5 Books to get you psyched for NANOWRIMO

NANOWRIMO 2019 is almost upon us! Now while i know some authors take this challenge in stride, there are many new writers who find the concept of writing 50k in just 30 days extremely intimidating and anxiety inducing. If you need a kick in the pants, a motivational pick me up, or a creative guru, i have the books for you! Check out my list of 5 books to get you pumped and ready to tackle national novel writing month like a pro!

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert- Recoomended by Kristy nicolle — Big Magic

The instant #1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller

"A must read for anyone hoping to live a creative life... I dare you not to be inspired to be brave, to be free, and to be curious.” —PopSugar

From the worldwide bestselling author of *Eat Pray Love* and *City of Girls*: the path to the vibrant, fulfilling life you’ve dreamed of.

Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work, embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, *Big Magi*c cracks open a world of wonder and joy.

Buy Big Magic

The Artists way by Julia Cameron- Recommended by Kristy Nicolle — The Artist’s Way

“Julia Cameron invented the way people renovate the creative soul.” *–The New York Times*

***Over four million copies sold!***

Since its first publication, *The Artist's Way* phenomena has inspired the genius of Elizabeth Gilbert, Tim Ferriss, and millions of readers to embark on a creative journey and find a deeper connection to process and purpose. Julia Cameron's novel approach guides readers in uncovering problems areas and pressure points that may be restricting their creative flow and offers techniques to free up any areas where they might be stuck, opening up opportunities for self-growth and self-discovery.

The program begins with Cameron’s most vital tools for creative recovery – The Morning Pages, a daily writing ritual of three pages of stream-of-conscious, and The Artist Date, a dedicated block of time to nurture your inner artist. From there, she shares hundreds of exercises, activities, and prompts to help readers thoroughly explore each chapter. She also offers guidance on starting a “Creative Cluster” of fellow artists who will support you in your creative endeavors.

A revolutionary program for personal renewal, *The Artist's Way* will help get you back on track, rediscover your passions, and take the steps you need to change your life.

Buy The Artist's Way

Vein of Gold- Recommended by Kristy Nicolle — The Vein of Gold

In the **Vein of Gold: A Journey to Your Creative Heart**, Julia Cameron, author of **The Artist's Way**, draws from her remarkable teaching experience to help readers reach out into ever-broadening creative horizons. As in **The Artist's Way**, she combines eloquent essays with playful and imaginative experiential exercises to make **The Vein of Gold** an extraordinary book of learning-through-doing. Inspiring essays on the creative process and more than one hundred engaging and energizing tasks involve the reader in "inner play," leading to authentic growth, renewal, and healing.

Buy The Vein of Gold

The Successful Author mindset- Recommended by Kristy Nicolle — The Successful Author Mindset

Being a writer is not just about typing.
*It’s also about surviving the roller-coaster of the creative journey.*
Self-doubt, fear of failure, the need for validation, perfectionism, writer’s block, comparisonitis, overwhelm, and much more. When you’re going through these things, it can feel like you’re alone. But actually, they are part of the creative process, and every author goes through them too.
This book collects the mindset issues that writers experience, that I have been through myself over the last nine years, and that perhaps you will experience at different times on the creative journey.
Each small chapter tackles a possible issue and then offers an antidote, so that you can dip in and out over time. It includes excerpts from my own personal journals as well as quotes from well-known writers. I hope it helps you on the road to becoming a successful author.

Buy The Successful Author Mindset

You are a badass- Recommended by Kristy Nicolle — You Are A Badass

**YOU ARE A BADASS IS THE SELF-HELP BOOK FOR PEOPLE WHO DESPERATELY WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVES BUT DON'T WANT TO GET BUSTED DOING IT.**
In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, bestselling author and world-traveling success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up 27 bitesized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and the occasional swear word, helping you to: Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want, Create a life you totally love. And create it NOW, Make some damn money already. The kind you've never made before.
By the end of *You Are a Badass*, you'll understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can't change, how to change what you don't love, and how to use The Force to kick some serious ass.

Buy You Are A Badass

So there you have it, you’ll notice that these aren’t directly related to the craft of writing, but more directed toward the mindset you need to be in to create with consistency. I hope these help you, and i wish you the best of luck with Nanowrimo 2019!

One of the questions I get alot from my readers and fellow writers is where I source my information on the Greek Myths from. As you know if you’ve read my work, The Queens of Fantasy Saga is entrenched in multiple mythologies and religions, but this first saga focuses chiefly on the Greeks and Mount Olympus. I have always thought that before bastardising ancient myths for the good of your own art, you should know what you’re talking about, so i have studied these in great depth and am actually currently studying an online diploma on exactly this subject as well via The Centre of Excellence. I thought in the spirit of supporting all those who come after me and wish to learn of the Greek Myths for their own storytelling I would share my top resources!

Tips and Advice, Writing

Kristy Nicolle Infinivers, Queens of Fantasy, Writing

Infiniverse Insider: The Imagery of The Ashen Touch Trilogy

Kristy Nicolle Infinivers, Queens of Fantasy, Writing

When I was writing The Ashen Touch Trilogy, I realized very early on that I was dealing with the part of the Infiniverse most entrenched in imagery and myth. The use of imagery during The Ashen Touch Trilogy is what makes it not only one of my most complex works, but also my most contrasting. The imagery of classic myth, epic battles, and life or death choices are set against a heady mix of tunes ranging from The Beegees to Marvin Gaye, with a side helping of Candy Crush and The Furies wondering what the fuck to make of a Chicken McNugget. All in all, bringing classical and religious imagery into this series was essential, but also refreshing as I got to make it my own.

I thought, given the importance of the imagery throughout Sephy’s story, as well as the fact I did a crap ton of research going into this series, that I would explore some of the images and themes in the story, how I attached or subverted them when it came to particular scenes or characters, and how I decided to twist or use classic imagery to my storytelling advantage.

Kristy Nicolle Infinivers, Queens of Fantasy, Writing

Prompt My Pen, Writing, Author Life

Prompt My Pen- The Escape Artist

Prompt My Pen, Writing, Author Life

Prompt my pen is a super fun feature I run whereby my reader group THE INFINIVERSE EXPLORERS suggest visual prompts and i pick my favourite to write a flash fiction, poem, or short story each week.

This week’s poem is about the intense need to create felt by many writers..

Prompt My Pen, Writing, Author Life

Writing, Book Reviews

5 Books to get you psyched for NANOWRIMO

Writing, Book Reviews

NANOWRIMO 2019 is almost upon us! Now while i know some authors take this challenge in stride, there are many new writers who find the concept of writing 50k in just 30 days extremely intimidating and anxiety inducing. If you need a kick in the pants, a motivational pick me up, or a creative guru, i have the books for you! Check out my list of 5 books to get you pumped and ready to tackle national novel writing month like a pro!

Writing, Book Reviews

Tips and Advice, Writing

5 First Time Author Worries (And my advice on how to deal with them!)

Tips and Advice, Writing

It seems that not a day goes by when I don’t have someone messaging me for writing or publishing advice on social media. Honestly, I feel lucky to be in a position of trust where so many people feel they can ask me, and also that they trust that I know what I’m talking about. After ten books in just three years and over a million and a half words published, you’d think I have it all figured out, but as most authors will tell you, I’m still learning, and I will be for the rest of my career.

However, it is interesting to me that the concerns I’m hearing from new and unpublished fledgling authors are almost always the same. I thought, in light of this, I’d give you my advice and opinion on five commonly asked first time author worries, because honestly writing a book is hard, and when you’ve written ‘The End’ and think you’re just about done, the thing most people don’t realise is that the hard work is only just beginning.

So, let’s begin…

Tips and Advice, Writing

The top 5 things you should consider when building fantasy locations

Tips and Advice, Writing

get asked a lot by readers, who are slowly turning toward becoming writers and published authors, about how I build my locations. With the worlds in The Kristy Nicolle Fantasy Infiniverse being so large, and interconnecting, this kind of world building needs a specific type of finesse and care that other genres such as mystery or satire might not require.

So, I decided to give you the top five considerations I make when creating the worlds that so many readers have enjoyed swimming/flying/running through.

Tips and Advice, Writing