Don't Wait to Create...

Life and living is about immediacy. Its about the power of the present, its now, its the experience in the moment  Edward Young once said, 'Procrastination is the thief of time.' And so it is. When I was a teenager, I felt that a year was an interminably long time  Now its just a succession of 12 months which fly by.  I've learnt to break time down into manageable bite size chunks instead of looking at a year as an eternity.

So, with not a moment to be lost, what can I create today? Creating does not have to be an art form such as painting or writing, or sculpting. Whatever you do that you lose yourself in the doing of it, and where something tangible that you have made is the result - that's creating. It can also be an intangible thing that you create in your mind, in your imagination. That is a very powerful form of creating.

Sometimes I find myself putting off creating... in my case, my next book. Why? Because I look at it as an eternity, that's why. Because it seems to me to be this mammoth task and when I feel overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of it, I have no idea where to start. 
That's when I tell myself that if I can break down 'time' into bite-size chunks, I can do the same with a book.

So, here are my chunks:
1. Start with the story. Write in down in one paragraph.
2. Break the story into four parts - read Larry Brooks Story Engineering for the how to.
3. Write a sentence per scene.

4. Write a paragraph per scene.
5. Expand each paragraph into a full scene.
6. Read through your first draft (Yes, you've done it! You've written a book. Now comes the hard part)
7. Rewrite until you get it right - check story flow, grammar, spelling, etc.
8. Get 3 people to read it and give you feedback (editing).
9. Make the changes that you feel are warranted.
10. Edit again and read through it yourself.
11. Submit for publication or self-publish.

You've done it! You've written your first book ... see it wasn't that bad.

How to pace yourself over the Xmas period.

Heading into the three days of celebration over Xmas (at least), I want to be sure I have the maximum amount of fun with the least amount of suffering from over-imbibing and over-consuming! On the other hand, I don't want to feel stifled, like I can't enjoy myself or let go, or have that second helping (food or wine). As much as I want to get into the spirit of Xmas, I also don't want to break the scales next time I get on them...

So, what's a girl to do... Here are some of my tried and trusted do's and don'ts to get you through the quagmire of celebrations:

DO:
1. Drink a glass of water during/after each glass of alcohol.It will keep you hydrated which should lessen the negative effects of the alcohol.
2. Fill up with delicious vegetables and fruit as much as possible before munching away at potatoes, Xmas pudding, mince pies, etc. It will help fill you up on lower calorie foods.
3. Chose the leaner cuts of meat for your plate.
4. Start with one small serving. You may not feel like shovelling in another plate after the first one, but if you do, then its OK because your first one was small.
5. If you know you are having a full on Xmas lunch with all the trimmings, then go easy the night before and at breakfast that day.
6. Get some fresh air - take a walk, go for a run, get moving. You'll feel better for it, and probably have earned those extra calories when you sit down to eat.

DON'T:
1. Mix your drinks. Its a sure-fire way of giving yourself an almighty hangover.
2. Bolt your food down - take your time. It will taste better and you'll fill up more.
3. Feel obliged to have that one last piece because your mother (in law or other)/grandmother/hostess thinks you should.
4. And the age-old wisdom of don't be tempted to eat between meals. You won't believe what a difference this makes!

I'm sure you're pleased to note that the Do's outnumber the Don'ts - its is Xmas after all.
And so, we are happy and prepped and ready for a party!

Wishing you all a Merry Xmas and a safe and happy New Year!
Gabi

Who dares...

Last week, our heroine, Casey Trent - a fledgling author travelling the world on an unusual promotional book tour - came face to face with the sinister man who has been stalking her.

Now, let's backtrack to earlier in the evening where meets she another 'dangerous' man...

His gaze held hers. Intoxicating madness. She felt her heart thump in her chest as if it wanted to break free. But not like most men who undressed her with their eyes. His eyes didn't need to move over her body; she wanted to undress for him. She felt the raw yearning that emanated from those steel blues.

Until next week...
Gabi

Books I've written...

The first thing I ever wrote was more of a compilation really. I called it Heart Beguiling Araby. In it, I pasted pictures I loved, copied down poems I enjoyed, and wrote paragraphs of original content when something inspired me. I was 11 years old. I still have that book today and love the feeling it gives me when I flip through the pages. Such innocent passion.

I save every single thing I write, and am fast approaching about 8 books in varying stages of completion.
Here's a brief summary of two of them:

There's Hunter's Mean (working title), a murder mystery set on the country estate of an eccentric, older woman, named Giselle. When her best friend is murdered and the police find a voice recording of the killer, Giselle has her suspicions that the secret lies in her past and the eclectic group of people she used to know. So she invites them all to her country house (its big) for a long weekend. The dynamics of the group bring old grudges to the surface and reveal new demons, until eventually the killer is exposed. But its not who you think it is (is it ever?).

Then, there's The Home Executive (working title). When Farah's health takes a turn for the worse, she invites her young niece to come and stay with her. From the beginning, she can see that her niece and the housekeeper don't hit it off. Strange and sinister accidents start happening, until eventually someone is seriously injured. Enter Josh, Farah's enigmatic young friend who takes it upon himself to find out who's behind the intimidation and why.

Do you lose yourself in your stories when you're writing? I do.
Its almost better than reading a book when you've got a flow of words and story going, and your fingers are humming over the keyboard or fervently scribbling on a page...

Gabi

3 Ways to get past Writer's Block

If (like me over the last few months) you procrastinate about flowing your stories/ideas/thoughts onto a page... its called Writer's Block. If, every single other thing/action has to have priority over your writing... that's Writer's Block. If, you promise yourself you'll schedule to do it when everything else is done, and you can only 'relax' when there is nothing else to cloud your mind...you have a case of Writer's Block.

It's not about getting everything ticked off your to do list before you put pen to paper ... nor is it about being in a position to to relax before you can be creative. You may be naturally gifted at writing or like 99,9% of us, you need to develop the skill.Anyone can develop a skill, its just takes perseverance. However for it to elevate it to an art form, you need to add passion.

So, if you have a yearning to write, love writing, can't live without writing, feel like your life is lacking something if you don't write.... then you have the passion and you can become a superb writer. Just stick with it.

Here are 3 simple ways to get past writer's block:

1. Schedule 10 minutes a day where you write freehand about anything that comes to your mind. For those ten minutes, do nothing else but write.

2. Carry with you a small book to capture ideas. As writer's, our brains are constantly firing with ideas. Jot them down in your little book.
3.  Breaks your story/book into baby steps. Create a broad outline of what happens where and when and to whom for the whole book. Then break this into sections. Then focus on the sections.  Now its not such an overwhelming task. See Larry Brooks site for tips.

Most important though, when I write, I feel great, I lose time, I am totally immersed in what I am doing. That's passion. Remember it, because it feels good.

The First Encounter

This is a first for me, so be gentle...
To all Six Sentencers, I hope you enjoy this.

An excerpt from my début novel, Deadly Obsession: Our heroine, Casey, encounters her stalker in a narrow corridor on board a plane at 30, 000 feet. There's nowhere to run.

His strong, lean body pressed up against hers and she felt panic thrash inside her like piranhas in a feeding frenzy. He grew hard against her belly.

Casey shoved him with her hands, turning her face to avoid his. Panic overcame surprise. He nuzzled her bare neck and his lips found skin. Before she could cry out, a hand came over her mouth to cut all sound. 

I'd love to hear what you think, so feel free to comment. I'll be posting regularly from different parts of the book, so watch this space. 

Many thanks
Gabi 

The power of balance

I owe you all an apology for my lack of posts over the last five months. There's no excuse, I have been remiss in updating my blog. I stand suitably chastised, trust me!
Where have I been? What have I been up to?
Honestly... enjoying the end of summer (Jul - Sep), feeling the thrill of autumn (Oct - Nov), and now the chill of winter (Dec), and working my day job through it all. Other than that, I cannot claim anything earth-shattering that may have taken me away from my writing. Pity, I hear you say, because if you had been tapping away at the keyboard to finish the next novel, we might just be able to forgive you...!

I have not been writing, and I feel it. Its not something I can put my finger on, but I feel slightly underpowered, mentally restless, and, as a wonderful friend once told me, 'thinking too much'. I've been holding back my natural creative outlet because 'there's no time', or 'I'm not good enough, or 'I don't have anything worthwhile to say' .... the list is seemingly endless.

Then yesterday, I stumbled upon a post  The 4-Hour Novel: How to Balance Work, Life, Blogging and Your Passion By Ollin Morales which in turn led me to his blog, Courage to Create.

It brought home to me again, the power of balance, where setting aside hours in a day or in a week to get certain stuff done WITHOUT breaking one's neck is the way to sustain different aspects of life.

It's about ongoing growth, not a massive spurt. About consistency, not a bender. Its simple, not complicated.
That's what Ollin talks about.

Of course, after reading the post, I had to see what he was up to on his site. He's fascinating, refreshing and personable. Have a look, its definitely worth a read.
He has re-inspired me; made me stop, look and think. I wish they had a smiley face feature on this... so think smiley face, right here. Sometimes, a slice of someone else's life, however small, gives you a 'eureka moment' and prompts you to do stuff in another way.

Thanks Ollin!