What is flow and what does it have to do with writing? Flow is simple. It’s also known as cohesion. According to The Writing Center of Gustuvas College https://gustavus.edu/writingcenter/handoutdocs/cohesion.php, it’s the seamlessness of one sentence flowing into another. There should be no changing of the subject in a paragraph. The sentences should flow or run together seamlessly into one another without jerking the reader around. The changing of a paragraph should be done the same way with a transition so your flow doesn’t break up and jerk your readers around.
 
Start your transition to your next paragraph by making your last line in the previous paragraph about what you want the next paragraph to be. For example, they last sentence in your first paragraph could be something like: “They had to climb the mountain to arrive at their destination.” The next paragraph would show them climbing the mountain, stepping over or around obstacles in their way. Maybe the obstacle is an attacking mountain lion? This would be a surprise for the reader. It would also be a plot twist since fighting the mountain lion. That would hinder the climb over the mountain but the flow or cohesion hasn’t been broken since they’re still climbing that mountain.
 
Look at the picture of the river above (credit: Google Images). See how the river flows without breaking? It gently makes it way to the ocean flowing over rocks and other obstacles in its way. Now, imagine that you’re rowing a boat down that river. The river doesn’t jerk you around at all. In your rowboat, you gently and seamlessly flow down the river passed the woods on the riverbank. What happens when the river comes to a rock in the river does it stop its flow? No. It takes a detour by going around the rock or splashes over it. I like to think of this as putting a twist in the plot.
 
The same can be done with chapters with one small difference. The end of a chapter should be like the season finale of a TV show. You can’t wait for the next season to start to see what happens next. End your chapter the same way you do a paragraph but with something jaw dropping. So your reader keeps turning those pages. That’s what you want them to do!
 
Below is a video I found on the subject that I hope will help you.
 
For more information see:
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/flow/
 
Five Ways To Make your Writing Flow Better
http://waldenwritingcenter.blogspot.com/2013/12/five-ways-to-create-flow-in-your-writing.html
 
 
 

What is writer’s block?
 
Wikipedia defines writer’s block as a condition primarily associated with writing, where an author loses the ability to produce more work or experiences creative slowdown. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writer%27s_block. You never know how long your block is going to last. It’s been known to clear up in a few hours and last a few months.
 
Could this also be called the writer’s struggle since it happens to everyone who has chosen the writing path?
 
A writer’s struggle sounds much more realistic since when it strikes, it really is a real struggle to get something written or get a work-in-progress just right. We put our butt-in-chair, turn on the computer, and try to write. As hard as we try, nothing happens … nothing at all. It’s like hitting your head against a brick wall! Who among us, who has experienced this, and has instead gone to Facebook to play a game, go outside to garden, or whatever else interests you? I admit it, I’m guilty of this, myself. Believe it or not Facebook games and gardening are just two ways to banish this demon. Here are some other ways:

   #1 Join an online or physical conference in the genre that you write in. Brainstorm with these other writers. You’ll be surprised at just how freeing this is just to be with likeminded people. I’ve found this out myself and have more finished picture book manuscripts to prove it!

  #2 Work on another WIP. This frees your mind to think about something else besides that WIP you’re stuck on.

  #3 Read a book in the genre you’re writing for. Reading books in your genre gives you so many ideas on how to continue on with your story. It can also provide the ‘aha’ moment whether or not to toss that manuscript and start all over again. If this happens, you’ll be able to visualize your story exactly as it should be written.

  #4 Read a book to review. Again, make sure it’s in the genre you write for. You’re giving your brain permission to focus on something else.

  #5 Take a day off to go to the library, Barnes & Noble, or another book store. In this case, like most of the others below, you’re granting your brain permission to just relax.

  #6 Are you a freelance editor or proofreader? If you are put your WIP away and do that.

  #7 Go for a walk outside (if the weather’s nice enough) and don’t forget to take a notebook and pen! You never know when your writer’s block/struggle will clear up and you get an idea.

  #8 If the weather isn’t nice enough to go outside, exercise indoors. Nothing clears your head and reboots your energy like a work out. This does work!

  #9 Visit with a neighbor. There’s nothing as good as a visit with a friend.

  #10 Can’t visit that friend because of the nasty weather mentioned above? Call him/her. A good talk with a friend gets your mind off of everything else.

  #11 Go to the dog park and play Frisbee with Fido. Again, you’re freeing your mind.

  #12 Cook that new recipe that you just clipped out of the magazine. 
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Take a good look at the list above. I realize some of these things on the list might seem are silly, but they have something in common: focus on something else for a while. It does wonders.
 
It might be that it might take a week or more to get your muse back again. That’s fine if it does. Take that time off to do other activities you enjoy. Concentrate on you during this time.
 
 
 
  
 

 
Guess what I did? Well, sort of. Actually, my illustrator drew and painted my fantastic book cover. What input did I have on the book cover? I designed it and entered it in the 2018 Cover Contest by authorsdb.com. I was so happy when I received the email saying that I'd won. They also sent the didgi-badge along in the email. I sent Emily a copy of both the email and didgi-badge and to say the least, she was as happy as I was to share in this award. Between the two of us, this news is posted all over Facebook. Heck, I even put the news on Google Plus! I guess I can say I have an award winning book, now. Or can I? You can tell me that in the comments.

So with this I'll say to check out my award-winning book here. 'Where Can We Have the Party' makes a great gift anytime of the year! Your little giraffe or monkey will thank you for it!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
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I’ve been reviewing children’s books for quite a while now and there’s one question that I get asked quite a lot. It’s, “Do you charge for reviewing books?” No, I don’t. In my opinion, charging an author for a review is plain unethical. I, for one, couldn’t live with myself. Anyway, it’s not fair to the author at all and here’s why.
 
If you charge an author, you’re obligated to give that author a positive review even if that book, even if that book is riddled with all kinds of errors. So much that the story doesn’t make sense.  That’s just not right and as I said I couldn’t live with myself.
 
I know that some people do charge and they even make a living at it. But they do have a problem here. Once word gets out that they charge, their credibility goes down the drain. If it doesn’t go down the drain, their reputation for honesty lowers quite a bit! As I stated above, the reviewer is obligated to give a positive review if they’re paid.
 
I can guess what you’re thinking. “I want positive reviews.” This is where you’re wrong. You should have both good and bad reviews.
 
Books in all are made interesting if you read the controversial reviews. I read reviews for one. One positive review was glowing with compliments. For the same book, a negative review said something like it was the worst book she’d ever read. In fact, she couldn’t get past the first chapter and suggested everybody save their money. This got my curiosity up. There were equal amount of positive vs. negative reviews for this book. Which one was true? My curiosity was at its peak by this time. I had to find out. Yes, I did buy that book and no, it wasn’t a waste of money. It was the best thing I’ve read in a long time! It’s still on my Kindle to re-read. So, getting an honest review, even if it’s negative, is a selling point. So, controversial reviews equals sales and that makes you a winner!
 
To my surprise, I’ve found on the social media sites, that many people ask for a review, but they ask that the reviewer to buy their book in order to review it. That’s not how it’s done. A reviewer will shy away from taking on a job like this. I’ve steered clear many, many times.
 
Here’s the proper way to handle this. First, contact the reviewer through their website asking if they will review your book and describe the book a little. Tell them if it’s a children’s, adult’s, or poetry book. Then, send the reviewer the book in print, .pdf file along with a .jpg of the book cover, or gift the reviewer a copy of your ebook for their Kindle, Nook, or other ereader.
 
Reviewers are everywhere and you can find them easily. If you’re in a Facebook group go to the files section at the top of the page. Click on that files tab. You should find a section there that lists reviewers in your group that reviews and also list what kind of books they accept. If there isn’t just type a regular post asking if anyone would like a review and say if it’s a children’s or adult’s book. You should do this in every social media site you’re on since the more reviews, the better. Here’s a great a great site I found that lists book review sites. Hopefully, this will help you get that review: http://bookbloggerlist.com/

Also, I hope the following video will help you: