Jacqueline C. Thomas - Romance Novelist

Writing

Who Rides the White Horse Now: Feminism and Romance

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I was driving to work recently and had an idea for another romance book. I was so struck by the idea that I actually used Siri on my iPhone to take a voice memo. Let’s face it, Siri is pretty but she’s stupid and rarely gets most things I ask her to do correctly. At 70mph per hour, on the toll road, this idea came screaming out of me. I recorded my words at a feverish pace, trying to convey the emotion and feeling along with the plot. Feeling accomplished, and knowing that Siri will have gotten so much of it wrong, I put my phone down and continued my drive. I will have to decode the jibberish that Siri actually recorded later.

The story idea still ran through my mind with less intensity now that I had documented it somewhere. It struck me that the idea was different because the “knight on the white horse” wasn’t a man, but a woman. She could rescue him! I really started to think about this idea of protectors and manly men who protect their women. Even that sentence sounds sexist to me, and it probably is, but I won’t lie, I love a good book where the love interest is an Alpha male. There is something so sexy about a man protecting the woman he loves… that sounds better. “Their woman”…ick!

The fact that I describe that sort of romance that way illustrates the issue perfectly. I like to think I am a feminist. I take women’s rights very seriously, as well as fighting for equality. I think a lot of women are in a similar space to me. I can only imagine being in a relationship with one of the Alpha males from the great romances I’ve read. No, get your head out of the gutter….. It would never work for me to be the wife of a man like that, we’d run into issues even with a quick romp. A man telling me what to do, even if it was in my best interest, I am just not wired like that. Discussion and mutual understanding are where I am at when it comes to the love interest in my life.

All of this set me to wondering, as a romance writer, where is the genre going when both the man and woman should be riding the white horse? Who rescues who? Is it still even appropriate to make the man the hero? Thinking this idea through I posed the question to my husband over lunch one afternoon. He suggested making the woman the heroine. His story idea went something like this: a man who is married to a terrible woman falls for another woman. The new love interest then has to rescue the man from a bad marriage and an abusive wife. My immediate response was no one would read that. Women make up the majority of romance readers, not many of them want to be thought of as a bad wife. Furthermore, I am going to venture a guess that none of them would sympathize with the husband and new love interest. What is weirder, is that if you turn it all around, and he rescues her from an abusive husband, you have struck romance gold…. weird huh?

I have to wonder if there is something about the way our genders are wired or if it is taught? I don’t want to get into the whole nature vs. nurture argument. I just wonder as a romance author how tastes will change over time. I am really interested to see where the genre goes. I mean is it anti-feminist to write an Alpha-male who throws a damsel (as smart, and capable as she may be) over his shoulder?

What do you think? Let me know in the comments because this is a conversation worth having…

Why Romance Needs Sex of All Kinds- Nicholas!

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Nicholas Sparks made headline earlier this week for pushing his conservative, religious agenda at a school he was involved with. The headlines read “Romance Author Nicholas Sparks…” NO! Nick, if I may call you that. You may call what you write romance, and I won’t lie there have been some great stories, but they aren’t true romance. Who am I to tell you, right? I mean I am an unpublished romance author and you have literally sold millions of books, what leg do I have to stand on?

Well, I am a big romance reader, I have read a lot of romance, good bad and truly ugly. More importantly, I write romance, real romance that is a reflection of real life.  I have even read some of your work but you know one thing is missing, the sex. Now I know that there is a huge market for this type of “wholesome” romance. For many conservatives, reading sex is the same as watching pornography. Nick, I know you will probably never read this and I am just another writer blogging out into the void, and on the very remote chance you do see it, you won’t agree with me.

Writing romance without sex in it is a lie, it is not how life works. Before you the army of purity ring enthusiast come charging out, calling for my head, I was one of you. I embraced the dogma and really lived it until I didn’t. My point here is that not putting sex in your books isn’t real life, nor is ignoring all of the types of sex, and being inclusive. Writing sex teaches readers how to love, on a whole other level. Love as you know is more than holding hands or dancing on a beach, wait was that a euphemism?

Sex is important in romance writing and I will fight for this topic until my dying breath. Sex scenes carry so much more to them than just smut as some would call it. I get that there are some romance authors who think that writing sex is a lazy way to convey emotion in the story. I would challenge that by asking them to write a sex scene, they’re difficult and take skill to write.

Recently, I saw a topic of discussion about intimacy in young adult fiction. There was a massive debate about the appropriateness of there being some light sexual activity included in these stories. I championed, yes! We read books to educate us in so many other things, why wouldn’t we read to learn how a relationship really works. Ignoring sex all together in writing romance really gives a distorted picture of a relationship. Being intimate in those special moments tell you so much about who you are, who the other person or people are, the power dynamic, inventiveness, compassion, sense of humour… I could keep going. Sex scenes are so important, for all genders, and preferences.

Ignoring the topic and leaving it out of romance, won’t make those who have different preferences not exist. They’ll be there, reading my books, and the books of other authors whose work reflects real life, real relationships. Writing sex of all types lets our readers know that as an author, I see you and accept you. More than accepting you, I will stand by you and your right to choose your own lifestyle.

Sex is not evil, at least it shouldn’t be if you are doing it correctly. Sex should not be ignored in romance writing. SEX IS IMPORTANT….

 

My Top Ten Tips for Writing Sex (Revised Post!)

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The first sex scene I ever wrote, read more like a PG13 movie then what the scene needed to convey. One of my first beta readers said it best, she said, “I want to know what the rug under her feels like.” The scene was where two characters were going at it on the bathroom floor. I knew she was right. I sat in front of my computer the cursor blinking at me, saying you can’t do this. Frustrated I walked away. I needed help. I am by no means prudish. I grew up in a house where sex was never a taboo subject. Why couldn’t I write it? I realized I needed to educate myself. Here are my top ten tips for writing sex scenes.

Read Sex:

I thought I had read a lot of sex in various works of fiction and that would be enough. My beta reader who made the comment about feeling the rug suggested reading some of Christine Feehan’s work. I read the first book in eight hours I couldn’t put it down. It was sexy but still told a story. This is how sex should be written. The sex scenes in Christine Feehan’s books and Maya Bank’s books help move the plot along. The scenes convey emotional growth and character development.

Watch Sex:

I know this is a controversial idea for some, and I respect that. I highly encourage watching sex, not just pornography, but favorite love scenes in movies. It isn’t about watching the act of sex, it is for the purpose of watching body movement. It is so important to get body movement correct when writing a sex scene. Pay extra close attention to where the participant’s hands are, this is so important. Watch the body movement. The best sex scenes are detailed, where the author has taken the time, to describe body placement and movement. Vague sex scenes don’t carry the same weight in my opinion.

Read online:

I have always read a lot of fiction, but in doing research to write sex scenes, I didn’t have the time to read an entire book to get to a steamy scene. There are great websites that have compiled all sorts of sex scenes. You can search for the type of sex scene you want to write about and read examples of it done really well. Seriously, Google is your friend here. If you are a little shy, open an incognito window and go for it.

Tone:

I love to read a good steamy love scene but as a reader, nothing is more jarring than when the scene doesn’t seem to fit the characters or the tone of the story. Set the mood for the scene and stick to it, is it passionate, lustful, tender, awkward? My point here is to know the mood literally in the room between the two (or more) characters engaging with each other. It would be jarring to read of a couple who need to make love to each other for character development, going at it against the bathroom wall in a club. I am not saying it can’t be done, but the tone is so important here! Here is an example:

Virginia is timid, quiet, reserved. Carl, her love interest is also meek. This is their first time together, neither with a lot of sexual experience. The scene is in her bedroom. They are young and nervous.

Tone Done Correctly:

Virginia couldn’t believe the moment had finally come. She had waited for so long to be with Carl. Her body shook, she wasn’t sure if it was the anticipation or nerves, either way, she wanted him. 

“I love you so much,” Carl said as he leant down and kissed her soft lips.

“Please make love to me Carl, I want to do this,” Virginia said, her voice cracking.

Tone Done Incorrectly:

We are going to use the same characters and the same setting.

Virginia stipped her clothes from her body, she couldn’t get them off fast enough. She needed Carl inside of her, she missed the feeling. (it is her first time! how would she know what he feels like?)

“I am going to wreck you, I won’t stop until you beg me for mercy,” Carl said as he grabbed the back of her head.

She wasn’t leaving that room until she belonged to him and only him. She would take all he had to give and then beg for more.

 

Does this illustrate the difference? Carl and Virginia are young, and it is their first time. The second example while steamy is out of place for two young, inexperienced partners. See, tone matters.

 

Message:

What are you trying to tell your reader in the scene? I think this is why I love writing romance so much. Romance is a time of great joy usually, that feeling of falling in love is magical. Sex, on the other hand, can hold a lot of different emotions. We are our most vulnerable when we are naked in front of another person. I think when sex is written correctly in a romance novel, there is so much more going on in the scene then just the body mechanics, there is massive character development. My favorite scenes are when characters really fall for each other in the moment of sex, or one partner is tender to another.

Pay attention:

This sounds so stupid to say but it is true. As a writer, you must pay attention to body movement. I follow a lot of fellow romance writers and readers, their number one complaint that the author did not pay attention to the scene. Let me give an example.

Carl swept Virginia up in his arms, he was carrying her to his bedroom. Tonight would be the night that they had both waited for, longed for, imagined. Carl looked down at Virginia’s long flowing locks.

“You are so beautiful,” he said.

He reached up and stroked her cheek.

Wait, what? Did he just drop Virginia or does Carl have a third arm? Nothing is more jarring to a reader than something like this. Pay attention to your characters!

 

Have fun:

Let go, have fun, write out your wildest fantasies. Writing sex is fun. When I first started writing sex, it wasn’t fun. It took me a while to learn the advice I am giving here to you today. I wish I would have come across this article as a resource. My suggestion is don’t get hung up on the technicalities the first time you write the scene. Go back and edit using the technicalities, tone, mechanics and message. Let your character’s really “feel” not just physically but emotionally too.

Read what you wrote:

You are the first reader of the story your characters are telling. Read the sex scene you just wrote. Does it make sense to you? Pay attention to the mechanics, did one of the characters grow another arm like in the example above? Doe the tone of the scene fit with the story you are trying to tell? I have written the steamiest scenes and then went back to re-read the scene and it just doesn’t fit. This is where a good note app does wonder. I have scrapped scenes for this reason, and archived it, for later use.

Vivid imagination helps:

I love to put myself in the scene, not necessarily as a participant but more like a fly on the wall. Before I write the scene and during, I like to imagine the setting, the characters, all of it. I think of it this way, if it were a movie would the audience want to watch it?

Don’t be embarrassed:

I am not a prude. I was raised in a house where the topic of sex was an open and ongoing conversation. I consider myself very blessed to come up in a house with such a liberal attitude towards sex, yet when it came to reading and writing sex for the first few times, I was nervous, even embarrassed. I didn’t realize this at first but after I did, I knew I was going to have to overcome it to really write the scenes my characters.

 

I really hope this article helps those of you who are looking for tips on how to write sex. I know these tips have helped me hone the craft of writing truly great sex scenes. If you have a tip that you have not seen here, please share it in the comments.

McKinley Park Chapter 8

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Ben knocked on Rachel’s door as his palms began to sweat. He had been looking forward to this night with Rachel since she called. He wasn’t sure if they were going as friends or it was a date, but it didn’t matter. He was just happy to be with her. Marty had pulled the report on Rhett, Rachel’s ex. He had handed it to Ben in a brown envelope, as he handed it to him, he reiterated that it was Rachel’s story to tell. Ben knew he was right. He took the report but didn’t open the envelope. He stuck in his top desk drawer and tried to forget about it.

He heard the door open and Rachel smiled when she saw him.

“Hello. You’re on time tonight.”

Ben smiled. “Yes, I am. Sorry about last time, being late.”

“I was just teasing.” Her face was kind as she said it.

“Are you ready to go?”

“I am. Let me just grab my purse.”

Rachel grabbed it off of the entryway table and stepped out onto the porch. She closed the door and locked it behind her. She had on a white cotton dress, which was perfect for a hot summer evening. The hem hit just past her knees, but the fabric was light and moved with her body. The air was humid again but there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. She wore her hair half up with her long bangs pulled back into a clip and espadrille sandals. They walked down her porch and out onto the sidewalk.

“What do you have a taste for?” Ben asked.

“Take me to your favorite place to eat,” Rachel said.

“My favorite place? That’s a hard choice. What kind of food do you like?” Ben asked as they got into his car. He made sure to hold the door open for her.

“I am not a huge fan of sushi or anything that is still alive, but other than that, I am pretty adventurous.”

“Do you like fried chicken, spicy fried chicken?”

“Sure.”

“Marty was telling me about this place near the loop that supposedly has really good fried chicken. A lot of the guys at the station have been talking about it.”

“That sounds great.”

Ben felt like this had been a test. He wasn’t sure if Rachel wanted to get to know him better as a friend, or something more. If he picked somewhere romantic, it could have backfired. The chicken place was supposed to be causal and food was supposed to be delicious. It was the kind of summer evening, that Chicagoans dreamt of come February, hot and humid. Ben wondered if Rachel minded being in his unmarked police car. He looked over as the sunlight shone through her brown hair, she was gorgeous. She noticed him looking at her and turned to smile at him.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Ben said, embarrassed he had been caught. Thinking quickly to change the subject, he said, “What a nice night.”

“It is, I love this time of year and hate it too. I know the summer is winding down to an end and school will be back in session in a few weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job, but I will miss the freedom of the summer. Getting the boys back on a routine can be rough. Last summer I tried to stick to a routine but gave up halfway through. This summer I didn’t even bother. I figure they have the rest of their lives to stick to a schedule, let them be kids for now. But man, I am going to pay for it.” She laughed.

“That makes sense.”

“Everything was so regimented with Rhett, that I just knew I wanted my boys to know fun and freedom, to play and get dirty. I know that it makes my job as a mom harder but it is worth it.”

“Boys should be outside getting dirty. That is what summer is for.”

Ten minutes later, Ben parked his car on a side street. During the day, this part of the city would have been busy with office workers, but it had emptied out for the day. Rachel walked next to Ben as they headed towards the restaurant, he could smell the light scent of her perfume. He wanted to touch her, hold her hand, but he didn’t want to scare her off. They rounded the corner and saw a line in front of the restaurant.

“I guess it is really good. Look at the line.” Rachel said.

“I think it might be for the bar next door?”

As they walked closer they found that Ben was correct. They walked in and the place was much more casual than he had intended, but the air smelled of fried chicken. His stomach rumbled. They sat themselves.  The red and white checkered vinyl tablecloth was slightly sticky. Rachel pretended not to notice.

“If you want to go somewhere else we can.”

“Why?”

“I just wasn’t sure if this was what you had in mind. If it’s too casual.”

“I’m game if you are.”

She pulled a menu from the middle of the table.

“Mmmm, this all looks really good.”

The waitress came up to the table.

“What can I get you to drink?”

“I’ll have a Beer, one of the artisan ones on tap.” Rachel said.

“I’ll have the same,” Ben said.

They both ordered the spicy fried chicken for dinner and she told him about how she learned to play the cello.  Ben would have listened to anything she had to tell him; he could have listened to her for hours. He couldn’t take his eyes off of the shape of her mouth, with its slight square shape, and full bottom lip. She was beautiful. He felt like he could not put his finger on the one thing that made her beautiful. She was perfection in his eyes. Her deep brown eyes and chocolate brown hair that sat just past her shoulders, he wanted to run his fingers through it, and kiss those soft pink lips. As they sat and talked, he remembered her sitting on his lap and became aroused at the thought of it.

The waitress came and brought both dinners at the same time, on styrofoam plates along with plastic cutlery. After the waitress walked away Rachel looked down at her plate.

“It smells spicy.”

“It does,” Ben said as he took a large bite.

He nodded, as the peppery spice radiated across his tongue and enflamed his lips. Rachel followed suit and took a bite herself, he could hear the breading crunch on the breast she took a bite out of.  She nodded in agreement, as she placed her hand in front of her mouth.

“Now I get what the bread underneath is for,” She said after she swallowed.

“Is it too hot for you?” Ben asked, concerned.

“No, it is just right. It’s delicious. Thanks for bringing me here. Are you okay?”

It was too spicy for Ben, but he wasn’t going to fess up to it as he felt beads of sweat on his forehead.

“It’s delicious.”

They both laughed.

They finished their meal and had planned to go see a movie. As they walked out into the warm evening, Rachel turned towards Ben.

“Do you think, I mean would you rather do something else outside instead of going to a movie? It is such a nice night.”

“I was just thinking the same thing.”

Ben looked down at his watch. It was only 8:30, still pretty early.

“What did you have in mind?”

“Want to go for a walk in Grant Park? We can go see the fountain? I haven’t done that in forever, and I don’t think I’ve ever done it at night.”

“That sounds great.”

It was a long walk but neither of them seemed to mind. It was the sort of night where one craved to be outside. Rachel felt safe walking next to Ben. As they crossed Wacker, two men began to shout at each other on the opposite corner. Rachel reached out for Ben’s arm. As her skin made contact with his, it felt like a warm jolt of electricity ran through his body. He reached over and put his hand on top of hers. She looked up at him, trying to hide her fear. They turned the corner again and could see the park across Michigan Avenue. The breeze off  Lake Michigan blew past, bringing its briny smell and cool air. Rachel shivered.

“Are you cold?” Ben asked.

“No, it was the change in temperature. Sorry,” She pulled her hand off of his arm realizing she was still touching him.

“I didn’t mind.”

“Do you think those guys will hurt each other?” She looked back in the direction they had come from as she asked.

“Probably not. The police are on their way, I am sure.”

“Are you supposed to go? I mean like the nearest cop thing?”

“No, not really in this case. I mean if there was an imminent threat, then yes. But it didn’t look like it was going to be violent.”

“Can I ask you a question?” She said as they crossed into the park.

“Of course.”

“Why did you choose to join law enforcement?”

“It was just something I always wanted to do, even from a young age.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I have always just had a strong sense of justice. I hate it when someone is wronged or hurt. I want to help make it right if I can.” Ben noticed Rachel put a small distance between the two of them as he said the last part.

An old black and white movie played in the bandshell as they walked past continuing on towards the fountain. The small gravel crunched under their feet as they got closer to the fountain.

“Thanks for agreeing to come out with me tonight,” Rachel said.

“I was glad you asked. I was hoping to get to see you again.”

Rachel stopped walking and Ben turned back to face her.

“Not to keep bringing this up but; I feel like I owe you an explanation about the last time we had dinner together.”

“You don’t,” Ben said, knowing he had to be polite and not pry. He remembered Marty’s words. It was her story to tell.

“No, I do. I hope I am not being too forward, but… I like you Ben and there hasn’t been anyone since Rhett. Ugh, that’s not what I wanted to say. I am making a mess of this.”

Ben stepped closer to her and she did not step away. He reached out gently and caressed the side of her face as he leaned down to kiss her. Her tongue caressed his. It was a shallow, soft kiss but it packed a punch. He wanted to keep kissing her and never stop. It took every ounce of self-control he had to stop. He pulled back.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

She looked up at him, her brown eyes visible under the lamplight in the park.

“Rachel, I like you too. I have for a long time. I don’t want to scare you off. You don’t owe me any explanations. I am happy to be with you however you want to or need to do it.”

She leaned forward and embraced him, putting her head next to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, inhaling the scent of her hair.

“I practiced this. This whole speech with my sister. I still messed it up,” She said, still in his embrace.

“It was perfect.”

He pulled her away slightly and looked down at her.

“Rachel, you are in the driver’s seat here. If this ever becomes too much just tell me. I really want to give this a try if you are open to it.”

“I really want to be. I’m, it’s just that… I am scared.”

“I don’t have any expectations. We will take it one day at a time.”

“Thank you Ben.”

She pulled out of his embrace completely, his arms now felt emptier than they ever had. They started to walk slowly again.

“All I was trying to say was that in the end, my ex ended up not being the man I married. He turned out not to be a nice man. I thought after my marriage ended, I would never date again. I didn’t want to trust anyone else again.”

Ben stopped and grabbed her hand softly.

“I am sorry you had to go through that. I would love to say that I understand what you went through, but that is only one of those things that you do understand if you’ve lived it. I will promise you this, right here, at the start, I will not hurt you, Rachel. I know I am asking for your trust, that is a gift I won’t abuse it.”

Rachel took a deep breath and looked away. Ben’s words had brought up emotion she wasn’t prepared for. Ben walked closer to her and hugged her.

“Thank you, Ben,” She whispered.

As they approached the fountain the first few drops of rain began to fall. They were so engrossed in each other that they had missed the incoming storm. Rachel reached out her hand, catching the raindrops, it made her giggle. The soft drizzle instantly became a deluge, as others in the park scurried for dry shelter. Ben would have given Rachel his coat, had he been wearing on. They ran for cover under a tree but knew they had to move on as lightning streaked across the sky.

“Wait here,” Ben shouted over the barrage of the rain.

Rachel watched him run down to Michigan Avenue and hail a cab. He signalled to her to come as he opened the door to the cab. She ran from under the tree but in the twenty feet from the tree to the curb she was soaked, her dress stuck to her body as it turned opaque. Her wet dress slid against the vinyl seat in the cab as Ben slid in next to her. Ben gave the location of his car and the cabbie sped off in that direction. Rachel looked at Ben, who was just as wet as she was. She started laughing at the sight of the two of them.

“What’s so funny?”

“We look like we’ve been drowned.”

Ben had to laugh at her observation. It was correct. She reached over and slid her hand around Ben’s neck and kissed him. He pulled her warm, wet body to his. The wet clothes made the barrier of clothing feel even thinner between the two of them. Ben was instantly aroused. Their soft kisses deepened and grew more intense. The cab stopped at the corner of the street that Ben had given the location for, where the car was parked.

“Sir. We are here.”

Ben pulled away, embarrassed he had gotten so carried away. He grabbed Rachel’s hand and squeezed it softly. She smiled, feeling embarrassed as well.

They got into Ben’s car and he noticed chill bumps on her arms. He turned on the heat even though the evening was still warm. He got back out of the car and retrieved a suit jacket that he kept in the trunk.

“Here, this will help keep you warm,” he said as he handed it to her.

He could see her nipples through her wet cotton dress and he had to physically bite his bottom lip, to resist the impulse to reach out and kiss her again.

Top Ten Ways I Procrastinate When Writing….

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I am not a procrastinator by nature. I am a planner, but it seems the older I get the more laid back I become and then before I know it, I am up against a deadline.  I always make my deadline, whether it is for writing or other obligations in my life. As I was thinking about how I procrastinate to avoid writing from time to time, I thought it would be a funny list to share… because let’s be honest, we’ve all been there.

  1. Twitter– If I have actually got myself to sit down at my computer when I am procrastinating, I usually fall for the lie that I tell myself, “I’ll just pop onto Twitter for a second and see what is going on in the world..” Ha ha ha, silly me, a half hour later I am still scrolling through Twitter and NOT writing.
  2. Homework– I am working on my graduate degree in Public Relations- I will be done in the fall. This is a lame way to procrastinate but, since this post is about outing myself.. yeah sometimes I use homework as an excuse to not write. The bummer is, I actually have to do homework, and end up wishing I was writing instead.
  3. Housework- Yes you read that right, sometimes I would rather clean my house than write. I have been known to organize the closet in the kid’s playroom to avoid writing, this is a multi-day project.
  4. Work Out- I am giggling at myself at this point, writing is turning me into a runner for the first time in my life.
  5. Getting Trapped By TV.- At the end of the day, after a full day of work, dinner, kid’s homework, bath, and bed I am exhausted. My husband will be watching something on television and I will sit just for a second. Two hours later, I am still sitting there, wondering where the hell the past two hours went, but now I am too tired to actually write.
  6. Home Project- I seriously, kid you not. I tiled an entire kitchen backsplash to get out of writing a chapter one weekend. That is a lot of work not to write.
  7. I am Too Tired- Between my full-time job, owning a business with my husband, being a grad school student, raising two energetic children, being a wife to a wonderful man and caring for our zoo full of housepets I am exhausted. Man, I am tired just writing that.
  8. It Isn’t Very Good- I think this is the excuse I hate most of all. I think every writer has that period of self-doubt while working on a project. I sure know I have on just about every project I have completed. It is that little voice in the back of my head that says, “you don’t have to keep working on this project, it isn’t very good anyway.”  Well, that little voice can go to hell, because I don’t quit, but I do procrastinate.
  9. I Need to Run and Errand- “We need cinnamon for the french toast for brunch two weeks from now, I’d better go get it.” Yeah, the important errand that needs to run right away, but in reality can wait for a good ten days at least… that one is a gem.
  10. I Just Need A Break- If I am in the middle of a project and I am really working hard at it, this is a good excuse to pull out. However, it is a trick. I don’t fall for it much anymore because that is when the voice from number 8 comes out. Writing only gets better the more you do it. Plus, if you walk away, you stand a good chance of losing your momentum.

In the end, more often than not, I do end up making myself sit down and write. It is the best feeling when I do write and get those words down. When I block out the world around me and stop thinking about all of the obligations I have, and just immerse myself in the work I am creating..that is magic. How do you procrastinate, from one procrastinator to another? Let me know in the comments below.