Hey hey, ya'll!

I'm back today along with my handy dandy planner! Ok, so y'all haven't been formally introduced, but this big guy is with me in the behind of every single post you've been getting this year. And behind my writing. And my....everything, actually. Because I finally wizened up and got my act together. lol. 

Ok to be perfectly honest I did kinda-sorta do the whole "keep track of stuff on paper" thing before. But it was over a multitude of notebooks, scrap paper, files, folders, computer notes, cell phone notes, and a planner. It was actually pretty crazy. I'm not really an organized person, and I'm not really a big scheduler either, but I realized something had to be done. I was getting stressed out really easy, losing (or forgetting) info and to-dos, and getting behind with things. My dream was to not be doing everything so last minute. (Notice I said "Dream" lol!) 

So I made a really epic planner. It's also a catch-all, a place to make my life a little bit organized (You super-organizers are probably cringing right now haha). But maybe you're not a blogger. Maybe you're just focusing on writing and publishing. Well, trust me. You will still want a planner. This is coming from the girl who is super random, easily distracted, loves spontaneity, and has pretty much never been a fan of schedules. So you know it's gotta be good, right? 

But why should you have a writing planner? Ok, so maybe you're not convinced. Maybe you think that you're doing just fine with notebooks. (Maybe you are. I don't judge--but still, don't write this off completely yet!). Maybe you're the poster child for pantsing and feel a writing planner might get in the way of how you work. So yes, there are reasons people might not be too keen on the idea. But let me give you some reasons why you should have one! 

1. You can be way more efficient. I have a mega planner where I keep everything. And I mean everything. Life, birthdays, blogging, (on various blogs--not just this one!) writing, editing, publishing, services I offer, passwords, writerly contacts, brainstorming pages, post ideas, finance tracking (for my business), random ideas and thoughts etc etc. It's SO nice to have everything in one place and it's great that I can just grab my planner and not three or four different notebooks. And I have to write things down a lot of times or I forget or get busy and don't think about it. 
2. It can give you a clear "roadmap" for writing and publishing. I actually fill out calendars with an "outline" for when I publish. It's a lot of work to write a story, it can be even more mind boggling to edit it multiple times, and then you got beta readers and proofreaders, and making sure your cover design is ready, your files are formatted, your blog tour set up, your marketing plan set-- it's enough to make your head spin! Indie publishing is hard work, and you have to do a lot of it yourself, so a writing planner can be a huge help in the process.
3. It's a good way to keep your novel notes all together.  Now to be fair, I actually use Evernote for collecting most my novel notes as it's just easier that way for me... I have SO many that it would be way too much for a planner. But if you're the kind of person who likes to write their notes down on real paper, then a writing planner is the thing for you. It's just like how I use my Evernote but in a physical format... keep track of your characters, jot down random ideas, do some brainstorming, try a mind-map, have an outline-- especially if you tend to write your novel in notebooks or out while you don't have wifi, keeping all your novel notes in a planner is a GREAT idea. Now, I  DO use my planner for novel notes-- just not the kind I mentioned before. The kind of novel notes I keep in my planner are random ideas that come to me while working, (and likely transfer to Evernote later), changes I want to make for novels as I edit, and other stuff like that.
4. Keeping your Writing info along next to your calendar is super helpful. This is one area that I appreciate most. I used to buy a cheap little planner for the year and list birthdays and events in it. But usually it ended up unused half the year, or I would get annoyed going back and forth from the little yearly planner and my writing info. A lot of times I'd take a big sheet of paper and write up my own calendar on it so I could enter writing deadlines, goals etc on the calendar. Having a writing planner that combines all that has been so convenient. You can tell things at a glance, shift due dates easier, see the big picture, and set better goals. 
5. As an Indie Author, it helps you run your business better. Because let's face it. As an Indie Author and Publisher, there's a LOT of business we have to do too. It's not just all literary. There are websites or blogs to keep on top of, stats to track, finances to understand, contacts to have on your list, link-ups, blog tours, reviews, social media... the list is pretty long! It can get really overwhelming sometimes, especially if you're not too strong on the logic and schedules like me, lol. That's where a planner can be a huge help. It basically becomes your right hand man and it keeps you sane to boot. :P

Of course I  could probably think of a lot more reasons to have a planner, but those are the main points. :D I have been so happy that I finally just decided to put together my planner-- it's a huge binder but it's been so helpful for me. There's lots of free printables out there for making your own binder-planner, but a lot of them focus on everyday life, menu planning etc. That's great but not going to help us here. lol. So I have two different types of free printable planners to suggest! 

Designerblogs.com's Epic Blogger Planner.  This is the one I use. It's focused mainly for bloggers, so if you're not big into blogging then I would try the other option. For us writers who ARE blogging a lot or using a lot of social media for our writing brand, then this is PHENOMENAL. It's got yearly goals, monthly goals, stat trackers, finance trackers, calendars, to-do lists, post planners, brainstorming pages, contact lists, and more. There are blank pages too that you can print out, which I use for social media brainstorming, novel notes, and pretty much any random thing. It's really good, especially for bloggers. 


Bookbug's Writing Planner. But maybe you're not focused on blogging, stat tracking or any of that. Maybe your focus is... writing and publishing! Then this is the one for you. It's pretty simple compared to Designerblogs' planner, but it will definitely get the job done. With pages for a calendar, monthly goals, to-dos, novel synopsis, novel characters, outline, scene lists, blank pages and more this is a great one for writers! :D If you're not a subscriber already, just sign up below and I"ll send you the link to the free resources tab right away! 

Question of the Day. Do you like the idea of a writer planner? How do you usually organize your novel notes and other info? 


That's all for today, friends! Don't forget to sign up if you're interested in free goodies...it's not just the planner that you can have free access to! ;)

Y'all have a lovely day! 
<3
Victoria

P.S. Like this post? Then you might be interested in these, too! 

Book Seasons: What They Are and How They Work
The Writing Cycle: What it Means and How it Works
How to Organize Your Novel Notes and Research

I always say you can't wait on "the muse" to write, but it is definitely a plus if you're feeling inspired. So today I've rounded up my top 10 favorite ways to get inspired (or re-inspired) to write my books and stories! :D 

1. Read a Book or Watch a Good Movie. This ALWAYS does the trick for me. Invest a little time in some well-crafted characters, and a cool plot and I always come away bubbling with ideas and itching to write on my own stuff. Obviously, don't copy what you read or watch, but just use it as a way to inspire you to write your own amazing works! 
2. Listen to some music. If you are able to make a playlist-- or maybe find a new album to listen to, this is a crazy good way to get inspiration for writing. One of my major tips that I've been using for years is to use a site with stock music for films, audio dramas, etc. I started with an app called Booktrack which lets you paste in your own book and add music and sound effects to it for an immersive reading experience. (Which is really a cool idea), but I only used it for writing, lol. I'd pop in some of my book, add music for certain times and essentially create a mini playlist with it and never actually take it out of "draft" mode. But obviously, that's kind of weird and backwards, as there are plenty of websites where you can even download music for free if you want to. You can search by mood on these sites, or even by instrument, genre of music, etc, which makes it so awesome for finding music to inspire you! Classical music and soundtracks are also great ways to get "mood" music which will have you reaching for your pen in no time. ;) (Really! You should try it.) 
3. People-Watch. Even if you're the kind of person who likes to stay around home, it's a great idea to go to some public or semi-public place to people watch. It's super fun, can be incredibly interesting, and will help you understand ways to make your characters even more rounded and realistic. Try a train station, a coffee-shop, a library, a mall or department store, a hospital (but don't go if you don't have to, lol) or even just sitting in your car in a parking lot or next to a busy sidewalk. There are chances to watch people literally everywhere, and if you keep your eyes open it can be really helpful. 
4. Create a Book Mood-Board on Pinterest. Basically works the way the music playlist does but for the eyes. Creating a mood board or story board on Pinterest for your book is a great way to collect ideas, get inspired, and maybe even do some research the fun way, lol. 
5. Try Mind-Mapping. It's actually really fun. Basically you write down on a (large) piece of paper something you're thinking about. It can be totally random. And then from there you draw a line connecting it to another bubble of thought, connecting each bubble of thought that goes along with another, or branching out and starting off in a new direction from the main bubble, and so on till you decide you're finished. It's cool because you can easily end up with a developed (to some degree) story even when you just start with something simple or boring. 
6. Read some Blogs.  There's so many awesome blogs out there with great tips and inspiring posts in all different niches!  Go to some of your favorite blogs and read some of their posts, or use Pinterest to search for posts in a certain topic from all different blogs. 
7. Read the News. Whether it's politics or the amazing "feel-good" stories from around the world, the news can be a source of a ton of great ideas. Obviously, there is a lot of bad news out there, and I'd suggest reading news in general with caution, but it can really be a good way to get ideas for your book.
8. Discover historical stories. Let's take it back now! History is a treasure chest loaded with inspiration. From old photos to articles on history to little known bits and pieces, there is SO much to be found. A good place to look is on history blogs or websites, Pinterest, and of course, historical books!
9. Talk to People. People are intriguing, let's just all agree there. And talking to people is a great way to get experience for your characters. Ask them questions, try to determine their character and personality. You can have a long, nice reminiscence with your grandma or a quick conversation with your grocer. If you're watching, listening, and thinking, a lot will be revealed. ;)
10. Spend some time in nature. Take a walk or climb a tree. Enjoy the time out nature to just be free to think. No technology, and preferably alone... You might be amazed at how inspired you can get just from giving yourself some time to be quiet and think. 

Question of the Day:
So there you have it! Ten of my top ways to get inspiration for writing! What are some of your favorite ways to be inspired? Let me know in the comments! 

Before I go, be sure to follow me on Pinterest! I know I talk about it a lot but it really is a great tool for writers! If you are on Pinterest already, go follow me so we can share bookish pins and inspire each other-- and if you're not on Pinterest, you really should start an account! I have lots of boards, from character development to storytelling to inspiration to mood boards and more... And here's a quick tip. If there's a blog post you really enjoy and found useful, go ahead and pin it so you can share it with others and have easy access for yourself later! Win-win, y'all. :D

You all have a lovely day!
<3
Victoria

P.S. If you liked this post, you'll probably enjoy these posts, too!
Ten Things I Wish I Knew As a Young Author
Five Writing Myths That Aren't True
Five Different Ways to Plan Your Book

Argkcjk! I'm so excited! 

So this is a new addition to the blog. If you did the survey back at the New Year, I asked several questions in it in the hopes of learning more on what you all wanted to see on here! And this monthly series is kind of a combination of a few things. :) 

Before we get started, this post is going to be very chatty. Between talking about books, my writing (and other) goals for the month, writing challenges/contests etc, it's just bound to. Sorry. But hey, let's just think of it as a friend-to-friend conversation and you all can chat with me in the comments about stuff. ;)


First off, let's talk about the monthly writing contest!! Wooo! Ok, yes, I know that almost half of February is over. But let's just go with it! :) I want to get into doing writing contests more so than "challenges" as I feel like a little edge of competition can be really fun. Plus, random and occasional prizes are always awesome, right? (There may not be prizes every month *cough cough, February for starters* but there will be some, I promise! ;) )  If you're not the competitive type though, PLEASE don't let the "contest" part of the title scare you off! I want all the stories!! :D

So what do we have cooking for February? We're going to be writing anything with the theme of "Love Conquers All". I know it's kind of cheesy being February and all, but I think it's a really important theme in literature, and I'm so so so curious to see what you all will come up with.  Ok let's get all the info looking more professional lol. 

1. Theme is "Love Conquers All". 
2. Can be Poem (for all y'all poets, lol) or Flash Fiction, but no more than 1,000 words. 
3. Send in by February 22nd, please! Just use my email here: jpbookbug@gmail.com to get me your entry! 
4. If you're a super writer or something and want to send in more than one, that's fine. But please, no more than 3 total. ;)
5. Winner (picked by me) will have their story shared in the Wrap-Up version of this post at the end of the month. The other contest stories will be shared in a PDF format for those who want to download them. :D

If you want to join this as a challenge but aren't keen on sharing in a contest, PLEASE mark it as a "Challenge only-- No Contest" when you send it to me. And of course... if you want to use it as a challenge but don't want to share with anybody that's cool too (only it's more fun when you share, lol!) 

And hey, since this is a contest, let's try to get more people involved, shall we? It can be as simple as: 

Hi! I'm doing this really fun monthly writing contest with Victoria Minks on her website www.victoriaminks.com. Anyone can join and I think it'd be great if you did it too! 

So yep, pass the word along to your writing friends! ;)


Next up, it's Book Club Time! Sigh. Books. They're just so beautiful. It's ok, you can take a moment now to ooh and ahhhh over your personal bookshelf and favorite novels. I'll wait. ;) Alright, you back? Well let's talk books! I've thought about starting a book club for a while now, but I wasn't sure what type or if people were interested. But I asked, and people were interested, so I thought-- why not start one?! 

Because I have so many age ranges reading this blog though, and you all each have different tastes in books as it is, though, I thought we'd run our book club a little different. Instead of one random person (me, haha) picking out a book for everyone to read, one random person (me again, haha) will pick out a requirement. Or, if you're into the drama like me, a CHALLENGE. dun dun dun!! But not some easy peasy "Read a Classic" challenge. This is going to be specific. Narrower. Possibly odder. For the true bookbugs of the world. (Jk, whatever type of bookbug is welcome). Then you can find and pick whatever book you like that fits in with the month's requirement. 

Ready? For February 2017, the Book Club is pleased to announce that this month you will read: A book that has a strong love in it-- but twist! It can't be romantic love. ;)  Why? Just because it's harder. No, I'm joking. Actually it's because I feel that the love between say a parent and child, or two friends, or whatever, is really downplayed in a lot of fiction. And that's pretty sad, because there are so many different kinds of love and so many ways it could form that I think that the other types not talked about as much should get way, way more attention too. 

Oh, and Bookbugs... please as part of this, comment during the Wrap-Up version of this post (at the end of the month) if you completed the reading challenge and what the book was! ;) And, if you're on Goodreads, there is now a private group for us Bookbugs! You should definitely join it so we can have awesome bookish discussions and share book reviews and more. ;) So all y'all-- I'm really looking forward to see how y'all do! Let's get reading! 


Let's talk about my monthly goals. (eek). I'm sometimes great at goal-setting, and sometimes.... *blinks.* What are goals?? :D Anyways, I had a lot of people who wanted to know more about my personal writing life, projects, books, etc, and I thought-- what cooler way to show it then by sharing my intended goals, and how bad I fail at them!! :D Kidding... (I hope). Whatever the results are, it'll be a fun look into my life, so here we go.

Writing:  I'm hoping to finish The Needlemaker this month, whatever it takes. *wipes perspiration from brow*. Who knows what that means. My guess is 20k-40k, the 40k being max. And to be perfectly honest, it'll probably happen as teeny tiny bits of writing (1,000 words here, 300 here) and then a couple big-wordcount-writing days where I knock out as much as possible. lol. That's just life right now as my main focus is wrapping up a couple of non-writing-related things. 

Reading: Um... I have a lot of books started from January, and so I really need to sit down and finish them. I'm a very sporadic reader, my schedule dictating a lot with how much I read... but when I get on a roll, I knock out a bunch at once. I'm behind on my Year's Reading Goal but February is a short month, so... hm. I'm going to go for 10. Let's not make this too hard for my first try with a monthly goal. lol. 

Other: I guess I'll just throw a few random ones here for y'all. Let's see....

1. I'd really, really like to 30 Amazon Reviews for Jonas and Olivia. But at this point, I only have 19. So, if you have read Jonas and Olivia and liked it, please consider leaving me a review to help me reach my goal! *wink wink* 
2. I want to finish getting all the blog posts categorized with the right topics in the sidebar. 

Book/Writerly Chat... You didn't think I'd go without blathering some more, did you? haha, well, book talk is good, y'all, and besides, it's fun. Plus, you all ASKED to hear more about my books and writing and stuff. :D But because I don't want this to end up as one massive paragraph, here's some randomness in nice bullet points. I'm so organized... (We'll just go with that, right?) 

• The Needlemaker left off at the end of NaNoWriMo right after my MC Kit got arrested and is having sort of a panic attack in jail as he realizes what happened, and I feel so sorry for him that I feel pretty guilty about what's going to happen next and so maybe I'm procrastinating a little on writing it... 
• I recently spent way too much time researching music boxes and musical pocket watches for an book idea that is just going to go into my list of 50+ other book ideas for writing someday. Which is kind of frustrating to me, because these are all ideas from the last couple years and if things keep going like this I'll never catch up. So sad. 
• One of the reasons I didn't actually finish any of the books I started in January is probably because I kept getting so caught up in loving them that I had to make commentaries out loud while reading. lol. Or stop to giggle. Or think about how cute something was. Or how great this character is. And WHY DID HE HAVE TO DIE!? 
• I started rereading and making notes on what I need to fix big time for Two-Faced Man, my NaNo 2015 novel. My sister hasn't heard it yet so I'm reading it out loud to her as I go to get her basic reaction to what it is at this point (alpha-reader, haha) but I spend a good ten minutes afterwards cringing and laughing because...it's just so much worse than I thought it was when I finished NaNo that year haha. So yeah...revisions are gonna be a bit more hefty then I thought. But at least it's not going to be as major as my Further Courage has been... I've rewritten that thing how many times now? Oh, btw, if you want to see a mood board for Two-Faced Man here's one for you! :D

So there you have it! My first time doing a Monthly post like this. The Wrap-up will be coming at the end of February! :D

Question of the Day:
What are some of your goals this February? Please share in the comments-- let's encourage one another! :D


Hope you all have a lovely day, and don't forget to join my Goodreads Book Club! 

<3
Victoria

P.S. Like this post? Then you might like these! 
Top 10 Books I read Ages 13-16
NaNoWriMo Pep Talk: The Last Stretch
A-Z for Writers: 26 Mini Pep Talks
 

Helloo, bookbugs! 

Let's address the elephant in the room. (Howdy Mr. Elephant. I shall call you Humphrey.) Humphrey says "Hi", y'all. He also wants to direct your attention to the brand new look to the website! Humphrey and I thought it was time to freshen up the blog and tweak some things, so we set to work on it and at last we were done! (please check it out and let me know what you think!) I am pretty happy with it-- I feel it represents the blog much better and just... I don't know. Looks nicer than before. lol. Humphrey would like to warn you however that not all the posts are categorized into the topics yet (I'm working on it!) so when you click the topics you might come up with a blank page or few posts, just because they're not all sorted out yet. But never fear-- they shall be very soon. ;) 

A new aspect to the updated design is the addition of my services! I'm super excited to be able to share that with you all-- Please check it out! There is book cover design, various stages of editing, and web kit design to be had! 

So I'm sure you all noticed-- it's been a while since I showed my face around here. First of all, I'm sorry for such a long absence without letting you all know what was up. But on the flip side, I'd like to talk about writing breaks. 

​Writing Breaks are A-ok! Let's just get that out of the way. I know a lot of people like to enforce structure, habit, and persistence. Trust me, those are all super important things to have and they will help you out a lot. But sometimes, a break will do you more good then just pushing through. Here's some situations when a break might be a really good idea:

1. Your health is not so good. I'm talking about health problems that might be getting in the way of living your perfect life. Sometimes we just need some time to recharge without the pressure of producing words on a daily basis, or maybe you're having to balance a lot of doctor trips, hospital stays, broken or sprained limbs... there are lots of ways where health can make writing difficult. Don't feel like you have to keep cranking out blog posts or stories if you're dealing with problems! Your health is way more important, friends. Also, just going to say this here: Many writers can experience wrist/arm/hand pain from excessive writing, typing, or just not having good form while doing it. Whatever you do--do NOT overdo it! Speaking from a gal who's had trouble with tendonitis, it can be very painful and it can get lots worse, leading to absolutely no writing (or any kind of strain) for months, and it can crop back up really easily later, too. It's not worth it. If you want to keep writing, don't be afraid to take it a little bit easier on your wrists/hands/arms so they can heal. 
2. You just CAN'T get out of a creative funk. Now I'm a big proponent of not just writing when inspiration hits, but doing it as often as you can--for better practice and for developing a good habit. But if everything is just like pulling teeth from a shark just to write a little, it's alright to take a break too. Not too long of a break, or you may get so "out of it" that it makes it even harder to get back into writing, but a short break can really help you. You can come away from it with more excitement to write and new ideas! 
3. After you finish a novel draft. If you're not jumping right into another novel, this is the perfect time to take a short break. I believe taking a break from your draft is good so you can return with fresh eyes, but if you choose to take a complete break instead of working on another novel like in my writing cycle post, you can return to your novel with a totally clear and focused outlook. I know some people really find this beneficial, and even if you follow the writing cycle, this can be a good thing to do once in a while. 
4. If you need to focus on some other part of your life. Sometimes life just overtakes us and things pop up that need more focus. A lot of times we writers can balance writing and life, but once in a while, it's beneficial to take a break. Giving up on writing for a while is definitely not fun, but in the end, it can definitely be a help. Not only will it give you a chance to focus on the important matter to get it resolved/finished, but once you come back to writing you will have that much more energy and enthusiasm. You'll probably be brimming with new thoughts and ideas to make your writing even better! 

​

But how can you take a writing break that is really going to help instead of harm? It's true that sometimes writing breaks can leave you feeling more discouraged and "out of it" then helping you. That doesn't have to be the case, though! There are plenty of things you can do while taking a break that will make the whole process totally awesome. I have a great checklist for you + two pages of info to help you with your writing break! If you're a subscriber you'll find it in the resources tab (New design now so you can get to it easily up above!) And if you don't have the password to the secret resources page, pop your email in and I'll send it to you right away! :)

What about getting back into writing after a break? So how do you get back into writing without it being super frustrating and painful? I got some tips for you. ;) lol. 

1. Start small. Haven't written in a couple weeks? Humprey the Elephant and I tend to like to jump right back in, but if you're not a all-or-nothing kind of person, you might find it's best to start small. Maybe work on your novel outline first, or try some flash fiction that you can finish in one sitting. Do a blog post that relates to your life at this moment. Or maybe write up a nice newsy email for your newsletter. (Don't worry, people like hearing about you!) 
2. Read some posts on writing and leave some comments. Reading blog posts or articles on writing are great ways to get inspired and learn things, too! But don't just stop there. If you're getting back after a break, take the time to leave some comments for the authors of the posts. Getting a chance to talk about writing and share your thoughts, opinions, and past experiences is a great way to get into the writing mindset again. 
3. Read a book or Watch a movie that inspires you. I don't know about you but when I read a book or watch a movie I really like it makes me really excited about writing my own things! So if you're feeling a bit "meh" after a break, maybe do one of these things with the focus of inspiration. 
4. Talk with another writer! If you have a writing pal, drop them a note and talk about your writing goals, your books, and what sort of thing you've been working on! It's a good chance to connect and you'll not only get to go through some of your thoughts but also get some encouragement. Can't think of someone to chat writer-stuff with? Drop me a line, friend! I always love hearing from y'all. :)

I'll leave you all with that!


Question of the day! Let me know if you've ever taken a writing break or if you want to do one! If you have done one, what are some of your tips?

Oh, don't forget to sign up for the free goodies before you go! I don't know about you but I LOVE worksheets and printables and free ebooks. lol. They're so handy! Be on the look-out for even more cool freebies I'll be putting in the Subscriber Resources! 


See y'all around! 
<3
Victoria


P.S. If you liked this post, you will probably like these! 

Jonas and Olivia Book Release 

Putting Your Writing Out There: Why You Should Even Though it's Scary

Jonas and Olivia Update: Things I'm Learning