Who's joining me on the Writer Reset Journey? How are you getting back to your joy? And which project are you working on right now? Let me know in the comments!
I am working on Where The Wicked Things Roam and I am struggling to get back into my joy simply because this book is so long and it will take such a long time.
I'm really glad to see you back in the saddle! And no judgments about when you weren't, or if your process involves setting up material things the way you like them or whatever. I really appreciate that you follow your own lead, which is how it has to be. I accidentally unsubbed from your newsletter because I had subbed twice. But I'm getting ready to move across the country next week into a much better and less-expensive place that will free up my money to invest in researching and marketing my books. Once I get moved, May/June will be about straightening out my first draft of my true crime book about the k*dnapping and m*rder of my best friend in high school and finding some beta readers for that. Then preparing some quizzes, games, and tests for my astrology primer and getting ready to publish that. I will love to join your book club, count me in.
This is so encouraging. I’ve written just shy of 50,000 words. It was quick and the last 10,000 was like pulling teeth. Then, today, something clicked about where I wanted my story to go. So back to the plot board, to reread over and add in what puzzle pieces of the story were missing. This should be what I need. Scratch that, this is exactly what I need to get back to my creative flow. Love what you did with your plot wall. Looks amazing. I always appreciate all your vulnerability in sharing your process and what you’re going through. Here’s to getting back to the flow of our stories and finishing our drafts. Thank you again! Have an amazing weekend. (((Hugs)))♥️
Way behind, started a month later than i anticipated and should be at almost 80 but am only at 40k. Not too upset believe it or not bc i'm succeeding in doing 1k per writing day, which is huge compared to my productivity in the past. My new adhd meds are definitely helping with that though. lol Very early in the game so I'm not stressing too bad lol But best of all, i'm loving every moment of it. This is such a passion of joy for me. I love writing so much.
You handled the backseat writers with far more grace than I could have. Forcing yourself is what got you here in the first place. You've shared enough of your journey that if they'd been watching they'd see that. You're trying to take back ownership of your creativity and find that love again. Whole different ballgame.
@splufford that's not the definition at all. a backseat writer is just someone telling others how to do their writing. Sarra clearly can do the work and bust out the words. She's proven that with her backlist. She came on YT to share what she knew here and ended up with a second career and burnout. People attack her coping mechanisms, and I get that a lot of people genuinely want to see her actually get her words in. But she's trying to reinvigorate the spark - to reignite the passion for writing. She clearly has discipline, as seen in all the work she puts into her classes. People are so ready to pounce on her, and I just don't understand. If she didn't have any books out, I'd understand better, I guess. It seems to me that she reached Hella Burn Out and is trying to get back to her craft.
I'm not a writer, but I'll be following your journey because much of what you talk about can be transferred to anything we do in life. How we approach any project is a choice. Getting re-familiar is so key to restarting any project. 💖🌞🌵😷
Hey, Sarra! I have an idea for your flashback scenes, how to mark them so that you can move them easily and signal them as flashbacks on your plotting board: use a string on command hooks for each act, with clothespins so you can easily move them. You can use coloured pins, too, to mark whose flashback is, if necessary. I rarely comment on videos though I watch yours, but I felt compelled to write this. I hope it helps!
I think that some of the appeal of your writer videos for me is that you are so much about the sensory process of writing, which really appeals to my neurodivergance. When you're neurospicy, often you CAN'T force yourself to work. Making it a pleasure from a sensory standpoint--adding stimulation through texture, color, visual plotting displays--helps stir up those brain chemicals which helps us to write or create in general.
Had to laugh at Evie saying the trip would be for cookies😂 and I love that you wear a button with his picture. I remember when I used to play, some parents liked to get a shirt for themselves with the kids name to wear for game days
So inspiring! Just an idea - the bookclub for a craft book would make fantastic UA-cam content! I'd definitely enjoy that as a youtube livestream or something :)
Hello there! I am a homeschooling mother with five kiddos. I’ve participated in Nanowrimo six times (winning three of those 🙌🏻). I just wanted to say that your videos are such an encouragement to me! I currently have four messy MESSY manuscripts that I’ve been playing with over years… I’m hoping to get back into writing this summer and actually finish something. Your process of planning is very much my style and I love to hear you talk about your life as a busy mom! Makes me know that I CAN do it! ❤️ Anyways, blessings to you and yours!
Our marching band does buttons of the kids with the show theme - parents wear them all the time! :) Hope you made it through the storms last week without issue. I was in Dallas at the VEX Worlds Championship for High School. Hope to be back next year, too! :) (Boy - that was a long week. The Convention center is huge!)
Book rec: From Where You Dream by Robert Olen Butler. It describes exactly what you are saying about dreaming and finding yourself day dreaming about the story. May be a good inspo book. I’m halfway through now.
I actually discovered I am happier working one project start to finish instead of being in different parts of the process of two at once. My plan was to finish the draft of book two in a series while editing, getting cover art, etc of book one. It was all such a stressful self imposed mess I decided to go start to finish. Then I can freely pick up the next book and finish it.
I do not understand why certain people always want to attack you. You give of your whole self. I myself, like pens, colors; whatever makes me happy and allows me to be creative. For those who do not, then just have nothing to say to Sarra. She is a wonderful human being. Sarra, you actually give to much of yourself. In any case, I love and appreciate all that you do. Keep doing what works for you...that is all that really matters.
I am probably just too sensitive to it, so it always stands out to me! I'm going to try to be less so, but it's not easy. And to be honest, I don't understand it either! I don't feel I'm sharing anything particularly controversial here. Just hey, let's figure out how to bring joy to the process. I don't know! But thank you so much for being here and supporting!
Sarra, I’m at the same place you are: rereading my story so I can get into it, make the necessary edits and finish it. I, too, am taking chapter by chapter notes, which I wish I had done as I was writing it. I’ve been away from my story for a year because I tried to force myself to write when I didn’t have a clear vision, and I wasn’t enjoying it. I thought, like your critics say, “just sit down and write already!” That was a mistake. It came through in the writing, and it also wound up burning me out. I’m just getting back to my writing now, looking for inspiration and joy. Everybody needs different things, but if you’re not enjoying the process, the product will suffer.
I have so much respect for people that write mysteries! You basically have to write two stories for each novel. The one that will actually be read, and the one that caused the mystery in the first place. I could not even begin to figure out how to write something so complicated. lol
I’m getting back into my story after not feeling it while I was pregnant. It’s been over a year since I *really* wrote in it, and getting back into it has been a very slow build up. Something that has helped for me is to find people with similar goals as I do, so your reset videos are *perfect*!
OMG! the player buttons are 100% a thing in Texas as well! I went to HS in San Antonio and it was HUGE. Also t-shirts with their kids pic on them, which is funny. I'm loving these writer reset videos. It's helping me get my own momentum going again. I always struggle a little bit after finishing a big project. I take a short break, which I think I need, but then it's hard to jump back into something new. So thanks for these!
Every time I hear you talk about this book not only can I hear your love of it but I also cannot wait to read it! I am not a writer but watch your videos to help and keep me motivated through some tough times. Thank you for everything of yourself you give to us! You got this!!! ❤
Get it, babe! I really enjoy watching how other authors tackle their projects and I never know when something of their process might work for me, in some way. But even aside from that, it feels inspiring to watch someone take on all the bumps of writing a book. Writing can be lonely. For me, stuff like this feels like community. I'm currently working on an arranged marriage fantasy romance. Medieval setting. Rebecca vibes.
Detoxing is rough! For the time being, consider more sleep time and a shorter eating window to let autophagy do it's work in cleaning out all the bad stuff. 💖🌞🌵😷
I know my sister still has a few buttons from when her kids (now both adults) were in sports. I'm trying to figure out how to reignite my joy when I'm working on revisions, which do NOT spark joy.
I love watching your process! I wish I had it in me to make the process so beautiful. I just have three open Word docs, one for the draft, one for outline, one for notes, all set to dark mode. Watching your process is both beautiful and also comforting in a way.
This was really inspirational. Thank you for talking through your process and sharing what you do and what works for you. It sucks that you got such negativity your way about your reset method. You've given me great ideas. So thank you again for helping to get me past my block.
I don’t think my mom wore my softball photo… haven’t seen that in Nebraska but my mom DID have photo buttons of my sister and I when we were in competitive dance years ago if I recall.
I do not want to read the work of someone who 1. Does not have the same passion and joy like you do. Their work could be blah. 2. Have the nerve to comment negatively. If you don’t have a positive, healthy mindset I don’t want to read words that come out of your mind onto paper. 😊 love this channel!
Yes, your approach to writing is a choice, but I've also found that my energy level has a lot to do with it. If I'm full of calm energy I can fix anything and be totally positive. If I'm tired or my pain level is high, it's so easy to go down that negative rabbit hole. So whenever I get negative, I take a break. That makes all the difference in the world! 💖🌞🌵😷
Do what makes you happy. The haters are sad people belo2 your notice. I appreciate your discussion about finding the love and spark again. I got derailed by a business trip and need to get back to my routine
Thank you for sharing! I love the writer reset. I need this. I wrote my first draft in 2020. My life turned up and down and sideways. So, my manuscript was put on back burner. So many things you said resonated with me. ❤
I will be starting all the stuff soon. We bought a house on the 20th so right now I'm working on making the office (crafty crap room really) pretty quickly.....For the moment I need the walls painted where my desk will be, I need to get ALL my stuff out of the old house and into this one. I have so much to do and getting out of the shell we lived in and into a house that is OURS and I can make look good is so nice. Once that is set up I'll work on writing again, I miss it.
Idea: read some of the fan criticisms of Pretty Little Liars. It sounds like a similar concept. There were some plot holes and poorly done tropes that fans were not happy about. You could use that as a way to get inspired. Like market research. You can see what fans wanted and didn't get and fill that gap. I don't recommend reading the series or watching the show though (to avoid accidentally contaminating your own work).
Yay 🎉 Enjoy the process and the story unfolding.. You're an amazing storyteller, and your readers can feel the joy and passion you put into the books you write ✍️
13:44 ❤❤❤ as someone whose father was a narcissistic Drill Sergeant (eventually Command Sergeant Major, but really we felt he was always a Drill Sgt), I simply don’t respond well to the “put your butt in the chair” philosophy. I’m far more likely to waste my time on unrelated tasks. If I’m allowed to follow my own process, even as I’m learning what works best, then I’ll RUN to that chair or start writing on anything handy! When I’m ready. And I have ideas and scenes for several books in my series…always keep paper handy!
Our oldest ran XC in high school in the PNW. My husband made t-shirts. She wasn't one of the top runners, but we were proud of her. :) I think we also had buttons.
Yes! For the buttons, I'm from Texas though and "kid" sports is a big thing, so wear that button. I'm definitely doing the writer reset with you and I just discovered I write way more when I'm away from my home office. Coffee shops, public library, and even onsite work meetings are super productive to me. I think (maybe) it could have to do less distractions in a public place.
I am really excited about this story . Lol and enjoying your process it is refreshing to have a joyful prospective instead of the you gotta sit and write teaching. To your question about the buttons which is super cute by the way. I am in Florida and football is a big thing. We don't do buttons however lol you will see tons of families with shirts. 😂 everyone wears their kids face or number. Sometimes they even say things like Jordan's mom dad sister grandma aunt EVERYONE gets a shirt 😂l😂😂😂 even cheer moms and dads and family members. It is fun and the kids pretend like it's too much but deep down they feel loved. 😂😂😂
I definitely needed this! Although my story has been on the back burner for about 4 months, I'm having such a hard time getting back into it. I'm about 12K into it and am just not feeling the joy of writing it anymore.
YES!!! You gather your tools, lean into YOUR process, re-set, re-boot and EMBRACE your journey to joy. Many just aren't wired that way -- But, This writer is with you!! Wear all the hats, tackle all the messes... You INSPIRE like hot organized madness!! xoxo
what works for others is just that what works for them. I think if you don't want to write from the heart then use AI But for me as a reader I want the special piece that Only comes from someone with a heartbeat. Cracked up at your 420 a whole other pic formed in my head lol. Thank you for sharing all your ups and downs they help when I am having my own. Blessed Be💜
Yes! Ga baseball mom here, totally wore the buttons, and the team shirts with my player name and number and still ( nearly 20 yrs later) have the magnets on the fridge. Precious memories
I had my novel professionally edited back in January. I have felt so overwhelmed by edits that I tabled it. This video inspired my to start fixing it. That switch in mindset is everything!!! Thank you once again for bringing me back to my writing!!!!
this camp has been one of my worst and best camps i’ve ever done. i didn’t write for a full week but now i’m writing over 1,000 words a day and almost completely caught up. i definitely relate a lot to your struggle and trying to get back into a creative project. thanks again for being my authortube inspiration!
I love how people are telling YOU how YOU should write, and/or the validity of your process. 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄 Loved this one, Sarra! (Related: that coffee shop looks so wonderful to spend time in!)
It's a very strange thing, honestly. We all have different ways of doing things, but it's not about right or wrong. It's just what works for you. And yes, the coffee shop is such a nice vibe to it!
Sorry, this has nothing to do with your marvellous content 😊, but a violation for your child's hairlength? Boys in the USA, in Texas, at Andrew's school are not allowed to have long(er) hair? In Germany the constitution guarantees the free personality development. It would be the teacher who'd get a serious violation for this excessive and overbearing demand. Well, obviously every country, every society has its own rules.
Yes My brother played different sports growing up and my mom wore his to his games as well absolutely enjoyed this video seen it many times already so motivating fixed my cricut machine while watching this 🥰
Much gratitude to you Sarra and the HB community!! I finally got back in my groove this week and owe the inspiration to you!! This video and all the ones before and yet to come are such gifts to the writing community! 💕💐
I love how beautiful you make everything! Sorry to hear people just don’t get that! Nothing better and inspiring than being surrounded by things you love 💕
I totally agree with you the pens stickys and whatever else it takes do bring the joy such simple items for me help the motivation so much more than forcing myself into the chair. I will be so much more productive with my "friends" around LOL
I love the idea of changing up your writing environment. I found it helpful for me to rearrange things to motivate me. Also, I find photos I feel represent my characters and create small stickers of all the characters and place the ones in the chapters they are in. I think using color coding is a great idea but I think I would most likely forget what color belonged to which character LOL.
People who write "get your backside in the seat and write" comments are probably the same people who make "I've never had creative block" UA-cam videos. (And, when they inevitably do get creative block, go radio silent for two years because they are unaware of how to work through it.) It's one thing to be a new author who struggles to find their confidence in the unknown. It's entirely different to be a successful author who struggles to find their voice again. Not many people are willing to be so vulnerable to the public. So thank you! Thank you for having the courage to document and publish videos on your struggles with the creative process! You're amazing! You're helping people with your journey. :)
I’m rewriting a a novel I wrote back in 2021. The essence of it is the same. Its a novel I’m writing for coursera: Write your first novel. Your writer reset helped me to solidify the things that has being going wrong with my writing. I hope to use this video to help me go back into a previous novel i wrote called Ragnarok. I drafted it by hand and finished 160 pages out of a 160 page notebook.
I'm here for all of it, the process, the stickies, the markers, the color coding, all of the visuals that help with this process. I love what R.M. Galardo below said about backseat writers. For some of us it takes a few additional steps to get the butt in the chair--we're all different. I could maybe see the criticism if you'd never published a novel and spent the last 10 years doing prep work. Anyway, so glad to see your joy and be along on your journey! Thanks for sharing.
This is gold. Thank you for sharing! I struggle with anxiety and overwhelm with my writing, and this approach of cultivating joy and enticing yourself is just so appealing! I am usually very serious and a deep thinker . . . But i can really see how feeding the side of me that loves tangible postits and notecards and pens and playing with story questions could really help. Thank you so much for this!
That is such a loving thing to do for him, He may be embarrassed but it also lets him know that you love him and are proud of him. (a heart touching moment ) also a memory builder. For when he looks back and can say "my mom loved me "!!!!!
Great video, as usual. If you have time, would you be able to talk about how you found your writing community (the one you do zoom sprints with)? I’m a year into total burnout and it‘s really difficult trying to motivate myself without a support network. Family don’t understand, do they! Burnout-the catch22 situation. You can’t function until you put down the mental load, but the mental load refuses to let you go, so the burnout keeps going.
It sounds like you would really enjoy and maybe benefit from reading “Dark and Shallow Lies” by Ginny Myers Sain. It’s about a girl disappearing in an isolated Louisiana bayou town, but the twist is that everyone in the town has some type of psychic ability.
Feeling so inspired after watching these writer reset videos! Could we see a flip through of that journal where you were keeping track of sprints/words written? Or do you already have one? Thank you!
Hi Sarra, I am not a writer but I love your positive energy and focus. You are amazing and I am so happy for you that you got your joy back. Thanks for sharing.❤😊
Violation for hair length? I know this video isn't about that, but man, that seems so authoritarian. Thanks for sharing your reset process, I'm definitely taking notes.
Okay so I am on a family vacation and won't be able to get back to my own book for another week, but I need to know where to get that amazing keyboard! It doesn't come up when I search on Amazon. I'm probably using the wrong keywords. If anyone knows how to search properly, please let me know! Thank you for the video 💖
First of all, buttons. In East Texas, I haven’t seen buttons but I sure do see a lot of shirts. So I don’t see where a button would stand out as odd. Do you boo! Secondly, I applaud your effort. You have spent an enormous amount of time in your courses. That in itself is a full time job. The brain needs to get empty and a little bored to day dream. I’m glad you have gotten to the point where you can empty the mind of all of that and just focus on the what you really want to write. I think it’s awesome and I’m rooting for you.
Loved you talking through the decision to untangle a fun storyline rather than let it get dusty in a box. Helped me immensely on my own dilemma about an old favourite character. Thank you ❤
I'm also going through edits and rewrites. Your comment about mindset really resonated with me because this is my first book and I keep putting all this pressure on myself, so I tend to approach edits with not the best attitude. Definitely going to try to actively change my mindset before each session.
This is such a great video. Always eo helpful. Also...yay to a book club and in Hawai'i we don't really wear buttons to sports games. Instead we create shirts with their names, their teams and their faces 😂 lol. We go all out in Hawai'i...almost all families who are local have these on hahahaha.
Sad to hear that others critique when it’s not their journey. You continue to do what works for you Sarra. Your true followers and fan will stick around the ride no matter what. Thank you for sharing so openly, this give encouragement to those like me who want to make this their dream job. You are loved and appreciated.
I had an older project. It was a nightmare to get back into. Because there was a lot of issues and I gave up. Looking at this video ignited my passion to keep going.
It amazes me that someone would come into your comments and tell you you’re doing it wrong-you’ve written more than two dozen books and made an excellent living doing it your way. 😂
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Who's joining me on the Writer Reset Journey? How are you getting back to your joy? And which project are you working on right now? Let me know in the comments!
Working on edits for book 4 and writing some newsletter cookies! This came at just the right time for me!
I am working on Where The Wicked Things Roam and I am struggling to get back into my joy simply because this book is so long and it will take such a long time.
I'm really glad to see you back in the saddle! And no judgments about when you weren't, or if your process involves setting up material things the way you like them or whatever. I really appreciate that you follow your own lead, which is how it has to be.
I accidentally unsubbed from your newsletter because I had subbed twice. But I'm getting ready to move across the country next week into a much better and less-expensive place that will free up my money to invest in researching and marketing my books.
Once I get moved, May/June will be about straightening out my first draft of my true crime book about the k*dnapping and m*rder of my best friend in high school and finding some beta readers for that. Then preparing some quizzes, games, and tests for my astrology primer and getting ready to publish that.
I will love to join your book club, count me in.
This is so encouraging. I’ve written just shy of 50,000 words. It was quick and the last 10,000 was like pulling teeth. Then, today, something clicked about where I wanted my story to go. So back to the plot board, to reread over and add in what puzzle pieces of the story were missing. This should be what I need. Scratch that, this is exactly what I need to get back to my creative flow.
Love what you did with your plot wall. Looks amazing. I always appreciate all your vulnerability in sharing your process and what you’re going through. Here’s to getting back to the flow of our stories and finishing our drafts. Thank you again! Have an amazing weekend. (((Hugs)))♥️
Way behind, started a month later than i anticipated and should be at almost 80 but am only at 40k. Not too upset believe it or not bc i'm succeeding in doing 1k per writing day, which is huge compared to my productivity in the past. My new adhd meds are definitely helping with that though. lol Very early in the game so I'm not stressing too bad lol But best of all, i'm loving every moment of it. This is such a passion of joy for me. I love writing so much.
You handled the backseat writers with far more grace than I could have. Forcing yourself is what got you here in the first place. You've shared enough of your journey that if they'd been watching they'd see that. You're trying to take back ownership of your creativity and find that love again. Whole different ballgame.
Agreed idk why they have to do that
"Backseat writers" - well said!
If the definition of being a "backseat writer" is someone who does the work rather than just talks about it then I'll happily take that.
@splufford that's not the definition at all. a backseat writer is just someone telling others how to do their writing. Sarra clearly can do the work and bust out the words. She's proven that with her backlist. She came on YT to share what she knew here and ended up with a second career and burnout. People attack her coping mechanisms, and I get that a lot of people genuinely want to see her actually get her words in. But she's trying to reinvigorate the spark - to reignite the passion for writing.
She clearly has discipline, as seen in all the work she puts into her classes. People are so ready to pounce on her, and I just don't understand. If she didn't have any books out, I'd understand better, I guess. It seems to me that she reached Hella Burn Out and is trying to get back to her craft.
That is what I am trying to get back to because trying to force myself never works. ADHD Brain here so I need the fun and the dopamine.
I'm not a writer, but I'll be following your journey because much of what you talk about can be transferred to anything we do in life. How we approach any project is a choice. Getting re-familiar is so key to restarting any project. 💖🌞🌵😷
Thanks so much for following Suzi!
Hey, Sarra! I have an idea for your flashback scenes, how to mark them so that you can move them easily and signal them as flashbacks on your plotting board: use a string on command hooks for each act, with clothespins so you can easily move them. You can use coloured pins, too, to mark whose flashback is, if necessary. I rarely comment on videos though I watch yours, but I felt compelled to write this. I hope it helps!
I think that some of the appeal of your writer videos for me is that you are so much about the sensory process of writing, which really appeals to my neurodivergance. When you're neurospicy, often you CAN'T force yourself to work. Making it a pleasure from a sensory standpoint--adding stimulation through texture, color, visual plotting displays--helps stir up those brain chemicals which helps us to write or create in general.
I love this so much. Getting on the floor last night with some index cards stirred things up for me, and I'm loving it!
Had to laugh at Evie saying the trip would be for cookies😂 and I love that you wear a button with his picture. I remember when I used to play, some parents liked to get a shirt for themselves with the kids name to wear for game days
So inspiring! Just an idea - the bookclub for a craft book would make fantastic UA-cam content! I'd definitely enjoy that as a youtube livestream or something :)
Hello there!
I am a homeschooling mother with five kiddos. I’ve participated in Nanowrimo six times (winning three of those 🙌🏻).
I just wanted to say that your videos are such an encouragement to me! I currently have four messy MESSY manuscripts that I’ve been playing with over years…
I’m hoping to get back into writing this summer and actually finish something. Your process of planning is very much my style and I love to hear you talk about your life as a busy mom! Makes me know that I CAN do it! ❤️
Anyways, blessings to you and yours!
She's a smart girl! She knows exactly what she wants. Now I want cookies! Thank you for helping refresh the love of writing!
Our marching band does buttons of the kids with the show theme - parents wear them all the time! :) Hope you made it through the storms last week without issue. I was in Dallas at the VEX Worlds Championship for High School. Hope to be back next year, too! :) (Boy - that was a long week. The Convention center is huge!)
Book rec: From Where You Dream by Robert Olen Butler. It describes exactly what you are saying about dreaming and finding yourself day dreaming about the story. May be a good inspo book. I’m halfway through now.
Oh thank you so much Gina!
I actually discovered I am happier working one project start to finish instead of being in different parts of the process of two at once. My plan was to finish the draft of book two in a series while editing, getting cover art, etc of book one. It was all such a stressful self imposed mess I decided to go start to finish. Then I can freely pick up the next book and finish it.
we don't wear pictures, but I've seen moms wear their kid's number on a hockey jersey. Thank you for this, Sarra. I really need it.
I do not understand why certain people always want to attack you. You give of your whole self. I myself, like pens, colors; whatever makes me happy and allows me to be creative. For those who do not, then just have nothing to say to Sarra. She is a wonderful human being. Sarra, you actually give to much of yourself. In any case, I love and appreciate all that you do. Keep doing what works for you...that is all that really matters.
I am probably just too sensitive to it, so it always stands out to me! I'm going to try to be less so, but it's not easy. And to be honest, I don't understand it either! I don't feel I'm sharing anything particularly controversial here. Just hey, let's figure out how to bring joy to the process. I don't know! But thank you so much for being here and supporting!
Sarra, I’m at the same place you are: rereading my story so I can get into it, make the necessary edits and finish it. I, too, am taking chapter by chapter notes, which I wish I had done as I was writing it.
I’ve been away from my story for a year because I tried to force myself to write when I didn’t have a clear vision, and I wasn’t enjoying it. I thought, like your critics say, “just sit down and write already!” That was a mistake. It came through in the writing, and it also wound up burning me out. I’m just getting back to my writing now, looking for inspiration and joy. Everybody needs different things, but if you’re not enjoying the process, the product will suffer.
Wishing you the best as you get back to enjoying the process!
I have so much respect for people that write mysteries! You basically have to write two stories for each novel. The one that will actually be read, and the one that caused the mystery in the first place. I could not even begin to figure out how to write something so complicated. lol
I’m getting back into my story after not feeling it while I was pregnant. It’s been over a year since I *really* wrote in it, and getting back into it has been a very slow build up. Something that has helped for me is to find people with similar goals as I do, so your reset videos are *perfect*!
OMG! the player buttons are 100% a thing in Texas as well! I went to HS in San Antonio and it was HUGE. Also t-shirts with their kids pic on them, which is funny. I'm loving these writer reset videos. It's helping me get my own momentum going again. I always struggle a little bit after finishing a big project. I take a short break, which I think I need, but then it's hard to jump back into something new. So thanks for these!
A buffet of pens!! I love it!!!!
Every time I hear you talk about this book not only can I hear your love of it but I also cannot wait to read it! I am not a writer but watch your videos to help and keep me motivated through some tough times. Thank you for everything of yourself you give to us! You got this!!! ❤
Get it, babe! I really enjoy watching how other authors tackle their projects and I never know when something of their process might work for me, in some way. But even aside from that, it feels inspiring to watch someone take on all the bumps of writing a book. Writing can be lonely. For me, stuff like this feels like community. I'm currently working on an arranged marriage fantasy romance. Medieval setting. Rebecca vibes.
We do it in Pennsylvania! And it's really common, yeah, everyone buys them. They did it when I was a kid too! (wearing the buttons)
Detoxing is rough! For the time being, consider more sleep time and a shorter eating window to let autophagy do it's work in cleaning out all the bad stuff. 💖🌞🌵😷
I grew up in Jackson Michigan and sport parents always wore their buttons to games…and to Kroger, lol.
Oh good!!!
I know my sister still has a few buttons from when her kids (now both adults) were in sports.
I'm trying to figure out how to reignite my joy when I'm working on revisions, which do NOT spark joy.
I love watching your process! I wish I had it in me to make the process so beautiful. I just have three open Word docs, one for the draft, one for outline, one for notes, all set to dark mode.
Watching your process is both beautiful and also comforting in a way.
This was really inspirational. Thank you for talking through your process and sharing what you do and what works for you. It sucks that you got such negativity your way about your reset method. You've given me great ideas. So thank you again for helping to get me past my block.
love your content and just how happy and comfy it always makes me feel, along with the great writing motivation!!! Thank you for all you do~
Thanks so much for watching!
I don’t think my mom wore my softball photo… haven’t seen that in Nebraska but my mom DID have photo buttons of my sister and I when we were in competitive dance years ago if I recall.
I do not want to read the work of someone who 1. Does not have the same passion and joy like you do. Their work could be blah. 2. Have the nerve to comment negatively. If you don’t have a positive, healthy mindset I don’t want to read words that come out of your mind onto paper. 😊 love this channel!
Yes, your approach to writing is a choice, but I've also found that my energy level has a lot to do with it. If I'm full of calm energy I can fix anything and be totally positive. If I'm tired or my pain level is high, it's so easy to go down that negative rabbit hole. So whenever I get negative, I take a break. That makes all the difference in the world! 💖🌞🌵😷
So wise!
Do what makes you happy. The haters are sad people belo2 your notice.
I appreciate your discussion about finding the love and spark again. I got derailed by a business trip and need to get back to my routine
Ignore all those people I reset my writing too and some of it was getting some new notebooks and planners.
Thank you for sharing!
I love the writer reset. I need this. I wrote my first draft in 2020. My life turned up and down and sideways. So, my manuscript was put on back burner. So many things you said resonated with me. ❤
1:08 Your new plotting wall may be the inspiration I need to get back to work. My brain likes that horizontal progression.
I hope it is! There's something about switching it up this way that's working for me!
I will be starting all the stuff soon. We bought a house on the 20th so right now I'm working on making the office (crafty crap room really) pretty quickly.....For the moment I need the walls painted where my desk will be, I need to get ALL my stuff out of the old house and into this one.
I have so much to do and getting out of the shell we lived in and into a house that is OURS and I can make look good is so nice.
Once that is set up I'll work on writing again, I miss it.
Idea: read some of the fan criticisms of Pretty Little Liars. It sounds like a similar concept. There were some plot holes and poorly done tropes that fans were not happy about. You could use that as a way to get inspired. Like market research. You can see what fans wanted and didn't get and fill that gap. I don't recommend reading the series or watching the show though (to avoid accidentally contaminating your own work).
Yay 🎉 Enjoy the process and the story unfolding.. You're an amazing storyteller, and your readers can feel the joy and passion you put into the books you write ✍️
13:44 ❤❤❤ as someone whose father was a narcissistic Drill Sergeant (eventually Command Sergeant Major, but really we felt he was always a Drill Sgt), I simply don’t respond well to the “put your butt in the chair” philosophy. I’m far more likely to waste my time on unrelated tasks. If I’m allowed to follow my own process, even as I’m learning what works best, then I’ll RUN to that chair or start writing on anything handy! When I’m ready. And I have ideas and scenes for several books in my series…always keep paper handy!
I’m from Georgia, and everybody wore sports buttons for their kids! I don’t think it’s weird at all.❤️
I enjoyed this vlog. It's getting me excited about again. What was the craft book you we're reading?
This series is gonna be my favorite. I can feel the motivation already!
Our oldest ran XC in high school in the PNW. My husband made t-shirts. She wasn't one of the top runners, but we were proud of her. :) I think we also had buttons.
Yes! For the buttons, I'm from Texas though and "kid" sports is a big thing, so wear that button.
I'm definitely doing the writer reset with you and I just discovered I write way more when I'm away from my home office. Coffee shops, public library, and even onsite work meetings are super productive to me. I think (maybe) it could have to do less distractions in a public place.
I am really excited about this story . Lol and enjoying your process it is refreshing to have a joyful prospective instead of the you gotta sit and write teaching.
To your question about the buttons which is super cute by the way. I am in Florida and football is a big thing. We don't do buttons however lol you will see tons of families with shirts. 😂 everyone wears their kids face or number. Sometimes they even say things like Jordan's mom dad sister grandma aunt EVERYONE gets a shirt 😂l😂😂😂 even cheer moms and dads and family members. It is fun and the kids pretend like it's too much but deep down they feel loved. 😂😂😂
Yes we do wear buttons in SC! You’re a great Mom! 💓💓💓
I definitely needed this! Although my story has been on the back burner for about 4 months, I'm having such a hard time getting back into it. I'm about 12K into it and am just not feeling the joy of writing it anymore.
Many years ago, when my son played baseball in Michigan, several parents, including me, wore buttons. You can start the trend in Texas 😊
YES!!! You gather your tools, lean into YOUR process, re-set, re-boot and EMBRACE your journey to joy. Many just aren't wired that way -- But, This writer is with you!! Wear all the hats, tackle all the messes... You INSPIRE like hot organized madness!! xoxo
I loved this and it was so well timed for me! You getting unstuck has given me a boost to do the same 🥳 Your videos give me such joy 😍
what works for others is just that what works for them. I think if you don't want to write from the heart then use AI But for me as a reader I want the special piece that Only comes from someone with a heartbeat. Cracked up at your 420 a whole other pic formed in my head lol. Thank you for sharing all your ups and downs they help when I am having my own. Blessed Be💜
😂
Yes! Ga baseball mom here, totally wore the buttons, and the team shirts with my player name and number and still ( nearly 20 yrs later) have the magnets on the fridge. Precious memories
🙌
I had my novel professionally edited back in January. I have felt so overwhelmed by edits that I tabled it. This video inspired my to start fixing it. That switch in mindset is everything!!! Thank you once again for bringing me back to my writing!!!!
this camp has been one of my worst and best camps i’ve ever done. i didn’t write for a full week but now i’m writing over 1,000 words a day and almost completely caught up. i definitely relate a lot to your struggle and trying to get back into a creative project. thanks again for being my authortube inspiration!
You are not the only one! We had buttons and shirts when my kiddo played baseball!
I love how people are telling YOU how YOU should write, and/or the validity of your process. 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄 Loved this one, Sarra! (Related: that coffee shop looks so wonderful to spend time in!)
It's a very strange thing, honestly. We all have different ways of doing things, but it's not about right or wrong. It's just what works for you. And yes, the coffee shop is such a nice vibe to it!
Nope...no buttons on parents in Washington (state).
Sorry, this has nothing to do with your marvellous content 😊, but a violation for your child's hairlength? Boys in the USA, in Texas, at Andrew's school are not allowed to have long(er) hair? In Germany the constitution guarantees the free personality development. It would be the teacher who'd get a serious violation for this excessive and overbearing demand. Well, obviously every country, every society has its own rules.
The goes to a private school!
Sent the WIP off to my editor today!!! I feel so good.
Amazing, congrats!
Yes My brother played different sports growing up and my mom wore his to his games as well absolutely enjoyed this video seen it many times already so motivating fixed my cricut machine while watching this 🥰
Love it!
Much gratitude to you Sarra and the HB community!! I finally got back in my groove this week and owe the inspiration to you!! This video and all the ones before and yet to come are such gifts to the writing community! 💕💐
So happy to hear this!!! Way to go!!
People need to love not judge. ❤❤❤ You’re doing great!
I love how beautiful you make everything! Sorry to hear people just don’t get that! Nothing better and inspiring than being surrounded by things you love 💕
You're a rockstar! You've got this! 😊
I totally agree with you the pens stickys and whatever else it takes do bring the joy such simple items for me help the motivation so much more than forcing myself into the chair. I will be so much more productive with my "friends" around LOL
I love the idea of changing up your writing environment. I found it helpful for me to rearrange things to motivate me. Also, I find photos I feel represent my characters and create small stickers of all the characters and place the ones in the chapters they are in. I think using color coding is a great idea but I think I would most likely forget what color belonged to which character LOL.
You are so inspirational.
Where did you get your computer? LOVE IT!
Thank you! I put it together myself and just bought all of the parts individually!
People who write "get your backside in the seat and write" comments are probably the same people who make "I've never had creative block" UA-cam videos. (And, when they inevitably do get creative block, go radio silent for two years because they are unaware of how to work through it.)
It's one thing to be a new author who struggles to find their confidence in the unknown. It's entirely different to be a successful author who struggles to find their voice again. Not many people are willing to be so vulnerable to the public. So thank you!
Thank you for having the courage to document and publish videos on your struggles with the creative process! You're amazing! You're helping people with your journey. :)
I’m rewriting a a novel I wrote back in 2021. The essence of it is the same. Its a novel I’m writing for coursera: Write your first novel.
Your writer reset helped me to solidify the things that has being going wrong with my writing. I hope to use this video to help me go back into a previous novel i wrote called Ragnarok. I drafted it by hand and finished 160 pages out of a 160 page notebook.
I'm here for all of it, the process, the stickies, the markers, the color coding, all of the visuals that help with this process. I love what R.M. Galardo below said about backseat writers. For some of us it takes a few additional steps to get the butt in the chair--we're all different. I could maybe see the criticism if you'd never published a novel and spent the last 10 years doing prep work. Anyway, so glad to see your joy and be along on your journey! Thanks for sharing.
This is gold. Thank you for sharing! I struggle with anxiety and overwhelm with my writing, and this approach of cultivating joy and enticing yourself is just so appealing! I am usually very serious and a deep thinker . . . But i can really see how feeding the side of me that loves tangible postits and notecards and pens and playing with story questions could really help. Thank you so much for this!
That is such a loving thing to do for him, He may be embarrassed but it also lets him know that you love him and are proud of him. (a heart touching moment ) also a memory builder. For when he looks back and can say "my mom loved me "!!!!!
Great video, as usual.
If you have time, would you be able to talk about how you found your writing community (the one you do zoom sprints with)? I’m a year into total burnout and it‘s really difficult trying to motivate myself without a support network. Family don’t understand, do they!
Burnout-the catch22 situation. You can’t function until you put down the mental load, but the mental load refuses to let you go, so the burnout keeps going.
It sounds like you would really enjoy and maybe benefit from reading “Dark and Shallow Lies” by Ginny Myers Sain. It’s about a girl disappearing in an isolated Louisiana bayou town, but the twist is that everyone in the town has some type of psychic ability.
Feeling so inspired after watching these writer reset videos!
Could we see a flip through of that journal where you were keeping track of sprints/words written? Or do you already have one?
Thank you!
I did a video setting it up maybe a month ago or so, but I'll flip through it again on the notebook challenge this week!
@@HeartBreathings thank you so much! I will go find that one 🙂
Hi Sarra, I am not a writer but I love your positive energy and focus. You are amazing and I am so happy for you that you got your joy back. Thanks for sharing.❤😊
Violation for hair length? I know this video isn't about that, but man, that seems so authoritarian.
Thanks for sharing your reset process, I'm definitely taking notes.
Okay so I am on a family vacation and won't be able to get back to my own book for another week, but I need to know where to get that amazing keyboard! It doesn't come up when I search on Amazon. I'm probably using the wrong keywords. If anyone knows how to search properly, please let me know!
Thank you for the video 💖
Thank you for being such a ray of LIGHT & JOY in this crazy author journey
I'm sure you will get lots of writing done!!
Photo buttons are a thing in the small town in Wisconsin where I live. Parents, grandparents... they're everywhere!
15:01 to 16:40 is like, straight up stationary porn and I love it 🤣
😂
First of all, buttons. In East Texas, I haven’t seen buttons but I sure do see a lot of shirts. So I don’t see where a button would stand out as odd. Do you boo! Secondly, I applaud your effort. You have spent an enormous amount of time in your courses. That in itself is a full time job. The brain needs to get empty and a little bored to day dream. I’m glad you have gotten to the point where you can empty the mind of all of that and just focus on the what you really want to write. I think it’s awesome and I’m rooting for you.
Where did you get the pens/markers organizer!?
I got them from Amazon: amzn.to/3VcN0YU
Loved you talking through the decision to untangle a fun storyline rather than let it get dusty in a box. Helped me immensely on my own dilemma about an old favourite character. Thank you ❤
I'm also going through edits and rewrites. Your comment about mindset really resonated with me because this is my first book and I keep putting all this pressure on myself, so I tend to approach edits with not the best attitude. Definitely going to try to actively change my mindset before each session.
This is such a great video. Always eo helpful. Also...yay to a book club and in Hawai'i we don't really wear buttons to sports games. Instead we create shirts with their names, their teams and their faces 😂 lol. We go all out in Hawai'i...almost all families who are local have these on hahahaha.
So excited for the book club! I always buy the buttons and never remember to wear them 🙂
That's really interesting with the time line and wall realignment - that's made me think of something with my old story I am trying to resuscitate :)
Sad to hear that others critique when it’s not their journey. You continue to do what works for you Sarra. Your true followers and fan will stick around the ride no matter what. Thank you for sharing so openly, this give encouragement to those like me who want to make this their dream job. You are loved and appreciated.
I love the button idea. It wasn't something done in NC, that I know of, when I was playing.
I had an older project. It was a nightmare to get back into. Because there was a lot of issues and I gave up. Looking at this video ignited my passion to keep going.
Hoping I get my own "lightning moment" to locate my "lost" chapter as I work at frankensteining a new master. We'll see.
It amazes me that someone would come into your comments and tell you you’re doing it wrong-you’ve written more than two dozen books and made an excellent living doing it your way. 😂
Thank you so much for treating us like we have something to contribute. I struggled with that for years!!
Everyone here in NWPA wears buttons of their kids from sports and band.
How about setting up a fish tank with real fish. They are calming.
Where I grew up the moms totally wore buttons!
🎉❤️