Writers On The Move: writing life

Showing posts with label writing life. Show all posts

Happy Christmas

Christmas Eve and those of us who have everything under control can relax and look forward to a more--or less--peaceful day. Me? I'm still winding tinsel round the bannisters and hanging cards, wrapping parcels and eyeing in despair the muddy mess that was my kitchen floor. Yep--feeling just like the cross-eyed penguin in the front row right.

And it struck me that maybe how we cope with Christmas is how we cope with our writing life. I'm a deadline junkie, always flying in at the last possible moment when I know in my heart how much easier everything would be with better planning and, more importantly, sticking to a plan.

Happy. Happy Christmas if you're ready and set to go and scanning this post at leisure.

Happy, Happy Christmas if you're like me in the manic throes of preparation.

And Happy, Happy Holiday if you're managing to take the time out to catch up with your writing life.

My dear husband keeps asking what I want for Christmas. Dare I ask for the day off to plan a new novella?

What's your life lesson from the run up to Christmas? Whatever you're doing, have a wonderful day. And remember, even the disasters will be marvelous fodder for your writing.

Anne Duguid is a freelance content editor with MuseItUp Publishing and she tries to pass on helpful writing,editing and publishing tips at Slow and Steady Writers

Taking Time Out!

By "time out," I mean taking time "out" and perhaps even outside.

This weekend I have taken myself "out," for a private writers retreat.

For most of us, writing is a passion, it's what keeps us happy,

but it's a full time or part time job that keeps us in a home with food on the table.

Juggling writing with family and work is always a challenge,

and at a certain point you may find that taking time out might benefit you.

I find retreating really helpful when I've completed a manuscript and need some time for heavy duty revision. I may also retreat when I'm feeling blocked and need to force my seat in the chair for a period of time.

Here are some guidelines to getting the most from your writers retreat:

Finding the spot for your writers retreat.

I generally find that cabins in the woods or on lakes work really well for me.

1. You will most times bring in your own food, which means that you will not be distracted by where to eat.

2. I find these places quiet, which also helps with limiting distractions.

3. A walk along the shore or on a deserted path creates a great "head" writing opportunity.

Cabins are not the only places that writers may find to retreat to. Many authors use hotels or motels as places to disappear to and work.

Where doesn't work? I find it challenging to use my home, even when the rest of the family is gone, because there is always something that can be and should be done. Remember distraction is your enemy.

All work and no play?

You may find, like myself, that you accomplish so much that taking the time for a walk only makes you more creative. I find my fingers fairly flying across the keyboard when I return from a stroll.

1. Plan your writing/editing/revising time.

2. Plan your creative building time - otherwise known as walks, and/or hot baths.

So this year, plan your own retreat and get "out."

_______________________________

Currently, D. Jean is retreating to work on her latest women's fiction novel about reincarnation.

She is a writer of Women's Fiction and a co-author of a Young Adult Science Fiction Series. Her latest book, Flight from the Water Planet, Book 1 of The Exodus Series was written with coauthor, Austine Etcheverry.

D. Jean loves to tell stories of personal growth – where success has nothing to do with money or fame, but of living life to the fullest. She is also the author of the novels: Rocky's Mountains, Fire in the Hole and, Perception.

The Mermaid, her award winning short story was published in the anthology, Tales from a Sweltering City.

She is a wife, mother, grandmother and business coach. In her free time . . . ha! ha! ha! Anyway, you can find more about D. Jean Quarles, her writing and her books at her website at www.djeanquarles.com

You can also follower her at www.djeanquarles.blogspot.com or on Facebook

The Write Setting

A few weeks ago, I found myself able to getaway from the heat of Phoenix, Arizona and dashed to Lake Tahoe for a restful weekend. For me, restful means fun-filled days of long hikes. This photo was taken high above the Echo Lakes. Lovely.

Coming out from our extended walk via a boat, we passed a nice little island, where a cute cottage nestled with a deck that extended all the way to the lake. A beautiful golden retriever sat at the edge, guarding his master, a women who sat writing. Oh, the writer's life.

Since that moment I haven't been able to get that woman out of my mind. Imagine a setting like that in which to write. Yet, when I consider where my writing really gets done, I must admit it isn't when I'm in that type of environment. Often my husband and I have secreted away, he to fish and me to write in some wilderness area. I always go with such good intentions, but never seem to be able to concentrate - to work. The muse escapes me.

I've heard others speak about how invigorating it is to write in coffee shops. While I love the interplay of people surrounding me, my muse is always AWOL there, too. I generally gravitate to coffee shops when my work is in the editing stages - a time when my creativity isn't quite as crucial.

No, for me, the best writing has always been done in my office. A room of rich rose color that stimulates, but not so much that I can't focus. A place where my special things are nearby if I need them, but have become a part of the background, so they don't intrude.

I have tried many other places to find my muse: a hammock, a bathtub, a chair by the pool. While thoughts come to me in those moments, the words are elusive when I attempt to write from them. So I figure I may be like so many others, sentenced to a desk and chair in a room, sitting alone writing. A place where my muse has settled in and will talk to me.

Where do you find the muse?

____________________________

D. Jean Quarles is a writer of Women's Fiction and Young Adult Science Fiction. Her latest book, Flight from the Water Planet, Book 1 of The Exodus Series was written with her coauthor, Austine Etcheverry.

D. Jean loves to tell stories of personal growth – where success has nothing to do with money or fame, but of living life to the fullest. She is also the author of the novels: Rocky's Mountains, Fire in the Hole and, Perception. The Mermaid, an award winning short story was published in the anthology, Tales from a Sweltering City.

You can also follower her at www.djeanquarles.blogspot.com or on Facebook

Real Life Can Challenge the Writing Life

Writing is one of the most important things in my life but this summer I find myself balancing more than I have ever had to before. We are relocating 3 hours away so many of our days are met with traveling back and forth to the new house while trying to maintain the home we live in until it sells. Add in interviewing for a new nursing job for myself and my husband getting adjusted to his promotion and you can have a ball of stress if you allow it. So how do you keep writing, marketing, and social networking at the forefront when life is moving so fast all around you?

Balancing stress, real life activities and writing can be a challenge. Here are some of the tips I have found helpful during this life changing season of our lives.

Get organized: I am reorganizing every aspect of my writing as I prepare to move my home office from our old house to our new home. I spend a couple hours each day going through old papers, getting rid of old information and filing new information that has piled up around me. Pretty file folders make if fun and stand out in my drawer against the plain manila folders I also have. Newer projects get the new fancy folders.

Continue to pursue new avenues: I have continued to look for writing jobs for at least a half hour per day on my regular job sites. My writing resume is updated and I can easily write a quick cover letter to accompany the resume so applying to at least 2-4 jobs per week remains a constant goal. And it works. I have acquired two more paying jobs this month.

Ration writing time: I spend at least 5 hours a week writing the paid assignments I have to do on a weekly basis. The paid blogs I write for are pre-scheduled so I can write them all at the same time or I can grab writing time in short increments and still pre-schedule the posts to appear on the date they are due.

Continue an online presence: While I have limited the time I spend on Facebook and other social networks, I continue to blog, make comments on other blogs, and make 2-4 Twitter posts per day about my writing. I limit the time I am online otherwise I can find myself distracted and under productive, so social networking only takes 15 -30 minutes of my time. I also do some of that on my phone while waiting for my turn at other activities. But the truth is that marketing your work can't wait. Keeping an online presence and marketing yourself and your work will enhance your presence when you get up to full speed again.

Keep the notebook handy: I have a notebook in my bag for jotting down ideas that I don’t have the time to pursue at the moment. I have jotted several book ideas that have come to mind during this move that maybe viable. (Relocating and redefining your life pre-retirement and into retirement when you are not a millionaire may be a lucrative idea)

Relax: It is also important to relax and enjoy the process of writing. Enjoy the real life challenges that you have been asked to face in this life. And enjoy a few hours of free time, reading a good book or relaxing on a beach, resting in the afternoon, or enjoying a hot fudge sundae in front of an old movie. Relaxation allows us to rejuvenate even if we only grab a few minutes.

The important thing is to keep the writing fresh and at the forefront but to know when I have to stay off the computer for a day or two to attend to the move, my husband, and our new adventure. Even when not online though, writing is not far from my heart and a pen and paper are never far from my fingertips.

Terri Forehand

Making Those Tough Choices to Boost Your Writing Career

We make choices everyday. And choosing to make tough choices about our writing life can be more painful, influence our health, and tear at our hearts similar to making tough food choices and giving up those snacks we love. Bad food choices, bad health. Bad writing choices can lead to being overwhelmed, discouraged, unproductive, and hopeless as we compare how others are more successful than ourselves. When that happens, it is time for a change.

Bad writing choices may be an over-statment of the word "bad", but sometimes a writer must take a look at the actions being taken to promote a writing career versus the busy activities that maybe associated with a writing career, and I am at just that place.... I need more actions to move my writing forward and less activities that take up my time but don't advance my personal goals. Where do you stand with actions vs. activities?

It is important to analyze where you want the rest of the year to end up as far as those writing goals that were set in January. For me, I had to bow out of a writing group that I love ( tears at the heartstrings) but that was not really helping me to write. I have bowed out of two other monthly writing groups as well that required a monthly fee and were full of good advice but did not help me to write more.(It is similar to decreasing the chocolate and adding the fruit for a more healthy diet. A kind of discipline that will bring health back to your body and more pages to your next book. ) I need to socialize less, promote the businesses of others a little less, and write my own products more. It is not selfish, it is business. Without more pages of work, I would have nothing to promote.

Don't get me wrong, promoting others and networking is essential to a writing career and to getting your name out there and noticed especially on the sites of other successful authors. And I love promoting great new authors, good books, and established authors releasing new work. But if networking and promoting others is taking up all the time of a writer and the writer no longer has new products or material to send out to publishers, what good does it do to have your name splashed on those sites? "Author such and such..... oh yea, what does she write? Oh that's right, she stalks other author sites but doesn't write, has no expertise, and sure doesn't have a platform....." You get the idea.

At the risk of becoming more unknown than I am already, I have taken an action step. Less socializing and more writing. A unique idea? Maybe. A good choice for me? That remains to be seen and will be re-evaluated in September and again in December before I make my 2013 goals. But this much I know. It isn't healthy for me if I am not writing and I am just thinking about writing. It also doesn't pay the bills.

How healthy is your writing life? If it is not in tip top shape with submissions polished and ready or a steady paycheck coming in from previous work then maybe it is time to make some tough choices to boost the writing career of your dreams.

Terri Forehand writes from her rural home in Indiana. She writes for several online blogs for actual money and continues to work on several projects including picture books for children. Visit her website at http://www.terriforehand.webnode.com for more information. She blogs for children's writers at http://terri-forehand.blogspot.com

So You Want to be a Writer.....?

So, you want to be a writer... and let me say it is a wonderful person to be. But as you dream of your writing career, don't for a minute be blindsided into thinking you will soar to publication without WORK, hard work.

Some of you may be more successful and be quicker at succeeding than others but even J.K. Rowling worked years before becoming successful as did James Patterson, Stephen King, Luanne Rice, and all the others who are now household names.

Here are some of the steps in the process of becoming the writer you want to be and there are very few shortcuts.

Learn to write- that includes grammar, spelling, using active verbs, descriptive nouns, and weaving in the five senses- taste, touch, smell, sounds, and seeing everything around your story.
Understanding the mystery of publishing- traditional, self-publishing, print on demand, E-books, the whole enchilada.
Finding your audience, your niche, and what fresh way you can reach the reader.
MARKETING- this is such a big part of being a writer and an underestimated aspect of becoming a success. Learn to market yourself, network, join writing groups and study the business of writing.
Blog- get over your fear of blogging because a writer needs a place to get the words they write out to a reading audience. Blogs are the first step in becoming published and it is great place, cost effective, and easy to see your words in print.
Write- a writer writes. So while you are honing your craft, learning about publishing, networking, blogging, and handling the business of writing a true writer must WRITE.

The writing life is a wonderful experience where you visit places in your dreams and put those dreams on paper so others ( your audience) can visit as well. You make all kinds of wonderful supportive friends and touch elbows ( even if it only in the cyber world) with famous writers who you dream of emulating. But remember, you cannot soar there on a magic plane without the work it takes to keep the engine running. But those of us who write wouldn't have it any other way.

Terri Forehand
Author of The Cancer Prayer Book and a soon to be released PB titled The ABC's of Cancer According to Lilly Isabella Lane. Blog editor at Stories for Children publishing and author of numerous articles on nursing and health related topics.

http://terri-forehand.blogspot.com
www.terriforehand.webnode.com

Writing Using Word Association Lists

Have you ever had a great idea you wanted to put on paper but just couldn't get started? I'm raising both my hands. As a writer you want the best lead-in you can get. Unfortunately coming up with it isn't always easy. One of the tools I've found that helps me is a word association list.

I'm currently working with just one list. I sat down one night and created a list of words that could be associated with each season. So for spring I have words like warmth, breeze, renewal, rain and training. A few weeks ago when I was trying to write a devotion based on a verse about training your children, the spring portion of the list came in handy. As I scanned the list, I saw the entry "training (spring)". I immediately thought about baseball. That launched me on a parallel of how spring training relates to parenting. The devotion basically formed itself from that one word association.

Another devotion about transformation was written from the fall list. The word of choice was pumpkins. I'll share the beginning here so that you can see how thinking about pumpkins gave me the beginning I needed.

" Pumpkins know the power of transformation. They can remain a simple pumpkin or become part of a table centerpiece. Some become pie, soup or seeds. Many become jack-o'-lanterns. Whatever their final destination, they all go through a transformation that's not of their choosing. I guess we can say that we are like pumpkins. Just as pumpkins can be transformed, we too have a similar opportunity. The big difference is we get to choose!"

Before looking at my word association list, I struggled for an hour trying to come up with a good first paragraph. Nothing seemed to work. But pumpkins, yes that was just the right hook for this piece.

I'm currently putting together a new word association list based on geographic locations like the mountains or the beach. It's a good idea to keep things fresh and a new list will help me do just that. What about you? What word association lists could you come up with? What other techniques do you use to help jump-start your beginnings?

Marietta Taylor is an author and speaker. She is the author ofSurviving Unemployment:Devotions to Go. Marietta is a monthly blogger at the Go ask Mom Blog at www.wral.com. Her tagline is Mom of Teens. She was also a contributing author to Penned From The Heart Vol XV. Marietta has a bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Illinois-Chicago. Visit Marietta at www.mariettataylor.net or www.marismorningroom.blogspot.com or email her at maritaylor@mariettataylor.net.

Finding Time to Write Without Quitting Your Day Job

“Time stays long enough for those who use it.” – Leonardo Da Vinci

Are you struggling to find time to write? Most writers I know have a “day job”, family, friends and lots of commitments. They write around the corners of their lives. Without the luxury to write full time, it is easy to get off track and run out of steam on a project. So how do we squeeze more writing time into our life? It requires getting organized, establishing routines and a willingness to say no.

You can increase your productivity by getting organized. If it takes you ten minutes to figure out which is your last draft, you’ve lost valuable writing time. A great organizational tool if you are working on a novel is the program Scrivener. I think Scrivener’s biggest advantage is its simplicity in moving and tracking text. Scrivener costs about $40 and they offer a 30 day free trial, so you can check it out for yourself.

Find a set time each week to write. Schedule it into your calendar and make sure to keep this personal appointment. There is a direct relationship between keeping this date with yourself and how much you value your writing life. Next, look for an additional place to squeeze in the work of writing, maybe you can read, write or people watch on your lunch hour. Do you see your character in the man behind the counter at the pannini shop? Just adding 15 minutes a day to your writing time can catapult your writing forward.

When you want more time for your writing, it’s time to work your “no muscle”. Before you agree to be on that committee or take on a new project, take a deep breath and think about it. Is this something you need to do? Is it taking you away from writing or your other priorities? What would happen if you said no? One way to strengthen you your “no muscle” is with your phone. Do you answer it when writing? Just think of the time you can add to your writing minutes if you ignore your phone.

If squeezing more writing time into your life feels overwhelming, try just one of the above strategies for 21 days and you’ll be amazed in the difference it can make. Do you have a creative strategy for eeking out extra writing time? I’d love to hear your ideas.

Mary Jo Guglielmo is writer and intuitive life strategist. If you want to push your writing dream forward, join her 4 week Big Dream Challenge.

For more information check out www.donorth.biz
or folllow her at:
http://theadvantagepoint.wordpress.com
http://www.helpingchidrencope.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/do_north
http://facebook.com/DoNorth.biz

My Three Favorite Editing Tips

My Three Favorite Editing Tips

I find it hard not to edit while I write. But we all know we're not supposed to do that. The best writers will tell you to write, let it sit for a day or so and then edit. But what's the best way to edit? Well, everyone has their preferences. I have three techniques I like to use. They aren't the only ones, just my favorites. Maybe you'll want to try them too.

First I print the pages I plan to edit, making sure the pages numbers are included. Next I jumble the pages up. Because I wrote the words, I know how they should flow. That makes it easy to miss things like awkward phrasing. By reading the pages out of order, it really allows me to concentrate on just what is on that page. I'm not so much worried about how it fits with the other pages at this point. I'm concentrating more on finding repetitive words or phrases and awkward and run-on sentences.
Read your writing out loud. Sometimes what sounds good in your head, doesn't sound so great when it's actually spoken. You'll be surprised what you can find and tighten up after reading your page aloud.
For each printed page, look for overused words. I have a pack of highlighters just for this. I'm the queen of the word "that". To make sure I'm not using it too frequently, or at all, I go through the page and highlight each instance. Then I decide if each will be cut, replaced or left as is. I write devotions so I use "God" frequently. I highlight that word in a different color. That shows me where I need to replace it with another name like "Lord" or "Heavenly Father". It's helpful that I have compiled a list of words I tend to abuse. But I'm also on the lookout for new offenders.

These three tips have made editing a more thorough process. What editing techniques do you use? Which are your favorites?

Marietta Taylor is an author and speaker. She is the author of Surviving Unemployment:Devotions to Go. Marietta is a monthly blogger at the Go ask Mom Blog at www.wral.com. Her tagline is Mom of Teens. She was also a contributing author to Penned From The Heart Vol XV. Marietta has a bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Illinois-Chicago. Visit Marietta at www.mariettataylor.net or www.marismorningroom.blogspot.com or email her at maritaylor@mariettataylor.net.

Before Setting Goals…Plant Seeds of Joy

As the year comes to a close, many people begin setting goals for the New Year. If you are a goal setter, I challenge you to delay creating your writing goals until you engage in what I call “Planting Seeds of Joy”. In a writer’s life, there are many facets to the writing process. Some parts are easier and then there are the aspects that we’d rather avoid. If you really want to nurture your writing life, try the following exercise.

First, take some time to contemplate what part of writing brings you joy. I love generating new ideas, finishing that first draft, sharing my work, seeing it published. I’m not too fond of revision number 75, but I’m thrilled when I am happy with a final draft. You get the idea. The things that you enjoy about writing are your “Seeds of Joy”. Now plant these seeds by jotting them down and posting them where you write.

Later when you are feeling frustrated with your progress, act on one of your “Seeds”.
Since I know that for me working on the 20th revision can at times be tiresome, I intersperse my revisions with a writing activity that makes my fingers dance on the keyboard. For example, when I’m really feeling bogged down, I’ll take ten minutes and generate some new picture books ideas. This revives my enthusiasm and helps me get back on task and work on one of my goals.

If you “plant seeds of joy” in your writing life, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it is to watch your writing goals grow. You might even consider “planting seeds of joy” in other areas of your life.
___________________

Mary Jo Guglielmo is an intuitive life strategist that helps clients push through their blocks, envision their path and take the necessary action to live their true north. If you are interested in an Artist Breakthrough session or a Personal Mentoring Program go to http://donorth.biz/personal_sessions.htm

For more information check out www.donorth.biz
or folllow her at:
http://theadvantagepoint.wordpress.com
http://www.helpingchidrencope.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/do_north
http://facebook.com/DoNorth.biz

Writers On The Move