Uncommon Writing Tips

A while back, I wrote about the common writing mistakes we see at BookFish Books and Tenacious Books Publishing. Today, I'm going to offer some uncommon writing tips that apply to your craft and regular life in general. 

I've heard many times how important it is for authors to have experiences in life to make their writing richer. That's not to say that people without experience or certain experiences can't write quality novels, not at all. But I think the point is to get out there and live life. Find things that interest you and do them. Don't stay locked behind your computer. Go out, observe people, and experience the world. Your writing might thank you. ;) 

Shakespeare was one of the best people watchers around. 

He observed and understood human nature on a deep level.

Before you get all discouraged because you don't have a lot of money or a lot of places to go, you can explore right where you are, often times for free. There are many resources for finding out about local events--friends, FaceBook, local advertisements.

Recently, Deek and I had the rare opportunity for a middle-of-the-week date. I picked him up at lunch time (one car life), and we tried a new place. Then, I picked him up a little early from work that evening, and we went to a free, local concert.

A little lunch date smooching

Kissing continued at the free concert. Do you see a theme? LOL!

There was a huge crowd at the concert, so there were plenty of people to observe. The interplay between young lovers. The behavior of a group a friends. The uninhibited dancing their hearts out. Those who scowled despite the laughter and joy going on around them. Each person becomes a potential character, or traits of characters, for future books.

This past weekend, we went to an art museum and walked their art trails (a free activity). We had a total blast, got some artistic inspiration, observed a lot of people, and got a little exercise to go with it. Winning all around!

Talking heads. 

It's a no-no in the writing world but a yes-yes in the art world!

I like big butts and I cannot lie.

Very cool perspective!

Pause for a little reflective time.

Find your inner peace.

I adore this man SO much!!

Where fairground gates go to die...

It's a flesh wound...

I love weeping willows. They're so romantic!

Just being near this tree stirred up some creative ideas!

Remember, in writing and in life, coffee is a must! 

A writer's elixir.

This special bean helps turn sleepy gibberish into magical words.

The Deek and Erin summer special

Word. An oldie but goodie!

Don't forget a special treat for your pals as well.

Here's Gus enjoying a puppyaccino!

Remember to exercise! It's just as important to keep the body as fit as the mind! Deek and I lift, run, hike, box, and walk a lot. Walking is a great way to work in fitness and creative musing. We often hash out a lot of our plots this way.

An evening walk with my love

Training

Ropes are a tough one!

Excuse my cheesy grin--I'd just completed a half marathon in the pouring rain!

Even better, coffee AND fitness combined! ;) 

Find people who share your creative passions and will exchange ideas with you. Friends are a must--they encourage and support. Other authors provide crucial insight into the industry. Beta readers and critique partners help sharpen and shape your work. 

My Dream Team (plus two amazing bloggers)

Hanging out with some author pals

Chrissy Lessey, Dave Atwell, and Papa Stro Maestro

And some of my critique partners over the years....

Jessica Calla

Michelle Pickett

Meradeth Houston

Mary Waibel

T.C. Mckee

Heather Van Fleet

Deek Rhew! Yep, my husband!

He started out as my critique partner, and we fell in love!!

Have pets. I'm not kidding. If you have the financial ability and the heart capacity, they're wonderful little writing assistants! 

Bring me Solo...

Our snuggly, gorgeous Trinity!

He trips me out. 

He looks like a meerkat here, but he knows I caught him doing something he shouldn't.

Gus could not be a better dog!! 

He's quiet, loving, cuddly, and he has the best possible personality.

Wondering how Mommy got puppy ears too. Thanks for the laugh, Snapchat!

Remember to have fun. Life is short, and writing is hard. So, take a break, laugh, and enjoy time with those you love. I lost my beloved PaPa unexpectedly in July, so I'm acutely aware of just how finite our time here really is.

Until next time...create wonderful things, love hard, and...

Welcome Gus Rhew!

Forever, people have been asking me and Deek when we will have a baby. Well, the answer to that is "we won't," but we did something neither of us expected to do. We rescued a puppy! Both Deek and I consider ourselves cat people, but somehow, this little dog wiggled his way into our hearts.

Meet Gus Rhew:

Deek and I have been talking about getting a dog for about a month, and we recently discovered a great local rescue. So, we decided to fill out the paperwork on Friday, and we expected the process to take about a week. To our surprise, they called us later that morning and said they'd love for us to come out and take a look at their available dogs...THAT day. We had plans to go to the local tree lighting ceremony but decided to forgo it to go meet our potential pup.

Don't worry, we still went to see the tree. ;) 

Now, we had very specific requirements. We wanted a small, portable dog because we plan on taking him with us a lot. We wanted one who could deal with our active life but also switch gears and enjoy chillin' when we had our relax days. And we also wanted an older dog, one we didn't really have to train. Personally, I wanted a fluffy girl dog, but I was willing to bend on that for the sake of personality.

When we arrived, they showed us the dog they thought would match our specifications--Alana. She'd recently given birth to a litter of ADORBS puppies. Her foster mom said over and over how much she was the "perfect" dog. But she just didn't jive for us. Something didn't connect. 

Alana

The moment we arrived, Deek's attention had been snagged by a little bitty pup named Gus. Deek pointed out how incredibly cute and sweet Gus was, but we felt like we needed to give Alana our full attention. After about a half an hour, we still didn't feel connected to Alana, and we decided not to take her. While I was over talking to a "dog matchmaker" about that, Deek pulled Gus out of his pen. When I came back, I found a five pound bundle of adorable all snuggled up in Deek's arms. 

My heart squeezes at how incredibly cute he is!

Gus didn't fit several items on our criteria. He was not fluffy, he was a boy, and he was only six months old. But he had the personality. He's totally zen and laid back like Deek. I mean, he can get playful and fun (also like Deek), but his main personality type is chill. We fell in love with him right away--even though he'd never lived in someone's home, walked on a leash, or been crate trained/housebroken. His little heart spoke to ours, and we knew we'd found our dog. 

As we went through the adoption process, several employees and volunteers stopped by to say goodbye to Gus. They talked about how sweet he is and how incredibly smart. They said they were glad such an awesome boy had found his fur-ever home.

We brought out precious baby home, and he's fitting right into our lives. He's exactly what we asked for--social and outgoing when we are and relaxed when we are. He rolls with life like a champ. Even though he'd never walked on a leash before, he prances along beside us as proud as punch. And he fell into a schedule right away. We couldn't be happier with our choice! 

Dobby ears!

Now, his "real" name isn't Gus anymore. We changed it when we left the shelter. But we've decided to give him a pen name like us, so we'll refer to him as Gus Rhew from now on. :) It's an homage to the shelter who saved his life.

I know many of you are wondering...how is Trinity dealing with the arrival of baby Gus? Well, this pic is from three years ago, but it pretty much captures her expression when he bounded through the door.

Trinna's "WUT?" look

She's the most flexible cat in the world--hence how we've traveled with her across the country...twice--so she's rolling with Gus' arrival. I think it helps that she outweighs him by double. It allows her to lord over him like the queen bee that she is. LOL!

And though we missed the tree lighting, we stopped by to see the tree later, with our new buddy.

Here we are with Gus in front of the tree. 

Is he not the cutest little thing in his sweater? It was COLD!

Gorgeous!

THIS is happiness right here, folks. 

I adore this man beyond words!

So, in addition to our literary cat, we now have a literary dog! Stay tuned for more pics and videos of both Trinity and Gus in the future! Until next time...