Sunday, July 28, 2013

Sit Down And Write: A guest post by Heather Frost plus Guardians Giveaway

Guest Post by Heather Frost—“Sit Down and Write!”

Aspiring authors have many great questions, though sometimes I feel like I have a hard time giving solid answers, since writing is such a personal thing. I’m often asked how I write; where I go, what I listen to, how I get myself to sit down and actually focus on writing. Since everyone is different, I’m not sure if my process will help at all, but I figure it can’t hurt to share some tips about how I go about writing.
If there is a step one in this process of mine, it’s find a time to write. I have to schedule the important things in, or they just don’t happen. So find a time that works for you, and then follow through. The most consistent you can be, the better. If you’ve got a flexible schedule, awesome. If you’ve got three small kids to take care of, you must already know some of the basics when it comes to juggling. Strive to give yourself at least one uninterrupted hour, though I try to give myself a minimum of two.
Here’s the blunt truth: writers are dreamers. And while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, daydreaming tendencies can be distracting when you’ve finally scheduled a bit of time to sit down and write. So once you’ve given yourself that time, don’t let anything else—thoughts of dinner, cleaning, homework, whatever—keep you from using that time to write. Take yourself away from the distractions as much as possible by finding a place you won’t be easily interrupted. For me, that might be under a shady tree at a quiet park, or—more often—my desk at home.
Now, here are the rules once you’ve settled in: Don’t check your email, phone, Facebook, Twitter, or whatever else might distract during your scheduled writing time. When you get pulled out of the zone for even two minutes, it could end up costing you twenty to get back in. Of course emergencies pop up, but don’t let a Facebook post about your friend’s cat keep you from writing the most comic piece of dialogue ever.
I can’t write when it’s quiet. Maybe it’s because I grew up in a large family, but I need sound in the background, or I can’t focus. If this is the case with you, I recommend listening to soundtracks, because movie scores tend to have a lot of great emotion. My favorites: Hans Zimmer, John Williams, Harry Gregson-Williams, James Horner, and James Newton Howard to name a few. I’m also fan of Enya, classical (Tchaikovsky!), and I’ve created playlists that are tailored to certain books, characters, or types of scenes. I try to avoid music that could become distracting, whether through the lyrics or bass lines.
Finally, you need to write. Computer keyboard, pen and paper—it doesn’t matter. One paragraph or five pages, it doesn’t matter. The goal is to finish that story so you have a rough draft to polish up and eventually send out into the world. It literally happens one word, one letter, at a time. It can be tricky when you first start; trying to find a time and a place, shutting out the world’s distractions so you can focus on your own imagination—But, really, if you don’t, who will?

Tour Schedule

Title: Guardians

Author: Heather Frost
Publisher: Sweetwater Press, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published: July 2013
ISBN: 1462110355
FTC FYI: I received an eCopy via the author in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Book Description:

Kate Bennett has escaped captivity, but she has not escaped the hunt. The Demon Lord has one million dollars on Kate’s head, and every bounty hunter around is just waiting for the chance to break through her guardian force. Kate’s only shot at staying alive and protecting her loved ones is to lead the seers on a mission to the past and kill the Demon Lord before he comes to power.

But Patrick, Kate’s immortal guardian and the love of her life, knows what happens when she travels back in time: he has seen her die in his arms. With Patrick keeping a protective watch over her, Kate knows she can never lead her mission, but she cannot wait around to be captured by demons again, either.

This final installment of the Seers trilogy brings Kate Bennett’s tale to a surprising and exciting conclusion filled with love and heartache, danger and triumph, loss and redemption.


About the Author:

Heather Frost was born in Sandy, Utah, and raised in a small Northern Utah town. She is the second oldest of ten children, and she has always been an avid reader and writer. She’s a graduate of Snow College, and, more recently, Utah State University. She enjoys playing the flute, listening to all types of music, and watching a wide variety of movies. Ever since she wrote her first short story—at the age of four—she has dreamed of one day becoming an author. Guardians is her third published novel; her second book, Demons, was a Whitney Award Finalist.


Giveaway:

Heather Frost is offering one copy of Guardians. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

or 
click here 

2 comments:

  1. I'm not a writer, but your post sounded like the perfect way to do it. This book looks interesting, so I will have to check out the first two! Thank you for the giveaway!!
    Bonnie Hilligoss - bonhill@speakeasy.net

    ReplyDelete
  2. thx u for hosting this giveaway heather.. :)
    so the winner will get print book or ebooks ??

    ReplyDelete

Your comments are very much appreciated!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Listia

Auctions for free stuff at Listia.com