Hi! I’m Katarina E. Tonks, and I’m the author of DEATH IS MY BFF, and now, book 2 of my Death Chronicles, DEATH IS MY RIDE OR DIE, which is set to release this Fall! Although I am very new to the traditional publishing field, I have a bachelor’s degree in creative writing, and I’ve been writing novels since I was fourteen years old. I’m also in graduate school full-time, so we write a ton of academic papers! One of the biggest tips that I think I can give other writers is my experience with conquering the dreaded “writer’s block.” In my opinion, the problem with writer’s block begins at the very use of this phrase. Personally, I’ve found that labeling myself with “writer’s block” is incredibly unhelpful for my own productivity. In fact, those two words have the immediate effect of making me feel like I’m sinking deeper into quicksand or coming to a hard stop at the end of a road.

Any writer will tell you that creating a book can be difficult at times. But some days it’s easy, too. And some days it’s well, alright, because at least you fixed that one line! (After four hundred rewrites!) The point is, it’s so important to recognize the ebbs and flows of creative writing itself. My question for you is: are there certain scenes or sections of dialogue that you feel particularly excited about, but you’re not quite there yet in the timeline of the story? Why not jot down some notes in a journal about that exciting scene or write it out somewhere where you can weave it back in?

To me, feeling stuck with a project is just a sign that I need to shift my creativity elsewhere for a bit or change up my routine. Writers, whenever you feel as if your creativity is hitting a hard stopping point, take the time to acknowledge that you are stuck, but then mindfully shift your creativity elsewhere for a while. Watch a show that reminds you of your story, read a book in your genre (maybe even reread your favorite book!), or start some sort of craft that has similar themes to your characters. Even journaling for thirty minutes about any personal things that might be bothering you can be so effective here. Music has also been an incredible tool for me to boost creativity. Taking a break and listening to my favorite writing playlist in a car ride or on a walk (usually it’s epic trailer music for my books, if I’m being honest) has almost always helped me regain my creative flow. Next time you find yourself feeling creatively drained or at a standstill with a project, try some of these tips! I hope they help!

THE BREAK-UP PACT by Emma Lord

AMAZON - B&N - BOOKSHOP

BROTHERSONG by TJ Klune (paperback)

AMAZON - B&N

The Bennett family has a secret: They're not just a family, they're a pack. Brothersong is Carter Bennett's story.

In the ruins of Caswell, Maine, Carter Bennett learned the truth of what had been right in front of him the entire time. And then it―he―was gone. Desperate for answers, Carter takes to the road, leaving family and the safety of his pack behind, all in the name of a man he only knows as a feral wolf. But therein lies the danger: wolves are pack animals, and the longer Carter is on his own, the more his mind slips toward the endless void of Omega insanity. But he pushes on, following the trail left by Gavin.

Gavin, the son of Robert Livingstone. The half-brother of Gordo Livingstone.

HOW TO CATCH A QUEEN by Alyssa Cole (paperback)

AMAZON (paperback)

An arranged marriage leads to unexpected desire, in the first book of Alyssa Cole’s Runaway Royals series…

When Shanti Mohapi weds the king of Njaza, her dream of becoming a queen finally comes true. But it’s nothing like she imagined. Shanti and her husband may share an immediate and powerful attraction, but her subjects see her as an outsider, and everything she was taught about being the perfect wife goes disastrously wrong.

A king must rule with an iron fist, and newly crowned King Sanyu was born perfectly fitted for the gauntlet, even if he wishes he weren’t. He agrees to take a wife as is required of him, though he doesn’t expect to actually fall in love. Even more vexing? His beguiling new queen seems to have the answers to his country’s problems—except no one will listen to her.