Skip to main content

5 Surefire Ways to Avoid Writing

It's been a busy year. I wrote three books, one of which was co-authored by my writing partner Amber Roshay. But I'll be honest, I enjoy a little break time in between big writing projects. So I thought I'd share ideas for things you can do when you are blocked or needing a break and you want to avoid writing all together for a little while.

1. Take a Walk
It's just become evident that it's spring around here in the Portland 'burbs. The sun is out occasionally and the tulips are in bloom. I'm lucky because I have to walk to the bus stop to drop off and pick up my kiddo five days a week. So I'll just head out a little earlier and look around the neighborhood. Recently I spotted two chickens squaking around in someone's front yard. Hey, maybe that will spark a story idea, ya never know.

 2. Bake
The other day I was mulling over the storylines in my books wondering if there was a commonality. And then I realized they all have some areas where food is the focus. The hero in Dating Maggie loves apple pie. And my heroine in Sarah Starting Over works at a donut shop. I started that story in the winter when all I could think about were these pumpkin cake donuts that you can buy inside our public library. I'm not even sure I've ever gone there just for the books, or if "reading" is just my thinly veiled excuse to eat something cakey and pumpkin spicy. In The Proposition, the hero makes a signature marinara sauce. Is there anything sexier than a man who can cook? Is there?

3. Play a Game 
Sadly, for my kiddo, and my sister-in-law, I'm not a big fan of games. But I will play Jenga, checkers and love a good game of Scrabble. This weekend I played Jenga with my son and though the tower didn't stand for long, that's one thing I like in a game, one that's not long. Don't even get me started on Monopoly.

4. Call a Friend
Having a family can sometimes get in the way of connecting with friends, but I think it's so important. Even though I'm a bit of an introvert, I need my girlfriends. And in the age of texting, it's really nice to just talk on the phone sometimes.

5. Volunteer
Recently I went on a field trip with my six year old's first grade class. They were seeing a play downtown based on the Bad Kitty Books. My group of five kids kept me on my toes and I felt a great sense of accomplishment when we all made it back to the school in one piece.

Now that I've done these things, it's time to get back to work, er..writing. What do you do when you need a break?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Limitless New Releases

My NA Contemporary romance Dating Maggie will be out Oct. 27th.  It's about an actress who encounters a rancher; he threatens to turn her five year plan upside down. In the meantime, my publisher has put out some intriguing new releases and pre-orders over the past few weeks. If you are looking for a compelling read, check out the Limitless Publishing page and curl up with a page-turner this weekend.
Post a Comment
Read more

My Friend Amber Roshay's Book: Reaching Prague

Amber and I met in college. Our common interests have included college theatre department rebellion, living abroad, creative urban dwelling and writing. She's one of the most talented writers I've encountered. Her writing is compelling, emotionally raw, it's simply spell-binding. She's just published her novel, Reaching Prague and will soon have her second title, How the fat girl got thin published. If you're in the market for a sweet spring read, check out the synopsis and the link to her website below: Reaching Prague is a darkly psychological tale of adultery set in contemporary Prague. Betrayed by her husband, Sarah Billings flees to Prague in an effort to cope his duplicity and to figure out the rest of her life. In Prague she meets Mikul, a handsome bar owner with mafia ties, who at first seems to be exactly what she needs. Soon they are conducting an illicit affair filled with erotic tension, painful awakenings and looming violence. Slo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nonfiction vs. Fiction...What to Write Next

My computer at my new writing desk. Over the past few weeks I have been typing out every book idea that pops into my head. There have been some fiction ideas, a premise for a sequel to Sarah Starting Over , some nonfiction pitches and a few log-lines for memoirs. They are currently living on a word document called "book ideas." It's been a struggle choosing just one idea to develop right now. I've recently finished a romance that I co-wrote with my writing partner  Amber Roshay . That will make three romances written in just over a year. It's been a whirlwind of learning to craft love stories. And I have a lot more to learn about writing good fiction. Joanna Penn  is an author of both fiction and nonfiction. Her assertion is that writing nonfiction is a palette cleanser after writing fiction, and that notion really clicked with me. I've also been inspired because I am reading a memoir,  Meghan Daum's "Life Would Be Perfect if I Lived in That...
2 comments
Read more