get back to your roots. Write a poem or a diary entry – anything that will deter you from looking at your novel for the one millionth time.

2. Commit yourself. Set aside an hour or two each day that you will definitely, no matter what, use to write. If you are experiencing writer’s block, just write about where you are or define something you see. You may actually be able to use these in your story later. My favorite children’s author, Roald Dahl, used to develop most of his characters and settings from the world in which he lived. He would simply dedicate himself to writing about his surroundings every day. Once his mind started working, he was able to envision well-known characters such as James (in James and the Giant Peach) or the Big Friendly Giant (in The BFG).

3. De-clutter yourself. If you are working with a messy area, you are probably less likely to be able to get any work done. Clean up your work space and start fresh! Turn off the television and radio. Hide yourself from noise. Start with a blank slate and free your mind of any problems with which you may be dealing. Work in an environment that suits you to be able to write your best. The fewer distractions you have around you, the better you will be able to write.

No one said that writing is always easy. In fact, many writers are often frustrated with their limitations. However, if you follow the tips I have set out for you, you will well be on your way to having a successful writing experience! If you need some advice about your project, please feel free to send me a sample, and I will help you as best as I can.

To your success,

Katie

It was a pretty warm day today here in South Carolina. It made me long for spring since our winter is not turning out very well. I wish for snow, but I don’t think we will be seeing any “real” snow storms this year. Bummer!

Speaking of spring, I noticed that Writer’s Digest is announcing its annual writing competition with some great prizes. If you need an incentive to start writing your book, this writing contest is a great one! The deadline for submissions is May 15, so you better get started writing now. I know I will be working on my manuscript.

To your success,

Katie