You’re Running Out of Inspiration? Here’s How to Get a Refill.

If you’re Running out of inspiration, here’s how to get a quick and easy refill.

The Symptoms of Inspiration Leaking

You feel it. You hear the tire slowly deflating but you don’t have a spare to yank out, crank on and get on down the road. That’s the miserable sound of inspiration oozing. It is warning you to stop overworking it and take action to keep your prose running smoothly.

Then there’s the inspiration leaking characters

Does it feel like your characters act like they’re all taking a long winter’s nap at the same moment. But it’s not winter! How will you wake them up? More inspiration oozing.

Here’s how to stop the outflow.

First, identify what’s causing the inspiration to drain.

Where’s the leak? Is it:

  • Lazy writing – it just lays there, refusing to dance
  • No interaction – Needs outside input
  • Mind-boggle – Too many distractions or demands to focus on your character’s needs

It is NOT Writer’s Block!

There are those that label the malady Writer’s Block. But blockage requires enemas. And, sometimes, trips to the hospital. On top of that, blockage requires lots of manual labor to get through, around, or over.

These are all negative factors in a productive life. In my opinion, that is.

But stop! Don’t make it harder than it is. I’m all about DIY positive fixes if it’s at all possible.

And here’s 6 ways of how to tell the inspiration attendant to fill-er-up.

Self-talk

Jot down, read, and repeat a mini mantra that goes something like this:

‘I am driven to write lively, entertaining prose from quirky, memorable characters. I listen to the characters. I hear the characters. I encourage their individuality to take over the story’.

Make it as long or short as you like. And in your words.

Just say what you want to do. And blame it all on the characters.

What-if game changer

Play the ‘What-if’ game with your characters.

What-if Superman came flying overhead and crash-landed in your pool? Would that be a topic of conversation? Do ya’ think?

Sally the Loner plays this game all the time. And what characters she meets up with! Even a kidnapping Big-foot and a man-size doll that worries about his designer shoes.

It’s fiction. Anything can happen. Encourage it. There’s always editing if its superfluous.

Throw a wrench into the works with a new character

If Superman crash-landing in your pool isn’t a wrench with a memorable personality, I don’t know what is. Do you?

Read the headlines

A few minutes ago, when inspiration to write this piece was deflating, a headline caught my eye.

It was about a solar powered water desalination plant that might fit right into the Second Chance Ranch scenario. The ranch that might become a spin-off of the Sally the Loner series.

What headline can wake up at least one of your characters?

Grab an inspirational quote

Is one of your characters a wise old guru? Will an inspirational quote fit right in to your dedication for the story? And fill up your inspiration tank at the same time?

Here’s one I like…

“Life is about accepting the challenges along the way, choosing to keep moving forward, and savoring the journey.”
 Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

If all else fails

Give the problem to an AI (artificial intelligence) app. That action and result is sure to get you throwing down the gauntlet to beat it at its own game. Isn’t it?

Refill Your Inspiration Summary

When you find yourself leaking inspiration, take action to plug the leak, refill the tank and get typing again.

Put:

  • Self-talk
  • What-if game
  • A new character or event
  • Read the headlines
  • An inspirational quote
  • Artificial intelligence

to the test. And run with it.

Running out of inspiration is just that. Your tank (or tire) is frightfully low. You can make it to the air pump if you act fast. Before it fizzles to flat or that last fume is gone.

Are you re-inspired yet? Keep filling until you are. You can do it.

Cheers!

P.S. Grab a look-see at Sally the Loner. She’s an inspiration in her own right… or is it write?

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We Need to Talk About Affiliating. It’s a Challenge.

The challenge of affiliating…

It’s a natural. Right? While you’re striving to hit the Bestseller list, you still need to eat and pay the bills.

One way to fill the coffee coffer is by affiliating with companies like Amazon to earn commissions on sales made through your links.

To affiliate is to band together to promote their products throughout your posts by way of links. When the reader clicks and buys through your link, you get a portion of the sale. Sounds perfectly simple. But is it?

Here’s some challenges with affiliating I’ve faced:
  • Most companies require you have a hefty minimum number of subscribers before you can join up. But not all.
  • If you spirit off a reader of your blog through a link to another shop, you’ve lost them in your store. Did they buy something through your link while they were gadding about? Probably not. Here’s why…
  • According to mycustomer.com, 90% of consumers shop around before buying online. Yet, according to Finder.com, 88.6% will impulse buy… if you hit their sweet spot.
  • When the decision to buy is finally made, does your customer come back to your site and order the product through your link? Or do they go right to the website, bypassing you? Cookie (memory that your link brought them in) duration varies. What’s your own practice?
  • Applying for; setting up; blogging about and keeping track of affiliate links is time consuming. What’s your priority? Writing and selling your own books or other people’s merchandise?
Is there a way to make money as an affiliate while writing?

Yes! But you may have to put your own work on the back burner while you’re focusing on applying for; setting up; blogging about and keeping track of your affiliate links. Why? Because you’ll have to put all your creativity into finding the listeners and writing the winning blogs.

On the plus side, it certainly never hurts to spread your name around as a credible, capable writer while you’re writing for others… Before your prose hit the market. Hint: Don’t write for others under another pseudonym. Post with the name your book will shout. It’s free advertising.

And while we’re on the subject, there’s a website (at least one) that touts the 30 best affiliate programs for writers. But ask your search engine for the link when we’re finished here. I don’t want to send you away before I refer you to my own latest book… It’s available now in eBook, print, and in audiobook.

It’s a cozy mysterious misadventure about 3 old ladies with 3 obnoxious husbands that die on the same day. Did the 3 old ladies murder them? Or what?

Is it foolish to affiliate to make money?

Not at all!  I have read and heard of people making a very fine living partnering to promote other’s products. But while you’re promoting other’s products do include shouts for your own Bestseller in the making.

Think about it…

P.S. In case you missed it, click the link to glom onto your copy of my latest book. Then we’re almost done here. Just a couple of very important notices… Until next time…

Cheers!

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Join My Reading Journey: Special Edition Newsletter

A Special Edition and a Sore Head…

That’s SPECIAL EDITION and a Sore Head from thinking… not Sorehead from being crabby.

Why do I have a sore head?

Because I must confess. I confess that gathering subscribers on a mailing list is not my strong suit. I need more treasured readers on my subscribers list.

Without subscribers, I have no readers. If I have no readers, why am I writing and publishing books? If I don’t author books, how will you know how fun characters and life can be?

So, to inform and entertain you, I must gather subscribers. The education gauntlet has been thrown down.

I did it. I picked it up.

I need to gather a group of enthusiastic, cherished readers.

Are you curious about the writing process? Do you want to know when super-duper book opportunities pop up? Opportunities like free and discounted books. And saving authors from brain burps…

That’s what this Special Edition of my blog is all about. Saving me from my brain burp and enhancing your escape time at no cost to you.

With my confession made for the world to see… What’s in it for you?

If you’re a writer in waiting, you’ll be inspired and entertained by subscribing to my delightful newsletter!
If you love captivating, insightful, and joyous books, you should subscribe. It will wonderfully enhance your knowledge. It will fill your life with limitless joy and excitement!

You will not regret subscribing to my little newsletter… ever. I will never ever share your name without your express permission. And I will never flood your inbox with gunky, no-account stuff. I don’t have the energy for such antics. I have quirky characters to ramrod. Which brings me to the cherry on top…

In return for your 3-second, or less, investment of time in subscribing… I will give you a 100% free exclusive novelette eBook. And more fun stuff to come… but not everyday.

This short book is the prequel to the Sally the Loner Series. It’s called ‘Come for Coffee with Sally’.
Click the Cover to get it FREE today! It’s a Magic Link.

It reveals a taste of Sally’s 87-year spunky life including some nutshelled mysterious misadventures she’s sweated through.

Can her story boost your courage to plow through the misadventures in your own life? Or, at least, give you a giggle break at how she handles surprises in her daily life…

All these possibilities for free… At this time, the only way you can get this novelette is through this magic link in this post.

I’ll give it to you again… Just click on the magic link to sign-up and see what this 87-year-old feisty lady is all about.

Behind this magic link is a fun, provocative, and interesting read that will cost you nothing but refreshing emotions.

Here’s an excerpt from one reader:

I am totally addicted. The author has a way of taking a mystery story and making it like you’ve never thought of before. This is totally refreshing … I am definitely now a big fan of Alexie Linn.

On that note I bid you adieu. And say thank you for stepping up; signing up; and being my protagonist.

Happy Reading

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Behind the Scenes of a Productive Author

Behind the Scenes of a Productive Author

Does this happen to you? It happens to me.

Each time I decide what I want to be when I grow up, a picture comes into my head. The picture invariably is of me (and my team) with the shiny finished product with throngs of people lined up to buy or use that gorgeous piece I’ve created. Cash is flowing. People are jubilant and crying for more…

But is it that simple?

Hmm. Not so much.

I’ve flipped career paths several times over the years simply because of the behind the scenes demands.

Demands like:

  • Graveyard shifts because I’m a morning person. I turn into a pumpkin at sundown.
  • Working with a redneck crew that shun and torment a woman in their midst.
  • Micro managers that must give permission for a bathroom break when it will affect no one else on the floor.

It’s easy to block out the details of what goes into the production of a product. Especially when you have no clue until you get there; having leapt smack into the bubbling pot of goo.

So, in preparation of your leap into becoming a productive author, here’s a peak at what goes on behind the scenes to get a book from thought to publication at Alexie Linn, Author.
  1. The Inspiration:
    • Ask the question. Define the problem that needs a solution. (The reason for writing the book)
    • Who are the characters that have the problem? What is each character’s quirk?Does the protagonist need a sidekick?
    • Make the antagonist 3 dimensional. Why are they so darned antagonistic?
  2. Outline the story — make a gazillion decisions:
    • How does the story begin?
    • What led to the problem?
    • Where is the problem happening? Research places.
    • What are the options to fix the problem?
    • Refine the options with what happens along the way
    • Research the options for suitable fixes
    • Attempt to fix the problem
    • Keep working the fixes until one clicks.
    • Will the chosen venue work?
    • Tie up all the loose ends… or leave them dangle?
  3. Write the story:
    • How much material have you to work with?
    • What’s the slant? What are you selling to whom?
    • Who will be reading it? A pre-schooler or a scholar?
    • Average 5-letter words or 20-letter words?
    • How many chapters? About how many words per chapter?
    • How many total words?
      • Is it a:short story (1,500-30,000 words);
      • a novella (18.000-40,000 words);
      • a novel (40,000-150,000 words);
      • a flash fiction (300-1,500 words); or
      • a nonfiction (25,000-150,000 words)
    • Decide whether to start at the beginning, middle, or end.
    • Look for a publisher (write and submit a proposal) or indie publish (write the proposal for yourself or just skip it)?
  4. Publish the Book
    • Prepare the manuscript for indie publication
    • Write or rewrite the description
    • Select key words or phrases for search engines to snag —  
    • Design the cover
    • Write and arrange for Pre-order ads
    • Run the editing gambit (See Publishing Checklist)
    • Publish to the website with available when date
    • Format the MS for E-book and Print versions
    • Upload to the server(s) – Phew! — Almost done…
    • Prepare the narrator’s version of the manuscript
      • Remove photos and anything else that the narrator should not read or describe.
      • Compile an audition script; including character ages and voice inflections like a stutter, lisp, or an accent.Select a narratorNegotiate a contract with the narrator
      • Upload the narrator version of the manuscript
  5. Promote, promote, promote
    • Order author copies of print versions for promotion and gig sales
    • Schedule book signing and sales gigs
    • Post the new book to social media servers from the website often and frequently
    • Write the blog
  6. Repeat steps 1 through 5

And there you have it. A nutshell peek at behind the scenes of Alexie Linn, Author.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this behind-the-scenes journey and are now more prepared to dive into the very busy life of authorship.

The inspiration, outline, write, and publish process takes about 30-days for this author. Promotion never ends.

I’ve seen books promising you can do it all in 7-days. And I just opened an email from a homesteading blogger that her 85,000-word book is finally done. Her project took 5-years.

We each work at the speed that best suits us… or that providence allows. The most important step is to keep plugging away at it. Artificial intelligence does it faster. But it will never do it better than you. Strive for perfection, but keep going to the end.

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Here’s 7 Things You Don’t Know About Alexie Linn Books…

7 Things You Don’t Know About Alexie Linn Books…

Or do you?

After about 40 books and a few years, Alexie Linn has her own special routine of idiosyncrasies to produce a quality read. Relatively fast and easy… so to speak.

When she was puzzling out her own quirks, she wondered how much do you really know about the author of the books you read? How do you picture your reading material being written?

Is the author hunched over a monster desktop computer on an antique oak desk in a windowless den? Or is he or she perched at a folding picnic table under the tall pines talking to the squirrels between bits of copy?

Where does the next revelation come from? Is there a method to the writing obsession?

Like any other business, authors set methods and policies to turning out their prose. Although they may not be aware of it for the first dozen, or so, books. But, with time and experience, a modus operandi emerges and a professional is born.

If you’ve read or listened to several Alexie Linn books, you may have picked up on these characteristics of her books. Is this article one of those subtle… or not so subtle… take aways?

Here are the 7 Alexie Linn idiosyncrasies for your learning or affirmation lessons.
  1. The stories are inspired from real events. Because so many stories are told within the stories, it takes a passel of real events to write even one complete book.
  2. Characters are inspired by real people. You could easily recognize bits of yourself or someone you know in the characters that materialize when they appear on the scene. Do you?
  3. 100% of writing is done between the hours of 2 AM and 8 AM. These are the hours when the Alexie Linn brain is in a churning granny gear. The rest of the world is quiet. It’s dark. Intrusions are minimal or not at all.
  4. Every book is a cozy. Alexie Linn believes her purpose is to bring warmth, comfort, and relaxation to you, the reader. Whether you’re stuck in traffic or unwinding in a quiet corner, Alexie promotes upbeat, light hearted optimism for you in every book she writes. But don’t misunderstand. Bad things still happen to unsuspecting characters. Have you lived a mysterious misadventure with Sally the Loner yet?
  5. Every story has at least one subtle… or not so subtle… take away message. Because every story is a learning experience. It might be confirmation that you are not alone. Or poignant situations that you aren’t dealing with at the moment. And the reminder that your own egads moment could always be worse.
  6. Facts are researched for accuracy before they are allowed into a story. As in Book 9 of the Sally the Loner Series, Alexie went on a fact-finding mission to convey accurate protocol of how lawsuits are generally handled. Is that another subtle lesson? Is that information that you can pull out and use in real life… should you find yourself wanting to sue someone – or are being sued.
  7. Methods of getting out of pickles have to pass a ‘possible’ and ‘logical’ test. The most memorable instance that Alexie can recall is the time the protagonist stopped at a convenience store on her way to investigate a hiking trail. The heroine bought a cup of coffee, a snack, and an umbrella stand. She carried the umbrella stand with her out into the woods. When the antagonist appeared, she heaved the umbrella stand at him to knock him out. Really? Hmm. (FYI… not in an Alexie Linn book)

And there you have it. 7 things you didn’t know about Alexie Linn. And now you do. How can you apply these things in your own life? Have you snagged a copy of Sally vs The Marauders: The Case for the Defense?

Cheers,

Aaralyn Rae

An alter ego of Alexie Linn

P.S.  Free Audiobooks……Free Audiobooks……Free Audiobooks…..

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The next easiest way is to click here to follow me on Facebook.  New posts should appear on the Alexie Linn page – if I’ve held my mouth right… 😊

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BUT! If you only want updates and pre-order deals of new releases of Books, Vellas and Audibles, the easiest way is to follow me on Amazon. When you get an email notice of a new book release, simply ask for it by the title – or for all the Alexie Linn authored titles at your favorite retailer.

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Attention Cozy Mystery Readers! It’s Weird!

Attention Cozy Mystery Readers! It’s Weird! But sure to be a Hoot!

Give Alexie a piece of your mind!

Have you always wanted to tell a cozy mystery author a better way to handle a situation?

Can you take about a minute to select your choice to help plot the story? Your feedback will directly influence the plot lines of the next Sally the Loner story.

Sally the Loner is a series of books that feature an 87-year-old spunky grandma who has all kinds of mysterious misadventures. She’s fun. She’s funny. And she means business.

Book 10 of the Sally the Loner Series is your opportunity to make the story even better. It might even be the new and improved method to writing each book just for you. But we won’t know until we give it the old college try.

You ready to give this cozy mystery author a piece of your mind?

Here’s the quick and easy way to play…

  • Watch for this post ‘Your Opinion is Important! #_’.
  • Open it.
  • Read the options
  • Vote.

TaDa! It’s that simple.

When you have another minute to invest, go here to see how the Opinion Polls are tallying up. I’ll post the updated winners here as the surveys become available.

Oh! And what’s in it for you?

The most important, in this cozy mystery author’s opinion, is that you can tell yourself and your friends that you were directly responsible for plots in this book!

But! You want more?

How about a free pre-publication copy of the eBook delivered to your inbox? Does that work for you?

Sign-up below and email me here — through this very specific link to receive your free fun and interesting read of Sally’s next mysterious misadventure just before it’s published. The one you helped write. Look for it about a month after the polls close.

Are you ready to help Alexie Linn, the cozy mystery author, turn out a bestseller?

I’m excited! Let’s do this together!

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Opinion Results for Sally’s Horse and Donkey Show

Work in Progress title — Sally’s Horse and Donkey Show

A Sally the Loner Mysterious Misadventure – Book 10

In the beginning, I posted a callout for reader’s opinions in the writing of Book 10. Then followed the callout with posts 1 through 10. Each post asked a question and gave voting choices.

Here are the results of the participant’s opinions with the winning choices:

  1. Title — Sally, the Horse, and the Donkey
  2. How Does the story open? — Sally gasped, fully awake when she saw the donkey peering at her through the screen door…
  3. What is the name of the horse? — Tobias
  4. How does Sally discover the animal’s names? — Halters with name tags.
  5. What’s the name of the old man in the trough? — Harvey Vandenvin
  6. How does the old man get into the trough? — Conked on the head by a meteor.
  7. How do the authorities get onto the landlocked homestead? — ATV’s and horses.
  8. Is the old man a rich hermit? — Yes, No, unknown (Even split)
  9. How does the story end? Sorry. For this result you have to read the book.

And finally, the Cover selection.

And here’s AI’s (Artificial Intelligence) description of the story.

In the tentative “Sally’s Horse and Donkey Show”, imagine coming home to find a horse and donkey in your backyard, both desperately thirsty. Would you give them a drink? And then what?

Sally, an energetic 87-year-old woman, faces this exact dilemma. Intrigued by the animals, she decides to investigate why they keep returning to her property. What she discovers shocks her to the core – their water trough is contaminated with a body. But whose body is it? And how did it end up in the water trough?

With no one else around, Sally wonders if the body could be their missing caregiver. As the mystery deepens, she must grapple with the fate of both the animals and the unknown person in the trough.

Join Sally on her thrilling and perplexing journey as she unravels the truth behind this mysterious misadventure. Prepare to be captivated by the twists and turns in “Sally, a Horse, and a Donkey”, a tale filled with suspense, intrigue, and unexpected revelations.

Look for the book in about a month.

This has been a fun and interesting experiment in reader participation of plotting a book. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Cheers!

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Your Opinion is Important! #10 — The Final Question

This is the story that you, the readers built. Here’s the description and the 10th question to cast your vote on:

Description:

In “Sally’s Horse and Donkey Show”, imagine coming home to find a horse and donkey in your backyard, both desperately thirsty. Would you give them a drink? And then what?

Sally, an energetic 87-year-old woman, faces this exact dilemma. Intrigued by the animals, she decides to investigate why they keep returning to her property. What she discovers shocks her to the core – their water trough is contaminated with a body. But whose body is it? And how did it end up in the water trough?

With no one else around, Sally wonders if the body could be their missing caregiver. As the mystery deepens, she must grapple with the fate of both the animals and the unknown person in the trough.

Join Sally on her thrilling and perplexing journey as she unravels the truth behind this mysterious misadventure. Prepare to be captivated by the twists and turns in “Sally’s Horse and Donkey Show”, a tale filled with suspense, intrigue, and unexpected revelations.

The final decision to make is that of the cover. Which of these 3 covers grab your undivided attention?

C
D
A
B
E
F

Email me here with your Other suggestion.

And thank you for playing! It’s been great for me. How about you?

Be sure to subscribe to not miss a question. But if you missed the memo on this lark we’re enjoying, you can still cast your vote through the links below. 🙂

Your Opinion is Important! #9

This is the story that you, the readers built. Here’s the description and the 9th question to cast your vote on:

Description:

In “Sally’s Horse and Donkey Show”, imagine coming home to find a horse and donkey in your backyard, both desperately thirsty. Would you give them a drink? And then what?

Sally, an energetic 87-year-old woman, faces this exact dilemma. Intrigued by the animals, she decides to investigate why they keep returning to her property. What she discovers shocks her to the core – their water trough is contaminated with a body. But whose body is it? And how did it end up in the water trough?

With no one else around, Sally wonders if the body could be their missing caregiver. As the mystery deepens, she must grapple with the fate of both the animals and the unknown person in the trough.

Join Sally on her thrilling and perplexing journey as she unravels the truth behind this mysterious misadventure. Prepare to be captivated by the twists and turns in “Sally’s Horse and Donkey Show”, a tale filled with suspense, intrigue, and unexpected revelations.

Email me here with your Other rescue suggestion.

Be sure to subscribe to not miss a question. But if you missed the memo on this lark we’re enjoying, you can still cast your vote through the links below. 🙂

Your Opinion is Important! #8

This is the story that you, the readers built. Here’s the description and the 8th question to cast your vote on:

Description:

In “Sally’s Horse and Donkey Show”, imagine coming home to find a horse and donkey in your backyard, both desperately thirsty. Would you give them a drink? And then what?

Sally, an energetic 87-year-old woman, faces this exact dilemma. Intrigued by the animals, she decides to investigate why they keep returning to her property. What she discovers shocks her to the core – their water trough is contaminated with a body. But whose body is it? And how did it end up in the water trough?

With no one else around, Sally wonders if the body could be their missing caregiver. As the mystery deepens, she must grapple with the fate of both the animals and the unknown person in the trough.

Join Sally on her thrilling and perplexing journey as she unravels the truth behind this mysterious misadventure. Prepare to be captivated by the twists and turns in “Sally’s Horse and Donkey Show”, a tale filled with suspense, intrigue, and unexpected revelations.

Email me here with your Other rescue suggestion.

Be sure to subscribe to not miss a question. But if you missed the memo on this lark we’re enjoying, you can still cast your vote through the links below. 🙂