Here lately I’ve
been feeling the frustration of time constraints. For every aspect of my life,
there is a to-do list being neglected. I’ve been doing my best to work slowly
but surely from each list and the list from the ‘writer’ aspect of life has
(thankfully) not been completely neglected. However, looking at it got me
thinking, there is an insane amount of ‘things’ a writer has to do if they are
serious about getting published. I mean, insane. Especially when you take in
the consideration that most writers have a day job to do along side of writing
and on the rare occasion, a life outside of that. Just reading a few advice
articles on getting published will send you’re head spinning. Staying up to
date on the market, learn how to write a query letter, maitain a blog, read
books, and attend conferences are just a few of the necessities. And of course
there is the most important thing….writing! Some days the list can get so
overwhelming it makes you feel like you don’t have what it takes but (and that’s
a big but) it is very much possible. People do it every day. Here are a few
tips I use myself to help simplify my writing life without sacrificing the
necessities:
1.
Simplify
staying up to date.
Blogs are great for staying up to date. They are frequently updated and the most recent information is always posted on the face of it. However, keeping a long list to stay updated on will become overwhelming on its own. Staying regular with a few that offer the richest morsels of info and check the rest when you feel like it. A few I like to check once a week are:
Blogs are great for staying up to date. They are frequently updated and the most recent information is always posted on the face of it. However, keeping a long list to stay updated on will become overwhelming on its own. Staying regular with a few that offer the richest morsels of info and check the rest when you feel like it. A few I like to check once a week are:
JA Konrath’s A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing. This
blog is great for anyone who is in or is considering self-publishing. Everything
I know about the self-pub industry I leaned here - both the good and bad.
Query Shark. This blog is good for anyone who is or will be querying
agents. The agent who operates this blog evaluates real query letters sent to her and post them on
Query Shark so you don't make the same mistakes.
DeniseTompkins’s Blog. A wealth of general information for writers of any genre and
fantasy readers. Very well written.
2. Simplify reading
I have a rule for staying inspired. It’s maintaining a good input/output ratio, e.g. I like to spend a percentage of my time reading for the time I spend writing. However, writing is most important and when I get the opportunity for a few moments of solidarity with my computer I have to take it. So, reading tends to take a back seat. My remedy for this is books on tape. Reading hands free. In the car, or while cleaning house. It's also something you can do instead of watching TV. Which brings me to my next point.
3. Simplify finding time to write and ditch the TV.
Ah, if there was ever such thing as a time wasting machine. I'm not sure if I know of a more frequently given line of advice amongst writers that get rid of cable. I’d like to follow this advice, but if I got rid of the television I might lose my husband as well. I want to stay married so the TV stays but I set some rules for myself that I pass on to you, Danielson. Only watch the shows that are your favorites and make sure they aren't brain wasters. A documentary on drug smuggling could prove to be great inspiration for a thriller. I also like shows that inspire me. Hell on Wheels, The Walking Dead, and Sons of Anarchy all tend to get my gears turning. And if I need a little mindless relaxation to reboot I like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The League. I watch them while feeding my daughter or in the hour I spend winding down after the computer goes off and before the nightlight comes on. (Yes I sleep with a nightlight. Wouldn't you if you wrote about scary people all day?) Just remember to keep the TV habit in check.
4. Simplify finding time to write and learn to write on the go
While you’re standing in line at the grocery store, instead of checking your email hit compose and write the next few lines to the next NY Times bestseller. It's exactly how this blog was written. It will also train your brain to write when surrounded by distractions and to recover from interruptions more easily thus help you get more out of the few hours a week you do get of uninterrupted time.
5. Simplify find time to write and just do it.
Sometimes the best way to simplify (and occasionally the only way) is to say to hell with it, glue your butt to the chair, your fingers to the keyboard, and write. There are a million reasons why you can't write they are far too easy to come by. But not writing is the only thing you can do that will guarantee to kill your dream of typing those words, "the end.” The reason I shouldn't have wrote this blog is because I have dishes to prepare for Thanksgiving, I need to get a head start on Christmas decorating, and my sweet little Em is moody and I've held her for 60% of the time it took to write this on my cell phone. The reason I am writing is because it feels so damn good to write the words, "The End."
Sent from my Verizon Wireless Smartphone
2. Simplify reading
I have a rule for staying inspired. It’s maintaining a good input/output ratio, e.g. I like to spend a percentage of my time reading for the time I spend writing. However, writing is most important and when I get the opportunity for a few moments of solidarity with my computer I have to take it. So, reading tends to take a back seat. My remedy for this is books on tape. Reading hands free. In the car, or while cleaning house. It's also something you can do instead of watching TV. Which brings me to my next point.
3. Simplify finding time to write and ditch the TV.
Ah, if there was ever such thing as a time wasting machine. I'm not sure if I know of a more frequently given line of advice amongst writers that get rid of cable. I’d like to follow this advice, but if I got rid of the television I might lose my husband as well. I want to stay married so the TV stays but I set some rules for myself that I pass on to you, Danielson. Only watch the shows that are your favorites and make sure they aren't brain wasters. A documentary on drug smuggling could prove to be great inspiration for a thriller. I also like shows that inspire me. Hell on Wheels, The Walking Dead, and Sons of Anarchy all tend to get my gears turning. And if I need a little mindless relaxation to reboot I like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The League. I watch them while feeding my daughter or in the hour I spend winding down after the computer goes off and before the nightlight comes on. (Yes I sleep with a nightlight. Wouldn't you if you wrote about scary people all day?) Just remember to keep the TV habit in check.
4. Simplify finding time to write and learn to write on the go
While you’re standing in line at the grocery store, instead of checking your email hit compose and write the next few lines to the next NY Times bestseller. It's exactly how this blog was written. It will also train your brain to write when surrounded by distractions and to recover from interruptions more easily thus help you get more out of the few hours a week you do get of uninterrupted time.
5. Simplify find time to write and just do it.
Sometimes the best way to simplify (and occasionally the only way) is to say to hell with it, glue your butt to the chair, your fingers to the keyboard, and write. There are a million reasons why you can't write they are far too easy to come by. But not writing is the only thing you can do that will guarantee to kill your dream of typing those words, "the end.” The reason I shouldn't have wrote this blog is because I have dishes to prepare for Thanksgiving, I need to get a head start on Christmas decorating, and my sweet little Em is moody and I've held her for 60% of the time it took to write this on my cell phone. The reason I am writing is because it feels so damn good to write the words, "The End."
Sent from my Verizon Wireless Smartphone
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