How to Defeat Those Pesky, Yet Enticing, Distractions

I'm a very distracted person.  At any given time, I can simultaneously think about the 50,000,000,000 things I have to do while scrolling through Twitter for hours.  Or I can sit through chemistry class thinking about how I'm going to write 2k tonight and then go home and binge watch tv.

So how do you keep distractions away?

1. Turn off all Internet.

ALL INTERNET.  Tragic, but necessary.  (Don't do it now, of course.  Finish this post first. :D)

2. Write in a public place.

This might sound like the exact opposite of good advice, but for me, at least, it works.  I write my best during study hall.  I have a set amount of time and a page count goal (because have to hand write it).  I have to purposefully tune out the people around me and immerse myself in my storyworld.

3. Motivate yourself.

What distracts you the most?  Reading?  TV shows?  Twitter?  Instagram?  Schoolwork? (no, do your schoolwork.  Don't listen to that last one.)  Tell yourself if you write for X amount of time, you can read/watch TV/go on social media.

4. Skip this scene and go back to it later?

Are you distracted easily because you're stuck?  Skip this part and go back to it later.  For now, at least, you won't be distracted.

5. Get the stuff you have to do done before you write.

Maybe you are distracted by all of the real life stuff you have to do.  Get it done and then go back to writing.  You'll be surprised how freeing this is.

6. Un-overwhelm yourself.

Sometimes the amount of pressure we put on ourselves to get everything done in an inhuman amount of time is ridiculous.  I know it would be great to write 10k in 1 hour, but it's not realistic.  Maybe set yourself time goals instead of word count goals.  Or better yet, figure out when you want this draft to be finished.  If you need to write 50k in one month, write roughly 1800 words every day.  That's a lot easier than writing 50k in 2 days.

7. Word War

You'd be surprised how much of a motivator competition is.  Try Write Deck.

Are you a distracted writer?  What anti-distraction tips do you have?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

COVER REVEAL - The Princess and I by Rebekah Eddy

It's time for another cover reveal!  *shrieks*  A few months back, Rebekah approached me and asked if I would make her a cover for her book.  I'm very excited to say that it's time to reveal her cover for The Princess and I!

..................................I'm totally going to make you wait................................................









.....................................Though not too long because I'm not a patient person..................................









....................................Still with me?............................................................................................

Megan is content with her life, despite her parents' death and her brother Malcolm's job that keeps him busy at the King's castle. But when she is offered the position as Princess Christine's lady-in-waiting, Megan is glad of the change in scenery and accepts it with the hope that she can spend more time with her brother. The promise from Malcolm of lessons in swordsmanship only adds to her enthusiasm.

However, helping keep an eye on the emotional and excitable young lady proves to be much harder than becoming her friend. As rumors of war circulate the castle, Megan strives to encourage her new friend even as she tries to settle the doubts and fears in her own heart when her responsibility in protecting the Princess is put to the test. Follow the unwanted adventure which serves to teach her that loyal friendship, true love, and God's amazing grace will always triumph over revenge, greed, and hate.

Does this book not sound amazing?  I'm extremely excited to read it! :D

The Princess and I releases on March 3, 2017, so please, mark your calenders.

Rebekah grew up surrounded by family members who appreciated and read good literature. First, she fell in love with the stories her parents read aloud to her from the Bible and books like The Chronicles of Narnia, Great Expectations, The Hobbit, and Anne of Green Gables. After learning to read on her own, she discovered other fantastic books which helped to build her ever-growing imagination.

She completed her first written work at the tender age of eight and now uses it to humble herself whenever the need arises. The story did serve to show her that God had given her a desire to write, however, and from that moment on Rebekah has never looked back or regretted picking up her pencil and becoming an author.

This eighteen-year-old homeschool graduate lives in rainy Western Washington and is currently working on receiving her BA in English in order to further her passion for creating worlds on paper.

Doesn't this book look amazing?!  (I'm not saying this just because I designed the cover, the story actually looks awesome.)  I would love to hear your thoughts!  (P.S. Happy Valentine's Day!)

Writing When You're A Get-To-The-Point Person. (It's frustrating.)

I'm one of those weird writers whose novels come out 40k words short...even after the 9th draft.  I know that my plot is big enough...I've seen full-length novels where less happens.  So why aren't my novels 80k words?

I'm a very get-to-the-point person.  If I can say something in fewer words, I will.

So how do I fix this?  Well, the answer is, I don't really know.  Am I telling instead of showing?  I feel like I am showing?  Is my plot still not big enough?  Am I not torturing my precious characters enough?

This is one of the most frustrating things for me.  I write an essay 200 words short of the minimum word count, not because I don't have enough to say, but because I said it all quickly.  I write short blog posts because why make it long when you can make it short?  I write short books because I don't know how to make them long.  Like seriously, how do you magical long winded writers do it?  (Though should it be long winded if you're writing?)

Last week, I had this grand idea for this post.  I was going to embark on an epic quest to discover the secret of writing a long book.  It failed.  Epically.

And so here I am, asking for advice.  How do you write a novel?  One of those brilliant, 80k (or at least 60k) word novels.

5 Lessons the Musical "Wicked" Teaches Writers

You know that feeling when you finish an amazing movie and you still feel like you're in the story world for a half hour afterward?

I had the privilege of seeing Wicked and still feel that awe and immersion...27 hours later.  (I scheduled this post a few days ago.)  This play--more like theatrical experience--has been on my mind all day.  Not convinced?

What I was thinking about during a very interesting
discussion about Hamlet.  By some miracle, I managed
to multitask. (Source)

Me during a ridiculously boring math lesson (eww).

Me attempting a watercolor painting in art.

I went to see this play with my school drama club.  At dinner, (and really for the last 27 hours), all we have really talked about was the complexity of the plot, characters, and the fabulousness of the music.  So turn up your Wicked soundtrack, and please don't mind my frank analysis.  (Warning: this post contains spoilers, even though I am trying to avoid them.  Spoilers are labeled as such.  You have been warned...)

1. There are two sides to every story.

A lot of times, the Villain of the story has 0 backstory and 0 reasons for being evil other than the fact that it is her life mission to make the Hero miserable.  That doesn't make for a very interesting story.  Why does the Villain want the hero dead?  You don't have to glorify evil by doing this, just make sure she has some sort of motive.

"The wicked's lives are lonely."

2. You can have lot's of friends and yet no friends at all.

A character (or real life person) can know everyone in Shiz, yet still be lonely.  Loneliness can happen anywhere.  I know a lot of people at my school and spend a lot of time with my family, but I still get lonely sometimes. There are hard times when I feel so alone.  Yet I still have friends.  Sometimes authors forget that people with friends can get lonely.

3.  Story threads should tie together.

**Spoiler** Let's think about how Wicked ties into the Wizard of Oz.  The Wizard set up a scenario so that Elphaba would look evil to the people of Oz.  The headmistress summons the tornado that kills Nessa (nicknamed the Wicked Witch of the East), setting off the Wizard of Oz.  Elphaba turns evil from grief over Fiyero's "death" and her sister's death.  She really just wants everything to be normal and she wants something to remember her sister by--the shoes.  The events of Wicked prepared the characters for their journeys through the Wizard of Oz.  **end spoilers**

(Source)

4. If a story ends perfectly a certain way, don't mess with it.

**Spoiler** I am one of those weird people who thinks Elphaba should have really died.  I mean, doesn't her fake death make "For Good" a little less meaningful?  Glinda told her best friend goodbye for the final time, believing that Elphaba was going to die.  And then she didn't.  I just think that the ending would have been more powerful if Elphaba really died.  So don't make this mistake in your own writing.  **end spoiler**

5. Leave room for speculation (but not too much).

After the play, my drama group spent a lot of time discussing the why and how of the play.  Like "how exactly was Elphaba green when she was born?" and  **spoiler** "Can Elphaba melt, or is that just what everyone thinks?"  **end spoiler**  I think it's neat when authors give the readers just enough information so that they understand what's going on, but not enough that they know everything there is to know.

Here are some pictures of when I went to see Wicked...

Amanda Jane Cooper (Glinda) and I.

Me and Emily Schultheis
(stand by for Elphaba).

Have you ever seen Wicked?  What did you think about it?  Are you obsessed with the music?  What did you take away from it?  I would love to hear your thoughts?

Martin Hospitality Blog Tour - SPOTLIGHT + GIVEAWAY

Martin Hospitality is officially released!!!  *celebrates* I cannot wait to read this beautiful book.

Gemma Ebworthy is eighteen, pregnant, and alone. Now that she’s been evicted, she spends the night in a barn, never dreaming that tomorrow could bring kindness of a life-changing magnitude.

The Martins aren’t a typical family—even for rural Kansas. With more kids than can be counted on one hand and a full-time farm, Gemma must make a lot of adjustments to fit in. But despite their many differences, Gemma finds herself drawn to this family and their radical Christian faith.

When Gemma’s past collides with her yet again, she must begin revealing her colorful history. With every detail Gemma concedes, she fears she will lose the Martins’ trust and the stable environment she desires for herself and her unborn child. Just how far can the Martins’ love and God’s forgiveness go?

Giveaway

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31841035-martin-hospitality

Abigayle has been a writer for as long as she can remember, but did not begin seriously pursuing becoming an author until 2015. Since then, she has started a blog and numerous social media accounts, graduated high school as a homeschooler, and participated in the infamous NaNoWriMo. Other than writing, she is also pursuing work as a freelance editor. Writing is her ministry and reading is her pastime. Abigayle lives in Central Texas with her six younger siblings and parents.