The Dreaded Blank Page (And Giveaway)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I seldom get writer’s block but when I do it’s frightening. However, I’ve finally realized the one thing that will make it worse and even keep my muse firmly blocked--staring at the blank page.

Don’t do this.

LOL! Well, don’t!

Seriously, though, that empty expanse of white tricks your brain into believing there are no ideas, that the muse is dead or passed out behind the couch with an empty fifth of whip-cream-flavored vodka [the lazy bitch!]. Don’t fall for the blank page. It’s a ruse of the Furies. It’s a weapon of the bad guy who sits on your shoulder. It’s the excuse we all use to do other things from laundry to sorting the sock drawer and more.

I find this happens to me the most after I’ve been working like mad on more than one manuscript. This occurred last fall when I wrote three holiday stories right after edits and promo for Fire in Winter, a short tale that’s part of The Edge series. I guess Naomi’s new, wintry-hot lover inspired me, lol. Take a bit of handsome, blue-eyed frost, some sex toys, being cooped up while it dumps snow outside…

Uh… What was a talking about?

Oh, yeah. The blank page.

Naomi even gets gifts of ice sculptures from her hunky winter representative, and although he turns down the heat in her house, he turns her thermostat up, up, up. And then he—

[Looks around at all the quirked eyebrows and stares]

I wandered off again, didn’t I?

Anyhoo, if you complete several manuscripts within a close time frame, always remember to give yourself at least a week off before you start pounding the keyboard again. I speak from experience. An exhausted brain will refuse to cooperate, and if you stare at a blank page, that only compounds matters. Walk away from the laptop or PC and let your mind wander. That’s when a blog topic or a new plot will pop into your head.

But Naomi’s new man can pop things into her that—dang it if this keeps up [no, not *that* up!], I’m gonna have to go find the hubby! I won’t even get started on the hunky vamps of The Holiday Series or talk about Richie and Albert. Too many dreamy guys! No, I’ll blame it on the climbing temperatures here in eastern Ohio. It was 2˚ the other morning and now, as I type this post, it’s 70˚ and I’m sweating. I’m blaming it on the weather. Yeah, that’s it. The Weather!

Maybe.

Fire in Winter

The Holiday Series, Book One

Richie and Albert's story

Giveaway:

I find myself with several guest appearances this month so my giveaway is going to be a little different. I’ll have a small giveaway at each appearance, but at my last one for January, there will be a grand finale prize. At each of my guest blogs, leave a meaningful comment and be entered to win an e-book from my Molly Diamond (retired pen name www.MollyDiamond.com) backlist. Comment at every stop and you’ll have more chances to win the grand prize on January 30^th—a nice, big coffee mug with goodies stuffed inside it AND an ebook! 

January 11th - Paranormal Haven normalhaven.com/2013/01/guest-post-and-giveaway-from-author.htmlJanuary 15th - Literary Lagniappe literarylagniappe.com/2013/01/15/a-lil-controversy-fangs-and-a-holiday-series-by-fl-bicknell/
Today - Four Strong Women http://fourstrongwomen.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-dreaded-blank-page-and-giveaway.html
January 21st - Silken Sheets and Seduction http://silkensheetsandseduction.wordpress.com/blog/
January 30th - Trinity Blacio's website - http://www.trinityblacio.com/blog 

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Bio:

F.L. Bicknell's work has appeared in a wide range of genres and publications such as: Would That It Were, Touch, GC, and Ohio Writer Magazine as well as publications in Canada and Turkey. Under her now-retired pseudonym, Molly Diamond, she was a regular contributor to Gent and Ruthie's Club and has had fiction published in Hustler's Busty Beauties, Penthouse Variations, and Twenty 1 Lashes. Ms. Bicknell is the author of several e-book and print titles, also writing as Azura Ice, Amber Redd, Cutter Phoenix, and Kiyara Benoiti. She has served as co-editor and managing editor for three different publishing houses. She is represented by TriadaUS Literary Agency.