Transcender Blog Tour Guest Post: Create Your Own Inspiration by Vicky Savage

I’m excited to have a guest on The Whimsical Mama today! Talking about where she finds inspiration for all the things is author, Vicky Savage! She has some really good advice so go read & be inspired! (: Information about her books and a giveaway will be at the end of the post so make sure to check those out too! (:

Hi everyone – I’m honored to be a guest here today. Whether you’re writing a book, a blog, or a school paper, every writer hits a rough patch at one time or another when the words just won’t flow. Most writers develop tricks for powering through a writing funk and finding ways to spark their own imaginations. Here are ten techniques I use to churn up a little inspiration when I’m certain all my great ideas are used up. Maybe they’ll work for you.

1. Allow yourself a guilt-free break. Okay, this sounds really simple, but if you’re on a deadline (even one that’s self-imposed), many writers will sit and stare at the blank screen for one unproductive hour after another, rather than getting up and proactively working to create a better frame of mind. A few minutes isn’t going to make much difference, especially if you’re not getting anything done. Get up and away from your desk (or document) for a while to refresh and reset. Do some stretches, refill your water glass, play with the dog, or try one of the suggestions below.
2. Read good writing. Nothing gets my creative juices flowing like reading an amazing piece of superb writing. Who is your favorite author? Pull a beloved old book from the shelf and dive in anywhere. Remind yourself of what made you fall in love with the book in the first place—it was likely great writing. Immerse yourself for a while, then pick out a paragraph, a sentence, or even one word you love and use it to kick-start your own work.
3. Listen to feel-good music. Consider creating a playlist of inspiring tunes for when you’re feeling blah. Pick the most upbeat, happy stuff, not the depressing, love-gone-wrong songs. Usually all I have to do is get my inspiration playlist going to immediately lighten my mood. Doesn’t hurt to dance around the room a little or sing at the top of your lungs, if you really want to break out of your gloomy mood.
4. Take a walk on the beach. There’s nothing like the vastness of the ocean to remind me how small my problems really are. A sense of peace instantly washes over me when I step on the beach. What place does that for you? A towering mountaintop, a cool, deep forest, a noisy urban sidewalk? Find that place where you lose yourself completely and let go for a while. Later, see if you can capture that feeling and transfer it to the written page.
5. Write something else. I like to have a few projects going at once, so if I’m stuck on one project, I can jump over to another—maybe a short story or blog post—something completely off topic. Or simply to skip to another scene in your book, the one you’ve been dying to write. Nothing says you have to write your scenes in order. Or write a journal entry about why you can’t write today. Sometimes a change of focus is all you need.
6. Watch a TED talk. These people are the creative geniuses of our time. Many talks focus on inspiration and creativity. I highly recommend anything by Elizabeth Gilbert. My two favorites are: http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html and http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_success_failure_and_the_drive_to_keep_creating .
7. Daydream. I’m serious. Get comfortable, close your eyes and think about where you’d rather be right now and what you’d rather be doing. Use all five of your senses. What does it look like, smell like, feel like, taste like, sound like. Savor the whole scene in your head, then write about it. Even if you never use it, it’s a great writing exercise.
8. Play with your writing. Make one of your characters do something completely outrageous and see what happens. Write an alternate ending to your story—you might just hit on something good. If you’re writing a post or a paper, write as if you’re somebody else. Pick a vibrant character (whether charming or curmudgeonly) and write as that character would. Have fun with it.
9. Stop writing and do a good deed for someone. Call a friend and tell her how much she means to you, do something nice for your neighbor, compliment a complete stranger, pay for someone behind you in line, post something inspirational on Facebook, the list goes on and on. You’ll feel great afterward, and you might get some new material for your story.
10. Treat yourself to something nice. Buy or make something beautiful, have a facial, visit your favorite bakery for a delicious treat. Happiness is not overrated. A happy mind is a creative mind. You’ll be doing yourself a favor in more ways than one.
Good luck with your writing, and stay happy!

About the author
Vicky Savage grew up gazing upon the beauty of the Wasatch Mountain Range right outside her family’s kitchen window. She thought the Rocky Mountains would always own her heart, until she moved to sunny Florida for law school and instantly fell in love with the ocean. Her passion for new adventures and exotic locales led her on a circuitous path to writing science fiction/fantasy about strange new worlds and parallel universes. Although she has lived in seven different states and London, England, the siren call of the ocean always brings her back to her beloved Florida, where she currently lives with her husband, son, and two dogs.
Contact Vicky through her website: https://www.vickysavage.com, follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SavageVicky, and visit her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/vickysavageauthor.

About the books

 
TRANSCENDER: First-Timer
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005DR94EI
Summary:
Suddenly plucked from her quiet Connecticut life and dropped into a post-disaster parallel world where most of the earth’s population resides in enormous domes, eighteen year old Jaden Beckett lands in the middle of a kidnapping—her own!
Undercover Agent Ralston of the Inter-Universal Guidance Agency helps Jaden escape from her captors and promises to return her home as soon as he can arrange it. But he conceals from her the fact that she is really a Transcender, capable of traveling among alternate worlds at will. While waiting for passage home, Jaden assumes her parallel identity as a princess in the nation of Domerica. She discovers her mother is alive in this world—a miracle she never dreamed possible. But perhaps even more compelling is her blossoming, breathtaking romance with Ryder Blackthorn, her once and future soul mate.
When it comes time for Jaden to leave, she flatly refuses. IUGA claims the welfare of the entire galaxy depends upon her timely return. Jaden contends that, in this case, eternal love trumps destiny. Who will prevail?

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AVY3FXY
Summary:
Jaden Beckett makes the journey once again from her home in Connecticut to the nation of Domerica on an alternate earth. The Inter-Universal Guidance Agency has granted her thirty days within which to choose her ultimate destiny. She may remain in Domerica, return to Connecticut, or join the other Transcenders in Arumel.
On her arrival, Jaden finds that all is not perfect in paradise. Her mother, Queen Eleanor, is ill and grows frailer with each passing day. Her scheming uncle has moved into the palace and assumed the role of Lord High Steward of the land. But even more troubling are events that took place in Jaden’s absence which have caused her to question the depth of her fiancé’s love.
All the while, Jaden’s friendship with a handsome, young Transcender from Arumel deepens. He teaches her how to use her astonishing gift to travel to exotic parallel worlds and introduces her to others in the Transcender community.
When the time draws near for Jaden’s final decision, her choice is anything but simple.

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KC7IVPW
Summary:
Jaden Beckett has a secret unknown to those in her adopted homeland of Domerica: she is a Transcender, capable of traveling among parallel worlds at will. When the powerful Inter-Universal Guidance Agency’s sophisticated computer models predict that Jaden will eventually cause the downfall of that agency, IUGA decides to destroy her first. In order to save herself, her family, and the man she loves, Jaden must fake her own death and leave Domerica for good. The plan seems sound, but on the day of IUGA’s attack, things go terribly wrong.
Heartsick and alone, Jaden ventures to Arumel, a progressive nation on an alternate earth, where Transcenders conduct valuable inter-universal research. Just when she thinks she’s found a safe, new life, IUGA makes its presence known. This time, Jaden is determined not to be driven away. She will fight to discover her place in the multiverse, the true meaning of destiny, and the keys to the mystery of eternal love.

****GIVEAWAY!!!****

a Rafflecopter giveaway