August 2018: Writing Advice
~ Sorchia DuBois ~
CTR asked:
QUESTION: What is the one piece of writing advice that has stuck with you and why? (Something other than ‘write what you know.’)
Sorchia DuBois said:
Every bit of writing advice I give falls into the “do as I say and not as I do” category and this is no different!
The Universe has been telling me in subtle little ways for some time that I need to get my stuff together!
“Get focused,” it says by smacking me with forgotten deadlines now minutes away—because my filing system resembles the path of a schizophrenic tornado.
“Get Organized,” it shouts by tossing a reference book and a stack of unanswered mail directly in my path causing me to stub my toe, spill my tea, and alienate the cat.
“For the love of all that is holy, Get to Work” it shouts as I scroll through social media with the good intention of doing a bit of marketing but wind up looking at funny animal videos instead.
So I pass on to you what the Universe is telling me in the hopes that we all can follow them.
Get Focused—Take some time to decide what your goals are. Why are you spending time writing out your soul and displaying it for all to see if you don’t have some purpose in mind? It could be just to tell a good story—that’s enough. An author I admire once said her goal was to “give someone a good time on a bad day.” That is a lofty and important goal. You may want to draw attention to issues or use your fiction to inform as well as entertain. More power to you, but get that goal firmly set in your mind and get on with it.
Get Organized—Humanity has come up with numerous ways to accomplish organizational Nirvana from Post-It notes to Apps for every possibility. Whatever your method, use it and stick with it. I’m making nice little checklists and keeping important stuff on OneNote. I need an old school paper trail as well as virtual reminders. If I am diligent—I get these wonderful little moments when I go looking for something and actually find it. It’s as if some other me—the organized bean-counter me—has thoughtfully taken care of the details because the creative-me has no memory of doing that.
Get Busy—If procrastination were an Olympic sport, I would have enough gold medals to make Fort Knox jealous. I don’t know the cure. A regular schedule for writing and a system of rewards seems to help. What I really need is a strict keeper, but on second thought—that wouldn’t work either as I would only spend more time trying to figure ways to annoy and thwart that person. I’m afraid this problem is a matter of self-motivation and we all have to deal with that in our own separate ways.
As I say, the Universe keeps sending me these messages with the latest being a quote that caught my eye just a minute ago– “”Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”” — Stephen King
– Website – https://www.sorchiadubois.com
– Twitter – @SorchiaDuBois
Zoraida Grey and the Voodoo Queen
[Fantasy/Paranormal Romance]
Magic may save Zoraida’s skin, but what about her heart?
Zoraida Grey needs help. With the witchy Logan clan holding her best friend hostage in a haunted Scottish castle, she can’t trust anyone—certainly not beguiling but dangerous Shea Logan. And Al, her overprotective boyfriend, doesn’t believe in magic.
Only one creature strikes fear in the blackened hearts of the Logan witches. Trouble is Jock disappeared five centuries ago leaving a trail of destruction across the Gulf of Mexico. Now he’s stepped into a steaming pile of Voodoo.
Can Zoraida drag wayward Jock back to Scotland? And what’s she supposed to do with two men who promise completely different futures?
A Scottish wizard, stripped naked and painted blue—a Voodoo priestess bent on immortality—a yacht-load of Caribbean pirates. What can possibly go wrong?
Available in Ebook:
– Kindle – https://www.amazon.com/Zoraida-Voodoo-Queen-Sorchia-DuBois-ebook/dp/B07DYYWN76/
– Nook – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/zoraida-grey-and-the-voodoo-queen-sorchia-dubois/1129129955
– Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/ebook/zoraida-grey-and-the-voodoo-queen
– iBooks – https://geo.itunes.apple.com/book/zoraida-grey-and-the-voodoo-queen/id1412403488
– Google – https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Sorchia_DuBois_Zoraida_Grey_and_the_Voodoo_Queen?id=Kg9mDwAAQBAJ
– Wild Rose Press – https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/5984-zoraida-grey-and-the-voodoo-queen.html
More Authors Dish about their writing advice.
Day One: https://coffeethoughts.coffeetimeromance.com/ad2018-aug1-advice/
Day Two: https://coffeethoughts.coffeetimeromance.com/ad2018-aug2-advice/
0 COMMENTS
Sorchia DuBois
6 years agoHey, Author’s Dish, Thanks for letting me ramble on your blog. I’m open to suggestions! What is your favorite way to organize–from housework to pet care to writing! Drop one golden tip that keeps you on top of the work load.