You know what I like the most about your videos?! Is not that you make sound that is "easy" to write, and also you don't make like is the "most impossible thing in the world and you never get it right." You just say that is sometimes is difficult and if you really want you have to make it work and go for it. Always make me feel full of hope.
Happy anniversary! That's amazing! I really love tip 2. As a programmer, there's the "rubber duck" method of solving problems. You get a little rubber duck and put it on your desk. When you're stuck, you talk to the duck. It's the same principle: forcing you to explain it or break it down into components to talk to another person, even if they don't respond, can be just the thing you need for something to shake loose. :) Thanks!
I love your "xx" tip! I use #revision, #developmentaledit, #copyedit, etc. Once I finish drafting, I do a control f search for "#" to root out my edits :)
Congrats! Ten years is a HUGE accomplishment. Yay, you!!! I'm a big stuck in my plotting (and I'm looking to avoid making tough choices by procrastinating), so this video was so timely. Thank you!
The tip about talking through stuff works! I realized this when I ask my husband all these questions about my plot lines and he never knows how to answer, but usually by the time I'm done explaining my problem I figure it out myself! Lol
Sarra, first off, you are such an inspiration! Happy Indieversary, and Congratulations on that amazing accomplishment! Congratulations also on Fate's Surrender also! Second, OH MY GOSH, this is exciting! I cannot wait to write along side you for NaNoWriMo! This is my first NaNo. Because of you, I won Camp NaNo in July. I have not written anything serious in years, and it has been decades since I attempted writing a novel. In July I had a goal of 10k words, and I won with almost 10,700! You have given me the courage to just "go for it" and participate in NaNo, and I cannot thank you enough! You Rock! Thanks always for the great content, and I will be out here cheering you on every single day!
I really recommend your tip about talking through your story problems. Sometimes just through explaining my issue out loud I get an idea or my boyfriend just asks me a question and it sparks something. Congrats on 10 years!
Remember when I didn’t have 50k words to write in November? I’m behind schedule and have 50k words to write for my sequel in November 😂 thanks for the tips and congrats on 10 years! ♥️
Thank you for the advice! I was considering starting a new novel after being stuck on this one for years. It’s a great story but I keep putting it on the back burner for months telling myself I don’t have time to finish it because I work full time. But it is a passion of mine and I will complete it this November.
Thank you! You struck a chord with me today especially having a half dozen half-baked manuscripts and spiraling down am I even a writer hole. Thank you
So I was stuck on my series and not happy with it, but after watching this and letting these tips just resonate with me I flat out figured out what to do to fix it and i am SO HYPED, thank you so much for this!
Congrats on ten years!!!! One thing I have done when working on my detailed outline or my plot points worksheet if I got stuck I would ask my at the time 11-year-old daughter. Of course, my 4-year-old son couldn't care less. Sometimes kids have an interesting way to fix stuff. Something else I would do when I was working as a cashier was to let the story play out in my head like a movie because I wasn't always working in the garden center so I could not stand there with a small notebook. The only problem was when it was time to actually write it I ran into problems. Thank gods for workbooks.
Amazing advice Sarah! Love it! I have had so much Writer’s Block since I’ve embarked on my writing journey🤦🏻♀️ One method I use is write out is 3-5 possible scenarios to a scene or opening of a new chapter and play around with those possibilities. Then, just choose the one that feels right 🤔😊
9:00 I'm the same way. I was having an issue with one plot and "reading" the problem area to a friend. As I did, the flaws jumped out at me because I was in full editing mode while reading and thinking how it might come across to another person who didn't think the way I do. Just having that mental distance in looking at my work from another reader's POV helped.
Great video and tips. I would add to use the "out of order" method with extreme caution, as I got so confused with timelines, even using an outline. It's easy for me to say I should have written my novel, Distorted Perceptions, chronologically. It may never have been finished, had I forced myself to do so. But, at a certain point, I switched, and did refuse to let myself jump around or skip anything. I did find the process of writing overwhelming, and timelines were a huge issue for me. Congrats on all those publications. You're inspirational. 😀❤
Thank you so much for the advice and the motivation! This is going to be my first year participating in NaNoWriMo and I'm actually just beggining to follow my writing dreams, and it was so nice hearing all this from you
Sarra, for shiny new idea syndrome I found this trick works for me. Maybe it will work for someone else. Make a folder that says something like: STORY IDEAS OR NEW STORY IDEAS. (This way I can find it later on.) I write a story synopsis of the idea, getting down what's in my mind. The process of doing this gets it out of my system and I will have the information for later on. I'll add if I think the story will be short, novella, or novel length, Indie pub or traditional submission. Also: when you're editing make a file for notes/snippets your removing from a story. I was glad I did this because a few years later I had to go into that file and use part of what was in there for a story. I hope someone finds these suggestions useful! Hugs to all! Tambra Nicole
Happy ten years!! Great tips, I’m doing a short story collection so I can jump around if I need to to keep working. Last two times I ended up getting stuck because I cannot write a full novel out of order if I run into a dead end.
I am doing an unofficial Nanowrimo and an just writing Act one. This is my first novel and I want to take my time getting the first 25k words...plus I'm still figuring some things out.
One thing I like doing is watch murder mysteries and I get some really good ideas and sometimes I'm like not sure. But these tips are really going to help out.
This was so helpful! Thanks for the tips! I skip ahead too if I’m stuck on a scene. I hadn’t thought about putting XX on it though. I’m going to try that. The movie tip is a good one too. I’m writing a storm chaser story for NaNoWriMo and recently watched Twister. That gave me some great ideas!
Congratulations on 10 years! I've the same nervous excitement about NaNo. It's been such a year and I've struggled with focus, but I'm hoping these tips will keep me writing.
Happy anniversary!!! *_* I am so glad I have found you and your book, your story is always a reminder what is possible if we do not give up on ourselves. :-*
I really needed this video today. Im currently stuck with my WIP and just lost momentum. I do find writing out of sequence usually helps me when im stuck or watching a movie of the same genre or with a similar heroine. I'm going to push through this and come out the other side!
I use scrivener but finding notes is still challenging. I hate interrupting my flow to make notes in the designated notes section and end up embedding them into the prose, love the xx so I can search the whole manuscript or them
All those pretty Halloween decorations make me wish I had decorated this year but my life has been a mess! Lol. I am trying to get pepped up for NaNo but it’s going to be tonight this year.
I'm skipping nanowrimo this year, but I have plans for what to start next year. In the meantime, I'll be making a video on the CONS of nanowrimo, and why it could be BAD for your writing. Hey, there are always execptions
I’m releasing my first book ever on Halloween! 🎃 (Blood Moon: Book 1 of the Crescent Crown Saga) 🌙 You’ve been so helpful and an inspiration through that whole process! 🦇 Thank you eternally!!! ♥️
Another great video Sarra! I can't wait for Nano. Today I just made my Nanowrimo account and I'm so excited to be participating in this event for the first time. But since this is my first time, I don't have any buddies or group to write with. If there's anyone one doing Nanowrimo, would you mind leaving your username for me to search, then we can all write together :)
I really really want to read your series the shadow demon Saga series it sounds so good I really wanna read it though I think I’m gonna go pick one up for online and read it
Yep I’ve been there my first novel that I’m currently still working on I remember getting there where I was halfway through the book and then I got stuck and I didn’t know where to go and I wrote myself into a corner and I was like oh my god what do I do and it was just really bad and I thought oh my god I’ll never finish this but of course I got over it and I wrote myself out of the corner I got myself into
When you released the first book, was it free then (loss leader), or did you make it free after the 2nd book or later? I am hoping to start Nanowrimo, but I don't know if any of my plots are ripe. I am thinking that I will pick the one I feel the most compelled to work on and TRY.
Oh my god they do exist I didn’t know that they actually existed I thought you were just talking about it I would look up on my book my library book thing where I get my books from I didn’t know they actually do exist holy shit I’m stupid
