Goodbye

It's been fun, y'all. The giveaway, the contest, the blogging.

But honestly? Inside Out Designs is no longer a priority. Even switching to bi-weekly posting has been a hassle with the rest of life becoming crazy.

So what's this mean? Well, for now, it simply means no more blog posts for Inside Out Designs. The blog will still be here, but no more posts until further notice. It's been pushed the the back burner so many times that I believe my lack of interest is starting to show in the posts.

So . . . farewell, readers. It's been fun. But something has to be done to make my life less stressful, and this blog is one of them. Like I said, the blog will still be here for you to look at if you want. But will I be present? Probably not.

That said, the business is still open! For now, anyway. I still love designing covers. So therefore the contact form still works. ;)

Will I be back? No one knows, really. I'll pray about it, but I don't see myself coming back to blog anywhere in the near future.

Thanks for reading my posts, y'all. And your comments. Even if I never replied, I read each and every one of them.

Goodbye, folks! *disappears in a puff of smoke*

The Struggles Only Writers Understand

Sometimes, there's just those days when being a writer is tough or discouraging. Don't worry; we all have those. Sometimes we don't all have the same struggles, but they're struggles nonetheless. Some might seem silly, while others might be truly serious. Whatever the case, don't let such a thing as a little strain cause you to give it up.

Like I said, you're not alone.

1. Thinking of an amazing plot but not having any way to write it down at the moment.

2. Being torn between wanting to be social and wanting to write.

3. Not being able to think of that word that's on the tip of your tongue, and the thesaurus isn't any help either.

4. Thinking up a golden line of dialogue, but then reading that exact line in another book and you're just like "YOU STOLE THAT FROM ME!"

5. Writer's block.

6. A character makes a stupid decision, and you have no one to wail about it with because it's not technically a real person.

7. That annoyed feeling when a fellow writer publishes a book with pretty much the exact same plot as your WIP.

8. You mind hundreds of amazing prompts on Pinterest, but none of them inspire you.

9. Opening your WIP, staring at it for about 5 minutes, becoming intimidated, and closing it back up.

10. When you missed a day in your writing schedule and you feel like you abandoned and betrayed your characters.

11. The greatest writers that you aspire to be like lived centuries ago.

12. A negative comment about your writing affects you for days.

13. Putting your writing out there for the world to see freaks you out.

14. With limited free time, choosing between reading and writing is like a mother choosing to abandon her child.

If you're participating in Camp NaNo (or even if you're not), how is your project coming? Don't let a little discouragement keep you from following what God's equipped you to do!

Some Mid-NaNo Encouragement

If you're anything like me, you tend to get burned out on your stories long before you actually finish them.

Well, I'm here today with a super short post (because, I mean, Camp NaNo is here and that kinda takes precedence over pretty much everything else) to encourage you to finish that book!

Someone, somewhere, needs to read that story inside you. God can use your stories to touch hearts like you can never imagine. So write what He's laid on your heart, and let Him do the rest. Because when you're doing what He wants, nothing else you've ever done for yourself will matter more. Run with endurance the race that's been set before you, and let God take care of the rest.

Writers' Minds vs. Normal Minds

Writers are a unique breed all their own, and no matter how hard we try, sometimes we just can't fit in with everyone else. Our minds are different, they work in ways that only fellow writers can understand. Only writers can understand the anguish they experience as they inflict torture on their own characters. Only writers can relate to wailing about their story and receiving only strange glances in return.

Just how different are we from others, from 'normal' people? Let's take a look, shall we?

NaNo

What it means to most people: A small device for listening to music.

What it means to writers: that one month where you write as much as is humanly possible.

War

What it means to most people: armed conflict between two or more parties.

What it means to writers: a mad writing dash to see who can get the most words written in a certain amount of time.

Social media

What it means for most people: a great way to connect with people and find out what's going on in their lives.

What it means for writers: a great way to stalk people in the name of research.

Block

What it means to most people: sturdy, cubed objects used for playing and building.

What it means to writers: the state of not being able to write. At all.

Goodreads

What it means to most people: good books.

What it means to writers: social media for bookworms.

Fantasy

What it means for most people: fiction. Imagination.

What it means for writers: the genre in which you make up your own world, and anything goes.

Notebooks

What it means for most people: books of lined paper that litter Walmart and you only buy when necessary.

What it means for writers: the incredible books that you buy in bulk, even though you actually write on the computer.

Character

What it means for most people: your personality, your quirks & habits.

What it means for writers: the people that make up the story in your book (And yes, they're totally real people).

Cover
What it means for most people: a wanna-be version of a famous song.
What it means for writers: the amazing front of the paperback that will forever represent your book.

You Might be a Writer If...

As a writer, have you ever thought that you're probably the only person out there that has the same habits or tendencies as you?

No, my friend, you are not.

Whether you can relate to this list or not, you should probably at least get a kick out of this glimpse into a writer's irregular lifestyle.  Whether you write historical or fantasy, there should be something in here for you all to relate to!

You might be a writer if you have a weird dream and automatically plot it into a book in your mind. 

You might be a writer if you see a random person on the street and think, "hey, they look just like one of my characters!"

You might be a writer if everything you do can be explained with three words: "It's for research."

You might be a writer if one of your greatest dreams is to meet your favorite author.

You might be a writer if your search history would cause a good amount of concern.

You might be a writer if you get so engrossed in writing a scene that you actually forget to eat.

You might be a writer if pounding your head on your keyboard is a normal occurrence.

You might be a writer if the main thing you spend money on is books.

You might be a writer if you imagine yourself as a bestselling author before your plot even hits paper.

You might be a writer if you crush on your own creations.

You might be a writer if depression is often the result of a sudden plot twist that you can't figure out how to incorporate into your story.

You might be a writer if you decline to attend social events not because you wish to be a hermit, but because it conflicts with your writing time. But sometimes it really is because you want to be a hermit.

You might be a writer if you talk to your characters out loud.

You might be a writer if the best plot ideas come either while you're in bed, in the shower, or when there's no way to write it down.

You might be a writer if you keep awake at night, trying to solve your characters' problems before you go to sleep.

You might be a writer if you talk about your characters as if they're real people, often confusing the people you talk to. (Unless, y'know, you're talking to a fellow writer)

You might be a writer if you hear or see something while out in public and immediately think, "Oh, I should write a story about that sometime."

You might be a writer if there are more unfinished stories on your computer than there are shirts in your closet.

You might be a writer if your favorite subject to talk about with fellow writers is comparing WIPs.

You might be a writer if you don't like the way a sentence is phrased in a book so you mentally reword it to what you would've done. Or the entire ending, when worst comes to worst.

You might be a writer if you secretly compare your writing to popular stories.

You might be a writer if the greatest compliment you ever received was to be compared to your favorite author.

You might be a writer if you practice your signature for when your fans line up to get your autographs. Y'know, for the future.

You might be a writer if you have inspiring quotes from famous authors posted all around your workspace.

You might be a writer if, when asked what your profession is, you think (without actually saying out loud, of course), "Well, if being an author actually supported me financially, that'd be it."

You might be a writer if Pinterest is your greatest source of inspiration.

You might be a writer if you wish you had an old, aesthetic typewriter.

You might be a writer if killing characters is only acceptable in your own story.

You might be a writer if you hear a song and nod, thinking how well it fits your character's background.

You might be a writer if someday, you just know your book is going to be made into a movie.  Someday.

Yes, writers are certainly unique. Did you relate to any of these?