Return of the Save the Cat Novel Workshop!

Attention, writers!!! Back by popular demand (I've always wanted to say that!), I'm doing another SAVE THE CAT Novel-Writing Beat Sheet Workshop!


I was thrilled when the kind people over at Blake Snyder Enterprises (publishers of the SAVE THE CAT books and software) asked me to teach another class. And of course, I said yes!


The workshop is two-days in Los Angeles, CA and takes place over the weekend of March 3rd and 4th.


All the details, including price and what you will learn can be found here: http://www.blakesnyder.com/services/novel-writing-beat-sheet-workshop/

And if you have absolutely NO idea what I'm talking about and are thinking to yourself, "Save the WHAT?", then let me fill you in:


I owe my entire novel-writing career to Save the Cat! A book series by the genius Blake Snyder about how to outline any story in the world. He calls his trusty "formula," the "Blake Snyder Beat Sheet", and it consists of 15 "beats" (or story points) that fit into pretty much any movie ever made. And I've adapted them to novels to help me outline all my books. Since starting to use the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet, I've sold nine novels. Yep...NINE! I don't think that's a coincidence! Now, I never start writing another book until I've got my trusted 15 beats in place. 


And during this two-day workshop, I'm going to teach you exactly how I do it!


Basically it works like this: you come to the workshop with an idea for your next novel (all genres welcome!), the group  spends the next two days working through the 15 beats of each of your ideas, and by the end of the weekend, you have a sturdy (unbeatable!) outline to start writing your book with! 


Space is extremely limited. There are only SIX spots open for this class. So ACT FAST! 


Oh, and if you want to read the beat sheet for THE KARMA CLUB that I published on Blake Snyder's blog, click here!


Hope to see you there! Happy writing, writers!


Jessica

Tips for Writers: Writing in Public

 I used to be one of those writers who could only write at home. Shut up in my office, lights low, door closed, windows shut—a make-shift cocoon. Because I required complete silence and isolation. But I became frustrated that I couldn’t be one of those cool writers you see in coffee shops and cafes, sitting at their laptops with a cappuccino on one side and a yummy pastry on the other. Plus, I also found that being able to write only in my home was extremely limiting to my overall mobility as an author.

But then, about three years ago, I discovered the magic solution. Well, at least it was magic for me. Because now I barely ever write at home. I write everywhere. Coffee shops, cafés, restaurants, airports, airplanes. The world is my writing oyster. So I hope in sharing my little magic tip, that other writers may be able to come out of their cocoons as well and experience the joys of writing in public.

So…are you ready for it? Are you sure? It’s pretty life-altering. And yet, so simple. It’s called “White Noise Meditation.” Which is really just a music track of white noise. I play it on repeat in iTunes, stick in my little noise canceling ear buds, crank up the static and voila! I am safe in my “virtual” cocoon, yet still out in the world like a normal human being! The noise blocks out all distractions and actually helps me focus. To the point where I don’t even write at home any more without my white noise track playing. 

I actually use a track called “10 Hz Alpha Relaxation and Learning” by “White Noise Meditation”. It has an extra special technology embedded in it called “Holosyncing.” You might have heard of it before. Basically holosyncing is the science of “syncing” your brain waves to vibrate at a certain frequency. In this case, the frequency is one of “relaxation and learning,” helping me to concentrate on my writing even more. The waves are buried deep below a constant waterfall sound, making them undetectable. And the overall effect is awesome. After having written three books listening to the same 10 minute track over and over again, my brain has ultimately been trained to go into writing mode when it hears that track. So it ends up keeping me motivated to write as well. A double whammy!

So here’s another tip, if you see me out in public, wearing those magic headphones, I wouldn’t try talking to me. Chances are, I’ll be too “zoned” to even notice your there, let alone hear you!

Best of luck, writers!

*Originally published on Linda Gerber's Author Blog as part of "Writing Tip Tuesday" http://lindagerber.blogspot.com

Tips for Writers: How to Trick Your Brain into Writing

Writers are very good at coming up with clever ways to procrastinate. Ask any writer and they’ll immediately recite off the top of their head five useless things that they can easily do every morning before tackling that looming daily word count. Which is why I’m always trying to come up with new ways to trick myself into writing…as opposed to out of it.

Over the years, I’ve found that I tend to write most efficiently and quickly when I’m “in the zone.” Meaning when I’m fully focused on writing, the rest of the world has disappeared, and it’s just me and the story. But as a full-time writer with tight deadlines, I can’t always count on that zone to just magically appear and for me to just magically fall into it. For most writers I’ve spoken to (myself included), the “zone” seems to be this far-off fantastical place (like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow) and we’re lucky if we happen to stumble upon it once in a blue moon (and always when we’re not looking for it) let alone every day.

Obviously that’s not the most effective way to write a novel…waiting around for a fantastical place that may or may not exist. So throughout the course of my six years working as a full-time author, I’ve come up with several methods that I use to literally “trick” myself into the zone. It may not be as wonderful as the real thing, but it’s worked for me. So I’ve decided to share. Here are my top three favorite:

1. Location! Location! Location!

Reserve a place in your house or a local favorite coffee shop that is designated for writing and writing ONLY. Nothing else can be done there. No emailing. No Facebooking. No TV watching. Just writing. (Oh and cell phones should ALWAYS be turned off in this space). It can be a spare bedroom that’s rarely used, a small fold up table in the corner, or even a linen closet! But it has to be RESERVED for writing. After a few days, just entering that space will automatically jump start your brain into writing mode. You’ll feel less prone to procrastinate because your mind and body will know it’s time to work. If you need to take a quick break, LEAVE the space and come back only when you’re ready to write again. Don’t take email or twitter breaks in your sacred space, only write there.

Living in LA, I don’t have a huge house with idle bedrooms to spare, so I use a coffee shop down the street from my house. I never go there with friends. I never go there just to read the paper. I ONLY go there to write! Now, the moment I step foot in there, I’m instantly in work mode.

2. The Magic of Food (and Beverages)

Along the same lines, I will always eat and drink the same thing during the course of writing a book. When writing MY LIFE UNDECIDED, every morning for three months I would eat the same two mini brioches and a cup of coffee while I wrote. And I never ate this UNLESS I was writing. This further helps in getting your brain into writing mode. Not only are you in your little writing “sanctuary” but now you’re eating your writing food. Your mind is tricked into thinking it’s time to write! And it is. It doesn’t matter what food it is, just make sure you only eat it when it’s time to write. And don’t cheat and start chowing while you’re finishing up that email to your mother! All other windows should be closed and your manuscript should be open on your screen and ready to be tackled before you take that first bite!

I also have a rule that I only drink coffee when I’m writing. Not when I’m blogging, emailing or doing any other work-related things (I usually drink tea then). Only when I’m chipping away at my word count do I allow myself a cup of joe. So now my mind automatically associates the caffeine buzz from coffee with working. And I get so much more done that way.

3. The (Artificial) Ticking Time Bomb

This third one, I actually found out the hard way. When writing MY LIFE UNDECIDED, I had this old laptop that only had three hours of battery life on it…tops! And my writing café doesn’t have any plugs. So I had exactly three hours to get my word count done or I was done. (Or rather my computer was.) This ended up really helping me focus. Every time I would feel inclined to check email or surf the net, a little voice in the back of my head would chime in (or maybe it was just the ticking clock of my battery) and say, “No, no. You only have 2.5 hours left!” This forced me to focus on writing and nothing else. So I encourage you to leave your plug at home. Or even in another room of your house. It may take a few drained batteries (and zero progress on your book) or your brain to catch on, but pretty soon, you’ll train yourself to write more efficiently and with less pointless procrastination breaks on the internet. Because when you’re “in the zone” there is nothing else. The internet doesn’t exist. Email is a foreign concept. And anyone who lives outside of the world of your book is forgotten. So the key is to do your best to emulate that state.

And voilà! Those are my top three “mind tricks” for getting into writing mode. If you’re having trouble getting your butt in the chair and finishing your novel, try one or all of these and see if they help you as much as they help me. The first book I wrote employing all three of these tricks was MY LIFE UNDECIDED which releases next month and I finished writing it in 3 months (writing only 3 hours a day). And for me that was proof enough that it worked.

Good luck and keep writing!