by Sylvia Hubbard
I’m so happy to join you today and honored to be a guest on this blog during my Love 101: Mistaken Identity Series Tour.
As fiction writers we make up stuff. We make up stories, characters, plot and so forth, so why is it so hard to believe we just make up the fact that we cannot write?
I’ve never believed in writer’s block. However, I do believe there are life stresses that prevent us from writing and because we so closely believe our imagination, we start to believe that writer’s block exist.
It doesn’t.
Now I know you’re reading this and thinking I obviously haven’t had it (as if writer’s block is a sickness I know nothing about).
But life stresses can cause a mental deterrent when trying to “relax” and let creativity flow.
With that in mind, let’s explore how I overcame these mental deterrents – and how I was able to write my standalone Mistaken Identity series, Love 101 in less than two months, all the while going through financial, personal and business crises.
First, before anything, writers need time to write and you should always know when you’re the most creative throughout the day. Identify when you’re at your peak so that at those times you can get the most out of writing.
From 4pm to 10pm is when I’m most creative, but unfortunately when writing Love 101 that was also my most busiest time of day, which created even more stress in my life. During my most creative time, I had a voice recorder on my phone and allowed the creativity to flow… verbally. In the early morning hours or late at night, I would sit down and transcribe my words. Though it didn’t ease my need to write, it placated the urges and frustration that would crop up.
Second, I found theme music for my endeavor. This helped me concentrate on the subject at hand when I was sitting down at the “wrong” times to write. Once I put the music on, I was like Pavlov’s dogs and began to immerse myself into the book. Sometimes it’d just be one song playing over and over again and I wouldn’t realize how much time had gone by or how late the hour was despite it being some of my most stressful days.
Third, I practiced meditation. I’ve also known people to rely on a quick five minute exercise in order to get the mind clear and refreshed; especially when the day has been especially trying. I was able to clear my mind just to get started and then be able to rev myself up to get the job done with a good word count for that day.
Lastly, I taped my synopsis or outline on my monitor so if life stresses “bothered” me while I was trying to write, I would be able to see what I was supposed to be doing. There’s truth in the statement out of sight, out of mind, because if it wasn’t there in front of me, I could easily become distracted by what was going on in my life.
All in all, I was able to give birth to a book that I’m extremely proud of and I know my readers have and will enjoy.
I hope my suggestions have helped you become unblocked!
About LOVE 101: Learning To Love
Prudish school teacher, Cheyenne, loses a bet with her students and is forced to wear her student’s uniform.
On the same day, she meets the devilishly gorgeous Evan Crane who is desperately lost and needs “assistance” getting home. Fighting his attraction to who is think is just a high school student, Evan finds he needs her help. Deciding to take advantage of his weakness and her own mounting attraction to him, Cheyenne kisses Evan.
That’s when her plan to just tease the stranger becomes a chance for her to live out her own reckless fantasy.
Yet, when the tables are turned and she reaps what she has sown, Cheyenne has to make a choice to forgive Evan and overcome her own fears or miss out on the most perfect love any woman could ever have.
Love 101: Learning To Love (Erotic Noir) available on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords
About Sylvia Hubbard
Sylvia Hubbard knew she’d wanted to be a writer of romance long before she knew there were black writers in the world. Weaving stories magically as a summer past time to writing stories to get through the humdrum of school, she was able to create something from nothing. Today, she has independently published over 28 books, is the founder of Motown Writers Network and The AA Electronic Literary Network, CEO of HubBooks Literary Services, runs over five blogs on a variety of subjects, hosts The Michigan Literary Network Radio Show and is a happily divorced mother of three children in Detroit, Michigan.
Find her online at Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon
This guest post is part of the FMB Blog Tour.