Writers, Are You Writing?

Giveaway ends July 7!

No, really, are you writing the projects you want to and need to complete? Are you getting those ideas down on paper? Writing stories? Writing articles?

Or, do you feel like you’re not getting any writing done despite the fact that you sit in front of a computer for hours, fingers flying? Do you feel like you’re accomplishing little to nothing, that you’re procrastinating, not getting to the writing you need to do? 

Of course you’re writing. I’ll bet you’re sending emails to friends and business associates, probably texting like crazy, posting to Facebook, maybe writing promo blurbs. How much writing does all that add up to? Have you added it up? How many words did you write with all that?

Well, doesn’t matter really, so many of us writers are writing what we think we need to write; posting to blogs (like this one!), tweeting, facebook pages, Linked In and even more. 

And yes, we pretty much do need to do those things, but that means there are more and more demands on time we’ve carved out for writing stories, articles and the like. 

Look, Hemingway and Steinbeck didn’t have these problems. I mean don’t you find yourself putting off the ‘real’ writing to get these other chores done? And what about cell phones, tablets and laptops? Yep, we’re constantly in touch, constantly working, constantly writing. At the same time we wonder why we aren’t getting more done. 

Have we all gone insane? 

Technologies that promised to lighten our work load (such as computers in the beginning, word processors that meant we wouldn’t have to type and erase and retype any more) have actually ended up adding to it. 

So, what are we to do? 

Want my advice?

Yep, I write this blog, guest on TV Writer, I Facebook and I Twitter. Even Pinterest. But here’s the thing. I focus on what counts and a bit of small distraction I enjoy. I focus my time (even give myself allotted minutes to accomplish tasks), then get off the net and get down to writing work. Put away the phone and the tablet, close my browser.

Slow down, pull back. In an era when we can ‘do business anywhere’ …. we shouldn’t. You can’t do it all even if you’re foolish enough to want to. And, keep in mind, you’re not going to be able to promote your work to all those ‘outlets’ if you don’t get that writing work done. 

Hey, that’s where technology can help again. Tweets will pile up – you can check them later. Same with Facebook. Phones can take messages. Emails can wait, they’ll be saved on your account, even if they’re fan mail. Give yourself a break and get down to what you really want to accomplish. 

Be a writer first and write…for real.

Developing Good Writer’s Habits

Writers write, right?

Sounds easy. But not so fast.

It takes dedication, discipline and some good habits to see any writer thorough.  From writer to writer they differ, but there are many writers have in common.

And there are just some things that need to be said, a reminder of sorts for those of us who get wrapped up in our every day work and find ourselves eating away at time that we’d really much rather have spent writing.

So, a few ideas.

Here’s one: Write on ugly paper because it tricks the brain to really believe that it doesn’t have to be perfect.  Really, it does work. And, besides, who wants to write that first draft on nice, clean, expensive final draft paper? And yes, you should print it out; makes for easier and more thorough editing.

Another: Write when you’re tired, write when you’re not, write when you have hours ahead of you, write when you can only steal a few minutes. Just write!

Here’s yet another one. Stop following links and write! Right now. Really. Stop. Do your research, then get off the web, close your browser window. You can’t browse, surf, whatever, and write at the same time. It just doesn’t work.

And related to that take some time to turn off all electronic devices. Cell Phones, tablets, web access on your computer. Everything. Set a time to dedicate to writing and eliminate all distractions and disconnect. You won’t die, really. And with no distractions like text messages, cell phones or games at your fingertips you’ll be able to really focus. It’s one of the best bits of advice I can give. Gads, unhook already.

When you’re writing always remember to repeatedly ask the question “what if…”  What if a meteor fell from the sky? What if it’s large enough to flatten a small city? What if a bunch of people in a large building have enough notice to dive into the basement and are trapped there by the explosion? What if one of them is a psychotic murderer? What if, what if, what if.  One of the best questions a writer can ask himself, if not the BEST question.

Another great habit to develop is to give yourself a break between writing bouts and be sure to stretch or exercise. Run up and down stairs if you have them. Take a short brisk walk outside. Get yourself an inexpensive stationary bicycle. Do stretches. Physical activity will keep the mind active and sharp. Writers simply sit too much. Think about getting a new standing desk. I have one and move from standing to sitting to standing several times during a work day. Standing keeps the brain moving too.

How about setting a timer? Force yourself to write a story within a set amount of time. The shorter the better, as long as you can create in that amount of time. It doesn’t have to be good, probably won’t be, but get that writing spewed out. You’ll feel better for it and it will almost definitely create something that can be revised later.

Don’t forget to make notes on ideas for where you’re going with a story for tomorrow before you quit for today.

Read great writing. Read bad writing. Read, read, read. Then write, write, write. 

Yes, writers write.

        .

Writer’s To Do List

Have a lot to do?  I know I do.

But in the spirit of procrastination I do find time to wander the web a bit between projects and I came across a rather long post (the equivalent of three pages with – oh horrors – no illustrations) on how to write a writer's ‘to do’ list and manage it.

Really?

Now I don’t to be too sarcastic here and really I don’t intend a slight – in fact it’s good to come across these things so they inspire me to keep it tight, keep it short. Folks just don’t have that much time. Save the long writing for a novel that just insists it wants to keep going.

So I’m going to keep my comments on the lengthy writer’s ‘to do’ list minimal. 

Here it is.

I realize there are many folks different from me and I applaud them – I like difference.

However, the question nags. How does one come up with more than three pages on a subject such as a ‘Writer’s To Do List’? I might be able to do it myself, but it would be a stretch and I’d probably find myself getting repetitive.

So I’ve decided to give my own advice on a Writer’s To Do List. And I do keep a running list on my desk in a spiral notebook, my supply of which usually comes from a well-known office supply store around back to school time when I can get them from $.01 to $.05 each.  When a page fills I rip it out and recycle (trying to be green conscious).

Pretty straight-forward advice:

1. Create the To Do list  - i.e. write stuff you have to do in a list on the page.

2. Follow Your list – i.e. read it once in a while to see what you need to do next. First thing in the morning might be good.

**Check off what you manage to accomplish.

To the point? Clear? Got it?

-- Of course I am rambling on here as well.  Maybe the fun is in the rambling on…I, too, on occasion love to ramble on.

And don't forget a couple other cool blogs: 

Seumas Gallacher's blog:  http://bit.ly/1bPVb1b

David Lender's Blog:  http://bit.ly/13OZAfA

Kevin Hanrahan's Blog:  http://bit.ly/1dpx2jM

Writers Websites Wednesday -The Renegade Writer

Go for the unconventional route in your freelance writing career. And get a little help from Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell.  Lots of tips and helps at The Renegade Writer.

Life Lessons for Writers ...and Others

There are lessons that have been learned having been a writer over the course of years.  So, I thought I’d share some of them with fellow writers and at the same time give readers a glimpse into the writer’s life. 

Here’s the thing. A writing life is a great life. BUT, some additional planning needs to go in to it above and beyond what working at say an office or a store or another profession might require.  I mean, stuff happens. 

And, when it happens, you’re a self-employed indie with few resources other than the ones you’ve prepared and planned on.  If you’re ‘laid off’, i.e. can’t get a writing gig at the moment, you don’t have unemployment. You also no doubt don’t have health insurance. Some writers take the route of having an outside job for money as well as benefits, but if you are exclusively an Indie, welllll….. you need to plan for the down times. 

Save as much as you can. This can be tough because many Indie writers  whether published by major houses or self-published, live pretty much on subsistence level income. Keep a file on resources that can help such as organizations you might belong to that offer assistance for artists/writers in distress. Those same organizations such as The Freelancer’sUnion, The Author’s Guild (if you live in the right state and qualify to be in the Guild), Romance Writers of America and other writers’ and independent workers’ associations offer avenues to pursue health insurance at a cost you might actually be able to afford because in our country we don’t have the good sense to have universal health care available. Of course there are usually membership dues that have to be met, but not always.

Do you have family that might help out in an emergency? I wouldn’t make a habit of that, but in extremis, it’s good to know.  

Take your writing and yourself seriously. You’re not just a creative, you’re a business person. You’re going to have to learn to read contracts, negotiate and generally keep track of what’s going on in the industry (aka writing/publishing world). Yes you can have an agent who negotiates contracts for you, but I hope you aren’t reading those things blind and are actually taking time to understand the language. And that’s IF you have an agent. If you’re Indie to the bone, doing it all yourself, then  you’re going to have to learn or you’re really going to get shafted somewhere along the road. 

Another lesson I’ve learned is never throw any of my creative work away.  Rewriting a story written years earlier, one you just didn’t have the skill to do justice to at that time, can be an unexpected boon. And that doesn’t count cannibalization. Maybe that old story stinks, but some of the characters were great or the setting was perfect for a new story idea. Think about it, work with it. Don’t throw past work away, especially now that it can be saved on disc!

 Yet another lesson. Give your readers something to think about. Don’t give them all the answers. Now, by that I don’t mean leave your story hanging, but rather leave a little something behind that gets them to ask questions that might not have occurred before. Something to remember you by. Something that niggles enough that they want to read what you write next.