Does your mind ever go ’round and ’round like it’s on some infernal hamster wheel? Mine does–and I waste so much time I could be writing. 

I try to stop because I assumed obsessing was a negative thing. It doesn’t have to be, though, not according to Eric Maisel in Brainstorm: Harnessing the Power of Productive Obsessions. Maisel is a psychotherapist who works with writers and artists, and author of another most helpful book, Fearless Creating.

The Life of Obsessing

First, does the writer below sound like you? (Frankly, Maisel could have been eavesdropping on my brain waves and transcribed my thoughts!) This is what one of his writer clients shared.

“I have always wanted to make a living as a writer. But I always let things hold me back. I let having a day job sidetrack me; I let fear sidetrack me. I procrastinate wildly; and yet the less I write, the unhappier I become with everything. I can’t let go of the desire to write, but I need to let go of the unproductive obsessing I do  about writing–the worry about not being good enough, the worry that I won’t be able to make a living, the worry that I won’t be able to think of anything wonderful to write about.”

And the result of all her obsessing?

“I get more and more stressed out, and I write less and less, and it becomes a particularly nasty downward spiral.”

Surprising Goal!

The author’s book isn’t about stopping the obsessions. In fact, Maisel encourages them! His idea is about harnessing all that brain power you’re using in a negative way and turning it into a positive brainstorm of ideas.

A productive obsession is an idea that you choose for good reasons and pursue with all your brain’s power. It might be an idea for a novel or the solution to a personal problem.

According to Maisel, the super focused productive obsession is the mind-set of the creative person. It sounds wonderful to me! I’ll be writing some more about this throughout the week, I think.

Tell Me I’m Not Alone

Do you have trouble focusing that prevents you from getting in the flow of your writing? Do you ever have the above-mentioned “hamster wheel-itis”? I sure hope I’m not the only one! Maybe we can find an answer to it together!

Consider this quote from basketball great Michael Jordan: “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

His point? To be so successful, you have to be in the game a lot and willing to fail on the way to your successes. The same is true for writers.

Over and Over and Over

Do you want to be published by a traditional publisher? Then you need to write and submit consistently–and be willing to get rejected–in order to succeed. And not just once or twice or five times. You need to do this a lot.

Don’t misunderstand here. It’s not just a matter of doing something a large number of times. Even Michael Jordan didn’t just close his eyes, spin around, and throw the ball up in the air–and magically score hundreds of points. He:

• opened his eyes
• took careful aim at the basketball hoop
• listened to his coach
• practiced his form
• concentrated, and
• then threw the ball.

Sometimes he missed–but lots of times he scored. The one thing he didn’t do was quit along the way.

Writing Parallels Sports

In the same way, just writing and writing and writing, then submitting and submitting and submitting, won’t do the trick. It’s not just about the volume of words you write, although volume is important. (It does take practice to make perfect.)

If you want to build the career of your dreams, you must also: 

• study the markets
• take careful aim
• invite feedback from writing teachers and critique partners
• revise
• repeatedly practice whatever form of writing you do, and
• then submit.

Keep following this formula–keep on keepin’ on. The law of averages will catch up with you if you don’t quit.

What About You?

Writers struggle more with some parts of the process than others. Some can write and revise till kingdom come–but won’t submit. Others submit to editors willingly, but don’t take feedback and revise.

Which part of the above “formula” for success gives you the most trouble?

In one of my favorite writing books (Escaping into the Open: The Art of Writing True by Elizabeth Berg), there’s a chapter on writing myths that the author says you should ignore.

I was reading the list and nodding and “Amen!”-ing my agreement all the way up to Myth #8. It said to ignore the warning that “you have to be disciplined to be a writer.”

Shocking!

I recoiled. Such blasphemy! How could she claim that writers didn’t need self-discipline? “Everyone” knew you needed to discipline yourself to write every day, to study markets, to read in your field. How could she say that? It went against my deeply ingrained beliefs.

And yet…as I read on, her words resonated with me much more than I would have believed possible. If you don’t need to be disciplined, what do you need? She wrote:

“What have to be is in love. With writing. Not with ideas about what to write; not with daydreams about what you’re going to do when you’re sucessful. You have to be in love with writing itself, with the solitary and satisfying act of sitting down and watching something you hold in your head and your heart quietly transform itself into words on a page.”

Major Paradigm Shift

Hmm…You don’t have to be disciplined–but instead, you have to be in love with the act of writing. For some reason, that rings true for me.

Of my 34 published middle-grade books, I can’t think of a single one that I had to “make myself” sit down and write. Yes, I ran into occasional rough spots. Yes, sometimes I felt physically or emotionally shot, so writing wasn’t as much fun on those days. But I didn’t have to discipline myself to write. In each case, I had a story I was burning to tell, and I couldn’t wait for naptime when I could immerse myself in my fictional world–where I could make life turn out like I wanted, like it should be.

Fueled from Within

In the early years, the inner passion for writing fueled me–not discipline imposed from the outside. I think Ms. Berg just may be onto something here! Maybe on the days we can’t make ourselves write, we should check our passion quota about our current project.

Passion for writing versus self-discipline–I think I need to investigate this further! Is it one or the other–or both?

How about You?

What does “being in love with your writing” look like for you? Can you describe one of its attributes? If so, please leave a comment!

Why do some writers struggle for each word, while other writers have words that seemingly flow from their fingertips?

I’ve Got a Secret!

Are there secrets to being able to write with ease? Does anyone really know what works and what doesn’t?

Well, Daphne Gray-Grant’s article on “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Writers” will give you a lot of food for thought in this area. She studied effective writers to discover their secrets–and has revealed them here.

Make It Personal

Read the article–study it–maybe even journal about it. We all need to periodically consider if we need to develop some new habits–and drop a few old ones.

Is there something you’d add to Daphne’s list? If so, leave it in the comments below. Then make your own list of habits you want to develop to further your writing career. Post several copies where you’ll see them daily–and then watch them transform your writing life.

“Of all things I’ve lost, I miss my mind the most.”

I don’t recall who said that famous line, but occasionally it’s true of all of us. We don’t always need to learn new things. Sometimes we just have to remember some things we once knew–but have slipped from our present-day thinking.

Time Management Re-Visited

Because of Memorial Day this week, plus a lengthy appointment, plus joining a gym, plus speaking at the City Council meeting, plus spending time with my grandkids, my available work hours looked like a piece of Swiss cheese. It was like an old movie, just my own variation: “Honey, I Shrunk the Writing Time.”

I was thinking about it this week and realized I’ve been around this mountain a hundred times over the past thirty years. What did I do before to fix it? Silly as this sounds, I read back through the Writer’s First Aid blog’s time management posts.

Jogging the Memory

One concept that I covered in three posts (thinking like a 9-to-5 office worker) made good sense to me–again. I’m going to re-post those links from over two years ago for those of you who are newer to the blog. Hope you find them as helpful as I did this week!

• Part 1: Thinking Like a Nine-to-Fiver
• Part 2: True Grit for Writers
• Part 3: Changing Our Minds

I’ve only been up and working for an hour this morning.

Already I’ve counted eleven different distractions or temptations that I’ve had to resist in order to keep working.

Here’s my one-hour list:

• new movie that came from Netflix
• new library book, a mystery by a favorite author
• email from friends
• Snapfish photos sent by a friend
• wanted to call my best friend to tell her something IMPORTANT
• magazine on the kitchen table in the pile of mail
• new SCBWI bulletin on my desk
• do the dishes (they bug me)
• run necessary errand to “get it out of the way”
• respond to Facebook messages from friends
• a helicopter flying in circles over my neighborhood

Some I gave into. (I ran to the window to see if the helicopter was the police in case there was a criminal in my front yard. It wasn’t and there wasn’t.) I read two emails from friends but resisted answering them yet. But it amazed me in just one hour how many distractions there were to deal with!

Similarities

My best friend (who lost 100 pounds several years ago) leads a support group for weight loss. She faces temptations daily to slip back into old habits. Food is pressed on her from TV, magazines, gifts from students, family gatherings, parties, graduation receptions, her husband, and more.

But she’s kept off the 100 pounds because she has a plan. She has plans for social situations, plans for quiet evenings, plans to avoid temptation in restaurants and grocery stores, and nice ways to say “no, thanks” when well-meaning people offer her food. She calls it “mindful eating.”

Writers would do well to have “mindful writing” as well. Your distractions are probably like mine in some ways, different in some ways. But writers, too, need a plan to avoid temptation to get off schedule. Choosing to write from nine to ten this morning is only a small part of the job. Having a plan for dealing with distractions is the crucial other part.

Needing a Break?

Maybe you’ve been writing and editing and researching for an hour or two, and you’re distracted by everything. If so, maybe you need a break. But I would advise copying my friend here too. When she wants to snack, she asks herself, “Am I really hungry?” If she’s not, she might take a short walk or read a book to rejuvenate herself.

Likewise, writers need to ask themselves, “Am I really tired now?” Have you worked long enough to justify being tired? Or are you frustrated or intimidated by your writing and looking for a distraction? If you’re not truly tired, maybe you need to make a better choice too. For example, you might read an article on dynamic dialogue if you’re having trouble in that area.

Mindful Choices

It’s true that you might be really tired and need a break. Take a tip from my friend. Before she makes a food choice, she pays attention to what she’s doing. She chooses something that will benefit her body, like a banana or yogurt (instead my #1 choice: chocolate candy!)

As writers, when we really do need a break, we also need to be mindful. Choose a small break that will benefit your writing. (I’ve listed seven such choices in

A few weeks ago in “Find a Need and Fill It” I asked for your input concerning the topics you find most helpful in this blog.

Thank you all for the responses! It’s been very helpful. The requests fell into three main categories. Since I blog on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, that made it easy for me. From now on, this will be my general blogging schedule so that I can cover each topic area regularly.

What You Can Expect

Monday = Inner Motivation (includes:)

• fears–all kinds!
• discipline
• focus
• goals
• rejection
• lack of motivation
• encouragement
• a writer’s dream life
• procrastination
• working with our “inner editor”
• enjoying writing more
• perseverance
• creative inspiration
• writer’s block

Wednesday = Outer Challenges (includes:)

• setting boundaries
• time management
• distractions
• discipline
• writing schedules
• goal setting
• balancing writing with chaos in life
• balancing day jobs with writing
• our writing needs (vs. “their” needs)
• self-defeating behaviors

Friday = Tips ‘n’ Tricks of the Trade (includes:)

• specific genre help
• writing books I’ve found helpful
• blogs I find useful
• classes I’ve taken
• voice (writer’s and character’s)
• critique groups
• conferences
• working with publishers
• marketing–all kinds
• considering the audience when writing
• dealing with publishers who don’t respond
• finding good markets
• developing depth in writing
• selling “unique” pieces instead of jumping on the bandwagon

Thanks for Your Input

All your feedback has been immensely helpful in organizing future blog posts and making sure I cover topics you want to hear about and find useful. If I missed anything on these lists, feel free to let me know!

Last week I took a clear look at my 2010 goals and my office–and was appalled. I started off so great in January! What had sidetracked me to the point that my office was buried under paper–truly couldn’t even see my desk top–and only one of four self-assigned deadlines had been met?

Actually, I’d suspected I was off track about six weeks ago. Knowing I was behind schedule, I worked longer hours, telling myself “it would all work out somehow.” Nose to the grindstone, I just kept pushing.

Did that get me back on track? No! I’m even further away from my goals than before.

I had to stop and admit that I had taken a wrong turn somewhere. I was no longer on the “road to success” that I started down in January. And all the prayer and positive thinking wasn’t going to change that.

What Happened?

I backtracked several months, trying to find out where my train had derailed. Luckily, I journal, so it wasn’t too difficult to find those triggering events. Some of the events were negative, and some positive (which surprised me).

For example, one of my New Year’s Resolutions (goals) was to stay off the Internet until after lunch and write in the mornings. I’d done it for a couple of months, and had a lot of writing to show for it. But one early morning when I had to post something before leaving on a trip, I was on Facebook and up popped an instant message from my deployed daughter in Iraq! Due to the time difference, she was online during my early morning hours. My journal that day reflected the joy I’d felt after instant messaging with her for nearly 45 minutes. After that, I started getting online early in the morning “just in case.” My plan was to see if she was online, and if not, get right off. That lasted less than a week. Soon I was back to checking and answering unimportant email, reading newsletters, and paying bills online–instead of writing.

Messy, Messy

I don’t know about you, but I can’t work in a mess. My office had had piles of paper stacked on the floor and both desks for weeks. It drove me nuts, but since I felt pushed for time, I worked on the kitchen table instead. Why so much mess? All because I dropped a five-minute habit two months ago.

One thing I learned in Margie Lawson’s “Defeating Self-Defeating Behaviors” class was to take 5-10 minutes at the end of the work day and clean your desk. File things away. Get out the first thing you’re going to work on in the morning–but just that one thing sitting on your clean desk. I used to do that–and feel energized just walking into my office.

I spent two days last weekend cleaning it. You can now actually walk INTO my walk-in closet. (Previously it was a lean-in closet, and you had to stand outside and reach for things.) Two big bags full of papers went to be recycled. Everything is now filed in clearly labeled WalMart storage boxes. And I’ve doubled my work output this week just by having the office clean!

Lay New Track

When we make our goals, we plan to follow a straight line to success.  However, if you’re moving away from your goals instead of closer, don’t just reassure yourself with (false) positive statements and keep going down the same path.

Stop! Backtrack. Pinpoint where you made a wrong turn so that you can now make a course correction. Lay some new track–track that’s headed again in the direction you intend.

I’m back to cleaning my office every evening before I quit work. And until my daughter comes home from Iraq, I&rsquo

When I’m frustrated, it’s usually a sign that I’m trying to control something I can’t control. This can be a person or a situation or an event. The process can churn your mind into mush until you can’t think.

On the other hand, making a 180-degree switch and focusing on the things I can control (self-control) is the fastest way out of frustration. This concept certainly applies to your writing life.

Words of Wisdom

Remember the Serenity Prayer? It goes like this: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

How about reducing frustration with your writing life by applying that wisdom to your career? Here are some things to accept that you cannot change:

• How long it takes to get a response from editors and agents
• Rejections
• Editors moving before buying the manuscript they asked to see
• Size of print runs
• Reviews
• Publisher’s budget for your book’s publicity and promotion

Trying to change anything on the above list is a sure-fire route to frustration and wanting to quit.

However, do you have courage to change the things you can? Here are some:

• Giving yourself positive feedback and affirmations
• Reading positive books on the writing life
• Studying writing craft books
• Writing more hours
• Reading more books in the genre where you want to publish
• Attending local, state, regional and national conferences you can afford
• Joining or forming a critique group

Wisdom to Know the Difference

If you’re battling frustration and discouragement with the writing life, chances are good that you’re trying to control something beyond your control. It will make you crazy! The fastest way back to sanity is to concentrate on what you can control about the writing life.

Choose anything from that second list–or share an additional idea in the comments below–and get on with becoming a better writer. In the end, that’s all you can do–and it will be enough.

Getting into the writing habit is difficult, especially in the early years of writing. Our lives are full to overflowing already, so where can we possibly fit in some writing? How can we form a consistent writing habit when our schedules change from day to day, depending on our obligations?

Believe it or not, you have more time to write than you think. Keep a time log, tracking how you spend your time for a few days or a week. If you do, you’ll spot “down” time that you use for other things which could be snagged for your writing.

Redirect Your Time

When my kids were very young, I desperately wanted to write. I realized that instead of catching up on laundry and chores during their afternoon naps, I could write. Instead of making beds and doing dishes during the morning half hour of “Mr. Rogers,” I could write. Instead of thumbing through ragged magazines for twenty minutes every Friday afternoon while my daughter got her allergy shots, I could write.

Bed making and dishes and laundry could be done while little ones milled around. I chose to write instead when they didn’t need me. That “nap-Mr. Rogers-allergy shot” schedule became my writing routine until my youngest went to kindergarten. By that time, Atheneum had published my first five middle grade novels.

Hidden Time

“But I really don’t have any free time!” you might truly think. I challenge you to study your schedule very closely. Everyone has pockets of “down” time during the day. It may vary from day to day, but usually it is consistent weekly. (For example, you may sit in the pick-up line at your daughter’s elementary school every afternoon for fifteen minutes. Instead of listening to the radio, write.)

You might free up some time by doubling up on your mindless activities. Most of us multi-tasked before the word became popular, but if you’re not, try it. While supper is cooking, don’t watch the news; pay those bills or wrap those birthday gifts, and free up a half hour in the evening to write. If you want to write YA novels, listen to those young adult books on tape while you walk your dog. You’ll be doing your “market research” for an hour, freeing up an hour later to write.

Get It in Writing

Write down whatever pockets of time that you discover can be used for your writing. Even if it’s only fifteen-minute chunks, note them. You can write an amazing amount in ten or fifteen minutes at a time-and it adds up. You may find these chunks in the “between times.” You might have a bit of time between when the kids get on the school bus and you have to leave for work. Or between your day job and supper, you may have half an hour that you wait on a child at ball practice. (I wrote a lot sitting in bleachers waiting for children at practice.)

Write all these pockets of time down on a weekly schedule and write it on your daily calendar. Make it a habit. Perhaps on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, you write half an hour before work, plus daily you write fifteen minutes before cooking supper, and Saturday morning you write an hour while the kids watch cartoons. That’s four hours of writing in a week, just in the free bits and pieces. Since many of us started writing while caring for small children and/or holding down a day job, this kind of weekly schedule may be the best you can do for a while.

And that’s fine!

Time-Honored Tradition

The highest percentage of today’s famous, best-selling authors admit that their writing schedules were exactly like this in the early years. But they had that “burning desire to write” too. And that desire is what motivates us to find those pockets of time, give the

Have you ever gone in for your annual check-up, sure that you’re doing fine, only to discover you have some unsuspected condition?

Or have you taken your car in for its periodic tune-up (thinking things are fine), only to be told that you need some major part replaced so you don’t crash and burn? In both cases, discovering the unknown problem is a blessing in disguise.

That may be your feeling if you read the wonderful article called “101 Habits of Highly Effective Writers.” You might–like me–start reading the article with the idea that you’re doing just fine. On the other hand, you might realize that although you once had these habits, some of them have slipped–and you need a tune-up.

Not All Habits Are Created Equal

This great list–and I’d recommend printing it out to save for monthly mini check-ups–is broken down into several categories.

• Routine: habits to help you find and maintain a successful writing routine
• The Process: the actual writing you do–and habits to help you
• Inspiration: habits for finding inspiration to improve the quality of your writing
• Improving Your Craft: habits to improve your skills as a writer
• Business: good business habits to make sure you can pay the bills
• Habits You Don’t Want to Have:  habits to avoid if you want to become a successful writer
• Advice from successful writers: a whole list of gems!
• Habits of Famous Writers: the writing habits of the “greats”

What’s Your Score?

I hope you’ll go through the list thoughtfully and make  a note of the habits you need to work on this year. We all have areas that need improvement, but this list is a great practical place to start.

If you’re really brave, leave a comment and share what habits you have well in hand, plus one or two you know you need to work on. We’re all in this together!

If you answered the list of questions Wednesday about “Where’s My Time Go?”, you may see now that other people’s expectations have taken over your writing time. It’s a common occurrence.

Once you’ve completed your commitments, you need a way to avoid becoming trapped again.

Time-Saving Policies

After you’ve spotted some of your weakest areas, develop policies to cover future requests. For some reason, stating that you have a “policy” about certain things carries more weight with people. Target the areas where you have the most trouble setting boundaries. Some “company policies” might include:

*I have a policy about home business parties. I don’t attend them, and I don’t give them.
*I have a policy that includes no drop-in baby-sitting. I need a minimum of 48 hours notice.
*My policy states that I don’t commit to any event more than (X) months away. (Fill in your personal limit.)
*I choose to help with one party each year at my child’s school. That’s my class contribution, so what party would you like me to help with?
*My policy states that I charge $5 for each ten minutes that parents are late picking up their kids from my day care.

Under-Promise

Sometimes our commitments get out of hand because we want to do such an excellent job everywhere. So learn to under-promise, and later you can over-deliver if you have extra time.

For example, instead of volunteering to help at school the entire day, say you can come and read for one hour. If it turns out that you have extra time when the day rolls around, you can use the time to write or you can “over-deliver” on your promise and stay two hours. You’ll earn a reputation as someone who delivers even more than promised—and yet you’ll have saved time for yourself.

Time Credit Cards

Some of us (I’m guilty!) promise to do things months and months in advance when our calendars are still pristine white. Then six months later, when the event rolls around, our calendars are more jammed than we had anticipated; we regret that we ever agreed to that event or favor.

Too often we commit future time that we believe we’ll have, only to be caught up short later (like a credit card junkie who charges now and is just sure he’ll have the cash to pay it off later.)

Stop charging your time ahead! Cut up your time credit cards. Pay off whatever “time debt” you’ve accumulated at this point, but don’t charge anymore.

If people want you to commit to some volunteer thing more than a month away, simply say, “I don’t commit to things so far ahead. If you want to call me back in (X) months, I will be able to give you an answer then.” At that point, you’ll have a realistic idea of what your month’s schedule looks like.

If you are pressed for an answer (”I need to know now!”), then regretfully tell people that the answer will have to be “no.” (Given that choice, people will wait.)

E-mail and Web Surfing

Limit your Internet time to two periods per day, before and after your work day. Keep it short. Answer crucial e-mail, but skip all the forwarded jokes and poignant stories till later. Unsubscribe from all but the best two or three e-newsletters you receive. Delete the junk without reading it and then close down. According to current workplace statistics, conquering e-mail/surfing addiction can save you a full two or three hours per day.

Assignment: Where is your time going? Do you know? Keep track for a few weeks and be sure. Then begin to implement whatever policies you need in order to safeguar

Do you feel as if you’re forever running to catch up and keep up? Is finding any time at all to write a challenge for you? If so, you’ll need to simplify your life—choose what really matters—and slow your pace.

But HOW?

Reflective Thinking

With all the noise of modern life and the frantic running around, we have little chance to hear the inner whispers and feel the nudges that try to warn us. “Hold on—this isn’t right” or “You really don’t want to do this.”

Sometimes life gives you the gift of stopping you in your tracks. That happened to me a couple years ago when I ran a fever for eight days and ended up with many sleepless nights to think. I took stock of my rat-face, anything-but-serene lifestyle, and I asked myself some hard questions. If you also want to get off the merry-go-round, take a note pad and jot the answers to these questions pertaining to your own life.

*Why is my life as busy as it is?
*Why have I chosen to commit to so many things?
*What are the costs to me right now of living like this? What are the future costs?
*What tasks/meetings/jobs are no longer necessary? (Only one out of my four cancelled appointments that week needed to be rescheduled. The others, it turned out, weren’t that important.)
*Which activities are things other people thought I should do?
*Which volunteer positions do I no longer enjoy?
*Which professional organizations no longer meet my needs and can be dropped?

This time of reflection was so very profitable. It enabled me to spot three big changes I could make, immediately freeing up about fifteen hours per month.

Should I? Shouldn’t I?

Is your life run according to shoulds (your own or other people’s?) When asked to run a concession stand at your child’s school or attend a make-up or clothing party, do you agree because you feel you should, rather than because you have a real desire to do it? Do you even take time to make a thoughtful decision, or does the should rule?

In a sermon entitled “The Unhurried Life,” the pastor reminded us that “NO is a complete sentence.” In other words, sometimes you can just say no. Or “I’m sorry, but I can’t.” Period. Don’t let people guilt you into doing things you just don’t want to do.

Reassess the value of your time. Is it really more important that you do the volunteer newsletter for your neighborhood association—or that you put that time toward your writing dream? None of us likes to have people mad at us. On the other hand, it may be a price worth paying in order to have a fighting chance to realize your dreams.

Does your current writing project excite you, pulling you magnetically to the keyboard, eager to get to work? Or does it (let’s be honest) sometimes simply bore you?

It could boil down to the reasons you chose this project.

What’s Your Motivation?

Instead of a project that challenges you as a writer, you may have chosen a project that is “comfortable.”   (Perhaps you’re writing another formula teen romance because you’ve written half a dozen of them and know it will sell.) Instead of choosing a project that promises personal growth as a writer, your only goal is that the end result bring fame or money.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with fame or money, nor is there anything wrong with writing something that is on the current popularity band wagon. But unless the subject personally excites you, your writing days will drag and you’ll probably produce a lackluster manuscript.

Why is this?

Adventure on the Journey

I was reminded of the need we have for a challenge when I read something this morning, courtesy of Elizabeth Crews. It was about Sir Francis Drake, the British explorer in the 1500’s, who was trying to round up a crew for a mission. (Remember: writers, like Drake’s crew, are explorers into the unknown.) Read this intriguing account below.

Many years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake was attempting to recruit a number of young men for an upcoming exploration. Drake gathered the group of would-be adventurers around his ship and told them that if they came with him, they would see some of the most marvelous things their eyes could possibly behold. They would discover azure waters, sandy white beaches, lush tropical forests, priceless treasures, exotic foods, and friendly natives. Paradise was beckoning–and this incredible experience could be theirs if they came with him. Not one of the men in the group enlisted for the journey that day.

The next day, a different group of men came out to hear what Drake had to say. Drake told them that if they came with him they would encounter storms that would terrify them and fierce winds that would blow them off course for months. The sea would be rough and stormy, and, if they made it to shore, the natives would be fierce and the food would be unfamiliar. Drinking water would frequently be scarce-why at times they would be so thirsty that their very souls would cry out for just one drop of water. In short, danger would be their constant companion. Drake concluded by declaring that if the men could handle these things, the joys of exploration would exceed their wildest dreams. Every single one man in the group joined Sir Francis Drake that day. Some did not even go home to say goodbye to their families, but instead just boarded the boat, eager to begin the journey.

What made the difference in these two groups? Why did the first group turn down the mission and the second jump at the chance? Was the second group different and more adventurous than the first? The answer is no. It was not the men who had changed; it was Drake’s message. The first message presented comfort while the second offered change; the first spoke of rewards while the second spoke of challenges. The first tempted them with things; the second promised them an experience unlike any other.

Do You Long for Adventure? 

Which group do you belong in? If you’re stuck in the “comfort&rdq

All of our actions have results, or consequences. That’s not news to anyone. And yet, do we act like we believe that?

Not all that often.

Too many writers (myself included sometimes) believe that if we work our hardest and try our best and keep a good attitude, we’ll end up successfully published. Why? Because we have good intentions. But it’s “direction-not intention-that determines our destination,” says Andy Stanley in his new book The Principle of the Path.

Here’s a simple illustration. You may intend to be a great archer. However, if you work hard, shoot arrow after arrow, and lift weights to have stronger biceps-but don’t pay attention to direction-shooting arrows is a waste of your time. Oh, you might luck out and hit your target once in a blue moon, but that’s about it. Sadly, many writers approach their careers like this.

Good Intentions-No Direction

In every part of your life (health, relationships, writing career) you’re moving in some direction toward a specific destination. We don’t end up at that destination out of luck or sheer hard work or good intentions or because “it all worked out somehow.” Destination is the end result of the choices you made yesterday, added to the ones you make today, added to the ones you make tomorrow.

There are paths we choose that lead us to destinations we never intended, and there are paths we’re on right now that are leading us away from-not toward-our dreams and goals. If we’re headed in the wrong direction, no matter how good our intentions or how hard we work, we won’t reach our goal.

Personally Speaking

It’s the decisions you make on a daily basis that determine your path and your destination. For example, for many reasons I want to be super-healthy the older I get. I want it more than most other things because it affects all areas of my life. I know a lot about nutrition and exercise and weight loss and what my body needs to run its best. A healthy body is my intention and has been for years.

BUT the daily decisions I made last year to eat candy instead of the hated vegetables, to watch a movie instead of go running, and skip the weights work-outs have NOT led me to great health in 2010. My path led to higher cholesterol, higher blood pressure, much less stamina, and more headaches. (I bet you can guess what my goals are this year!)

Writerly Direction Needed Too

I see writers doing the same thing. They’ve got their goals written down, they’ve set deadlines for themselves, they’re determined to finish that novel and submit it, and ultimately they want to be published. They knock themselves out to create websites, network on Facebook and LinkedIn and writer chat rooms, write newsletters and blogs-but they never have time to actually do much writing. They spend so little time actually writing that they don’t improve.

Despite their great intentions, their daily choices are not taking them in the direction they want to go. (That’s my main reason for staying off the Internet till the afternoon, as mentioned in my Not-to-Do

As one of my time-saving endeavors in 2010, I made what my best friend calls a Not-to-Do list. I couldn’t squeeze more writing into my day unless I eliminated some things. Once I identified many of the problems, fixing them wasn’t that hard!

And a Not-to-Do list really works too. The first week in January I was able to add 16 hours of writing time to my schedule, and the second week I added 15 hours. I was thrilled with the changes—and believe it or not, I’m finished earlier in the day and able to take all of Sunday off.

I’ll share my list, and then I hope you’ll leave a comment and share something you’ve given up to make more time for writing. Altogether, we could generate a really helpful list! 

The List

Since what you don’t do often determines what you can do, let the weeding out process begin!

1.      I use my answering machine and don’t take calls from numbers I don’t recognize. I let it go to Voicemail on my answering machine, which is turned up so I can hear the message. If it’s important, I can interrupt the message and take it. Nine times out of ten—or more—it can wait.

2.      I don’t get on the Internet at all until 2 p.m. This has been the single most beneficial change I’ve made this year. I let my kids and friends know my new schedule and said to call me if they needed an answer about something before that time. If I answer email before that, I’m stuck online for several hours, flitting from site to site.

Shocking but true–you need stress in your life in order to grow and in order to attain your goals. Sound weird? It did to me too until I understood the two types of stress.

Distress? Or Eustress?

We all know what bad stress is (or distress). It’s the rejection letter (like the one I got on Monday), the flu bug you can’t shake, the fight with your teenager over curfew, bad news about the publishing economy, and being stuck in traffic when you’re due in the dental office.

The effects of bad stress are well known now: high blood pressure, inability to sleep, weight gain, sore bodies, heart attacks, snarly relationships, overdrawn bank accounts, and having your rotten teeth fall out (after being stuck one too many times in traffic.)

Healthy Challenges

Eustress, on the the other hand, is good for you. Yes, it is a challenge to your body or mind (or both), but the end result is growth and moving toward your goals (instead of away from them.) Eustress might come in the form of a trainer or coach pushing you to stretch your limits, or choosing to study something at night instead of watch TV, or going to counseling with your spouse. Remember, eustress is stress that is healthful and helps you grow in some area.

In many of the choices you make every day, it’s a choice between distress and eustress. The one BIG difference I’ve noticed is that distress tends to overtake you and fall on you without you needing to make any effort at all, while you have to actually choose eustress.

How Much is Too Much?

Can you have too much eustress? We all want to attain our goals and make progress as quickly as possible. Is eustress always a case of “more is better”? No, it’s not. If you’re out of shape, taking a walk each day, and building up the miles over time, is good for you: eustress. Running a 5K race after you’ve done nothing but watch TV for ten years is bad for you: distress.

The same goes for your writing. If the most you’ve ever written is thirty minutes per day, then aiming for 1-2 hours per day would be eustress (good). Deciding to write 8-10 hours per day, on the other hand, would usually cause distress (to both mind and body).

Writer Eustress

For years, I did my best to avoid criticism in all forms, including critiques. I had a very thin skin and couldn’t handle it. It caused me distress. But it wasn’t until an editor at a workshop practically forced me to read my story in a group–and learn to handle constructive criticism–that I discovered there were two kinds. Destructive criticism was the kind to avoid where someone rips your writing apart and haughtily calls you names. However, the good criticism could be immensely helpful, even if it was uncomfortable to hear.

Today, I don’t know what I’d do without my critique group, both for writing help and for their friendship. Yes, even a good critique can cause eustress for a while, but it’s a catalyst for growth.  

You Need To Do Both

If you want to achieve your writing goals this year, you will probably need to do two things. First, be aggressive in getting rid of the bad stress in your life. Second, be just as determined to find sources of good stress to challenge yourself to move forward.

Do both things often enough, and it will literally change your life.

Lady writers, do you have box envy? I do!

We laugh when we talk about men’s and women’s brains, how women have spaghetti brains where everything is interconnected, where the concern over her children is tangled up with her financial worries and affects her weight.

Men, on the other hand, have brains like waffles (according to a popular author). They have little square boxes, with nicely separated categories for each segment of their lives.

Strange, but True

We laugh at the anology because it’s true. Surely you recognize this scenario. You have a fight with your spouse at breakfast, and then you both leave for work. The wife ruminates all day about who said what, why it was said, what should have been said, how to make up that night, or IF she should make up.

The man, on the other hand, closed the lid on the “wife” box when he drove out the driveway. He thought about nothing on the drive downtown. He opened the “work” box at work. He didn’t open the “wife” box again until he got home at night-when he wondered what was for supper.

You know the rest! She is about to explode, wanting to share and talk and rehash and resolve the argument in order to restore harmony. He can’t even remember the argument.

Box vs. Spaghetti Writers

What does this have to do with writing? It makes the act of writing-concentrating despite circumstances-easier for men. It’s the only time in my life that I would gladly trade a sensitive feelings brain for a “box brain.” I had determined years ago to write a mega bestseller if I ever discovered the “secret” of sorting all that spaghetti into boxes so I could be a more focused writer.

Well, someone discovered it before me. Enter Simple·ology.

Rescue Me!

I had heard about this free course more than a year ago, but I hadn’t felt enough pressure to take it seriously. However, the last four months, due to my own poor scheduling, were busy beyond belief.

I had said “yes” to so many people that I was only home two evenings in November and one evening in December before Christmas. I worked during the days. It was crazy while it lasted-but it’s now thankfully over. During the worst two weeks, I scrambled to find ways to get my work done faster and find some more energy.

That’s when I remembered the free Simple·ology course that Randy Ingermanson (the “snowflake guy”) so highly recommended. I downloaded the free 30-day 101 course on finding time and achieving goals, loved it, and then bought the 103 course on increasing energy. (The 102 course is on money, but my immediate needs were for more time and energy.)

The Test

Last week, I had a period of two days where I was both sick and very upset with someone, but I had a lot of promised work to complete. I reviewed the “5 Laws of simple·ology,” fixed them in my tired mind, and got to work. As suggested, I kept the list of “memory joggers” nearby for review when my mind would wander.

You are making decisions every few minutes that either take you toward your goal or away from it-and Simple·ology helps you keep moving steadily in the right direction. The result? I got work done in two days that would normally take me 3.5 days! 

The Simple·ology Box

This weekend I took a long walk and two bike rides, despite the cold, and during one of the rides, it occurred to me that Mark Joyner’s Simple·ology laws were teaching my spa

While the Christmas season may have put a crimp in your writing schedule (it has mine!), it’s not too soon to be thinking about writing in the new year. With that in mind, I’m repeating some advice from a writer who knows what she’s talking about–and is well worth listening to. Heeeeere’s Jane!

Telling It Like It Is

Two years ago at a workshop, award-winning writer Jane Yolen made a statement that stunned the group of fourteen published writers who attended. Before the workshop, Jane had read and critiqued chapters submitted by each writer.

When she handed back the critiqued manuscripts, she said (paraphrased), “Half of you here have as much talent as I do. About one-fourth of you probably have more talent than I do.” (Imagine fourteen mouths dropping open in disbelief.) “But,” Jane added, looking around the circle of writers, “I guarantee you that I write more than any of you.”

Quantity AND Quality

She claimed it was a big key to her immense success. If we wanted to grow as writers, she advised us to write every single day, even for just half an hour, and for two reasons. One was to keep our minds immersed in our writing projects. The second—the most important to me—was that daily writing should improve the quality of our writing.

I had signed up for the workshop, hoping to find the “magic key” I needed to bring my writing up a notch or two. And there it was: write more. If you want to bring your writing up to the next level, write more. If you want to improve in your handling of the English language and all its creative components, write more. If you want to publish more, fall in love with writing again, and feel like a “real writer,” write more.

How Much and When?

The workshop weekend also included a private 15-minute critique with Jane. We were allowed to ask anything we liked. Among other things, I wanted to know her writing schedule—especially as I knew from her online journal that she traveled extensively to speak and she was (like most mothers and grandmothers) very involved with her family.

Come to find out, Jane does write a lot—and read a lot—but it wasn’t some horrendous schedule like ones I’d heard about. I had half expected another “I get up at 3 a.m. and write for twelve hours, seven days a week” explanation for her prolific output. But that wasn’t the case.

She got to her desk at a decent time, maybe around 8 or 9, did some email and checked a few things, then got to work. If my memory is correct, she said she worked till mid-afternoon or so on those days she was home to write. She wasn’t a hermit though—she frequently had meetings and dinners with friends.

She travels to speak many days out of the average month. She deals with family and life issues like everyone else. Still, I believed her statement about writing more than all of us was probably true. She has a huge number of published books of the highest award quality to show for it.

Start Where You Are

Sure, many of us can’t write five hours every day. There are full-time day jobs, children and grandchildren underfoot, sick parents to care for, etc. But to improve in our writing, we all need to start somewhere. We’re just talking about writing more. Writing more for you might be increasing from two hours per week to three, or increasing daily writing time by fifteen minu

Winston Churchill once said, “Continuous effort–not strength or intelligence–is the key to unlocking our potential.” I believe he’s right. Over the years, the writers I’ve seen succeed were the ones who refused to give up.

I’ve been surprised sometimes too. Some of my most brilliant students gave up after a rejection or two and never were published. But I have books on my shelf from medium-talented students who refused to give up on their dreams–books published by large New York publishers.

Plugging Away

I’ve been remembering that principle this month during NaNoWriMo when I was either sick or gone or interrupted. Many days, I felt weak and the novel sounded silly and self-serving, but I kept plugging away. Last week I was about 8,000 words behind. Today I am almost caught up–only by doggedly plugging away.

Samuel Johnson said, “Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance.” In a like vein, Helen Keller (one of the most determined people you’ll ever read about) said, “We can do anything we want to as long as we stick to it long enough.” That’s good news to me! Is it to you?

It’s Your Choice

We may not be the most talented writers. We may not be the most clever or well read. We may not have an MFA in writing or be able to afford expensive writing conferences. BUT we can each choose to persevere, to stick to it till we finish.

Know where you want to go, and map out a clear strategy on how you plan to get there. There are many ways to study and grow, ranging from free online courses and books to expensive MFA programs at pretigious colleges. But in either case, the only person with an advantage is the one who refuses to quit.

Is that YOU?

People often tell me that I’m very productive, so it was a shock recently to take a procrastination test and come out in the top 10% of procrastinators!

It said I scored 80 out of 100 possible points and “when it comes to putting things off, you often do so even though you know you shouldn’t… Though you are likely incredibly productive just before a deadline, you might not get all your work done and there is a lot of unwanted stress.”

Hmmm…

I wanted to mutter “stupid test,” but I was aware that certain bad writing habits (dare I call it procrastination?) were affecting the quality of my work. Oh, I got the writing done, but too often lately the quality was less than it could be because I delayed starting. I was submitting writing that was less than my best because it was hurried.

I think I had deluded myself into thinking there was no problem because I was busy all the time. I am never late with student lessons, and usually early. I am never late for my M-W-F blogs or paid critiques. I don’t even procrastinate on writing nonfiction books. Just fiction. Just the “pulling words out of thin air and making up people and whole worlds” kind of writing.

Check Yourself Out

Why is getting started so hard? In a recent magazine article on procrastination  in Children’s Writer, the following quote struck me as true–of me, anyway:

“In many cases, we procrastinate because we are anxious about the work at hand. It seems too difficult or onerous. ‘The hardest part of any task is the first five minutes. It’s like cold water. It’s just getting in that’s the hard part. Once you’re in, the water feels great,’ says Steel [a university professor who studies procrastination]. ‘Usually after procrastinating, once people finally get around to the task, they say, ‘I don’t know why I thought this would be so much worse than it was.’”

That struck me as true, so this week I’ve been starting my NaNoWriMo writing by setting a timer for just five minutes. Then I write furiously for five minutes, with permission to quit if I hate it at the end of five minutes. Have I stopped yet when the timer went off? No. I’m on a roll by then, and it wasn’t nearly as hard as I’d made it in my mind.

Why do we do this to ourselves over and over? It feels silly to have to “trick” my muse with a kitchen timer. But hey, it works, so I’ll probably keep doing it until I find something that works better!

What about you? What tricks do YOU use to get started?

“One worthwhile task carried to a successful conclusion is worth half a hundred half-finished tasks.”

B. C. Forbes

The joy of writing is second only to the joy of finishing a writing project! When Friday afternoon rolls around, we automatically take a look at our week’s To Do list. What now is the status of various projects? (e.g. proposals, chapters, revisions, marketing, website updates, blogging, speeches to write)

Seeing projects crossed off as completed brings a pure rush of joy. It gives you a fabulous finish for the week.

Half-Baked Cakes

On the other hand, the fatigue of projects that weren’t completed or even moved forward much saps our writing energy. Whatever the reason (interruptions, illness, etc.) we didn’t finish them or accomplish the amount of writing we intended to. We may simply have never committed our energies to them in the first place. Dabbling won’t do it. Only committed hours of B.I.C. time (Bottom in Chair) will enable us to complete those projects.

Maybe, as you review your work week today, you’re not pleased with what got finished. [Trust me: I'm not!!] If not, commit to completing more projects and assignments next week. Don’t let unfinished work deplete your energy–because it will! Instead, turn that energy in a direction where it will do some good.

Use it to systematically tackle your work, write with speed and focus, and complete it. Fix your eyes on that fabulous finish line–and go for it!

A couple weeks ago, I reminded you that It’s NaNoWriMo Time Again. This November marks the 10th National Novel Writing Month, when writers around the world attempt to create 50,000 words in 30 days. Participating the last two years helped me blast past some procrastinating and get moving again.

Help!

Several people wrote for tips on how to actually make yourself write that much. They asked about tricks of the trade, starter exercises, or anything that might help them stay productive throughout the month of November.

In the November Writer Magazine there was a short article about this, and several computer applications were suggested to help you. Here they are, for your perusal. I plan to try a couple of them myself. (Click on the headings to go to the programs.)

Write or Die

This online app at Dr. Wicked.com encourages writers to create a steady flow of prose. You can set a word and/or time goal and choose the severity in the “consequences” mode. (See below for your choices.) The strongest consequences come with kamikaze mode–it starts deleting characters if the user stops typing for too long. (Don’t worry–there’s a pause button if needed.) When you reach the goal you set, a trumpet sounds as your reward! (This online application doesn’t require downloading, which is nice, nor does it require creating logins.) Just don’t forget to copy and paste your writing into a word document when you’re done–Write or Die doesn’t save it for you. You can’t edit in the box they provide–only write new material. The idea is to separate the writing process and the editing process as much as possible.

Here are your “consequences” choices:

• Gentle Mode: A certain amount of time after you stop writing, a box will pop up, gently reminding you to continue writing.
• Normal Mode: If you persistently avoid writing, you will be played a most unpleasant sound. The sound will stop if and only if you continue to write.
• Kamikaze Mode: Keep Writing or Your Work Will Unwrite Itself

Blovel Spot

This is for people who are comfortable writing a blog. The novel is written in a series of blog posts using blogging software. Each chapter or section is published as a blog post. You can’t go back and edit previous chapters so you don’t slow down your progress. CAUTION: your writing goes public with the blog posting. You may not want your rough drafts out there where people can read them. Also, I’m guessing that most publishers would shy away from buying a book that has been published online. However, this could be a great way to warm up for the day, sort of “Diary of My Novel-in-Progress” sort of thing before you start writing.

Dark Room

This is designed for writers who crave a simple writing environment without distractions. (We ALL need that sometimes!) An easy download gives your computer the Dark Room effect. There is nothing on your dark screen but your writing. No other buttons, no way to play games or check email or hear Twitter tweets. Just you and your words until your writing time is over. (Mac users would need to go here for a similiar version.)

If these helps are enough to inspire you, then click over to NaNoWriMo right now and register. You have nothing to lose–and 50,000+ words to gain! Who knows? These applications may work so well for you that they become part of your personal writing routine. If so, let me know!

After posting about dismounting your dead horses on Wednesday, a reader asked about putting some “horses out to pasture” so she could work on her NaNoWriMo book. Another reader asked what NaNoWriMo was.

So today, before I leave for a writers’ conference, I thought I’d post links to last year’s NaNoWriMo information. Some explain how NaNoWriMo is run; others show challenges along the way so you can prepare for them.

Plan Ahead Now

The truth is (for me, at least) unless I spend October getting reading for National Novel Writing Month in November, I bomb. One year I didn’t make it very far. One year I completed the 50,000 words, but the manuscript wasn’t worth saving–only the idea was salvaged.

This year I’m preparing now for November. I will dismount a couple of dead horses, plus work through a couple of plot issues on the new novel I’m outlining. By the time November 1 rolls around, I want to be ready to the point that I can produce (God willing) a viable draft of a novel by the end of November.

Check These Out and Join Me!

NaNoWriMo: What Is It?

NaNoWriMo Kick-Off!

NaNoWriMo: Surviving Week One

NaNoWriMo Update: Week Three

NaNoWriMo Results

Anybody else going to try the challenge this year?

I was wrong–again.

For twenty years, I’ve told students and wannabe writers that you have to put the writing first! Do it before other things take over your day.

Fight the impulse to clean your kitchen first, or straighten your office, or clean up the mess the kids made before leaving for school.

“But I can’t work in chaos,” writers protest.

You know what? Neither can I anymore–at least not well! And when I force myself to, the work is doubly tiring. Doubly stressful. Much less satisfying.

Energy Drains in Disguise

Something I read today made me realize my advice might be a tad off. Not wrong altogether, since if we don’t make writing some sort of priority, we won’t do it. However, to eliminate energy drains in your life, you need to look at the whole picture. Certainly all the things you do in a given day take your energy. Every action you take on your lengthy “to do” list uses energy.

What you may not realize is that actions you don’t take use energy as well. Your disorganized office, the piles of laundry on the bedroom floor, the stack of bills to pay, the two birthday gifts to buy, the clothing needing repair–all this drains your energy reserves as well. It happens whether you are looking at the unfinished business or just thinking about it.

It siphons off energy that could be used in a much more positive way. “These items on your mental ‘to do’ list, the ones you’ve been procrastinating about, distract you or make you feel guilty and drain the very energy you need to accomplish your goals.” (So says Cheryl Richardson in Take Time for Your Life.)

NOT an Excuse to Procrastinate

Taking care of the unfinished business that nags at your mind–and keeps you from feeling like you can settle down to write–may be necessary before you can tackle your writing assignment. Don’t go overboard though, or you’re just procrastinating. Washing the dirty dishes is one thing–taking time to replace the shelf paper in your pantry is something else.

Figure out the things that you MUST have done to feel at peace in your environment, and do those things ONLY. (It helps to do as many of them as you can the night before too.)

Eliminate the chaos in your environment, and you’ll eliminate a LOT of the chaos that blocks your writer’s mind. Now…off to clean my office.