Writing tips

Affirmations and aspirations

The life of a writer, Writing tips / Leave a Comment / By

Affirmations shall not be underrated in one’s life. Below I share the ones I do my best to live by since years back. I saved the list from somewhere a long time ago, and now I cannot find or remember who wrote it originally. If you know, please enlighten me so I can give credit.

Find inspiration in this or write your own list to provide guidance in your life.

  1. There are people in this world that would die for me.
  2. There are people in this world I would die for.
  3. The truth will set me free. I will never lie.
  4. People are not mind readers. I must never hesitate to tell someone how I feel.
  5. Mistakes happen. I must learn from my mistakes and the mistakes of others.
  6. Life is short and people are not perfect. I will forgive myself. I will forgive others.
  7. My smile brings happiness to the world around me.
  8. There is nobody else exactly like me, with my exact abilities, talents, and ideas.
  9. I can help myself by helping those around me first.
  10. The people I care about deserve to know it. I will show them how much they mean to me on a regular basis.
  11. I will accept compliments and criticism openly and make educated decisions based on a weighted sum of the two.
  12. Information is infinite. There are ideas, products and cultures I do not yet understand. I will always keep an open mind to new formulas.
  13. I am in competition with one person, and one person only… myself. I am competing to be the best I can be.
  14. True wisdom is the byproduct of life experience. I will seek as many real world experiences as possible.
  15. Education involves self-imposed discipline. I can only learn if I want to learn. I want to learn.
  16. I will treat everyone with the same level of respect I would give to my grandfather and the same level of patience I would have with my baby brother.
  17. I am what I eat. My body is a machine that must be fueled properly if I intend to make it last.
  18. I will think before I act, but I will always act.
  19. I will try new things for the sake of broadening my horizons.
  20. I will never be reckless with another person’s feelings.
  21. I will never let someone persist on being reckless with my feelings.
  22. The three most important things in my life are my health, my family and friends, and my education. Everything else is secondary.
  23. I will celebrate my successes. I deserve it.
  24. Money will only make my life easier if it is mine free and clear.
  25. If I wake up several mornings in a row and hate what I am about to do with my day, I will make a change. Life is too short.
  26. I will never be jealous. Jealously only deteriorates possibility.
  27. My attitude can change my reality.
  28. If I want to remember it, I will write it down in a trusted location.
  29. I will never spend more than I have.
  30. I will thank the people who have helped me, and I will return the favor as soon as I am able.
  31. I will never complain about a problem. I will supply a solution instead.
  32. I will listen more than I speak.
  33. If I don’t know, I will ask questions.
  34. Everything is nothing without happiness. I must do what makes me happy.
  35. I will never succumb to greed. Enough is enough.
  36. Time is precious. I will manage my time effectively.
  37. Right now is the only guaranteed moment in my life. I will make the best of it.
  38. I will stand firm by my values without senselessly promoting them.
  39. I will never over-promise. I will over-deliver on everything I commit to.
  40. I will always assess the situation and provide value where needed.
  41. I cannot make someone love me. I can only be someone who can be loved.
  42. I will always strive to be the best I can be, but I will never try to be someone I’m not.
  43. I will always articulate my words so people understand me.
  44. I will slow down and become conscious of life’s simple pleasures.
  45. Everything I do is by choice. There is always another option.
  46. Less is more. I will get rid of the stuff I do not use.
  47. If I never try, I will never know.
  48. I will face my fears. I will not cower.
  49. My habits define my life.
  50. I will always take ownership of my actions, or my actions will own me.
  51. I will never make decisions in a state of emotional haste.
  52. If I don’t finish what I start, my success rate will always be zero.

That’s all for now,
hej så länge!

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Defining fantasy and rhetoric strategies

Paranormal romance novels, Writing tips / Leave a Comment / By

Yesterday, I attended a seminar for grasping the complexity of the fantasy genre, led by Malin Alkestrand (PhD in literature, Linnaeus University). We discussed fantasy vs. the fantastic literature, how we can truly define fantasy literature, what ingredients make up a fantasy novel and much more.

But you’re a romance writer, how come you’re interested in this?

Two answers to that;

  1. As a writer you READ. A lot. You read both within your own genre and – I know, take a deep breath – you read other genres too.
  2. My work in progress Kilonova Blues is a paranormal romance, mainly built around elements of the religious myth of fallen angels.

I’d like to share some insights I got at this seminar and begin with what characterizes fantasy literature:

  • The writer introduces magic in some form.
  • There’s a comic rather than tragic structure to the story, most importantly a bright and happy ending, in contrast to the tragedy where most people die (think Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet).
  • The readers get to experience a distance from the real world in which they live.
  • The Myth Pot – the writer gathers inspiration from various myths, tales, sagas, legends etc. and creates a story with a new twist.

We also discussed four rhetoric strategies for fantasy, originally elaborated by Farah Mendlesohn, which the writer can choose from while building a fantasy story:

  1. Portal-quest fantasy
    – The protagonist enters a portal, taking her/him to a magic world.
    – This magic world can be either physical or mental, i.e. the protagonist can either enter a physical portal or undertake some sort of mental transportation from the known to the unknown. This transition can occur from a world with no magic to a world with magic OR – from a world with magic to another world with magic built upon another set of rules.
    – The reader gets to know the world parallel with the protagonist.
    – The protagonist sets out on a quest.
    Writing tip: Let the protagonist discover the new world together with the reader, and present the new and exciting from an astonished and at times critical point of view.
  2. Intrusive fantasy
    – Magic penetrates the normal world where the protagonist has lived hers/his whole life under “normal” circumstances until he/she comes in contact with the supernatural.
    – Neither the protagonist nor the readers ever get comfortable with the story’s supernatural features.
    Writing tip: Keep a clear distance to the magic, it can never feel safe and comfy. Keep the mystery of the supernatural alive.
  3. Immersive fantasy
    – There is only ONE world, the magic one, and the protagonist is born and raised there.
    – The protagonist is comfortable with her/his environment and hence there is not much detailed explanation of the supernatural.
    – The readers are placed on the protagonist’s shoulder, experiencing the magic through the eyes of the protagonist.
    Writing tip: Avoid explaining the magic to the readers. Do you have to explain something? Let an older character explain it to a younger who doesn’t fully understand which rules applies.
  4. Liminal fantasy
    – Balances the thin line of what is possible/impossible in our world.
    – The protagonist sees something (whatever it is, e.g. a man seemingly unaffected by the axe placed in the back of his head) as completely normal, played out in what’s described as the normal world, while the reader sees it as supernatural.
    – The writer doesn’t elaborate on whether it’s supernatural or not, but simply leaves it to the readers to decide and come to their own conclusions.
    Writing tip: Explain absolutely nothing. Do not categorize events as natural/supernatural. Leave everything open for interpretation.

Interesting, right? I love to learn new stuff.

Now I’m off to let my beloved cousin know I’m attending her wedding in South Africa this December, then I’m headed for a weekend in the Stockholm archipelago.

Nice and lovely, huh?

Not so much. I’m attending a three-day workshop, day and night, in self-defense (Krav Maga) to learn how to fight off rapists alongside forty other women. It’ll be intense not only physically, but mentally, and I’ve tried to prepare for weeks. I’ll tell you all about it in next week’s blog post.

That’s all for now,
hej så länge!

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Early summer and touching the reader

Writing tips / 2 Comments / By

I can’t even begin to describe the beautiful past few days we’ve had in Sweden! All I can say is we skipped spring and jumped straight into summer. I don’t mind. I’ve moved my work station to the balcony and there I sit, editing with soft reggae in the background, the warm sunrays caressing my skin.

This week I’ve been working on apostrophes, quotation marks and switching out frequently recurring words. Today I’ll standardize the e-mails, time and dates, and tomorrow I’ll begin rephrasing sentences containing filter words. It’s no walk in the park to write a book! But how lovely it is to see it grow and evolve.

One thing I’m anxious and concerned about, writing my debut novel and all, is my ability to make the reader connect with the characters. They live in my heart, therefore I know them, but how do I know if you as a reader will too? I suppose this is a question all writers struggle with at one point or another.

This week I thought I’d share five tips on how to make the reader identify with your characters. It’s taken from a Swedish handbook in writing released last year, called “Fängsla dina läsare – väck spänning och berör på djupet” (Captivate your readers – evoke suspense and touch in-depth), written by Catrine Tollström.

Here it goes:

  1. Everyone can relate to existential problems. Sooner or later, we’re faced with issues of freedom vs. dependency, life’s perishability and the existential loneliness of the human.
  2. Who doesn’t want to dream away and be the hero or heroine once in a while? Most people enjoy looking up to main characters. However, don’t forget that even your super cool role model needs to be vulnerable. A person who’s only rich and good-looking can easily appear rather empty and become difficult to relate to. Which demons, fears and sorrows does the person carry inside? Do you want to depict the unhappiness masked behind the upper-class family’s shiny facade? Then you might have to work harder to gain sympathy.
  3. Move your readers through evoking vicarious feelings. Maybe the heroine in your humor manuscript is making such a fool of herself that the reader will want to hold a pillow in front of the book. The heroine herself won’t notice. In this case, it’s the character’s way of acting that moves the reader.
  4. It’s easy to keep your fingers crossed for the underdog. Of course we want the car enthusiast who’s fought the hardest to win the desert rally in the novel we’re reading. Especially since she doesn’t have the financial assets needed to get herself the equipment her competitors have. When they laugh at her, we find ourselves even more on her side.
  5. Touch through characteristics easy to relate to. Your super hero might be good at most things, but terrible at saying no. Of course, this results in a series of fun or serious consequences in the plot.

(Tollström 2017, p. 39-40)

Hope this gave you a new idea or two!

That’s all for now,
hej så länge!

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Steamy scenes and cheat days

The life of a writer, Writing tips / Leave a Comment / By

How do you get in the right mindset for writing or editing steamy scenes? Mine is spelled WINE and NUTELLA.

Can not get enough.

Most of you will gasp in horror and shake your head at my ignorance, but I do actually prefer a glass of cold, crispy white wine over that favorite rich red one of yours. I need to grow up, I know, but I’m not turning thirty until next week so give me a break and let me stall it for a little while longer.

My current favorite is the organic “Crudo” from Sicily (Italy). The taste’s described as “fruity, youthful, flowery with slight sweetness, notes of pear, peach, mandarin, honeydew melon and elder berry”. As you can see – a complete winner (for your tastebuds, not your editor).

Crudo White Wine

I’ve mentioned in an earlier blog post that one of my best tips for writing steamy scenes is to become the characters, to feel what they feel (check it out here). I’ve also suggested that you throw all thoughts of who’s going to read what you’re writing straight out the window. Thinking about your mother-in-law will kill your creative process. No, in a matter of fact, it’ll slaughter it, cut it to pieces and feed it to the pigs. You get what I’m trying to say.

Become the characters. Period.

But I do have a few other suggestions:

  • Do have some wine. It’s Monday afternoon, so what? At one time in history, someone joked “write drunk, edit sober” (often wrongly cited to Hemingway; he was known to have a drink or two, but no researchers have ever found him writing or saying this), but there’s some wisdom to it. If your mind’s spinning with everyday tasks, children, finances, relationships etc., it can be difficult to tune in to that more sensual side. Apart from that it’s so darned delicious, a glass of wine can also help you relax a bit and ease you into that sensuality.
  • Snack it up! Sure, we want to be healthy and get all of that right nutrition and everything, but while you’re having a glass of wine anyway – why not pair it with your favorite snack? Mine happen to be as sinful as Nutella, but I don’t know, for someone it might be a piece of celery……..
  • Music, people. Music. Let me share what’s on in the background as I’m setting my mind right for the task:
    TiO – ZAYN
    I Got You (I Feel Good) – Jessie J
    Dusk till Dawn (Luca Lush Remix) – ZAYN
    I Put a Spell on You (Fifty Shades of Grey) – Annie Lennox
    Ride (feat. Macy Maloy) – Chase Rice
    Te Siento – Wisin & Yandel
    Bad Things – Machine Gun Kelly
    Strip it Down – Luke Bryan
    Slow Hands – Niall Horan
    All Night Long – Gabriel Antonio

Good luck – and keep it steamy.

That’s all for now,
hej så länge!

front nutella wine

side Nutella wine

up Nutella wine

nutella

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Weekdays and Writing Routine

Writing tips / Leave a Comment / By

What does a writer have to do to get work done?

Well, I’d say the answer to that question highly varies depending on who you ask. Most people would simply say WRITE.

And I agree.

But you know how your bicycle runs so much easier after you’ve pumped new air into the tires? Low air pressure can cause flats and damage both the tires and rims, not to mention how it slows you down and forces you to pedal so much harder.

After being close to hit the wall on two occasions within four years, I’ve been forced to find a routine which includes small breaks, the right nutrition and time to refuel my soul. Of course, this is so much easier now as I’m writing full time and can plan my days as I see fit, but with small adjustments, I’m sure it could work just about anywhere.

There are five cornerstones to my writing routine which helps keep my brain, body and soul on track:

  1. Good food
  2. Writing
  3. Scheduled breaks
  4. Physical exercise
  5. Rest

Let’s start with the food.

  • I start every day with a glass of lukewarm lemon/ginger water. Why? I want to stay healthy and keep the colds off. Ginger suppresses inflammation and lemon boosts the immune system. Why lukewarm? It’s kinder to the stomach. Our body enzymes work best at a temperature of 37–42⁰C, and when we drink cold water, the process of warming up the cold liquid uses unnecessary energy.
    .
  • A light breakfast’s accompanied with a maximum of two cups of coffee (that’s IT for the day – we don’t want too much of that caffeine) and some vitamins. Which vitamins you take should be based on what your body lacks. What nutrition do you get through your food? What do YOU eat? Always look at the food first and see if there’s a way to change that before taking extra vitamins.
    .
    – I’m taking Omega-3. Why? I hardly eat any fish, I don’t like it, and I need that fat. The membrane surrounding the braincells use it to make connections between braincells as smooth as possible. With bad connection, it’s harder for us to remember stuff. A deficit of Omega-3 forces the brain to use other fats, lowering the brain’s overall performance. And you wouldn’t want that now, would you writer?- I’m also taking Zink. Why? Zink is an antagonist to cortisol (known as the stress hormone). Cortisol is naturally high in the mornings, which by the way is why you don’t want to exercise this time of day and trigger the exudation even more. High levels of cortisol during a long period of time is one big, physical factor for people crashing into that famous wall.- D-vitamin. YES! Do you know how little the sun is shining in Sweden? And that even when it shines, we’re so far away from it that it’s almost impossible for our skin to produce D-vitamin? We do get enough sun during the summer months, but even though the body stores D-vitamin, our stocks are usually empty right before Christmas.
    But why do we need it? It’s easier to say why we don’t need it – there is no reason why we don’t need it. It does everything from strengthening the skeleton and teeth to helping us avoid depression. Aim for at least 50 μg per day, even if most public recommendations are considerably lower.

    – B-vitamins. Why? A deficit of B-vitamins can cause memory disturbances and depression. Especially important for your mood is B6.

    – Magnesium. Why? It’s a mineral that fights inflammation in your body, and studies have found there’s a correlation between inflammation and depression. It also helps the muscles relax and assists a good sleep, which is why I take it right before bed in the evening.

  • I eat six times a day. Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. HEALTHY SNACKS (smoothies, carrots, crispbread). Lunch and dinner are often different lentil soups or variations of woks on quorn or oumph.

Let me hand you the recipe of my favorite smoothie, packed with energy and good nutrition. Easy as a pancake and quick to make.

  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 3 dl pomegranate juice
  • 1 teaspoon of honey
  • 1 teaspoon of chia seeds
  • 1 dl frozen berries (such as blueberries or raspberries)

ingredients

close up berries

close up avocado

mixer

smoothie

Moving on to writing. When I write, I write. Simple as that. I’m completely focused on the task ahead of me.

Next, scheduled breaks. I begin working at 9 in the morning. My first 15 minute break comes at 10:30 (then I make the lovely smoothie above!). Lunch at 13:00 (roughly 30 minutes). Next 15 minute break at 15:30. At 18:00 I wrap it up for the day. Errrrrdamnday from Monday-Friday.

Physical exercise! Yes! I jog four times a week, 3-6 km depending on the mood. I need this. Everybody needs this. Maybe not jogging, but anything which gets the blood pumping FOR ANOTHER REASON THAN THOSE STEAMY SCENES YOU’RE WRITING. Just saying.

The final part of my writing routine is REST. I don’t write on the weekends. Saturdays and Sundays are days off for me. Well, to tell the truth my mind is spinning with ideas and things I need to do anyway, but I stay away from the computer. I try to focus on other stuff, experiencing life in all its simplicity and wonders, to gather inspiration and plant seeds for next week’s work. I’m also strict on sleeping eight hours per night. Any less leaves my head like a mushroom for the entire next day.

Oh my God this girl has such a boring life, can she even write romance? If this thought’s popped up in your mind, I invite you to take a closer look at Kilonova Blues eventually, and see for yourself… 😉

That’s all for now,
hej så länge!

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Filter words and the Chinese bamboo

Writing tips / Leave a Comment / By

WHEN is spring coming?! I’m probably not the only one going crazy waiting for winter to fade away. My writing company for the day are the lovely flowers in the pictures below; winter outside, spring inside. That’ll suffice for now.

Since English isn’t my first language, I occasionally get stuck on things Google can’t help me wrap my head around. This happened the other day, so I turned to one of the writers groups on Facebook (thank heavens they exist) with the following question;

Help!

“His words sound electric”

or

“His words sound electrical”?

Oh, how I love when you get answers you didn’t know you were looking for. Everyone advised me to go with electric, but one particular soul was kind enough to enlighten me that the word “sound” is what’s called a “filter word”, and she recommended me to get rid of it.

Hm, a “filter word”? I had never heard of it. So I turned my attention back to Google to fill the knowledge gap. After bumping in and out of some websites I’d gotten the message clear:

A filter word is a word which distances the reader from the experience. By using a filter word, you make the reader a passive viewer of what the character’s feeling, and weaken the reader’s engagement with the text.

“Shit! This needs out!” That was my first thought. My second thought was; “Which words are filter words?” Let me enlighten you the way I was (even though I reckon many of you fellow writers already know this by heart):

  • can
  • to see
  • to hear
  • to think
  • to touch
  • to wonder
  • to realize
  • to watch
  • to look
  • to seem
  • to feel (or feel like)
  • to decide
  • to sound (or sound like)
  • to notice
  • to be able to
  • to note
  • to experience
  • to remember

With a surrendering, nervous laugh (wish I could insert a GIF right here), I came to the realization that my revision phase just got extended at least another four to six weeks. I’ll have to do a whole round only focusing on replacing filter words, strengthening the text. To my grateful relief, I’ve been doing this unconsciously up till now as well, but there sure are more work to be done.

Do you know of more filter words? Let me know in the comments here or on Instagram.

But hey, we learn as long as we live and at the end of the day, it’ll be all worth it! Keep getting at it, whatever you’re struggling with right now. Think of yourself as a Chinese Bamboo Tree (Google it and read about how it grows) – one day you’ll shoot your sprouts towards the sky and nothing’ll stop you.

That’s all for now,
hej så länge!

march snow

pink tulips

pink tulips laptop

march candle

spring workplace

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Astrology and first loves

Writing tips / Leave a Comment / By

So, today is #tiptaptuesday and I’m giving you guys one of my favorite writing tips, a tip that can completely revolutionize your writing: astrology. Astrology is something I’ve carried close to my heart for many years. It all started with a Christmas gift from my mother back in 2002; a book about what would lie ahead for all the zodiac signs the coming year.

astro-2002

The book entertained the 14-year-old me for a short while. However, being consumed by all the chaos of being a teenager, I put it aside and let it rest for some time. My first love came along and swept me off my feet when I was 15. Being dumped a year later broke both my heart and my spirit. Desperate to understand why it hurt so much, I turned back to astrology in search for answers. Hardly surprising, the reason for my suffering proved to be a vibrant and energetic Sagittarius, a close to perfect match to myself being an Aries. The two of us sharing the element of fire had doubled the heat in my life, and the sudden absence of my perceived second half was overwhelming. But the insights I got during my investigation were startling, and this was where I began to find astrology really interesting.

burning_light

Over the years, I´ve turned to astrology in most my attempts of understanding and bettering any relationship
I´ve had; let it be with partners, friends, family or the relationship with myself. I´ve found it to be the most effective tool to understand underlying motivations, actions and ways to communicate with different types of people. Of course, we´re also shaped by our childhoods, traumas, environments etc., but understanding and applying the knowledge of astrology comes a long way to better our understanding of ourselves and others.

moon-phases

Therefore, when I got the idea to write Kilonova Blues, I pulled out my best astrology collection from the bookshelves. I began searching for the personalities of my main characters, Alexandra Johnson and Marcus Meyers. It didn´t take long before I knew I had a Virgo and a Scorpio at my hands. From there, it was only to start carving out their personalities. I use astrology frequently in my writing, as an encyclopedia to know how my characters react to what life throws their way. It helps me hold the personality of a character together, making sure I´m writing in the voice of my character, not letting my own Aries traits shine through.

milky-way

I have so much to say when it comes to astrology, and I´ve still got so much left to learn. But my first and most important tip for you is to USE astrology as a tool in your writing! If you don’t already. It´s like opening the door to a new world, and I promise you´ll learn as much about yourself as you will about others. Plus – it will set fire to your character development. If you don´t feel like stacking up on some books, the resources online are endless. I´m sure I´ll return to this subject many times to come, but for today I´ll just say: GET STARTED!

That’s all for now,
hej så länge!

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Coffee and passion

The life of a writer, Writing tips / Leave a Comment / By

Currently, I’m working on finishing the first draft of Kilonova Blues, my paranormal romance novel. My outline states I’m only supposed to write two more chapters, then I’m done. However, as I was working on the second to last chapter yesterday, something happened which every writer LOVES. My characters came alive and decided to have their own say in the story!

So what was intended to be a steamy, passionate chapter actually turned out to be some sort of soul gazing chapter instead, bringing my main characters even closer to each other. Even though I really, really just want to finish the draft, I couldn’t help myself. What was meant to be one chapter now turned into two!

Writer´s Wednesday

The intended, steamy love scene is still ahead of me, which really doesn’t bother me that much anyway. I know many writers dread the part where their characters get physical, struggling to find the right words to bring the reader into the action. And not to mention the awkwardness thinking about your friends and family reading this later on – urgh! Sweaty.

My trick to get around this is simply to frame your mind away from reality. Enter the book. Become the characters. Feel what they feel. Step into the world you’ve created and let it shower you with experiences. Show the reader how this affects your character by using your endless imagination. Don’t you ever for a second dare to think of that mom of yours or your old employer! What happens between you and the keys beneath your fingertips is one thing, what happens between the reader and the book is another. Books are first and foremost personal experiences. Let go of the awkwardness and embarrassment. Dare to feel and express!

Writer´s Wednesday Tulips

With two chapters left of the first draft, I estimate four full days of work to go before I finish. On a good day, when I’m not interrupted by anything, I write approximately ten book pages. Obviously, there’s a lot of work to be done with the text as I start revising it. But as I get the story out of me, I just try to write without letting style, grammar or others errors bother me too much.

Writer´s Wednesday Work

I must say, I’m in love with the story of Alexandra Johnson and Marcus Meyers in Kilonova Blues. For those who know me, the fact that I’m working a lot with astrology to give depth to my characters comes as no surprise. The chemistry between Allie (Virgo) and Marcus (Scorpio) is unmistakable, and sometimes when I write I simply cannot stop, only to get to see myself what will happen as their relationship evolves!

Writer´s Wednesday Coffee

As soon as I’ve come along revising a few chapters, I´ll start sharing excerpts from the story with you guys.
I´d love your feedback! Until then, I´ll have my coffee black in an attempt to keep a clear mind, and do my best to cross the finish line with the first draft as soon as possible. Now I´m off to deal with Allie in that wooden cabin where I left her, and why the heck did Marcus leave? What was he going to fetch?

Writer´s Wednesday Writer

That’s all for now,
hej så länge!

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