#275 – Unleashing Creativity: Tips, Tricks, and Motivations from Fellow Writers
Welcome to Episode 275 of the Spun Today Podcast! I’m your host, Tony Ortiz, and today, we're diving back into the archives for a throwback to Episode 175, packed with creative tips and insights to fuel your writing journey. This episode is designed to motivate and inspire writers dealing with challenges like writer's block. We'll explore responses to the creative questionnaire from fellow writers and creatives, featuring contributors like Amy Marcello, Joshua Robertson, Elaine Almonte and more.
We'll uncover the origins of their writing passion, sources of inspiration, and strategies for staying motivated. From childhood stories to navigating rejection, this episode offers a wealth of advice and encouragement. Plus, I'll share personal anecdotes and highlight tools and resources that can support your writing endeavors, such as ProWritingAid.
Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you pursue your creative passions. Stay tuned, and let's get inspired together!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/spuntoday
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spuntoday/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spuntoday
Website: http://www.spuntoday.com/home
Newsletter: http://www.spuntoday.com/subscribe
Links referenced in this episode:
Joshua Robertson YouTube Channel for Gamers, Writers & Nerds: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKbNu6bLlOMBHXu8gNTB9cg
Check out Joshua Robertson’s books here: https://amzn.to/3VsVE76
Get your Podcast Started Today! https://signup.libsyn.com/?promo_code=SPUN
(Use Promo code SPUN and get up to 2-months of free service!)
Check out all the Spun Today Merch, and other ways to help support this show! https://www.spuntoday.com/support
Check out my Books
Make Way for You – Tips for getting out of your own way
Melted Cold – A Collection of Short Stories
http://www.spuntoday.com/books/ (e-Book, Paperback & Hardcover are now available).
Fill out my Spun Today Questionnaire if you’re passionate about your craft. I’ll share your insight and motivation on the Podcast: http://www.spuntoday.com/questionnaire/
Shop on Amazon using this link, to support the Podcast: http://www.amazon.com//ref=as_sl_pc_tf_lc?&tag=sputod0c-20&camp=216797&creative=446321&linkCode=ur1&adid=104DDN7SG8A2HXW52TFB&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spuntoday.com%2Fcontact%2F
Shop on iTunes using this link, to support the Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewTop?genreId=38&id=27820&popId=42&uo=10
Shop at the Spun Today store for Mugs, T-Shirts and more: https://viralstyle.com/store/spuntoday/tonyortiz
Background Music: Autumn 2011 - Loxbeats & Melody - Roa
Outro Background Music: https://www.bensound.com
Spun Today Logo by: https://www.naveendhanalak.com/
Sound effects are credited to: http://www.freesfx.co.uk
Listen on: ApplePodcasts | Spotify |Pocket Casts | YouTube | Website
Transcript
Tony Ortiz [00:00:19]:
What's up folks? What's going on?
Tony Ortiz [00:00:20]:
Welcome to the Spun Today Podcast, the only podcast that is anchored in writing but unlimited in scope. I'm your host Tony Ortiz and I appreciate you listening. This is episode 275 of the podcast and it is a throwback episode I'm re releasing. An oldie but a goodie. The original episode was episode 175 and it's a compilation of tips from creatives for creatives. So if you're a listener of the pod, just to give you a quick background, I have a free questionnaire on my website. If you navigate to spuntoday.com questionnaire you can check it out. It's five open ended question all related to writing and creativity, the details of which I actually break down in the original intro of the episode, which I'm going to play for you in its entirety.
Tony Ortiz [00:01:09]:
So I'm not going to get into it here. Just wanted to drop in and give you guys a quick background of what the episode is about. Appreciate, as always, each and every one of you taking the time to listen. Shout out to the sponsored writing community out there. If you've been bogged down with writer's block or just life getting in the way of your writing plans, I definitely feel your pain. Hopefully this episode does something in the way of motivation my fellow writers out there. And for myself, without further ado, Here is episode 275 of the Sponsor Day Podcast which is a throwback of episode 175 of the Sponsor Day podcast. Thank each and every one of you for taking the time to listen.
Tony Ortiz [00:01:48]:
I'll check you guys out next time with a brand new episode. For my fellow writers and creatives out.
Tony Ortiz [00:01:56]:
There, a really cool way you can help support this show is by going.
Tony Ortiz [00:01:59]:
To spuntoday.com support and clicking on the Pro Writing Aid banner. If you're a listener of the show, you know that I use prowritingaid to pre edit all of my writing before.
Tony Ortiz [00:02:10]:
I put it out or before I.
Tony Ortiz [00:02:12]:
Ship it off to my editor so that it is in as pristine condition as I can probably get it. ProWritingAid offers a great toolkit that helps you polish your work with easy to use grammar checks and the writing assistant that also looks into things like pacing improvements, typos, punctuations, and much more. Go to spuntoday.com support click on the banner for prowritingaid and check out their free option as well as their different tiers of paid options. Spuntoday.com support.
Tony Ortiz [00:02:47]:
What'S up folks? What's going on. Welcome to the Spun Today Podcast. I'm your host Tony Ortiz. Thank you in advance for listening. I'm recording this episode on May 8, 2017 and it is to vault it for future use at a future date that is still yet to be known to myself. And eventually when you guys are listening to this, then this is the date that I decided to drop it pretty much. I save certain types of episodes that are quote unquote timeless in the sense that I'm not referencing any like current events or anything like that for future use in case I'm ever unable to record an episode in time for my bi weekly releases. And that could be for literally any reason.
Tony Ortiz [00:03:35]:
You know, sickness, family related stuff, or just I feel lazy as fuck and don't feel like recording anything. But as they say, the show must go on. There was a previous episode of the podcast that, if everything goes as planned, should have been released prior to this one, which was also a vaulted episode that encompassed four past Sponsored a questionnaires that have been filled out and this is a continuation of that and exhibiting four more. So in this episode I share a throwback montage of four Spun Today questionnaires that have been filled out in the past. Why not have a single episode that centralizes all the tips, motivation, tools and tricks adopted by fellow writers and creatives? If you'd like to partake in filling out your own questionnaire, check it out@spuntoday.com questionnaire thanks again to Amy Marcello, a person that chose to remain anonymous, Joshua Robertson and Elena Monte, which are the features of this re release episode. Amy Marcelo is a writer. The person that chose to remain anonymous is also a writer. Joshua Robertson is also a writer, a fantasy writer to be specific.
Tony Ortiz [00:04:56]:
And Elaine Almonte is also a writer and a friend and a designer event planner. Now the actual questionnaire that I've referenced plenty of times in the past is a five question questionnaire that as I state on the landing page, quote, if your responses could potentially spark inspiration in someone else, why not share that end quote and I designed the questions in a way that I myself or the and the listeners rather of these Bunsen podcasts can gain something from it. You kind of sort of get a glimpse into the creative process of someone else that that's into the same sort of things that you're into as well as the humanizing of them in terms of finding out what else they're into. Like you know, TV shows that they watch or movies and other hobbies that they have. You're also able to pick up on practical motivational tips and tools that they may use for themselves to get themselves to do what they want to be doing and pursue what they want to be pursuing in the way that they do and in a digestible way that you can then take for yourself and see if you can apply it to your own life and see what the results are there thereafter. Now, the five questions are, and again, you can find these@spontaneity.com forward slash questionnaire. The five questions are, number one, relating to your craft. Do you remember the first thing that you wrote or created? If so, what was it? Question two, what inspired you to write or create? Question three, what is a hobby that you have that is unrelated to your craft? This could be anything from what you're currently reading, a show you're watching, to something you're experimenting with, etc.
Tony Ortiz [00:06:48]:
Question four, if you get yourself to sit down. I'm sorry, how do you get yourself to sit down and do your work when you're not motivated to? That's a key question to me, in my opinion. I'd love to see people's take on that because something that all creatives and specifically all writers deal with. And lastly, question five, do you have any advice for other writers or creators, whether they're new, seasoned or otherwise? Then of course you have the option to remain anonymous if you choose to. And if not, then I definitely give you a shout out. You know, I'll plug your blog or your Twitter account, etc. And you know, all this shit is free of charge. Obviously it's a win win, you know, you get to promote your stuff for free to these Spun Today podcast listeners and the Spun Today podcast listeners and myself gain from your insight.
Tony Ortiz [00:07:42]:
And that's pretty much it, folks. I'm not sure when again, I'll be needing to use this episode, but when I do, I hope you guys enjoy it. And once again, thanks to Amy Marcelo, the person that chose to remain anonymous, Joshua Robertson and Elena Monte. Without further ado, here are their questionnaires. Now, the first person that submitted a questionnaire this week chose to remain anonymous. So I'm not gonna say the person's name or anything like that or where you can contact them if you would like to, but I, like all others, am going to read their answers to the questionnaire, obviously to help, you know, share their insights and their tips with other people that could, you know, hopefully have a ripple effect of motivation for others, including myself. Okay, question number one is relating to your craft. Do you remember the first thing that you ever wrote or created.
Tony Ortiz [00:08:47]:
And this anonymous person stated, the very first thing that I remember creating was a mini book in first grade. I drew pictures and had to write a story to go with them. I think I still have it somewhere. It was plain awful. I cannot draw, but I remember feeling very proud that I created something. And that's, that's, you know, the dopest part of that is that you still have it somewhere. And I would say definitely find where that somewhere is before you lose it and keep it in a safe place that you can look back on and cherish and you know, who knows, give it to your kids one day and just look back on it. It's really cool to have a piece of your childhood like that, especially if it's tied to a specific passion that you have for something.
Tony Ortiz [00:09:44]:
Like in this example, like writing. I remember when I was in like 8th or 9th, 8 or 9 years old, when I mentioned this in the past. So for those of you that have heard this already and bear with me, I'm sorry, but it's pretty fitting to this, this response in the questionnaire. The first story, short story that I ever wrote, I was like 8 or 9 years old. And I remember it was, it was a cross between like an army movie and Encino man. And it was called the Thousand Year Old Soldier. And I wrote it in a black and white marble notebook. And the premise was a soldier got trapped under an avalanche and turned into a block of ice.
Tony Ortiz [00:10:31]:
And then when he thawed out he realized that a thousand years had passed and he was in the future. And I don't remember much else aside from that, but I do remember, I remember writing it and I remember obviously the premise of it and even the notebook that I wrote it in and I remember putting it. I had this metal metallic box that had this fugazi little key lock on it. And I remember keeping it there and I used to use that box and store my private stuff in there and top secret stuff, you know, I'm fucking eight or nine years old. And long story short, I stopped using the box. It was like in the basement somewhere or wound up like in a. I don't even know where it wound up. But fast forward, years later we moved and everything.
Tony Ortiz [00:11:28]:
I found that, that box in the garage. And I remember like when I saw it, when I found it, like I remembered right away of like the book and the short story and just like stuff that I had in there. I was like, oh shit, I can't believe this box still like exists. I Had completely forgotten about it. And I went to it, I opened it, and it was full of, like, my father's tools and shit like that. And I never got to, like, see the book again, but it would have been pretty dope if I had. So imagine that story, your version of. And you actually finding and still having that picture book now.
Tony Ortiz [00:12:09]:
And that's a much happier ending than finding a bunch of screwdrivers and stuff in this place. But, yeah, find that. The next question is, what inspired you to write or create? And the response was, I find that I always have a museum. Sometimes that muse is a person, sometimes it's emotion itself. I use them all to fuel my writing. And I couldn't agree more. You know, inspiration strikes very randomly, very sporadically, sometimes very intentionally. And, yeah, I'm the exact same way.
Tony Ortiz [00:12:47]:
I could hear a song that inspires me to write. I could hear a quote in a movie. And that concept of the muse is just like, you know, you need to physically get yourself to a pen and paper or, you know, a keyboard and let it flow through you and onto the screen or onto the page. And I'm completely with you on that. The next question is, what is a hobby that you have that is unrelated to your craft? And the response is, I'm an avid reader. I read hardcover books and listen to Audible. I am constantly reading all different types of books, and that is something I'm trying to do more and more of, especially as I've gotten into. Into writing.
Tony Ortiz [00:13:35]:
Obviously, they kind of go hand in hand. And believe it or not, reading is something that I used to hate very much, so never used to read at all. And now I really enjoy it. I'm just not the best reader there is out there. But definitely enjoy, enjoy the process. And audiobooks are dope, too, for that. Helping out with a fit with a few books that were kind of, like, dense and, like, tough to, like, read and that I really enjoyed the audiobooks of, like, what was it? Republic Lost by Lawrence Lessig. And also one of my favorite books, Mastery by Robert Greene.
Tony Ortiz [00:14:13]:
And those were pretty dope. And you guys should check. Definitely check out audio. Audio books if you haven't. Or, like, if you're in that kind of, like, gray area that you like, you want to, you know, get exposed to certain things that you want to read, but you really don't, like, make the time, like, for it and stuff like that. Definitely check out audiobooks. I have to download more of them, actually. Let's see.
Tony Ortiz [00:14:38]:
The next question is, how do you get yourself to Sit down and do your work when you're not motivated to. And the response is, that's tough. When I do feel what. Blah. I'm sorry, that stuff. When I do not feel inspired, I draw on other people's energy. I send out questions on social media that will strike chords of emotion and people. This works well for me.
Tony Ortiz [00:15:05]:
And that's a. That's a really good idea. That's kind of. I guess that's kind of like what this questionnaire is like for me. That's like my version of. Is sending out this questionnaire, and it helps spark, you know, the, you know, the recording of this podcast, for example, which has always been kind of like a closed loop. Right. The podcast makes me want to write or motivates me to write, you know, keeps me honest, keeps me writing, and vice versa.
Tony Ortiz [00:15:33]:
Writing gives me content for the podcast, and it's kind of like a circle that purposely is set up to motivate me, to push me in the direction of where I want to be with both writing and podcasting. And that's a. That's a really good idea with the asking questions, like, on social media and just getting, like, different feedback from different people. This person actually, as well as the other person, that the other person didn't choose to remain anonymous, but this one did. So that's why I'm just saying this person I met through or quote, unquote, met through Cyber Dust, which is Mark Cuban's, like, social texting service thing that, that he started or that he's a part of. And it's pretty interesting. I'm getting used to the. The.
Tony Ortiz [00:16:25]:
I don't know the. The format of it. Is that the right word for it? The. I'm getting used to using it, basically. But it's. I hear it similar to, like, Snapchat, but Snapchat I've never used, except this is. Does not give you an option to, like, save. Like, Snapchat supposedly gives you the option to, like, save, you know, the chats or whatever.
Tony Ortiz [00:16:50]:
Cyber does. Does not. And Cyber Dust as a company does not have, like, any servers or anything like that. So somebody sends you a message or a blast, like they call or a dust. A dust would be like a dm and a blast would be like a post. And when people see it or read it, once they open it, the clock starts, and it's a certain amount of seconds before it disappears. And it's not stored on any other servers or anything like that. Which would, I would imagine, means, like, low overhead for them, I guess.
Tony Ortiz [00:17:21]:
But it's the whole concept of it. It's like, truly, you know, nah, nobody's reading your shit type of. Type of forum. And that's where I met both of these people. So, yeah, I definitely get that. You know, sending stuff out through social media to, you know, spark conversation and interest and stuff like that and draw on people's energy. And the final question of the questionnaire is, do you have any advice for other writers or creators, whether they're new, seasoned, or otherwise? And the response was, write your heart. People can tell if you're not writing from the very depths of your soul.
Tony Ortiz [00:18:02]:
If you always write for that, you will always touch someone. And that was my favorite response to your questionnaire. And I couldn't agree more. You know, you had. How do I say this? You know, sometimes, like, with stuff that I write, I'm kind of like, you know, that feeling of, nobody's gonna get this except for me, or. Or this isn't good enough for anybody else to read and stuff like that. And a lot of the time it is, don't get me wrong. But in terms of my stuff.
Tony Ortiz [00:18:37]:
But as long as it's coming from that place, from that, like, genuine, real place, it's gonna reach somebody, it's gonna touch somebody, and you have no way of gauging who it does and who it doesn't touch. And I, you know, I've written about this in certain free writing posts, and the quote, unquote announcement that I'm gonna tell you guys about right after the next questionnaire, I get into it in there as well. But I think it's your responsibility as a creator, as a writer specifically, to just let the thing out. Let it out and allow it to. If. Allow it to have the chance of reaching and touching someone. And if it does, great. And if it doesn't, it at least meant that to you, and it was therapeutic in that way for you.
Tony Ortiz [00:19:28]:
And you are someone too, right? So, yeah. Thank you very much, person that shall remain anonymous per your request. And I really appreciate you taking the time to fill out the survey, the questionnaire, and it was a great one. Thank you very much. And we have one more questionnaire. Like I told you guys, this one. Let me just make sure this person said it does not matter in terms of them remaining anonymous or not. And if you choose that, I'm gonna say who you are.
Tony Ortiz [00:19:59]:
And this person is Amy Marcelo. So, Amy, thank you in advance for taking the time. Question number one of the survey relating to your craft. Do you remember the first thing that you ever wrote or created. And Amy's response was, before I could write, my mom used to have me tell her a story and she would write down everything I said word for word, even when it didn't make sense. The stories were usually about birds or animals that like to play and sometimes get into trouble. It is nice looking back and reading the grammatically incorrect details to a young and very vivid imagination. And I thought that when I, when I read the questionnaire, when I received it, I thought that was like such a dope idea.
Tony Ortiz [00:20:51]:
I was actually gonna tell my brother to do that with my niece when she gets old enough, when she's actually making like sense. Because now she's, you know, barely a month out from her, not even a month out of her one year birthday, so she's still like speaking gibberish and stuff like that. And she knows how to say cat and. No, but definitely when she starts making sense, that would be a pretty cool, a pretty cool idea to, to do something like this and have her create stories and write them down and give them to her in the future. And. And it's really dope that your mother did that for you and kind of planted that seed of creating stories, I guess, for you, which is really, really cool. Definitely a different, a different version of reading your kids bedtime stories. Right? Allow them to create their own.
Tony Ortiz [00:21:42]:
That seems pretty cool. It's definitely something I would want to do. Thanks for sharing that. And the next question is, what inspires you to write or create? And Amy's response is emotional reactions to anger, heartbreak, empathy, revelations and aha moments. And yeah, tying into the previous questionnaire that I read, it's, you know, inspiration literally comes from anything and everything and anywhere. And I guess in Amy's case, she seems to be more of the. It comes from places of like heightened emotion, whether it's like empathy or heartbreak, like she says, or anger or revelations and aha. Moments, those are like peaks in emotion, right? But it's awesome that you can take any of those emotions from it, like any of those peaks and channel them into creating, which is key, which is awesome because all that emotion, all that, that rawness, all that realness comes out in your writing.
Tony Ortiz [00:22:50]:
How much of it comes out is obviously completely up to you. And it's something that as like writers and creators, that's what we're, we're molding and shaping and honing and fine tuning. Right. Which is definitely dope to have that ability to steer it in that direction. The next question is, what is a hobby that you have that is unrelated to your craft. And she wrote, I love to dance, and that's pretty cool. I actually do not love to dance. I'm probably like the worst Dominican ever.
Tony Ortiz [00:23:25]:
And my people are very, very allegre, happy, Dancy type people. And very much so. Not more of the introverted, quiet, leave me alone persuasion, but I do. I could dance. Not well or anything like that. I'm not. I'm no fucking Patrick Swayze and Dirty Dancing, but I know how to dance. And, you know, the once every.
Tony Ortiz [00:23:54]:
Every leap year, when I do get the itch to dance, I'll, like, dance my ass off at that one party and then, you know, never dance again for. For years to come. So I definitely get the. The appeal of it when I. When I, you know, look back and think of, like, those specific moments when I've enjoyed it. And, you know, dancing in itself is, like, very creative and very free, very, very flowy. You know, you follow certain preset rules, I guess, and steps in certain types of dancing, if you're just doing, I don't know, not all, I guess, but. But yeah, I see.
Tony Ortiz [00:24:29]:
I see that. I see that connection. Pretty dope. It's pretty cool. The next question is, how do you get yourself to sit down and do your work when you're not motivated to? And Amy responded, I try to find a quiet place without distraction. Sometimes music helps, but other times I need complete silence. And that's that. That was interesting to me because I'm.
Tony Ortiz [00:24:54]:
I don't know, I guess. I guess it depends on the mood, on my mood, because. And, you know, judging from your response, I guess it's the same for you. Like, sometimes you need complete silence, and sometimes music, you know, some sort of light background, like white noise kind of gets you going. And I wonder from reading it, if. From reading your response, Amy, if you mean that, let's say you don't want to write. You don't. Because this is what I meant by the question, which, you know, if you didn't get that, that's completely my fault for the way it's worded.
Tony Ortiz [00:25:29]:
But when you're supposed to write, which should be, like, all the time, right? If you're into writing, how do you get yourself to physically get up and go sit down and write? And if I don't know, I guess I'm not sure if that's what you. You meant by your response. But if you meant that you could literally, like, you know, turn off the tv, make everything quiet, and then that gets you in the mood to write, that's fucking amazing. That's like a switch, like an on switch that you have there that you've, you know, disciplined and trained yourself to do. So it's kind of like, because I kind of feel like the answer that you gave is kind of after you get yourself to write, you just have to, you know, after you have you sat down and kind of made that push in the direction of writing that you kind of then have to like shut everything off and then, you know, so could start flowing and you can start, start writing. But yeah, it's, that's like the toughest part for, for all of us. And I think that's a pretty well known and understood, you know, similarity amongst writers that, you know, just actually sitting down and doing the work is. That's the hard part, like getting yourself to, getting that push of motivation and inspiration to go and actually physically do the work.
Tony Ortiz [00:26:49]:
And lastly, the last question of the last questionnaire that we have for the day is, do you have any advice for other writers or creators, whether they're new, seasoned or otherwise? And Amy responded, writing is the easy part. Don't let rejection letters be the demise of your passion. There are so many resources and directions to explore. The Internet can allow your writing to touch any audience you want. And I think finding that in today's world is where you'll find the most value and have the most impact. And I could not agree with you more. Again, Amy, thank you very much for taking the time to fill out the questionnaire. That was a very, very dope response and kind of the perfect segue to the announcement that I said told you guys last week that I would have for you this week.
Tony Ortiz [00:27:47]:
Which I'm not where I want to be with it, but I'm enough into it where I could announce it to one light of fire under my ass to make sure I get it done and to keep my word of having an announcement for you guys. So like I said, like Amy said in this last response, writing the easy part, don't let rejection letters be the demise of your passion. There are so many resources and directions to explore. I am in the process of self publishing my first book and that's the announcement. Tada. The spun today questionnaire response filled out by Amazon bestselling author Joshua Robertson. And Joshua is someone that I found on YouTube. Actually his.
Tony Ortiz [00:28:41]:
He has a couple YouTube channels. The one that I've seen a handful of videos of that I find helpful I link to in the episode notes. He is, like I said, a fantasy author, an Amazon best selling Fantasy author. And he has a bunch of helpful videos online related to writing. Like, for example, where to get reviews that I've watched or why to join a writer community, how to characterize your characters, learn from your fears, like, stuff like that. That resonated with me. A bunch of stuff that he's shared and spoken about. And he took the time to fill out the spontaneity questionnaire for us, and I appreciate that very much, and I'm going to share his responses with you guys now.
Tony Ortiz [00:29:29]:
Question one, relating to your craft. Do you remember the first thing you ever wrote or created? And Joshua responded, the first story I remember creating was a horror story around the age of nine. Damn, that's awesome. That's what. That's how you know you're doing what you're supposed to be doing when it's something that you were doing when you were nine. He continues and says the story focused on a group of kids going into a haunted house on Halloween. I continued to write short stories throughout the age of 15 and then finally completed my first novel at 17. Damn, that's awesome.
Tony Ortiz [00:30:08]:
At 17, I was trying to figure out, like, what worked better between Noxzema and Neutrogena or something like that. So that's really cool that Josh was able to do that at 17. Question number two. What inspires you to write or create? And Joshua responds, my ideas are primarily inspired by dreams I have had throughout my life. My bestseller, Mel Corca, was completely based off a dream I had in 2013. And that's really cool to hear because, like I've told you guys in the past, there's that again. I picked up from different writing podcasts and blogs and stuff like that. The A tip, I guess, given by a lot of writers is to have a sleep journal.
Tony Ortiz [00:30:55]:
You know, sleep with, like, a book or something that you could write in next to your bed and, like, when you wake up, just jot things down. I spent a long time, like, having certain ideas and then thinking that I'm gonna remember them and, you know, being too lazy to write them down. And then the next day I'm like, fuck, I had such a good idea. And, you know, completely, you know, it's gone. So that's a tactic. If you guys can't remember your dreams, use that. I use that on two occasions so far because I don't dream that often, or at least not anything that I have felt worthy of turning into a story. But I've written two short stories, including the one that I still owe you guys, that I'M still working on that I told you guys about, but one that I did put on the website called Chopper City, located at spontaneity.com Short Stories.
Tony Ortiz [00:31:45]:
Chopper City. That was a story completely that came to me like, in a dream. And, you know, I did an episode of like the Chopper City audiobook version of the podcast where I go into the details of explaining where that story came from, et cetera, et cetera. But anyway, it's cool to hear that Josh was able to turn a dream into a bestseller. And the title of that book again is Milkorka. I'm going to link also to Josh's Amazon or, like, book page so you guys can check out his books as well. You can find that in the episode notes. Question number three.
Tony Ortiz [00:32:20]:
What is a hobby that you have that is unrelated to your craft? And Josh wrote, I have another YouTube channel based around my business called Goblin Horde, and that's spelled G O B L I N for Goblin and Horde H O R D E. I am lucky to have a hobby where I can be a nerd with my nerdy family and find support from a great nerdy community. And that is not the original YouTube page. Like I told you guys, he has a couple YouTube pages. But I did check this one out since Josh filled out the questionnaire and it's pretty cool. I believe it's with his wife and children are part of it. And that's pretty cool if you're into that type of thing. Check that out again.
Tony Ortiz [00:33:04]:
It's YouTube.com C goblinhoard. And by C I mean the letter C, not S E E or S e. A question 4. How do you get yourself to sit down and do your work when you're not motivated to. Josh responds, rarely do I find myself not motivated to write, but in those times I bribe myself with chips, salsa and coffee. Nice. Definitely, you know, bribing yourself and giving yourself, I guess like incentives like that definitely has to work or could help in working. In my case, I drink way too much coffee for to be able to to bribe myself with that as is because then that means I would have to cut myself off to then bribe myself with it, which wouldn't work.
Tony Ortiz [00:33:51]:
So I'm gonna have to find something else to bribe myself with. But it's definitely a good, good tactic to use and something that I could figure out something to implement, like something that I like, you know, cut it out and then I'm gonna give it to myself once I like, complete a short story or something like that, which I'm struggling with now because it's taking so damn long to finish. Sometimes again, going back to the whole paralysis by analysis and writing and rewriting type of thing, I'm gonna take my own advice and just put it out there. Right? Okay. And the last question, do you have any advice for other writers or creators, whether they're new, seasoned or otherwise? And Joshua stated, join a writing community and build real relationships. That's something that I saw in one of your videos. Josh and I have begun a little bit. I can't say like really actively, but I joined a couple like Facebook writing groups and definitely have to look into into that more deeply.
Tony Ortiz [00:34:51]:
It's logical advice. It makes sense, you know, surround yourself with people that you want to be around and learn from and learn with and et cetera. And that is Joshua's responses to the Sponsored A questionnaire which is available to any and all creatives at sponsor a.com forward/questionnaire the same five questions you can fill out your responses to and be part of a future episode of the podcast. Joshua Robertson again, his Twitter, his YouTube page as well as Amazon book page will be linked to in the episode notes. And Josh, thanks for taking out the time to fill out the questionnaire. The questionnaire that I told you guys about. So Elaine, Ms. Montana Almonte is my best friend's kid sister.
Tony Ortiz [00:35:41]:
Come to think of it, she probably doesn't even know that I've ever referred to her as that because it's not like I would introduce her or someone and say, hey, best friend's kid sister. This is so and so. Hey so and so. This is my best friend's kid sister. You know, I mean, so it's not like something that she would probably hear. So when she hears this she's probably.
Tony Ortiz [00:35:57]:
Gonna be like what the fuck are.
Tony Ortiz [00:35:58]:
You talking about, best friend's kid sister? But yeah, it's like de Carino type of thing. Like I have referred to her as that in the past. I don't even know when, but I don't know, probably like in passing like oh yeah, that's my best friend's consistent or whatever anyway. Which by the way, I don't know why I would even call her that because she's like a year younger than me. Like a grown ass woman. But whatever. Shout out to Elaine. She was kind enough to fill out the Spun Today questionnaire that is available to any of you folks of you fine folks to fill out if you are so inclined.
Tony Ortiz [00:36:33]:
And I will do the same exact thing that I'm doing now and I'M going to share the responses to those five questions which are geared towards creative types, as you guys will hear in a bit. And the point of it is to see someone else's perspective on how they approach something that they're passionate about. And sometimes you get, or I've gotten from these, receiving and reading these questionnaires and sharing them tips such as, you know, wake up early and right before work and you know, different apps to use, like Evernote or Day One, which is another free app that's pretty user friendly and like good for writing and stuff like that. And you just get a glimpse into somebody else's process, which I think is cool and inspiring. And it kind of like demystifies like the whole thing for other people, which is really important to me, which is the fucking catchphrase of the podcast, right? Like substitute the mysticism with hard work. And I really appreciate whenever anybody decides to fill one of these out and definitely appreciate Lane doing so. So let's jump in and see what she had to say. Question number one is relating to your craft.
Tony Ortiz [00:37:49]:
Do you remember the first thing you ever wrote or created? Aileen responded, yes, a journal entry. In fourth grade, my school gave all the girls journals for Christmas. That's so sexist. How about the guys now? Let me stop. That's pretty cool. That reminds me of in seventh grade we had something similar. Not, you know, we didn't get like journals or anything like that. And it definitely wasn't the first thing I ever wrote.
Tony Ortiz [00:38:17]:
But the. My seventh grade English teacher, which is part of the dedication section, a large part of the dedication section within my book. Make Way for you. Available now. She made us write journals in class and she called them lit logs, short for literature logs. And I don't remember if it was daily or weekly or what it was, but we would write them. It would usually be based on something that we were reading in class. She was give us like feedback on it.
Tony Ortiz [00:38:49]:
And I remember like the feedback she would give me was just like so elaborate and she was like so into like whatever it was that I wrote and really liked the way I wrote and always gave me compliments and stuff like that. And it's, it's definitely boosting to have that type of support from a teacher or from a school and stuff like that. So it's pretty, pretty dope that you got those journals in the fourth grade. Now the response to this question also reminds me something that I told myself that I was going to do after Daniel Ippoleti's response to this question in A past questionnaire. And that is that the way I wrote the question was, do you remember the first thing you ever wrote? My assumption was in crafting that question, which clearly hasn't like permeate, permeated, is that people would say, oh yes. And what I wrote was blah, blah, blah. Because I would love to hear that part of it. So Elaine, tell me if you remember what it was they wrote.
Tony Ortiz [00:39:50]:
Hit me up and let me know. And I definitely have to amend that question on the website. Watch me forget until the next questionnaire comes out. All right, question number two. What inspires you to write or create? Annie Lane wrote people's stories, family bonds, things humans experience and think are unique to them. Pretty things, sad things. And I couldn't agree more. It's pretty much everything, right? Like different experiences that you all just life as life happens to you or in spite of you or whatever, you absorb different sparks of inspiration.
Tony Ortiz [00:40:30]:
I feel like that's common in any writer that I've like followed or heard of. And in interviews and stuff like that, their mind is always on in that way. Like it's always like in. It's always receptive to the type of input that would spark an idea or inspiration. So they tend to get it from anything from the way the plate was, you know, almost fell off the edge of the table or how angry the guy was in the train that was complaining about the train being stalled. Or how happy the little kid seemed that, you know, was walking down the hallway like anything. I like the whole, the things human experience, humans experience. Are you a humanist, Miss Montana? What about Shady? What about his experiences? Now let me stop.
Tony Ortiz [00:41:16]:
Question 3. What is a hobby that you have that is unrelated to your craft? Alien wrote decorating, creating dessert tables for parties with specific themes. I also like to watch Luke Cage Iron First. Is it Iron first or Iron Fist? Iron First. The Boondocks Family guy and the Magicians. I know Elaine was into decorating. I wasn't. I didn't know she was into the whole creating dessert tables, parties and stuff like that.
Tony Ortiz [00:41:46]:
Which is pretty cool because actually my sister in law is into that type of shit. So you guys should. I think you guys have met before, but yeah, she's like heavy into that now, so it'd be cool to like connect the two, I guess. And she's learning how to make like Dominican cakes and all types of shit like that. The, the decorating, if I'm not mistaken, Elaine decorated for her father's retirement dinner that, that we all went to, which was dope and Everything was. Was beautifully done and very, very tasteful, very elegant and modern slash bohemian type of thing. So it's really cool. It's like a different type of creative outlet that's not just watching TV like everything else here on the list.
Tony Ortiz [00:42:33]:
Luke Cage, I heard, is dope. I heard it's good. And I got to check that out. I haven't heard of any of the other ones. I think I've heard of the Boondocks, but I'm not sure what that is. Family Guy, obviously, I know what that is. I watch it sometimes, too. My wife is into that.
Tony Ortiz [00:42:48]:
And, yeah, I haven't heard of the other ones. All right, next. How do you get yourself to sit down and do your work when you're not motivated to? And Elaine responded, I don't. Herein lies my issue. And this is something, as she knows, that I've busted her chops about in the past. Not that I'm on some fucking. Trying to sound, like, preachy or, like, be on my high horse, like, oh, I write, and I'm the most consistent person ever, and blah, blah, blah, because I'm far from it. If you guys saw my.
Tony Ortiz [00:43:17]:
I tweet out and post on my Patreon page the amount that I write per month. So I have a calendar right above my computer here. And I. For every day, I had to put a checkmark or an X mark. All the checkmarks represent days that I've written. All the X marks represent the days that I did not write. And I keep a ongoing tally. I've been doing this for about a year and a half for every month, or probably two years for every month.
Tony Ortiz [00:43:46]:
I have, like, an Excel spreadsheet, and I have everything, like, mapped out and broken down into percentages. And last month I wrote. And I'll give you guys an exact number on only 12 of the 31 days in March. So 12 days, I wrote. 19 days, I did not. That is a 38.7% completion rate in terms of the goal of, you know, trying to write every day. And so I'm far from perfect. So I'm definitely not coming from that type of, you know, do what I do type of thing.
Tony Ortiz [00:44:19]:
But I do come. I am coming from. I do get on her about it because, like, we've spoken about writing a line in the past, and. And Elaine's probably, like, one of the first people to ever, like, read anything that I wrote. And we. I remember we used to give each other, like, little writing assignments, which was really cool for just, like, exercise your writing muscle. Chops, just give yourselves, like, a task, like a topic to write about. And just write, like, little paragraphs or a short story or whatever.
Tony Ortiz [00:44:53]:
Like, I remember a cool one that she gave me was, look at somebody on the train when you're commuting to work tomorrow and write something about them. Like, write, you know, what you think their life is about or where they're going or whatever. And I wrote like a little, like a mini short story about this kid that I saw on the train that looked, like, young, probably, like fresh out of high school or maybe college. And he had, like a suit on and he looked nervous. And I wrote this, like, whole little short story about him going to his first job interview and being nervous about it and how he was, like, all in his head and didn't even notice the girl next to him that was trying to flirt with him. And, like, I made all this stuff up, but it, like, exercised that, like, writing muscle, you know, I mean, so we used to do, like, shit like that and like, email it to each other and comment on each other, on each other's stuff. And I really, really like Elaine's writing. I really enjoy it, which is why I, like, tell her to write more often and stuff like that.
Tony Ortiz [00:45:56]:
And the place that I am coming from is that, like, you know, through, you know, creating this podcast and setting certain goals, writing goals, like trying to write every day, even though it's a lofty goal that I haven't hit yet. I think my highest accuracy was like, actually accuracy percentage was like 70 something percent of the days that I actually wrote within a given month. But just like setting those certain goals, it's kind of like the whole aim for the moon and if you miss, you land amongst the stars type of thing. It's like you're taking steps in the direction at least, you know, you're not just not writing at all. And you have to make certain, like, practical tweaks. I feel that definitely come in handy. And what came in handy for me when I was, you know, struggling, trying to, like, either wait for inspiration to hit me to write, which never happened. And then, you know, writing at night when I was also trying to.
Tony Ortiz [00:46:57]:
Which I did for a long time, like, just staying up late at, like, until like 1, 2, 3 in the morning and writing. And then I would feel the repercussions of that the next day, and I'd be just like, even more grouchy than I normally am with my fucking, like, grouchy Persona and just, like, out of it and not feeling well, like, stuff like that. And then I got the tip of a. Another writer that filled out this question in the past and he was like that he wakes up at 5:30 in the morning. You know, he has a regular nine to five day job. He wakes up at 5:30 in the Morning, writes for an hour or two and doing that for, you know, a couple years at a time. And like in a dedicated way he like self published like two or three novels or something like that. And a lot of people start out that way.
Tony Ortiz [00:47:44]:
Joanna Penn, which has a successful podcast and has a very interesting business model, which I would, which is a more realistic one to me to like in terms of pursuing it. Like she has multiple revenue streams in terms of speaking, speaking engagements and podcasting and writing books. And she writes also both fiction and nonfiction, which I try to do. And like she worked a day job for six years while simultaneously doing a podcast and writing books before she was able to generate enough from the writing books and podcasting. And you know, her authorpreneur I think it is that she calls it or some like marketing word like that. Before she was able to like quit her job and just live off of that like full time. And then eventually her husband was able to quit his job and help her with her business. And it's something that, that snowballs over time or that could snowball over time, but it definitely won't if you just don't like put in that work or make that decision.
Tony Ortiz [00:48:52]:
And it was like one probably one of the hardest decisions like for my lazy ass because I can't wake up for shit in the mornings at all. Especially while I was in that rut of, you know, going to sleep madly. If I'm going to sleep like at 2, 3 in the morning, like trying to do writing and then trying to make that switch to okay, tomorrow I'll wake up at 5:30 and then from there I'll start and it's like, nah, shit won't happen that way. Like I had to spend a couple weeks of like forcing myself because then I'm like wired at night and I can't like go to sleep that easily. So it took like weeks of like trying to force myself to go to sleep at, at 12 and then 11 and then 10 and then between 10 and 11 to. Then when I wake up at, at 5:30, which I do now, it, it doesn't impact me as much. And then by then you kind of like flip it a little bit. You wake up that early, you do some writing, you know, it could be half an hour it could be 45 minutes, an hour.
Tony Ortiz [00:49:46]:
Like what? I don't have to be like, you need five hours before work or something, you know, just something and just let it snowball. And then by the time the next day comes around and it is 10, 11 o'clock at night, you're like naturally tired and you want to go to bed anyway, you know what I mean? And if that type of thing doesn't work for you, then figure out some. We all have, we have to all have 24 hours in the day, right? We all have different responsibilities, family responsibilities, work responsibilities. Other people are able to get it done. So which means that you can too. Like, nobody's situation is completely unique in the sense that they can't, you know, schedule their time in a way that would benefit them. You could block out for yourself, you know, 30 minutes a day or 30 minutes five days a week or whatever it is, even if it's on a Saturday. Okay, let's say Saturdays.
Tony Ortiz [00:50:36]:
You sleep in or something and wake up at 11, wake up at 10:30 and write for half an hour or Sundays or you know, whatever. Sundays night, Sunday nights between 7 and 8, you know, cut out, you know, give up iron. Iron first. It sounds whack. Anyway, give that one up and write for an hour whenever that, Whenever you normally watch that and like it has to be. You have to balance it that way. But definitely I would want to like see more of that. That would be like my advice, I guess, like my take on that.
Tony Ortiz [00:51:09]:
Not that you really asked for it, but there it is anyway. And lastly, do you have any advice for other writers or creators, new, seasoned or otherwise? And Elaine wrote spend time traveling. Inspiration will come. I absolutely agree with the whole traveling thing. I think the more we experience experience and the more inputs we get, the better it is for us. It's like taking an ammunition that we use to like explode within our creative selves. The inspiration will come. I agree with to a certain extent, but as long as we're not only waiting for inspiration to come, as I pointed out, like with the last question, it's kind of like we gotta like meet it halfway type of thing and don't just wait on it.
Tony Ortiz [00:51:58]:
And that's pretty much it. That is Elaine's feedback. Elaine Almonte, thank you again, Elob, very, very much. Really appreciate it. And anybody else that wants to, wants to give some feedback on it, hit us up. You guys know how to reach me. And yeah, thanks again. Best friends, kid sister, aka Elaine, aka Cole, aka Ms.
Tony Ortiz [00:52:20]:
Montana, aka ah, aka what up though. All right, that's enough.
Tony Ortiz [00:52:29]:
And that, folks, was episode 275 of the Spun Today Podcast. A nice little throwback compilation of tips and advice from fellow writers and creatives hopefully gets us back into the creative spirit if we've deviated at all. And for those of us who haven't sticking the course, who have been disciplined with our craft, hopefully this just emboldens you that much more. For any fellow writers and creatives that are listening to this episode, feel free to navigate to spuntoday.com/forward/questionnaire where you can check out the same questionnaire that you just got the responses on. On this episode. You can fill out your own absolutely for free, and I will be happy to learn from and share your responses on a future episode of the Sponsor Day Podcast. As I mentioned in the original intro of the episode, you have the option to remain anonymous if you so choose, but if not, it's a great way to get some free promotion and publicity around some of your creative work. Spuntoday.com questionnaire and with that folks, I am going to ask that you stick around just for a couple minutes to listen to a few ways you can help support this show.
Tony Ortiz [00:53:39]:
If you so choose. Your support means a ton, helps keep the lights on in the proverbial sponsoreday studios, and is highly, highly appreciated. And I'll check you guys out next time. Peace.
Tony Ortiz [00:53:54]:
What's up folks?
Tony Ortiz [00:53:55]:
Tony here. I hope you're enjoying the Spun Today podcast as much as I enjoy producing it for you. Here are a few ways you can.
Tony Ortiz [00:54:02]:
Help support the show.
Tony Ortiz [00:54:04]:
For my fellow writers and creatives out.
Tony Ortiz [00:54:06]:
There, a really cool way you can help support this show is by going.
Tony Ortiz [00:54:09]:
To spuntoday.com support and clicking on the.
Tony Ortiz [00:54:13]:
Pro Writing Aid banner.
Tony Ortiz [00:54:15]:
If you're a listener of the show, you know that I use prowritingaid to pre edit all of my writing before.
Tony Ortiz [00:54:20]:
I put it out or before I.
Tony Ortiz [00:54:21]:
Ship it off to my editor so that it is in as pristine condition as I can probably get it. ProWritingAid offers a great toolkit that helps you polish your work with easy to use grammar checks and the writing assistant that also looks into things like pacing improvements, typos, punctuations, and much more. Go to spuntoday.com support, click on the banner for Pro Writing Aid and check out their free option as well as their different tiers of paid options. Spun today.com forward/support a great way for my fellow writers and creatives out there to help support this show is by going to spontaneity.com forward/ support and clicking on the Mock Up Shots banner. When I first started writing and putting out content, I wanted to think of creative ways to help market my books. So I would take my own pictures, place the books in different places, take it to the beach with me, put it out in the snow, and I'd wind up with a couple good usable images and a bunch more mediocre ones. And also, in the case of the snow example, a completely soggy book. Then I found Mockup Shots.
Tony Ortiz [00:55:30]:
In one click, Mockup Shots turns your book cover into thousands of images, videos, graphics, and more. If you follow me on social it's what I use to promote my books. You can check them out on Instagram at Spun Today to take a look at the professional creative quality of what Mockup Shots has to offer. And now for my listeners, you can get unlimited lifetime access to the largest instant book mockup archive for 50% off. That's right, that's 50% off and you can use it for any books that you currently have available or any books that you will write in the future. I highly recommend it. It's a great marketing tool. Go to spuntoday.com support and click on the banner for Mockup Shots to claim your 50% off discount.
Tony Ortiz [00:56:20]:
You can also support by checking out my writing. Go to spun.com here you'll find a collection of freely written thoughts which is intended to be a cathartic, meditative practice for myself, but also winds up doubling up as motivation and inspiration for myself and others. You can also go to spuntoday.com shortstories to check out my latest short stories and also listen to the free audiobook versions of those stories. You can also support my writing by going to sponsored.combooks and check out what I have available for sale. Currently available is Make Way for you, which is a collection of tips for getting out of your own way. It's a great read for my fellow writers or creatives out there. Also available is Fractal, which is my debut time travel novel, and last but certainly not least, Melted Cold, which is a collection of short stories. Each of the books are available in all digital formats for your Kindle or Ibook or any other e reader, as well as paperback and hardcover options.
Tony Ortiz [00:57:30]:
Again, go to spuntoday.com books and I'd love to hear what you chose to.
Tony Ortiz [00:57:36]:
Check out as well as your thoughts.
Tony Ortiz [00:57:37]:
After reading spuntoday.com books.
Tony Ortiz [00:57:42]:
If you're a fellow creative, a cool way that you can help support the Spun Today podcast and actually be part of the podcast is by filling out my five question questionnaire located@spun today.com questionnaire here you'll find the five open questions related to your craft, your art, what inspires you to create, what type of unrelated hobbies you're into, and what motivates you to get your work done. You can choose to remain anonymous or plug your website and your work. And once you submit your questionnaire, I read your responses on a future episode of the Spun Today podcast. It's completely free at no cost to you. And what I like to say about it is that if your responses could potentially spark inspiration in someone else, why not share that spuntoday.com questionnaire? And as always, folks, substitute the mysticism with hard work and start taking steps in the general direction of your dreams. Thanks for listening. I love you, Aiden. I love you Daddy.
Tony Ortiz [00:58:54]:
I love you Grayson. I love you Daddy.