Wild Walks & Writing Sprints

I'll show you how they fit together hand in glove: 

I have a few tricks up my sleeve when it comes to keeping a story flow alive while travelling away on holiday. My current work-in-progress has me inspired to keep writing every day, trouble is, we had an extensive holiday planned long in advance. 

Not a sit and stay type holiday, but a hop and a skip to new places every day kind of holiday. Still, I managed to fit in a writing sprint every single day, and enjoy our holiday adventures to the full!

How? Come with me:

I used Pockets of Productivity (PoPs) in 10 minute writing sprints on my laptop:

• My PoPs included at a cafe sipping an extra shot small skinny latte while waiting for vehicle feedback.

• In the evening instead of watching television (hubs preoccupied with rugby).

• In the campsite while admiring the view when my husband read his book (I had time to read too).

• Early morning with birds twittering in the background before breakfast.

• Basically any time you can switch your laptop on for 10 minutes. I never needed to charge mine because it was fully charged when I left and I shut it down after each writing sprint. Packed it away and was done!

The gains I made were incredible:

• Story momentum gained speed.

• Laser focus to fill the 10 minutes with precision.

• Blocks of pin point accuracy on character arc, plot, mood creation.

• No distractions from social media.

The pattern here is knowing exactly what you want to say and how you want each 10 minute session to advance the story. There is no room for indecision, uncertainty or mindless waffling. 

This is what my daily writing sprints gave me. It felt like a gift, quite honestly. 

And the best part? My word count expanded without me even noticing because it was no longer the focus.

I absolutely loved it. Of course, I do enjoy a solid writing session as well, but the beauty of daily writing sprints while holidaying is that your story doesn't lie dormant while you're away. You get to chip away at it for ten minutes a day, keeping your creativity flowing and your story growing!

This was mind bending for me and I'm thrilled to have stumbled upon this method. I was worried there for a moment about how I was going to balance travel and writing. And the answer now? Perfectly!

Credit to @elizabethlyonsauthor on Instagram: Elizabethlyonsauthor 

📚📚 Reader Opportunity:

The manuscript in question is a romantic suspense, tentatively called Blind Date with a Book: A Dangerous Liaison. I'm going to offer Blind Date with a Book to alpha readers halfway through as there was a positive response for that, just to get a feel for the plausibility of the story. (Cover reveal at end of article).

If this is something that interests you, please respond at the link below on Facebook:

Alpha reader info:

I will reply to successful applicants on the Facebook post for a mid-March start.

💕💕 Romcom News:

My third book in the midlife romcom series is complete and I am offering alpha readers the full manuscript at novella length of 22000 words. 

**This offer is only available via email application with proof of your genre reading preferences linked to your reading history**

Apologies if this sounds harsh but I have been bitten by readers who decided the genre was no longer for them after receiving the manuscript at no cost. I do my own PR, marketing, social media and admin so it's particularly soul destroying when taken for a ride by readers. I am invested in my writing and I expect alpha readers to be as well because of the nature of the request. 

The third book in the series is called Friendship & Fun and I'd be happy to have both readers who have not read the series and those who have, in order to get a comparison for whether that is necessary for all readers once released. There is no requirement for review, only story arc feedback and whether standalone or series-required. 

Please apply via email: elora.canne@gmail.com - Subject heading: Alpha reader

Thank you always for your support. I look forward to receiving your applications and will reply to successful applicants only, for a mid-March start.

📘 Cover Reveal:

I’ve kept the best for last! Here’s the cover reveal for: 

Blind Date with a Book: A Dangerous Liaison

Designed by the talented Amber Grosjean. Find her here on: Instagram:

We experimented with added elements but I settled on this design for its simple dramatic effect. I absolutely love it! I’ve worked extensively with Amber because she is a dream to work with!

Send those alpha emails today and check out the linked alpha-read Facebook post above.

Blog Sign Up Form: Creating Sparks & Sentences

Find all my books here: Elora Canne, Author

Until next time, keep smiling 😁