Creativity's Workshop

Taming and Training Your Creativity to Write Abundantly


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Needed: Your Input on My Cover for Baverstock’s Allsorts

Baverstock's Allsorts Cover Art Proof

Cover A

Baverstock's Allsorts Cover Art Proof

Cover B

Today I am in need of your help!

I’ve just received the gorgeous proofs of my cover art for Baverstock’s Allsorts (my upcoming collection of short, short stories) from my cover artist.

The short stories range from sci-fi to romance and comedy, therefore I’ve gone with an assorted candy theme.

But, as always, there are more decisions to be made.

The biggest decision I’m facing at the moment is how to display the name of my collection on the cover.

Up until now the collection has been called Baverstock’s Allsorts. However, as you can see in Cover B, removing ‘Baverstock’s’ means the title can be larger and perhaps more eye catching.

So, I have turned to my readers in the hope that your feedback will help me with the decision.

I would love to know your thoughts on the cover. Let me know which you prefer.

Please take the poll below and/or add your comments to this post.

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Contemplating Insanity? Tip 11. Appreciate the Present

A page from my e-book about Tips for Those Contemplating Insanity

The holiday season is notorious for causing stress and pandemonium. So if you feel like you’re contemplating insanity, why not take a moment to appreciate the present.

Stop and savour the moment.

Find one little thing you really love about right now.

Then find another.

  • Sunshine
  • Fresh air
  • Rain
  • Laughter
  • Cotton
  • Bird calls
  • Flower petals
  • Woolly blankets
  • Sleeping cats

String them together like beads and wear them proudly.

If you’d like more tips like this one, get my free e-book entitled Tips for Those Contemplating Insanity which contains 15 helpful tips to bring you back from the brink.


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Contemplating Insanity? Tip 5. Laugh

Page from Tips for Those Contemplating Insanity

The following is an excerpt from my e-book Tips for Those Contemplating Insanity – 15 Tips for Bringing Yourself Back from the Brink. Download your own free copy now.

Laughter really is the best medicine. It eases tension, increases our intake of oxygen and releases feel-good chemicals in the brain.

When you’re contemplating insanity, you’re least likely to feel like laughing, so you need to actively search for funny situations.

Watch a Funny Movie

  • If you like sci-fi, try Galaxy Quest or Men in Black.
  • More of a historical romance buff? Watch The Princess Bride or Kate and Leopold.
  • Got to please the kiddies? Pixar movies are just as entertaining for adults.

Read Funny Quotes or Books

Our suggestions are:

But that’s just the beginning. There are plenty more where they came from!

A Note from Creativity: Don’t Stop There!

Why not keep a record of all your family’s classic moments in a journal or scrapbook so you can look back over them together and laugh?

If you enjoyed this excerpt, click here for your own free copy of the whole PDF.

P.S. My next post will be about the first chapter of The Myths of Innovation. Read the chapter for yourself and then share in the discussion!

P.P.S. Have a look at these earlier posts: Declare Your Novel, NaNo WriMo Highlights 1, NaNo WriMo Highlights 2 and NaNo WriMo Highlights 4. There’s recently been some great writing added in the comments.


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Contemplating Insanity? Tip 3. Find a Little Solitude

A chair in a quiet spot, a woman in the bath and a man alone on the beach

The following post is an excerpt from my e-book entitled Tips for Those Contemplating Insanity. Please feel free to leave your thoughts and suggestions!

Alone time, otherwise known as Me Time, is essential for good mental health. It gives you the mental space to work through situations, regroup and prepare to jump back into the fray.

Find a place to be alone.

  • Curl up in a corner with a book
  • Take a bath
  • Go for a walk
  • Sit in a coffee shop
  • Drive to a park

Do something unhurried in a situation where you can hear yourself think. Take deep breaths. Allow your mind to wander uninterrupted.

Too Much of a Good Thing

There is such a thing as ‘too much alone time.’ You can always do these things with a friend. And don’t forget Tip 12. Hug a Loved One.

Would You Like a Copy of the E-book?

My e-book will be officially launched in January but this week only I’m giving away personalised copies of the e-book to those who participate in the Creativity’s Workshop survey. For more information, see Sunday’s post. Don’t miss out!

P.S. There are still some people who have participated in the survey but not commented on Sunday’s post to let me know. The survey is anonymous so I can’t send out the e-book unless you comment. Thanks to everyone who has participated so far!


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Contemplating Insanity? Tips 1 and 2. Get Yourself Some Comfort Food and Sunshine

A freshly cooked pie sitting on the window sill

The following post is an excerpt from the e-book entitled Tips for Those Contemplating Insanity. Please feel free to leave your thoughts and suggestions!

Food

It’s amazing how much rosier a day looks after a good meal. Food provides comfort, nourishment and sugar!

Here’s a quick checklist:

  • Make sure you’re eating well – Eat nutritious meals at regular times. (I’ve had whole days go wrong just because I messed up breakfast.)
  • Spoil yourself from time to time – Give yourself a treat (not enough to alarm the conscience, just enough to remind you of the joys of food).
  • Try some good ol’ home cooking – Cooking can be therapeutic. Clear the kitchen counter, pull out your favourite recipe and get creative!
  • Take comfort from your food – Choose dishes that will give relief from your current environment. If the weather’s hot, try a long, cool glass of lemonade and a scoop of sorbet. If the weather’s cold, try a nice warm mug of hot chocolate and a dollop of pudding.
  • Savour – Whenever possible, sit down and just concentrate on eating. Avoid rushing and stressing during your meal. Enjoy the colours, flavours and smells.
 A Tip to Remember

Sometimes food can influence us for the worse. If your times of insanity follow certain meals, try varying dishes and ingredients to see if there’s any difference.

Sunshine

The outdoors (on a good day) also does wonders for your frame of mind. Fresh air is good for the lungs, vitamin D is good for the body and sunlight improves mood.

So if you spot some sunshine, get out and lap it up. Better still, take your snack and drink outside. (Just be careful of UV rays. Perhaps best to try this before 10 am and after 4 pm or sit in the shade.)


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For Those Days When You’re Contemplating Insanity

A woman screaming in frustrationHave you ever had one of those days, or weeks, or months where everything is so overwhelming that you think…you…might…just…be…going…insane?

  • There isn’t enough time, or energy or mental space to do everything you need to do?
  • Dust bunnies are amassing their forces under the sofa and television cabinet, ready for an invasion, and you don’t have the ability to retaliate?
  • Your family members ask the same questions every time they pass: “Have you seen my…?” “Have you looked at … yet?” “Did you do the … I asked you to do the other day?”
  • Small things like a lost button, burning your finger on the stove or a cross word from someone feels like the inevitable straw that broke the camel’s back?
  • You stand there, feeling as if you’re teetering on the edge of insanity, wondering what on earth to do now?

I’ll wager just about all of us have been there at one time or another. Our busy lives are crammed full of things we must do, and not enough quiet moments where we can recuperate.

With this in mind, I am working on an e-book entitled “Tips for Those Contemplating Insanity.”

I must point out that it will not be a book for diagnosing or treating serious mental illness, but rather a collection of tips for those of us who have had a tough week and need some suggestions on how to recover. I want it to be both a practical book and a bit of eye candy to help with relaxation.

Over the last four years I’ve been through some really tough health problems as well as emotional ups and downs. Naturally, sometimes I’ve found myself in situations where everything has fallen in a heap and I didn’t know what to do next. I knew that I’d keep muddling through and eventually things would pick up through hard work, perseverance and positive thinking – but I needed something in the mean time, something to tide me over the dark spell so I could meet the next hour or next day with a little more bounce in my step.

With that in mind I started making notes on the subject in my journal, and now I’m compiling them into an e-book which I’d like to share with you.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be including some suggestions from my new e-book in blog posts. I would really appreciate your feedback and suggestions – and perhaps a little encouragement to finish it! (There’s nothing like announcing your new project to the world to force you into completion.)

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P.S. Don’t forget National Novel Writing Month (NaNo WriMo) starts November 1st. That’s just 36 days! Have you given any thought to what you’re going to write?