Ask the Author: Tracey Clark
Answered Questions (10)
Tracey Clark
After all the waiting, screaming to the heavens, the ringing of hands; the book had finally come out. To bad she didn't have any money.... :P
Tracey Clark
right this second I would have to go with Mercy Thompson & Adam, in Patricia Briggs series ''Mercy Thompson"... that's what popped in my head as soon as I looked at this question... but there are so many to pick from, and my faves switch from day to day...
Tracey Clark
hmm... i think we all have a time of day that we are naturally more productive ... i would sit down and decide what you best time is... for me, it is in the evening (okay, more like bedtime for most people)... i write at other times but i have noticed that after 9pm, i can really zero in and focus... with MS, it is harder for me to get motivated when i first get up and then i open my computer and the online world distracts me... muhaha... (yep, i am blaming twitter for my procrastination)
Pick a time that you have noticed works for you... then i would put something on in the background (low) ... most authors seem to use music, but for me it is reruns... something that i have watched a million times, therefore it wont distract me... you may be a silence author, or a rock station author... i would test out a few things, and see what happens... our senses *sight, hearing, taste...* can spark our creativity...
set the mood, so to speak, and start writing... it doesn't need to be perfect the first go round... that is what EVIL EDITS are for... :P Brainstorming with friends, or even strangers, is also very helpful... you never know what you will come up with... i have also found that Pinterest can spark new ideas... every once in a while, i post writing prompts to my blog...
http://traceylclark.com/category/prom...
sometimes they help with my own story, other times i merely use the exercise as a type of mental cleansing... for me, after focusing on one topic for hours at a time (like new chapters, or research/edits) i need a mental palate cleanser ...
i hope this helps... happy wordage, tracey
Pick a time that you have noticed works for you... then i would put something on in the background (low) ... most authors seem to use music, but for me it is reruns... something that i have watched a million times, therefore it wont distract me... you may be a silence author, or a rock station author... i would test out a few things, and see what happens... our senses *sight, hearing, taste...* can spark our creativity...
set the mood, so to speak, and start writing... it doesn't need to be perfect the first go round... that is what EVIL EDITS are for... :P Brainstorming with friends, or even strangers, is also very helpful... you never know what you will come up with... i have also found that Pinterest can spark new ideas... every once in a while, i post writing prompts to my blog...
http://traceylclark.com/category/prom...
sometimes they help with my own story, other times i merely use the exercise as a type of mental cleansing... for me, after focusing on one topic for hours at a time (like new chapters, or research/edits) i need a mental palate cleanser ...
i hope this helps... happy wordage, tracey
Tracey Clark
the number one thing that I try to remember, is not to push... there will be days when I won't be able to do the things I want... there are times that Editing has my eyes crossing, and then closing... it is like a forced nap... when it is really bad, I take my nap and see if I can do more when I wake up... but mostly, I have hobbies and entertainments (arts and crafts... basically anything that you enjoy) but takes little energy... it just seems to give my mind a break from the editing or research, two things that are hard for me... making bead bracelets is good... my mind rests, and I work on my hand/eye coordination... I really hope this helps... happy wordage... feel free to drop by my MS blog if you want... https://multiplesclerosisnewsblog.wor...
Tracey Clark
I'm not sure where my Finder's Keepers series came from... the voices in my mind screamed to be heard... I spent a year just writing down book ideas, working on outlines, and starting rough drafts... now I have five rough drafts, a dozen shorts, and a handful of outlines just waiting their turn at the red pen of pain...
Tracey Clark
I have yet to have a really bad case of writer's block, but when I have a bump in the road, I sit down and ask myself questions... if mind refresher/a break from the evil edits... I pick an art project and spend a few days creating something else... then I dive back in... and brainstorm, brainstorm, brainstorm... either by myself or with a few of my writing buddies... (there are writers groups all over the internet... find your group and give and take with some brainstorming sessions)
Tracey Clark
reading a story allows you to escape into another reality... writing takes you a step further... you get to escape, and you get to choose your destination... it is the difference between getting a free ride in a private jet, and getting to pilot the plane of your choosing...
Tracey Clark
try out NaNoWriMo ... and take half an hour to an hour, brainstorm (alone or with others), and wait to edit ... you need to finish the story before you start to edit... and most of all... enjoy yourself
Tracey Clark
the stories live in my mind and demand to be expressed, otherwise my mind refuses to quiet... It is go insane or create worlds for the voices to explore..
Tracey Clark
Currently working on book two of the Finder's Keepers series... and getting ready for the blog tour coming in oct... I will be sure to post the whens and wheres soon, and I hope you all drop in to find out more about my beloved characters and the world they live in, as I answer questions about myself and my MCs...
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