by DiAnn Mills, @diannmills
I challenge every writer to take a look at their calendar. Some of us rely on an online version while others use paper. The type doesn’t matter because our method of keeping track of time depends on our preferences, priorities, and personalities (the 3 Ps). But our calendars say a lot about our writing habits.
Organization
Be honest. Are we making wise use of our time by allotting time to include our responsibilities and our writing?
Health, Nutrition, and Exercise
A writer can’t work his/her best when their health suffers. A nutritious diet and regular exercise keep our minds and bodies fit. This also includes regular medical and dental checkups, then heeding the professional’s advice.
Spiritual
God should have first place in our lives. But does He? Are we turning on our prayer life before we turn on our computers? He’s the Boss, the great Creator, and the One who called us into the writing life.
Work
Writing is work. If it were easy, the whole world would be writing. Put your buns in the chair, turn off all distractions, and create.
“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” Louis L’Amour
Downtime
Allowing time to breathe means allowing our minds to rest. This is an invaluable tool to process what’s been written: analyze if the project has been done to the best of our ability and consider edits to make it stronger.
We also need to turn our attention to other matters, like hobbies and entertainment. When we return to our writing, our minds are more rested and free to fly with new ideas.
Review what we’ve learned about our work habits. Do we need to make any changes?
We can always improve. Maybe we waste time, overwork our minds and bodies, and as a result, we write horrible junk. Take the time to honestly evaluate writing habits.
How do we put into practice new writing habits?
- Be realistic with what we can accomplish. Unreachable and unrealistic goals can serve to depress us. We choose to quit when the objective becomes impossible.
- Add balance to our writing life. If all we do is write, and our calendar shows it, one day we’ll crash and burn. The joy of communicating through the written word shatters and we quit.
- Discover when our minds work best and calendar those times to write. Don’t put it off because procrastination results in regret, and we fail to write our best.
- Create a plan to coincide with our personality. Our personalities dictate the mechanics of our minds.
- Eliminate distractions that steal our productivity. Perhaps we need stop our email and messaging apps. Turn our computer’s sound off and turn our phones “off” or on “vibrate.” Take action to improve your writing time without interruptions.
- Review and analyze the new habits weekly. Don’t hesitate to make changes. We want our calendars to reflect good professional writing habits—not reflect an amateur’s approach.
What suggestions can you make to reflect professional writing habits?
There’s a killer on the loose in Galveston, targeting law enforcement officials and using a fatal injection of snake venom to take them down. Authorities have reasons to believe the Veneno gang is behind the hits, and FBI Agents Leah Riesel and Jon Colbert team up to track down those responsible. Their best lead is an eyewitness who identifies a young man dumping the third body on a church doorstep. But their suspect has gone into hiding, and those closest to him are reluctant to reveal anything that might help investigators find him. As Leah and Jon check connections among the victims and dig deeper into motives, they discover appearances may be deceiving. Someone is desperate to keep their secrets hidden, and Leah and Jon must face their greatest fears in order to stop the next fatal strike.
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She is a storyteller and creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is the director of the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, Mountainside Marketing Retreat, and Mountainside Novelist Retreat with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.
Connect with DiAnn here: www.diannmills.com