In the Mood

Ever find it hard to get into the right mood to write?

Are there certain topics and/or eras that really emotionally drain you?

Can the research become overwhelming?

Do you have to psyche yourself up each time you sit down to write?

If you have spent as many years as my sister and I researching the Nazis and WWII in general. It takes a lot out of you to write a chapter. There are times I have found myself ready to pull out my hair. Other times my stomach just churns. I literally had to psyche myself up just to write. Don’t get my wrong I love writing things that are challenging. But at the same time they are extremely draining. That’s when I began having prep time for writing.

Personally my favorite thing to do to get me in the mood to write, is music. Music is a great way to get your creativity back. During the time I was writing TOS (The Other Sister) I listened to a lot of big band. It really helped me to get the feel of the era.

Now that I’ve started a new project, I’m trying to find the right music to help me write in this new time period. It’s not as easy as I thought it would be.

This new project isn’t as emotionally demanding as some of my other work in the past. Yet I still want to give it my all. Even if it takes me a while longer to finish it or I have to do twice as many drafts as I did for TOS.

If you write a lot of period fiction, is there any particular music that helps you to get in the mood? 

The Wounded Warriors

May is military appreciation month. Personally I feel that military appreciation should be 24/7. Even in May most of our selfless military are forgotten. After all the sacrifices they and they’re family have done for years, go unnoticed. I know so many people in the military, veterans, and military family and only a couple of days out of the year they are remembered to an extent.

On Memorial Day we remember to put the flowers on our loved ones graves. Have family oriented cook outs. Not forgetting all the stores and their annual holiday sales. This will also reoccur on Independence Day and Veteran’s Day.

But there is something we can do. It’s simple. Just tell someone who has and/or is serving this country, thank you. (This includes military family.) Be it publicly thank you or a personal message. One of the worthiest charities is the Wounded Warrior Project. The Wounded Warrior Project not only helps those military that have been wounded mortally, but for those who have suffered emotionally and psychologically.

But most of all, they just want our support. And they deserve our support.

New Project

I finished The Other Sister in March/April this year. It took me about six to seven, not consecutive, months to accomplish it. It’s around 80,000 (so it’s not real long) words, 22 chapters long, and who knows how many pages. I feel proud of my little novel. No it’s not edgy. It’s a WWII romance. And it’s nothing I’ve ever really written before. But I’m happy I wrote it. I’m happy that I completed it.

And with the completion of a novel, a writer normally starts another. Which is what I have done. I started tackling this new novel at the last part of March/early part of April. It’s a little more edgy than TOS. And it’s nothing I’ve ever tackled before. I’m much more apprehensive about showing this to anyone.

Without going deep into details, it’s set in the mid-1840’s in my home state of Indiana. I know you’re thinking, what could be edgy about Indiana in the 1840’s? Believe me, I’ve found a way. Yes, it’s a historical romance. Probably not epic by any proportions, but I’m excited about it. In due time I will reveal more about this novel. Not that anyone is on pins and needles. But for my small following, they’ll get the full details.

My sister and I are both writing about Indiana in the 1840’s and both novels although connected are still stand-alone novels. I haven’t read anything from her new project and vice-versa.

So I hope you join me on yet another journey as I finish a new novel. I am hoping to be blogging more about this and other future projects. God Bless you all!