WEBVTT 1 00:00:08.540 --> 00:00:12.610 ProWritingAid: Hello, everyone! Welcome in welcome. 2 00:00:13.570 --> 00:00:23.760 ProWritingAid: I'm Stacey with providing aid. Thank you so much for joining us today. If you can see and hear me. Please drop your name and location in the chat. 3 00:00:23.900 --> 00:00:27.039 ProWritingAid: See where everyone's coming up coming from today. 4 00:00:32.900 --> 00:00:34.680 ProWritingAid: Santa Fe, okay. 5 00:00:37.320 --> 00:00:40.240 ProWritingAid: California, Idaho. 6 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:47.989 ProWritingAid: Another Stacy. Hi, Stacey Stacey from Colorado. Excellent! 7 00:00:49.080 --> 00:01:01.410 ProWritingAid: Another Idaho, El Paso, Quebec. Excellent! Excellent! Well, thank you all so so very much for joining us today before we get started, we just have a few housekeeping items. 8 00:01:02.840 --> 00:01:18.099 ProWritingAid: First, st you can access the replays by going to the Hub page. 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I'm going to stop sharing my screen and introduce our wonderful speaker for today. 16 00:03:04.470 --> 00:03:07.420 Isabelle Hardesty: Hello! Hi! My name's Isabel Hardesty. 17 00:03:10.830 --> 00:03:18.239 ProWritingAid: Isabel, are you? Are you still there? I'm I'm missing you. Oh, there you are! Okay. Excellent! 18 00:03:18.580 --> 00:03:22.190 Isabelle Hardesty: I'm Isabelle Hardesty. I'm very happy to be here. Thank you, Stacey. 19 00:03:22.190 --> 00:03:25.619 ProWritingAid: Of course, Isabel, would you like me to read off your bio. 20 00:03:25.850 --> 00:03:27.089 Isabelle Hardesty: Oh, sure! Thanks. 21 00:03:27.090 --> 00:03:35.380 ProWritingAid: Of course, of course. Okay. So Isabel writes stories about people doing magical things and kicking butt. 22 00:03:35.620 --> 00:03:42.320 ProWritingAid: She writes for all readers and people like her who didn't see themselves in their favorite fantasy adventures growing up. 23 00:03:42.470 --> 00:03:50.779 ProWritingAid: She is the author of The Witch of Bellfor, which is, which is part of her book series, The Destroyer Witch Chronicles. 24 00:03:51.240 --> 00:03:59.489 ProWritingAid: She has written other book series, including the Delacorte Shapeshifter Trilogy, Sea Witch, High and Viola, the Vampire Witch. 25 00:03:59.690 --> 00:04:09.160 ProWritingAid: Isabel has written a short story which is being published in the Marvel Anthology. Captain America, The Shield of Sam Wilson, published by Titan books. 26 00:04:09.340 --> 00:04:12.469 ProWritingAid: She lives with her husband and family in Atlanta. 27 00:04:12.670 --> 00:04:15.109 ProWritingAid: Alright, Isabel, are you ready to take it away? 28 00:04:15.630 --> 00:04:18.970 Isabelle Hardesty: Yes, I am. Thank you for having me today. 29 00:04:19.610 --> 00:04:24.360 Isabelle Hardesty: When I was asked what tips or what I would talk about, I thought what would. 30 00:04:24.380 --> 00:04:38.109 Isabelle Hardesty: what would help would be what's helped me as a creative recently, as a writer. So today, we're going to talk about some tips, and we're going to start off with a nice quote from Maya Angelou. Why do we do this? 31 00:04:38.200 --> 00:04:57.519 Isabelle Hardesty: Why do we write when many of our friends who may not write. Wonder, why do you set your deadlines, especially as indie authors? We're the ones who set our deadlines or due dates. So why are we doing this to ourselves, well, I love this quote from my Angela. It says there's no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you, so that's why we do it 32 00:04:57.640 --> 00:05:00.737 Isabelle Hardesty: so for me personally, I started writing 33 00:05:01.310 --> 00:05:14.770 Isabelle Hardesty: I've been writing for many years, but I actually started like finishing my my work at Dragon Con, or like a cosplay convention when I was writing my notes, and one of the directors of the track said. 34 00:05:14.900 --> 00:05:30.650 Isabelle Hardesty: There's an open anthology for a story, and I literally looked behind me, thinking they were talking to somebody else. But she looked at me and others, and said, If you're here writing notes all the time and asking questions. You're a writer. So that allowed me to 35 00:05:30.710 --> 00:05:48.149 Isabelle Hardesty: be brave and actually submit. My short story was accepted, and it showed me how to finish something. So it started my short stories, which became a novella jade's Awakening, which became a trilogy, the delicate shapeshifter trilogy. 36 00:05:48.631 --> 00:05:53.079 Isabelle Hardesty: So thank you for asking questions, and I'll get to them later. So thank you so much. 37 00:05:53.602 --> 00:05:56.530 Isabelle Hardesty: The 1st one that I like to start off with 38 00:05:56.935 --> 00:06:05.460 Isabelle Hardesty: is comparison as a prison. I know I was recently at a convention, and I was able to hear 2 different writers talk about how they write. 39 00:06:05.560 --> 00:06:09.319 Isabelle Hardesty: One writer writes pretty much one book a month 40 00:06:09.720 --> 00:06:14.810 Isabelle Hardesty: which may be spot on for some people. For some people it may be too much. 41 00:06:14.880 --> 00:06:19.330 Isabelle Hardesty: Another writer was saying that she actually was doing one month a book. 42 00:06:20.030 --> 00:06:22.800 Isabelle Hardesty: and but it was too much for her, so she actually reduced 43 00:06:22.840 --> 00:06:24.899 Isabelle Hardesty: her load on herself. 44 00:06:25.140 --> 00:06:30.229 Isabelle Hardesty: So for all of you out there that that seems too much or too little, or if it's perfect. 45 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:34.499 Isabelle Hardesty: it actually is perfect for you, whatever the number is. 46 00:06:34.730 --> 00:06:38.260 Isabelle Hardesty: So for me, that is a lot personally for me. 47 00:06:38.697 --> 00:06:43.160 Isabelle Hardesty: I have a smaller child, so you have to think what makes sense to you. 48 00:06:43.710 --> 00:06:45.160 Isabelle Hardesty: It is a prison. 49 00:06:45.682 --> 00:06:53.139 Isabelle Hardesty: Also the comparison. If you think about it also limits your creativity, because, as you're comparing the creative flow 50 00:06:53.160 --> 00:06:55.870 Isabelle Hardesty: starts to kind of wane a bit more 51 00:06:56.070 --> 00:06:58.140 Isabelle Hardesty: so for me. I like to 52 00:06:58.900 --> 00:07:12.630 Isabelle Hardesty: remind myself that I'm an individual, and we have to keep reminding ourselves, of course, with social media and so many posts that are out there that are bombarding us. It's easy to look around and see the other. And to kind of think. 53 00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:21.339 Isabelle Hardesty: wow! I can't believe they got this. They're doing this. So it's so important for us to just stop sometimes and regroup 54 00:07:21.988 --> 00:07:25.889 Isabelle Hardesty: for me. I have to. Think of my! Why? Why do we write? 55 00:07:25.990 --> 00:07:27.589 Isabelle Hardesty: Why do I write. 56 00:07:27.960 --> 00:07:37.380 Isabelle Hardesty: and it helps me focus my energy instead of it being poured out into looking at other people's 6. Quote unquote successes, I'm able to just 57 00:07:37.560 --> 00:07:46.149 Isabelle Hardesty: focus on the fact that I have a book that I have to finish with pro writing aid or on my notes from a computer. And how am I going to do that? 58 00:07:46.270 --> 00:07:50.980 Isabelle Hardesty: So I'd love to hear your questions about that as well comparison as a prison. 59 00:07:54.390 --> 00:07:58.979 Isabelle Hardesty: Oh, I love that! I'm looking at some of these questions. But I'm gonna do that later. 60 00:07:59.930 --> 00:08:17.119 Isabelle Hardesty: So when we look at comparison it also makes the fact that our energy is going to that, and it's not going to maybe other things jotting down notes for another story. Looking at our wins, celebrating our wins, celebrating our small wins as well. 61 00:08:17.270 --> 00:08:26.579 Isabelle Hardesty: That will also help diminish that need for comparison, because your energy will be going. Yes, I finished that chapter, or I was able to edit 62 00:08:26.790 --> 00:08:35.240 Isabelle Hardesty: nicely, and I don't want to go back to that 1st chapter. One thing that I know that. I was using scrivener for a while, which I love 63 00:08:35.651 --> 00:08:51.939 Isabelle Hardesty: in terms of a format to write. I'm now back to Microsoft word, the one I do. I love both them so all the Scribner fans love, love, love word document fans love. That too. Whatever you do is for you. So you don't have to worry about. If someone else wants to 64 00:08:52.080 --> 00:09:00.509 Isabelle Hardesty: take the time to become a scrivener expert. It's okay. If someone else writes it in shorthand or in a notebook, then types it in. That's okay. 65 00:09:00.600 --> 00:09:06.869 Isabelle Hardesty: Other writers. At Dragon Con. I was listening to some writers saying they I think one who was like 66 00:09:06.900 --> 00:09:08.469 Isabelle Hardesty: I write while I hike. 67 00:09:08.510 --> 00:09:09.960 Isabelle Hardesty: That's cool, too. 68 00:09:10.730 --> 00:09:17.209 Isabelle Hardesty: But as you're writing, the key is to just let it flow, and to know that 69 00:09:17.520 --> 00:09:21.770 Isabelle Hardesty: your ideas are going to flow better when you're just focused on the positive energy of 70 00:09:22.210 --> 00:09:23.250 Isabelle Hardesty: going. 71 00:09:23.450 --> 00:09:27.590 Isabelle Hardesty: This is me, and I'm not worried about anybody else. So 72 00:09:29.060 --> 00:09:36.279 Isabelle Hardesty: my next thing and I'm going to have lots of time for questions. Please be be very open with your questions. I want to be there for you. 73 00:09:36.998 --> 00:09:45.929 Isabelle Hardesty: Play is vital for writers. So be silly. These when you're writing. If you need to stop and put on those lucky socks 74 00:09:46.080 --> 00:10:03.561 Isabelle Hardesty: that maybe someone in your family is like, I can't believe you're doing this. But that's okay. Get those socks. Make sure they're safe later on, when you're going on the steps. But put those socks on. They may not match. You might put one sock on. You may do whatever that you need to do to make it work for one of my books. 75 00:10:03.900 --> 00:10:12.789 Isabelle Hardesty: I think. The which about Fleur. She had a gentleman in her hand, so I put on these like little gloves like fingerless gloves, and I'm right. With that I looked 76 00:10:12.950 --> 00:10:27.943 Isabelle Hardesty: very ridiculous, but I did that. It helped me stay in that flow. Yes, I sometimes looked at myself going. What am I doing? This is ridiculous, but it helped keep it light. Keep it silly and keep it flowing. So 77 00:10:28.440 --> 00:10:32.140 Isabelle Hardesty: You have to be silly sometimes, not take ourselves so seriously. 78 00:10:32.870 --> 00:10:35.939 Isabelle Hardesty: So we're gonna keep it silly. We're going to keep it. 79 00:10:37.230 --> 00:10:41.100 Isabelle Hardesty: Find that inner child in yourself, so keep it like you. 80 00:10:41.180 --> 00:10:48.959 Isabelle Hardesty: If you have your little writing corner on your couch. If you're lucky to have an office. If you're lucky to have a desk. 81 00:10:49.200 --> 00:10:57.240 Isabelle Hardesty: make it yours. So maybe you do want to go into that box that you've hidden, find those silly trinkets that bring you joy. 82 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:05.029 Isabelle Hardesty: so find those things that maybe it's kind of embarrassing. It may be a unicorn. It may be something that you kind of 83 00:11:05.090 --> 00:11:13.590 Isabelle Hardesty: feel represents a part of you that you forgot, or that's Super corny or super nerdy. But if that helps you 84 00:11:14.300 --> 00:11:24.690 Isabelle Hardesty: get centered when we get to those moments when we're writing where we just go. What am I doing? Where is this chapter going? What's this character saying? 85 00:11:24.950 --> 00:11:31.770 Isabelle Hardesty: Why am I writing those moments that we have? You're able to just kind of take yourself off that track. 86 00:11:32.410 --> 00:11:33.350 Isabelle Hardesty: Hi. 87 00:11:33.880 --> 00:11:36.460 Isabelle Hardesty: and put yourself back on 88 00:11:36.530 --> 00:11:37.850 Isabelle Hardesty: Hi, Stacey. 89 00:11:38.040 --> 00:11:43.419 ProWritingAid: Hello! I just wanted to make sure that we had all your slides and everything ready. So just. 90 00:11:43.420 --> 00:11:43.850 Isabelle Hardesty: Me! 91 00:11:43.850 --> 00:11:46.039 ProWritingAid: Let me know if you need any assistance. 92 00:11:46.380 --> 00:11:54.600 Isabelle Hardesty: Perfect. Let's look at these slides. I made them with love for everybody. So we're going to be looking at. 93 00:11:55.400 --> 00:11:56.590 Isabelle Hardesty: Let's see. 94 00:11:58.570 --> 00:12:00.929 Isabelle Hardesty: can you see the 1st one nicely, Stacy. 95 00:12:00.950 --> 00:12:01.520 ProWritingAid: Yeah. 96 00:12:01.960 --> 00:12:07.370 Isabelle Hardesty: The creativity tips to help keep ideas and energy flowing for writers invite me. 97 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:19.289 Isabelle Hardesty: I wanted to do this in a fun way. Of course, when Stacey told me that so many people were watching, my 1st instinct was to say, Okay, maybe I won't do it. 98 00:12:19.550 --> 00:12:28.909 Isabelle Hardesty: Then I realized that I absolutely love doing this. I was on 9 panel, the dragon con just talking for 9 h. So I do this, anyway. So I'm here for you guys. 99 00:12:29.220 --> 00:12:35.589 Isabelle Hardesty: So I liked writing this. I mean, I do have my Tea, so I do go to my Tea or Coffee. 100 00:12:35.630 --> 00:12:56.050 Isabelle Hardesty: but when it's you against your doubt, your self doubt, Distractions, and a fast approaching deadline. Writers need more than a Cup of Coffee to forge ahead. I know we've all been there. We might have had our second cup of coffee. But we're still thinking, how am I going to finish this? So I'm here for you to help you 101 00:12:56.920 --> 00:13:02.874 Isabelle Hardesty: get through and I do my own deadlines as an Indie author. So 102 00:13:03.890 --> 00:13:09.350 Isabelle Hardesty: Sometimes you do have to extend the deadline sometimes you can't. So I'm here to help you 103 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:11.929 Isabelle Hardesty: get through in a loving way to yourself. 104 00:13:11.980 --> 00:13:15.419 Isabelle Hardesty: I recently met an author who said, I'm writing my 1st book. 105 00:13:15.510 --> 00:13:20.479 Isabelle Hardesty: my 1st thing that I told her was, be sure to give yourself extra time. 106 00:13:20.540 --> 00:13:25.769 Isabelle Hardesty: Be good to yourself and give yourself extra time. And then, a couple of weeks later. 107 00:13:25.800 --> 00:13:34.799 Isabelle Hardesty: I, of course, with that author that was there like writing going. You know, wondering, how am I going to get this moment? How am I going to get through this book. 108 00:13:34.950 --> 00:13:37.649 Isabelle Hardesty: How am I going to do all these things? And I had to kind of 109 00:13:37.850 --> 00:13:39.640 Isabelle Hardesty: reset myself 110 00:13:40.060 --> 00:13:44.609 Isabelle Hardesty: with a lot of these tips and techniques and extend my deadline a little bit. 111 00:13:44.670 --> 00:13:46.529 Isabelle Hardesty: So I took my own advice. 112 00:13:47.860 --> 00:13:53.300 Isabelle Hardesty: So here we're going to be learning how to step into a creative mindset and enjoy the process of writing 113 00:13:53.560 --> 00:13:58.240 Isabelle Hardesty: the simple tips. So it's about the process. I'm also a visual artist. 114 00:13:58.717 --> 00:14:04.142 Isabelle Hardesty: And it's a visual artist. I'm very process based, not product based. So it's 115 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:10.160 Isabelle Hardesty: enjoying, enjoying the feel of things, enjoying the act of it. 116 00:14:10.636 --> 00:14:22.380 Isabelle Hardesty: I know that's why we write. I know also, the act of writing is also sometimes torture as well. So we're not going to make believe it's all joy. But we're going to find that joy. 117 00:14:23.010 --> 00:14:26.089 Isabelle Hardesty: So we talked about comparison as a prison, as a prison 118 00:14:26.440 --> 00:14:35.629 Isabelle Hardesty: which obviously, it happens. But once this is over, we're gonna look at our phones, possibly. And look! Oh, wow! Look at that! Yay, yay, yay! And 119 00:14:36.130 --> 00:14:39.959 Isabelle Hardesty: our minds may just go back. So we're the ones that have to just reset 120 00:14:40.020 --> 00:14:42.549 Isabelle Hardesty: and remember our Y 121 00:14:42.630 --> 00:14:44.769 Isabelle Hardesty: and our path. Okay. 122 00:14:46.040 --> 00:14:52.139 Isabelle Hardesty: play is vital for writers. So here I like to be silly. I like to remember the child to me. 123 00:14:52.200 --> 00:14:53.939 Isabelle Hardesty: I like to remember 124 00:14:54.130 --> 00:15:06.940 Isabelle Hardesty: the parts of me. Maybe that I've forgotten that I might have let dust settle on things that I might want to give to someone else. But actually I wanted to give to myself. There was this book of unicorns. There's a silly unicorn. 125 00:15:07.580 --> 00:15:13.370 Isabelle Hardesty: it's a glass figurine. I got it, and I said I was going to give it to somebody. 126 00:15:13.890 --> 00:15:18.570 Isabelle Hardesty: I still own it. Obviously I was going to give it to myself. I didn't want to at first, st because I 127 00:15:18.610 --> 00:15:19.980 Isabelle Hardesty: he looked Corny. 128 00:15:20.500 --> 00:15:29.939 Isabelle Hardesty: and I didn't want to be the person that owned anything with the Unicorn. But I am that that person now, especially when it comes to writing, it's on my desk, and 129 00:15:30.110 --> 00:15:30.980 Isabelle Hardesty: it 130 00:15:31.110 --> 00:15:40.129 Isabelle Hardesty: kind of helps me remember to play also the fantasy, possibility aspect, but also reminds me to 131 00:15:41.880 --> 00:15:46.640 Isabelle Hardesty: not try to fix myself into a specific box. 132 00:15:46.690 --> 00:15:53.180 Isabelle Hardesty: I can be Isabel who likes unicorns. I can be Isabel who introduces a character 133 00:15:54.160 --> 00:15:57.699 Isabelle Hardesty: that walks the portal. I can be, Isabel, that 134 00:15:58.090 --> 00:15:59.720 Isabelle Hardesty: had someone wake up. 135 00:16:01.320 --> 00:16:15.859 Isabelle Hardesty: make Cereal look out the window and see the mothership out there, and you know either they give them thumbs up or the middle finger. I can be these things. And it's not because of the unicorn, but it allows me just 136 00:16:16.070 --> 00:16:19.299 Isabelle Hardesty: change my mindset and know anything's possible 137 00:16:19.450 --> 00:16:21.550 Isabelle Hardesty: and just chill out. I guess. 138 00:16:22.070 --> 00:16:22.735 Isabelle Hardesty: So. 139 00:16:25.970 --> 00:16:27.850 Isabelle Hardesty: I like. There's this 140 00:16:28.670 --> 00:16:31.909 Isabelle Hardesty: psychologist. His name is Mihai Cheeksentmihai. 141 00:16:31.950 --> 00:16:33.729 Isabelle Hardesty: and he has a quote that I like. 142 00:16:33.740 --> 00:16:35.870 Isabelle Hardesty: says, you know that 143 00:16:35.900 --> 00:16:44.019 Isabelle Hardesty: what you need to do is possible to do, even though difficult and sense of time disappears. You forget yourself. 144 00:16:44.330 --> 00:16:46.640 Isabelle Hardesty: You feel part of something larger. 145 00:16:47.000 --> 00:16:48.739 Isabelle Hardesty: and that's he's a 146 00:16:48.930 --> 00:16:54.669 Isabelle Hardesty: he writes about flow. He wrote about flow. So that's 1 of the reasons why 147 00:16:54.680 --> 00:17:05.130 Isabelle Hardesty: I like to write, because it connects me to something bigger connects me to possibilities. And there's definitely play involved. Even if my character is 148 00:17:06.069 --> 00:17:09.969 Isabelle Hardesty: getting in one of my books, she's getting attacked by alligators. 149 00:17:10.861 --> 00:17:15.079 Isabelle Hardesty: She does survive, and then she's woven together by the roots of a tree. 150 00:17:17.160 --> 00:17:18.590 Isabelle Hardesty: I had to 151 00:17:18.980 --> 00:17:23.560 Isabelle Hardesty: find the play in that in myself and the play in 152 00:17:24.230 --> 00:17:25.899 Isabelle Hardesty: being able to 153 00:17:26.430 --> 00:17:28.280 Isabelle Hardesty: imagine something 154 00:17:28.390 --> 00:17:29.200 Isabelle Hardesty: that 155 00:17:29.920 --> 00:17:31.090 Isabelle Hardesty: can be 156 00:17:31.160 --> 00:17:34.699 Isabelle Hardesty: dark, difficult, and then later on, transformative. 157 00:17:39.740 --> 00:17:46.510 Isabelle Hardesty: Another thing that I love to think about, too, which is very uncomfortable, is failing, is part of life. 158 00:17:48.220 --> 00:17:52.119 Isabelle Hardesty: When we do these things, when we take these chances. 159 00:17:52.330 --> 00:17:55.360 Isabelle Hardesty: you take these opportunities to try something new. 160 00:17:55.650 --> 00:17:58.480 Isabelle Hardesty: It makes us grow in a way that 161 00:17:58.940 --> 00:18:03.270 Isabelle Hardesty: staying in a box staying still does not allow us to do 162 00:18:03.430 --> 00:18:04.570 Isabelle Hardesty: so. 163 00:18:06.090 --> 00:18:15.419 Isabelle Hardesty: For creativity. You have to be able to. I have to be able to do something that doesn't work, as we know all of the 164 00:18:15.460 --> 00:18:20.040 Isabelle Hardesty: all the writers out there who have pages and pages and pages of 165 00:18:20.060 --> 00:18:22.119 Isabelle Hardesty: things that you take out of your book. 166 00:18:22.540 --> 00:18:31.589 Isabelle Hardesty: It helps layer your character. It helps layer their background. The story. One of my books. She's born in the late 18 hundreds. 167 00:18:31.810 --> 00:18:47.019 Isabelle Hardesty: I did research on the theaters at the time that have little. I mentioned this like a couple of weeks ago at at the convention of the chairs, had little areas for people to put their hats. That's in my notes. It never came out, but 168 00:18:47.400 --> 00:18:49.230 Isabelle Hardesty: it's not failing, though. 169 00:18:49.340 --> 00:18:56.699 Isabelle Hardesty: so someone might say, it's failing. And gosh! I'm can't believe I've I've written 25 pages of stuff 170 00:18:56.780 --> 00:18:59.629 Isabelle Hardesty: that I'm never going to use. It may not 171 00:19:00.270 --> 00:19:04.749 Isabelle Hardesty: be in this book, but it may be in another book, or it's part of the layers 172 00:19:04.870 --> 00:19:08.220 Isabelle Hardesty: of the plot layers of your character. 173 00:19:08.250 --> 00:19:20.159 Isabelle Hardesty: So be okay with it, make it comfortable, see it as like a comfortable jacket like, oh, this is what I get to do today. I get to work on this scene, and this is the same scene that's been 174 00:19:20.470 --> 00:19:25.889 Isabelle Hardesty: torturing me for 3 weeks. But maybe now you can see in a different light. 175 00:19:26.835 --> 00:19:41.890 Isabelle Hardesty: Some riders do bizarre things to get out to pick themselves off the track and put themselves on a new track, or maybe get themselves off the track, press a button and go into space and go. Oh, I've got a jetpack on. I didn't need to be on a train. 176 00:19:42.462 --> 00:19:45.119 Isabelle Hardesty: I've heard of writers that shower. 177 00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:49.499 Isabelle Hardesty: If they get to a block, they actually just shower, they just stop 178 00:19:50.140 --> 00:19:51.320 Isabelle Hardesty: shower 179 00:19:51.430 --> 00:19:52.410 Isabelle Hardesty: and then 180 00:19:52.610 --> 00:20:10.980 Isabelle Hardesty: get dressed again, dry up, and then continue writing. And if it happens again, I think this is a screenwriter. Actually he will do it several times a day, so that might be extreme for some of us, but might not be also, some people like to wash their wash dishes 181 00:20:11.370 --> 00:20:14.155 Isabelle Hardesty: and clean their house clean closets. 182 00:20:14.630 --> 00:20:32.249 Isabelle Hardesty: Think I had so many things to do like a couple of weeks ago. It's like I'm just gonna do social media posts for a while, because I had so much to do. I was like, well, I'm gonna let people know what I'm doing because I had to do something. But I could not write a scene, so I was good to myself got away from the computer 183 00:20:32.420 --> 00:20:35.379 Isabelle Hardesty: and did something else, which is okay. 184 00:20:36.930 --> 00:20:41.599 Isabelle Hardesty: as we all know, the creative mind is always going. So as you're brushing your teeth 185 00:20:42.070 --> 00:20:49.619 Isabelle Hardesty: as you're washing those dishes as you're picking the weeds that you did not want to pick previously, because you're like, I am not going to be out there. 186 00:20:49.680 --> 00:21:01.519 Isabelle Hardesty: Gardening is too hot. But then, of course, to avoid writing, you sometimes do that as you're doing it. You may realize finally, that character doesn't have to be in that scene, or 187 00:21:01.980 --> 00:21:04.669 Isabelle Hardesty: I'm going to shift the time frame 188 00:21:04.680 --> 00:21:08.920 Isabelle Hardesty: to another timeframe and make everything work out, or 189 00:21:09.830 --> 00:21:16.089 Isabelle Hardesty: so many different possibilities because we disengage and see things in a new way. 190 00:21:16.797 --> 00:21:33.009 Isabelle Hardesty: I know that's happened to me before, which is a great feeling when it does, that block actually gets flushed away by just new experiences, and the tension that's around that whole moment just dissolving. And then it just makes you kind of have that confidence of going? 191 00:21:33.120 --> 00:21:50.750 Isabelle Hardesty: Oh, yeah, actually, I am a writer. Yes, so while you have those trinkets out, it helps. And if you're the type of person that likes to have your desk clear. So trinkets actually would set you off in a negative thing. Then of course, you don't need that. But these are some things that have worked for me. 192 00:21:53.890 --> 00:21:59.490 Isabelle Hardesty: one thing, too, that helps me is knowing that everyone's different. 193 00:21:59.830 --> 00:22:01.330 Isabelle Hardesty: We're all different. 194 00:22:01.950 --> 00:22:08.870 Isabelle Hardesty: and that makes us special as writers. I know we've all heard this. When people say, if we all had to write the same thing 195 00:22:09.814 --> 00:22:14.090 Isabelle Hardesty: it would be different, which is super, Corny. 196 00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:18.949 Isabelle Hardesty: but it's extremely true, because our experiences are different. 197 00:22:21.020 --> 00:22:28.839 Isabelle Hardesty: that's why those writing prompts and things are kind of exciting and cool to read when people submit them because everyone has 198 00:22:30.050 --> 00:22:35.819 Isabelle Hardesty: their own spin. I once did this thing where I think the person the prompt was August. 199 00:22:36.060 --> 00:22:57.309 Isabelle Hardesty: so I made it a person's name, and he got off of a train track. I don't know what I was thinking. It was just like at a community center. Years ago I was with my younger sister, and I said he got off the train track, and I have no idea but it was so cool to see that out of this word August this person appeared, but I was willing to fail. I was willing to just 200 00:22:57.330 --> 00:23:03.889 Isabelle Hardesty: try something new, and it was one of those early exercises that. Let me think and realize, hey? 201 00:23:03.960 --> 00:23:06.630 Isabelle Hardesty: Maybe there's something to this writing thing. 202 00:23:07.286 --> 00:23:09.520 Isabelle Hardesty: It's pretty freeing and liberating. 203 00:23:10.367 --> 00:23:16.560 Isabelle Hardesty: Please let us chart your questions down because I can't wait. I can't wait at all. 204 00:23:20.700 --> 00:23:30.160 Isabelle Hardesty: sometimes one thing about failure is part of life. Sometimes we actually set ourselves up to fail. I actually wrote this, make sure to 205 00:23:30.320 --> 00:23:33.550 Isabelle Hardesty: talk about this guilty as charged. 206 00:23:34.120 --> 00:23:39.520 Isabelle Hardesty: Failure is part of life. But sometimes we actually set ourselves up to fail 207 00:23:39.980 --> 00:23:43.510 Isabelle Hardesty: by doing these things called unrealistic 208 00:23:43.710 --> 00:23:47.699 Isabelle Hardesty: deadlines or unrealistic, whatever it is. 209 00:23:47.840 --> 00:23:52.000 Isabelle Hardesty: Maybe it's like you're going to go on a vacation, and you're gonna write 210 00:23:52.390 --> 00:24:09.030 Isabelle Hardesty: 3 chapters or a book while you're on vacation with your family. It's just you're setting yourself up for frustrating time, unless you're very fortunate to be able to do that for most people it would be very difficult to balance everything and also be able to write so 211 00:24:09.540 --> 00:24:10.400 Isabelle Hardesty: I know. 212 00:24:10.930 --> 00:24:15.090 Isabelle Hardesty: there's the smart. I'm not a fan of the smart goals. The name just 213 00:24:15.210 --> 00:24:25.330 Isabelle Hardesty: bothers me for a reason, but it actually makes so much sense. The 1st time I heard I was like, oh, that's a corporate thing. I don't want to hear about it. I don't like it. I just 214 00:24:25.570 --> 00:24:33.019 Isabelle Hardesty: didn't like it. But then I looked. And I was like, Okay, maybe there's a reason I didn't like it because it was extremely effective. 215 00:24:33.180 --> 00:24:44.709 Isabelle Hardesty: So in case you guys are like me and you don't want to hear it or you don't remember it. Smart goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant time based goals. So 216 00:24:45.110 --> 00:24:53.459 Isabelle Hardesty: you can throw some of that out if it if it doesn't apply to you. But one word that I like is attainable in that smart goal so 217 00:24:53.840 --> 00:24:58.290 Isabelle Hardesty: attainable and realistic. It's so. It's so full of love for ourselves. 218 00:24:58.845 --> 00:25:02.564 Isabelle Hardesty: You talk about joy, self, love, self, care, 219 00:25:03.040 --> 00:25:07.719 Isabelle Hardesty: and due dates, call them deadlines, due dates, whatever that is. But that 220 00:25:07.930 --> 00:25:09.370 Isabelle Hardesty: end. Marker 221 00:25:10.214 --> 00:25:27.589 Isabelle Hardesty: we can be kind to ourselves, and I know that many of us who have. If you're dealing with a publisher, or if you have an agent. I know that is kind of a joke to you, because you're saying, Well, Isabelle, that's perfect for indie authors. But I actually have someone that's demanding. I do this. 222 00:25:27.710 --> 00:25:29.100 Isabelle Hardesty: So 223 00:25:29.450 --> 00:25:41.919 Isabelle Hardesty: then I guess you'd still have to work on that, and maybe see if you can extend it as much as you can, and also give yourself. Take, as we know, to take our big projects and just break them down into 224 00:25:41.940 --> 00:25:43.350 Isabelle Hardesty: attainable chunks 225 00:25:43.700 --> 00:25:45.810 Isabelle Hardesty: and celebrate those. 226 00:25:45.950 --> 00:25:55.636 Isabelle Hardesty: One thing I was, I think I was mentioned about Scrivener. One thing about Scrivener, which was my, the highlight for me of scrivener which I love is that bar that starts off 227 00:25:56.080 --> 00:26:01.079 Isabelle Hardesty: read whatever you set it up for 500 words a day, whatever it is. 228 00:26:01.626 --> 00:26:14.040 Isabelle Hardesty: or 500 words for that session, and it starts off red, and as you work on that, it goes from red to orange to yellow, to green, which is super wonderful gamification 229 00:26:14.060 --> 00:26:14.850 Isabelle Hardesty: of 230 00:26:16.040 --> 00:26:27.860 Isabelle Hardesty: writing. So if you can set yourself up. Obviously, we we all want to just like Pop Chocolate covered almonds, or M. And Ms. As a reward. But we know that's not healthy, but if we can 231 00:26:28.330 --> 00:26:35.799 Isabelle Hardesty: you can gamify. I've done it before where I've done it, like, okay, if I do this, it's I'll get to this level. 232 00:26:36.600 --> 00:26:43.890 Isabelle Hardesty: It helps, even though it's super, Corny, and you're the one making it up and you see through it. But if you can do whatever it takes to 233 00:26:43.920 --> 00:26:50.020 Isabelle Hardesty: get through those moments that are the difficult parts in writing or creating, it'll help 234 00:26:50.800 --> 00:26:52.409 Isabelle Hardesty: bring it through. 235 00:26:52.430 --> 00:26:55.389 Isabelle Hardesty: And yes, we do still love our coffee and our tea. 236 00:26:58.630 --> 00:27:01.957 Isabelle Hardesty: I see we have a lot of questions. Yay, okay. 237 00:27:04.090 --> 00:27:07.680 Isabelle Hardesty: One joke. I kind of remember from way back. 238 00:27:07.800 --> 00:27:12.913 Isabelle Hardesty: pre pandemic, or maybe during the pandemic was there? Was this little 239 00:27:13.730 --> 00:27:26.169 Isabelle Hardesty: think, a little meme, or something that said writers before and after, like, basically we're we were good, some of us, not all of us, but we were like, Hey, I get to stay inside and write and avoid people. 240 00:27:26.210 --> 00:27:28.089 Isabelle Hardesty: Thanks. Thank you. 241 00:27:28.140 --> 00:27:35.099 Isabelle Hardesty: So we are solo people, many of us. We can write, we can avoid others and 242 00:27:35.710 --> 00:27:39.809 Isabelle Hardesty: live in our heads sometimes create. That's fascinating worlds. 243 00:27:39.950 --> 00:27:47.749 Isabelle Hardesty: And if you share your work already, worlds that people want to see and step in and live in characters that are 244 00:27:47.800 --> 00:27:50.240 Isabelle Hardesty: captivating characters that are 245 00:27:51.120 --> 00:27:55.750 Isabelle Hardesty: exhilarating. Book Boyfriends book Girlfriends. So 246 00:27:55.890 --> 00:27:57.480 Isabelle Hardesty: with all of this 247 00:27:57.560 --> 00:28:01.039 Isabelle Hardesty: connection strengthens us as creatives. 248 00:28:01.210 --> 00:28:02.650 Isabelle Hardesty: And that's my 249 00:28:03.350 --> 00:28:04.710 Isabelle Hardesty: next slide. 250 00:28:04.850 --> 00:28:06.500 Isabelle Hardesty: Connection strengthens 251 00:28:06.530 --> 00:28:09.809 Isabelle Hardesty: connection strengthens us as creatives. 252 00:28:10.970 --> 00:28:16.088 Isabelle Hardesty: even though it's sometimes as writers, as creatives. It's the one thing that we're like. 253 00:28:16.560 --> 00:28:19.360 Isabelle Hardesty: I can do that later, please. 254 00:28:19.996 --> 00:28:22.770 Isabelle Hardesty: Cause we have so much to do. 255 00:28:23.520 --> 00:28:25.900 Isabelle Hardesty: It's actually really wonderful, too. 256 00:28:26.694 --> 00:28:29.190 Isabelle Hardesty: Whether it's family friends. 257 00:28:29.690 --> 00:28:36.580 Isabelle Hardesty: other authors. I was at convention recently, and it was really good to see other authors 258 00:28:36.790 --> 00:28:37.710 Isabelle Hardesty: do 259 00:28:38.670 --> 00:28:42.330 Isabelle Hardesty: do what I was doing, being on panels, but also talking about 260 00:28:42.430 --> 00:28:46.340 Isabelle Hardesty: their lives, whether it was their personal lives. 261 00:28:46.350 --> 00:28:48.690 Isabelle Hardesty: their lives as writers 262 00:28:49.381 --> 00:28:54.400 Isabelle Hardesty: their journey. Just to remind ourselves that we're not alone. 263 00:28:54.990 --> 00:28:57.219 Isabelle Hardesty: It's a beautiful thing. 264 00:28:57.260 --> 00:29:01.490 Isabelle Hardesty: It adds that, like the stitch of love and friendship 265 00:29:01.600 --> 00:29:06.290 Isabelle Hardesty: into things which makes it sweeter. Yes, it's super, Corny, but 266 00:29:06.310 --> 00:29:08.929 Isabelle Hardesty: kind of it does make sense, though. 267 00:29:09.150 --> 00:29:12.020 Isabelle Hardesty: So if you can find your way, whether it's 268 00:29:12.130 --> 00:29:24.690 Isabelle Hardesty: maybe it's an online connection. But if you can make it where it's something that's not online, it may actually be more fulfilling, possibly, and maybe it has nothing to do with writing. 269 00:29:25.180 --> 00:29:30.640 Isabelle Hardesty: but I know that it makes it. It makes life richer in its own way. 270 00:29:31.370 --> 00:29:32.610 Isabelle Hardesty: So 271 00:29:35.170 --> 00:29:38.810 Isabelle Hardesty: The reason why I started writing as a visual artist. 272 00:29:40.190 --> 00:29:42.819 Isabelle Hardesty: I wanted to tell my story 273 00:29:43.230 --> 00:29:49.990 Isabelle Hardesty: beyond visual arts which I still love. I wanted to capture those moments that are like, I guess. 274 00:29:50.080 --> 00:29:51.699 Isabelle Hardesty: between the breaths. 275 00:29:52.200 --> 00:29:55.430 Isabelle Hardesty: the moments that you can't maybe capture with a paintbrush. 276 00:29:55.560 --> 00:29:58.469 Isabelle Hardesty: So it's 1 of the reasons why I started writing 277 00:30:01.700 --> 00:30:06.589 Isabelle Hardesty: And as I started writing, then I realized, Oh, there's this thing called 278 00:30:07.240 --> 00:30:28.400 Isabelle Hardesty: the flow where you feel it. I think Shonda Rimes calls it a hum when she's like you're in the Zone, and just be able to. Just as a visual artist. You can do that, too, where you're hungry. You're like, Oh, I'm gonna eat lunch. And then 3 h later, you realize, oh, I forgot to eat lunch. You're not even hungry anymore. You can get that with writing, but when it doesn't happen. 279 00:30:28.640 --> 00:30:31.729 Isabelle Hardesty: you yearn to make it happen. You're like, I want it back. 280 00:30:31.910 --> 00:30:36.239 Isabelle Hardesty: I want it. Now. Please give me the flow. Now. I want that hum now. 281 00:30:36.320 --> 00:30:37.420 Isabelle Hardesty: so 282 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:39.320 Isabelle Hardesty: we know that we can. 283 00:30:39.660 --> 00:30:43.870 Isabelle Hardesty: There are things we can do to help. So one of the things I like to do 284 00:30:44.230 --> 00:30:45.480 Isabelle Hardesty: is amuse it. 285 00:30:45.570 --> 00:30:53.863 Isabelle Hardesty: I was talking about this on a panel, too, and the gentleman to my right. He was nodding like, Yeah, it's really what he likes to do, too. 286 00:30:54.600 --> 00:30:56.880 Isabelle Hardesty: not all music, though. If 287 00:30:57.430 --> 00:31:04.099 Isabelle Hardesty: there's some things that I go to for, like brain brain waves, other ones I use would be something a little bit 288 00:31:04.280 --> 00:31:08.909 Isabelle Hardesty: more. Just my music, that's super, Corny, and my stuff. 289 00:31:09.341 --> 00:31:11.379 Isabelle Hardesty: But you find what works for you. 290 00:31:11.430 --> 00:31:22.929 Isabelle Hardesty: whether it's for a fight. Scene whether it's for an alien scene, a tender scene. Of course there'd be different music for that. I did try writing. Think 291 00:31:23.210 --> 00:31:38.209 Isabelle Hardesty: I had one scene that I was writing to, and it was like the music was like really awesome. And then I was trying to after the fight, the chill time. And I had to basically turn off the music or do something different. So that was pretty cool. Pretty fun. 292 00:31:38.340 --> 00:31:40.669 Isabelle Hardesty: But I did switch because I could see 293 00:31:41.390 --> 00:31:43.080 Isabelle Hardesty: the words were not matching. 294 00:31:43.580 --> 00:31:47.189 Isabelle Hardesty: The energy was still like, Let's go! But the 295 00:31:47.460 --> 00:31:51.910 Isabelle Hardesty: the words had to. I knew the rhythm of my writing. I had to just slow it down. 296 00:31:53.970 --> 00:32:11.009 Isabelle Hardesty: I also like peppermint. It's weird, but I like peppermint oil. I discovered this when I was doing Zoom Meetings. During that time I'd have to just like focus peppermint oil for me helps me kind of get that center feeling. 297 00:32:11.060 --> 00:32:13.609 Isabelle Hardesty: Other people may have different things. 298 00:32:13.850 --> 00:32:15.910 Isabelle Hardesty: Music. 299 00:32:16.230 --> 00:32:17.719 Isabelle Hardesty: peppermint oil. 300 00:32:17.800 --> 00:32:22.399 Isabelle Hardesty: the fun of wearing something silly or 301 00:32:23.820 --> 00:32:25.799 Isabelle Hardesty: putting something silly on 302 00:32:26.490 --> 00:32:27.810 Isabelle Hardesty: a crown! 303 00:32:28.657 --> 00:32:41.430 Isabelle Hardesty: Having a baseball that you use, you know. You maybe used to look at. Put it on your desk. If it's valuable, maybe put it somewhere else. But things that bring you joy. 304 00:32:41.490 --> 00:32:49.039 Isabelle Hardesty: it'll weave itself into your writing, and before you know it you might get back to that. That flow where you're feeling 305 00:32:50.020 --> 00:32:55.219 Isabelle Hardesty: like your writing is just flowing out of you, which is what we always like. 306 00:32:56.580 --> 00:32:58.579 Isabelle Hardesty: who? I see some more questions? 307 00:32:58.610 --> 00:33:01.070 Isabelle Hardesty: Oh, my goodness! So many questions! 308 00:33:02.450 --> 00:33:10.300 Isabelle Hardesty: thank you for everyone being here, by the way and choosing here to be during your day or evening. So thank you so much. 309 00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:15.080 Isabelle Hardesty: let's see 310 00:33:16.150 --> 00:33:29.649 Isabelle Hardesty: when you're doing these things. The one thing the mindset, too, is to be kind to yourself. The same way that I told that lady. Oh, you're writing a book. Your 1st book. Make sure you're good to yourself with deadlines. You have to basically 311 00:33:30.190 --> 00:33:32.550 Isabelle Hardesty: be kind to yourself and go. 312 00:33:33.150 --> 00:33:38.369 Isabelle Hardesty: Oh, you've been writing for so many hours today. Maybe it's enough, or 313 00:33:40.480 --> 00:33:41.679 Isabelle Hardesty: You can't 314 00:33:41.750 --> 00:33:44.860 Isabelle Hardesty: get the scene, maybe. Pause that scene. 315 00:33:44.890 --> 00:34:02.919 Isabelle Hardesty: you know. You have to do another scene in the next chapter. Do the scene that you actually do want to write, but come back to that one, even though you might think, oh, but I need to write in a linear fashion, because it always works. Maybe today, maybe this moment it's it's not going to work and be kind to yourself to say. 316 00:34:03.040 --> 00:34:04.860 Isabelle Hardesty: oh, no, I'm a plotter. 317 00:34:04.890 --> 00:34:18.389 Isabelle Hardesty: am I actually a pantser. Oh, no. I know they talk about that a lot in panels as a dragon con, and plotters versus pancers. It's a age old question, but maybe we're both. 318 00:34:18.469 --> 00:34:24.120 Isabelle Hardesty: Maybe we can allow ourselves the kindness that we'd give to someone else and say, Hey. 319 00:34:24.159 --> 00:34:27.099 Isabelle Hardesty: maybe you can try this way. 320 00:34:27.190 --> 00:34:36.179 Isabelle Hardesty: And then, later on. We're so judgmental on ourselves. We are like our own gatekeepers. You can't do that. That's not real writing, but maybe it is. 321 00:34:36.300 --> 00:34:38.969 Isabelle Hardesty: Maybe you do want to try voice. 322 00:34:39.050 --> 00:34:42.380 Isabelle Hardesty: I think I saw someone in the chat say 323 00:34:43.040 --> 00:34:48.200 Isabelle Hardesty: they like to write it out. 1st I happen to glance there and then they type it? 324 00:34:50.260 --> 00:34:54.950 Isabelle Hardesty: yeah, maybe that works. Maybe you do your things on your phone during meetings. 325 00:34:55.139 --> 00:35:02.110 Isabelle Hardesty: Tell anyone meetings at work and you write it out on your phone, and then later on, you type it 326 00:35:03.288 --> 00:35:22.689 Isabelle Hardesty: and if these are things that you haven't used, maybe you try little notes and you just play. Maybe these are things that you've done in the past again that worked for you. But you're like that was my 1st book. I I can't do that now I'm on my whatever book. Or this is actually a more important book. So I have to be 327 00:35:22.710 --> 00:35:32.599 Isabelle Hardesty: more serious. This book is going to be this big thing which it is going to be, and you can still be kind to yourself the same 328 00:35:32.610 --> 00:35:36.330 Isabelle Hardesty: way we would be with someone else. So so much of 329 00:35:37.740 --> 00:35:39.290 Isabelle Hardesty: creativity 330 00:35:39.320 --> 00:35:51.948 Isabelle Hardesty: and the energy flowing is the kindness that we show to ourselves. Self care. I know it's another term that's become I don't know what? But it's just like loving yourselves and being nice to yourself. 331 00:35:52.460 --> 00:35:53.840 Isabelle Hardesty: but also 332 00:35:54.380 --> 00:35:56.210 Isabelle Hardesty: boosting yourself up 333 00:35:56.810 --> 00:35:58.720 Isabelle Hardesty: like the athletes, too. 334 00:35:59.310 --> 00:36:03.100 Isabelle Hardesty: You don't have to let them have all the fun. Boost yourself up. 335 00:36:05.080 --> 00:36:19.609 Isabelle Hardesty: do it. It might be, Corny, and if you live with other people, and you write words of, you know encouragement, whatever you know it may say, I'm a so and so I do this. It may be stuff that you can't have your kids see, because 336 00:36:19.680 --> 00:36:21.499 Isabelle Hardesty: it may be prettier 337 00:36:21.840 --> 00:36:22.950 Isabelle Hardesty: bold. 338 00:36:23.010 --> 00:36:26.960 Isabelle Hardesty: but put it up there if it boosts you, and it gives you that 339 00:36:27.590 --> 00:36:29.130 Isabelle Hardesty: that rise, that 340 00:36:29.230 --> 00:36:40.030 Isabelle Hardesty: buyer to go. Yeah, I am going to slay this chapter. I am going to do that. I am going to get to the middle of this book, and it's going to be so exciting. And 341 00:36:40.190 --> 00:36:43.620 Isabelle Hardesty: this new new character is going to set things 342 00:36:43.740 --> 00:36:47.610 Isabelle Hardesty: a fire. This new character, this alien I'm writing, this. 343 00:36:48.600 --> 00:37:07.369 Isabelle Hardesty: this plot's gonna twist in a way that the readers are gonna spit their coffee out when they read this. I'm writing that scene. So you want to bring that swagger in again. Don't let just like the athletes have that fun. We can have it, too. We deserve it. 344 00:37:08.300 --> 00:37:10.940 Isabelle Hardesty: A lot of it, then, is 345 00:37:11.390 --> 00:37:14.369 Isabelle Hardesty: knowing that you can do it, seeing the end result. 346 00:37:14.390 --> 00:37:18.090 Isabelle Hardesty: I know also we know this, but knowing that that end 347 00:37:18.170 --> 00:37:28.670 Isabelle Hardesty: is there, you've already planned it in your head when you started, even if it's kind of like you're like, actually, Isabelle, I don't know how it's gonna end. I know what you mean. But 348 00:37:28.930 --> 00:37:31.700 Isabelle Hardesty: with the possibilities, let's say that you have 349 00:37:31.910 --> 00:37:35.670 Isabelle Hardesty: one possibility of the book, or there's a middle part of the book. 350 00:37:35.740 --> 00:37:38.130 Isabelle Hardesty: It could go this way, this way or this way. 351 00:37:38.350 --> 00:37:39.910 Isabelle Hardesty: They already 352 00:37:39.980 --> 00:37:43.000 Isabelle Hardesty: are fleshed out a little bit in your head. So 353 00:37:43.530 --> 00:37:48.079 Isabelle Hardesty: for me, sometimes when I'm writing, I have to basically go. And we're going to go with this. 354 00:37:48.250 --> 00:37:52.450 Isabelle Hardesty: and we're going to go with this basically knowing it's going to work out almost 355 00:37:52.790 --> 00:38:03.859 Isabelle Hardesty: kind of like improv when the other person's making us saying something. And they're like I have to say something, and they just go like, I'm going to go with this, and they say it. So 356 00:38:04.400 --> 00:38:09.600 Isabelle Hardesty: you kind of get that moment where you just go like. And this is what's going to be written on the page, at least 357 00:38:09.650 --> 00:38:13.940 Isabelle Hardesty: in this draft, and then you can fix it later on, but 358 00:38:14.150 --> 00:38:27.659 Isabelle Hardesty: we can always edit with pro writing aid a a page, even if it's has so many errors. That's okay. But we can't do that when the page is empty again. We've heard this before. 359 00:38:27.670 --> 00:38:28.700 Isabelle Hardesty: But 360 00:38:29.030 --> 00:38:34.699 Isabelle Hardesty: when you think of it with kindness to yourself, it's basically saying it's okay. 361 00:38:34.750 --> 00:38:38.549 Isabelle Hardesty: write it out. And it's all going to 362 00:38:39.110 --> 00:38:40.940 Isabelle Hardesty: work out later on. 363 00:38:41.020 --> 00:38:44.749 Isabelle Hardesty: kind of trusting the flow, trusting the process 364 00:38:45.370 --> 00:38:49.570 Isabelle Hardesty: even for the new writers that are saying. But this is my 1st book. 365 00:38:50.020 --> 00:38:52.559 Isabelle Hardesty: How how do I know it's going to work out? 366 00:38:56.480 --> 00:38:59.910 Isabelle Hardesty: well, you know, you're gonna know that it's gonna work out because 367 00:39:00.100 --> 00:39:01.700 Isabelle Hardesty: you in your mind. You 368 00:39:01.780 --> 00:39:03.550 Isabelle Hardesty: seen the end of the book. 369 00:39:03.840 --> 00:39:09.310 Isabelle Hardesty: or you've seen where you want your story to go, and if you know your why. 370 00:39:09.820 --> 00:39:12.300 Isabelle Hardesty: some people start writing to 371 00:39:12.450 --> 00:39:17.150 Isabelle Hardesty: remind themselves of their childhood watching 372 00:39:17.640 --> 00:39:23.809 Isabelle Hardesty: movies with their family members. Or maybe they started writing to just bring joy to people. 373 00:39:23.860 --> 00:39:25.060 Isabelle Hardesty: to 374 00:39:26.080 --> 00:39:43.980 Isabelle Hardesty: to they were inspired by their favorite writer, and they just want to be part of something that connects them with a writer or a genre that they admire. So when you remember that, and you think of your imagined ending, and you think of your future readers. 375 00:39:44.250 --> 00:39:46.989 Isabelle Hardesty: it does eventually work itself out. 376 00:39:47.180 --> 00:39:59.530 Isabelle Hardesty: and before you know it. You write those 2 words the end, and you feel good. It's a process. And as you write, anyone that you know that doesn't write, they go. How do you write? 377 00:39:59.600 --> 00:40:03.295 Isabelle Hardesty: I don't know how you find the time. How do you do that? 378 00:40:03.880 --> 00:40:08.630 Isabelle Hardesty: You know. What do I say? It's a process. I just go. I find the time. 379 00:40:09.080 --> 00:40:11.899 Isabelle Hardesty: Do they really want to hear this? 380 00:40:11.960 --> 00:40:13.570 Isabelle Hardesty: I don't think so. 381 00:40:14.053 --> 00:40:18.299 Isabelle Hardesty: But I guess the ones that do want to write would actually appreciate it. 382 00:40:18.310 --> 00:40:22.270 Isabelle Hardesty: But the ones that don't write that, you know, it's it's a different reality. 383 00:40:22.980 --> 00:40:24.160 Isabelle Hardesty: So 384 00:40:24.550 --> 00:40:30.479 Isabelle Hardesty: anyway, I am going to be open for questions. Now. 385 00:40:30.870 --> 00:40:42.579 Isabelle Hardesty: let me see, I have more pay. Okay, I have more connection. Strength with us as creatives. Play is vital. For writers who talks about play. Play is essential. It's part of us. Failing is part of life. 386 00:40:42.980 --> 00:40:46.890 Isabelle Hardesty: Connection strengthens us as creatives. I want to have time for questions, please. 387 00:40:46.980 --> 00:40:51.020 Isabelle Hardesty: We've learned how to step into a creative mindset and enjoy the process of writing again. 388 00:40:51.790 --> 00:40:52.920 Isabelle Hardesty: And 389 00:40:54.290 --> 00:41:11.570 Isabelle Hardesty: this is basically, I just want you to have more joy and then just be kind to yourself, cause I was really nice to that new writer. I was so I was like, Really, you're writing. Give yourself time. And then I was like really harsh to myself, and I was like, no. 390 00:41:12.427 --> 00:41:21.009 Isabelle Hardesty: this is just me. This Stacy was a wonderful reading this, and I do have a newsletter. Please sign up at my website Isabel hardesty.com. 391 00:41:21.170 --> 00:41:22.859 Isabelle Hardesty: And these are some of my books. 392 00:41:24.090 --> 00:41:27.450 Isabelle Hardesty: and I've gone through this process with every 393 00:41:27.660 --> 00:41:28.780 Isabelle Hardesty: single 394 00:41:29.010 --> 00:41:29.950 Isabelle Hardesty: book. 395 00:41:33.330 --> 00:41:35.340 Isabelle Hardesty: I can't believe I'm writing. I think 396 00:41:35.980 --> 00:41:37.950 Isabelle Hardesty: I don't even know like my 10th book. Now. 397 00:41:38.910 --> 00:41:43.079 ProWritingAid: Oh, that is amazing, Isabel. Thank you so so very much. 398 00:41:43.080 --> 00:41:43.910 Isabelle Hardesty: We. 399 00:41:43.910 --> 00:41:46.759 ProWritingAid: Do. Yes, we have some questions in. 400 00:41:46.760 --> 00:41:47.210 Isabelle Hardesty: You. 401 00:41:47.609 --> 00:42:10.790 ProWritingAid: The QA. And I wanted to tell you so. You're reading off of the chat. So the chat has just been absolutely amazing. As you. Yes, as you were going through. Your presentation. All of our participants have just kind of been sharing their own ideas and and experiences about what has been 402 00:42:10.790 --> 00:42:21.979 ProWritingAid: working for them, what they've done. And someone mentioned. And I love this. Someone mentioned that they listen to different types of music, and they discovered Nickelback. So now they listen to Nickelback. 403 00:42:22.450 --> 00:42:24.810 ProWritingAid: hey? When they're creating. I love. 404 00:42:25.040 --> 00:42:34.480 Isabelle Hardesty: It doesn't make sense kind of like the sci-fi which one's like. This is amazing. Yeah, the stuff that you listen to 405 00:42:34.510 --> 00:42:36.350 Isabelle Hardesty: or that you do. 406 00:42:36.590 --> 00:42:44.920 Isabelle Hardesty: It's like, or if someone could take a snapshot. So I have my peppermint oil. There's a unicorn. It's just weird, but it works out. 407 00:42:45.290 --> 00:42:56.259 ProWritingAid: Love that. Oh, this is just so intriguing to me. But some of our questions our 1st question comes from, let's see, scrolling up. 408 00:42:57.550 --> 00:43:11.259 ProWritingAid: Okay, anonymous. And you kind of touched on this when you were talking about plotting versus pancing, this person wants to know, do you have an outline before you start? Or do you write by the seat of your pants? 409 00:43:12.381 --> 00:43:14.589 Isabelle Hardesty: When I started writing. I 410 00:43:14.760 --> 00:43:16.380 Isabelle Hardesty: I think Terry 411 00:43:17.150 --> 00:43:27.000 Isabelle Hardesty: Gilligan, the the writer, for breaking bad. I happen to be looking at some things as a new writer like Google, Google. And 412 00:43:27.370 --> 00:43:29.589 Isabelle Hardesty: he did this thing. He talked about 413 00:43:30.030 --> 00:43:31.890 Isabelle Hardesty: breaking a story. 414 00:43:32.010 --> 00:43:34.709 Isabelle Hardesty: and he said, Do some scenes. 415 00:43:34.880 --> 00:43:40.659 Isabelle Hardesty: And then do you like some plot beats Pop and he goes. We work that out, he said. 416 00:43:40.910 --> 00:43:44.219 Isabelle Hardesty: So basic. And he literally said this. He goes so with one of us 417 00:43:44.540 --> 00:43:47.439 Isabelle Hardesty: doesn't show up. The other people can write it in 418 00:43:47.900 --> 00:43:52.263 Isabelle Hardesty: cause they know. So let's say there's a scene and 419 00:43:53.420 --> 00:43:57.749 Isabelle Hardesty: Someone walks through the doors. Let's say so walks the doors. 420 00:43:57.770 --> 00:43:59.159 Isabelle Hardesty: the clothes behind them. 421 00:43:59.290 --> 00:44:00.770 Isabelle Hardesty: and they're holding 422 00:44:01.822 --> 00:44:03.510 Isabelle Hardesty: a glowing orb. 423 00:44:03.730 --> 00:44:09.970 Isabelle Hardesty: And they say, I I didn't order this, so it's supposed to be Snarky, there's an orb. 424 00:44:09.980 --> 00:44:11.070 Isabelle Hardesty: and 425 00:44:11.210 --> 00:44:23.759 Isabelle Hardesty: someone's amazed. So you know, in that moment, that's what's gonna happen. And then you could just continue your next scenes. So I do like to do a little bit of plotting, but I do like to also pants it, because to me that's where the magic is, too. 426 00:44:23.820 --> 00:44:25.639 Isabelle Hardesty: So I like to do a little bit of both. 427 00:44:26.710 --> 00:44:37.219 ProWritingAid: Gotcha. All right. Where do you get your ideas? Where do you get your characters for your novels? And how do you keep those ideas straight? 428 00:44:37.715 --> 00:44:38.540 Isabelle Hardesty: I love it! 429 00:44:39.450 --> 00:44:44.119 Isabelle Hardesty: So for the Witch of Elephler, I started off the series. 430 00:44:46.370 --> 00:44:50.090 Isabelle Hardesty: she's in South Florida. She's a Telenovela actress. 431 00:44:50.477 --> 00:45:03.242 Isabelle Hardesty: Growing up. My! I'm at my sister's house right now. And ma, I used to watch Tobinovella's soap operas, Spanish soap operas with my mom and my sisters. My brothers did not want anything to do with it. 432 00:45:03.830 --> 00:45:08.849 Isabelle Hardesty: So I wanted it to be something that I could link to my past. 433 00:45:09.080 --> 00:45:12.289 Isabelle Hardesty: Helen Avela, actress who turns to be a witch. 434 00:45:12.320 --> 00:45:16.309 Isabelle Hardesty: and she's a graduate. Then Victor popped up her 435 00:45:16.580 --> 00:45:21.999 Isabelle Hardesty: best friend, who she's walking behind in the swamps of South Florida, getting 436 00:45:22.425 --> 00:45:27.470 Isabelle Hardesty: herbal medicine for her aunt, who's sick. It just I don't. It just comes to you. 437 00:45:28.380 --> 00:45:33.784 Isabelle Hardesty: To me. And I bet you your characters come to you too. 438 00:45:35.170 --> 00:45:49.059 Isabelle Hardesty: Then jade jade started off as an parameters for an anthology. She had to be a this or this or this or this I didn't want her to be. I was like, I'm not going to make her other things I said to make her half fair and half shifter. 439 00:45:49.110 --> 00:45:54.650 Isabelle Hardesty: And then I said, Okay, so I made it the short story, Novella, and then the series. 440 00:45:55.046 --> 00:45:58.749 Isabelle Hardesty: But then, when I wrote her like the other characters, came. 441 00:45:59.540 --> 00:46:03.860 Isabelle Hardesty: and I like like making it multi-generational. Just love that stuff. 442 00:46:05.450 --> 00:46:06.260 Isabelle Hardesty: hey? 443 00:46:06.260 --> 00:46:17.770 ProWritingAid: Awesome, awesome. Well, this question is from Leah. Do you use the same techniques on every story you write? Or do you try to do something different each time. 444 00:46:19.850 --> 00:46:26.839 Isabelle Hardesty: Sometimes you try to. Sometimes when things work as humans, we're like, I don't. Your ego is like, do you really need that? 445 00:46:26.950 --> 00:46:36.239 Isabelle Hardesty: Do you really need that? Aren't you better than that? And you're like, you know what I am. I don't need an outline. I'm just gonna wing it. And then 446 00:46:36.350 --> 00:46:38.660 Isabelle Hardesty: it doesn't always work out depends. 447 00:46:38.680 --> 00:46:39.740 Isabelle Hardesty: Or 448 00:46:40.380 --> 00:46:47.239 Isabelle Hardesty: if you're a person who likes to wing it, and you're like that's always happened. Do you really need to do that. 449 00:46:47.540 --> 00:46:52.130 Isabelle Hardesty: Write that outline and the person that feels stifled. So I kind of 450 00:46:52.270 --> 00:46:56.519 Isabelle Hardesty: do similar things. But I might like veer a little bit more pants. 451 00:46:56.690 --> 00:47:01.889 Isabelle Hardesty: you know, flying by the seat of my pants or outlining, but I usually use both. 452 00:47:02.940 --> 00:47:10.719 Isabelle Hardesty: And do I always do the unicorn? No, sometimes I'll take my my computer and I'm on the couch 453 00:47:11.250 --> 00:47:18.980 Isabelle Hardesty: not watching a show with my husband, maybe, or I'm in the car trying to write, not when I'm driving 454 00:47:19.470 --> 00:47:23.310 Isabelle Hardesty: as the passenger, not when I'm driving. 455 00:47:23.743 --> 00:47:29.590 Isabelle Hardesty: So yeah. So there's not always like the perfect, and you don't always want to necessarily get 456 00:47:29.650 --> 00:47:35.190 Isabelle Hardesty: married tied to that where it has to be like. I need peppermint oil from this company. 457 00:47:35.200 --> 00:47:45.760 Isabelle Hardesty: I need my, you know, like I think the actors do that right. And they're like, I need 35 M. And Ms. Hang on all the blue ones, and you know you don't want to do that because. 458 00:47:45.760 --> 00:47:46.190 ProWritingAid: That. 459 00:47:46.190 --> 00:47:47.719 Isabelle Hardesty: It's never gonna match. 460 00:47:47.850 --> 00:47:49.609 Isabelle Hardesty: you know. So 461 00:47:49.720 --> 00:47:50.530 Isabelle Hardesty: yeah. 462 00:47:50.640 --> 00:47:57.649 Isabelle Hardesty: just make it fun if you can. But sometimes I know that I've written everywhere pretty much. 463 00:47:58.200 --> 00:48:02.910 ProWritingAid: I love that someone saying, can't write long hand while the car is moving. 464 00:48:02.910 --> 00:48:04.680 Isabelle Hardesty: It's a little hard. 465 00:48:05.320 --> 00:48:10.240 Isabelle Hardesty: but you know it's it's kind of nice. If you're safely at a red light. 466 00:48:10.480 --> 00:48:12.619 Isabelle Hardesty: Take your don't take your phone. 467 00:48:12.660 --> 00:48:21.679 Isabelle Hardesty: I don't know telepathically. Turn your phone on. I don't know what to say to make it politically correct, but you can have a passenger 468 00:48:21.740 --> 00:48:23.449 Isabelle Hardesty: turn your phone on for you 469 00:48:23.460 --> 00:48:27.079 Isabelle Hardesty: hit record, and you can then record your words. 470 00:48:27.600 --> 00:48:33.439 ProWritingAid: I've done that before. Just a stream. It's like a stream of consciousness. You can go back later and. 471 00:48:33.440 --> 00:48:34.470 Isabelle Hardesty: The best. 472 00:48:36.260 --> 00:48:46.620 ProWritingAid: Love it. Oh, this is a good one. I don't know. If you'll be able to because you, you did mention that you're by your sister's house. But Arthur wants to know. Can we see the Unicorn. 473 00:48:46.620 --> 00:48:48.079 Isabelle Hardesty: Oh, you know what 474 00:48:48.230 --> 00:48:51.169 Isabelle Hardesty: I will put that unicorn up on my 475 00:48:51.380 --> 00:48:55.149 Isabelle Hardesty: on my website. I'll put it up in my new blog. I promise. 476 00:48:55.410 --> 00:49:02.249 Isabelle Hardesty: It's kind of cool now. I mean, it's really cool, cool. I can't believe I was. Gonna give it away. I'll never give that away. 477 00:49:02.250 --> 00:49:08.010 ProWritingAid: Yeah, don't do it. It seems like it. It has. Lots of lots of stories have been inspired. 478 00:49:08.510 --> 00:49:09.540 Isabelle Hardesty: Pretty much. 479 00:49:10.360 --> 00:49:12.479 ProWritingAid: Oh, that's great. Okay. 480 00:49:12.700 --> 00:49:35.610 ProWritingAid: we have a question from Anne. So she's saying for me. I think it's I think it's about not good enough syndrome, because English isn't my 1st language, even with 2 degrees and 8 books written, not published. It's hard to shake off, or it's hard to shake off any confidence tip to take to that next big, bold step to publication. 481 00:49:36.020 --> 00:49:37.160 Isabelle Hardesty: Yes. 482 00:49:37.700 --> 00:49:39.849 Isabelle Hardesty: my mom speaks 4 languages 483 00:49:40.230 --> 00:49:48.494 Isabelle Hardesty: and I think when I was born I don't. I don't think English was my 1st language when I was a baby going, you know, whatever I was saying. 484 00:49:49.630 --> 00:50:00.400 Isabelle Hardesty: I think I saw Ava Longoria say that she doesn't believe in imposter syndrome. She's like, I think it's a it's a construct, and I get what she's saying. Just swagger it. 485 00:50:01.020 --> 00:50:03.239 Isabelle Hardesty: They may make your family uncomfortable. 486 00:50:03.420 --> 00:50:08.110 Isabelle Hardesty: but get that confidence, just fake, fake it, and I don't like fake it till you make it. 487 00:50:08.550 --> 00:50:10.870 Isabelle Hardesty: Don't fake it. See it. 488 00:50:11.020 --> 00:50:19.790 Isabelle Hardesty: Just say I'm awesome. So if you have other people just say, just leave me alone. Don't look at my desk, or don't just leave me alone. Leave my post-its and alone. 489 00:50:19.880 --> 00:50:28.100 Isabelle Hardesty: Blame it on me. Just boost yourself up so much that it makes you kind of 490 00:50:28.540 --> 00:50:32.210 Isabelle Hardesty: happy and silly, and like a teenager again, or 491 00:50:32.550 --> 00:50:50.599 Isabelle Hardesty: like a 12 year old girl that accessorizes with the or a boy that's like headband. I've got a I've got an arm band, cause I'm going to be sportsy, and I'm sporty, and I might sweat on my wrist. Just ridiculous! Be ridiculous in how much you're like. I'm awesome. 492 00:50:51.370 --> 00:50:53.309 Isabelle Hardesty: And have you 493 00:50:54.700 --> 00:50:58.540 Isabelle Hardesty: Have you shared those 8 books yet? I hope she has 494 00:50:59.130 --> 00:50:59.870 Isabelle Hardesty: be. 495 00:51:00.910 --> 00:51:04.500 ProWritingAid: Hopefully hopefully. 496 00:51:05.022 --> 00:51:06.590 Isabelle Hardesty: Indie, publish them. 497 00:51:06.590 --> 00:51:09.039 ProWritingAid: Yes, and you haven't already. 498 00:51:09.320 --> 00:51:10.940 Isabelle Hardesty: I bet you pro writings 499 00:51:11.070 --> 00:51:11.920 Isabelle Hardesty: just. 500 00:51:12.110 --> 00:51:17.030 Isabelle Hardesty: but I understand everyone has their own path. So if you're looking for the agent and the 501 00:51:17.180 --> 00:51:20.370 Isabelle Hardesty: and the publisher. I wish you well. 502 00:51:20.380 --> 00:51:21.929 Isabelle Hardesty: Book, fairy dust. 503 00:51:22.920 --> 00:51:25.640 ProWritingAid: They didn't get out. Love that 504 00:51:26.120 --> 00:51:27.759 ProWritingAid: she says she has awesome. 505 00:51:27.760 --> 00:51:28.880 Isabelle Hardesty: Oh, good! Good! 506 00:51:28.880 --> 00:51:30.099 ProWritingAid: Awesome. Awesome. 507 00:51:30.350 --> 00:51:41.480 ProWritingAid: Okay. A couple more from an anonymous attendee, 2 questions. What's your daily writing process? And what's the best advice you've ever gotten. 508 00:51:45.710 --> 00:51:48.409 Isabelle Hardesty: I like to write in the morning. I get up at 509 00:51:48.870 --> 00:51:57.389 Isabelle Hardesty: 5 in the morning and I write, yeah, that's really yeah, and I have my tea or coffee. I have both. I like both. 510 00:51:57.490 --> 00:51:58.240 Isabelle Hardesty: and 511 00:51:59.610 --> 00:52:14.019 Isabelle Hardesty: I don't do what some people do. We're like. I write a chapter, and the next day I edit it. I don't. I don't do that, because then I'm just gonna edit the same chapter chapter one for 3 years that it would be me 512 00:52:14.440 --> 00:52:16.920 Isabelle Hardesty: guilty that that would be me. I don't like that. 513 00:52:16.960 --> 00:52:18.050 Isabelle Hardesty: and you're just like 514 00:52:18.150 --> 00:52:24.530 Isabelle Hardesty: you just always find faults. Also, you, every time you go to the page. You're a different person. 515 00:52:24.570 --> 00:52:27.080 Isabelle Hardesty: So what was great yesterday 516 00:52:27.170 --> 00:52:30.879 Isabelle Hardesty: the next day you're like, well, why would I write that? So you don't want to do that yourself. 517 00:52:31.292 --> 00:52:32.470 Isabelle Hardesty: But I just 518 00:52:32.480 --> 00:52:37.809 Isabelle Hardesty: continuous. I'm writing. I'm just getting it out, and at the end I go back and I edit. It. 519 00:52:38.930 --> 00:52:40.709 Isabelle Hardesty: Is that one question, or both. 520 00:52:40.710 --> 00:52:45.659 ProWritingAid: Yeah. Yeah. And the second part was, what's the best advice you've ever gotten. 521 00:52:49.600 --> 00:52:57.460 Isabelle Hardesty: I like. I like writing in the morning because the lucid, dreaming thing. So I think that's great advice for me as a morning person. 522 00:52:57.480 --> 00:53:02.220 Isabelle Hardesty: When you write in the morning. If you're a morning person, you get that lucid, dreaming thing. 523 00:53:02.350 --> 00:53:02.900 ProWritingAid: Hmm. 524 00:53:02.900 --> 00:53:07.020 Isabelle Hardesty: They have after effects. So it makes you feel like a superhero and just go like 525 00:53:07.170 --> 00:53:09.239 Isabelle Hardesty: rewrite. It's really a good thing. 526 00:53:09.793 --> 00:53:12.339 Isabelle Hardesty: Best advice I got. I've ever gotten. 527 00:53:13.720 --> 00:53:18.159 Isabelle Hardesty: Believe in yourself. I know it's so, Corny, but it's so important. 528 00:53:19.410 --> 00:53:20.940 ProWritingAid: We bet love it. 529 00:53:21.390 --> 00:53:32.609 Isabelle Hardesty: Thank you for your questions, everybody, and for people who are shy, like I used to be, and haven't asked a question. Please. I hope that you do, or other people have asked the questions that you were thinking about. 530 00:53:33.060 --> 00:53:34.300 ProWritingAid: Yeah, yes. 531 00:53:35.850 --> 00:53:36.350 ProWritingAid: Thank you. 532 00:53:36.350 --> 00:53:38.820 Isabelle Hardesty: And can I share? Am I able to share my email. 533 00:53:39.250 --> 00:53:40.600 ProWritingAid: Oh, yeah, for sure. 534 00:53:40.600 --> 00:53:53.610 Isabelle Hardesty: If you want to email me directly. It's Isabel hardasy@gmail.com so inventive. I just didn't want to overthink it. Isabel hardison@gmail.com. If you have any questions that you didn't want to ask everybody. Thanks. 535 00:53:54.320 --> 00:54:08.319 ProWritingAid: Awesome, excellent! Well, I have a couple of business questions from Cameron. They want to know. What advice would you give to someone who is new to writing, and is marketing for the 1st time online. 536 00:54:09.976 --> 00:54:13.550 Isabelle Hardesty: Marketing and writing are like 2 different animals. 537 00:54:13.999 --> 00:54:25.870 Isabelle Hardesty: So a couple of weeks ago and I couldn't write, I was just I was done. It was Friday, and I was done. But I event several events coming up. I just did that. 538 00:54:26.100 --> 00:54:42.130 Isabelle Hardesty: but that was a different energy. Some people like to do it on certain days. I I'm 1 of those people that just doesn't do social media for a long time, and then I go. Oh, I forgot about that, and I do it later on. It's like, Oh, I forgot about Instagram. Hi, guys 539 00:54:42.790 --> 00:54:43.870 Isabelle Hardesty: love it. 540 00:54:45.010 --> 00:54:50.290 Isabelle Hardesty: I say, just focus on the writing and have fun with it, and don't worry about the social media. Now. 541 00:54:50.890 --> 00:54:52.629 Isabelle Hardesty: when I did Twitter. 542 00:54:52.910 --> 00:54:59.810 Isabelle Hardesty: I don't do it anymore. But I I did have the writers. I I was very sad. I had a moment. 543 00:55:00.080 --> 00:55:02.690 Isabelle Hardesty: The writers of the expanse followed me. 544 00:55:03.290 --> 00:55:05.409 Isabelle Hardesty: I almost kept it open. Just for that 545 00:55:06.280 --> 00:55:10.470 Isabelle Hardesty: I do regret. I just let's be clear. I think I regret it. 546 00:55:10.580 --> 00:55:11.370 Isabelle Hardesty: anyway. 547 00:55:13.510 --> 00:55:17.679 Isabelle Hardesty: So when I was on Twitter, someone said once, Hey. 548 00:55:18.090 --> 00:55:21.060 Isabelle Hardesty: I'm thinking, and this is so profound. 549 00:55:21.100 --> 00:55:29.009 Isabelle Hardesty: Hey? You know what? I'm kind of thinking that all these seasoned writers are telling us to go onto social media to reduce their 550 00:55:29.070 --> 00:55:30.510 Isabelle Hardesty: their competition. 551 00:55:31.334 --> 00:55:33.829 Isabelle Hardesty: I was like, oh. 552 00:55:34.660 --> 00:55:40.180 Isabelle Hardesty: there I was as a new writer on Freaking Twitter. What I should have been writing so 553 00:55:40.200 --> 00:55:43.740 Isabelle Hardesty: it kind of was like, Oh, so yeah, you don't. Really. 554 00:55:43.760 --> 00:55:47.660 Isabelle Hardesty: You know, social media is social media. But writing is writing. 555 00:55:49.710 --> 00:55:54.230 Isabelle Hardesty: You're gonna get that the social media is gonna be there. And it might even be something different. 556 00:55:54.340 --> 00:55:55.370 Isabelle Hardesty: So. 557 00:55:55.380 --> 00:55:58.270 Isabelle Hardesty: like all my Twitter posts likes, and 558 00:55:58.460 --> 00:56:00.290 Isabelle Hardesty: that's gone. 559 00:56:01.236 --> 00:56:05.170 ProWritingAid: It's ever, always changing, always. 560 00:56:05.170 --> 00:56:05.920 Isabelle Hardesty: And 561 00:56:06.300 --> 00:56:12.920 Isabelle Hardesty: yeah, and oh, newsletters are important, to which I do have a newsletter, please, if you go to my website 562 00:56:13.140 --> 00:56:30.429 Isabelle Hardesty: right now, it's a little window. Pop up, says, Hey, would you like to subscribe? Click it! I use Mailchimp, and you can unsubscribe anytime. With 1 1 little button. I don't ask, why are you leaving so? Newsletters are good because you can connect with your reader 563 00:56:30.550 --> 00:56:43.319 Isabelle Hardesty: in a non annoying, spammy way. Just like, hey? I'm still working on my book for all the new writers who are like. But I don't have a book. If you have a website or something that can 564 00:56:43.450 --> 00:56:44.460 Isabelle Hardesty: connect. 565 00:56:44.480 --> 00:56:57.709 Isabelle Hardesty: You can just say I'm still writing on it. And just, you know, just let them know your process. People love that. And then, when your book sounds like it's coming out next year. It's coming out in whatever months they like to be pro part of the process. 566 00:56:58.380 --> 00:57:06.959 ProWritingAid: Fantastic, excellent! And you mentioned using Mailchimp is there any? Are there any other resources that you use for your business? 567 00:57:08.023 --> 00:57:09.939 Isabelle Hardesty: I use pro rating aid. 568 00:57:10.730 --> 00:57:12.310 ProWritingAid: Of course. 569 00:57:13.421 --> 00:57:21.769 Isabelle Hardesty: I like Mailchimp. I use use book funnel, which the 1st time I heard it I thought book funnel was like a process. I was like. 570 00:57:21.800 --> 00:57:44.876 Isabelle Hardesty: what is you don't know, but you don't know. You just wanna you don't know. Book funnel is something that lets you in the beginning, grow your news. Your newsletter. I learned from a writer I was using someone else. And I said, I've been using this other company for so and so, and I have this many. She goes. You should have more try book funnels like oh, and my numbers got bigger. 571 00:57:45.250 --> 00:57:54.350 Isabelle Hardesty: it allows you to share the people's newsletters as a newbie, you just to to get more people, and then it lets you safely share your book when it's 572 00:57:54.370 --> 00:57:55.380 Isabelle Hardesty: ready 573 00:57:55.450 --> 00:57:57.249 Isabelle Hardesty: to people or chapter 574 00:57:57.620 --> 00:58:01.469 Isabelle Hardesty: now, they're also allowing, and you can sell directly from there. 575 00:58:01.750 --> 00:58:02.310 ProWritingAid: And. 576 00:58:02.310 --> 00:58:07.350 Isabelle Hardesty: They're also allowing people to authors to sell their audio books from there. 577 00:58:07.620 --> 00:58:09.030 ProWritingAid: Okay. 578 00:58:09.840 --> 00:58:11.010 ProWritingAid: pretty cool. 579 00:58:11.600 --> 00:58:15.786 ProWritingAid: Alright. And I had a question for you. 580 00:58:16.976 --> 00:58:24.420 ProWritingAid: How do you manage your time to ensure you're writing consistently, but without burning out. 581 00:58:25.550 --> 00:58:29.950 ProWritingAid: Got a lot of tips for creativity. Let's talk about burnout. 582 00:58:30.823 --> 00:58:32.009 Isabelle Hardesty: Yeah. One 583 00:58:32.190 --> 00:58:37.879 Isabelle Hardesty: one author I was telling you she was writing every month, which for me. 584 00:58:38.160 --> 00:58:40.669 Isabelle Hardesty: I don't like that personally. 585 00:58:40.700 --> 00:58:44.260 Isabelle Hardesty: but other people do that, and they do it very well. 586 00:58:44.340 --> 00:58:51.959 Isabelle Hardesty: How, I don't know. They also have teams. I believe one person I know who does this as a writer. She speaks of her team 587 00:58:52.070 --> 00:58:53.050 Isabelle Hardesty: so 588 00:58:54.640 --> 00:58:58.070 Isabelle Hardesty: You just have to be good to yourself. You can lower the amount that you write. 589 00:58:58.390 --> 00:59:04.870 Isabelle Hardesty: You don't have to do 500. I shall write 5,000 words today, or I am 0. 590 00:59:05.440 --> 00:59:08.389 Isabelle Hardesty: I'm never gonna call myself a writer. Forget it. 591 00:59:08.550 --> 00:59:10.680 Isabelle Hardesty: You may not get to right. 592 00:59:10.740 --> 00:59:20.999 Isabelle Hardesty: You may just go. I'm going to write hand written notes because I still have that energy of stuff that I'm trying to work out my mind. Still write that scene out. 593 00:59:21.070 --> 00:59:23.099 Isabelle Hardesty: it may be on the back of a 594 00:59:24.090 --> 00:59:26.630 Isabelle Hardesty: whatever Panera receipt, whatever 595 00:59:28.520 --> 00:59:33.910 Isabelle Hardesty: really? Well, so later on I can fix that when I have time, and 596 00:59:34.080 --> 00:59:35.110 Isabelle Hardesty: you know. 597 00:59:36.220 --> 00:59:39.720 Isabelle Hardesty: I guess they say, talk about like putting the mask on yourself first.st Yeah. 598 00:59:39.720 --> 00:59:40.610 ProWritingAid: Hmm. 599 00:59:40.610 --> 00:59:41.340 Isabelle Hardesty: Oh! 600 00:59:42.230 --> 00:59:43.910 Isabelle Hardesty: Enjoy. The readers. 601 00:59:44.060 --> 00:59:44.570 ProWritingAid: Right. 602 00:59:44.570 --> 00:59:47.339 Isabelle Hardesty: Kind of shock them, make them 603 00:59:47.380 --> 00:59:49.739 Isabelle Hardesty: see things in a brand new way. 604 00:59:49.740 --> 00:59:50.130 ProWritingAid: Bring them. 605 00:59:50.130 --> 00:59:58.538 Isabelle Hardesty: Make them laugh like. Oh, I can't believe that character, said that. How did you come up with that character? Well, we can't do that if we're 606 00:59:59.400 --> 01:00:04.409 Isabelle Hardesty: stressing out, I mean, we all stresses 2024. But 607 01:00:04.710 --> 01:00:05.859 Isabelle Hardesty: we don't want to. 608 01:00:06.290 --> 01:00:08.840 Isabelle Hardesty: We want to do it with kindness and love for ourselves. 609 01:00:09.190 --> 01:00:10.290 ProWritingAid: You can. 610 01:00:10.760 --> 01:00:13.149 Isabelle Hardesty: So you take breaks when you need to. 611 01:00:14.370 --> 01:00:19.789 Isabelle Hardesty: And you don't have some. I've heard some people say I don't write after this time, so you can do that for yourself. 612 01:00:20.190 --> 01:00:22.219 Isabelle Hardesty: I don't write after this time. 613 01:00:22.220 --> 01:00:23.030 ProWritingAid: Yeah. 614 01:00:23.240 --> 01:00:32.920 Isabelle Hardesty: I don't do. I do other things. Maybe I do nothing. Maybe I'm sleeping, but you wanna treat yourself like you treat a friend, or 615 01:00:32.980 --> 01:00:35.040 Isabelle Hardesty: and you know, a new friend or 616 01:00:35.780 --> 01:00:40.650 Isabelle Hardesty: family member, but someone you feel good energy about. What would you want for them? 617 01:00:41.340 --> 01:00:48.331 ProWritingAid: Right. Such great advice. Thank you. Thank you so much, Isabel. This is a a really great session. 618 01:00:49.040 --> 01:00:59.440 ProWritingAid: of course, and thank you all for joining us today. And as always, you can find the replay to this session and our other sessions in the Science Fiction writers week Hub. 619 01:00:59.460 --> 01:01:03.678 ProWritingAid: and you can find the links again in the chat. Now, I just added 620 01:01:04.040 --> 01:01:06.660 ProWritingAid: the website. And 621 01:01:06.900 --> 01:01:12.649 ProWritingAid: let's see, yeah, the promo links for this session. So of course, of course. 622 01:01:12.740 --> 01:01:15.699 ProWritingAid: this is really really great. Thank you so much, Isabel. 623 01:01:15.700 --> 01:01:22.999 Isabelle Hardesty: Thank you, Stacey. Thank you. Everyone who gave of your time to be here and keep writing, and do with some joy. 624 01:01:23.000 --> 01:01:23.640 ProWritingAid: Hmm. 625 01:01:23.640 --> 01:01:24.760 Isabelle Hardesty: Be writing. 626 01:01:24.760 --> 01:01:26.190 ProWritingAid: Happy writing. 627 01:01:27.150 --> 01:01:33.639 Isabelle Hardesty: Follow me, Instagram. I'm I'm Isabel Hardesty, and be part of my newsletter. Thanks so much. 628 01:01:33.640 --> 01:01:35.939 ProWritingAid: Thank you. Bye, everyone. 629 01:01:35.940 --> 01:01:36.820 Isabelle Hardesty: Bye.