Every month, the Insecure Writers Support Group hosts a blog hop with a question meant to inspire and encourage other writers. Special thanks to founder Alex Cavanaugh and to this month’s co-hosts, PJ Colando, Pat Garcia, Kim Lajevardi, Melisa Maygrove, and Jean Davis. This month’s question:

What were some books that impacted you as a child or young adult?

As an avid reader, I can think of so many books and authors that impacted me as a child and teen, but I'll keep the highlights to three:

The Nancy Drew Series: I read 52 of these, and they undoubtedly developed my love of mysteries (which later expanded to Agatha Christie as a teen).

Zilpha Keatley Snyder was one of my favorite authors as a kid, and I knew exactly where her section was on the library shelves. Her stories often included a touch of the supernatural, and The Headless Cupid was one of the many inspirations for Black Flowers, White Lies.

As a teen, I devoured Stephen King books, with The Stand leaving the biggest impression. (It's probably not a coincidence that my debut, Pandemic, was about a widespread deadly disease.) I've written more about this book's impact and share one my favorite family anecdotes in a previous post, Sunburns and the Incredible Power of Language. :)

Every month, the Insecure Writers Support Group hosts a blog hop with a question meant to inspire and encourage other writers. Special thanks to founder Alex Cavanaugh and to this month’s co-hosts, Feather Stone, Janet Alcorn, Rebecca Douglass, Jemima Pett, and Pat Garcia. ​This month’s question:

Some common fears writers share are rejection, failure, success, and lack of talent or ability. What are your greatest fears as a writer? How do you manage them?
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One thing I fear is that I'm not focused on the right writerly things. If I have limited time, should even I be blogging? Or posting a photo on social media? Or should I actually be working on the newest manuscript? Most of the time, the manuscript is the way to go, but sometimes it's easier to focus on small concrete tasks than bigger picture goals.
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Author Maggie Smith (in an April interview with Dan Smith) spoke about how her creative writing benefits herself and everyone around her. Here's a snippet:
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“It's hard to be doing all of the stuff at the same time, right? It's hard to have a day job and have time to write. It's hard to teach and have students and have time to write. Yet, I'm never crankier than when I'm not doing it. It's like I just feel clogged in this weird way. I just have all of this stuff that I need to be keeping, sort of coursing through me.”
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“If it's not, I'm not actually that much fun to be around and I'm not that good at the other jobs that I have in my life. So being able to keep that channel open, even if it's not for the same amount of time every day or the same number of words every day, just keeping that channel open, I feel like it's the best thing I can do for myself, but it's also the best thing I can do for the people around me.”
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I recommend the complete interview, plus Dan's newsletter, The Creative Shift. A few other writing newsletters I enjoy: Authors Publish, Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity, The Practicing Writer 2.0, and No Failure, Only Practice.

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face . . . You must do the thing you think you cannot do." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Happy Writing!

I'm currently revising a novel, and last week I entered the part of the process where I return to working on paper. I love this phase, which signifies that I'm definitely out of the dreaded-first-draft. I printed the entire manuscipt and put the pages in a binder, so I can read it like a real book with pen in hand. 
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This makes me so happy.
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There are, of course, many things I need to fix. But all of this reminds me that often when we are stuck in a project, it helps to change things. For creatives experiencing writer's block, change is the key. Here are ten ideas that can help when the words aren't flowing.
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Every month, the Insecure Writers Support Group hosts a blog hop with a question meant to inspire and encourage other writers. Special thanks to founder Alex Cavanaugh and to this month’s co-hosts, Ronel Janse Van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, and Liza @ MiddlePassages. I'm skipping this month's optional question, but look forward to visiting IWSG blogs and reading other people's answers. 
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​Happy Writing!

Happy New Year! To start off 2025, I'm sharing the best of last year's writing and productivity blog posts. Enjoy!
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• Six Tips for Writing Compelling Cliffhangers

• If an Object in Motion Stays in Motion, How Can We Make It Easier to Begin the Motion of Writing?

• Five Tips to Make Room for Writing When You’re Busy Beyond Reason, guest post by Natalie Zaman

• Writing Tools

• Using Rituals as Well as Routines for Productive Creativity, guest post by Paula Chaffee Scardamalia

• Embracing the Long Road, guest post by Jen Breach

• Waiting Doesn't Have To Be The Hardest Part (To Track)

• Compassionate Planning for Writing Productivity, guest post by Taryn Haas​

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Every month, the Insecure Writers Support Group hosts a blog hop with an optional question meant to inspire and encourage other writers. Special thanks to founder Alex Cavanaugh and to this month’s co-hosts, Natalie Aguirre,    
Rebecca Douglass, Liza, and 
Beth Camp. I'm skipping this month's optional question, but wishing the IWSG community Happy New Year!

Quotes from 2024 posts:

Cliffhangers engage readers and keep them turning the pages instead of putting the book down at the end of a chapter. The term originated in the 1930s “from early film serials in which episodes ended with characters in desperate situations such as hanging off the edge of a cliff."

​As writers, we want to make it difficult for the reader to pause, and chapter ends can feel like a logical place to stop. In an International Thriller Writers interview, author Isabella Maldonado refers to a suspenseful chapter ending as a “springboard” that launches reader into the next section.

Here are a few guidelines for creating those springboards and cliffhangers (from my writingworkshop about maximizing suspense).

2. DON’T use gimmicks or false promises.
 
If a chapter ends with a knife, it feels like cheating the reader if the weapon is never mentioned again. As Anton Chekhov said, “One must not put a loaded rifle on the stage if no one is thinking of firing it.” Jackson's cliffhanger (above) works well because the reader anticipates a future confrontation involving a knife, and she delivers that in later chapters.

Noah Lukeman (The First Five Pages) suggests ending on an impactful sentence but notes that one great closing line isn’t enough if the passages before it are boring. The hook isn’t a “gimmick to catch attention.” Instead we should lead up to it, so that the hook and the text belong together.
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3. ​DO consider breaking a chapter mid-scene.

Chapter endings are more art than science. For example, Suzanne Collins ends chapter nine (and part one) of The Hunger Games in the middle of Peeta’s interview with Caeser, right after he reveals his feelings for Katniss. Her reaction and the end of the interview begin part two,  and this mid-scene break compels the reader to continue.
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4. DON’T end the chapter with a peaceful night of sleep.
 
As writers, closing a chapter as a character goes to sleep for the night feels like a natural break, but it’s often best not to end on a calm, restful moment. Even bedtime can have tension. For example, the end of chapter one in Pandemic sets up the notion that Lil’s safety is a misconception:
 
"In my room, I checked updates on my phone. . . . Police foiled a bombing attempt on a train in Chicago. Four people were sick from an unidentified illness in Maryland. A listeria outbreak caused the recall of cantaloupes from Guatemala. Based on today’s news and our dinner conversation, I added 'lead poisoning,' 'influenza,' and 'food recall' to my alert list.

I snuck downstairs after my parents were in bed. Our organic cantaloupe was from California, but I threw it out anyway. I pitched the honeydew melon, too, just in case.
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Portico, New Jersey, was still safe. Snuggled under my quilt, I tried to sleep wrapped in the comfort of that illusion."
 
As another example, at the end of chapter six in The Hunger Games, right before she goes to sleep, Katniss sees someone who had tried to escape from the Capitol. This causes her concern for a number of reasons as the day draws to a close and ends the chapter on a disconcerting note.
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5. DO analyze the chapter endings of a comparable book you’ve read and loved.

Look at the ending paragraphs of a novel you've enjoyed. On a scale of one to ten, how tense is the chapter end? How does the tension build? What emotion does each chapter close on, and how does that vary throughout the story? We can learn a lot by reading as a writer.
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6. DON’T necessarily worry about chapter endings in early drafts.
 
If you a "pantser," you could write a first draft without breaking the manuscript into any real chapters at all if you wanted. Creating cliffhangers could be handled during revision, when you’ve got the entire story mapped out. If you're a plotter, you can consider chapter endings in your outline. Keep in mind, the best rules are the ones that work for your process.

IWSG Blog Hop
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Every month, the Insecure Writers Support Group hosts a blog hop with an optional question meant to inspire and encourage other writers. Special thanks to founder Alex Cavanaugh and to this month’s co-hosts, Ronel, Deniz, Pat Garcia, Olga Godim, and Cathrina Constantine. This month’s question:

Cliffhanger story endings can come in various degrees. Sometimes the main storyline is resolved, with other details left open. For example, in my young adult novel Black Flowers, White Lies, the main character’s story question is answered, while the long-term fate of the antagonist is more open-ended. The series finale of The Sopranos series initially irritated me, but I’ve grown to appreciate how that non-specific closing scene created more of an impact than a definite resolution. 
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There's lots to cover in this post, so enjoy the info about a free workshop, my IWSG blog hop post about ghost stories, some links for Banned Books Week, and writing advice about character emotions. 
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I'm excited to be teaching a free virtual workshop, Keep the Pages Turning: Maximizing Suspense in Your Novel on Monday, November 25th, at 7 PM EST. It's offered through the Orange County Library System. You don't need to be a Florida resident, but you do need to register to attend. 
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Every month, the Insecure Writers Support Group hosts a blog hop with an optional question meant to inspire and encourage other writers. Special thanks to founder Alex Cavanaugh and to this month’s co-hosts,​ Nancy Gideon, Jennifer Lane, Jacqui Murray, and Natalie Aguirre. This month's blog hop question: 

​Ghost stories fit right in during this month. What's your favorite classic ghostly tale? Tell us about it and why it sends chills up your spine.
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 A few books with ghosts that I've enjoyed:

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll. A delightfully creepy young adult graphic novel.
​A Properly Unhaunted Place by William Alexander. In this middle grade novel, ghosts cannot be banished.
The Shining by Stephen King. The ghosts at the Stanley Hotel! Enough said....

I'm also proud that my own ghost story, "The Third Ghost," was featured in the IWSG anthology, Voyagers: The Third Ghost. :)

Banned Books Week just ended. According to the ALA, "In 2023 alone, the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 1,247 efforts to censor books and other resources in libraries—an increase of 65% from the year before. In total, 4,240 unique book titles were targeted, many of them representing LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC voices and experiences." Learn more at the Banned Books Week website.
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I love this writing advice from Charlie Jane Anders in Never Say You Can't Survive. Keep asking these four questions about your characters: 
“How do they feel about their situation? What do they do about that feeling? What result does their action have? How do they feel about this new situation?”

Every month, the Insecure Writers Support Group hosts a blog hop with an optional question meant to inspire and encourage other writers. This month, I’m happy to co-host along with Beth Camp, Jean Davis, and PJ Colando.
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This month's question:​ ​
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Since it's back to school time, let's talk English class. What's a writing rule you learned in school that messed you up as a writer?
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​I don’t remember any particularly bad writing rules, but I do remember hating homework with a specified word count. If I reached 290 words of a 300-word assignment, I would add “very” ten times. This didn't strengthen my writing, and since the homework was written by hand, the additional words were probably, in hindsight, unnecessary. (I can’t imagine the teacher manually counting each word.) Luckily, this technique didn’t result in any very bad writing habits. 😊

Another idea is to leave your future self story bread crumbs. ​Some writers recommend stopping when you know what happens next to make it easier to begin again. But if you're not sure what happens next, try making a list of questions about the characters or plot that you need to explore. (How did two characters in a relationship initially meet? How does the main character feel about different people in their family?) My questions tend to be story specific, but you can also use a character questionnaire.

I print the questions on slips of paper and put them in a bowl. If I’m stuck writing, I pull a question and focus on a scene that answers it. You can put writing prompts on the slips of paper, too. I find that the random nature of choosing a question brings joy to the process.
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Another idea is to join a Zoom writing session where you log in to write at the same time as other writers. After a brief intro, you typically turn off your camera to write, then check back in at the end of the allocated time. Writing with others can help get over the hurdle of beginning.
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5 Tips to Make Room for Writing When You’re Busy Beyond Reason

If you’re anything like me, writing is not all you (must!) do. I say must when it comes to my writing because, like so many creative outlets, it saves me. The act of writing reminds me that even if it’s garbage, I can a) do a thing, b) finish a thing—both of which are important to feeling accomplished and worthy to yourself (the most important person to please). That said, finding time to write when you’re raising a family (this does not end, empty nest or not), working full time, and, you know, just trying to live and enjoy life isn’t the easiest. Here are some techniques that work for me:

1. Schedule time for your writing. If writing brings you joy, make it a priority. Of course, there are going to be other things that come first—family, job deadlines, and the like. Everything depends on your responsibilities, personal situations, etc. Scheduling is not only practical, but it gives a nod to the importance of writing to you. Pro-tip: give yourself “bookend” times (no pun intended!): 15 minutes “pre-writing,” and a 15-minute warning that your writing time is nearly up. Book-end times help me get started in the first place and provide a mini-motivator to wrap things up so there is a sense of completeness. Scheduling is a lovely segue to…
2. Time-box your tasks. I ♥ time-boxing because it makes me feel very accomplished. It also helps me organize my tasks so that at the end of the day, I feel like I’ve done SO much. Try this: At the top of each month, take time to make some to do lists: What items MUST be completed this month? Those are your absolute priorities. Next, make a list of the things that you WANT to accomplish in the month. Being realistic (important, this), jot down the approximate times you will need to complete each task. Now you can break the tasks down into weekly, and then daily to dos. When you get to the daily portion of the program, think of each hour of the day as a box—and put a task in it—some tasks may take 2-3 boxes, or a half a box. Lay out your tasks making sure to include brief breaks in between (see #3). Here’s the hard part: start the tasks and stick to the box unless anything unexpected comes up (see #4). Set a timer at the beginning of the task and when you get to the end of that time, STOP.
3. Take breaks and enjoy them. Rest is SO important. Oh sure, there will be times when you’re on a roll and need or want to push yourself to get something done but going full speed (on anything) day after day after day will lead to burnout. Everyone has a burnout boundary. If you time box, allow for time in between each task so that what you’re working on now, doesn’t muddy what you’re going to work on next. Take 10-15 minutes to do something completely unrelated to either task. Have you ever sniffed perfume samples, only to have a sales rep hand you a small container of coffee beans to “clear your pallet” before experiencing a new scent? Same thing. Head clearing has always helped me collect myself and be more productive.
4. Be flexible. Understand that your best laid plans WILL go awry sometimes. Often. More often than you’d like. This is okay. It’s hard when you’re on a great streak and suddenly things go sideways, and you get de-railed. When this happens:
5. Be kind to yourself. Do not—I repeat DO NOT beat yourself up for missing writing days, shortening your time boxing, or not sticking to your schedule. You will get your novel/short story/article/chapter book/poem/etc. done—in the time that is unique to you. Follow the woo philosophy that says that delays, derailments, and obstacles are put in your path to protect you or prepare you for something better. You got this!

Everyone’s writing path is unique, and there is no one-size-fits all solution for everyone. But we’re all in this together—so let me know if any of these tips worked for you, and please, share your tips for mastering multitasking in the comments (I can use all the help I can get!).
Hugs!
Nat ♥

Natalie's latest book is Social Media Spellbook, coauthored with Amy Blackthorn, and available for preorder now. Description:
"Social media is part of our lives, and it’s an increasingly popular place for witches of all kinds to meet and create new spells. On TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and more, witches set intentions, manifest their dream jobs, and even create virtual altars for their ancestors. Social Media Spellbook is a perfect way to take part in this trend by using social media to channel the power of the universe. Authors Amy Blackthorn and Natalie Zaman propose adaptable formulas that draw on symbolic imagery, astrology, tarot, herbs, and crystals—not to mention everyday desire—in a spell-a-day format that anyone, even a beginner witch, can use."

Every month, the Insecure Writers Support Group hosts a blog hop with an optional question meant to inspire and encourage other writers. Special thanks to founder Alex Cavanaugh and to this month’s co-hosts,​ Feather Stone, Kim Lajevardi, Diedre Knight, C. Lee McKenzie, and Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen.
​This month's question: Do you use AI in your writing and if so how? Do you use it for your posts? Incorporate it into your stories? Use it for research? Audio?
​Other than spell and grammar checks, I don't use AI, but I look forward to reading other IWSG blog hop answers.

Every month, the Insecure Writers Support Group hosts a blog hop with an optional question meant to inspire and encourage other writers. Special thanks to founder Alex Cavanaugh and to this month’s co-hosts,​ JS Pailly, Rebecca Douglass, Pat Garcia, Louise-Fundy Blue, and Natalie Aguirre.

This month's question: ​
What are your favorite writing processing (e.g. Word, Scrivener, yWriter, Dabble), writing apps, software, and tools? Why do you recommend them? And which one is your all time favorite that you cannot live without and use daily or at least whenever you write?

But my favorite tools of all are a notebook and a fun colored pen (sometimes purple, sometimes metallic, sometimes purple metallic). I do most of my early drafting by hand. Writing by hand stimulates different areas of the brain than typing, and through the years, it's become an important part of my process. It's a lot easier to keep self-doubt at bay and convince myself that I'm just jotting down some new ideas—a fun experiment—instead of Seriously Starting A Novel. And there's something satisying about filling a notebook with thoughts and ideas in the early stages of a project.

"The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt." ~Sylvia Plath

​In our living and ever-evolving language, the original meaning of some words changes over time, perhaps losing impact and significance. Examples of this are ritual and routine.  Because of an element both have in common, repetition, ritual and routine are often used interchangeably and incorrectly, thereby losing their power and significance.
 
In a dictionary, you discover both words have the idea of a repeated act or procedure as one of several meanings. But look at the words themselves and you see how different from each other they truly are.
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Routine, from the French and spelled the same way, means “usual course of action, beaten path,” from its root, route, meaning way, path, or course. A routine is a path or course of action that you repeat or travel over and over again. And so, routine can turn into a rut. After all, a well-traveled path does, after a while become an actual rut.
 
A well-traveled path, though, as any hiker or dedicated walker can tell you, is easy to follow. Signs aren’t necessary. Stones, or other debris have either been removed or ground down by the constant tread of feet, and the path is relatively smooth. Risks or challenges along the way are known and can be avoided or prepared for.
 
Routines are given a bad rep, because you might get too comfortable in them and because they might make you and your life—and/or writing—boring. But…
 
Routines are necessary. In personal life, work life, and in your creative life.
 
Like that well-traveled path, routines are easy to follow, require no direction, seldom trip you up and help you avoid risks. Routines, because of their repeated set of actions allow your brain and body to put energy into other things, like writing, and help you use your time more effectively. Morning routines, go-to-bed routines, drive-to-work routines and many others, all make life easier.
 
You don’t want to spend time and brain power trying to decide whether to take a shower first and then have breakfast, or have breakfast and then a shower. Instead, you develop a morning routine, a set of actions in an order that doesn’t require thinking or even much attention.  Ever driven a car to work or some other frequently visited destination only to realize you don’t really remember getting there? The routine of that well-traveled path doesn’t require much thinking or decision making any more, you don’t have to read road signs or wonder if you are heading the right way.
 
Routines make life easier and more efficient, because you don’t have to think about your actions any more, saving time and brainpower.
 
When routines are disrupted, it is then you discover just how much you value them...long for them even.
 
But a full life comes with disruptions to routines. Sometimes returning to them is easy, but sometimes the return is harder and slower.  And sometimes, you return to those paths changed.

• What routines need to be jettisoned as worn-out habits that no longer serve you?  
• What new routine in your life or your creative space might be helpful?

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Rituals, unlike routines, are more about mindfulness than mindlessness.
 
Deriving from the Latin word, ritualis, relating to (religious) rites (from ritus, “rite”, religious observance or ceremony), the word ritual implies a set of actions having to do with the transcendent or sacred.  The more formalized version of ritual, of course, is that found in church and temple.
 
In current usage, ritual is relegated to either the less personal heights of church or temple, or reduced to the equivalent of routine.
 
But simple rituals you design yourself are the means for adding depth, focus and awareness to your writing life. Use your creative mind to design rituals for transitions into creative work and out again, or bigger events such as the hanging of a show or the launching of a business. While there may be a pattern of repeated actions in these types of rituals, the purpose of the enacted patterns is to bring a mindfulness to the moment.
 
To enhance and empower your creative work, look at where you might create rituals to:

• Ease you from your routines into the meaningful act of creating, such as closing the door and putting on special music just for writing, or lighting a candle, or putting on special music.
• Honor the soul-level dimension of your writing by meditating, doing conscious dream work, free writing, going for a walk in Nature, or by pulling a few oracle or tarot cards.
• Move from fear into confidence, from procrastination into empowerment by listing the fears or blocks and then burning them, or spritzing yourself with a special aromatherapy spray for courage or creativity, or moving into an empowering posture or gesture.
• What is a simple ritual you can design that will enhance your creativity?

 
To increase your productivity along with creativity, observe your routines and how you might use a routine to your creative advantage, and then design one or two simple rituals to connect you with inspiration and help you dive into the writing waters.
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Every month, the Insecure Writers Support Group hosts a blog hop with an optional question meant to inspire and encourage other writers. Special thanks to founder Alex Cavanaugh and to this month’s co-hosts, Liza at Middle Passages, Shannon Lawrence, Melissa Maygrove, and Olga Godim.
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This month's question: ​In this constantly evolving industry, what kind of offering/service do you think the IWSG should consider offering to members?

​I'm happy with the sense of camaraderie that IWSG creates, so I don't have any suggestions. I'm interested to read what others have to say in  the blog hop.

Until next month,
Happy Writing!