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Fantasy/Romance Fiction & Creative Living

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March 2, 2017 by Lindsay Leave a Comment

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THE AUTHOR

HI, I’M LINDSAY

I write fantasy/romance fiction and help creatives navigate the challenges of chasing their dreams. On my blog, you’ll find advice on writing, overcoming creative blocks, and building a life around what you love.

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Since I'm deep in the guts of my first draft, toda

Since I'm deep in the guts of my first draft, today's writing hack I'm sharing for the #septemberauthorwipchallenge⁠ is one I've been using throughout this phase of the journey.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝙰 𝙵𝙸𝚁𝚂𝚃 𝙳𝚁𝙰𝙵𝚃 𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙷𝙰𝙲𝙺⁠⁣
⇢ 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
If you're a bit of a control freak like me, you may be inwardly cringing at this, but hear me out!⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Though I have my WIP (nearly) fully outlined, I was struggling to get into the vibe of the first few scenes when I started working on the first draft earlier this month.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
A later scene in Act I was nagging at me, so instead of wasting precious energy fighting the urge, I decided to jump straight to it.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Since then, I've been jumping all over the place, going to whatever scene was calling to me and trusting the process.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
What this has done is:⁠⁣
⁠⁣
× Give me a chance to warm up my writing muscles with as little resistance as possible.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
× Help me slip into the characters' shoes and get a feel for them in the scenes where I felt most connected to their motivations and desires.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
× Allow the story to unfold on its own terms without me trying to bend it to my will any further (which is the mode I'd been in throughout the outlining phase).⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I've discovered so much about the story and characters since starting the first draft and going where it led me. Some things have been surprising and required me to alter my outline.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
_________________________⁠⁣⁠⁣⁠⁣
⁠⁣
If you like the word count log & quote dashboard in my planner, I'm going to release them as printables soon (along with some other inserts for writers). Leave a comment or DM me and you’ll be the first to know as soon as they're available. 🥰⁠⁣
⁠⁣
_________________________⁠⁣⁠⁣⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒂𝒄𝒌?⁠

Today's #septemberauthorwipchallenge prompt is to

Today's #septemberauthorwipchallenge prompt is to share my fan cast for my WIP, 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙹𝙴𝙲𝚃 𝙲𝙾𝙰𝚂𝚃𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙴. It's also going to be the first name reveal for 6 of the main characters. 😬⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝙰 𝙵𝙴𝚆 𝙵𝙰𝙲𝚃𝚂 𝙰𝙱𝙾𝚄𝚃 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚂⁠⁣
⁠⁣
× Alex is the exiled witch in question (from a powerful family) who returns to town to gain justice and redemption and reveal her enemy's true, evil intentions.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
× Noah is her first love, who she left behind without saying goodbye to six years ago upon her exile and with whom she is forbidden to have a relationship.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
× Ren and Luca are twins from another powerful dynasty in town, who are the rivals to Alex's family.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
× Natalie is a human unaware of the supernatural forces in her beloved town.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
× Elias ⁠is running from his past which, as we know, always catches up to you.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⁠𝚄𝙿𝙳𝙰𝚃𝙴 𝙾𝙽 𝙼𝚈 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙶𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚂⁠⁣
⁠⁣
This month has consistently thrown unexpected roadblocks my way (migraines, sinus problems, some personal & biz issues — all the fun stuff 🙃) so I've fallen a bit behind on my word count. I'm at 28k and have only 7 days to make my 50k goal. I'm planning to set aside a couple of days this week to focus solely on my writing & hopefully catch up. Wish me luck! 🤞🏻⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝑫𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 (𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆)?

How do you create romantic chemistry on the page?⁣
⁣
This is a question that’s been on my mind a lot lately as I’m writing the first draft of my WIP (an urban fantasy series with multiple romances).⁣
⁠⁣
⁠There are no actors with crazy good on-screen chemistry to use as a crutch. It's all in the writing. (No pressure. 😅🙃)⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Working on the romances has been one of my favorite parts of this project, but it's also been one of the most challenging because it's so easy to get it wrong.⁠ You can detour into cringe-town and blah-ville super quick.⁣
⁠⁣
I’ve been studying the romances I’ve loved most in fiction to brush up on how they’re crafted. Here are four things I've noticed are present in my favorite fictional relationships that I've used as a guide while developing each romance in my WIP:⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝟺 𝙺𝙴𝚈𝚂 𝚃𝙾 𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝚃𝙸𝙲 𝙲𝙷𝙴𝙼𝙸𝚂𝚃𝚁𝚈⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Each character is compelling on their own. They stray away from the “you complete me” narrative and follow two fully-formed characters who are strong and complete on their own, but made even better when they are together.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ The relationship is dynamic because they challenge each other in ways that aid in their growth and move the story forward.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Romance tropes have been used in satisfying yet fresh ways. (Examples of tropes: enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, second chance, forbidden love, etc.)⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Their chemistry manifests in various (often subtle) physical ways, such as through touch, eye contact, subtext, and banter to make it feel rich and layered.⁠⁣
⁣
I explored all of these more in-depth in my blog post “The 4 Keys to Writing Romantic Chemistry” which you can read via the link in my bio. (𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘨 > 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘪𝘱𝘴).⁣
⁠⁣
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒚?

Does our morning really set the tone for our entir

Does our morning really set the tone for our entire day?⁣
⁣
Honestly, we have the power to shift the tone of our day as soon as we decide we want to, regardless of what has happened before that moment.⁣
⁣
With that said, starting our morning intentionally with things we know will help set us off on the right foot helps us get into a flow faster. It’s a very powerful pocket of time.⁣
⁣
What that looks like is different for everyone. Since quarantine, I’ve fallen out of a lot of my habits & I’m slowly getting back into them because I feel the difference without them & I’m ready to start feeling better (as much as I can in these times). So, why not take advantage of that?⁣
⁣
𝙼𝙾𝚁𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚁𝙾𝚄𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙴 𝚃𝙸𝙿𝚂⁣
⁣
⇢ Start small, adding just one or two new habits to your routine that don’t take a lot of time (just a few minutes each) so you don’t overwhelm yourself & can stick to them more easily.⁣
⁣
⇢ Try different things to see what feels good to you. How do you want to feel? What do you feel is missing — motivation? A sense of peace? Creativity? Start by determining what is lacking & what you want to bring to your morning.⁣
⁣
𝚆𝙷𝙸𝙻𝙴 𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙻𝙻 𝙸𝙽 𝙱𝙴𝙳⁣
⁣
× List 3-5 things I’m grateful for. This immediately shifts my attention away from any negative thoughts that try to surface once I’m awake.⁣
⁣
× Do a 10-minute guided meditation (usually from the @Calm app).⁣
⁣
× Visualize how I want to feel that day.⁣
⁣
𝙾𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝙸’𝙼 𝚄𝙿⁣
⁣
I do all of my morning necessities (teeth brushing, feed the dogs, etc) & then...⁣
⁣
× While having breakfast, I’ll read, listen or watch something that’s inspirational & mindset-related. I’ve found that keeping empowering conversations & messages from others in my head daily has a huge effect on keeping my internal belief system where I want it.⁣
⁣
× When I’m ready to start my day, I decide what my top 3 priorities are to keep me focused & clear on what I want to accomplish, so I cut down on decision fatigue & distractions.⁣
⁣
× On days when I’m feeling real low energy, I’ll turn on my “Feel Good” playlist.⁣
⁣
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈?

You know I couldn't let the aesthetic part of the

You know I couldn't let the aesthetic part of the #septemberauthorwipchallenge go by without participating — it's one of my obsessions, after all. 😂⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I'm mixing it with today's prompt again, so here's the low-down on my WIP, along with some tips for fellow writers!⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝚆𝙸𝙿 𝙰𝙴𝚂𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚃𝙸𝙲⁠⁣
⁠⁣
My work-in-progress (𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙹𝙴𝙲𝚃 𝙲𝙾𝙰𝚂𝚃𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙴) is a romantic urban fantasy set in a fictional city in South Florida. I wanted to capture the dark, sexy, electric vibe of the city and the story as a whole.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I'm constantly revisiting my secret Pinterest board for it, including before every writing session to help me step into the world of the story and stay connected to it.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Here are some tips on creating story mood boards:⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Look for images on Pinterest, Tumblr, and WeHeartit.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Choose some words that describe your story. Is it dark? Moody? Uplifting? Warm? Whimsical? Make a list of every word that describes the vibe of your story. Then, use those as keywords when searching, like "whimsical aesthetic."⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢Think about films, TV series, music videos, and photo shoots that have a vibe similar to what you want to capture for inspiration.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Pick out significant elements that stand out to you. They could be things like repeated imagery or themes, key moments, and anything else that stands out in your mind when you think about your story. Look for photos that represent them.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Include things like character inspiration, settings, and genre.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I go much more in-depth on how to create story mood boards on one of my blog posts, which you can find at my blog > writing tips via the link in my bio.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
_________________________⁠⁣⁠⁣⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙰𝙻𝙾𝙽𝙴 𝙾𝚁 𝚂𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂?⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I've always been a sucker for long-term character development and slow-burn everything, so I'm firmly in the series camp.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
While I definitely enjoy a good standalone, I'll almost always choose to read or watch a series over the alternative. I just love to go deeper and deeper into a story and world.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆?

I'm a day behind on the #septemberauthorwipchallen

I'm a day behind on the #septemberauthorwipchallenge, so I'm catching up with a double feature today. 😋⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝚁𝙴𝚂𝙾𝚄𝚁𝙲𝙴 𝚁𝙴𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙼𝙴𝙽𝙳𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚂⁠⁣
⁠⁣
There are a lot of amazing resources on writing and storytelling that have helped me over the years, but I wanted to highlight one of my favorites that I rarely see mentioned: 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝟷𝟶𝟷 𝙷𝙰𝙱𝙸𝚃𝚂 𝙾𝙵 𝙷𝙸𝙶𝙷𝙻𝚈 𝚂𝚄𝙲𝙲𝙴𝚂𝚂𝙵𝚄𝙻 𝚂𝙲𝚁𝙴𝙴𝙽𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚂.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
While the book features advice from screenwriters, the majority of it is applicable to writers of all mediums. It doesn't focus on the technical nature of writing but rather "the mechanics or daily habits that will make the process much easier."⁠⁣
⁠⁣
It's always helped me to get insight into how other writers handle the ⁠mental game of writing because that's half the battle.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
❝I'm constantly afraid of failing, of being found out and revealed to be a fraud, of writing badly and not being allowed to write again. Quite frankly, any creative person who doesn't feel some of that runs the risk of becoming complacent and then your writing suffers. You need a bit of self-doubt to propel you.❞ — AKIVA GOLDSMAN, screenwriter behind Practical Magic, A Beautiful Mind, Star Trek: Discovery & Star Trek: Picard among many others⁠⁣
⁠⁣
_________________________⁠⁣⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝚃𝚁𝙾𝙿𝙴𝚂 𝙸𝙽 𝙼𝚈 𝚆𝙸𝙿⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Since my WIP (𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙹𝙴𝙲𝚃 𝙲𝙾𝙰𝚂𝚃𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙴) has multiple POV's and romances in it, there are a lot of different tropes in the mix, but here are the 3 I'm most excited about:⁠⁣
⁠⁣
× Enemies to lovers⁠⁣
× Friends to lovers⁠⁣
× Forbidden romance⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒈𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈?

Today's prompt in the #septemberauthorwipchallenge

Today's prompt in the #septemberauthorwipchallenge is to share our writing space, so here's mine (when I'm writing in my office, anyway). The cat is a key part of it because I'm pretty sure he thinks this desk is his and he lets *me* use it. 😹 🤷🏻‍♀️⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Our environment has been scientifically proven to have an effect on our productivity and mental health. So, last year, I reorganized my office turned it into a space that I'd feel inspired to work in.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
You don't have to spend a lot of money (or any at all). It's about paying attention to what makes you feel good and doing your best to incorporate those things into your space.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝚃𝙸𝙿𝚂 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝙰𝙽 𝙸𝙽𝚂𝙿𝙸𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙺𝚂𝙿𝙰𝙲𝙴⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Surround yourself with things you love. If you feel good every time you look at something, like a beautiful crystal or inspiring artwork, then you'll be filling yourself with that vibe the entire time you work.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Keep things organized. A cluttered environment translates to a cluttered mind. I have a tray on my desk that keeps all of my smaller decor items, pens, candle, and plant corralled so it looks cleaner.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Speaking of candles — I'm a passionate proponent of them! Either having a candle lit or my oil diffuser going really cultivates a warm, relaxing ambiance.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Incorporate greenery. It looks lovely and there's something about nature that is so calming. I have a real plant on my desk, but I have faux plants and flowers elsewhere that I love, too.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Make sure you're comfortable. A good, ergonomic chair is a necessity because if you're even a little bit uncomfortable, you're going to be distracted and anxious to get up and move. Plus, it's better for your body overall.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌?

Today's #septemberauthorwipchallenge⁠: compare y

Today's #septemberauthorwipchallenge⁠: compare your WIP to books, TV, or movies⁠...⁠⁣
⁠⁣
This was more challenging than I thought it would be when I first started thinking about it because I've taken little bits of inspiration from all over the place for my work-in-progress, 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙹𝙴𝙲𝚃 𝙲𝙾𝙰𝚂𝚃𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙴.⁣
⁠⁣
There isn't one thing that is exactly like it, but the following hopefully paints a picture of what I'm going for:⁠⁣
⁠⁣
× 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚅𝙰𝙼𝙿𝙸𝚁𝙴 𝙳𝙸𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂 / 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙾𝚁𝙸𝙶𝙸𝙽𝙰𝙻𝚂 — ⁠The darkness, the romance, the drama, the complex mythology intertwined with modern life.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
× 𝙶𝙰𝙼𝙴 𝙾𝙵 𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙾𝙽𝙴𝚂 — ⁠The political battles over land and power, the multiple perspectives and moving pieces within those battles, the many secrets and strategies at play.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
× 𝙲𝙻𝙰𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙲 𝚂𝙾𝙰𝙿 𝙾𝙿𝙴𝚁𝙰𝚂 — ⁠The glamour, the twists and turns, the sexiness, the wealthy family dynasties, corporate feuds, and organized crime on the backdrop of a bustling, contemporary city.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒐𝒓 𝑻𝑽 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔?

Today in the #septemberauthorwipchallenge, it's WI

Today in the #septemberauthorwipchallenge, it's WIP trivia time!⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⁠I'm in that weird phase where I want to simultaneously divulge everything about my WIP and keep everything close to the vest. 😂 Quite a conundrum.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I'm not sure if these will be that interesting to anyone else, but here are a few facts about 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙹𝙴𝙲𝚃 𝙲𝙾𝙰𝚂𝚃𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙴, my current work-in-progress:⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝟹 𝙵𝙰𝙲𝚃𝚂 𝙰𝙱𝙾𝚄𝚃 𝙼𝚈 𝚆𝙸𝙿⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢⁠ It takes place in a fictional town in South Florida along the Atlantic coast that is technically an island, separated from the mainland by a thin strip of water (much like Amelia Island in FL).⁠ One of my favorites parts of working on this project has been all of the cool history I get to make up for the town and incorporate into the story.⁠⁣
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⇢⁠ There are witches, vampires, werewolves, and a few other supernatural species that will remain a mystery for now... 🤫⁠ It's a supernatural hotspot, conveniently located in the Bermuda Triangle.⁠⁣
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⇢ The story is told through multiple POV's because it has a fairly large cast of key characters, kind of like Game of Thrones (though mine are much more interconnected since they're in the same town). I love it when there are a lot of moving parts and opportunities for different relationships (romances, friendships, enemies, etc) on the board, so I wanted to capture that in this series.⁠⁣
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𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒕?

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