Writing Every Day - The Creative Process

WRITING EVERY DAY

A few years back I wrote a post about how you needed to make sure you wrote something every day. I still stand by that, but in the years since I have managed to get a different perspective on things like that. Back then, I was still new at blogging, and new at giving advice in blog posts. I had five or six books to my name, as in published, and I was juggling writing while also going through uni. My work life basically consisted of getting the uni work done first and then any spare time I had could be spent writing. And to be clear, I had very little spare time.

So where am I now? Well, I have ten books published with an eleventh out in July. I have my degree with honours thank you very much and my life has basically become all about writing and being an indie author. I am into the third act of both my current works in progress and am so close to finishing them that I'm into the free ideas phase of planning my next two books. In recent weeks I have discussed being a hybrid and also why writing rules are made to be broken. This week I'm bringing you something different. This week I am writing about how the words: You must write every day terrify so many new writers to the point of them getting stuck in a rut of writer's block.

I could go on and on about writer's block, but I won't because I have a vlog planned for that very topic in coming months and it would a shame to have to repeat everything twice. I am though going to explain the reasoning behind those scary words. A writer should be writing every day. It's not just because it forms a habit and gets you to the point where it feels weird to not be writing, but also because it brings you to a point where you start to see past the issues that put you off.

One big thing about being told you must write every day is that new writers (and more experienced ones too) get overwhelmed. They think that while writing every day you have to be producing masterpieces with every touch of the keyboard or stroke of a pen. And, to be blunt, that's crap. I write every day and yes the majority of the time I keep those words in the finished manuscript, but one thing I had to learn (and still need reminding of at times) is that it's okay for it not to be a masterpiece. It can have flaws. It can have ups and downs and good middles and bad beginnings. The point isn't to write perfectly every single day because no one can manage that. The point is to just write.

Back in October 2015, I hit a low point in my career. I had eight books published. I was writing two and had been writing them for over a year and I sat down at the beginning of the month and did my monthly sticky post. I set myself four chapters. I wrote one. I was blocked. I was uninspired and I was at my wit's end. I was thinking, quite seriously, about quitting writing. I'd changed editing teams and it had an effect on my self confidence and it had an effect on my ability to write. I didn't want to leave books unfinished (my nightmares are filled with unfinished stories) so I decided to do something I had never done. And that was to take part in NaNoWriMo in November of 2015.

The difference was, I wasn't trying to set myself up for failure. I didn't think I could squeeze out 50K words so I set my own goal. I was going to write one page a day. And it worked. I started with just one page November 1st, and I kept going. I got my writing jam back so much so that when December came around I decided to keep a good thing going, I started my own hashtag: JoWriMoGo (Joey's Writing Monthly Goals) and decided that I would stick with what worked. A page for every day of the month.

It's now May 2017, and I have just finished the last chapter of the month, bringing me to a new record of 28 chapters written in 28 days. I don't have the final tally of words and pages, but I look back at where I was and see where I am now. In setting myself the goal to sit and write just one page, I made writing part of my routine. It now feels weird to sit at my computer or in bed with my tablet and not be writing. To the point where I'm thinking about trying to find some more time in the day to do more chapters.

And that's where you want to be as a writer. You want to be in a situation where it feels wrong to not be writing. So when you hear the phrase "write every day" remember that it's not supposed to be perfect, it's just supposed to be words. From there, you can find yourself writing whole chapters and books and doing a lot of fun things with your work. I continue doing JoWriMoGo every month because it motivates me and it keeps me writing. You find what works for you and keep writing.

I know I will. 

Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books. You can also sign up to her newsletter here.

How To Deal With Negative Reviews - The After Process

How To Deal With Negative Reviews

I know what you're thinking. Your work is so perfect and excellent that it won't get anything below four stars, three at the very least. Or you're thinking that the only people who leave reviews below three stars are trolls. I hate to break it to you, but you're wrong on both accounts. Now, this isn't me saying that your work isn't up to scratch, how could I know? I probably haven't read it. This is me saying that every writer, EVERY. SINGLE. WRITER. with published work has had bad reviews. Now, some of those reviewers are indeed trolls, some of them are bullies, but the most of them? They're just readers who didn't like your work. That's not a bad thing, it happens, you can't please everyone.

Now I know that one of the first reactions to being told someone doesn't like something, especially something as personal as a novel, is to ask why? However, the first rule regarding authors and reviews? DO NOT INTERACT. The reviews may seem to be there to show you how your work is received but that's actually a secondary thing. They are there for the reviewer to tell other readers what they did or didn't like about the story. If you're only happy to receive five star reviews, then you're in the wrong business. It's just not going to happen. Take a look at some of the big greats of our time. J. K. Rowling, she has bad reviews. So does Terry Pratchett, Harlan Coben, and any other author you could name. Why? Because you can't please everyone.

But, I hear you cry, other people may be put off by those bad reviews! I'm trying to make a living here! While it is true that people may look at the bad reviews and think, nope this isn't for me. It's also true that they may not. I don't know what attracts you to a book, but for me it's the synopsis. If you, the writer, can convince me, the reader, that this is a book I will enjoy in the synopsis, then I'll probably give it a go. I may glance at the highest rated review as well as the lowest one, but they are not deal breakers to me.

Also, here's something that I know a lot of authors will agree with - only five star reviews and nothing negative? It doesn't look right. I mean, yeah if you're only got a handful of reviews it's fine, but a hundred reviews and they're ALL five star? I'm not saying it doesn't happen, it does, but as I've said twice already - you can't please everyone, so either people aren't taking a chance on a book because the cover/synopsis/whatever doesn't catch them, or the people who don't like the book are just not leaving their reviews. It's not a bad thing, but to me, having a less than perfect score makes it feel more genuine. Your mileage may, of course, vary.

What about trolls though? Yes, they happen. Yes, they suck and yes, they do shake the trust in the review system. If someone has never read your book and is leaving fake bad reviews all over Goodreads or Amazon, then yeah that's harsh. But still, engaging just ends up making you look bad in the eyes of the oblivious reader. I know it's hard, but take a deep breath and move past it. Now, if they started to get personal, or cross over into cyber bullying territory, then you need to contact the site. NOT the troll, the site because they should have plans in place to deal with that kind of thing. However, a 1 star review that's just that, is not a troll or a bully. If they're telling people that they didn't enjoy the book for whatever reason, that's their right as a reader. Once again I say, you can't please everyone!

So yes, negative reviews happen and yes, they are disheartening, but don't engage. Rant to a friend, cry, eat chocolate and marshmallows, but do not, ever, ever, ever, engage with them. It doesn't help and it makes you look unprofessional. Keep your chin up and move past it however you can and accept that just because they didn't like your work, it doesn't mean that no one does.

Follow Joey on Facebook or here on her blog to be kept up to date with the latest information regarding Joey and her books.

My Internal Critic: How I Dealt With Neil - The Creative Process

(Neil the Gremlin drawn by Paris)

My Internal Critic: How I Dealt With Neil

So, in my last post (found here) I introduced you to Neil. Neil lives in my mind and is never nice to me. He's mean, spiteful, causes me stress and worry and tells me I'm not good enough at writing to have been published. He tries to convince me to give up what I do and just sit in a corner rocking back and forth because I'm a useless waste of space. Neil is a gremlin, he's also my internal critic and I'm sure that some of you have a similar gremlin residing in your mind, that little voice that tells you how crap your writing is, or how your art sucks, or how you suck. In the first piece, I told you how Neil had affected my career and now I'm going to tell you how I dealt with him so that he now lives in a cage in the dark recesses of my mind.

It's not easy, and I'll be the first to admit that there are times when he escapes, but once you have the tools to deal with the abuse and negativity he flings at you, it's easier to put him back in the cage and apply a new lock to the door. I use several methods and while I am sure there are many good articles that will tell you other ways to silence your internal critic, this is my take on it. (But here and here (YouTube Video) are some other good ones).

#1 - PERSONALISE YOUR INNER CRITIC
My first step in taking control of my gremlin was to give him a physical form. I saw him in my head as a green blob, with slimy skin and a pair of glasses that just added to his stern look. After I'd done that, I named him - Neil - and used that to develop a relationship with him. As other writers more experienced than I have said, you can't get rid of your critic forever, as tempting as it may be. Your gremlin is there to help you get through life and make decisions and although sometime they go into overdrive and need to be reigned in, they do still need to be able to talk with you.

#2 - WHEN THINGS GET BAD, TAKE A BREAK
When I'm working, whether writing a chapter, doing editing, or writing one of these pieces for my blog, and Neil pops his head up to start yelling at me to stop because I'm nothing special and am crap at all I do, I take a break. I step back from what I'm doing and I give Neil a chance to finish his tirade and once he's done, I move onto the next step.

#3 - DISCUSSIONS WITH GREMLINS
When you're faced with criticism, whether it's your own or someone else's, you usually get the chance to discuss what they feel the problem is. So, if I'm writing a chapter and Neil tells me that the character hasn't been developed enough, or my joke is not funny, or that bit is totally unrealistic and why am I calling myself a writer anyway? That's when I have a frank discussion with him. There is nothing wrong with talking to your gremlin out loud. I know that for me I need a good talk through of problems before I can find a solution or move past the situation. It works the same when Neil starts to rile himself up and questions every word I choose to write. I ask him why he doesn't like that character? What is it about the words I am using that makes him think it doesn't reflect any skill? He may be pointing out something that I had missed, or it may just be a case of me reminding him that it's just a first draft and as someone famous once said, "the first draft of everything is shit!"

#4 - GET OUTSIDE VALIDATION
If I get to the point, as I did with WAITING ON YOU before it went to my editor, where I feel that maybe I should just press delete and release a different book, when Neil has convinced me that it is a worthless pile of words that will make no sense to anyone and will only show the world how awful I am as a writer, I turn to other people. Your internal critic is part of who you are. For some people, when they personalise their gremlin they see a person, their mother, a friend, a teacher that disapproved of their work, but for others, they realise it is just themselves, their own voice bringing up subconscious concerns about their work. For me, I have two people in my life whose criticism and judgement I know I can 100% trust in regards to my work. One is my editor, Kim (which is why she's my editor) and another is my best friend, B (who's also my cover artist). When I get to that point of despair, I call up Kim and talk it through with her. Or I ask B about a certain situation - she's read every word I've written and will always tell me if something needs to be changed or removed. Just as Kim will. They will be brutally honest with me, without tearing me to pieces. Sometimes you need an outside perspective to tell you if that voice is just nerves and concern, or if there really is an issue you're not seeing.

#5 - REMEMBER HOW FAR YOU'VE COME
As with any job, you don't produce excellent, ground-breaking, best seller work the second you start. It takes time to become settled in your career and to know what does and doesn't work. When your inner critic is reminding you of how much of a failure you are, take a second to look back and recognise what you've achieved in your writing life (and outside it too). Remind yourself that you have talent, that the first draft is where everyone starts and that you, hopefully, have a good team of beta readers, editors, proof readers, friends and family, who have and will continue to support you by telling you what works and what doesn't. It's important to look back and think "I have five books published, I've been nominated for an award, I sold 10,000 copies so far." It will boost your own self confidence and will probably silence your gremlin for a little while.

Finally, remember that while it is important to question your work and to strive for the best you can do, sometimes your inner critic can bring up a good point. It is important to not allow them to dictate your every move in both your professional life as well as your personal one, as that can sometimes mean the end of your career. As a writer, you are creating from nothing and breathing life into the characters and plot with your words. It's not an easy job, and it takes a lot of hard work, so try to go easy on yourself and not let the remarks of your gremlin stop you from doing something you love. I know that Neil almost cost me my career and I'm glad that another writer was kind enough to share her technique for dealing with her Neil before I had let him overpower my mind and stunt my creativity. Good luck, and remember that whoever you are, you're awesome, don't let anyone tell you any different!

Follow Joey on Facebook or here on her blog to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books.

My Internal Critic: How Neil Affected My Career - The Creative Process

 (Neil the Gremlin drawn by Paris)

My Internal Critic: How Neil Affected My Career

Everyone has some kind of internal critic, no matter what their occupation or hobbies are. For some people it's debilitating and they are unable to continue or move forward because their critic's voice is so loud that they're unable to hear anything else. For other people it's something they have worked around and it's just a quiet mumbling at the back of their mind. And for others, it's something in between. My internal critic is a gremlin I've named Neil, for no other reason than he sounds like a Neil to me. He isn't as loud as he used to be, and his voice does not cripple me as much as it has in the past, but he still manages to affect my writing life (and other parts too!)

When I first started writing in 2001, I was really pleased with what I had done with both THE FRIENDSHIP TRIANGLE and BLACKOUT and my plan was to approach publishers. I was young and inexperienced and I didn't know that I would most likely need an agent to even get a publisher to look at my manuscripts. However, I got responses, all of them rejections, but one or two had taken the time to read BLACKOUT and told me that it was good and they recommended I get an agent. That was when Neil started to come to life in regards to my writing. I'm sure you've all had that voice whispering in your head telling you that you're not good enough and he'd always been present in mine. Well, that's when Neil decided to target my writing.

"You can't write," he would say. "They rejected you so you might as well give up now!" I was determined though, that I would do something with my life since I could no longer hold down a conventional job and if that meant I had to deal with rejection, then so be it. I ignored Neil and started writing the first DYING THOUGHTS book. It took me a long time to finish it because as I got towards the end, and more rejection letters came through the door, I decided that Neil was right and I couldn't be a published author. So, I closed the folder on DYING THOUGHTS and went about my life.

Now for the next bit, I need to go back a little. I started writing DYING THOUGHTS in 2003 and had been sending it chapter by chapter to a friend of mine in the US. She was my first beta reader and enjoyed reading along with the story as I wrote it. In the middle of 2003, I stopped writing it because my gremlin had convinced me that I was no good. I went to the US in January 2004 and finally got to meet my online friend face to face. Her first words? "What happens to Tara??!?! I'm desperate to know!!" I took it as a good sign and it boosted my self confidence so I got my best friend, B, to email me what I'd written so far, and there in the hotel I started to finish the first DYING THOUGHTS book. I ignored all talk from my gremlin until it was finished and my friend was happy to finally be able to read the ending.

With my self-esteem in regards to writing a little higher than usual and Neil sent to the dark recesses of my mind, I set about writing the second DYING THOUGHTS book almost the moment I finished the first. It was a mistake, because I became so caught up in Tara's world that I started to dislike having to write about her. I found myself overcome more and more with disinterest and writer's block, and Neil reappeared. He was as vicious as ever and able to convince me, once again that if nothing else, I needed a break and I needed to see BLACKOUT published in some form before I could be happy with writing anything else.

This was late 2004 and once again I approached agents and publishers with my manuscript. My health was declining and things didn't look good for a few months when I was very sick with my Brittle Asthma. I decided that I needed to take things into my own hands and as if by magic, I was approached by AuthorHouse. A self-publishing company who promised to get my book into print. It wasn't the way I initially wanted, but faced with the prospect of not being well enough to write anymore and the need to achieve *something* I found the money and pressed ahead.

BLACKOUT was released in paperback on August 10th 2005 and with renewed vigour I picked up DYING THOUGHTS - SECOND SIGHT and it was full steam ahead. The rest of the story you all know. I left AuthorHouse after a year and went on to be an indie author through the label Bug Books. The point of telling you all of this is to say that although I have learnt to ignore the majority of what Neil says, I still have moments where he's been telling me how awful a writer I am, that I'm a fraud to call myself an author and other negative things. I'll find myself phoning my editor and saying "don't read this, it's crap! You'll hate it!" and be reassured that while not perfect, it is a good book. He is a gremlin that haunts me at times, but if I'd listened to him instead of the people around me, I would still be sat with a half finished book and gotten nowhere.

This is my story of Neil, my writing gremlin, and how he has affected my career. He sometimes escapes from his cage and pops up, but in my next post, I will talk about how I deal with him when that happens. I am proud to say that I'm a writer, I create from nothing and will continue to do so, no matter what Neil tells me!

Follow Joey on Facebook or here on her blog to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books.