Write with Author NJ Miller

  I wear my heart tucked into my shell like a turtle who can pop out and then slide back in when it feels uncertain, when I meet someone I don’t know. I am ready to reach out if I feel accepted and then hide some of myself if I don’t feel comfortable. I wear my heart on my sleeve when I want to reach out to someone I don’t know well and show a very real part of myself. I might share a strength or a vulnerability to connect with the person. I share that I am happy we could get together for coffee and glad that person was willing to come to my neighborhood. I wear my heart like a sparkling pendant when I meet a close friend. I feel bright with joy and completely myself. I don’t need to second guess what I want to say. I can share my pendant, listen, and let my friend shine while we are together. I take a part of their heart with me as I press the pendant back on my chest.

  What gets in the way of writing? It’s rarely lack of time or having something to say. In a time of crisis there is little extra time, but typically the problem with time is there are so many things that get in the way of doing what you want to do. Everyday there are distractions that take away your focus. Insecurity, energy level, other priorities, and information overload can be the biggest factors for not feeling like you have time to write. When you value your craft, your writing will take center stage. Distractions Everyday little distractions can disrupt your flow when writing, for example, I was in the middle of writing a thought, when I heard the candy bag rustle in the kitchen. I was a little hungry too, so I decided to fix a nice breakfast for my husband and I, so we wouldn’t dig into the halloween candy. Coming back to my writing after a meal, I felt refreshed and more in tune with my writing. The occasional distraction can be helpful. We, as writers have distractions, ...

  At 27,000 words my story is laid out in scenes. I have research notes, old scenes to include or delete, and backstory to use or not. I like to write! But piecing it all together and then deciding what kind of novel I have, there are important questions to ask myself.  ·         What is the purpose of this story; share something with the world, make money, or get it out of my head? ·         Who is my audience; young adult, general audience children?  ·         What voice will I use; serious, funny, mysterious, lighthearted? ·         What mood and emotions do I want running through the story; joy, fear, tension? ·         How will I describe my scenes; sights, sounds, smells, touch?  ·         What point of view will I use; first (I), second (you), or third ...

  I heard about Amtrak’s writer’s residency program too late to apply for the program, but riding the rails sounded like an amazing way to look at scenery while listening to an audiobook and working on my book. Unlike the writer of the blog post, Plan a DIY Amtrak writer’s residency , who had a plan and did some writing while riding the train, I wrote a little and mostly looked out the window on my overnight trip from Sacramento to Denver.      Instead of having a writing plan, I planned to write; not the same. I was entranced with the snowcapped mountains and took a lot of pictures from the big window in my roomette. At meals I talked to interesting people, and I visited the observation deck with floor to ceiling windows. The view was a little different from each window. I was able to take a picture of the train from my roomette window.   The beauty of a view from the train is that most of the scenery is full of natural beauty instead of roads, poles, and signs...