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| LoRee Peery |
As writers, sometimes we need a break, but it's not always possible to get away. LoRee Peery offers some great tips to rejuvenate and inspire your creativity without breaking the bank or leaving home. Enjoy! ~Dora
Do you ever ask yourself why you write?
Do you ever ask yourself why you write?
If
you have written down the reason(s), as in a mission statement, have you
examined your motivation? Writers have motivation (as mentioned), conflict
(often called life and family), and goals (we’d better be productive!).
Funny
thing about being an author, though, there are steps to publication and that
includes a plan. I also need to take the time to refuel.
In
January of this year I attended a retreat on productivity sponsored by Romance
Authors of the Heartland, in Omaha. I came back so fired up that days later my
chiropractor gave me a homeopathic to calm me down!
Before
I attended that retreat I had submitted a project to my editor and had written
out my 2014 goals with specific projects in mind. That included one last read
and sending off a novella to a new critique partner. I also prepared a
print-length novel for a critique partner who would be available to read in
early February.
With
only two ideas and no brainstorming yet, I decided to further my retreat by
taking it easy at home for a couple weeks. I worked on small piece quilting
projects, I dug into Cheryl St. John’s Emotion,
Tension, & Conflict. I did writing exercises while I watched TV and
movies.
Have
you ever gone on your own retreat? We need occasional breaks to nurture our
creativity! You don’t have to go away from home. Weather permitting, your own
backyard. Inclement weather? Reserve your favorite chair or cozy couch corner.
Close out the world. Let the phone ring (same as you do during your writing
time).
If
you need a retreat goal, how about: How can
I write my next project more efficiently? Or make up one of your own.
Plan…
…wake
up and do nothing except start by asking the Lord to open your creative senses.
Relax…
…do
something crazy and childish like coloring. You don’t even need a child’s
coloring book… go ahead and make your own lines, then color outside that box! Think
about the colors… do any evoke emotions?
Read…
…Bible,
devotional, a book on writing you’ve not opened yet, a novel outside your genre.
Walk
outside…
…or
gaze out the window.
Let
your mind wander…
…listen…
memories… music… verses… characters?
Pray…
…seek
inspiration, direction, wisdom, clarity. Be thankful.
Write…
…with
paper and pen nearby. Writing exercises are fine. Doodling is expressive.
Praise…
…music
is a takeaway, it’s inspiring and uplifting. It touches the spirit. Sing or
play, just for you and the Creator of all gifts.
Reward…
…chocolate
if you can afford the calories, or something that makes you smile like colorful
file folders or a desk whimsy.
Okay,
I lived with abandon for a couple weeks. By then I was prepared to brainstorm
one of those ideas and write with abandon.
So
my question for you… have you sat down recently and attempted to write a new-for-you
story? Did that work for you?
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| LoRee Peery Books |
Shana Arnold sequesters herself on Creighton Rice’s ranch near Verdigre, Nebraska, to finish her thesis in order to keep her job working with youth in a residential treatment center.
Until he meets Shana, Creighton has been content alone with his God. He is drawn to Shana against his will. Getting close to her makes him face his lifetime accumulation of scars. Plus, she doesn’t share his faith.
When identity theft, car and job loss, as well as a crazed home invader, threaten Shana’s life, Creighton is there to protect her. But Shana determines a woman can lose everything about her life as she knew it, regain courage and strength through new-found faith.
Will she leave Creighton’s offer of love in the dust?
About LoRee Peery: A Nebraska country girl, LoRee Peery attempts to see God’s presence every day. Often that gift comes from nature, and she is most relaxed in the outdoors. The call of a cardinal draws her to look for the distinctive flash of crimson. A meadowlark’s melody always transports her to the farm where she grew up. A rainbow holds special significance. LoRee completed a writing challenge called Speedbo in March and is satisfied with the incentive to try something new for writing productivity, thanks to taking it easy early in the year. She clings to I John 5:4 and prays her family sees that faith. You can find her at www.loreepeery.com or the Pelican Book Group site http://tinyurl.com/kwz9enk
