Self-doubt by far is the biggest emotional hurdle I deal with.
It creeps up on me right before I publish something—whether it’s a book or a blog post. I really have to talk myself through it right before I hit that publish button.
Fortunately, it hasn’t ever completely derailed my writing goals. It may just set me back a few days!
What Works Best for Me Is Sitting Down to Write First Thing in the Morning
I meditate and exercise every day. I am REALLY into health and wellness. But I think what works best for me is sitting down to write first thing in the morning. (I have a day job, so I have to get in my writing where I can—lunch breaks, early mornings, evenings, and weekends.)
I’m lucky enough to be a morning person by nature, though, so this is a very effective technique for me. I make an Americano and then it’s off to the (word) races. Plus, it’s quiet in the morning both in my home and in my head. The self-doubt and negative talk don’t usually show up to “work” in my brain until later in the day!
First thing in the morning, I can concentrate and usually get a good session in. And then if I accomplish nothing else during the day, I can at least feel proud that I got my writing in for the day. It also sets the tone for any writing I may do for the rest of the day.
Writer, Find Someone to Be Your Cheerleader!
My husband is my biggest cheerleader, too. I highly recommend finding someone who will be your cheerleader, whether it’s a partner, a friend, a family member, your local barista… When I’m having a bad day, and the self-doubt is so crippling that I can’t even think about writing, my husband is always there to offer a few encouraging words (and a glass of wine).
I don’t think I’ll ever walk away from writing completely. It’s in my blood at this point. But sometimes a girl’s just gotta vent and maybe even have a slight meltdown.
Some days, though, my coping technique is just to simply step away from the writing and the business for a day or two while constantly reminding myself that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. And then I tell myself to quit comparing my beginning to someone else’s middle. (Isn’t that how it goes?)
The good thing about being an indie author is the ability to set your own schedule, and sometimes, you just need to step away from it.
The Biggest Challenge: When Fatigue Causes the Well of Creativity to Run Dry
God, I want to eat sugar all the time. But I like calling it a “physical challenge of being a writer”! I shall do this from now on when I reach for that cookie! Ha!
Seriously, though, the biggest physical challenge for me is probably the fatigue that causes the well of creativity to run dry, which in turn stresses me out. It’s a cyclical thing. There are times when I can barely string together a sentence.
This lasts about a week, but then after that week or so, I get this huge burst of creative energy. I like to call it my “creative high.”
It’s HUGE Having a Gym at Home
My husband bought me a Peloton bike for my birthday a few years ago. (Does this make me like the lady in the commercial? Because I am #teamPeloton all the way!)
I use the bike or do some form of exercise through the Peloton library almost every day of the week. It’s HUGE having a “gym” at home. I use the Calm meditation app every morning, too. It helps me get mentally set up for the day.
I think the most important thing is figuring out what works best for you and then actually doing it. For me, it’s getting up at around 5am and starting my writing session with “Morning Pages” where I free-write three pages (I use my iPad and an Apple Pencil for this) to get the creative juices flowing.
I do this before I do any actual work on my manuscript. I spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour on my manuscript after that.
I’ve also just started using my lunch-break writing sessions to create content as needed for my very-neglected blog and my mailing list—my goal being to start sending “Wenglar News” out twice a month as opposed to…ahem…never?
The Key to My Creativity is the “Morning Pages” I Do Every Morning
The key to my creativity, hands down, is the “Morning Pages” I do every morning.
Morning Pages is discussed in the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron as a way to tap into your creativity. I started it as a way to journal and jot my thoughts, but it sort of evolved into me having these crazy written conversations with myself about elements of my manuscript that were tripping me up.
Rather than stare off into space to ponder a plot point or a character’s internal conflict, I use morning pages to work it out. It’s helped me iron out so many issues and has also taken my manuscripts in directions I’d never even dreamed of! I am a HUGE advocate of Morning Pages and HIGHLY recommend trying it if you’re feeling stuck or blocked creatively or even if you’re not. It’s a great way to find your flow.
As for what ruins my creativity, I’m not going to lie—it’s my period. Every. Single. Month. I can tell when it’s about to happen, too, because my writing is at its worst, and I’m just slogging through it every day.
My Books Are My Kids
Writing is in my blood. I may get frustrated with it at times, but I don’t think I could ever just stop doing it.
My husband and I don’t have kids, so I guess in a way, my books and my writing are my kids. (Don’t tell my dog that, though.) They may drive me nuts at times, but I’d never walk away from them!
Book Marketing: What Works for Me is Facebook Advertising
Oh my gosh, marketing is the weakest part of my business. It is is SO NOT my strong suit.
I’m learning as much as I can about it, though. One thing that does work for me is Facebook advertising.
There’s a wonderful book out there called Help! My Facebook Ads Suck by The Writing Wives, and it has really helped me understand how to advertise on Facebook for very little money.
How I Fit Writing Into My Busy Days
I get up early in the morning to get a good chunk of writing done. I am fortunate enough in that my day job is remote, so I don’t have to commute in to an office every day. (I work for a mortgage lender and help write mortgage guidelines.)
I do struggle with making myself write or do author-related things on my lunch break when I really just want to sit back and scroll through the never-ending social media feeds and let my mind be blank for a little while. So, finding my creative flow after being in corporate flow can take a lot of discipline and mental energy.
It also takes discipline to pull myself back out of my creative flow and get my head back in the corporate game. On my good and especially creative writing days, this is excruciating!
Advice for a Young Writer: Sit Down and Start Writing
I’d say to sit down and start writing. Just do it. Write for yourself, and know that no one ever has to see you’re until you are comfortable with it.
Don’t get too hung up in the publishing/end process in the beginning, and don’t get sucked into what you think you should be doing, especially when you’re just starting out. Just write. If you’re lost on where to start and you want to write fiction, I highly recommend the books Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody and Story Genius by Lisa Cron. I’ve heard On Writing by Stephen King is fantastic, but I haven’t read this one yet!
Another thing I would say is to write every day. Even if you feel like you’ve got nothing to say, and your creativity sucks. Do it anyway. The only way your writing will improve is to…yep…keep writing.
It’s also important, in my opinion, to read. Devour ALL THE BOOKS, and if you want to write in a specific genre, read lots of books in those genres.
And lastly, one of the best pieces of advice I’ve heard is from Dave Ramsey who says to “look for ways to connect with people who are doing what you want to do, or who are already excelling in an area where you want to improve.” The creative arts community is full of people who want to help! You’ve just got to reach out!
* * *
Amy J. Wenglar was born in Austin, Texas and enjoyed a childhood based on a steady diet of Ramona Quimby books, I Love Lucy re-runs, and Looney Tunes cartoons, which gave her an appreciation of classical music at a very young age. This love of music led her to play the trumpet and piano through high school and college where she played with the University of Texas Longhorn Band while pursuing a degree in Journalism.
With an insatiable hunger for vampires, ghosts, and anything paranormal, she set out to write the first book in her Urban Fantasy series, The Sophia Kelly Chronicles, almost seven years ago after leaving an especially toxic relationship that left her mentally drained but creatively empowered.
Amy now lives in Bellevue, Washington with her husband, two dogs, and a cat. She spends most of her time making up stories, taking pictures, and watching re-runs of Gilmore Girls.
For more information on Amy and her work, please see her website, or connect with her at Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Bloodbound Nocturne: Sophia Kelly just wants to get through freshman year. But fate has something else in mind.
Moving across the country to go to college is supposed to be a fresh start. Sophia has plans to assert her independence, find love, and maybe even find herself in the process. But it’s what finds her that frightens her.
Who is the grumpy vampire that keeps showing up in almost every aspect of her life? Why is he so focused on protecting her? And why does he have to be so handsome? And what is the meaning of the strange magic that seems to suddenly manifest inside of her? Where did it come from? And why did it pick her?
As Sophia struggles to make sense of her bizarre college experience and discover the origins of her newfound magic, she finds herself smack in the middle of an ancient prophecy. And as she’s thrown into a supernatural war only she can stop, just how much is she willing to risk?
“Bloodbound Nocturne” is the first book in The Sophia Kelly Chronicles, a fun, fast-paced Urban Fantasy Romance trilogy by Amy J. Wenglar.
Available at Amazon.
Lightbound Serenade: Saving the world is not Sophia’s strong suit. Too bad she’s the only one who can do it.
When Sophia Kelly agreed to jump headfirst into the faerie portal, the prophecy was clear: Find the exiled Fae Prince and restore him to power. Easy enough.
But faerie portals are a funny thing. Her trip through the portal leaves her alone and abandoned in a land where champagne flows like water and magic is used to cure bad decisions. Was it fate that led her to this glittering metropolis, or was it a wrong turn?
Since portals and prophecies don’t always come with instructions, Sophia is forced to make up her own. Not knowing where to go or who to trust, Sophia navigates the cobbled streets in search of the Fae Prince, until a chance encounter with a tortured soul leaves her heart confused and her mission derailed.
What is it about his dark past that pulls her in, sparking magic inside of her that she can’t explain? And why is he so interested in her?
As her magic grows more powerful, Sophia finds more than she bargains for in her search for answers. She realizes she must sacrifice something of herself in order to fulfill the ancient prophecy. But just how far is she willing to go?
Available at Amazon.