 Deepest secrets hidden in written words... Writing has always been a form of expression. I have notebooks and saved files keeping my most hidden thoughts. As I grew older, I started to creatively express myself. Intertwining my secrets and feelings within fictional stories. That's how I decided to share my truth. Through that, I built a solid foundation for healing. Share Your Thoughts in the Comments! What is Writing to You?  The Blakk Dahlia (E. Alexcina Brown) is a New York City author/blogger from Macon, GA. Recently, she released the book series, the Heartbreak Diaries outlining different perspectives of heartbreak. The Dahlia Diaries is a lifestyle blog penned by The Blakk Dahlia, sharing her story in NYC along with life lessons and tips she's learned in her journey.Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.
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 Turning the page of a good book. From an author’s perspective. The experience of diving into a good book told from an author's perspective. Learn how a self-published author creates through the view of a book lover. It starts with a concept or a memory. Then a blank page turns into a fictional existence of descriptive inner thoughts and conversations. Even silence on the page speaks through character gestures. The perfect recipe for a mental escape. Leaving the reader ready to turn the page! Nothing around you matters. Just you and the words. This is what being embroiled in a good book does to us.  The plot opens, then thickens. Transporting the reader into a wordy world of romance, suspense, or thriller exuding from the pages. Facial expressions expose shocking thoughts as the story moves from introducing characters to the climax of the story. At the peak, hypothetical endings develop. Sometimes the hypothesis is proven true and sometimes a surprise happens. Either way, the book can’t be put down. I love to feel each emotion of the characters. I look to step out of my world and into theirs. That feeling is what I love about books. Words become their own universe. Each conflict becomes the readers' conflict. Reality is placed on the backburner while intrigued minds dive into scenes feeling the feels of actions and interactions with everything in between. Main characters are supported, and villains are despised. Some may even root for the villain as their complicated layers are revealed, relating to the average person.  I learned this quickly being an avid reader. Upon getting into the book, I re-create the characters in my head, utilizing the physical appearances described on the page. Locations are mentally constructed, sometimes altered if my vision doesn’t completely match right away. It's like watching a sitcom through the mind. After the book is done, I use my mental pictures to reflect on the stories I experienced. They often take me back to the place and time where I discovered the good read. It’s the business of supply and demand. People demand a break from their life and we supply this break through the art of storytelling.  The essence of storytelling through words. As an author, I look to create that same world in my books. I want people to FEEL something and explore different ideas. As a story lover, it's important to create the same space that I love when opening the pages of a good read. Not all may get it, but even just one “I've been there...” or “OMG, I didn’t expect that...”, makes the countless hours of creating worth it! What do you look for when opening the pages of a book? What do you want to feel? What do you want to explore? What are you looking to learn? (Comment Below!) The Blakk Dahlia (E. Alexcina Brown) is a New York City author/blogger from Macon, GA. Recently, she released the book series, the Heartbreak Diaries outlining different perspectives of heartbreak. The Dahlia Diaries is a lifestyle blog penned by The Blakk Dahlia, sharing her story in NYC along with life lessons and tips she's learned in her journey. Romance-suspense author, The Blakk Dahlia, announces the release date for the upcoming book, Replacement, from the series the Heartbreak Diaries.  Romance readers will get a dose of grief with the fifth installment from the Heartbreak Diaries Series. The upcoming book, Replacement, will tap into The Grieving Heart. Learn how a free-spirited woman navigates through heartbreak from a loss. On December 30, 2021, The Blakk Dahlia, will share the latest release continuing the gripping series from the heart’s perspective. The book’s focus is around a young couple, deeply in love. On their way to plan their lives together, until the romance is quickly taken away. The main character, Natalie, relies on the love of her life for balance. However, once it's gone, she has to find a way to move on without the only true love she’s ever known. In one way, some may say she saw it coming through dream-filled premonitions. But we all know signs are often ignored while looking through rose-colored glasses. Natalie does the best she can to move on, however, in her own method of coping she searches for what she lost. This search involves following the exact mold from the old love life. Will it work out to her advantage? “It was hard to complete this book as I wanted to be sensitive to those who were currently dealing with loss and the attempts to pick up the pieces,” says author, The Blakk Dahlia, “However, in moving on in life, it's important to tell the stories that are often judged, lost, and even unspoken. Someone can relate whether from personal experiences or even through having the same thoughts as the characters. Moving on from a loss can be a hard thing and there’s no roadmap. We all just do the best we can.” Grief hits in many ways. Some are in phases while in other cases, there are doses of various emotions. This book will explore a unique way of coping with losing love. “Replacement” will be available in paperback and eBook formats on December 30, 2021, via Amazon, AmazonKindle, NookBook, AppleBooks, Kobo, and MORE! Visit www.TheBlakkDahlia.com for more info.  About Replacement (The Grieving Heart) We All Mourn Differently… Natalie and Adam have genuine love. Dealing with the scrutiny of an interracial relationship, her parents not approving of her career choice, and normal relationship troubles; they survived it all. Until life hits them hard, sending Adam away and Natalie is forced to move on with her life. As she grieves the romance lost, her coping method is to forget it ever happened. But deep down, she throws herself into searching for a man to take his place. Recreating the scenario of how they met with different men didn’t pan out the way she’d hoped. Meeting the final replacement in a hot lawyer, Chris, shows that she never had to do that at all. Just living and moving forward would have given Natalie everything she lost. But life doesn’t go on without trouble. The secrets are brewing, and once found out it changes the trajectory of her future and ruins the love of her past. Will her heart EVER recover?  About the Heartbreak Diaries Series the Heartbreak Diaries is a collection of romance-suspense stories. This series dives deep into the various hearts we love, like, or lust with when approaching dating, relationships, marriage, and even situationships. What’s unique about this series are the "hearts" in each book telling their story from a real and vulnerable place. Each book has a “dear diary” moment from an integral character, displaying their logic and true intentions within the heartbreak.  About The Blakk Dahlia The Blakk Dahlia, (E. Alexcina Brown), is a self-published, romantic-suspense author. The Macon, GA native has created ventures within the entertainment and fashion industries in front of the camera as an internationally published model as well as behind the scenes. As a writer, she has contributed articles and blogs for various industries, including creating and serving as Editor-in-Chief for four years for the digital publication, BRASH! Magazine. Now residing in New York City, The Blakk Dahlia released the fiction book series, the Heartbreak Diaries, delving into the inner thoughts and routes of heartache. She takes you through the process through her stories, documenting the journey of taking risks in life and self-discovery.  Tools my writing life can’t live without  Writing is so important to me. It’s yet another creative outlet to express myself and share authentic thoughts; with a sprinkle of imagination. Although writing may appear easy, sitting down with a notepad or computer; it’s not as simple for true creators. For me, there are “must-haves” that allows me to work freely without distractions along with providing the inspiration to get thoughts down on paper (or on the screen). With this, I’d love to share my list of essentials for writing. These elements help me to create within my own world. It’s all about relaxing, forgetting about the day’s mishaps and strenuous tasks, to…just write.  Thesaurus. With everything I write, I seek elevation. Often, I find myself saying the same things the same way. There’s no growth in that. So, my “handy-dandy” thesaurus helps me to express emotions and actions which A. upgrades my personal vocabulary and B. levels up my work. It also helps in the editing process so that my words don’t sound redundant and long-winded. As writers we tend to make the mistake of taking the “scenic route” to articulate a plot, however, keeping it simple yet descriptive ensures that my readers stay on course. Music/Binge-worthy TV. A little background noise doesn’t hurt the process. Dead silence can sometimes be distracting for me. I need to get into a zone and music/TV does just that. My playlist places me in a mood to write out a scene. For example, if the part is based around romance; 90’s R&B sets the scene to put that tone on paper giving a true interaction between the characters. I have to be honest if it’s a good song I do tend to get lost in the music but a little break to enjoy a throwback jam doesn’t completely throw me off course.  If I’m not listening to the music playlists, I’m watching binge-worthy TV. It can’t be a new episode or a new movie because I’ll become invested. However, old episodes of Sex and the City gives me the perfect inspiration to create a narrative that readers will enjoy. Television is like moving books acted out in front of our eyes. I like to study body language during quick moments of silence. Those gestures are just as important as the dialogue. This is helpful to explain reactions, creating a dynamic between characters. Cocktail. Who doesn’t love a good beverage to take the edge off? I usually write late at night. During the day I’m so amped with running errands, working, planning, creating, etc., etc., etc. At night, I’m winding down to start the next phase of work, which is writing. And a nice libation settles me and the mood of the evening dedicated to writing.  Depending on the mood, evening, and whatever I have available, is a nice enhancement for good writing vibes. Although I can’t indulge too much because I need to stay on course. Moderation is key! Creative space. Luckily, I live alone. So, it’s convenient for me to find a space to sit and create. Even then, some places in my home can be a bit distracting. I turned my living room into my own creative haven. My writing desk sits by the window so that I can feed off the lights of the night. Simple yet motivated decorum surrounds me and I’m able to write with ease; developing chapters of the stories I want to tell.  A creative space is important to writers. A concentrative mind feeds off of peace and a unique utopia of one’s personal styling. However, I’ve even been able to find time to write in others places like on a flight. But that’s where my mood music kicks in and helps set the tone of what I want to put on paper. In a perfect world, all of these essentials at once would create the perfect environment to lay it all out on the chrome book. But at least two out of four works for me. What are your must-haves for writing or your creative work?  The Blakk Dahlia (E. Alexcina Brown) is a New York City author/blogger from Macon, GA. Recently, she released the book series, the Heartbreak Diaries outlining different perspectives of heartbreak. The Dahlia Diaries is a lifestyle blog penned by The Blakk Dahlia, sharing her story in NYC along with life lessons and tips she's learned in her journey. Staring at a blank page  The usual routine of writing. You’ve made time on your schedule and stuck to the plan of sitting down to work on your project, blog, and/or book. You open your journal or computer then find yourself wracking your brain trying to fill the blank page with creative and profound words. Just something that will outdo your last body of work. Nothing comes to mind (except for personal errands you forgot to run or other aggravations from the day). You can’t think of what to put on the page to save your life. It's as if a bottleneck of creativity is deadlocked in traffic, waiting to reach your brain. Finger and neck stretches fail to do the trick. Looking around the room isn’t jogging your memory either. Eventually, you’re exhausted and you complain about it on Twitter or find something unproductive to do. It pains you to even think about it, but you love to write so why is this happening? According to an article published by Dudley Court Press (“The Most Common Causes of Writer’s Block”), there are four main reasons for Writer’s Block:
 What To Do To gain control over your Writer’s Block experience, here are some tips to incorporate into your creative process to overcome it and be ready to begin again: 1. Don’t force it. Making yourself write anyway will only result in words, sentences, and paragraphs that won’t flow with what you’re truly capable of. It’ll only stress you out further along the way. Understand that these feelings are part of the process and that it happens to all writers. You’re not a true writer until you say the words “I have writer’s block!” 2. Figure out what’s blocking you. Although normal, your Writer’s Block may be attributed to outside causes. Pinpoint what is going on inside that doesn’t allow you to focus. After identifying the problem, find healthy ways to eliminate them and put the writing away to do a few self-care activities. In the article previously mentioned, there are a few main causes of Writer’s Block. Reviewing those will help in determining what is hindering your process. Many times, our mind and bodies send a signal to alert that there’s something wrong. Explore those signs, dig deeper; they could be your saving grace in the long run. 3. Step away. Creativity is a process. It hits you when you least expect it, and you can't rush it. Although some authors/writers may be on deadlines, you have to give yourself time to step away and refuel. Include that time in your writing schedule, if possible. You can’t pour from an empty cup so taking a break is imperative. Don’t worry, once a creator; always a creator so the words, scenarios, and ideas WILL return. You just have to do what is necessary to allow your creativity to flow effectively and organic.  4. Get inspired: Take a walk/Read/Watch TV. A brief walk, giving your body fresh air can aid in clearing out the clutter in your mind. Along your walk, you may even feel a spark of inspiration just by passing through nature and/or city surroundings. Take in what you see and allow that to motivate you to get back to be descriptive in what you see and how it makes you feel. Reading also helps in Writer’s Block. All great writers are great readers. This is how we learn and grow within our respective genres. Sitting down with your favorite book can ignite inspiration better than sitting within your frustrations. TV isn’t just for binging on your favorite show. Various series, sitcoms, and movies can help you de-stress along with refueling the writing. Watch the characters and their gestures: describe each movement of the bodies and facial expressions. Find a way to relate to them and put it into words in your mind. Ask yourself: What made you laugh? What made you cry? What pulled out your inner emotions? The answers will often pull you back into focusing on developing your stories.  5. Journal your feelings. Take a breath and write down these feelings within the Writer’s Block experience. Go deep into how it’s making you feel and the random thoughts running through your mind at that time. Take heed to the emotions ranging from anxiety to anger. It doesn’t have to be an entire diary entry. Make a jot list of words that express what you’re feeling in the moment. This journal entry and/or list can help you once you get back in the saddle to writing. Developing a character based on your Writer’s Block emotions gives readers a real-time experience while exploring your words.  Whether it is a book, blog, open letter, long-form content, etc. you want to put out the best work you can. All of the causes, tips, and resolutions to combat Writer’s Block points to one common denominator…Taking care of yourself. Mental, physical, and emotional health is important to all facets of your life. Even within creative works. Pay attention to the warning signs of your brain feeling cluttered and overwhelmed. Pay attention to your body when it feels sluggish. Pay attention to the frustration you feel. Yes, your fans can’t wait to read your next piece. But you want to live to enjoy the raving reviews! Lastly, always remember that Writer's Block doesn't mean you're finished. One day, one week of nothing on a page does not end one’s career. Rest up, then get back in the game!  Share your tips below! What do you do when you experience Writer’s Block?  The Blakk Dahlia (E. Alexcina Brown) is a New York City author/blogger from Macon, GA. Recently, she released the book series, the Heartbreak Diaries outlining different perspectives of heartbreak. The Dahlia Diaries is a lifestyle blog penned by The Blakk Dahlia, sharing her story in NYC along with life lessons and tips she's learned in her journey. |
"I LOVE to write and create. These are the diaries of how I work and deal in my world of writing and adventures!"
- The Blakk Dahlia Latest book from the Heartbreak Diaries Book Series
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