Inside a Writer's Mind

 

Did you know that a writer’s mind rarely ever stops? It’s true. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember—stories, diaries, journals, letters—you name it. And as I got older, the stories in my head never quieted down.

You might think that’s a good thing, and often it is. It fuels creativity and keeps new ideas flowing. But honestly? It can also drive you a little crazy. My brain never shuts off. Story ideas pop up when I’m trying to fall asleep, when I wake up, in the shower… even during the most mundane moments (yes, even while pooping!).

Right now, I have about six stories partially written. I keep notebooks everywhere to jot down ideas as they come. Then, when I finally get a chance to sit down and write, I piece everything together.

One evening, I was curled up in my favorite chair with a glass of wine and my laptop (where else would it be but on my lap, right?). I opened one story to add some notes, then switched to another—and that’s when it hit me. I realized some of these ideas could actually blend together into one story. That “aha!” moment made me see that just because I have six half-written drafts doesn’t mean I’ll end up with six separate books. Sometimes ideas overlap and merge, and suddenly—bam!—you’ve got something amazing.

If you’re a writer, I’d love to know: are your ideas constantly swirling too? How do you handle them? Do you outline, jot down notes, or just dive in and go with the flow?

I Give Up

 

Okay, I tried. I really did. I told myself I’d finish that book, but nope. Couldn’t do it. I waved the white flag somewhere around chapter four. Life is too short to suffer through bad writing.

I don’t normally give up on books. Honestly, there are maybe five or six in my entire lifetime that I couldn’t finish—and that’s saying something, because I’ll usually push through just to see who did it or who died. But this one? Absolutely not. Between the awful formatting, robotic dialogue, and characters with the emotional range of a toaster, I just couldn’t take it anymore.

I get it—writing a book is hard. Editing is harder. But come on. If you’re going to publish something, at least make sure your readers can tell who’s talking, what’s happening, and why the protagonist suddenly fell in love with someone they met five minutes ago.

So, yeah. I gave up. No guilt. No shame. Just peace… and a reminder that sometimes, the best plot twist is closing the book and never looking back.

Why I Don’t Leave Bad Reviews (But I’ve Got Thoughts)

 

I hate giving bad reviews. As an author myself, I know they suck. If I don’t like a book, I’ll toss it three or four stars and move on with my life—unless it’s a total train wreck. Then maybe a one or two, but I still don’t go into detail. Everyone’s got opinions, and mine isn’t the law of literature.

But let’s talk about the book I’m reading right now. Don’t worry, I won’t name names—protecting the guilty and all that. I can tell it’s self-published, which I’m totally fine with (fellow indie here!). What I’m not fine with is skipping every single step of editing known to humankind.

Writers, listen up: you need beta readers, a developmental editor, a copy editor, and a proofreader. In that order. And no, your mom, your bestie, or your cousin who “reads a lot” doesn’t count. You need professionals. People who know their Oxford commas from their dangling modifiers.

Anyway, I’m only on chapter three and already contemplating whether I need a drink to finish it. The formatting’s a mess, the characters react to drama like cardboard cutouts, and the pacing… let’s just say I’ve had faster DMV visits.

Still, I’m gonna push through—because I believe in giving every book a fair shot. Even if it’s slowly killing me inside.