Good morning everyone! I cannot believe it is December already… this year is going by crazily fast! 😉
Today I am participating in Angela’s book tour for her newest release, Seek!! There is a giveaway and all kinds of fun stuff going on! In my post, I will be spotlighting Seek and Angela will also be guest-posting. 🙂
I had the privilege of beta-reading Seek and even though it’s probably changed since I last read it, I thought it was an amazing book! 😀
BLURB
Angel Cutler’s routine life is overturned when local ganglord Viktor Marino tries to kidnap her. When she finds out her adopted sister is back in town and working with Viktor, Angel has to run away with the protection of two total strangers. Can Angel have faith in God to protect her family when she can’t?
Elijah Davis has seen Viktor bleed once, and to save his family, he’ll make it happen again. But who is the One Eli can turn to when he realizes he can’t protect his loved ones alone?
Hiding from gangsters and gunfire, the trio struggle to seek God above all else and trust that His plan is greater than their own. Or Viktor Marino’s.
Can I just say that I really love that cover?! 😀
AUTHOR BIO
Angela R. Watts is a Christian fiction author who strives to glorify the Lord in all she does. She’s a homeschooled highschooler living at Step By Step Sanctuary, Tennessee, though with Gypsy and Norwegian in her blood, she tends to travel. She’s been writing stories since she was little, but also enjoys chores, painting, and watching sunsets.
Blog | The Peculiar Messenger
Website | Reveries Co.
Facebook | AngelaRWattsauthor
Twitter | PeculiarAngela
Instagram | angiewatts
Time for the guest post! Everyone, please welcome Angela to my blog!! 😉
TOP FIVE TIPS FOR CONQUERING WRITER’S BLOCK
You’ve probably heard the term ‘writer’s block’. It is a nasty little bug where a writer has no inspiration to write, whether they have an idea of what happens next in their story or not. Writer’s block can jump on your back when you least expect it or it can taunt you from the corner of your room for a few days before you can realize what it is.
To make the little devil even worse, writers cannot avoid it! It happens to us all at some point. Really, it happens to people in general. Sometimes, we just can’t focus in!
As a writer, we often have to write anyway, to meet a deadline or daily word count. So, how can you get in the mood to write when you just want to nap? Here are my go-to actions.
PRAY
First thing you should do ever, ha. Why? Because I really can’t ever move on in a difficult scene unless I pray. Then, God gives me ideas and inspiration! If you’re in a uninspired funk, praying the Lord shows you what to do and gives you some ‘oomph’ to keep going is very important.
SETTING
Focusing on a project isn’t always easy. If I’m writing a lot or have a big scene to edit, that’s when I really need to buckle down. How do I do that? Beforehand, I make sure nothing will distract me—chores must be done, etc. If you have something you should do before you write, it might be best to do that first so you won’t be distracted.
Once I’m all set, I go to my HQ (bedroom) and set the mood. If it’s rainy outside, curtains and blinds get opened. Rain really gets me in the mood. If it isn’t raining, but rain helps you focus, make your room as dim as you’d like and turn on a rain/thunderstorm playlist (which you can find on Spotify). I also will put on fuzzy socks or surround myself with books to really get motivated. Yes, this works for me…
MUSIC
I almost always listen to music while writing. Rock, pop, Christian rap, punk rock, hip-hop, ambient music, dubstep, soundtracks—you get the idea. Most authors I know have playlists of songs specified for the novel or project they are working on, and those songs play into the story.
While this is excellent and I have songs that fit my plotlines, I don’t limit myself. The lyrics don’t have to match the story for it to put me in the mood!
If you can listen to music while writing, feel free to browse my Spotify (with due caution, of course, though Spotify does mark explicit content) and create your own playlists! You can do this on Youtube, as well. Even if you don’t listen to music while writing, it might help to shake your routine up.
WAR
Whoa, whoa, friend, put the battle axe down! Sheath your sword! I’m talking about word wars. Also known as sprints. A sprint/word war is basically when you and at least one other person set a time and work on your individual project until the time is up. These can be segments of ten minutes, fifteen minutes, or up to half an hour. Find what time length you can work hard for without getting distracted and keep at it!
I like sprints because not only do you have to work against the clock and get stuff done, but you get to make progress with your friends!
REWARD
As you push yourself, don’t forget to reward yourself. Buy a treat every now and then. Tell yourself you won’t eat any chocolate until you’ve caught up on your word count. Set a smaller goal, reach it, and then go for a walk. Get a cup of coffee or tea and do another word war. After a long day of work, maybe watch a funny TV show to unwind!
Every bit counts! Don’t forget that and find satisfaction in doing your best, even when it is hard.
~~~
Thanks for reading this post. Have you followed any of these tips? What is your best advice for beastly writer’s block?
God bless,
Angela R. Watts
Now for the giveaway!! There are some great prizes being given away… be sure to enter!! 😉
1st Place: A signed paperback of Seek and a mug with a Scripture verse on it!
2nd Place: An ebook copy of Seek!
CLICK HERE FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!
TOUR SCHEDULE
Saturday, December 1st
Book Spotlight | Gracelyn Buckner, Literatura
Guest Post | Abigail Harder, Books, Life, And Christ
Book Review | Loretta, Just Writing
Sunday, December 2nd
Book Review + Author Interview | Molly Anne, Qadash – Set Apart, For Him
Author Interview | Shine, HauntingGhostTown
Monday, December 3rd
Guest Post + Book Spotlight | Liz, Home With The Hummingbirds
Book Spotlight + Author Interview | Michaela Bush, Tangled Up In Writing
Tuesday, December 4th
Book Spotlight | Faith Potts, Stories By Firefly
Guest Post | Grace Maples, Proclaiming His Excellencies
Wednesday, December 5th
Book Review | Kellyn Roth, Reveries
Book Spotlight + Guest Post | John-Clement Gallo, JC’s ShadowBlog
Guest Post | Medomfo, Writings From A God Girl
Thursday, December 6th
Book Review + Author Interview | A. Kaylee Harrison, Kaylee’s Kind Of Writes
Book Review + Guest Post | Parker Hankins, Pencils And Pianos
Guest Post | Sara, R535
Friday, December 7th
Book Review | Hannah Gridley, Heart Of The Rose
Book Review | Chloe, Purely By Faith
Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you enjoyed this post… be sure to check out Angela’s book! 🙂
Have you read Seek? Will you buy it? Did you enter the giveaway? What do you think of the cover? Were Angela’s tips helpful?
See you later!
Yay!! I LOVED doing this post, thanks so much for having me, Liz!
😀 Mhm! It was awesome! Thank you! 😀
That cover looks pretty nice! I definitely entered that giveaway =D
I like it! 😀 Yay!!
That is cool that you got to do this Liz and I am entering the giveaway!! 🙂
Thanks Kaelyn! AND YAY! 😀
Ooh, I really want to read this!
It’s so good… I loved reading it!! 😀
It’s funny–probably actually highly abnormal–but rewards (or promises of rewards) never work for me. If I’m trying to hurry up and write something, a reward never fails to distract me. Instead, I have to choose more intangible rewards (like, see how many words I can write, or have the satisfaction of finishing a chapter, etc.) And my mood for writing is very limited; it doesn’t have anything to do with music or setting. All I have to do is think of my favorite characters, and boom! I get excited. 😀
But I agree! Prayer is the absolute best way to write, even before you get writer’s block. I regrettably forget that too many times.
CutePolarBear
Well, I guess it’s different for everyone. 😉
That’s still a great way to get excited about writing!! 😀
It is indeed. 🙂
This guest post is awesome!
Thanks so much! I would agree. 😉
You’re welcome!
I’m so excited that Seek is out! I was a beta as well and I can’t wait to see the final project. Also, there are a lot of great tips here! I love listening to rain/storm sounds, but never thought about doing that for writing. I’ll have to give it a whirl.
Ahhh, me too!! Cool! 🙂 I agree. 😉 Yes… I love the sound of rain too. 😀
Epic post! I’m definitely going to try that ‘rainy mood’ setting soon. 😉
Thanks Kaitlyn! 😀 I hope it works! 😉
Fabulous guest post!
Thanks!! Angela did a great job! 🙂