BLOCKED!: Powering Through Writer's Block by Sydney St. Claire #TWRP #erotic fairy tales

As a writer, I’ve dealt with that horrible thing called Writer’s Block. For me, though, if I can’t move forward in a book, it’s usually because something is not right with what I have written. This is especially true when I first start a book. In the past, I’ve been stalled while my subconscious mind works out what is wrong, where it’s wrong, and how to fix things.

Or maybe I don’t know where I’m going. Sure, I have outlines and a synopsis but perhaps I’m not sure how to get from point A to point B. Again, my mind needs to percolate on the story. Eventually it hits like a bolt of lightning and I’m off and writing again.

The trouble with the two above scenarios for me is a lack of production and efficiency in my writing. Writing is a business and I hate that the “creative juices” overtake the “business manager.” I’ve been known to be stalled for weeks while waiting for my mind to figure out what the heck it needs to move forward.

A year ago, I came upon the solution. It’s called Power Writing and it has powered my writing through what I think of as my diva writer’s tantrums. I no longer accept or put up with my mind’s desire to “percolate” or “let the solutions just come to me” habit.

I have a group of writer friends who were doing what they called Power Hour writing and I was invited to join. They write for one hour. A conference call is made, everyone states their current word count or if they are in edit mode, state their page count (no chatter). Then we hang up and write for one hour. No interruptions, no social media, no research. This hour is to write and rack up those word or page counts.

Here’s what Power Writing is involves:

The rules are simple: write for one hour.

Write down your current word count (scene/chapter/document).

No interruptions allowed.

No stopping to research allowed.

No going on the internet to check facts allowed.

No distractions period.

No checking email, Facebook, twitter, or other social media allowed.

No phone calls allowed.

Write. Write. Write. THIS IS SO SIMPLE.

Warn your family that you are taking an hour—JUST ONE HOUR—to write.

If you write with other writers, at the start of the hour, conference in everyone and state your current word count for your chapter or document. Those in edit mode state page goals.

NO CHATTER ALLOWED IF YOU DO THIS WITH OTHERS. SHARE CURRENT WORD COUNT OR PAGE COUNT GOALS ONLY.

The idea is to empower your mind and just write.

My first session I was just starting a new book and thought I’d have to outline my book or at least plan it out a bit. Didn’t even have a synopsis. I only knew the heroine’s name. She’d been a traumatized child in an earlier book and I knew she had a grandfather who might look for her. But I reminded myself that the purpose was to write so I took the plunge. Pulled the hero’s name from thin air and wrote a scene between him and the heroine’s grandfather. To my shock, I got six hundred words in that hour and I never had to change what I wrote. It was a solid start to the book!

I’ve been doing this for a year now and cannot believe the results. I have not had a single bit of downtime. The tantrums are gone; the Diva has been put in her place. Of course, there are times when I don’t feel like writing or times when I’m too tired physically or mentally, but no writer’s block or that equally scary “what the hell am I doing. I don’t need days or weeks to figure out what comes next. I am able to power my way though. That book I started, a 90k word book, was finished in in eight weeks!

It’s almost as though my mind already knows what it needs to know and when you demand that it sit and produce for that hour, it does so. As I take breaks between these power hours, my mind is subconsciously already working out the next scene and the next chapter so when I sit to write, we are off and running.

The other great benefit is my production is way up! This is ultimately a business and career and there is no downtime to pander to the creative me. The CEO is in charge! Here is what I’ve accomplished in a year:

July/August wrote White Christmas approx. 90k words. Starting last December, I began writing erotica novellas (30k words each). Dec. to present end of July) I’ve written 8 novellas. That’s like 2 2/3’s full-length books in seven months! I don’t know about you, but that is a huge jump in my writing output. If my schedule goes as planned, by the end of December I will have written an additional 7-8 novellas, my contracted books, and the work for hire I’ve been doing to earn money now! Yes, that’s almost two a month for the remainder of the year (5 months)

I could never have done this without the discovery of Power Writing.

(Note: To read my original post on Power Writing, go to my Sydney St. Claire blog.)

Title: Cinderella & Prince Dom

Publisher:  Wild Rose Press: Wilder Roses

Date Published: September 12 2014

Genre: Erotica

Word Count: 28,000

 

Jaimie Newberry is jobless, her rent is due, and her cat just died. On top of that, she was accused of embezzling before she was fired. When her friend invites her for a weekend of kinky fairytale role-playing, she agrees to go as Cinderella. What has she got to lose when sex with a handsome prince is involved? 

CEO Bryce Langston needs to know if Jamie is innocent of embezzlement or just very clever. He arranges for her to be his weekend sub but soon realizes the pretty scullery maid is naïve to the BDSM lifestyle. As her prince and her Dom, he intends to not only learn the truth but to make sure she has a fantasy come true.

Cinderella & Prince Dom will be available worldwide at sites including Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and Wild Rose Press-Erotica line (Wilderroses.com)

Excerpt:

Bryce spotted Cinderella entering the parlor below. The ruffles of her skirt swirled playfully around slender thighs, and the low cut of her simple top revealed a nice swell of breasts. Deep inside, anticipation hummed. Annie had been gone five years now, and while he hadn’t been celibate during those long years, he hadn’t participated in the games he hosted either. This would be his first.

And only because he needed to know the truth.

Jaimie had uncovered an embezzling ring in one of his accounting firms. Her boss implicated her, but as he’d found out, the man himself had proved to be a liar, and the leader in the group of employees caught.

Lucy, his personal assistant, swore Jaimie was innocent. The fact Jaimie had blown the whistle lent her story credence, as did the files she gave Lucy to give to him. He’d hired auditors. Everyone believed she was innocent. But he wouldn’t know until he spoke to her. A study of her employment files indicated the woman was smart. She could easily have done what she did to make herself look innocent and then gotten out before being caught.

 “Does it matter if she is as guilty as the others?”

Bryce nodded. “Yes. No one steals from me.” Determining Jaimie’s level of involvement was unfinished business. Was his Cinderella truly innocent, or had she been framed? He needed to know for sure.

Glorie laughed low in her throat. “My, your little playmate looks ready to bolt, and it’s not even midnight.”

Bryce narrowed his eyes. Glorie was right. Jaimie was staring at some of the costumes with mouth agape. He couldn’t see her eyes but imagined they were wide with shock. Even from where he stood, he could see her face was flushed with embarrassment. She took a big gulp of her champagne then grabbed Lucy by the arm. Though he couldn’t hear the conversation, it was clear his sub was having serious doubts.

Rocking back on his heels, he grinned. From the questionnaire, he knew Jaimie was new to this world, and he was looking looked forward to introducing her to some light BDSM.

Author Bio:

Sydney St. Claire is the pseudonym of Susan Edwards, author of 14 Historical Native American/Western/Paranormal romances and the author of the popular “White” Series.

Sydney loves writing and sharing stories of love, happiness and dreams come true with her readers. She credits her mother for her writing success. Encouraged to read as a child, she always preferred happy endings which meant romances were her favorite genre. Sydney takes her readers into the world of erotica romance where her characters come together in explosive passion as they solve life’s problems and find true love along with the best sex our hero and heroine have ever experienced.

Sydney’s office is quite crowded with three dogs at her feet and five cats to keep her company while she writes. Three cats always insist on beds on her desk, barely leaving enough room for her monitor and keyboard. Life gets fun when all five insist on supervising…

When not writing, she enjoys crafts of all sorts including quilting, sewing, cross-stitch, and knitting. She and her husband of 30 + years are avid gardeners. He takes care of the veggies, and Susan is in charge of the ‘pretties’. Her medicine wheel garden is in a contact state of war: flowers vs. weeds. Sadly, right now the weeds are wining…

While writing, she listens to a wide variety of music. Her current favorites are Blackmore’s Night and David Lanz.

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Cinderella & Prince Dom is book one in my new Once Upon a Dom series. Book two, Red & The Big Bad Dom will be out in November followed by Snow & Her Huntsman early 2015. Beauty, Rapunzel and Wendy will make their appearances in 2015.