Writer’s Block!
Congratulations, Princess Mel, on winning Cheryl Holt’s Double Fantasy. I’ll send you an e-mail to get your snail mail, although, Mel, I swear I have it somewhere…I just don’t know where!
For this blog, I’ve got a wonderful historical by Jade Lee, The Concubine. It was sexy and different, a great story, the setting in China. As always, to be eligible for the drawing, leave a comment, and you must type in your email address. I’ll also add you to my newsletter for updates on all the fun stuff and releases, too. I’ll announce the winner on my next blog in two weeks!
Oh my God, I’ve got writer’s block! I swear, I couldn’t figure out what to write for this blog. I’ve got so much to do today because I’ve got a brainstorming lunch with some friends, then I’m going down to see my mom. I see her every other week (yes, I’m keeping that commitment to make sure I see her often!). She’s got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow that I’m taking her to, so I won’t be back until late. So I was trying to write the blog yesterday to get it out of the way. And I had writer’s block! No clue what to write! That made me realize that a lot of interviews I do ask if I ever get writer’s block, and I usually say no. To me, writer’s block is the inability to sit down and write through whatever you’re afraid of. Sometimes it’s the fear that readers will hate your story or reviewers will, which is the basic I’m-not-good-enough syndrome. Or that your story idea is crap. Or that you don’t have an idea. Or that the idea is great but you won’t be able to execute it correctly. Or that you’ll never be able to finish the book. Or sell it once you’ve finished it. Writer’s block to me is letting these fears stop you from sitting down at the keyboard and writing. And of course, despite what I say in interviews, sometimes there are days when I just don’t think I can face it. But I sit down and I write, no matter how bad my own little internal editor tells me it is. See, I even wrote this blog! Everyone has fear, whether you’re a writer or not, everyone has things that get in the way of doing something they need or want to do. It’s a matter of doing them anyway.
Got any fears you’d like to share, things that stop you dead in the water? Don’t worry, we’ll keep them secret!
Thanks for supporting Take Your Pleasure! ! Next week is the release of Hers for the Evening, Courtesan Tales 2, and to celebrate, Tuesday, May 4th I’ll be giving away Yours for the Night on ToteBagsNBlogs so don’t forget to stop by!
Happy Monday!
No fears like you are talking about.
That's great, Estella!
Oh, yeah … lots of those fears! Paralyzing some days … weeks. Just do what I can and hope to get beyond the fear. Sometimes that works, other times [shrug] I go for a walk … or eat half a chocolate cake! [grin]
i have fears too. maybe thats its all for nothing or maybe thats its all for everything thats most important
I love the chocolate cake idea, Rita! Chocolate helps everything.
I have those fears, too, Mommacassie. Sometimes it's just nice to know we're not alone.
Jasmine, that is SUCH a gorgeous cover! Looking forward to all your latest titles!
And yikes, fears–sure! We've all got those. Sometimes they keep us safe, and other times, we need to push through and keep going 🙂
And don't enter me, please–I've got Jade's terrific Concubine!
o man glad im not alone! lol. I am so stoked about getting to read this one. from the looks of the cover it is going to be fabulous! im ready! sounds like another one to get hooked to! thank you i love it! 😀
Thanks so much, Fedora, I'm glad you love the cover. And I totally agree, we've got to work through those fears. Or listen to them to keep ourselves safe.
And thank you, Mommacassie!
Its so silly but I hate hate hate snakes…they stop me in my tracks and I sure as heck don't move. Beyond that, nothing like what you were talking about…yet anyway 🙂 Thank goodness!! Isn't May a wonderful month?? Spring, sun, and warmer weather. 🙂
May is an absolutely gorgeous month, Rachel! And ooh, I hate snakes, too! Terrified of them.
my only fear is of dead things – whenever i go to a funeral, i have my fiance's hand in a death grip! and it's weird, because i love horror movies – plenty of dead things in those! maybe i'm conquering my fear a little at a time…please enter me in the contest!
Hi, Sunshine. I think we all have a bit of a fear of dead things. It might be tied to the fear of dying, I'm not sure. But I love horror movies, too! I think it's the reality versus the unreality. You're entered and thanks for stopping by!
Jasmine, I'm really loving all your beautiful covers–the most recent ones are gorgeous! The stories are sounding fabulous, too–definitely planning on picking these up!
As for fears, sometimes it's a little fun to be frightened (roller coasters, scary books or movies–they're quite hard to resist!) but a brush with real-life fear is a lot less fun. Hearing about a friend's loss for instance only makes me hug my family tighter.
Hoping you've only got the fun fears, everyone!
Thank you, Fedora. Berkley has been so great with these covers. I love them all!
And yes, the fun fears like roller coasters and scary movies are great. But when you hear about a tragedy, it makes you hugs your loved ones. Just think of all that terrible flooding in Nashville. Sending prayers to those poor people!
Thank you, JJ! I got the book and I appreciate it immensely! Thanks for the bookmarks too!I'm bummed though. I told myself to visit that blog for your book giveaway and then a bunch of stuff happened and I wasn't online yesterday. Oh well, maybe next time. :-)I'm afraid of dogs, bad weather, and not ever winning one of your books! *g*Hugs, Mel
Hi Jasmine!I fear and kind of hate hospitals, but there is no way around because I work there *sigh* luckily in the office…but how are you doing now? have you defeated your block? hope so!have a great week,Ina
Oh, Mel. I'm sorry you didn't make it to the tote blog yesterday. But there will be others! Just check the schedule on that blog and you'll see my name when I'm going to be there. It's usually in the first week of the month. thanks for letting me know you received the book! And you do make me laugh!
Oh my goodness, Ina, you hate hospitals but you have to work in one!!! And thank you very much, I am working through the block. I've accomplished quite a lot, in fact!
Mainly, fears that anything would happen to my children or grand- children. Honey and I don't plan
to leave anytime soon, but then
we have had long lives. It's the
younger generations that concern
us.
Pat Cochran
Hi Jasmine. It's spiders for me. I'm a true arachnophobe. I know it's not rational but there you go. There's absolutely nothing funny about someone scaring me with a rubber spider or even a picture of one from a book – it's happened to me and for some reason the person who did it thought it was hilarious but I thought it was more like locking a claustrophobic person in a small cupboard. (And I'm really careful of nature documentaries too.)
Also, I'm totally not interested in "getting over" my phobia. As I understand it, that involves something called "desensitisation therapy" which is looking at spiders and then having them crawl all over you – no thanks!!
Good luck with your new release – I'm looking forward to getting hold of both books in my next big book shop.
"Feel the fear and do it anyway!"
Very true, Pat, we want our families to stick around.
On no, Kaetrin! Going through therapy where they actually put spiders on you, forget it! Thanks on the release.
Great quote, Alison. That's exactly what one has to do, feel that fear, then just get it over with!
Hi Jas, I have missed your blog, I don't get online as much as I wish anymore. I am on my daughters laptop right now. Thinking about fear I don't have ones like you mentioned, except maybe talking in front of a crowd. The other kind of fear that is the most fearful to me would be something happening to my daughter. It's wonderful you see your mom every other week. I miss my Mom since she passed and it is especially hard this time of year, her b-day is in june and with moms day sunday. Congrats on your new book release Jas, hope you get lots of sales.
Thank you on my release, Dena. I definitely have the fear of speaking in public, too. But, as Pat said also, I think the fear of losing your loved one is probably the worst. I'm also sorry about your mom.