You’re back! *grin*
Okay, fellow writers, then let’s get busy. Today, as we prep for our journey, I want you to start exercising! We’re going to get in shape! Work off the dust of our minds, and tighten the flab of our daily schedules so we can utilize the writing time we have our days.
Writing is much like every other discipline. There are four keys to a successful writer’s life:
It takes commitment, (after all, as much as we’d like it to happen, those books don’t just download from our brains automatically!), it takes nurturing (did you know that your brain has a well of words for each day, and you need to replenish those words after you use them?), it takes time, (something we’re going to figure out how to get!) and it takes a game plan.
Commitment
Nurturing
Time
Game Plan
Let’s start with Commitment. The fact is, writing will take you away from your family, your health club, your church, your social groups, your online gaming, your sudoku, your televisionâ¦you get the drift. There are costs. The keys are 1. Priorities, 2. Balance, and 3. Perspective.
Writing should ALWAYS come after spending time with God (that’s the nurturing part!) and rarely above family and church, but sometimes it does come before workouts and social life. My friend Judy Baer (writing coach, extraordinaire) used this illustration with me once: Stand on one foot and balance there. You don’t stand perfectly still, but rather, lean to different sides to keep your balance. Writing and life should be like this — different sides require attention in different waves. If you are to invest in writing, then know that you might have to give up other thingsâ¦not forever! But for a while. If you were training for the Olympics, you’d have a training schedule and it would ramp up when you had specific events to meet. Take a look at your life, and see if you can carve out 1 hour/day, or three a week to invest in writing. Then, put that on your calendar in RED. It’s an appointment. Be there.
Nurturing: Your brain needs a steady supply of new words, spiritual nourishment, research facts and good writing to keep it fresh and ready to put prose on the page. Make a habit of spending time soaking in God’s word, or a devotional book like Streams in the Desert. Then, start your writing time reading the psalms, or perhaps a book of poetry. Don’t be afraid of the Discovery channel for interesting plot ideas! And make it your goal this year to read in your genre! Always, read UP! Ffind authors that are better than you and soak in their words, analyzing why they are fabulous. Feeding your mind and your soul will give you the materials you can draw from as you create.
Time: This is one of the hardest areas for new writers â most of us donât have hours in the day to wait for the muse to find us. We have thirty minutes after supper, or perhaps three hours on a Saturday morning.
Here’s a few strategies for maximizing that time:
1. Plan ahead for your writing time, and get your family to help you protect it. Promise them ice cream if you have to! Getting them on your side will help you not feel guilty AND give them an opportunity to share in your victories as you write.
2. Keep a notebook of ideas that will invariably come to you as you wash dishes, walk the dog, clean the bathroom, drive to work, sit in a boring meeting, even in the middle of the night. No, you can’t go dash to your computer to put in that perfect sentence–¦so put it in your notebook. You’ll have a collection of words and sentences to jump start your creativity.
3. Don’t clean up your writing space mid-project (okay, I know, that sounds like a messy person’s excuse but..) if you simply walk away from your computer after you finish a scene, you’ll be able to slip right back in when you come back. I always suggest having a different room to write in so you can close the door, (even if it’s a section of your bedroom — something I did for years. I had a little garage sale chair with a pile of books on the opposite side of the bed–my little alcove.) But, if you can’t, invest in a little basket to throw al your writing gear in (research books, etc), and then set it somewhere where it won’t be ‘reorganized’. (as my husband calls it!). Keeping your research handy helps you maximize your time as you sit down and dive back into your story.
Finally, you need a Game Plan and I’m not talking plotting versus seat of the pants here — I’m talking about a little journal that you keep AFTER your writing session. Write down any thoughts you have for the next chapter, as well as your goal for the next writing session. Maybe you want to go back and revise the pervious chapter, or fix certain words. Maybe you need more research. Maybe you just want to plow ahead, but have notes on revisions. Keeping a journal of your writing time helps you focus on each writing session without having to think, “now, where was I?” Especially if a week has gone by in between writing sessions.
Now, for all of you who have little children and think, “hey, I don’t even have time to wash my hair, I can’t possibly write, my words to you are, well, let’s see –greasy hair versus seeing your dreams come true. You can wash your hair when your kids go to school. No, I’m not that bad! I like clean hair, but I well remember the days when I typed with my children on my lap, or stayed up late with my laptop while my husband snoozed beside me.
Commitment
Nurturing
Time
Game Plan
I’d love to hear how you implement the 4 keys into your life — hey, your idea just might be what makes one of your fellow BT readers finally take the journey!
Tomorrow we’ll be talking about the essential tools for a writer — the writing books you must have, and some of the ways the Book Therapists go about writing a novel¦! (they’re just ideas to jump start your thinking!)
Comments 10
I like the idea of having a journal to keep editing and next step ideas. I fall into the rut of revising until I like it rather than finishing the book.
Awesome post, Suz. Your brilliance amazes me!
T
Being a SAHM with two little boys and a tight budget I have already cut out so much that I’ve often wondered what else had to give for me to realize this dream. In the end what has to give is the belief that I don’t deserve the time to write or that I’m selfish if I take some time away from my family.
Us women have to make ourselves believe we deserve it and that we are not selfish for having an interest outside our family.
I know for me I have to have a set time for writing so that I don’t feel deprived and agitated all day by the idea that I’m not going to get the time for myself…when I know the time is coming I am much more engaged with the other top priorities in my life (God, family and house).
Amen Jenna!
I can’t tell you ladies how much I have been enjoying your posts. This is about the only blog I follow regularly. I gave up blog hopping to have more writing time, but this one I won’t miss. Count me in, ladies. This is just what I need to keep me going. I don’t have much time now that I’m a homeschooling mom, but I’m determined to find a way. I’m trusting God to show me the way too! Hugs and blessings!
I really love this blog. Great tips and inspiration!
One thing that helps with commitment is to think of yourself as a writer. You may not have anything published, but in your mind and heart, you have to believe that you WILL, Someday, have a whole string of published novels. Envision it, the way an Olympic medalist envisions themselves winning the gold medal. That helps me, anyway. 🙂
Susan,
This series is coming just at the right time in my writing life.
and Jenna, you’ve expressed it so well…”Us women have to make ourselves believe we deserve it and that we are not selfish for having an interest outside our family.”
Michelle
I don’t have a problem committing to writing – when I’m really into a story and it has consumed me so completely, the problem I have is NOT writing! I am really blessed to be able to stay home, my kids are older so I don’t have to worry about them during the day. But I do struggle to balance the rest of my life with writing. Sadly some days I don’t want to be part of the rest of the world, I just want to stay home and write my book! I think that’s where the nurturing part comes in. It is my prayer this year to really get much closer to God so that I am aware of every move I make and whether it’s in step with His will for me. It’s far too easy to barrel along on my own steam. I’d love to be able to find a balance that works. I look forward to more ideas from the rest of you!
I jumped the gun, I posted a commitment response to the great posting yesterday. Committment. I lack self discipline…I am working on it, but it’s missing in almost every area of my life. Instead of making huge make me feel bad when I don’t fulfill them resolutions this year I’ve made some subtle promises to myself and God. To be healthier, to read more of His word, and some other stuff. Each one a committment to a spiritual, emotional or physical part of my life. Including what I do believe he has called me to …writing. So everyday, I’m writing something. I love Susie’s idea of carrying a notebook so even when Life is taking over, I can keep the promise by writing something…..
looking forward to more of this.
thanks for sending that email T.
This is so timely.
Last year, I realized that many of my friends that I’d started out with (in ACRW) had gotten published. I decided I hadn’t worked hard enough and probably wasn’t good enough as a writer. I asked myself, are you serious about this or not?
This year I made a commitment to write. To learn how to write well and to write.
I find it important to nurture with God’s Word or I have no ideas, nothing flows from the old fingers. And prayer. Never start writing without praying.
Time. Until my job dissolves here in a few months, I still have to carve it out of the little time I can call my own. Most usually it’s late at night, but sometimes it’s earlier in the day while my brain cells are still awake.
Game Plan. I love the journal idea. I always open a document labeled research and type notes into it while I’m writing. But nothing beats the feel of actual pen and paper.
Great post and superb blog!
I can’t believe I stumbled onto this blog yesterday! Do you ever get that feeling that God and you are actually having a two-way conversation? Two months ago, I was so frustrated, I just threw up my hands and told God okay, I give. Maybe writing isn’t what You want me to do. Then last month, in the middle of all that is humanized Christmas, God gave me a new story. Something I’ve never tried before and, frankly, am scared to death to write. But He who is faithful, has led me to new resources, including this blog. He,he,he–and THEY say miracles don’t happen. I absolutely love this post and the last one. Terrific blog. Can’t wait to see more!!!