We’re planning another of our yearly vacations (even though my new job does not offer paid vacations). Going to be at Surfside Beach in September, so naturally I’m wishing it was already August…

Since there are only four of us going this year, we’ve decided to rent a condo rather than a house. It’ll be a tighter fit, but still relaxing and fun. The condo has a pool, so this time we’ll be able to swim no matter what the tides look like. The only downside is that there’s no elevator, but we don’t have that much stuff to schlep up the stairs so we should be OK.

There’s just something about a week at the beach that rejuvenates your creativity. I’ve never been certain if it’s the salt air, the constant breeze, or the soft shushing of the surf hitting the sand. Or maybe it’s just the chance to sit on the porch with nothing you absolutely have to do.

Not having a paid vacation isn’t fun, of course, but I think I can squeak by with only three paychecks that month. I do have some savings put by and I plan to put a good bit of the cost on my credit card, which is currently paid off in full. That should make them happy and I’ll have more time to pay for everything. And who knows? Maybe I’ll have a more permanent job by then that does have paid vacation!

I’m off on another vacation to somewhere I’ve never been – this time it’s Denver. I find travel stimulates my creativity, especially when I’m doing things like riding a steam train and visiting a historic house museum.

Even if you can’t afford to go to Denver (or South Carolina if you already live in Denver), you can take a little time to yourself to recharge your mental batteries.

Try a weekend at a local hotel if you can’t travel far. Or even a “Spa Day” where you pamper yourself would work fine. The idea is to get away from it all for a little while. Shut off the daily worries and stresses and let your brain unwind.

I’ll post some photos of my journey on the photo pages.

What do you do to unwind and recharge your batteries?

Tomorrow, we’re off to the coast for a week of relaxation and recharging. I’ll be working on the second Kye & the Kid novel – no title yet, but it’s all about some mysterious Hawaiian artifacts the lads must track down and return to their rightful owners.

I’ve always found the ocean to be a great place to renew my creative wellspring. Something about sitting on the deck (or porch in this case) with the salt air and the sound of the surf just inspires me to get back to work. I’ve got some good ideas for the latest book, and I’m hopeful that I can get a good bit of the novel reworked.

I know some people would think I’m deluding myself, saying I’m going to the beach to relax and write a novel. But for me, writing is very relaxing, especially when the creative juices are really flowing. I’m looking forward to getting back to the lads and their shenanigans.

Not that I’ve been sitting on my thumbs all this time. Here are some of my recent projects:

• Planning for a Social Media panel at the upcoming Western Fictioneers convention
• Writing my monthly Western Fictioneers blog article
• Writing three e-books (10-50K)  under another pseudonym for a small-press publishing house – also have a short story coming out in one of their anthologies next month
• Keeping up my supervisor duties over at WikiAnswers
• Keeping up my daily FaceBook and Twitter posts
• Attending DragonCon and taking their writing workshop

Wow … I’ve been busier than I’d realized. No wonder I’m tired! My next post will be from Garden City Beach!

Writing is a creative process. Most of the time, it’s just you and your brain, clicking away at that story. It’s not always easy to connect with that creativity, though. Here are some techniques to help you get back in touch with your creative side.

• Focus on the process. If you’re a “pantser,” try making an outline. If you normally start at the beginning and work straight through, try working on one scene that’s caught your interest, even if it’s near the end of the story. Shake things up by thinking about how you work instead of just working.
• Brainstorm. One of the best techniques to number your paper 1-100 and start jotting down ideas. You’ll have to start really working once you get somewhere around 50 – that’s where the creativity kicks in. Don’t give up — and don’t edit the ideas for silliness. Sometimes the silliest notions end up being your best ideas.
• Freewrite. This is where you set a time limit – usually 15-20 minutes – and just write. Don’t edit, don’t worry about spelling or grammar, and don’t worry if it makes sense. In freewriting, if you have a thought like “This is silly,” then you write “I’m thinking this is silly,” and keep writing. Freewriting gets your creative juices flowing and gets you into the habit of writing.
• Change your tools. If you must write in Microsoft Word on an iPad, try using a pencil and a notebook. Get your laptop and write in bed instead of using your desktop. Sometimes you get so hung up on using just the right pen or paper that you lose touch with your creativity. Change stimulates creativity.
• Make some crap. Give yourself permission to create lousy work. Perfectionism is one of creativity’s worst enemies.
• Set smaller goals. Instead of finishing that chapter, just work on one scene. Get five lines of dialogue down instead of the whole argument. Sometimes you’re just overwhelming yourself by setting goals that are too large.
• Fake it. Pretend you know exactly what you’re doing and just dive into your project. Remember that old saying: “Fake it until you make it.” Once you give up your fear of failing, your creativity can come up with some remarkable results. Just start writing and see where you end up.
• Constrain yourself. Try some new rules. Write only in ten-word sentences, or use no adjectives at all, or even write in all capital letters. Forcing yourself to come up with new ways to accomplish your task stimulates your creativity.
• Do the opposite. Try going at it ass-backwards instead. If you’re trying to show your character as a sweet, lovable guy, try letting him be a braggart instead. Write that scene as a dialogue instead of a description. Use the opposite of the word you thought you’d use and see what happens.
• Copy someone else. If all else fails, try jump-starting your creativity by copying an author you admire. You can take this literally and copy out the first chapter of your favorite novel, or you can write in the style of that author, or even use your own characters in a favorite scene. It’s only plagiarism if you try to claim it as your own!

What are your favorite creativity-boosting techniques?