A-Z Reflections

This was the third year I took part in the A-Z Challenge. The first year I did an A-Z of writing tips. The second year I did an A-Z of photography, and this year I let my geek out. I had a whole lot of fun reminiscing about all the books, movies, TV and games that influenced me into the geeky person I am today. I think I may have surprised a few people.

In all honesty, I want to continue raving about those favourite stories and activities. I’m not sure yet how I’ll incorporate that into my blog, but time will tell. I’ll work something out.

The things I learned from the challenge:
1. Scheduling. When time is tight, which it invariably is during the challenge, setting up a regular routine to get everything done is essential. That means scheduling. It was the only way I got through the challenge.

2. Planning. Another essential element, closely related to scheduling. As the picture shows, I wrote up a list on a single page of my notebook. Sure, it’s messy, but that was all I needed. It gave me direction and focus. And it meant I wasn’t scrambling around in a tizz trying to work out what I was going to post about each day.

3. Comments. I learnt I could visit everyone on the blogsphere while also online playing World of Warcraft, specifically while waiting in queue for the next raid or dungeon. Who knew?! Talk about a brilliant revelation! That means I can get more writing done during the day!

4. Followers. I gained more than I expected since I didn’t go out searching for new followers during the challenge. That was a happy bonus!

Final thoughts about the challenge:
I still came across the word verifications. They tend to be an indication of bloggers who are new, since it’s something you have to go find and turn off. I also still came across super long posts. Some were fascinating so I didn’t mind, but others could’ve been shortened. By a lot.

My favourite during the challenge:
Clarissa Draper. Wow, girl! Your theme rocked! Sure it took a little extra time to work out those puzzles and codes, but it was like a treat at the end of the day. And to my absolute surprise, I squeezed into the top five of her visitors who correctly worked out the solutions. I won a $10 gift voucher for Amazon! Thank you so much, Clarissa!

How did you go during the challenge? What did you think of my theme? Any surprises?

#AtoZChallenge

6 Benefits of Writing Every Day

Firstly I’d like to stress that if you can’t write every day then this doesn’t somehow make you less of a writer. However, there are some clear benefits of making the time to write on a daily basis. Here is what I’ve learned the hard way:  

1. Practice makes perfect: In so much of life it’s about quality, not quantity. In writing, however, I believe quantity is essential to achieve quality. By doing we learn, we stretch ourselves, we hone our skills. When we write only occasionally it takes us a while to loosen our stiff writing muscles. When those muscles have limbered up, our work becomes smooth and our words flow.

2.  For confidence: When we write a lot we grow in confidence—confidence in ourselves, our words, our stories. We gain the courage to step away from the current trends and write the stories our characters call for, those special stories caught in our heart.  

3. Less pressure to get it right first try: When we write now and then, our work tends to need to be good. We’ll agonise over the few words we have, we’ll stress over our rare moments of creativity, and we’ll feel like a failure if the work isn’t perfect. When we write every day—or, at least, frequently—then instant perfection matters less because we suddenly have more to offer. We’ve given ourselves more time to try different things, to experiment, to play. The pressure isn’t there and the perverseness of that simple fact means we tend to write better. Go figure.  

4. To build discipline: As most writers will tell you: Writing ain’t easy! A certain level of discipline is required to turn a writing hobby in a writing career. If it’s a career you want, then by writing every day you’ll practise the kind of discipline you’ll need to shape that career.

5. To ward off writer’s block: I believe that waiting for inspiration is one of the major causes of writer’s block. This is because inspiration is always late to a party and is never around when you need her. By making the decision to write every day, we can’t wait for her. We have to write anyway.  

6. To achieve those goals and dreams: The more we write the faster we write. My first novel took me nine years to complete because I didn’t write every day. I only wrote when I felt like it, which in the beginning wasn’t often. Now that I write close to every day, I’ve written three novels in two years and they are a gazillion times better than that first novel.  

What are some other benefits to writing every day? Do you think there may be some disadvantages?

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WINNERS: A big congratulations to LG Smith for winning an ebook copy of Justine Dell’s Recaptured Dreams. Congrats also to Tonja and Shelley for being bookmark winners!!!  

Note: I will return to posting on Wednesday 3rd Oct with an exciting giveaway and a post for the Insecure Writers' Support Group. In the meanwhile, I'll still be around the blogsphere.

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6 Easy Steps to Stop the Chaos in Your Life

The last few months I hadn't managed to get a lot of writing done. I'd been stuck in the middle of things-that-had-to-be-done. I had to deal with marketing demands, edits on various projects—story edits, line edits, edits on edits—commitments to friends, and other deadlines. Inner turmoil grew and I fell behind on my emails, on my comments, my reading lists, and my social networking. A little voice inside me wailed to simply write something new, to explore fresh ideas. But I couldn't find the time or the will.

The advice I'd normally give writers struggling with this is problem is make the time and just write! Sounds simple enough. There's always enough time if we want something enough. But it wasn't so simple when I'd allowed life and everything that goes with it to get on top of me.

So how did I pull myself out of this malaise? Below are the 6 steps I took to turn chaos into order so that I could get back on course to achieving my goals.

1. Decide to make a change: This step is probably the most important of all of the steps. There are few goals in life that are impossible to reach if we truly decide go after them.

2. Unclutter: Deep down I like things to be neat. I like a clean kitchen, I like a tidy living room, and I love to unclutter. But the thing is, my writing area is almost always a mess. I'll clean it up once in a while, but it quickly falls into disarray. I have no idea why. Perhaps it's part of the chaos that makes up a creative mind. Normally this particular mess wouldn't bother me, but because I had too much chaos in my life, it was time to clean it up. There is a certain truth behind the saying that an untidy desk reflects an untidy mind. The act of uncluttering the work space also helps to reinforce the decision to make a change.

3. Make a list: I know that lists aren't for everyone, but I'd like to encourage anyone in this situation to give it a go, just to kick-start the brain. It's a great way of seeing and organising all the things that must be done. It doesn't seem so intimidating once it's written in list form.

4. Prioritize the list: It's a tempting thing to do the easiest things on the list first, but when there are more pressing commitments that need to be taken care of, they'll continue to hang over your head like a noose until they are done. Prioritize your list and remember not to put your personal goals last, eg writing.

5. Make a schedule: Again, this is not for everyone, but sometimes it's necessary to bring back order into your life. Remember that flexibility is key to making schedules work. Keep adjusting your schedule until you find one that works for your lifestyle.

6. Repeat: This process may need to be repeated until you work your way out of the crazies and into a satisfying creative life.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by everything going on in your life? How did you get over that feeling?

NOTE: Notice anything super cool about the unrelated image above? It's the contents page of Short and Twisted 2012, an anthology of stories and poems with a twist, just released by Celapene Press. Squeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

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How to Balance Your Social Networking Time

In my previous post I explained how social media is a great investment of our time, but it can begin to drain too much of that time. This post will offer ways you can balance social media so that it doesn't become a demand on your time.

Assess your current time usage. This means being honest with how much time you spend on social media sites in all their flavours. You might be surprised by how high that number is, especially if you dip your toes in at regular intervals during the day.

Note: a part of this assessment should include some honesty behind why you are currently using it. For example, many of us use it as a distraction from other priorities.

Assess what you want from social media. There are many reasons to hang out on social networking sites: to sell a product, to be a part of a supportive community, to build a platform, to connect with friends, to keep in touch with an industry of choice, to learn new information, to be seen, to be distracted, to share…and the list goes on.

Assess your priorities. Now that you know what you want, you need to work out your priorities. This includes the priority of each 'want' if you have more than one, as well as your priorities outside social networking.

Assess your needed time usage. Based on what you want from social media and other priorities, you should be able to work out how much time you'll need to gain the most out of all of them. For example, if it's about platform building, then a writer who hasn't finished their first manuscript doesn't need to spend as much time networking as an author who is about to release their book. The amount will also vary depending on the type of social media. Some, like blogging, require more time than others.

Schedule your time. If you don't like schedules, then place a maximum time limit on your browsing, commenting, tweeting etc. These are the best way to keep an eye on your time if you stick to them.

Take a break. Breaks hold off burn-out. They keep us sane and they can refresh our spirit. Know that you won't fall off the grid if you disappear for a week or even two. Note: Rather than just disappearing, it's crucial to inform your readers/followers of your plan and let them know when they can expect you back.

Be flexible. Demands on your time will fluctuate and needs will vary. It's important to stay flexible and adjust to these changes.

This post turned out longer than I'd expected so next week I'll share specific tips on the things you can do to cut back. 

What do you want from social media?

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Thank you to Amy at The Literary Mom for the Sunshine Award. Thank you also to Susan Fields for the Great Comments Award. Please pop on by their blogs to say hi from me.

Bust 4 Myths to Gain More Writing Time

Writing a novel isn't a quick exercise. It takes a mountain of time, discipline and perseverance. Consequently, the phenomenon of never having enough time is a common one. Whether you have a single hour to write per day or twelve, this is what inevitably happens:

In the early days of a project, even if it's not easy to make time, your enthusiasm and positivity are enough to keep you going. When you reach the middle, that energy begins to wane. You'll read through your draft of genius and realise how much more work you need to throw into your project. You'll ask yourself, 'How will I ever get it done?' You'll begin to doubt your chances of reaching that end goal. And so enters the first myth:

Myth #1: I don't have enough time to write.
Sure, you may not have a full day of freedom to write, but when you love something, you make time for it--regardless of the surrounding chaos. If interruptions are a problem, then find a writing nook you can close yourself away into. Make sure your family members understand the time you've set aside for writing is important to you and unless it's an emergency you don't want to be disturbed. If noise is a problem, then try music to help you focus. Scheduling in specific writing time is a great way to gain the kind of discipline needed. Achievable goals are another. To allow for unforeseen circumstances, I set myself a weekly writing goal rather than a daily one. What I can't achieve on one day I can make up for on another. Flexibility is key.

Myth #2: I need a large block of time to write.
When your day is full of commitments that can't be ignored, and your schedule falls by the wayside, it's easy to think writing isn't possible. But there are ways around this. You can still write in thirty minutes, ten minutes, or even in snatched seconds (as I did for part of this post). You can carry small notepads around with you during your day, or one of countless high tech devises to record your words. If you are out and about, you can still write.

Myth #3: I have to be in the right mood to write.
Mood is not a prerequisite for writing and neither is inspiration. Allowing mood to sway your decision to write will only hold you back. This is why schedules work for me. I give myself a set time to write and, regardless of mood, inspiration or anything else, I write.

Myth #4: Other commitments are more important than my writing.
Women in particular have a knack for putting themselves last in their list of priorities, especially when they have a family to look after. If writing is more important to you than just a little side hobby, then you should treat it better than you would such a hobby. It's a matter of priority.

In summary:
Don't make excuses. If you are struggling to find the time to write, then do something about it. Prioritize your day and make a schedule which includes some writing time. Make sure your loved ones understand how important writing is to you and ask for their support. And don't wait for your muse--just write.

How do you find the time to write?
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Announcements:
1. The Fourth Writers' Platform-Building Campaign has begun. Head on over to check it out and sign up for the fun. It's a fantastic way to meet new friends.

2. One of my posts was picked up by the Everything Author website. The article is on the advantages of writing a fast first draft. Feel free to check it out.

I Write my Best When…

The New Year is a time of new beginnings and it's made me think about ways I could improve not only my writing, but the way I write as well including my scheduling, my goals, my attitude. I came up with a list which I thought I'd share, a list that helped me toward an optimum writing environment:

I write my best…

1. when I stop over-thinking it and just write. As soon as I see those doubts come creeping in, I must catch them fast before they take hold and just keep writing.
2. when I throw myself into my characters so I can see through their eyes and experience what they experience, rather than forcing my own experiences and reactions on them. I've found it's not enough to just step back from a scene and view it from afar. This is good for editing, but not so good for fresh creations. I need to become a part of it, to taste it, feel it, smell it.
3. when I take the time to distance myself from a draft. A fresh perspective can help me see the mistakes, the slow moving plot, the dodgy phrasing.
4. when I'm active both physically and mentally. When I sit around all day reading and writing, my work becomes as stodgy as old pudding. I need to get up and get the blood pumping. I need to engage with the real world.
5. when I look after myself. This includes not skipping meals because the writing is going well. I inevitably pay for it later.
6. when I'm not necessarily happy, but content.
7. when I stop worrying what others will think.
8. when I have few distractions--including the internet, the smell of chocolate when I'm dieting, jack hammers etc. Not all distractions can be switched off, so I must find a way to overcome them even if it means facing them head on.
9. when I live outside my self-created worlds. Stepping away from the computer is essential to gain life experiences. These experiences become inspiration for more stories.
10. when I just write. I've found I need schedules and goals. I can't rely on a muse to tell me when it's okay to write. Circumstances will never be perfect for writing, so I must just keep writing.

When do you write your best?
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I hope you like the new look for my blog. A special thank you again to Dezzy for the use of the wonderful banner he'd created for me last year. It served me well. Below is a pic of my blog the way it used to look, including Dezzy's banner--for prosperity.

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Thank you to Nancy Thompson for the Great Comments Award. I really appreciate it. Please pop on over and say hi from me.

When Writing a Novel seems Insurmountable

On the weekend I attended a Speculative Fiction Writers' Festival which was held at the NSW Writers' Centre. It was a brilliant gathering of like-minded writers. One of the questions asked of the successful novelists on the panels was whether or not they had to give up anything to pursue their careers.

In summary, here are the answers to facing the mammoth task of writing novels for a living:

Expect hard work. You have to know what you are getting into from the start. Don't get sucked into the romance of becoming a novelist. It's a lot of hard, slow, lonely work. Going in with eyes wide open, will help prepare you for what is to come.

Get organised. If you are organised and set yourself priorities, then you won't have to give up anything. The only thing you may have to do is cut back on some things when a deadline is looming.

Hold onto the Joy. Try to remember why you started writing in the first place. Try not to think of it as a chore, but a creative outlet.

Take short breaks. If a large project is causing you difficulties, allow yourself a break from it. This doesn't mean you have to stop writing. Try writing short stories or articles.

And, in extreme circumstances when a story begins to stagnate:
The Traffic Light Rule: One author says she uses the theory that if she isn't passionate enough about a novel that she isn't thinking about it when she's doing nothing eg sitting at traffic lights, then it might be time to let the story go until she can find the passion for it again. I will add, this isn't for everyone and sometimes Grim Determination is what it takes to finish a novel.

How do you get over the huge task of finishing a novel?

How to Balance Writing and Social Media

Lynn Kelley asked, 'How do you balance your writing time with your social media time?' Managing time is something that’s constantly on a writer’s mind. There never seems to be enough time for writing let alone social media, family, friends, exercise, reading, house cleaning and the day job. I’ve written a few posts on this topic. One is called 3 Ways to Manage your Time, which include prioritising, scheduling and making goals. Today I will go through the process in terms of social media:

How to prioritise:
1. Ask yourself why you write and what you hope to get out of it.
2. Ask yourself why you spend your time on social media and what you hope to get out of it.
3. Using these answers, work out which is more important to you.
4. Work out how long it takes to achieve your writing and social media goals.
5. Schedule accordingly.

Suggestions:
If you are stuck in revisions and use social media as a distraction, then you may need to reassess your time and spend more of it on your work in progress.

If you’ve found a deep satisfaction making connections with others through social media and don’t mind giving up writing time, then you might want to spend more time in social media.

If you are in the process of writing your first novel, you may want to spend more time writing. Remember, social media won’t help sales if you never finish your book.

If you are just starting to build a platform via social media and worry about not having the huge number of followers, then don’t. It’s not about numbers, it’s about connections. If you start early enough you can trust that followers will grow over time. There’s no need to spend countless hours a day on it unless you have the spare time to enjoy it.

The second part of Lynn’s question was how do you schedule your social media time? I give myself until 9am every weekday morning for social media and I try to take the weekends off to avoid burnout. If I fall behind I’ll spend a little extra time before my hubby comes home from work. How do you schedule your social media time?

The Benefits of Scheduling Daily Writing Time

When I first started writing I avoided scheduling in time to write because it felt too much like school work. I believed it stifled my creativity and I didn’t like the rigidity of having to write on queue. I wanted to write when I felt inspired. The problem with this is I became reliant on that often elusive writing vibe. Other important priorities in life took precedence. I wrote less and, when I did eventually write, any talent I might have enjoyed had grown rusty.

It wasn’t until I started working with a daily writing schedule that my work improved. I discovered the joys of scheduling and the thrill of achieving goals. The possibility of completing a novel suddenly became attainable. Distractions didn’t sneak in as often, writing leapt up in my list of priorities, and I realised I didn’t need to hear the whisperings of my muse before I could write anything halfway decent.

The first draft of my first book took nine years to complete. The first draft of my first scheduled book took three months.

In summary, scheduling daily writing time:
Raises productivity;
Increases our writing priorities;
Reduces distractions;
Improves our writing;
Helps to make goals and deadlines achievable;
And pushes back those niggling doubts.

Why do you--or don’t you--schedule in writing time? How much time do you spend writing per day?

Pic: Big Ben, London, England

Keeping Track

Today I’m taking part in Patti Nielson’s Blogfest about keeping track of how much time we wrote or edited last week. This Blogfest was a great exercise. It reminded me how important it is to keep track of the time because it’s so easy to squander. Distractions have a way of creeping in and before we know it another day has passed and we have little to show for it.

If this Blogfest had happened a month ago I could have proudly posted my neat schedule and my 1000 words a day goal. However, now I’m in the editing phase and it’s harder to pinpoint goals while I’m still looking at the big picture, testing my plot, tweaking the characters and events. I needed to adjust my schedule and be both stricter and kinder with myself so I can get this done and feel good about it.

As it turned out I did an average of five hours a day on editing. It would have been higher but I didn’t start the week off well and I chose to take a day off and I didn't even bother to count the weekend because I've been down with flu. However, when I paid attention to what I was doing – yes, reading through the ms is editing; yes, thinking about plot is editing; yes, scrubbing out changes I’d just made is still successful editing – I felt so much better about my WIP. I may not have been able to point to fresh new pages of glossy print, but I did achieve a forward step on my novel.

So, my advice is to keep track. Give yourself achievable goals. Be kind to yourself. And keep writing!

Do you try to keep track of your daily achievements? If so, how do you keep track?

7 Ways to Avoid Burn Out

Many of us experience burnout when we pour everything we have into our writing. We spend hours a day, everyday, on our works in progress, on our blog posts, on our comments, on Facebook, on Twitter, all in the name of our writing career.

It can often be an uphill battle. We may not be getting the feedback we want. We may be losing too many hours of the day and our houses are turning into breeding grounds for dust bunnies. We may be beginning to listen again to that voice of doubt that niggles in the background of our minds.

These are sure signs of burn out, so how do we avoid this?

1. Take a break. You don’t have to spend thousands on a trip to a tropical island, but a break – any break – will do you wonders. I try to take a blogging break every weekend. I’m currently taking a break from my WIP before I start to edit. Sometimes I need to take a week off from everything. We are allowed.

2. Be kind to yourself. Remember you aren’t a superhero. You aren’t impervious to criticism, you aren’t immune to the pressures of deadlines, but you can learn to deal with these things by being kind to yourself. Pamper yourself with not only the occasional indulgences (chocolate is my favourite indulgence), but pamper yourself with kind thoughts as well. Tell yourself you will reach your goals.

3. Exercise. Blow away the cobwebs of the mind, step away from the keyboard or pen and breathe in some fresh air. Get the heart pumping.

4. Visit friends. I don’t know about you, but I tend to immerse myself in my work and forget the importance of friendship, relaxation and a great girly chat over lunch. (For the guys who read this blog change ‘girly chat’ with manly beer and grunts over lunch).

5. Reschedule. If you are burning out then it may be time to reassess how much time you have devoted to your career. Because our jobs aren’t the typical eight hour day it’s harder to regulate so we need to stay on top of it. You may need to cut back for a while.

6. Prioritise. This is one of my favourites. When drawing close to a deadline our writing becomes more important so we will have to cut back on other things such as social media until that deadline is met. But know there is an end in sight and make it as easy as possible for yourself.

7. Remember the highs. It’s good to remember why you love to write and why you put yourself under so much pressure. Remembering will help to sustain you.

Have you experienced burn out? What are some things you do to avoid burn out?

3 Ways to Manage Your Time

Time is a beast that every writer must tame otherwise it slips through our fingers with all too much ease. Family duties, job demands, and general living all have a stake in our time. On our list of priorities, writing has a tendency to drop to the lower ranks. Before we know it another year has gone by and we are no closer to finishing our novels. So what are some ways we can manage our precious time?

1. Prioritise. How important is writing to you? Are you happy with it to remain a hobby or would you like to make a career out of writing? These are the questions you need to ask yourself. If you want to make a career of it, then you have to treat it like any other job. When it is time to go to work, then you need to find a way of switching off from all other distractions and write.

2. Schedule. A great way of finding time to write is schedule a time to write. This not only helps you, but it also helps your family members. They will get used to the time you devote to writing especially if you have a regular schedule for it. They will even help you to stick to that schedule.

At this point I need to add that some people – me included – don’t like the rigidity of schedules. I can’t stick to one rule for schedules because I need a level of flexibility. I try to write every day. I try to start writing my WIP at 9.30am at the latest Monday-Friday. I take 30min lunch break (sometimes 40mins) and then I write some more until 2-3pm. If my writing is cooking then I’ll keep going. I don’t often write past 4.30pm, although it has been known to happen on that sweet rare occasion. Of course, that schedule goes out the window on the weekends, but that’s ok, as long as I find some time to write.

3. Make Goals. The best way I’ve found to manage my time is working with word count goals. My minimum goal per week is 7000 words. My daily word count is a loose 1000 words a day. Some days I can only squeeze out 400 words. That might sound sad and disappointing, but with my weekly goal, I can play catch up without having to bemoan the lack of progress. Some days I’ve written 1000 words in an hour so I keep writing and take great joy in the bonus words. With these relatively easy goals, I’m able to feel a sense of achievement with my writing and I’m able to push myself more if I’m close to a self-made deadline.

Of course, you don’t have to give yourself micro goals to help you manage your time. You can give yourself a broader goal. For example, you can tell yourself you want to finish your first draft by September.

When all is said and done, there is no point comparing yourself to anyone else. You have to find what works for you.

What are some tricks you’ve found that help you manage your time?

Writing without Inspiration

“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”
– Jack London.

Lack of inspiration used to be my greatest excuse not to write. While I was happy to remain a hobby writer, it wasn’t a problem. But, now that I am making writing my profession, I realised that I had to write and I had to write without inspiration.

It takes dedication and practice to write without inspiration. There will be times you won’t want to write. There’ll be times you’ll dread the keyboard or the pen. These are the times that will test us. These times will make us feel like we are wading through thorns. But these are the times we need to stick to our schedules and just keep writing.

If we keep writing inspiration may come – or it may not. It may never be a dazzling halo of glorious revelation, but we can write inspired pieces without being inspired. If we keep writing.

So keep writing.

What’s your greatest excuse not to write?

Better than the Dream

I’ve read a lot of blog posts recently about writers doubting themselves, their abilities, their chosen profession. I think as writers we are built to question everything, including ourselves. But we can’t let that stop us from writing.

Writing isn’t a stroll through a field full of daisies. It takes hard work and dedication. It requires a lot of sedentary and solitary time. It needs perseverance and an active mind. And it’s demanding on family and friends.

As a writer we wrestle with schedules and deadlines. Pressure squeezes us from every direction. Our acquaintances pressure us for our time. Our daily lives and duties pressure us for our attention. The desire to write well is a pressure. The need to pay bills is a pressure. Our own personal goals can also become a pressure.

When it gets too much, it’s important to reassess our priorities. Perhaps your daily word count goal is too high. Perhaps you need a weekly word count instead. What works for one writer may not work for you so you have to find out what works for you. The key is flexibility. Life changes, so sometimes our goals must also.

Perhaps the increased pressure is an indication of your need for a break. Everyone needs a break at some time. There is no point fighting it. But sometimes change is as good as a break. Change the way you write. Change where you write. Change what you write.

Don’t let the pressure frighten you off from writing. Don’t let it tell you lies about your abilities. Writing is better than that field of daisies we all think we dream about. It’s the challenge that wakes us up and lights the fires.

What is it about writing that you love so much?

Write to Learn

My last post was about the benefits of reading a lot to improve our writing skills. Today’s post is about the benefits of writing a lot to improve our writing skills.

Practice will always win over theory.

I wrote my first novel while I was still in high school. When the end of school exams came along I made a foolish decision to stop writing so I could put all my efforts into study. I did no creative writing for at least six months. Then other things in my life took precedence for another six months. Then months became years.

I will never get that time back.

When I did finally try to write again I was filled with doubts. My writing was stiff. My stories lacked fire. I’d lost not only the routine of writing, but also the skills of writing. It took many months of writing again to bring back the clarity of thought that is required of writers. It took many months of writing to loosen my prose.

When we write a lot we gain confidence. We are more willing to take a risk, to experiment with the words, to try something different.

When we write a lot we build a routine. We don’t need to scramble for writing time because we’ve already scheduled that time. People around us are used to that schedule and aren’t shocked when we suddenly need to disappear to write.

And when we write a lot we put into action all the subtle lessons we’ve learned through reading a lot. What might work for one writer, may not work for you. The more you write, the more you learn what works for you.

So, I urge you, don’t stop writing. Don’t let the doubts get the better of you. Don’t expect perfection in an instant. Write, write and keep writing.

What are the things that stop you from writing? On average how much do you try to write per day?

A Writer’s Focus

When you write do you focus on only one project at a time? Or are you constantly thinking of new ideas and stories?

There is a belief that to focus on only one story at a time is the best way to go. A writer can concentrate on all aspects of their project – the characters, the plot, the atmosphere, the style. This would mean they don’t water it down with intrusions of other ideas that don’t belong.

I asked this question via twitter. Everyone who responded said that they don’t go by this rule. They all pursued multiple ideas and projects. And they all indicated a little guilt over the fact as if it were a bad thing.

When I’m writing a powerful scene that’s charged with emotion or drama I do find I must focus on that scene only to be able to capture the full essence of the scene. I write my best when I’m focussed. But, I’m also one of those people who read more than one book at a time and I have multiple short stories and articles in the works, a hundred blog ideas floating around my mind and a number of book ideas calling for attention. None of this is a bad thing. It’s natural for a writer to be abuzz with ideas to explore.

How then can I focus on one project with all that jumbled in my head?

I make a list of priorities, I follow a schedule and I have an internal switch to control the chaos.

When a deadline draws near, that’s my priority. Because of this, I try to write all my blog posts ahead of time and preschedule them to post. I try to be a week ahead. I then schedule my novel and non-fiction book writing time and try to stick to it. On the weekends I give myself the freedom to explore short story ideas.

It’s a handful, I know, but when I’m not writing, I’m thinking. I have notepads throughout the house so I can jot thoughts down when something triggers an idea. I cut out newspaper articles and put them in a pile to think about later.

I don’t spend a lot of time on a new idea. I’ll make a note and move back to the highest priority in my schedule.

Do you work on one project at a time? How do you manage your time and focus your thoughts?