Indie Author Tips – The Field & Midnight House

Writing Motivation Mondays: The Tao of Creativity, Part Two

Posted on November 20, 2023 by Ian Dawson

Last Monday, we discussed transforming negativity into positive, creative energy. We looked at how to use our creativity to escape the world’s negativity and explored a different perspective on writer’s block.

Today, we’ll continue to explore a few more concepts from the book The Tao of Pooh.

Simplicity and Creativity

The creative process works best when we turn off the critical part of our brain and allow thoughts and ideas to flow freely. This taps into the concept from the book about The Uncarved Block. The author states, “The essence of the principle of The Uncarved Block is that things in their original simplicity contain their own natural power” (10).

Brainstorming and creating a new story, work of art, or dance is best achieved when we go back to basics and create for the sake of creating. This is a time of fun, experimenting, and freedom since we are giving ourselves the power to create.

By giving our creativity complete control, we can keep negative thoughts and doubts away from the process.

Easier said than done.

The Evil Scourges of Overthinking & Ego

There’s a second part to the quote above: “The essence of the principle of The Uncarved Block is that things in their original simplicity contain their own natural power, power that is easily spoiled and lost when the simplicity is changed” (10). And what can alter that simplicity and affect our power to create?

Overthinking.

Yes, overthinking can cause a fun and energized creative event to grow sluggish, frustrating, and even stop altogether. This barrier can very effectively cause a person’s creative process to be “spoiled or lost” thanks to its intrusion into their minds.

This scourge can come in the form of second-guessing oneself or doubts, but it can also be caused by one’s pride or ego. It’s okay to be proud of your work, but being narcissistic can blind you to feedback and ways to make your work better.

Both have no place in the creative process. While I’m sure most of us aren’t arrogant or egotistical about our work, many of us overthink ourselves into creative paralysis.

Fighting Back

When in doubt, write it out. It’s a silly rhyme, but it does help to write through your thoughts and feelings to push through the overthinking blockade. What’s causing you to overthink? Where in the creative process does the overthinking popup?

You could have an Overthinking Journal where you sit and write down your counterproductive overthinking thoughts; then, you can jump back into the creative process. Give yourself 15 minutes to get it all out on paper, then move on.

Heck, make it symbolic and write your thoughts down, then rip up the paper or shred it. This physical act of destroying your overthinking may do wonders to get you back on track and show yourself that you have the power in this situation.

This links to another point made in The Tao of Pooh: “When you discard arrogance, complexity, and a few other things that get in the way, sooner or later you will discover that simple, childlike, and mysterious secret known to those of the Uncarved Block: Life is Fun” (20). By taking the time to productively eliminate the negative things preventing you from being creative, you’ll quickly discover that the process is fun and enjoyable (which it should be).

Getting Back to Basics

The creative process can be complicated, and that’s okay. Once you get into the heart and soul of what you’re creating, you’ll want to be more mindful of the final product.

But initially, you want your imagination and creativity to be free, untethered to run wherever your thoughts and ideas wish to take you. Not all ideas may work, but you’re not concerned about that at this stage. Your goal at this stage is to enjoy the process.

“From the state of the Uncarved Block comes the ability to enjoy the simple and the quiet, the natural and the plain. Along with that comes the ability to do things spontaneously and have them work, odd as that may appear to others at times” (21). The creative mind is a mysterious and powerful entity. Left to its own devices, it can deliver stories, works of art, or choreography that elevate an artist’s skill and confidence in their craft.

It all starts by stripping away the negative, the critical, the egotistical, and the overthinking and just allowing yourself to create and be in that basic space.

This week, give yourself permission to create. No barriers. No restrictions. No censoring. Just creation. You’ll be amazed at what happens.

Happy Creating, and I’ll see you next Monday!

Writing Tip of the Week: Beware Analysis Paralysis

Posted on October 23, 2023 by Ian Dawson

It can creep up on you without you ever knowing. Its toxic presence can lead to a sense of hopelessness, resignation, and defeat. We’ve all experienced it at one time or another, and it’s a problem that can easily affect anyone if they’re not careful.

It is Analysis Paralysis.

When we decide to take on a new project or endeavor, it is logical that we want to learn more about this new topic or interest. That’s 100% fine and makes total sense. If you want to write a screenplay and haven’t before, the logical next step is to learn how to write a screenplay. Sounds simple enough.

Until it becomes a problem.

The problem with learning how to write a screenplay is when you lead yourself down a rabbit hole of not just learning the basics of screenwriting but delving into the thousands of books, seminars, and YouTube videos about the process. So, instead of writing, you’re absorbing dozens of different processes about the right and wrong ways to write a script.

**SIDENOTE: You can learn a lot from books and videos on any topic, so I’m not discrediting them. However, these sources should be referenced once you start the endeavor instead of preventing you from beginning.**

Inevitably, this oversaturation of information can become overwhelming, and it can lead you from even starting to write your script to being afraid not only to start but the terror of doing it wrong.

This can happen so quickly to us, especially in the “information age,” that it can cause you to want to give up and walk away from what you wanted to do. I recently ran into this situation when I decided to market my new novel. Every marketing guru seems to have their best-seller formula, and many contradict each other on how to go about it.

This, of course, is frustrating and led me to write this post. So, let’s talk about ways to combat the evils of Analysis Paralysis.

If There Are Many Roads, Pick One

When it comes to anything you want to do or try in 2023, dozens, hundreds, even thousands of people believe they know the right way to do it. This can be intimidating and lead many to give up before they even start.

So, if you want to write a screenplay, find a book or website that provides the basics and use that as a means to an end: to get you writing more and reading about it less. While I do encourage you to read scripts and watch movies, you’ll be further along in your pursuit to write your screenplay if you begin the writing process yourself.

This can be with anything. Want to cook? Great! Find a cookbook you like and make the recipes inside. Want to take up distance running? Great! Find a book or website about it and try out the methodology presented.

If the first path doesn’t work, try another one. Keep working through the different methods until you find one that works. The key here is to try one method at a time instead of getting overwhelmed by many methods simultaneously.

Shut Out the Noise

Have you ever noticed that when you decide to do something, everyone around you is suddenly an expert in that thing? And, like real experts, all those people think their opinion and view is the best. And most of the time, these “helpful” friends and family have plenty to say, and it’s usually negative and counterproductive.

Ignore them.

Listening to the opinions of those around you can also lead to Analysis Paralysis. They may have your best interest in mind, but their opinions should not influence your final decision.

If you want to write, paint, sculpt, start a podcast, learn to cook, or do something productive and fun, don’t allow others’ pessimism to impact your goals. It can be easy to overthink what friends and family might think of you if you try something that doesn’t work out initially, but that’s their problem, not yours.

If you want to do it and work at it and make it happen, then ignore the naysayers and keep working toward your goal.

Just Do It

This can be the hardest part of the process, but sometimes you need to get out of your own way and jump in feet first. Even if that first try doesn’t go well, you’ve tried it out and now know if it’s something you want to pursue going forward.

Imagine that you wanted to play the piano, read dozens of books about it, watched hours of video about it, and listened to people tell you about the good and bad of playing the piano. After months of not playing, you finally schedule a lesson, sit down…and hate it.

When you cut out the over-analysis, you can quickly see if what you’re interested in is something you genuinely want to pursue. This also reduces the fear of trying new things and can help you decide if this new endeavor is worth your time.

Analysis Paralysis and Fear

Fear of the unknown is a common factor that prevents us from trying new things. Our brains have this evil way of talking us out of pursuing new activities and goals, giving us doubts and worst-case scenarios instead of encouragement and excitement.

Most of the time, our mind stops us from doing things that aren’t dangerous, things that would probably make us happier and more productive if we did attempt them. This is why pushing aside this negative voice and doing the activity is the best action to take.

It’s easy to be intimidated from writing your first novel when you measure yourself against an author like Stephen King, but even King had to overcome his fears and keep writing. Allow yourself to accept the fear but pursue the creative goal anyway.

Final Thoughts

Everyone has creative goals. Whether or not they take the steps to achieve them is another story. It’s easy to get bogged down in learning about something we want to do instead of doing it. Allowing experts, our fears, and even the opinions of those closest to us to prevent us from moving forward.

While it’s easy to get trapped in the cycle of Analysis Paralysis, it’s crucial to find ways to fight against it, push through it, and get to the next step of actually doing what we want to do.

Happy Creating, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Tip of the Week: Editing Your Manuscript? Small Goals Make A Big Difference!

Posted on September 11, 2023 by Ian Dawson

You’ve done it. You’ve completed your novel, and the manuscript is saved on your computer. It’s a great feeling to finally be done, but real work is just beginning. That’s right, now you have to take the time to edit and revise your manuscript. While the writing process can be overwhelming, the editing process can also feel that way.

Let’s discuss some strategies to help you limit your anxiety regarding editing and rewrites.

Give Yourself Time

Unless you have a hard deadline from a publisher where your manuscript is due in a week, give yourself plenty of time to edit and rewrite. The last thing you want to do is rush the process. Rushing will inevitably cause you to skim the material and possibly miss easily fixable grammar and spelling errors.

Editing is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t rush the process. Read each chapter. Add material where needed and cut things that don’t work or don’t enhance the story or its characters. I would suggest only working on a few chapters daily for a few hours. This will keep you focused and give you a clear set of goals for the day.

Speaking of goals…

Break It Down

Most novels have chapters, and those chapters can be divided into manageable sections for editing. Let’s say your book has 80 chapters, and you want to get the editing done over the next three weeks. That’s 21 days to work through 80 chapters. Doing the math, that comes out to about four chapters a day.

Four chapters are much easier to tackle than being overwhelmed by the thought of editing 80. So, each day, you are tasked with working on the edits and rewrites for just four chapters. When you’re done, stop. Give your mind a break and continue with the next four the following day.

This will keep your momentum and creativity fresh as you work through a specific batch of chapters.

Cut and Paste

Editing a complete manuscript can be a daunting and unnerving task. Thousands of words and hundreds of pages are being shifted around every time you type a new sentence or add a new chapter. Your eyes can constantly be focused on the work count and page count instead of the content you’re working on.

I suggest starting a new document and then copying and pasting the material to be edited into the new document. This will be the home of your edited manuscript, so save it with the title and date you started to edit this draft. Copy and paste the next batch of chapters into this document each day for revision. At the end, you’ll have a fully revised and edited draft.

This cuts out the distraction of the final page and word count, allowing you to focus on what matters: the content of your story.

Final Thoughts

Editing is a lengthy process. Changing how you approach editing can subvert the anxiety and panic that can creep into your mind as you work through your manuscript. By working on a little at a time in a separate space, you’ll be amazed at how your productivity and creativity thrive.

Happy Editing, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Tip of the Week: Communicating Your Story

Posted on August 28, 2023 by Ian Dawson

Has something crazy ever happened to you, and you want to tell someone, but you need to figure out the best way to present the story to them? This is what being a writer can feel like, more often than not. We have a great story idea, all the elements, and an outline, but we’re not sure how to best communicate the story.

Let’s talk about it.

Structure

While most stories have a beginning, middle, and end, the way each story travels that path varies based on how the events are presented. As you develop your story, decide if you want to communicate the storyline linearly, jumping back and forth in time or using flashbacks as a story device.

POV

Whose POV are we getting the story from? This character will be the conduit through which the reader is given information about the events in the story. Are we getting one character’s POV or several POVs? How does each character’s POV give the reader new insight into the story?

Medium

Decide the best way to convey the story and its elements. Does the story have enough material to be novel, or is it a novella or short story? Could it be a screenplay or a play? Each of these requires a different type of communicative style that uniquely delivers information to the reader.

Genre

How have others handled stories similar to yours? What genre would it fit into? How have those authors effectively communicated their stories to readers? How can you apply that information to your story to communicate it better?

Put It Out There

If you’ve written out an outline or a draft, give it to someone to read. Let them ask questions. Find ways to communicate the story that keeps them wanting more. Are there points where they lost interest or were confused? Ask them why? Then you can work on fine-tuning those areas to make them stronger and more effective.

Learn From Others

We’ve all seen at least one movie or read a novel where the idea is there, but how it’s communicated and presented fails to capture our interest. Why did this happen? By learning from others, we can strengthen our work by avoiding mistakes.

Final Thoughts

We often talk about the basics of writing: who, what, where, when, and why. But the final element, how, is just as important when you set out to communicate your story effectively. Deciding the best way to present the narrative can help strengthen your story and give it a greater impact.

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Exercise of the Week: Playing with Paragraphs

Posted on August 25, 2023 by Ian Dawson

I thought we’d explore the exciting world of re-writing in this week’s exercise.

Pick a Paragraph

Find a paragraph from something you’ve written – either in the past or your current WIP – and either copy and paste it into a separate document on your computer. If it’s handwritten, you can type it into a new document.

If you don’t have anything, pick a paragraph from a book you’ve read.

This paragraph should be five or more sentences.

Make it Brief

Read through the paragraph. What’s the main point of the information presented? How can that information be conveyed in fewer sentences or fewer words?

Does the information presented in the original paragraph still come across in the new, shorter version? How could the information presented in the original paragraph be cut down to one sentence?

Expand, Expand, Expand

Using the original paragraph, how can you expand upon the information provided and turn the paragraph’s content into a page-long paragraph? Could you add details, more flowery language, or expand upon the information provided without obscuring the meaning of the original paragraph?

Does the longer paragraph still convey the original’s meaning, or is it somehow lost in the expanded translation?

Square One

Start over. Re-write the original paragraph to communicate the same information in the same amount of space, but create a whole new paragraph.

How does the rewritten one differ from the original? What did you add or remove that gave the paragraph greater clarity or might cause confusion?

Why Am I Doing This?

When it comes to writing, editing is part of the process. Sometimes we might come across a paragraph or section of our story that needs further information or detail to give information to the audience.

Other times we might have to cut down a paragraph to its bare bones but still need to convey the same information. This skill will be helpful if you’re dealing with a required word count.

Examples?

An author who is excellent at communicating a lot of info in a short space is James Patterson.

On the flip side, George R.R. Martin is an author who can expand a small idea into a long-form paragraph.

I recommend reading or skimming their works for examples of long and short paragraphs.

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Tip of the Week: Stop Beating Yourself Up

Posted on August 21, 2023 by Ian Dawson

Molly planned to write this weekend but became so obsessed with creating the perfect cup of coffee for her writing time that she forgot to write. Now she’s upset she didn’t write, but darn it if that coffee didn’t turn out great!

We’ve all been there at one point or another. You planned to sit down and write when you got home from work or over the weekend, and instead, you cleaned, read, or binge-watched something. Now, you feel guilty and sick about wasting time that could have been spent writing and creating. You vow not to do it again.

Why do we do this to ourselves?

Let’s talk about it.

You’re Not Lazy; Your Subconscious Is

Humans have a lot going on, and sometimes we don’t take the time to prioritize things that we want to do. While we may have the desire and ambition to write, our subconscious secretly talks us out of it. Why? Because writing and creating take effort and energy, and after a long week at work staring at a screen, your brain is sick of computers and wants to veg out and do something mindless.

Interestingly, we often plan to do things like write, only to find ourselves doing anything but writing.

Possible Solution: Trick yourself. Don’t think about writing during the week. Don’t plan to write, don’t carve out time to write. Just jump in the chair and start whenever you get a spare moment. Now you’re writing at the computer or with a pen and paper, and you’ve overridden your subconscious’s ability to stop you.

Let the Guilt Go

It’s easy to feel guilty about not writing. Heck, the news wants us to feel guilty about pretty much everything, everywhere, all at once. That alone is exhausting and taxing, so adding one more thing to the pile – especially something you want to do – only makes you feel worse about yourself. There may be genuine reasons to feel guilt, but missing a day or weekend of writing shouldn’t be one of them.

Possible Solution: Accept that you didn’t write when you wanted to, but know you will get to it when you can. Creativity can’t flourish and grow under the oppressive weight of guilt and disappointment. Free your mind from these things and allow your creative self the freedom it deserves.

Newsflash: You’re Human

Part of being human is missing opportunities, making mistakes, and not getting to things we planned to do. Oh well. Life happens.

And when life happens, we have to accept that we didn’t have the time to write, or we didn’t make the time to write, or chose not to write. All of them are okay, and beating yourself up about past choices won’t help resolve or improve the present.

Making the time, taking the time, and choosing to write and create is a positive and energizing process. You’ve done it before, and you’ll do it again. So, you didn’t get to it this weekend. Okay. Or this month. Uh-huh. Or this year. Whatever.

Eventually, if you want it bad enough, desire it enough, and have the passion, you will get back to writing.

One word at a time. One sentence at a time. One paragraph at a time. You can make it happen, but don’t let negativity, guilt, or beating yourself up prevent you from getting there.

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Tip of the Week: Don’t Be Afraid of False Starts

Posted on August 18, 2023 by Ian Dawson

If you’ve ever seen a track meet, you’ve probably been witness to a false start at some point. It’s that moment when a runner is so keyed up and ready to go that they leave the blocks or cross the line before the starting pistol is fired. It can be embarrassing for the runner that caused the false start, but the nice thing is that they can try again.

And when it comes to starting your story, so do you.

Stories start within the timeline of events you have created, but sometimes the chosen point doesn’t work. Let’s explore some possible reasons why.

Too Early

You had a great idea for an opening sequence when you outlined your story. But when you sat down to write it out, you realized that not many significant events that influence the story’s direction or deliver insights into the characters happen during this time.

You may have started your story too early, which means looking at your outline and deciding the best moment to kick things off. You can also look at your outline and ask, “What happens before this that’s important?” and write a new opening for your story.

It’s crucial to hook the reader from the start, and if you realize the starting chapter you planned doesn’t have the momentum needed to keep the pages turning, it might be time to move forward and find the moment that does.

Too Late

I recently had this issue. I had an action-packed sequence for the opening chapter, and I was excited to write it and watch the events unfold. Once I wrote it out, I realized that there was a lot of key information missing that was needed for a reader to have context regarding what was going on.

I decided to add this information in the middle of the action, but that threw off the pacing of the chapter.

So, I took a step back and asked myself, “What events led up to this moment that should be conveyed to the reader?” I took the time to backtrack, and after a while, I had a new chapter to place in front of the action-packed one that established the setting, characters, and conflict in a way that grounded the reader and helped lead into the initial chapter I had written.

Sometimes we want to jump into the story, but we must remember that we’re holding the reader’s hand on this journey, and they don’t know all we know about what’s happening. This is fine if you are writing a mystery and some elements need to be withheld, but if you’re not, you risk confusing and frustrating the reader.

By moving the story back a few minutes, I could give the reader the necessary information, so the next chapter had a more significant impact and made more sense. If you feel that your story begins too late, take the time to explore what led up to the current set of circumstances and write a chapter that provides readers with the context needed to really get into your story.

Don’t Be Afraid to Play

Stories allow us to play and have fun, so we have many options about how and when our story starts. Experiment with this idea by jotting down several ideas as starting points for your story. Some may be too early, some too late, but a few might be the key to giving the opening of your story the energy and hook it needs.

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Tip of the Week: Writing Isn’t Magic

Posted on August 14, 2023 by Ian Dawson

As writers, we have fantastic power. We can create new worlds, characters, scenarios, and stories that can be enjoyed and shared with others until the end of time. That’s quite a gift to have and one that often perplexes those who don’t write and create. It’s as if they think what we do comes from some magic spell.

But we know the truth.

Magic powers or special abilities don’t make us a writer. They don’t make us creative. They don’t give up special powers to conjure up stories at will.

Writing takes time. It takes persistence. It takes dedication. Like other professions or hobbies, it is a skill set that can be honed and perfected over time; but only if you take the time to improve.

If you have a knack for storytelling and a talent for crafting great characters and dialogue, that’s great. But even those with ingrained and intuitive writing talent must work to improve their craft.

It’s just the reality of the situation.

Why do people believe this about writers or other creatives? Why do they think what we do is some prestidigitation instead of the result of a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get our art out of our heads and into the world?

Perhaps it’s fear that drives this theory. It’s easier to make up an excuse like “being a writer is a magical thing” instead of investing the time to sit down and write. Maybe it’s intimidation that leads some to think this way. After all, seeing Stephen King’s name on over 60 books can make anyone think King and other prolific authors are under some magical spell to write as much as they do.

But it’s nothing like that. It’s just putting in the work. It’s about trusting the process. It’s about believing in your skills and abilities and being humble enough to know that you can improve upon them whenever you write.

The only real magic comes from inside you, your creativity, and your ideas. No magic wand, spell book, or enchanted mirror is required.

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Tip of the Week: When it Comes to Editing, Re-Visit Every Chapter

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Ian Dawson

Editing is a necessary and inevitable part of the writing process. No matter what you’re writing – from a blog post to a novel – taking the time to correct, add, delete, or change things helps make your writing stronger and helps you deliver a polished product.

When you edit, you likely know the key areas you want to focus on to improve the manuscript. Still, it’s best to read the entire draft and make changes to each chapter along the way.

Let’s talk about it.

There’s Always Something

Even if you love how a chapter is written, there’s always room for small changes that can result in a stronger finished product. It can be as simple as rewording a sentence for clarity or as involved as delivering greater detail to a character’s appearance. You may also find grammar or spelling errors you missed in previous drafts that can now be fixed.

Every little bit helps.

Pacing, Pacing, Pacing

Taking the time to re-visit your entire story can help you see where the story lags, where a reader might lose interest, or where even you, as the writer, need clarification. Checking the story for pacing and ease of reading can ensure you don’t lose a reader at any point during the story.

What Really Matters

By going through each chapter, you can also ensure that each chapter has a reason to be in the book. A reason? Yes, a reason. Each chapter should provide the reader with information about a character or plot that helps to move the story forward. Whether it’s the main story, sub-plots, or backstory, all of it needs to assist in propelling the narrative toward its conclusion.

Beginnings and Endings

How does the story begin? Does it grab you? Does it make you want to turn to the next page and keep reading? Go back through your opening chapters to ensure they help transport the reader into the story’s world and keep them there. You can offer up set-ups and questions in these early chapters that will be paid off and answered later.

With the final chapters, have you created a satisfying conclusion for your reader that ties up any loose story threads and gives them a complete story? Is there anything presented throughout the story that hasn’t been resolved? Reading the entire manuscript ensures all story points are concluded and not left flapping in the wind for readers to ponder what happened.

Final Thoughts

Editing is a lengthy task and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. By giving your story the time and editing it deserves, you can help make it a more robust narrative with better pacing, a stronger opening, and a grand finale.

It’s also great to snag those pesky grammar and spelling errors!

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!