#annikasteelewrites

thanks @hecckyeah

Last song: Sam Steele ... Fire on Fire

Last movie: Crazy Rich Asians

Currently reading: Lance Hunter/Bobbi Morse fanfic #huntingbird

Currently watching: TFATWS

Currently craving: good milk chocolate dipped in crunchy peanut butter

Just a reminder that creativity sometimes means taking a break to figure out why your plot/painting/sculpture/coding/essay/thingyoulovetodo just isn’t working.

I smacked straight into a brick wall on a story and spent months trying to write my way out of it. I wrote notes, outlined, wrote story arcs. But I knew it wasn’t working and I was  still stuck in the same spot of not being able to figure out how to get from point A where I was and point B where I needed to be. 

I put it down and picked it back up again, never letting myself get distracted and doing all the things a Good Artist is supposed to do. It wasn’t working. 

And then something else grabbed my attention. I starting writing something completely different that is purely my catnip and has been so much fun to write and I dove in for six solid weeks. Didn’t give the original story even a glance during that time. The new thing is on its way to being wrapped up and it’s been ages since I’ve written anything that fast or complete. Yay. 

But ... I started thinking about the brick wall story. 

It took me about five minutes of day-dreaming about plot and character arcs to go... OH. 

I already had all the pieces in place. I even alluded to it in one part of the story. 

I wasn’t doing it wrong, This story is insanely complicated and I was exhausted from trying to make it work and couldn’t see the answer when it was already there on paper. 

So ... take a break. 

Do something fun, something you know you can do well to remind you why you love doing what you do. 

My new story “Melting Hearts” is a part of this new Weird and Wonderful Holiday Romance Anthology! I mean .... who has heard of Snowman Burning Day!  

Pre-order link is up for Specter!  This was published last year as a part of the “Tempting Treats” Anthology. I’ve expanded it and it’s available now as a stand-alone short story.