Unstuck.com

I found a site that helps writers move on from 'writer's block'. I go through this all the damn time--more than I'd care for. Sometimes, without realizing it, the reason for why I'm stuck is because of something going on in my personal life. I know, it's odd. How can something like a break up, change in career, losing someone, or simply not reading mess up your writing?

Simple.

When we write, we don't just pull from nothing. We're not magicians, nor should we be. We write from experience, from what we've seen, felt, and heard. How can you write about New York if you've never seen it? How can you describe how the city looks like? It's not all skyscrapers and taxis, I assure you. How can you describe what love truly feels like if you've never felt it before? Sure, you can fake it and describe what you think it is, but there is no authenticity to it.

Back to the point--You cannot write about what you don't know. So, if let's say you're writing about love and how the girl is falling in love with the boy. Then the next day you and your significant other break things off. Do you think you could start writing about love again? No, and here's the thing, most times we don't associate what's happening in our personal lives can affect our writing, but it totally does. So now, you're staring at your computer screen, completely frustrated and confused as to why you can't write like you used to. It's because of the break up!

Personal changes will always affect how you write.

Fortunately, there seems to be a website that can help you pinpoint the problem and why you can't write anything. It's called Unsuck.com. It's a nifty little site that helps you figure out why you're stuck. I tried it, and though it didn't get it entirely right, I found things in their solutions that I could actually use. Not to mention it actually tells you which celebrity writers have gone through he same thing.

Good luck!

Thrall's Backstory

This is the unpublished backstory for Thrall. I didn't add it because it didn't drive the story forward, but here it is for you!

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A question nagged her. “If they don't have servants, how did you become Jeo’s slave?”

He sighed and looked away. “I’m sure you can see from my pale skin, I am not kin to these tan warriors. A barbarian from Jeo's village found me when I was about 10, wandering the surrounding forests, delusional and traumatized by whatever had happened to me. Whatever had happened it was enough for me to completely block it out, and to this day I still cannot remember. They brought me to Jeo's father who was the clave member charged with protecting that village. I wasn’t his blood, but he gave me shelter, despite warnings from villagers that an outsider would only cause them harm. ”

“Over time the seeds of jealousy grew in Jeo. His father began favoring me more than him. He took me on hunting trips and village gatherings. Needless to say, that didn’t sit well with the young water user.  There was a gold Talisman sacred to the people of that village. It connected those without magic, to the fates. One night when we were about 13 years, I awoke to a sound in my room, and noticed Jeo slipping out into the night. Curious, I followed him into the gathering hall where the talisman was kept.”

Leiv could feel where this story was headed and she didn’t like it.

“There was a tall stranger standing next to Jeo, speaking to him. It was no one I recognized. There was a reason something as important as the Talisman was allowed out in the open. Those who the fates have bestowed their magic upon were the only ones capable of touching it. Jeo’s father had warded this particular talisman with his fire energy. Anyone without magic that touched the item would be burned."

“Jeo was an energy user…”

Thrall nodded. “He was able to hold the object without pain. I saw Jeo use his energy to shield the talisman so the stranger could hold it. The minute I realized his intentions, I ran for them. At this point I believed I was a part of their village and protecting that Talisman was my duty. I bounded up the stairs and lunged to grab the object, causing Jeo to lose concentration on his shielding. The talisman burned my hands as I crashed to the ground, knocking into tables, chairs and whatever else was in the way. The sound woke many people. They all rushed into the gathering hall and saw me on the ground with my hands burned and Jeo on the other side, bleeding from a cut on his head. Jeo’s father entered the room, and before I could explain what happened, Jeo began calling me a treacherous thief.”

“Why did you not explain yourself?”

“I tried. The minute I opened my mouth to counter everything, Jeo had jumped on top of me. After a few blows to the face and throat areas, I blacked out. As I swam in darkness I could hear the villagers telling Jeo's father that their suspicions about me were correct. When I woke, Jeo was there, warning me of all the things he would do if I ever spoke the truth. He told me he would hurt people in the village and make it seem like it was all my doing.”

“Surely no one would think it was you.”

“To them I was still an outsider, one they had warned their clave leader about. It would have been my word against that of a clave’s son. There was no chance for me. “

“Why did you not leave?”

“There was nowhere else for me to go. The barbarian villages are secluded. If I would have escaped I either would been an animal’s dinner or the barbarians would have attempted to find and punish me even further.”

“So you became Jeo’s slave.”

“That was my punishment.”

“No one cared you were being tortured?”

“Not that they longer cared, but Jeo would tell people I inflicted harm upon myself. That I had gone mad and had to be tied up at night.”

“That is horrible.”

“That was my life.”

How to build a fictional world [Video]

I stumbled across the video and really enjoyed it. How do the big names authors do it?

Watch this.

Radio Silence

It's been quite some time since I've written anything in this blog, and for that I apologize. Not only have I been ignoring my duties here on blogger, I've been doing the same on Wattpad as well. It's all unintentional, I assure you. I didn't expect to go this long without an update. 

My mother has been on vacation for about a month now, and during that time I am the only person who can take the reins to her business. As the acting administrator to all of her senior care homes, the responsibility and welfare of those in these homes are mine and mine alone. If something happens under my supervision I become liable. So now you see why writing and updating have taken a backseat lately. But I promise you as soon as my schedule starts clearing up I will start writing again! 

I used to be able to read 5-10 books a week, and now I'm lucky if I can finish one in a month. So sad. Hopefully I'll have more time on my hands once my mother gets home. 

Fingers crossed.