We’ve all read books where the setting has a personality all its own. Not only does it provide the perfect backdrop to the story; it is a living, breathing character in its own right.
In September, my husband and I spent three weeks exploring Scotland, Iceland, and Ireland with our eldest son and his wife. (They live not far from Glasgow.)
As you can see from the pictures below, our surroundings came alive and could easily become characters in a book. (I took all except the path with the autumn-coloured leaves while we were away.)
While I would appreciate acknowledgment if you share one or more of these images, feel free to do so and/or use them as writing prompts or inspiration for your work.
And if you get the opportunity to visit one or more of these locations, I encourage you to do so. It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip that will provide years of memories—and inspiration.
Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography
As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.
My European Adventure is scheduled for the last three weeks of September 2024. When this is posted, I will have completed two of those three weeks and will, hopefully, have a plethora of ideas to inspire my writing. (July 29, 2024)
Writers find inspiration everywhere. From a snippet of overheard conversation to an unusual name printed on a souvenir. From a randomly asked question to a humorous meme on social media. From a crumbling castle to an erupting volcano.
As writers, it’s important to make note of those things that inspire us, things we want to include in our writing—at least at some point.
Although she asked the question well over a decade ago, I will never forget an older friend of mine asking my son, who was wearing army boots at least three sizes too big for him, “Hey, boots, where are you taking that boy?” Absolutely priceless!
I think P. J. Bottoms would make the perfect name for a fictional middle grade student who solves mysteries. But since there’s a children’s book author by that name (a pseudonym, I presume), I may shelf the idea.
And my daughter’s answer to a long-forgotten question is the title of one of the picture books I’d like to publish.
While adventuring in Scotland, Ireland, and Iceland, I know I will have gained more ideas than I can possibly include in my writing.
Just how will I have captured at least some of those ideas?
Before I left—or maybe on the plane, winging my way across the Atlantic—using either my computer or pen and paper, I will have brainstormed possible writing projects I can complete in the future.
I purchased a Novel from Nothing journal that I may begin to fill in should a story begin to gel. Familiarizing myself with the contents of the journal before I leave will have given me ideas to mull over.
An empty journal and a stash of pens will likely have found their way into my luggage as well—for all those other ideas that are bound to bombard me in the best possible way.
At the time of writing this post, I hadn’t decided whether or not to take my digital camera with me or rely exclusively on my iPhone and camcorder, complete with eternal mic, to capture the landscape, the architecture, and the natural phenomena that will provide an abundance of writing inspiration.
Cameras. Physical or digital journals. Camcorders. Guided journals. The IOS Notes app. I will likely have used all of these to capture the countless things I won’t want to forget—things that may serve as inspiration for current and future writing projects.
While My European Adventure will be something I never forget and something that will fuel my writing for years to come, there will be inspiration all around no matter where I find myself. It’s important to keep my eyes, ears, and heart open during My Everyday Adventures as well.
Where do you find your writing inspiration and how to you ensure that you keep track of it?
Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography
As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.
Not long ago, I probably wouldn’t have given much thought to using generative AI as a brainstorming partner. Then, a Christian couple I highly respect shared how they are using it to greatly increase the efficiency of their business. As an author, Kathi would never put her name to something generated by AI, but she does use it to brainstorm possible titles for her podcast episodes and to compile the transcript. Saving time and inspiring ideas . . . I’m all for it!
While a trip to Scotland, Ireland, and Iceland is bound to provide a plethora of inspiration for endless writing projects, I decided to brainstorm some ideas before boarding the plane on September 10, 2024, to get my creative juices flowing.
My brainstorming partner? Anthropic’s Claude AI.
Regarding my upcoming trip to Europe, I asked it the following questions:
What writing topics could be inspired by a trip to Scotland, Ireland, and Iceland? (And yes, I did use proper punctuation, grammar, and spelling. It’s what I do.)
What influence has evangelical Christianity had on Scotland, Ireland, and Iceland?
Give me picture book ideas for books set in Scotland, Ireland, and Iceland.
Give me ideas for cozy mysteries set in Scotland, Ireland, and Iceland.
Give me ideas for fantasy books set in Scotland, Ireland, and Iceland.
Will I use any of the ideas “as is”? No.
Will I draw inspiration from Claude’s answers? Absolutely.
Did the answers serve as a “priming of the pump” as it were? Absolutely. Especially the ideas for picture books, which quickly got my mind in gear as well as my daughter’s. She’s an illustrator and could immediately imagine pictures to go along with the suggestions even though Claude included only a suggested title and a single sentence summary.
What would take me hours to research, Claude AI did in seconds.
Would I ever include the information the program provides without further research? I wouldn’t. But, as writers, we all know that using a single source of information is never a good idea. This has always been how misinformation and “fake news” spread so quickly.
As writers, we know the importance of developing good research skills. To me, generative AI can serve as one source of that information, one source that draws from numerous others in a fraction of the time it would take me to do the same.
Asking Claude AI these questions cleared the cobwebs and has provided a great springboard for potential writing projects. I feel significantly better equipped to create a more focussed game plan for the type of further inspiration to look forward on my European Adventure.
Plus, Claude provided a list of things to pack, which will help me make sure I don’t forget anything—after I asked for the list of course. Bonus!
Note: While programs such as Grammarly and ProWriting Aid are technically AI, when most people use the term, they are referring to generative AI programs such as ChatGPT, Claude AI, and others. While there are serious concerns as to how generative AI is being used, it has several ethical, timesaving applications as well. Used wisely, it can be a helpful addition to the writer’s toolbox. If you have been hesitant to give it a try, you may want to dabble as I have. The free option is great and will likely be all I use for quite a while.
Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography
As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.
If you were to write a list of traits you felt were indispensable for a writer, would bravery make the list?
Have you ever considered how brave an individual must be to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, organize their thoughts, and then send them out into the world?
Even after the writing has been reviewed by a writer’s peers and one or more professional editors, it may receive hurtful criticism, misinterpretation, dismissal.
But let’s back up a little and identify steps along the journey to publication (and beyond) when a writer has to be brave . . .
To identify oneself as a writer requires bravery—even when looking in the mirror. (Psst! If you put your thoughts on paper—physical or virtual—you’re a writer.)
To ask for someone’s impression of your writing requires bravery—even if the other person is typically super supportive.
To take a deep breath and actually ask someone to critique your work in detail . . . Now, that takes an extra measure of bravery.
If a writer has a full-length manuscript and they want to get honest feedback, it takes bravery to recruit beta readers and then actually send them the work. The writer has likely worked and reworked it—perhaps several times—but it can still be unnerving to actually ask for another’s honest opinion. Yet another time a writer must be brave.
If a writer is pursuing a traditional deal, they must be brave enough to approach agents. (Almost every traditional publisher requires submissions be made by agents, not authors.) And then there are the revisions—sometimes several rounds of them. It takes bravery every step of the way.
And what about the writer who is self-publishing their book? On one hand, it may seem easy enough. Write. Format. Upload. Hit “Publish.” However, there are countless self-published authors whose books you could not distinguish from their traditionally published counterparts. To get a manuscript to that point takes bravery every step of the way: from writing and revising the work to getting input from peers and pros, from learning how to prepare the manuscript for publication to <take a deep breath> hitting “Publish.” (And we won’t even talk about the marketing, asking for reviews, starting a newsletter, etc., etc., etc.)
From blog posts to social media posts, from magazine articles to fiction series . . . Whatever you write, you need to be brave.
How are you going to be brave today?
Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography
As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.
I’m writing this at the end of October. I will let you know in the comments how I did with my goals for November.
Prioritize your current WIP (work in progress). Make room on your schedule. Keep your appointments with yourself the way you would with anyone else.
These are all good pieces of advice.
However…
You are a unique individual, a creative.
Sheer willpower and including my two current works in progress on my schedule have not been enough to keep me writing.
While it isn’t surprising that spending four days with my coauthor and working exclusively on her second memoir got me back into the groove of working on Keep Looking Up, what happened recently goes against conventional wisdom and fuels me up even more.
I was going to sign up for NaNoWriMo again this year and commit to working on my YA speculative fiction novel, which I’ve been working on off and on for several years—yes, years. Instead, I have committed to FlashNano. The goal: write 30 short stories in 30 days.
Am I crazy? Possibly…
However…
There are times in my life when the more I take on, the more motivated I am to work on projects I’ve neglected for far too long.
I recently wrote a 1400-word short story to submit for possible publication in the InScribe anthology that will be published in 2024. Whether it’s chosen or not, I’m pleased with how it turned out.
Because I wrote “Love Your Enemy,” I’m primed to work on Deb’s memoir and the YA novel as well as dive into the adventure of writing more short stories.
Of course, I’ll have to focus on my goals in order to accomplish them. I’ll have to add them to my daily Action Plan (aka my To-Do List). I’ll also have to set aside other things that I won’t have time to accomplish.
But by the end of November, I should have many more words written and polished. And as a writer, I’ve come to realize that none of the words we write are wasted.
Here are six reasons I’ve come to this conclusion:
Practice may not make perfect, but it does make us better writers.
Working on a new or different project can help us get unstuck with our current work(s) in progress.
The more we write, the more it may fill the writing well or charge our writing battery.
When we write works that seem to flow from us, it may give us the wherewithal to get back to those projects that we find tedious and uninteresting. (Most writers have to work on this type of project from time to time—or frequently.)
We may end up publishing a piece we originally wrote just for fun after we revise and polish it.
A piece we write may spark a longer work that gets picked up by a magazine or book publisher or one we choose to self publish.
So, I’ve found that, with writing, less is simply less. And more? Well, the more I write, the more I’m motivated to keep writing.
How about you? Do you need to focus on a single project, or does writing unrelated pieces motivate you to get back to those works that you’ve been neglecting?
Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography
As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.
Of course, if we enter a writing contest, we hope to win a cash prize—at least get an honourable mention.
But what if that doesn’t happen—especially if there’s a significant entrants’ fee?
Recently I entered a contest because the organization running the contest needed more entries in a few categories.
True confession…
Did I hope to at least win a prize equivalent to the entrants’ fee? Absolutely!
Was I disappointed that this didn’t happen? Briefly.
Did I gain something far more valuable? Without a doubt!
This particular contest included numerical scores and comments regarding several areas (formatting, POV, setting, etc.). I found the scores encouraging (for the most part) and the comments insightful.
Many of the negative comments verified things I already suspected and came as no surprise—although, let’s be honest, negative comments can be discouraging at first. We have to process the discouragement and then consider how to apply those insights that we feel will indeed make our writing better.
We also have to analyze the positive comments and press into them in our writing to make sure we further develop the skills we already possess.
So, the truth is that I’m glad I didn’t win a cash prize. If I had, I may not have paid as much attention to the judge’s comments—and my future work would not have benefited.
Here are 13 tips regarding writers’ contests:
Make sure the organization holding the contest is legitimate.
Read all the details carefully, including the fine print.
Find out if there are benefits beyond a cash prize. (i.e.: judge’s comments for all entrants)
Determine why you want to enter the contest and how you’ll likely feel if you don’t win a cash prize.
Choose the category/categories you want to enter.
Read the requirements carefully and follow all instructions to the letter.
Write the best piece you can.
If there’s time to put your entry away for a time and then go back to it, do so. We often see things we’d like to rework when we review our work objectively.
Send off the entry (and submission fee) and get back to writing. Sometimes you won’t hear the results for quite some time.
If you do receive the judge’s comments, whether you win a prize or not, read them carefully.
After considering which observations and recommendations will make your writing better, make note of them and put them into practice.
If there are comments you don’t agree with (which there likely will be), don’t set them aside indefinitely. Revisit them after you’ve had a chance to process your initial emotions and thoughts.
And if you win—CELEBRATE!
What are your thoughts on entering a writing contest?
Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography
As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.
Books. Workshops. Free and paid social media groups. Courses. Conferences.
Most creatives have a plethora of resources at their fingertips.
I doubt if I’ll ever complete the books and courses I already own. However, I’m likely to buy more. And those lifetime subscriptions and bundles at unbelievably low prices… Those draw me in far too often.
While I’m doing better at using the materials I have on hand and resisting the temptation to buy something if I already own something similar, there are still times I sign up for things like free online workshops that sound interesting.
And while I don’t recommend succumbing to FOMO, the fear of missing out, there are times a new purchase—or the commitment to attend a virtual event—can make us re-evaluate what and why we write.
That’s what happened to me recently.
Have you ever noticed that creatives are among the most generous people on the planet?
The workshop I attended last Saturday proved this to me yet again. It was two-and-a-half hours long and jam-packed with practical, applicable writing-related information. Plus, participants had the opportunity to do significant self-examination and answer questions in the free workbook that was included. No cookie cutter answers. And no unattainable promises.
All this and more—and no heavy-handed sales pitch. In fact, the presenter took only a few moments to inform us about her yearlong program that she made clear would not be right for everyone—not even everyone on the call. Generosity and integrity… They both mean a lot to me.
As some of you know, I began a YA speculative fiction story a number of years ago. I had a lot of fun writing the first third of the book. When I was concerned that I was wandering around in the mire as I approached the middle of the story, I decided it was time to write the last chapter to see where I was headed. (I’ve done something similar with other writing projects and it helped a great deal.)
Still, for a number of reasons—including questioning whether I should actually write the book—it has sat on my computer, neglected for far too long.
When answering one of the questions from the workshop, a question about the point of my writing, it became clear that the protagonist’s journey and growth were, indeed, relatable—potentially inspirational even. These insights had never struck me before.
The workshop presenter stressed that the point of our writing doesn’t mean the in-your-face “moral of the story.” But we are all trying to make a point with our writing. And when we recognize that point and are convinced that it’s worthwhile, this just may be the verification we need that we should persevere and push through the obstacles that stand in our way.
I’ll forever be glad I signed up for the workshop—and spent over two hours considering what makes me who I am and how that applies to my writing.
So, my fellow creatives, to quote Dory from Finding Nemo—well, almost, “Just keep learning; just keep learning.”
Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography
As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.
Please note that the following insights are for information purposes only. Getting professional help (a personal trainer, a counsellor, a financial advisor, etc.) is often an important step to making healthier choices in every area of life.
Most people give at least some thought to their physical, emotional, and mental health—to one degree or another. Those of us who are Christian likely give thought to our spiritual health as well—perhaps, prioritizing it over health in other areas. And then there’s relational health, financial health, etc.
Just how can writing help us improve our health in every area?
Before we dive in, let’s remember one very important thing: we can’t give equal attention to every area of health at the same time. That, in itself, would cause ongoing stress, which is not good for our health in any area.
Physical Health
You may want to begin by writing down your goals and setting a reasonable timeframe in which to achieve each of them. Keep track of successes, both big and small.
For example…
Goal: Develop a habit of exercising for a total of 150 minutes each week by the end of 2023.
This Week’s Goal: Exercise for 30 minutes twice this week.
Success: Took a 30-minute walk on Monday.
August’s Goal: Exercise for 30 minutes twice a week for the first week and 30 minutes three times a week for the remainder of the month.
Emotional Health
I have a journaling app on my phone. On more than one occasion, my entry simply read, “Ahhhhhhhhh!”
Journaling about your feelings, especially those often labeled “negative,” where others aren’t going to read your thoughts can be a helpful way of acknowledging and beginning to process them.
Mental Health
Of course, mental health and emotional health are closely linked. If you make it a habit of tracking how you’re feeling and what you’re thinking, you may be able to discern a pattern and take steps to improve both your emotional and mental health. And remember, everyone needs a support system. Talking with a therapist, a counsellor, or another professional can go a long way to developing resilience, which we all need.
Spiritual Health
Here are six ways writing can help in this area:
Journal your prayers. This can keep you from getting distracted. Plus, it’s a great idea to review your prayer journal and make note of answered prayers.
Many have found that keeping a gratitude journal can help them focus on the positive—even in the darkest of days.
Take notes while you listen to a sermon, message, or podcast.
Summarize your Bible reading in a brief paragraph.
Keeping track of your spiritual growth can be an encouragement to you. Plus, one day, you may be able to use your words to encourage others on their own journey to spiritual health.
Tools to Use
A note-taking app on your phone
A journaling app on your phone (I have the paid version of the Day One Journal, which is extremely versatile.)
A Word doc on your computer
A physical journal or notebook
A dictation app on your phone
Let’s make one or two healthier choices this week and consider how writing can keep us on track.
Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography
As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.
How do you feel about making to-do lists? How about schedules? Lists of goals and/or resolutions?
Personally, I’m a huge fan, but, unlike many people, I don’t mind if I don’t get everything crossed off my list. I’ve recently learned that there are those of us who like to create a list of goals—even if we don’t accomplish all of them.
That probably sounds strange—maybe even crazy—to some of you. I was, however, glad to find out I wasn’t alone in this.
And now that we’re at the end of the second quarter of 2023, it’s time for those of us who like making lists and setting quarterly goals to create our list for Q3.
Below is a high-level look at my list. Hopefully it will give you some ideas as to what to include on your own list—if you choose to create one that is.
Spiritual Goals
I have a number of goals in this area that include reading, memory work, study, and prayer—as well as connecting with other believers regularly.
Health Goals
I want to eat better, walk more, and do more resistance training than I have been. I may even use some of the subscriptions I signed up for—maybe. While I would like to lose a significant amount of weight, the most important thing is to get as healthy as I can.
Editing Goals
I want to stay caught up with my clients’ work and complete recurring tasks early in the month so I’m not frantically trying to get them done during the last week of the month.
Writing Goals
I would love to complete the first draft of the memoir I’m coauthoring and get back to writing the YA speculative fiction and study on the gospel of John that I’ve been working on sporadically.
Reading Goals
I am doing more reading, both fiction and nonfiction, and loving it. I hope to read for pleasure pretty much every day.
Hometending Goals
Since we’re planning to move in two and a half or three years, it’s time to do some serious decluttering and deep cleaning. (We’ve been in our current home for over 20 years.)
Other Responsibilities
I have other responsibilities that I want to accomplish to the best of my abilities. I also want to exercise wisdom when it comes to taking on and laying aside these and other responsibilities/opportunities.
Homegoing Goals
This is not about being morbid; it’s about being prepared. At 62, I realize it will be much easier on my family if I assemble all the info they need in a convenient location should the Lord call me home. It would also be good if I got rid of the things I no longer want to keep, things I know would just prove burdensome if left for them to deal with. And since I put the “pro” in PROcrastination, I figured I best get started on this now—even though I may still have decades of life on this planet.
How about you? Do you make quarterly goals? Do you prioritize those that are most important so you will work on them before others that are on the Would Be Nice List?
Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography
As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.
When I have an unavoidable but overwhelming task to accomplish, too often I choose to procrastinate and put it off for another time—sometimes, years in the future.
Overwhelming Task #1: Preparing to Downsize and Move Out of the Province
In three years or so, my hubby will have retired, and we plan to relocate. After living in our home for over 25 years, that will not be an easy task. (Not to mention the fact that our home was over 100 years old when we moved in. Let’s just say there’s lots of work to do to get it ready to sell.)
Overwhelming Task #2: Making Healthier Choices
Unfortunately, just because I used to be a personal trainer and actually enjoy exercise and eating healthy foods doesn’t mean I don’t make poor choices too often, planning to do better tomorrow.
Overwhelming Task #3: Buckling Down and Actually Writing
One day in the not-too-distant future, I would like to be bringing in a decent income from indie published books. (That means writing, publishing, and marketing said books, however.)
What’s on your Procrastination List (aka Your Overwhelming Tasks List)?
What with our day-to-day responsibilities and volunteer obligations, it’s no wonder our ultimate goals can prove overwhelming. What can we do to break them down into more bite-sized goals that propel us in the right direction?
Let’s take my writing goal as an example.
Let’s say in 20 years I want to have at least 30 books out in the world. That’s a very achievable goal if I break it down into smaller tasks.
I can see myself writing a book a year for 10 years and two books a year for the following decade, Lord willing.
Thankfully, I have a head start on a number of those manuscripts. In fact, I have several children’s picture book manuscripts on my computer that I could make available in the next couple of years. I also have a series of devotionals on the gospel of John that I’ve begun to rework for publication. The two novels I have begun are each the first in a series, and writing a series is one of the best ways to develop a readership.
So, what can I do to get my manuscripts to the next stage?
Picture Books
Hire an illustrator and research print on demand. Although it’s possible to make children’s books available as ebooks, I prefer to make them available as physical books only, preferably hardcovers, but I’ll have to do my research on that one.
Devotionals
As I see it, I have two choices: 1) rework each devotional to conform with reader expectations or 2) expand what I have into more of a fleshed-out Bible study.
Christian Women’s Fiction
It has been years since I looked at the story I began approximately a decade ago, but I still like the premise and the idea of creating a Hard Choices series. For now, this book will remain on the back burner, but I haven’t given up on it.
YA Spec Fiction
I’m in the midst of re-reading and tweaking what I’ve already written. At 45,000 words, I’m approximately half done. So, completing the first draft is Step 1, which is possible in approximately three months if I stick with it.
I have the resources I need. I have connections to several successful indie authors. Plus, I have access to a plethora of books, podcasts, and FB groups that lay out how to self-publish a book.
While making these plans doesn’t ensure that I will accomplish my long-range goals, it does give me a starting point. And the first step I plan to take is to complete the first draft of my YA speculative fiction novel.
How about you? What project have you been putting off that you can take a step toward accomplishing today?
Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography
As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.
