inspiration – Page 8 – stacey jaine mcintosh

Hello, Autumn

Posted on March 21, 2019March 21, 2019 by staceyjaine in Anthologies, Indie Author, published, Stacey Jaine McIntosh, Stuff, Updates, Writing

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Yes… it’s March 21st, which means Autumn can officially start… in the Southern Hemisphere, that is. The previous twenty-one days were just a warm up… seeings as in Oz the weather can never make up its mind. I’m really over Summer, if you can’t tell.

This post is kind of two-fold today, as there’s been quite a lot going on in the niche I carved out for myself in the writing world, as small as it is now, I’m hopeful it’s going to grow into something huge. A girl can dream, right?

organic-ink Two days ago, I received an acceptance for my poem, Petals, that I submitted two weeks prior and kept it completely under wraps. I truly believed I sucked at poetry, because I don’t really get how to write it. Like, I’ve always felt there’s a right way and a wrong way to write poetry and its instilled in me this immense fear of getting it wrong. So, I’ve totally just steered clear of it. Yeah, so I totally jumped out of my comfort zone for this submission and its surprisingly paid off. So, that of course lead to me submitting another poem, because I hate odd numbers… suffice to say, my second poem, Darkness, will also be appearing in the Dragon Soul Press anthology, Organic Ink, Volume One. Which will be published later this year. I can’t wait!

In other news, I’ve also submitted a drabble to another online only publication. This time it’s for Black Hare Press. I’m crossing my fingers (and toes) that I hear back soon.

Finally, I’ve also done a soft launch of my Patreon, which I’ve been debating for a long while whether to launch and I decided last night to just go ahead and do it… so, if there’s any interest at all, I’d be eternally grateful. There’s three tiers at the moment but I’m hoping to find news ways to give back to anyone who champions my cause, no matter how small, when time permits. If you would like to chip in, the link is HERE.

I truly hope that the Equinox finds you well. I really do love this time of year.

Week Eleven

Posted on March 18, 2019April 8, 2019 by staceyjaine in 365 Challenge, Indie Author, publishing, Stacey Jaine McIntosh, Updates, Writing

Today is the end of the eleventh week of the 365 Writing Challenge and I’ve managed to write 2,100 words and get some editing done on a few of my short stories I wrote last month. I’m still waiting on my scores for Phase 4 of Fantasia Divinity’s Interpretations Contest, but I’m hopeful they’ll hit my inbox very soon.

In other writing news, I have four short stories awaiting completion so that I can submit them to various anthologies, plus close to a dozen drabbles to write for another submission opportunity.

March is beginning to feel just a little overwhelming of late, but I’m trudging through and I’ll make it through to the other end, hopefully unscathed. And who knows, maybe by the end of the month, I’ll have a couple of acceptances to add to my pile of ever growing acceptances.

Until next week. Happy writing.

Week Seven to Ten

Posted on March 11, 2019April 8, 2019 by staceyjaine in 365 Challenge, Indie Author, publishing, Stacey Jaine McIntosh, Updates, Writing

And, I dropped the ball. I find it ironic that the last post I made to this series was on February 11th. Today marks the tenth week of the 365 Writing Challenge.

These last four weeks I’ve written roughly 8,796 new words, finished my Phase 5 short story for Fantasia Divinity Magazine‘s competition and started work on Le Fay, the prequel to Morrighan.

Lost, my collection of short stories, was published on March 28th on kindle and paperback.

If you haven’t purchased a copy, I’d love it if you would consider doing so.

Here’s the LINK!

Until next week.

I hope.

Fingers crossed.

Week Six

Posted on February 11, 2019April 8, 2019 by staceyjaine in 365 Challenge, Indie Author, publishing, Stacey Jaine McIntosh, Updates, Writing

Today is the end of the sixth week of the 365 Writing Challenge during which I’ve written 3,199 words. It’s up from last week and actually feels pretty good.

I’m still chipping away at my fifth contest entry. It’s going slower than I would like because of the research. There’s not a great deal of information about my person of interest. Plenty of movies and tv shows but when you’re trying to get down to what really happened… it’s a little more difficult. Thankfully it’s not due til the end of this month, so I have time to get it finished. Hopefully, the judges like it.

All in all a good week, writing wise. I hope to be as productive next week.

I promise I’ll keep you all posted.

Week Five

Posted on February 4, 2019April 8, 2019 by staceyjaine in 365 Challenge, Indie Author, publishing, Stacey Jaine McIntosh, Updates, Writing

This is the fifth week of the 365 Writing Challenge. I’ve written a grand total of 2,100 words this week and had one of my short stories that I subbed to Fantasia Divinity rejected. 😔

Lost, is however in the works, and will be released by the end of February.

I’m still hard at work on my fifth and final contest entry. It’s proving harder than I thought to get right, but I’m persevering.

Until next week.

January

Posted on January 31, 2019 by staceyjaine in Indie Author, publishing, Reading, short stories, Stacey Jaine McIntosh, Updates, Writing

So, January has drawn to a close and while it’s been a productive one it’s also been a little bittersweet.

Not only did I start the month with a rejection but, I’m ending it with one as well.

It’s okay though because I do have plans for the two stories that were rejected. So keep your eyes on my blog for an announcement soon.

And, somewhat surprisingly I’ve managed to write a massive 10,556 words. All of those words have been accrued through penning various short stories.

It’s actually nice to complete something for once. As much as I love working on my various novels, there’s a lot more involved in completing a novel.

At this stage I’m not quite sure what February will bring story wise but whatever it is, I’m looking forward to it.

What are you all looking forward to in February?

Week Four

Posted on January 28, 2019April 8, 2019 by staceyjaine in 365 Challenge, Indie Author, publishing, Stacey Jaine McIntosh, Updates, Writing

Today marks the end of the fourth week of the 365 Writing Challenge during which I’ve written 2,100 words, which is the bare minimum to get by. But it is words on paper so I don’t care.

I’m busy working on my 5th contest entry for Fantasia Divinity Magazine & Publishing and trying not to go stir crazy as I await scores from previous rounds.

All in all a good week, writing wise. I hope to be as productive next week.

I promise I’ll keep you all posted.

Week Three

Posted on January 21, 2019April 8, 2019 by staceyjaine in 365 Challenge, Indie Author, publishing, Stacey Jaine McIntosh, Updates, Writing

This is the third week of the 365 Writing Challenge. I’ve written a grand total of 3,392 words this week and had one of my short stories that I subbed last week accepted for publication, I’m hoping I’ll hear back about the second one soon. It would be great to see both stories published.

As for what lies in store this week… we’ll work on my fifth contest entry is going ahead at a steady but slow pace. But some words are better than none, right?

Week Two

Posted on January 14, 2019April 8, 2019 by staceyjaine in 365 Challenge, Indie Author, publishing, Stacey Jaine McIntosh, Updates, Writing

Today marks the end of the second week of the 365 Writing Challenge during which I’ve written 2,878 words, which is a huge improvement on last week and I’ve even submitted two short stories for publication. Fingers crossed they’re well received!

I’m currently half way through writing my 4th contest entry for Fantasia Divinity Magazine & Publishing, which is proving to be an interesting little tale, just as the last three have been.

My scores are even half way decent and I’m holding my own quite well it seems.

All in all a good week, writing wise. I hope to be as productive next week.

I promise I’ll keep you all posted.

Week One

Posted on January 8, 2019April 8, 2019 by staceyjaine in 365 Challenge, Indie Author, Stacey Jaine McIntosh, Writing

I’m writing this retroactively, because it’s just ticked over to January 8th.

In December, I signed up for the 365 Writing Challenge. It’s something I’ve participated in for a few years now, but this year I’m determined to write every day. It’s something I haven’t quite managed to accomplish in previous years.

It’s the first week and I set myself a goal of 300 words a day. So far, it’s not going well. I wrote 1,296 words out of 2,100. But I did manage to write a little each day, so that’s a huge plus and ultimately what I set out to do. Write each day.

Fingers crossed I do better during week two.

How to Deal with Rejection

Posted on September 4, 2018September 4, 2018 by staceyjaine in Stacey Jaine McIntosh, Writing, Writing Advice

1C4CDA24-390A-47D4-A4FC-A2410B9F55B3 I hate to say it, but life has gotten busy. Looking for work has taken up the bulk of my time and I’m still no closer to being employed. So, as a result, August has given way to September and Spring is beginning to leave its mark, ever so slowly.

My story Owl Eyes has yet to be picked up, despite sending it out to a few different anthologies it’s been rejected. I’ll likely add it to the pile of stories I’m collecting to put into an anthology, but even so it doesn’t lessen the sting of rejection.

So, on that note I thought I’d share a few ways to deal with rejection as a writer.

1. Try not to take it personally. I know, it’s hard and you’re first instinct will be to take it personally, but do try not to. I promise good things are just around the corner.

2. Allow yourself time to be disappointed. Let’s face it… rejection hurts. Take a moment, but don’t dwell.

3. Have something on the go. Don’t force the words but have something to throw yourself into. Hope springs eternal and you won’t get published if you don’t keep writing.

4. Let it go. Let it go! (Sorry! I couldn’t resist. Hazards of having a daughter who loved (loves?) Frozen. But it’s true. Patience is a virtue and humility even more so. Don’t get angry. It’s no way to have a writing career.

5. Try to get rejected. I know it sounds crazy but you can’t get published without taking a risk and sending your work out into the world. For every two rejection letters you might receive an acceptance letter. How great would that be? A dream come true, I bet.

I hope this list has inspired you to keep going, even if at times it seems hopeless. If it’s has, drop me a line in the comments. If not, I encourage you to also comment, perhaps with your favourite song. You know, the one you just can’t get out of your head? Inspiration comes from everywhere after all.

When I’m Not Writing

Posted on August 14, 2018August 14, 2018 by staceyjaine in Stacey Jaine McIntosh, Stuff

It’s been quite an eventful few days around here and when I’m not writing, I dabble in a few other hobbies. On the odd occasion, I run around in period appropriate costumes and LARP. This past weekend saw me corralling eight children, four of them my own into a makeshift 1890s classroom and attempting to have them learn something.

Suffice to say it mostly backfired and what they really did was get handed a balloon and make they’re own fun, running around in a room that was actually fitted out as a church, while trying to keep their balloons from hitting the floor.

And when they weren’t playing with balloons they were making posters or running off with bandits. Yep, actual bandits! Did I mention it was a western LARP. My accent was non existent, and my teaching skills are a little rusty.

Besides LARP I do occasional get the odd moment spare to put my graphic art skills to use and work on a few book covers. I’m immensely proud of my latest two…

Time Keeper

and

Sylvie

They turned out surprisingly well and I’m happy to say both are still available for purchase. I’d love to see them both sold in the not too distant future.

Drawing Inspiration from Dreams

Posted on July 20, 2018 by staceyjaine in Stacey Jaine McIntosh, Writing

D76EB3F1-B447-4E18-A927-398319F2A838 Inspiration can strike at the most inconvenient of times. Often, I find myself drifting off to sleep and then an idea pops into my head, for a story or novel and I just have to write it down before I forget.

Other times, I’ll wake up in the morning or the middle of the night after the most interesting dream, and again I just have to write it down.

Why the hell wouldn’t you?

I know, I know. Drawing inspiration from a dream… It’s cliche, right? But what if it’s not? What if you have a really kick arse dream that is just the right fit for a story? With all it’s untapped potential, you should totally use it. It would be a shame not to.

Now, I’m not talking about making a full blown novel out of one teeny tiny dream , that might not be feasible but maybe you can get some mileage out of it to create a really cool short story.

You won’t know until you try.

I’ve done just that in the past, actually. Other times my dreams have been weaved into a single scene.

That’s the thing about inspiration. It can be found in the most unlikeliest of places. So, don’t go discounting or discrediting your dreams just yet. You might just be lucky enough to find that rare gem.

I have, a few times. So, I’ve written them down, stored for later use. Ready for when, I finally get around to expanding upon them.

Just last night I had a dream where some of my extended family all gathered together on my front lawn awaiting my return. I thought it was weird (and slightly annoying) that they’d come to my house without any prior warning. Upon waking, I still find it weird. But also curious. I can’t quite shake the feeling that there’s a message in this dream, as it was all just a little too real. But I’ll dwell on that aspect of it all tomorrow when I have a clearer head.

Writers Block and How to Prevent it

Posted on July 16, 2018 by staceyjaine in Stacey Jaine McIntosh, Writing, Writing Advice

I come across a lot of writers complaining about writers block. They seem to all have one thing in common. How do you overcome it, and even better: How do you prevent it in the first place?

Firstly, some tips to overcome to overcome writers block.

– Go for a walk. A change of scenery and fresh air often brings about new ideas.

– Read a book. Often reading a book written by someone else is enough to trick the mind and get you in the mood to write again.

– Listen to music. Instrumental or songs with lyrics. Either can work.

– Create a routine. I’ve spoken of this before. Writing daily creates a habit, which in turn creates a want to write. A desire to write.

– Journal. Keeping a journal, while not fiction, is still writing and may help banish your creative block. At best, if it doesn’t banish your block, it will help clear your head.

Secondly, some tips on how not to overcome writers block.

– Television. It’s such a mindless activity but I do enjoy several tv shows. So to compensate I watch tv a little less. Or I write while watching tv.

– Refusing to write. While inspiration is one thing, you have to write something. Otherwise the well will just dry up. Don’t just wait around for you muse. Force her to show up.

– Procrastinating. Putting off writing is also not the way to overcome writers block. It’s the way to avoid it completely and counterproductive.

Lastly, the way to prevent writers block is quite simple. Really it is.

Pick up your pen (or go sit at your computer) and write.

And, if you’re still not convinced, try it.

Write about a memory. Write about something you saw while shopping… a person you met. Anything, as long as you write and don’t stop, stick with it. Because if you love writing, if it’s what truly drives you then it’s better to write something than nothing at all.