Writing Unleashed with Laura M. Harkins

Some days a nice walk just isn't enough for me to work out my current WIP's plot problems or figure out where my characters need to go next or what to add to give the story more depth. On those days (which happens to be most days) I look to other writers.  Whether it's The Sun magazine, a novel, or a comic book, I find reading someone else's words and studying their craft inspires me to write. I keep a little note pad near me to take notes or copy snippets so I won't forget.  We should learn from one another, especially those of us who've reached the publication level. These authors found what works and I plan to get me a relatively cheap, but valuable education. Recently, my boyfriend asked me to read one of his Batman comics. This way he can share what he likes to read with me, and gives us something to discuss when we've run out of things to talk about. Batman: Court of Owls has been an exciting read and it has really helped my writin...

Source Inspired by Syfy’s Destination Truth and host funny man Josh Gates, I plan to set out on a journey to write. Instead of searching for the truth behind myths and legends, I’m searching for places where my ideas will flow unhindered to the page. Writing at home for the most part is successful and gratifying for me. But, some days my writing area just doesn’t cut it. I’ll spend the majority of the time devising strategies to get around writer’s block or coming up with new ways to outrun devious distractions, instead of writing. I’m exhausted. My self-confidence is depleted. A wise writer once said, “You need to show up at the same time in the same place if you want your muse to find you.” What if the “same time, same place” isn’t a physical location, but a mental one? Writers and many other artists get trapped in the interiors of their minds. They dodge booby traps set by fear and self-doubt. I believe this mental perpetrator can be outwitted by finding the righ...

Source My road trip to Boston at the end of August arrived just in time to relieve me from the constant head banging on the wall between me and my writing, blogging and freelance career. The permanent knot on my forehead, bald patches and a jaw that clicks every time I open my mouth has transformed me into a monster you might catch in the dark alleyways of Gotham City. I overdosed on advice in writing magazines, on writing-related websites and blogs. If you peek through the windows, you catch me wandering around the house strung out, too jittery to sit down at my laptop. As an information junkie, I hoarded writing techniques, strategies and prompts. I shoved them into every available space in my writing toolbox, reminding me of an overly prepared-style of packing. Overstuffed. I would sit on the lid to force it shut if it weren’t for the motivational quotes spilling over the sides keeping me from latching the damn thing. Then I come across an article contradicting th...