How to Beat Perfectionist Paralysis

Have you ever procrastinated working on your novel out of fear of making a mistake? I’ve found myself doing this several times throughout my writing journey. The crazy thing is, it’s not like I’m procrastinating a chore or activity that I dread. So why do I often delay producing creations that I’m passionate about? {Click here to continue reading at SoulfulInk.com}

8 Ways Writers Can Keep Their Health in Balance

Unfortunately, being a writer isn’t a physically-challenging profession; therefore, it can be easy to neglect our health. And if our health is out of whack, then how can we produce our best works?

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Working in the writing/publishing industry is often demanding and requires several hours behind the screen per day. When I don't take care of myself, this is often reflected in my writing. My words will become stagnant. My brain becomes groggy. My energy becomes low. My back becomes stiff. And when I don't take care of myself, discouragement is more prone to settle in and cause me to doubt myself. The passion for writing fades when I make it a bigger priority than my physical and mental health. 


When this happens, I have to take a step back and evaluate where I stand. In order to be a proficient writer, then every area of my health has to be in balance 24/7—yes, even on a deadline. (In fact, I especially need my body and mind in top shape on those deadline-days!)


If you’ve noticed a decline in the quality of your writing, perhaps it’s time to evaluate your health as well. Here are eight ways writers can keep their health in balance:


1) Put God first.


I have to make sure He remains my #1 priority throughout the day, even if this means cutting back on my daily word count so I can have my quiet time with Jesus. I’ve noticed that, when I do put Him first, then the words and ideas often flow easier. I also become reminded that my writing gift was given to me by Him; therefore, it’s not mine to take credit for. When I put God first, I show Him that I love Him far beyond this gift He’s given me.



2) Incorporate exercise into your daily routine.


Confession: I’ve only been to the gym about twice in my lifetime—and that was back when I was a teen. It’s simply not my style, and I’d much prefer to be enthusiastic about my daily exercise. I also like to change it up every now and then. One day, I might do Pilates and cardio; the next day, I might go for a swim (in the summer, of course); the next day, I might take a walk in the park with my dog. I've also recently joined a weekly dance class so I can incorporate more physical activity into my schedule. Partaking in a daily stretch, such as Yoga, is especially wise for those who have sedentary professions.


Exercise stimulates creativity and releases endorphins. I’ve noticed that, when I’m on a strict deadline, that’s when I’m desperate to keep a regular exercise schedule. My brain literally craves the release that comes through physical exercise, and my back can’t go for too long without needing a stretch.


3) Get some fresh air.


I love that these top three tips can be combined into one. When we take a walk outside, we can also talk with God, get our daily exercise, and breathe in fresh air. Also, it’s not physically healthy to go a long time without being exposed to sunlight. Sure, we can take vitamin D supplements, but nothing compares to receiving it from its true source. When I come across a writer's block, taking a walk outdoors is often the very think I need to get my creative juices flowing again.


4) Eat healthy.


Did you know that the food we eat can directly affect our mood and energy? When we eat a meal that lacks nutrients and is loaded with sugar, then we’re more likely to feel sluggish and eventually crash. On the other hand, when our diets are balanced—and we incorporate veggies and fruits into almost every meal—then we're not likely to feel as bloated. We tend to think more clearly when choose clean foods. (Trust me: It’s nearly impossible to write wen your brain doesn’t seem to be cooperating!)


5) Reward yourself and take a break.


If we want to take care of ourselves, then it’s important that we don’t over-work ourselves. As a workaholic, it can be tempting to keep plugging away at work and knocking items off my to-do list. I have to intentionally block out a certain amount of time per day for a break. For me, this break typically comes in the form of reading a book. ;)


6) Find another creative outlet.


Writing for hours on end can become draining. There have been times when I’ve pushed myself so much that the words just won’t come. My vision becomes bury from staring at the computer screen. When this happens, it’s nice to take a break and lose myself in another creative outlet, one that doesn’t require as much mental energy. This creative outlet for me involves painting or sketching. When I do this, I find myself more creative and refreshed when I do return to my writing.


7) Socialize and live life.


Writing can be a solitary career; however, we weren’t called to live this life on our own. We can’t remain locked up in our cave and simply write about life without ever experiencing it for ourselves. Make sure to take time to socialize and live life. Find a writer’s group so you can connect with likeminded individuals. If you don’t have writer friends who live nearby, schedule video calls with them. Join a Bible study at you’re church. Grab coffee with your family and friends. Remember: Even when you’re not writing, you can still make progress in your craft simply by experiencing new things and meeting new people—both of which can serve as inspiration for your writing.


8) Get enough sleep.


This one’s a little tough for me to follow at times. I love staying up late—but I don’t like to sleep in on a workday. Because of this, I’ve had to set a bed time for myself to make sure I get at least seven or eight hours of sleep every night. When we lack sleep, then our creativity becomes blocked. I’ve noticed that, when I try to cut hours of my sleep in effort to get more accomplished, the opposite happens: I become less productive. My brain just “isn’t all there”, if you know what I mean. ;)


Conclusion:

You might notice that taking care of our health requires a little less time away from our work. But as we grow in our mental and physical health, our brains (and bodies) will thank us. It'll become apparent that we take care of ourselves by the quality of our work, as well as the fruit that results from our productive work hours. Besides, I'd much prefer to live a happy and healthy life—even if it means having to sacrifice the number of books I write per year. 

How do you keep your health in balance? Is there anything on this list that you could incorporate more of into your daily routine?

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Don't Wait for Inspiration to Strike: Good or Bad Advice?

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I'm sure you've heard it before: Professional writers don't wait for inspiration to strike in order to work. They discipline themselves. Force themselves to write, even when they come across a writer's block.

But what if the inspiration well is completely dried out? What happens when our lack of passion reflects in our story?

Although I do agree that professional writers should treat writing as a job rather than a hobby, I believe it's equally important that we do not lose our inspiration or passion. Yes, we need to discipline ourselves to write every day -- and every day, our inspiration well should be filled and ready to be poured into our writing.

But if it's not -- if the words refuse to come and we can't seem to grasp the passion we once had for the story -- it's OK to take a break. To close the laptop and participate in activities that will reignite your writing passion once again.

Personally, I've greatly benefited from this. Going into this new year, I was determined to write a fast draft of the sequel to Purple Moon. Determined to have it completed within only a couple of months.

But as I began to write, I felt as though I were swimming against a current, and it took every bit of my energy to write just a little every day. My writing sessions profited little. Fears about not meeting readers' expectations paralyzed my fingers and numbed my passion. I continued to try to push through as I've always been told -- but why force myself to write a story when the inspiration is lacking?

So, I allowed myself to step away from the story for a few days. I spent that time immersed in activities that filled my creativity tank and reignited my passion. Not only that, but I also listened to the sequel's soundtrack, added photos to its Pinterest board, and reminded myself of why I love Selena's story and why it must be told.

By the time I went back to writing, I was ready to pour this reignited passion into my book, which resulted in far more productive writing sessions.

If you, too, are going through a dry season, I highly recommend that you step away from your manuscript for a few days. Remind yourself of why you fell in love with this story to begin with. Make a soundtrack and storyboard for your novel.

Then, write a list of "dates" you can take with your artist self -- a list of activities that will fill your inspiration well once again and tear down your writer's block.

Here's my go-to list for overcoming a writer's block: 

• Spend time with my Creator.
• Go to Books-a-Million. Buy a book and a mocha from Joe Muggs. {I personally love Joe Mugg's mocha far more than Starbucks!}
• Read physical books. {Recently, I've been immersed in A Well Spring Series by Jim Rubart.}
• Listen to a variety of music, including your WIP's soundtrack.
• Scroll through Pinterest and Tumblr.
• Go to an art museum. {Art, photography, and music always have the power to fill my creativity tank and inspire me to write again. In fact, the story of Purple Moon was birthed through a photograph and a song by Tenth Avenue North.}
• Write in your journal. 
• Read previous journal entries.
• Make lattes.
• Make art journals.
• Color in a coloring book.
• Doodle.
• Take a walk. 
• Do pilates. 
• Watch a movie. 

You know what's funny?

I don't remember writing Purple Moon. Honestly. Writing the first draft took up probably 10% of the amount of time I invested in that book. And the reason I didn't come across a writer's block was because I wasn't writing for an audience; I was writing for myself. I was writing because I was filled with inspiration, had a passion for the story, and knew it needed for it to be told -- not because I was forcing myself to write.

From now on, I'm going to give myself permission to take a break when necessary. I don't want my stories to be written with an "I don't want to do this but I'm forcing myself to anyway" attitude. I believe my books will be far more powerful if they are written not just out of "duty", but out of passion -- just like I did with Purple Moon.

So here's my advice to you:

Write like an artist who is in love with their work. Edit like a professional who has studied the craft and wants to shape their book into one that their readers will enjoy as well.

Remember: While it is important to stay disciplined in your writing, your story will come across as boring if you remained bored with it as well. Drawing from an empty well is exhausting. Stay refueled. Stay inspired. And most importantly: Write not for publication, but because of passion.

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Don't Wait for Inspiration to Strike: Good or Bad Advice?
Can Taking a Break From Your Writing Reignite Your Passion?

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Do you have an inspiration list? If not, what are activities you could add? Does taking a break help or hinder your writing progression? 

Writing Exercises to Beat Writer's Block & Brainstorm Ideas

I'm over at AlmostAnAuthor.com today discussing my top 5 favorite writing exercises for teens. Join the conversation by clicking here!

How to Make Inspiration Boards for Your Novel

One of my favorite ways to conquer writer's block is by creating a visual representation of my story--whether that is through a Pinterest board, a music playlist, or a physical writing inspiration/story board. 
I recently got together with YA author, Caroline George, to discuss our writing boards and share tips on how you can create one as well. =) 
I hope you enjoy! Let me know in the comments if you have ever made an inspiration board or if you plan to create one in the future.
{For more videos, make sure to subscribe at MoonAndArrowAuthors! =)} 

10 Ways to Defeat Writer's Block During NaNoWriMo

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It's November. You're sitting in your favorite writing chair with a hot cup of coffee next to you and you open your laptop, preparing to meet your daily word count for NaNoWriMo. However, there's just one problem: when you place your hands on the keyboard, nothing happens. You've hit a road writer's block. Realizing that this has happened, you get up from your laptop and decide to take a day off, hoping that the block will be gone by tomorrow.

If you've ever experienced writer's block, you might be guilty of allowing it to hold you back. I know I am. However, it is time that we stop letting writer's block keep us from meeting our daily word count, especially when we're on a deadline or participating in NaNoWriMo. So what are some ways to defeat this writer's block rather than letting it defeat us?

1. Remind yourself that your first draft does not have to be perfect. Perfectionism is one of the most common forms of writer’s block, and it is also the most threatening. When I begin to write, I always think about a lump of clay. It has to go through a molding and shaping process before it can be turned into a beautiful piece of pottery. The first draft is your molding and shaping process. It is during the edits and rewrites when you can begin to turn your lumps of clay into something beautiful—however, if you don’t have anything to mold, then you won’t have anything to work with. How are you supposed to clean if you haven't even created a mess to clean?
2. Don’t have the intention to make your story a best-seller. Instead, pray that you will be lead by the Spirit to create the story that He has placed on your heart. Ask God to lead you throughout the process of writing your first draft, and try to brainstorm ways in which your story will minister to others.
3. Create a private (or public) board on Pinterest. I’ve done this with every book I've written, and I have found it extremely helpful. Not only is it nice to have a collection of pictures so you can visualize the story as you write, but it is also a great cure for writer's block. I've even had new sub-plots, characters, and even setting ideas spark just because of one simple picture.
4. Create a playlist of songs that can relate to your story. I have found many songs that seem to be written just for my stories. When you come across these songs, write them down. Listen to them when you feel stuck, or turn on the playlist as you write. I personally like to create a new station on my Pandora app for every book that I write. For example, when I wrote my second book, I created a country music station on Pandora. And every time I had an urge to listen to country music, I wouldn't allow myself to listen to it until I was writing.
5. Stay inspired and passionate about your story. Stay inspired by reading writing quotes, blog posts that push you to keep writing, and books on the writing craft. Stay passionate about your story by asking yourself why you wrote it, what you hope your readers will take away, how you can relate to your protagonist, your favorite elements of the story, etc. I like to write down the answers to those questions, just in case I ever stumble upon a writing block and need a few doses of inspiration/passion. I have collected a other ways you can stay inspired and passionate, which you can find here. 
6. Have the ending of your story in mind, even if you’re panster. How do you want the reader to feel when they close your book? I’ve found that having the ending of my story in mind takes off a lot of pressure when I begin to write. Writer's block is often caused when you just have no idea what to write next. However, you can prevent this by having the ending in mind, as well as having at least a "vague outline" of what is going to happen in your story.
7. Take necessary breaks, set realistic daily goals, and reward yourself when they are met. One cause of writer's block is simply exhaustion. It’s okay to take a short break every once and a while. In fact, it’s healthy for your writing. Walk around the neighborhood, work out, eat chocolate (contradictory, I know), watch television, etc. I’ve found that rewarding myself helps as well. For example, I tell myself that I can read a chapter in the book I'm reading once I have written a certain amount of words. Doing this simply motivates me to continue writing.
8. Write at a specific time every day. Maybe you’re someone who writes best in the mornings, or maybe you’re less distracted at night, when everyone else has gone to bed. Whatever the case, I have found that setting certain hours for myself every day and treating my writing as a job forces me to keep writing, even if I do come across a writer’s block.
9. Make your NaNoWriMo-ing fun (yes, that is a word). You can do this by finding a comfortable/inspiring place to write at—such as a comfortable leather chair, your dining room table that overlooks a pond outside, or maybe even at a coffee shop. If you like to listen to music as you write, turn on your writing playlist. Make yourself a cup of coffee or tea. Burn candles. Anything that will cause you to look forward to this time every day rather than being tempted to procrastinate. I wrote a post a few years ago on how to create a space specifically for your writing.
10. And finally, don’t stop, even if you come across a writer’s block. When this happens, refuse to give into the temptation to quit. Instead, find a way to tear the block down. Once you continue writing, you will find that the block you had been fretting about so much had somehow disappeared! They are never truly as big as we think they are. So keep writing, because your creative juices will flow more freely the faster that you write. 

Since writers tend to create the writer's block themselves, defeating it ultimately begins in the head. Continue stirring your passion for writing so you will not have a reason to allow a writer's block to keep you from writing. Passion for our stories should always create a motivation to tell it. Remember that the quicker you write, the quicker someone will have the opportunity to read your amazing work of art. So write, and refuse to let the scary, intimidating writing block monsters scare you away. Remember: The monsters are only in your head. You have more power over them than you think.

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How do you defeat the writing block monster? Have you tried any of the ways that I mentioned? If so, which one helped the most?

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Bearing Fruit in Our Writing: John 15

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God has put us in the world to bear fruit (John 15:16). We're only branches, connected to the Vine. This means that our entire life should produce fruit of God: through our actions, our obedience towards Him, our mouth, as well as the gifts God has given us.

John 15 has always been one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Just recently I've realized how well it can be applied not only to our day-to-day life, but to the gift of writing as well. 

 "Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me."

~John 15:4

The best cure for writer's block is simply to spend time with the Creator. He is, however, the Giver of our gift. 

 "I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire."

~John 15:5-7

We can't ultimately bear fruit in our writing if we aren't connected to the Source. We're called to stay joined with God, especially if we want Him to be reflected in our writing. This verse says that when we are joined with God, our relation with Him is intimate and organic, and the harvest will be abundant. If we stay connected to the Source, He will ultimately flow through our writing.

Sometimes writing can start to become more of a dreadful task. This is why we often come across writer's block. However, when this happens, connect yourself back to the Source. Bear fruit through your writing. As you do, as this passage says, the result is sure to be abundant.