Lesson #1: Writer's Block

Hey, guys!

I've decided to do a special few little blog posts here and there, all about writing tips!
I used to have a book titled "Writing Tips" (how creative, right?) on Wattpad, and I used to add on to it every so often.
But...I deleted it :P
So, I'm going to do blog posts instead! How fun is that?!

So here we go! Without further ado, lesson numero uno!

Lesson #1: Writer's Block


Scenario: You're sitting in front of your computer screen. It looks just how you feel: blank. You don't know what to write. Or, maybe, you have something written, and you have no motherflippin' idea how you're going to continue it.


Okay! So, usually people don't start talking about writer's blocks till later, but the thing is, Writer's Blocks can start before you even start writing, so may as well start with it. (Why not?)

The thing is, I've learned there are three different types of Writer's block:

A) You don't know what to write. At all. Everything you're writing is just wrong.
B) You know you should be writing, but instead you end up sitting on the couch, eating potato chips, watching reruns of How I Met Your Mother or Gossip Girl, and...not writing.
C) You're so excited and you have a new story or chapter planned out all in your head. This is going to happen, then this is going to happen. Only problem? You don't know how to start it.

I'll address every single one independently...

Writer's Block Type A: You're stumped.


Let's face it: everything you write--word, phrase, sentence, paragraph--it's just...off. You hate it. You want so hard to pick up the computer and fling it across the room. Now, now. I know it's frustrating, but trust me when I say that it won't help at all. In fact, it'll make things worse, because not only will you have not solved your problem, but now you need to be a new expensive computer.
In order to solve this, you need to take a step back and a inhale some deep breathes. Look at the story from what you have so far. When I say look, I mean really analyze it. Maybe that'll help. But truth be told, it probably won't. So take a break. Bake some cookies. Go on a run (Tip: Exercise always helps get the oxygen flowing! It helps bring your mind into clarity and focus). Walk your dog. Watch reruns of How I Met Your Mother and laugh. Take an hour. A day. A week. Whatever it takes.
Now that you've had a break, do you feel some of the stress lifted off? Yes? You do? Good. Now, take a pencil or pen and write out the first five thoughts you have for the upcoming chapter.

You have it? Now write.

The thing is, these are the kind of things that you, as a writer, will run into all the time. You can't let it stop you. Write something totally bogus and make it work, if you have to. This kind of writer's block is the kind you need to write around. It's a major pain in the butt, but that's the suffering you endure as a writer. Get used to it, or stop writing. Simple as that.

Writer's Block Type B: You're just plain lazy.


Seriously. If you have Type B, why are you reading this right now? You should be writing! I don't care if you need to see your great aunt or if the dog needs a bath. You're being lazy. Go and write. Shut off the Wireless and leave Facebook logged out and just write. I have nothing to say to you if the reason you're not writing is simply 'cause you're lazy.

Writer's Block Type C: You've got too many ideas flowing.

Honestly, I envy you if you have too many ideas. I sometimes don't have enough.
Anyway, what you should do: write the first chapter (or paragraph) of the story/chapter in as many different ways as you can choose. Maybe you want to write a story about a popular girl falling for her nerdy best friend, but because of her reputation, she rejects when he asks her out. How are you going to start it? Maybe you can start it when they're 8 years old, and they've just met on the playground. Or, you could start it with him getting rejected by his so-called best friend. OR...you could start it with him coming back after two years.
Write out as many as you can think. I've always loved writing first chapters. They come the easiest to me (the rest of the writing sucks, hahaha!). Ask a friend to read them and choose the best. Read them to your cat. Post all of them and have your readers vote. I dunno. Just choose one already!

So! There you have it. First little lesson. Well, they're not really lessons so much as they are tips, but...I hope this helps!

Later, alligator!

--Ivers

How You Met Me

Hey, guys! If you remember, I asked a while ago how my fans found me on Wattpad.

Here are all the responses! There were a LOT xD

I fanned you after surfing through author's that I liked, favorites....I really love your stories!!! :D

I found you in whats new chapter one of why she fell and loved the frist chapter and didnt want to miss it.

I still need topos messga ebout how I found you :P

Okay, so I told a friend that I need a story to read because I'd ran out. So she suggested Dear ________, to me. I loved it! And I love the characters, but I have a question: Would be willing to write an actual story for it once its done?

The letters are awesome, but sometimes I feel like they lack something. [Don't forget, I'm not professional, so I'm probably just chatting bullcrap :-P ] The letters are great, but I want to know more about them. Like what happens in school, and how they look. What they do with their friend, or when they're at home etc

I found you in whats new chapter one of why she fell and loved the frist chapter and didnt want to miss it.

Well I found WSF on one of the people I fanned library can't remember who's but that's how I find most of the storys I read on WATTPAD .... I read it an liked it a lot so I fanned you cause I thought you were a great writer an the story was well written 

i saw why she fell in the what's hot list. read the description. read it.love it.fan you. reread why she fell.

one of my friends recommend you, and Why She Fell was the 1st story I read of yours. I loved it!! :D

Why She Fell popped up while going through the completely romance stories and I saved it to read later, which of course I read later and loved, and here we are!

I was looking for something new to read and found Why She Fell, I ended up loving the story so I decided to fan you :)

I stumbled and found the story Why She Fell and I thought it was interesting so I read it and loved the story so thats why I fanned you

profile hopping

I was on my phone and looking through lists, I can't remember exactly what category it was in but I saw Why She Fell and though in looked good - and it went from there =)

I think you were the first person I fanned, so it's been about 7 months but if I remember correctly it was while searching through teen fiction for books and feel upon Why she fell and fell in love with the book. That's when I decide to become a fan :) I'm in University so my exams are right now, but my summer project is to read all of my books that are waiting for me.. including B.t.w. ;) Thanks for keeping us entertained!

I read your profile and decided that you were awesome. and plus you agree that foreign boys are hawt. So yeah XD

profile hopping (reading lists- why she fell)

Was on wattpad shuffle and a chappie for the contest came up an it made me want to read the real thing and it wa so good I fanned lol :)

I was on wattpad home page looking in the humor catagory, I came across "why She Fell" which was, at the time, in the top 100 i think, it made me want to read it - it drew me in and I was interested to read more. I love the story, and your a great writer, since, i've read other works of yours <3

hey~I was just randomly searching for things to read and stumbled upon Why She Fell either by just searching through romance categories or as a wattpad feature story but it hooked me to the story pretty quick :)

wellll do u know how ur supposed 2 go 2 lectures and pay attention 2 wat the prof is teaching??? yh well i dont do as much a si should, and well neither do any of my friends, but there was this one friend hucned and bunched over her fone, and i peeked over her shoulder and saw wat she was reading,,,,, annd man i was hooked on why she fell since that day... even if i did start reading it from somewhere in the middle... :P then i checked out ur other stuff nad thought O.O WOWWWW and u got ur fan!!! :D hahahha lollame right... i know 

Weeeeeeell irst my cousin fanned you- and added WSF to her reading list- so I thought I'd check WSF out At first I was kinda bored with it- so I went on by. A few weeks later TWO of your stories were under recomended- so I read Dear_______ an it was AMAZING- Then I fell in love with Ghost of Me- which you deleted YOU HOE (jk  jk jk jk your awesome) Then I read some of U and WSF and decided you were frickin awesome and fanned you!

Ran across why she fell and it was funny well written and romantic. So I wanted to check out other stories of yours.

I was bored one day and looked up humor stories and stumbled upon Why She Fell. The summary really brought me in and I really wanted to find out why she fell! LOL. Anyways but I didn't fan you. I was looking at the clubs one day and saw your thread. I forgot what it was (I think it might've been a cover contest?) and you said something about we had to read and comment a real opinion and review on the first chapter of Behind These Walls. I was hooked and I fanned and here I am! :D

I read Why she fell and thought it was so good, I had to read your other storie. I saw it on the Wattpad speacils page ;D

I joined Wattpad, looked at the front page, thought the title of Why She Fell was intriguing.  Clicked it, read it all in one hour, voted for every chapter.  Then carried reading the last couple chapters as you uploaded it. :D

I read all your stories. :P

ow. It was hard to find that post! I found you when WSF was in the Watty Awards. And I couldn't believe a 14/15 year old could write so well. Considering I'm the same age lol

So I gave you kudos (what are kudos by the way??)! Because by the time you get older then your writing skills will be awesomly delici--wait... I don't think that's right... whoops haha

It was more likely of Why She Fell. I was curious why the title was like that, and when I read the summary, I got the feeling that it has a lot of drama and romance in it, so yeah... :D I liked it, and I'm going to read your other stories as well if I've got time (maybe after the college entrance exams, which is months away). :D All in all, it's because of  Why She Fell. :D

I found you when I was looking for stories to read, liked your stories that much I faned you :)

I found you out when I was looking at "Share my Stories" and saw you promoting "Why She Fell". Needless to say, I was hooked since then. :)

I came across it while browsing the What's Hot list :D Keep writing.Ganbatte!

I forgot.

Well I "stumbled across" why she fell and LOVED IT...so i subscribed..and now im following BTW too and im loving it as well, uve got talent ma friend :)

I just stumbled across why she fell and loved it :)

Trying out wattpad and stumbled across wsf so I fanned to find out when your story was updated. I'm not really into the social part of all these sites but every now and then I find I must comment given you have taken your time to write for our enjoyment. So Thx

I was stalking profiles and "Why She Fell" in somebody's library. Naturally, I clicked on it and started reading. I loved the prologue and added it to my own library. I wanted to read more (even back then!) but then realised it may be one of those books which never end up getting finished. So I had it in my library and sent you a message.

I think it went something like, "Oh my gosh, I LOVED Why She Fell! Please update!" And you were all, "Thank you!" 

And I have no idea how I came to talk to you in general. I think through Formspring at first, but we became Wattpad besties! ;D

i fanned you because you were a great author.. one of the interesting story teller that describe everything in depth but still leaves room for us to guess. i loved your storied becasue they just captivated..

an ofcourse that no title prolouge was great and i just can't seen to find it

Well I'm pretty sure Remy said to read Why She Fell...

So I looked at the blurb and thought 'Eww, way too cliché.'

I then read the 'Sneak Peak/Preview/Whatever it was called' and decided I liked your writing so I gave Why She Fell a try and enjoyed it :)

(Added afterthought to last message)

I also needed someone new to stalk.

*cue evil laugh*

Mwa ha ha ha ha

Why she fell :D

I read WSF :)

I found you by my cousin recommending me to read ' Dear ______, ' and so I though the little stoy thingy in general was awesome and you seemed like an awesome person too soo.......I fan'd you. As simple as that (: hehe.

Well, I don't really remember how I found you on here o.o, I most likely stumbled upon you while viewing the what's hot list a while back. But I fanned you because I loved your writing simple as that If I think writing is good I fan, vote and put you in my library to stay forever! (:

before I had an account I used to just go on wattpad to the "What's Hot" section and I saw Why She Fell on there. So once I got an account, the other day I saw it on somebody's Reading list and I was like fan and vote :]

I fanned you coz you were friends with Remy, and she told me to read Why She Fell.

Then, of course, I fell in love with your writing and continued =)

Haha. I saw Why She Fell and decided to read it, which eventually led me to fanning you so I could read more of your great work. :)

I think I saw Dear ________, and thought it was funny, came to your profile, fanned you, and read Why She Fell. (Which I read from start to finish again the other day, by the way. :D)

I saw Why She Fell on the on the front page of wattpad... I clicked and fell in love with the story and fanned :) and I love ur type of  writing and now loving the story Behind These Walls !

I saw a Why She Fell on the home page. Fell in love w/ the story!! Really good story!!!

Oh G0d, I don't really remember. I think I was seeing Why She Fell a lot on the homepage which got me to at least to acknowledge it, and you, at first. Then I think one of my friends on here voted or something which brought my attention more to the story and eventually I started reading. Then, obviously, I fanned you(:

P.S. \m/ S.W.A.G. \m/

I discovered why she fell on wattpad and immediately fanned you after I got my own account on wattpad 

I read entirely too much.  I have almost 600 books in my wattpad library now (and that's not all of the stories that I am reading - the total list is over 1000 I think).  I do NOT fan all of the authors by any means.  I only fan authors that I enjoy their writing style, so that a) I can see when there are updates of the stories I'm reading and hop to that chapter right away or b) see when they start new works as well.  I think I fanned you because while I was reading Why She Fell, you also came out with Unconditional.  Generally speaking, if an author has more than 1 work that I enjoy, I may fan them so I can see those future works -- glad I fanned you, or else I may not have seen Behind These Walls.

I puns why she fell on the front page read and loved your writing and now I'm reading all your books that seem to be my type!!! :)

I was looking at the what's new page and saw your story why she fell on there. Being me, I clicked on yours and started to read it. I really liked it so I fanned!

I'm a friend of Remy's! :) And I always see her commenting on your board so I clicked on your profile and I started to read Dear ____________ and loved it! :) Hence your newly added fan! :D 

I was looking for clever stories in the Romance/Humor categories, because it's so hard to find them, and came across Dear ____. It was so addictive, sweet, and hilarious that I read the whole thing in one sitting and fanned you! :D

I just like your writting! You also seem awesome :)

i randomly went through 80 peoples fans lists and found you

A majority found me through Why She Fell, which makes sense, because it was while I was posting the book that I got most of the fans xD I'm STILL getting fans solely from WSF o_o you'd think people would get sick from it by now...

Well. That's all! :D

--Ivers

Go Ham or Go Home

Yooo!

Guess what! Today was the first regatta I've ever participated in! Woot woot!

'Case you don't know, I'm currently a novice rower. I started winter training in January and it went through till almost the end of February, until the Spring sports season began. School crew teams is a Spring sport, so....yeah. I'm on novice 1st eight boat (we only row eights as novices), stroke seat! (I realize you probably don't know anything about crew, but don't worry, neither did I...) Girl's Novice 1st boat raced as girl's Varsity 3rd boat (the varsity girls have 2 boats). There is no JV, only Varsity and Novice, which means that we raced against other Varsity girls! :O I have to admit, we kicked ass. It was pretty cool. No, we didn't win, but we came pretty darn close.

What happened was that the wind kept screwing up the boats as we were lining up in the beginning, and the entire race ended up starting wayyyy above the starting line. Like, 250 meters. It doesn't seem that much, but it is because the races are supposed to be 1500 meters. My boat started out all right, but we were last. Towards the middle we caught up to two other boats and passed them, and in the last 500 meter sprint, we caught up a lot. We ended up placing 2nd out of four (five?) boats, and lost only by .83 of a second! 

I have to say...as a first race, that's pretty darn awesome. We beat varsity boats! Like...I can't get over it, haha. All of the girls just started rowing this year, which means that varsity kids having been rowing for 1+ years. My teammates and I literally started just sitting in the boat a month and a half ago. Holy. Crap.

^That up there is what an eight boat looks like.

I was dead tired once I got home, so I passed out for a couple hours...

And, I'm now sporting a couple Hello Kitty bandages.

Crew is not a sport for those of you who hate cuts and injuries and such...I had a part on my thumb that's been rubbed raw before, and it started bleeding again during the race......ew :P

The story behind "Go Ham or Go Home" is....there's a bridge that we row through every day during practice. It used to say HAM in big letters, so my coach would just say "Go ham" to tell us to go through the bridge. Unfortunately, some stupid other school decided to cover it up (spraying bridges is kind of a crew tradition) and it no longer says HAM anymore :( And you know that saying "Go big or go home"? Well...so....yeah. Go ham. Go big...ah, you get the idea.

I'm suuuper tired right now. I don't know why. And I haven't had a chance to write since Monday; I've just been so busy. I haven't gotten good sleep this past week, either. I fell asleep in all my classes yesterday. I probably looked like this----->

Well. I think I'd better start some writing right now. Or maybe I'll just sleep. I dunno. But I'll be baackkk!

--Ivers

I Got that Pretty Girl Swag

The title of the post is irrelevant to the actual content of the post...hahaha...I was just thinking of the phrase "I got that pretty boy swag" and decided to make it the title...ahaha...

Awkward.

Anyways, so I'm back in school now...ugh. I hate work. I got a history test back today, and received a 73%, which is equivalent to a C =_= Needless to say, I didn't study...at all. I should have, but I didn't...

Which brings me to my goals:

My Goals for the Rest of the 2011-2012 School Year:

-Study. "Sort of" studying isn't going to cut it. Study for all tests, quizzes, and exams.
-Stop procrastinating (like I'm doing now). Get all homework done before 10
-Get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.
-Bring up my math grade from a B to at least a B+.
-Get a solid A this last quarter in English. So far I've gotten B+, A-, and B+...
-Bring up my History testing average--which, usually, is an 87 or 88. I want at least a 92!
-Do really well on my end-of-term-huge-ass research paper in History, which is worth THREE TESTS GRADES and 300 hundred points. Get at least a 270! (90%)
-Try harder in all of my classes...which means paying attention, taking good notes, stop sleeping in class, and DO SOMETHING.
-Finish Behind These Walls. I realize this isn't an academic goal, but I'm still including it, because I want to finish it by the end of school, or at least some time in June.

That's pretty much all of it! I was never a really goal-oriented type of person, but I figure I should probably start now.

Annnnywayssss I have to go now. I got a lot of homework to do and I don't want to not do it, you know? 'Cause I prefer not getting yelled at by my oh-so-lovely teachers. Kidding, they don't yell at me. At least, when I'm not talking/singing/being loud, they don't.

Peace out!

--Ivers

It's Sunday, Sunday, Tomorrow is Monday...

Tomorrow's Monday. Tomorrow's school. I'm not looking forward to starting school after a week of nothing. I don't want to go.

Okay, that's a lie.

This vacation didn't even really feel like vacation, to be honest. I still had crew practice to go to. I feel like I pretty much wasted the first half of the day, so a part of me is kind of happy to be going back to school, but only to socialize. Only the socializing part. I hate work. I hate work so, so much. So I guess I was only kind of sort of lying?

Ah. Also, my dad recently issued a new rule for me:
No writing on weekdays.

Um. What the heeeckkk?

Don't get me wrong. I love my dad to death, no matter how many fights we get in, but he's just so...nghh. So overbearing. He's worried it'll "get in the way of my academics" and that I'm "not focusing on school." First of all, I'm a high school freshman. Dude, calm down a bit...
Second, well, my parents act like I don't do ANYTHING in life. Like just today:

Mom: Ivey, did you finish your math homework?
Me: I'm starting it.
*An hour later*
Mom: Did you do your math homework?
Me: I'm almost done.
*Ten minutes later*
Mom: I thought you were working on your math homework! What are you do-
Me: Gosh! I heard you the first time! Seriously, Mom, you don't have to act like...like...my mom!


I know, I know, I'm being ridiculous...that's what moms are supposed to do. But it's still. So. Dang. Annoying. They're all about work, work, work.
<----I swear...this will be my life in the future.


Anyway, where was I?
Oh yeah, my dad.
I got really, really mad at him. Of course, I'm going to write anyway whenever I have even a free ten minutes or something, but he doesn't have to act like I'm addicted to it. Wait, no, I am addicted. But it's not like I'm smoking or anything! I don't drink, do drugs, smoke, sleep around...or any of those things. It's writing! If anything, he should be glad I'm addicted to writing and writing only. Nothing else. Except maybe music, but that's a different story.

Gah! Parents. They're so infuriating.

I guess I can kind of say I'm happy that I'm seeing my friends. Like I said, I love socializing. I haven't seen all of the non-crew members or any non-church members for an entire week. Especially a certain someone ;) hah. I'm not going to blab about it right now, surprisingly.

Sunday (to the tune of "Friday" by Rebecca Black)

It's Sunday, Sunday, tomorrow is Monday.
Nobody's lookin' forward to the weekdays, weekdays
Sunday, Sunday, why can't it be Friday?
Nobody's lookin' forward to the weekdays...
Studyin' Studyin', No! Studyin' Studyin', No!
DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE.
Mondays really need to go die


--Ivers

'Lo there!

I finally got around to making a blog. Well, that's a lie, 'cause I made one before but deleted it...but whatever. The important thing is, I'm backkkk!

Why am I back, you ask? Well, my dear friend Remy (Hi!) can't hear me and my rants very often ('cause she actually has a life xD) and I need some way to rid myself of these terrible build up of words before I explode. I say, it's better than bursting, right?

Peace out, brothahs!

--Ivers