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Lindsay Elizabeth

Fantasy/Romance Fiction & Creative Living

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December 22, 2018 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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I’m Lindsay, an author and creative living blogger. I'm sharing advice on writing, tackling creative blocks, and building a life around what you love.

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A few weeks ago, I posted a sneak peek of my WIP w

A few weeks ago, I posted a sneak peek of my WIP which I described as "a paranormal romance series of standalone but connected romances."⁠⁣
⁠⁣
This project has always been a series but originally, it was going to be a trilogy that included multiple POV's and a large overarching story that connected all of them.⁠ I already had this almost completely outlined and some of it written.⁣
⁠⁣
As I did more research on the romance genre to figure out how it would fit into the market, though, the more I questioned having multiple POV's in one book. So, I decided to split them up into standalone romances and move the story around to suit the new structure.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
There were a lot of pros to this. Besides being easier to market, I really liked that I would get to spend a lot more time on each couple's story. Even though it would require me to sacrifice certain story elements that I really loved to make it work, I came up with new ideas that excited me so I thought, well, it's an even trade.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
The thing about storytelling is that the story that wants to be told will never stay quiet for long.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
The further I went into the production on the new structure, the more the original one called to me. New ideas started rushing forward. The answers to plot holes I'd previously struggled with clicked into place.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
It became clear to me that, although both versions would be fun for me in their own ways, the one that was really on my heart was the original plan. A romantic fantasy series with multiple POV's.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Game of Thrones meets The Vampire Diaries.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I'm not sure how it fits into the market yet, but I'm following my heart and taking a leap of faith.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Sometimes, you’ve got to make like Ross Gellar and not be afraid to PIVOT.⁣
⁣
And what’s interesting is that during that time of trying to do it with a new structure, it helped me unlock a lot of new ideas that I’ll be taking with me back to the original.⁣
⁣
Changing things up can help you see things from a fresh angle.⁣
⁣
𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲?

LET'S TALK PLOT HOLES. 🙃⁠⁣ ⁠⁣ I've been

LET'S TALK PLOT HOLES. 🙃⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I've been running into my fair share through the process of writing my WIP. I've been working on this series on and off for years now. (Literally.)⁠⁣
⁠⁣
It started as something very different from what it is now, due in large part to several major plot holes that caused me to take long, extensive breaks from it.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
But I'm really thankful for those plot holes because they've led me to a story that I love even more than the one that I started with.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Writing is a journey. Some stories will unfold easier than others, but I've come to believe that they all unfold in the way that they're meant to when you stay true to yourself and trust the process.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Here's some advice on dealing with plot holes:⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Don't panic. Look at it as an opportunity to really stretch and explore your creativity. Some of my favorite, most unexpected ideas have come from instances where I was trying to solve a plot hole that I thought was ruining my story but it ended up taking it in an exciting new direction that I never would've thought of otherwise.⁠⁣
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⇢ Be willing to kill your darlings. If one thing is throwing everything else out of whack and you can't figure out a way to make it work, will sacrificing it make the story stronger? You may find a way to incorporate it later into a different way or use it in another story.⁣
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⇢ I've started using James Patterson's outlining method, which doing a complete, deep outline of a story scene by scene so you can work out all of the kinks and plot holes before you dive into the actual writing. It's working really well for me because it keeps my head in the storytelling phase without the temptation to edit as I go (a biiiig problem for me).⁠⁣
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⇢ Take a break from your WIP to take the pressure off. Your subconscious will keep working on the problem so you may find that the answer flows effortlessly to you when you least expect it. At the very least, you’ll be able to return to it later with a fresh eye.⁣
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⇢ Try working through the plot hole while you’re doing something else, like taking a walk or driving.⁣
⁠⁣
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘂𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲?

𝘚𝘛𝘖𝘙𝘠 by Robert McKee has been of t

𝘚𝘛𝘖𝘙𝘠 by Robert McKee has been of the most influential books in my life as a writer. I read it over a decade ago, but I come back to its lessons often for a refresher.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Though it's written with screenwriters in mind, the advice on story structure is universal. He goes to the root of how to tell a powerful story, get people invested in it, and keep them engaged.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
There are a lot of gems in this that get to the root of what works in storytelling and what doesn’t. He teaches you how to craft a compelling story that is driven by your characters.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
This will give you an amazing foundation to work with that you can apply to every story you write, regardless of the medium.⁠ (You can find it linked in my bio under 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵.)⁣
⁠⁣
𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁?⁠ ✨

When you think of something you want and your nega

When you think of something you want and your negative self-talk kicks in telling you it's impossible, put your lawyer pants on and hit it with the question, "is it actually, 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 impossible?"⁠⁣
⁠⁣
If the answer is "well, no, but it's not LIKELY─"⁠⁣
⁠⁣
That's a good enough reason for you to move forward. Because all that means is that what you want is POSSIBLE.⁠⁣
⁣
It’s possible that your book could become a bestseller.⁣
It’s possible that you could live in that beach house you’ve always dreamed of.⁣
It’s possible that you could have everything you’ve ever wanted.⁣
⁣
Dwell in possibility. 🖤

I usually have 3 books in rotation that I'm readin

I usually have 3 books in rotation that I'm reading at one time:⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Something fictional⁠⁣
⇢ Something for self-growth⁠⁣
⇢ Something on business or writing⁠⁣
⁠⁣
This helps me stay consistent with my reading routine because one of my biggest barriers (whenever I've fallen off the reading wagon) is that I don't always feel like reading one specific book.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I like to have my options depending on my mood!⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Right now, the 3 books I'm reading are:⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘺: 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝟸 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 by E.E. Holmes⁠⁣
⇢ 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘈𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 by Gabrielle Bernstein
⇢ 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘶𝘺𝘴 by Bridget Brennan⁠⁣
⁠⁣
What are you currently reading? 📚⁠

Struggling to connect with your work-in-progress?⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Throughout the long process of writing a novel, it’s common to lose that sense of connection with your story at least a few times.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Try these easy tips to nurture, deepen, and reignite the connection whenever you feel it slipping:⁠⁣
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⇢ Create a mood board with images that capture the essence of your story, characters, and settings so you can tap into the magic of it on-demand.⁠⁣
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⇢ Create playlists with music that evokes the feel of your story as a whole, as well as music that is scene- or character-specific. Not sure where to start? Look up scores/soundtracks from movies/TV shows similar to your WIP.⁠⁣
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⇢ Explore your story's setting through travel vlogs, home tours, movies/TV shows with similar settings, and ambient music (like 'sounds of a busy coffee shop in the city').⁠⁣
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⇢ Connect to the emotion of the story by journaling as your characters or writing scenes that won't necessarily end up in the book but will help you explore your character's feelings and psychology.⁠⁣
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⇢ ⁠Check out other works that have the same essence as your WIP to help you get into the vibe and mindset of the story.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 & 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴 (𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗶𝗼)!⁠ ✨⁠

It's way too common for women to feel competitive

It's way too common for women to feel competitive with each other. From a young age, we're programmed to believe there isn't enough for all of us.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Not enough love.⁠⁣
Not enough money.⁠⁣
Not enough success.⁠⁣
Not enough happiness.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
We're conditioned to measure ourselves against the beauty, status, and timeline of other women and to judge each other in the process.⁠⁣
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There’s this illusion that if 𝘴𝘩𝘦 has something I want, that means I’m lacking.⁣
⁠⁣
The reality is that we're at our most powerful when we genuinely support each other, when we sincerely celebrate each other’s wins, when we show up for each other, when we lift each other up, when we share our knowledge and resources, when we appreciate each other’s strengths.⁠..⁠⁣
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And when we genuinely want other women to win as much as we want ourselves to win.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 ─ #challengeaccepted⁠ 💪🏻⁣
⁠⁣
Thank you to the beautiful @holisticnarrative and @rachelsweetentlc for tagging me, and to all of the other amazing women in my life who constantly inspire me.✨⁠

❝You can choose how you perceive your world. You

❝You can choose how you perceive your world. You are the dreamer of your dream.⁠❞ — GABRIELLE BERNSTEIN⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I'm almost done reading 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘈𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 by @gabbybernstein, which is a guide to becoming aligned with the flow of the Universe and releasing the negative thoughts, energy, and beliefs that are holding you back from a life that feels authentic to you.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
In the book, she offers advice on...⁠⁣
⇢ Approaching situations from a place of love rather than fear⁠⁣
⇢ Letting go of your past so it doesn't have a grip on your future⁠⁣
⇢ Being mindful and taking control of your perspective⁠⁣
⇢ Releasing yourself from the judgment of others⁠⁣
⇢ Dealing with rejection and disappointment⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I read her book 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘴 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬 a few years ago when I began exploring my spirituality and it really spoke to me.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Though she says none of her other books are prerequisites to 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘈𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳, I'd personally recommend reading 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘴 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬 first if you're just beginning to dip your toes into the spiritual realm of personal development.⁠⁣
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𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘈𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 takes things to the next level in terms of metaphysical concepts, so it may be too intense a jump if you're still uncertain about it all.⁠⁣
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I'm still exploring these concepts myself, but I like Gabby's approach to self-growth and the way she explains her spiritual beliefs. Definitely a worthwhile read if you're into studying this topic (and especially powerful right now).

𝑺𝑾𝑰𝑷𝑬 𝑭𝑶𝑹 𝑻𝑰𝑷𝑺

𝑺𝑾𝑰𝑷𝑬 𝑭𝑶𝑹 𝑻𝑰𝑷𝑺 ⇢⇢ ⁠⁣
⁠⁣
As writers and creatives, our passion lies in the process of creating things. But just because it's something we love to do doesn't mean that it can’t drain us.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
You can still run into creative burnout, even when you’re working on passion projects. (So, don’t feel guilty about it!)⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Self-care goes beyond at-home spa days and indulging in sweets while binging your favorite sitcom on Netflix. ⁣
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While those are totally viable forms of self-care, they aren’t the whole story, and they’re usually 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 rather than 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Here are some self-care ideas for writers and creatives that will help you stay grounded and keep your cup full to avoid burnout altogether.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 (𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗶𝗼)!⁠ ✨

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