by Carol Kilgore, @carol_kilgore
I've been a regular reader of Mystery Writing Is Murder for a long time. As you can imagine, I'm thrilled to be here. Thank you, Elizabeth, for sharing your blog space with me.
When I learned I would be guest blogging here, I found out I needed to blog about some aspect of writing. Still thrilled, but Ack! I usually try to skirt around actual writing details. So I'll just tell you a story.
A continuing long-term problem for me is struggling for a solid block of writing time. I find plans that work for various lengths of time, anywhere from a few days to several months. Then I seem to sabotage them without being aware until one day I realize my writing time is over and I have no new words on the page.
A few months back, I tried something totally out of my norm. I tried writing first thing in the morning. Get up. Stumble downstairs. Let dogs out. Get coffee. Let dogs in. Open document. Write. For two hours. Did I mention I am not a morning person?
OMG!
I couldn't believe how easily and, for me, quickly the words flowed. And the feeling of accomplishment after completing my primary goal for the day before lunch was amazing.
A couple of weeks later, the first words still flowed. But that second hour…not so much. When we came back from vacation in May, I added a walk. Write an hour, walk for 30+ minutes, write another hour.
While I walk, I think about the story. I believe my subconscious processes the words I just wrote and decides which words to use next. When I come back for Hour Two, success!
For the last few weeks I've used my morning writing time to focus on details of the release of IN NAME ONLY. But in another week or two, I'll be back to writing. Will this routine still work? I hope so.
So my best writing advice? Find what works for you, whether it's how you construct a character or how you manage your Facebook time. Do it that way for as long as it works. When it stops working, try something different—even if you think it won't work. You may be surprised.
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Carol Kilgore is a Texas native who has lived in locations across the U.S. as the wife of a Coast Guard officer. Back under the hot Texas sun in San Antonio, Carol writes a blend of mystery, suspense, and romance she calls Crime Fiction with a Kiss. She and her husband share their home and patio with two active herding dogs, and every so often the dogs let them sit on the sofa.
Learn more about Carol and follow her here:
Blog: http://www.underthetikihut.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.carolkilgore.net Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carolkilgore.author Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/#!/carol_kilgore Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094110.Carol_Kilgore
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/author/ckilgore
No home. No family. No place to hide. For Summer Newcombe, that's only the beginning.
The night Summer escapes from a burning Padre Island eatery and discovers the arsonist is stalking her, is the same night she meets Fire Captain Gabriel Duran. As much as she's attracted to Gabe, five years in the Federal Witness Security Program because of her father’s testimony against a mob boss have taught her the importance of being alone and invisible.
No matter how much she yearns for a real home, Summer relinquished that option the night she killed the man who murdered her father. But Gabe breaks down her guard and places both of them in danger. Summer has vowed never to kill again, but she's frantic she'll cost Gabe his life unless she stops running and fights for the future she wants with the man she loves.