Have you ever felt Creatively Constipated?

     I have a question for all of you who write for a living...have you ever felt Creatively Constipated? Like you had all these wonderful ideas but they were stopped up inside of you and wouldn't flow the way they should? Have you found a Mental Ex-Lax that will set your ideas free and get you back on track? In my fleshly reality I am surrounded with obstacles that distract me from the the ideas that are jamming up fighting to escape.  When I sit down to write the mail will run dropping off those friendly little reminders...(note: there is nothing friendly about their notes or phone calls to remind you that you are a dead beat and you need to pay your bills, even if it means selling your grandmother's hope chest you had promised to your granddaughter!), or the fleas that have taken over residence in your home setting up maternity hospitals instead of flea markets, and mass producing little pin-sized vampires to eat you alive while you try to concentrate! So I come to you now asking...what is your secret Chocolate-flavored solution to release the little people in your head? How do you get your creative juices flowing again and feed the people that fill the pages of your manuscript?

     Or is it just me that experiences these blockages? I remember when I was little my grandmother would tell me if I ate too much cheese or too many bananas I would get "stopped up" (she was very delicate with words) and I would have to take a little chocolate flavored bite (lousy chocolate too,let me tell you!)  to "set me free".  As I got older and hated that fake little rectangle of brown lies, I discovered I could get the same results by drinking grape juice or eating prunes...and they were so much tastier! So what have you discovered that works to get your imagination back on track again?

So you want to write a book...

     So you have a great idea for a story...and you can tell it pretty well..."so why not turn it into a book", someone asks. Hmmm, not a bad idea, or so you think!

     How hard can it be? After all  you did get an A in English, and creative writing was one of your favorite subjects! Hey, you read "Twilight" and look at how popular it was, even if it wasn't very well written in your opinion!

     Suddenly you see yourself riding in a limo on premier night...walking the red carpet...signing your autograph for thousands of screaming fans clamoring for your attention.  You jump on craigslist to see how much those fancy motor homes are going for, there will be book signings and interviews to attend. Dollar signs fill your thoughts, and you can't wait for all that extra money!

     BUT WAIT!!! I hate to throw water on your fire, but it doesn't work exactly like that! In the next few weeks we are going to be introducing you to some published authors and they are going to share their experiences along the yellow brick road to seeing their name on the cover of their sweat and tears in  a material form. Rules change, styles change, and everything you thought you knew about writing changes...are you ready to start learning all over again? Some of the great writers of all time would be rejected by today's rules.

     Once you get your story written, you have to pull up your steel plated granny panties and face the critiques...and trust me this is the hard part! You thought your work was awesome! You gave it your all! And then people start telling you what they really think. You are handed a list of no-no words, what!?! Why can't I use a word ending in ly? You are told that the middle of your story starts to drag, you are telling and not showing! Your dialogue is slow. You better rewrite and submit it again..."But Mom liked it!" you whine. 

Before we really get into the minds of some of my favorite writers, I would like you to visit the blog of Suzanne Hartmann. She has some wonderful links on her blog, and it is very insightful. I found her blog a good place to begin...so take a look, and don't be afraid to ask questions.

In the coming weeks I am going to feature some wonderful writers in a variety of genres, let them tell you about why they write and how they got started, and give you a few of their favorite tips to reaching success in publishing your work. If there is anything you would like me to ask, feel free to email me at cherihorgan@hotmail.com and I will be happy to ask for you! Now...get back to that computer and start that next Great American Novel!