by Kariss Lynch, @Kariss_Lynch
Ever feel like your writing time has slipped into a series of tasks you are struggling to check off?
1500 hundred words and counting? Check.
Edits? Check.
Social media graphics for the week? Check.
Blog posts written and turned in? Check.
Responded to readers and answered emails? Check.
Laundry, grocery shopping, life things? Maybe check. Kinda.
Kids are fed and had a bath …. yesterday? Check-ish
Maintain sanity? In process.
If we aren’t careful our writing routine turns into a list that can drain our creativity and make us forget why we are writing. I am the queen of time management and boundaries with what I can control. I have to be in order to prioritize and get things done. But sometimes in the midst of trying to be disciplined and organized, I miss out on the creativity that comes with dreaming. I actually PLAN time to dream. It’s vitally important to the rest of my list. And as a first time mom, I’m learning that this time will sometimes be on the fly.
Dreaming rejuvenates me as the writer.
One of my favorite questions to ask when it comes to writing is “what if.” What if my characters decided to do something totally unexpected? What if my villain surprises everyone? What if I create a setting that puts a unique spin on a scene? What if I created a character that absolutely fascinated my reader? Then how do I do all this? This question is especially important to ask when you get stuck or start veering into predictable territory with your story.
“What if” is a powerful question, one I don’t ask nearly enough. But when I do, my writing sings more than normal and my creative juices flow.
I also like to storyboard. I may love words, but I am attracted to powerful visuals. It’s fun to create the scene and cast my characters by scouring the internet for photos that jog my creativity in a greater way. I pin them on a corkboard so that I can see and move them to help craft the story. This helps me dream about possibilities. Possibilities are endless in our writing. We just have to seize them.
Dreaming rejuvenates the story.
I like to set a timer and see how many words I can spill on the page before time runs out, but occasionally this depletes my creativity instead of inspiring it. However, when I take time to dream before I start writing, even if I just spend fifteen minutes on a writing prompt, my writing carries a different kind of power and creativity. When I race the timer, my story has quality and my words carry the quantity. My characters are also deeper and my settings more vivid.
Dreaming rejuvenates the reader.
Letting readers into my brainstorming and dreaming is fun to share with readers. This makes great social media content to excite them and help them invest in the story before they ever hold it in their hands. Inviting them into the dreaming helps them feel like part of your team and part of the journey. Just be prepared that they may want you to write faster to satisfy their growing curiosity.
Tasks and deadlines are part of writing, but dreaming and enjoying the writing…that’s the most vital part of the journey because it informs everything else. If you are feeling overwhelmed or stuck, grab a pen and fun notepad, and don’t be afraid to dream a little. I have a feeling you will love the results.
Keep writing and dreaming, friends. You’ve got this!
When a car almost runs over him in the middle of a snowstorm, ex-Navy SEAL Micah Richards knows he’s hit rock bottom. After the deaths of several of his teammates, Micah is sure of two things: he only hurts those he tries to protect and their deaths are his fault. He has one family left on his list to pay his respects but stranded on the side of a mountain in the middle of the night, Micah has run low on options until Casey Stewart comes careening into his life.
The last thing Casey wants is a man, especially one as charming and handsome as Micah who reminds her of her heartache from high school. And especially not when she has so much on her plate: kids trapped in the middle of bad neighborhood cycles at home and a sister who needs out from under their mother’s roof. But helping is in her nature, and something about Micah makes her want to let him in.
Now in the same city, Micah and Casey just can’t seem to stay away from one another, despite Casey’s best efforts. The more, he gets to know the community, the more he wants to stay. When a local drug dealer goes awry, Casey has only one person to turn to—the one who could hurt her heart the most. Micah must face the demons of his past to fight for his new team and new dream—a woman with the heart of a warrior who fights for others. A woman he would die for.
Kariss Lynch is the author of the Heart of a Warrior series and loves writing romance about characters with big dreams, adventurous hearts, and enduring hope. In her free time, Kariss goes on adventures with her own personal handsome hero, explores the great outdoors, and tries not to plot five stories at once. Connect with her at karisslynch.com, or on Facebook, Instagram, or Goodreads.