Monday, March 2, 2020

Making Space by Taylor Bennett

Taylor Bennett
It's exciting to welcome another Mountain Brook Ink author as a return visitor to Seriously Write today! Taylor Bennett is here with advice about writing preparation. Read on! ~ Annette



Where do you write? Is it a well-appointed office with plenty of desk space, a cozy armchair in your living room, or a squeaky seat at your dining room table?

Most of us have our own “place” that we, as writers, have found to be “just right” for sparking our inspiration. Maybe this means every bit of research is alphabetized, color coded, and organized to the nth degree, or maybe our space is a complete mess, pseudo-organized in a way that only we understand.

Whatever our space looks like, it’s ours. And, most likely, it needs to be in tip-top shape before we settle down to write.

But do we do the same thing with our hearts?

Many times, I sit down to write without organizing my heart and mind…and things don’t always go so well. I find that, when I’m in a hurry or preoccupied with “real life” worries, my writing often comes off as forced; the words feel flimsy.

It’s a stark contrast to the days when I remember to seek God’s counsel—when I come to Him in prayer before I start and “organize” my own thoughts and emotions. Offering our work up before the Lord, asking Him to bless it and guide us as we work, we can completely revolutionize our writing sessions.

The next time I sit down to write, I’m not just going to make sure that I have a cozy blanket and warm mug of tea (two of my must-haves for an ideal writing environment); I’m going to spend some time with the Lord, asking him to place His hand over my words as I tell the stories that He has put on my heart.

Making the most of your writing time by Taylor Bennett @writer__taylor


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Barefoot Memories

What if the biggest decision of your life wasn’t yours to make?

With the New Year upon her, Olive Galloway is determined to put the past behind her and uncover the new future waiting for her in her island home. However, her best friend Jazz seems dangerously close to giving up on her alcoholic mom—as well as her own dreams. Together with an unlikely ally, Olive helps Jazz regain her confidence and enter a high-stakes race, but there’s still trouble on the horizon. Their friend Brander is due to come home from a whirlwind music tour on the mainland, but he’s holding tight to a secret that could change their friendship forever.

Offered the chance to fulfill all of her wildest dreams with a single word, Olive realizes that she could be headed back to the mainland sooner than she’d imagined. Caught up in a whirl of possibility, Olive struggles to decide between returning home to fulfill her childhood wish or building a new life in Hawaii. The choice could change her life forever.


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Taylor Bennett is a dandelion-wishing, world-traveling lover of books, words, and stories. Based in the PNW, she dreams of seeing the world and writing stories set in unique locations. Although she dreams of traveling to many different places, her favorite destination thus far (aside from her charming hometown in Oregon) is Lahaina, Hawaii. Her love for this tropical hamlet led her to write about it, hence her debut YA novel, Porch Swing Girl, the first in a series of books set in Hawaii.

Connect with Taylor here:
Website: http://taylor--bennett.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TaylorBennettAuthor/
Twitter: @writer__taylor