Welcome to Lynn Crain's guestblog

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for dropping by and seeing me here at the Love Romances and More blog. First, let me apologize for not responding quickly in advance as there are two things happening in my life which are making me slow. One: I became a grandmother while I was in NOLA for the EPICon. My two grandsons were born just this past Tuesday evening and I am soooo excited. Two: I had a horrible alergy attack while I was in NOLA with all the new pollen and humidity. The alleries gave me a runny nose and the humidty made it go into overdrive. Therefore, I have a cough from hades and I’m feeling miserable most mornings. Now, I’m back home all of this should just go away very soon.

But this leads me right into my topic for discussion today…what’s a writer to do when they can’t write?

I’ve been recently asked that question by many writers and I’ll tell you exactly like I tell them: It depends what you’re writing and what the problem is.

First, if you’re ill, you just do the best you can. IMHO, if you are not feeling well, rest is the only sure fire way to get one’s brain back to normal and in the writing mood once again. Since I have allergy days quite frequently in both the spring and the fall, I make sure my daily word count is exceeded so that I can make up for those days of the pounding head and take the rest I sorely need.

Now, if it’s because I can’t get my Muse going, that in itself is a completely different thing. There are a few techniques I use to try and get things flowing again. Here’s my list:

1. Listen to music – when nothing comes, I will sit down and listen to music as I attempt to write. Again, the type of music depends upon what I’m writing. Something classical just won’t do if I’m writing a battle scene so I make the music appropriate to what I’m doing.

2. Write anything – the day doesn’t always start good and I don’t always start on my story right away. Sometimes, the best I can do has nothing to do with what I’m writing. So I just write. Usually by the end of the second hour, I’m back on track for the story.

3. Plot a new story – I have a lot of series going and sometimes the best thing for me is to move away from the story I’m working on and start plotting the next one. For many of my stories, I am a pantser which means I just work it out in my head and sit down to write. However, when I’m working on a series I have to make sure that I don’t violate something I’ve previously done in the series. This also allows me to plan new and different things for the books.

4. Read – I can’t say this enough, read the genre that you write. If you’re doing urban fantasy, read urban fantasy, if you’re doing futuristic, read futuristic. You must know your market and you will never gain that knowledge unless you read the genre.

5. Take care of yourself – What I mean by this is get a massage, take a walk, talk to your kids, make love with your husband or significant other. It can’t all be about the writing because without you there would be no writing.

Using one or all of these techniques work for me. Some of them might work for you. Put together your list of what to do when the muse is gone and try those first. Something should put you back on track. Hope you get something from my ramblings.

See you all around the net.

Lynn

Lynn Crain
Experience the Magic
www.lynncrain.com

Captive Illusions Book 2: Merrick and Jenna
By Lynn Crain
Coming to Extasy Books in 2010

Adult Excerpt:

“Crying now?”

Her head snapped up. When had he come into the room? “Not really,” she stated quietly, turning her head in the direction of his voice. “Just thinking about things that can never be.”

“What things?” The whisper came from next to her ear.

“Things you wouldn’t understand,” she stated more firmly, convinced that she couldn’t let him know just how he affected her or her body.

“I can understand a lot of things,” Merrick replied.

The touch of his warm tongue on her neck made her jump and her heart race. “What – what are you doing?” she questioned.

“Come now. A hunter like you should know these things.”

She snorted. “You think you know everything, don’t you?”

“What an unladylike noise coming from you. Tsk – tsk. We’ll have to train you better.”

“Train me? You think you can train me?” Jenna shook her head in amused disgust. “And I supposed you’re already trained?” She was amazed at the sound of her voice. It was firm, strong and confident which was so unlike how she really felt.

Merrick’s rich laughter filled the room. “How can anything wild be tamed?” he questioned from somewhere in front of her.

“How indeed,” she answered with more confidence than she felt.

“Maybe you need a lesson about training.”

The touch on her inner thigh was warm and brief. Although, she couldn’t see him she could feel him and he was very close.

“There’s no reason to keep my blindfold on now, is there?”

Breath again caressed her inner thigh before a quick kiss that made her crotch tighten in anticipation. Just what was happening to her?

“I suppose not but are you sure you want to see everything I’m going to do to you?”

Jenna sighed. “Merrick, I have faced life’s challenges with my eyes wide open each and every time. Why should this time be any different?”

“Why indeed?”

She felt his hands at the back of her head. Soon the silken scarf was around her neck and she was looking into the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Her breath quickened as those eyes watched her intently. “Why are you staring at me?” she questioned softly.

“You’re beautiful,” he answered without hesitation. “And I’d like to hear your explanation of why I should kill a beautiful woman.”

Jenna felt the heat in her cheeks. She had wanted to hear those words from someone for so long and here, a sworn enemy, told her the very thing she needed and wanted to hear most. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.” He ran his fingers along her bare body in a straight line, paying special attention to her breasts and legs. Kneeling in front of her between her legs, he ran his hands along her inner thighs, his hands rough in places like someone who worked the land for many years. “But you still haven’t told me why you think I’m going to kill you.”

She licked her lips slowly. “I betrayed you and your clan. What more is there to say?”

“Hardly. If it hadn’t been you it would have been someone else,” he practically purred in her ear as he took in another deep breath. “What I really want to know is all your sexual fantasies. All of them. And don’t try to hide one thing from me. I smelled your anticipation the moment I walked into the room.” He pulled the scarf off her neck completely and looked at her face as if judging what her reply would be.

Her heartbeat went up a notch. “Why?”

“I plan to fulfill each and every one of them.”

“Really. And just how do you plan to do that?” Jenna stared at him when what she really wanted to do was to lick her lips in the anticipation she was told she possessed. She had a lot of fantasies that she expected never to be fulfilled. And a lot of those fantasies had nothing to do with sex but more with a lifetime full of precious moments and a loving mate.

Slowly, he leaned his head forward to breathe hot, moist air on her inner thigh. The soft, erotic touch made her jump slightly. No man had ever touched her in this way. But then again, this was no ordinary man, she reminded herself, willing her body not to betray her.

“What I want to know is if a little girl like you has ever been well and truly fucked?”

“I’ve had sex before,” she stated and swallowed hard. She had to be careful so her voice wouldn’t give him a hint of what she truly wanted.

“That’s not what I asked. Sex isn’t necessarily being well and truly fucked.”

He looked up at her from between her legs. What the hell was he talking about? Sex was sex, right? “I don’t understand.” She knew confusion was plainly written on her face. What on earth was he talking about?

“How about if I give you an example of foreplay? My kind of foreplay. You know the type that gets a woman really hot and bothered. Even more hot and bothered than your smell would indicate.” He sat his chin on the chair between her legs and appeared to breathe deeply. “Surely someone has eaten you before. A scrumptious morsel like you must have had that pleasure more than once.”

Jenna felt her eyes grow big. Yes, she had heard about such things from the other women. She blinked. “I can’t say that I have.”

“Well…let me be the first,” he murmured and slowly began to lick and nip at her inner thighs.

Willing herself not to clinch, she desperately tried hard not to react. “I wouldn’t do that,” she breathed heavily.

He raised his eyes but did nothing to move his mouth from his journey. “Why not?”

Think of something, she thought feverishly. “I smell funny,” she blurted then groaned. He had already told her that he could smell her. She could feel his chuckle against her leg.

“Couldn’t think of anything else?”

She was miserably lost and she knew it. “I’ve never…”

“Good, then I’ll be your first. I want to be your first on a lot of things. Now scoot your ass close to the edge of the chair.”