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Revision update: I feel as though I’m finally making progress. Phew! I’ve revised the first 10 chapters and am happy with the changes I came up with. All in all, I’ve cut about 14 pages in my reworking so far, and I think the story is the better for it. I took the revised first two chapters to my critique group last night and they got the thumbs up, so I’m moving forward now. The rest of the book should go much more smoothly. I’m probably not going to make my end-of-November goal, but I will have the entire book revised by the end of the year.

Talking about critique groups, we started off last night with a chat about writing. One member said she was having problems getting time to write.  Others of us agreed that you can’t find time, you have to make it. Some of our members mentioned a recent talk they had attended with an author who had written and published 29 books, and that making time to write was essential to helping her achieve that.

For my part, I told her that with my first book, I started out writing whenever I had time and it took a couple years for me to get only halfway through. When I dedicated myself to writing every day, I finished the rest of the book in about three months and then a revision in another three months. My second novel was written in three months — the entire novel — all because I was making the time to write every day.

If writing is important to you, it should be given a high priority. Even if writing is technically a hobby — that is, you’re not getting paid — if that pay cheque is what you’re striving for, you should treat writing as a second job now. You can make up for the sacrifices later, when you’re a best-selling author.

Making time to write means carving out a time that’s dedicated to your writing and then being selfish about that time. For me, waking up an hour or two early was the best way to make time to write, but for you, maybe it’s one afternoon a week, two hours every Saturday, or whatever. No matter what the time period is, making sure you stick to it and you don’t allow anything to interfere with that time. It’s your time for your dream — be protective of it.

Do you have a time that’s just for your writing? When is it?

Write On!

Current word count: 20,893

New words written: 992

Words til goal: 19,107 / 434 words a day til the end of September

I got passed the 20K mark this weekend, which means my current word count will now always be larger than my words til goal. How fun! It’s the little things, you know?

This weekend, I added some new earlier chapters and reworked some of those already written to take into account the new things I have discovered about one of the main characters. Then this morning, I got back onto continuing the story, with the better character information I now have.

I also found some interesting articles about energy and sleep this weekend and wanted to share. I think sleep and energy can both be difficult sometimes for us writers who are also working a day-job and taking care of families. Even for writers who are already established, working on multiple projects can be stressful and make sleep a challenge.

This article came through in an enewsletter I routinely get in my inbox, and I thought it had some useful ideas on ways to combat the things that keep us awake at night. I find my biggest problem is lying down and my mind going wild with thoughts about things I have to do, my books, query letters, even songs. I haven’t tried the getting up and walking around suggestion given in the article for thinking too much, but here’s one solution that I have tried that can work well sometimes:

Think of what you did today. I read about this years ago and have used it to lull myself to sleep a few times. The idea is that your mind is active when you’re thinking about things that are new, that haven’t been processed yet, like the items on your to do list. However, you mind will relax if you think about things the mind has already processed, like what you did that day. So, what I do is force my brain to list everything I did today in a monotone list: Got up, brushed my teeth, washed my face, showered, made breakfast, ate breakfast, wrote, etc. etc. Sometimes, my mind is too active and just wanders away from the list, but sometimes this works to relax me enough that I’m asleep before I’ve gotten through my morning’s activities.

List names in alphabetical order. This used to work for me a lot better, but can still help sometimes. It’s going from A to Z in your mind list one name for each letter, like, Anabelle, Brian, Christine, Denise… Sometimes I make it all girls names, or all boys names, but the point is actually to not think too much. It should be something you do monotonously so your brain can calm down.

Stay clear of the computer at bedtime. I know some people write at night, and you should do whatever works for you, but a doctor told me once that doing computer work or something so brain-active is bad just before you go to bed because it keeps your brain awake. Watching TV is better because you don’t have to think — what does that say about the state of TV shows?

Now onto the energy part. I found this article, 8 Tips for All Day Energy, in the same enewsletter and I thought it had some interesting suggestions I hadn’t heard of before.

Go to bed and wake up at the same time. This one I’ve heard before. A doctor told me to do this a while ago, but after reading this article, I’m trying to get better at it. I think it’s definitely true that we all have an internal clock that we go by. If I want to sleep in, my body still wakes up when the alarm clock usually goes off, no matter what time I went to bed.

Wake up to light. This was a new one to me, but I think it works well. I write in the mornings, getting up between 5 and 6, depending on how many times I hit the snooze button (thank God my husband is a heavy sleeper ), so it’s dark when I get up. I used to say my morning prayers, then drag myself to my computer and type away with only the moonlight shining in. But since reading this article, I turn on the light, and I find I wake up much quicker and easier. I still fall into a tired zone a few hours later, but I think it helps a lot with my writing hours.

When do you write? Got any more energy tips?

Write On!

Huge apologies to Chynna Laird. I was supposed to put her interview up first thing this morning, but in the middle of a very busy work week, I totally forgot until now. So, I hope you enjoy her interview below. Chynna is one of those amazing people who has loads on her plate and still managed to write not one but two books and get them published.

Before we start the interview, though, my quick check-in. No writing today. Urg! But, I did write yesterday, so here’s where I stand after yesterday:

Current word count: 16,036

Words written yesterday: 628

Words til goal: 23,964 / 352 words a day til end of September

Now onto Chynna!

Hi Chynna. Congratulations on your book, I’m Not Weird, I Have SPD, as well as your memoir, Not Just Spirited: Living With Sensory Processing Disorder, being released in August. Please give us a little background about these books. 

Samantha, I am so thrilled to be here … thanks for having me. My first book, “I’m Not Weird, I Have SPD,” is a children’s picture book I wrote for my daughter, Jaimie. Initially, I wrote it to validate her feelings and assure her that there were other children in the world who felt the same way she did. Sadly, the book stemmed from an experience at the park where a small group of children made fun of Jaimie’s behavior and her “different” reactions to things. It hit me then that, not only did I need to help other people understand Jaimie, but I also needed to help her find the words to explain what she went through to others.

Several months before this incident, I did some of my own research to understand what she was going through: I put on itchy, uncomfortable clothes (like tight-fitting or wooly/scratchy materials), I tried walking around with my shoes on the wrong feet, I shined a very bright light into my face trying to work, I put heavy winter clothes on when it was hot outside and I tried doing things with my left hand instead of my right. I know these may seem like extreme things, but these are how the world around us feel to children with SPD every day, and being a yearly volunteer for the SPD Foundation’s “National Sensory Awareness Month” in October, I already had ideas how to help me become more sensory smart.

All I wanted to do was get the slightest inclination of what it must have been like to be constantly bombarded with sensory stimulation that you can’t tune out. It wasn’t until I did these things that I saw the world through Jaimie’s eye. That’s when I had my “A-Ha!” moment and wrote the book.

The memoir is something I’d been working on for a couple of years. In fact, I was still writing it when my children’s picture book came out. I had a few agents and publishers interested in it, but it wasn’t a story that fit into their a usual editorial lineup—it was too much of a “specified niche.” But most of them told me to forge ahead and keep trying. The point of my memoir isn’t to say, “This is what you should do…” It’s to help other parents in the same position be brave enough to find the right help for their child no matter what obstacles get in the way. If you have a gut feeling that something isn’t right … if your child isn’t thriving the way he or she should … keep being that squeaky wheel until someone listens.

Did you always want to be a writer or did it come out of feeling as though you had something to say? 

You know what’s funny? I’m not sure I always knew I wanted to be a writer—in a professional sense—but I’ve always loved reading and writing. I think, as you said, I’ve always had something to say so I wrote it down. I just didn’t have the confidence to believe others would actually want to read what I wrote.

It wasn’t until I wrote a story about a wonderful old man that made a huge difference to me during a very difficult time in my life that I felt brave enough to share my words with others. Someone told me to enter it in ByLine magazine’s monthly contests. Not only did it win first prize in the category (“Inspirational”), the editor of the magazine at the time told me to “Get out there and get this story published!” Within a month, it was published in Angels On Earth magazine and the rest is history. 

Actually, I’m pretty choosy about where I send my stuff now as I don’t have as much time as I used to to send out a ton of queries. Also, a lot of people ask me to contribute now, but I guess I know that my name will be put with whatever I write, so I want it to … matter, you know? And recently my writing has focused more on children and families with special needs, particularly those with sensory issues or SPD.

You’re the mother of four children under the age of 6, and yet you still manage to make time to write, when you’re not finishing up your BA in psychology. When do you write and how do you fit it in your schedule?

This is a great question, because as my kids get older, and refuse to nap during the day, my writing time seems to get less and less. What I do is write around life. Basically, that means you just squeeze that writing time in around all the other activities you have going on.

Being a Mama is my #1, full-time job—everything else is secondary. The places I write monthly for understand my priorities, especially since I have two special needs children, a baby and another little girl who just needs her Mom’s attention. But editors with major magazines and/or publishers need you to meet deadlines in order to meet their own. If I absolutely need to complete something during the day when my kids are here with me, then I wait until snack time when they get to eat their snack and watch their television show. For that half-an-hour I meet a deadline or answer emails … whatever is more pressing. Then I give my kids my full attention until rest time. Jaimie and Jordhan don’t always sleep during that time (they are 6 and 4, respectively, after all!) but they must have a rest, which just means having some quiet time. It’s especially important for Jaimie who has a lot of difficulty with self-regulation—her rest is to help her calm down a bit so we can do her Sensory Diet exercises. It’s an entire process to help her organize her body.

During rest time, I do a bit of work for an hour or more if I’m lucky. Then I stay up a bit later to do some more. In total, I usually have about three or four hours to do some work. During the school year, I have to divide that between school and writing, then my “stay up a bit later” time is even later. But I can’t stay up late and get up early. We Mamas need our sleep or we can’t do our main job properly, right?

The key is not to get frustrated on days where the kids don’t nap the way they should or you can’t get everything done the way you want to. There will be days where you’ll get tons done and it all balances out.

Are you planning to write any more books? 

I’ve just signed on with Sunrise River Press to write a book about the Sensory Diet. This is basically a holistic approach to treating children with SPD combining nutrition, exercise, physical activities and other stimulating activities accustomed to the child’s needs, skills and what he or she is good at. The key is focusing on the natural, holistic approach to treatment and healing.

I got the idea from years of research, interviews and helping to connect parents with the resources they want. Really, it’s for parents with sensory sensitive children who have gotten their diagnosis then are seeking the best possible ways to treat/cope with it. I’ve done the research so these parents don’t have to, and they can just take the information in the book and help their child. That’s very important.

Sounds great. What advice do you have for mothers and writers making time for their passion? 

I believe we all need to have something in our lives we are passionate about that helps bring us back to earth and reconnects us to all the significant parts that make us whole: mind, body and soul. And if writing is that passion for you, then you should try finding a bit of time for it each day.

As I mentioned earlier, writing is therapeutic for me—it calms me and gives me a platform to express myself in a creative way. Being a Mom is very important to me, and my children mean more to me than anything in the world. But we mothers need to allow ourselves some time to explore the other sides of ourselves once in awhile. I’ve found since I’ve slotted a bit of time—whenever it may occur—to write … to be creative … to explore a part of me that isn’t “Mommy” … it replenishes the positive energy I need for my children. After all, I’m teaching my children that having some alone/rest time each day is important for the soul, so I should be doing the same.

So, try plugging into that passion—even if it’s just for a little while each day. Mamas need that time to connect to who they are aside from being a Mama. And whether your passion is writing, reading, dancing, sculpting or art, we should all have some sort of creative energy to tap into and recharge us.

Thanks, Chynna. Any tips on managing writing along with a family? 

It can be very difficult to squeeze that writing time in when children are young because they need you so much during the early years. They want, and need, our attention as they explore their little worlds. And when you have special needs children, they need even more of your time.

I’ve always tried looking at our situation like we’re a team and each of us has to do his or her part in order to make things run smoothly. I’m very lucky to have such a fantastically supportive partner, Steve. He is a very “hands-on” Dad. He comes home and helps out with the kids so I can fix dinner, he helps me with housework if I get behind, and he gives me a couple of hours to myself every weekend to go off to a coffeehouse to do some work. I think one of the most important things we do is have dinner together. We sit around the table every night—no matter how chaotic it gets—for a meal. We talk, laugh, discuss how to help Jaimie through something she’s worrying about, etc. We’ve found this time helps to connect us, even if it gets really loud some nights! 

I’d have to say that the key component in managing a busy career with a busy family is balance. Balance is everyone working together, everyone practicing good communication, mom/writer knowing what her limits are and working within them, and mom/writer not taking on more than she can handle at a time. The last tip was hardest for me because I’ve always been the sort of person who needs to be doing several things at once. It becomes a problem when you have so many things on the go, you can’t give any of them your 100% attention. So, in the end, your family dynamics suffer and your writing suffers. Knowing what you can handle and when is the best way to ensure you do everything you take on to the best of your ability without wearing yourself out.

Wow! Great advice, Chynna, for all of us writers balancing our writing and the rest of our life. I absolutely agree that making the time to do what we’re passionate about is so important.

Check out Chynna’s books, and if you have questions for her, post them in the comments. You can also find out more about Chynna on her website, and hear more from her at her blog.

For anyone interested in writing, reading blogs about writing can help in many ways. As well as gaining useful information about the craft of writing and the publishing industry, reading blogs also can help inspire writers and remind us that we’re not alone.

I became an avid writing-blog reader when I got serious about wanting to write fiction full time. Mainly I wanted to suck up whatever information I could. But along the way, I realized that on days that I’m tired or busy or blocked, reading a blog can help me get back on track by simply keeping my mind on track — on writing.

For me, though, unless the blogs were in front of my face, I’d rarely go to them and would forget which ones I liked. That’s when I discovered iGoogle, and I wouldn’t be without it now.

There are many types of blog readers, and iGoogle might not be for you, but as that’s the one I know, that’s what I’m going to talk about and why I think it’s useful. A blog reader is simply a technology that allows you to see the titles of the latest posts of a number of blogs in one place, then you can click through to the blog post and read it on the blog if you’re interested. If you’re into children’s book, the networking site JacketFlap also offers a blog reader.

I use iGoogle because I wanted to have the blogs on my home page and I wanted to also have a Google search bar handy. There’s also a Google search bar in the top right corner of the Web browser, but for whatever reason, I like having the one on my home page. Google is my prefered search tool, so that’s why I went with iGoogle.

The cool thing about iGoogle (and this might be the case with others) is that you can set up the page pretty much any way you’d like. There are loads of widgets you can put on your iGoogle page with your location’s weather, the time and date, the current time in other countries and news feeds from CNN, BBC, etc. I’ve got all those in my right-hand column.

Also, I should point out, all of this is free.

My left two columns are writing blogs, mostly agents and editors because of where I am in my writing right now, but also some writers, and I regularly add new ones and move them around. I put the ones I read the most and find the most useful at the top and the others below, where I have to scroll to get to those. Those are the ones I read maybe a couple times a month when I have time. The ones at the top, I read whenever they post something new.

The other fun thing about iGoogle, which I particularly like as an inspiration tool, is that you can choose out of masses of themes to decorate your iGoogle page, and you can change them whenever you want. I just changed mine yesterday to images from the Hubble, and they rotate all day. I’ve had cartoons, beach pictures, lots of things.

I’ve set my iGoogle page as my home page for my browser, so when I open Internet Explorer, it’s the first page I see and I can immediately see if any of the blogs have posted new items. I’ve also got my daily weather, some news headlines and my Google search bar. So, from there, I can do whatever I want.

A while ago, I was talking to a friend about staying in touch with publishing and writing and how it helps you get motivated to write even in the difficult times. She didn’t have a blog reader, so this past weekend, I set up an iGoogle page for her and put on it a bunch of blogs, including this one, of course.

If you’re interested in doing this, I highly recommend it. I find it very useful to keep up to date without spending a lot of time. And you can find out some really great stuff.

If you’d like to try iGoogle, go to www.igoogle.com and click on the Get Started link under the search bar. It’ll ask you to select your interests, a theme and your location. Then it’ll give you a basic page based on what you clicked. Once you have your page, click on Add Stuff in the top right corner to search for and add widgets like a clock or a to do list, whatever you’d like. On the Add Stuff page, you can also add blogs. Use the Add Feed or Gadget link on the left hand side about half way down the page. Paste the URL of the blog you’d like to add in the window that pops up when you click the link and hit enter. Add as many cool writing blogs as you’d like, then click on Back to iGoogle Page at the top left hand corner. You can move the blogs around on your page by clicking and dragging. Make this your browser’s home page, and keep up to date with your writing news every time you go online.

Got any other tech tips?

Write On!

I’ve talked about this before, but I just read a post by literary agent Rachelle Gardner and thought that this is something worth repeating.

Rachelle answered a reader’s question about tips on time management by saying that prioritizing her work is the best way she knows of getting through the day. She also talks about the things she DOESN’T do so she has time to do her work. Here’s a quote:

I’ve dispensed with a lot of non-necessary things in life… things I’d like to do if I could! But the path I’ve chosen means I’ve had to let go of some things. For example: I don’t scrapbook. I don’t knit. I don’t separate the whites from the colors… don’t clip coupons… don’t grow a garden… don’t make jam… don’t bake my own bread… don’t go to PTA meetings… don’t make my kids’ Halloween costumes… don’t homeschool… don’t remember everyone’s birthday… don’t run marathons… don’t go for manicures or pedicures… don’t watch Oprah. I don’t even vacuum or dust (I delegate those tasks).

A writer friend of mine has been struggling with finding time to write. She’s a single mother of three with a demanding job, and she’s trying to also live out her love of writing and fulfill her dream of getting her work published. She writes beautifully, and I have no doubt that if she preserveres, she will get her dream. But sometimes her schedule is so hectic, she doesn’t write for a few weeks or months, and she misses it. Of course, her addiction to TMZ doesn’t help either.

For us writers, writing is not something we think about sometimes and would maybe like to do if we have time — it’s something we have to do, something that pulls on our mind, begs us to pay attention. It’s a desire, a need. And when we’re not writing, we don’t feel entirely whole. We know that something is missing.

Rachelle’s quote reminded me that to make time to write — not find time, make time — is imperative. It’s the best thing we can do for us as people as well as for our dreams. Because we’re happier writing. And to make time to write, we often have to forego other things.

Like Rachelle, there are lots of things I don’t do that I would love time to do: I don’t do puzzles … knit … learn to play a musical intrument … get my hair cut as often as I should … keep the garden as nice as I would like … finish decorating my house … get my nails done … chat with friends … And ditto on everybody’s birthdays (sorry to my friends and families — know you’re in my thoughts).

 This might sound selfish, and it is to a point. But it’s something I have to do right now, and my hope is that one day, I might be able to just have writing as my job, cutting out one of the tasks during the day. We’ll see.

My point is, if writing is important to you, make the time. I get up early in the morning so I can work on my novel before the sun comes up. Find your time and be selfish about that time. Make the time for your family and friends, you need that too, but look at your life and see what you can cut out or cut down on so you can use that time to write — then be selfish about those minutes or hours. They’re yours. Use them well.

Write On!

I’m still planning to write up a more detailed account of the SCBWI Houston Editor’s Day on Saturday, so think of this as a primer.

Finding time to write seemed to be a theme for the writers at the conference, fitting in our novels/picture books/whatever between our day-jobs and families. A number of writers I talked to said they hadn’t written for a while because they were finding it hard to find the time.

My answer to that was, “I’ve been there, but I’ve found a solution:  Don’t try to find the time — Make the time.”

Long before I finished my novel, I would write for a couple days, maybe a couple weeks, then get busy and not touch it for months. Then when I got back to, always because the drive to write was so strong it pulled me back, it took a while again to figure out where I had left off and what the characters were doing. I blame this for a lot of my early structural problems with the story, which took me months to fix.

But one day, I realized that finding time to write wasn’t getting me anywhere. If I was truly dedicated to finishing my novel and writing becoming a permanent part of my life, I had to MAKE the time, not wait around for my schedule to free up. (It never will.)

Once I made that commitment to make the time to write, writing became a permanent fixture in my schedule. For me, I set my clock to 5am and get up as soon as possible after it goes off (I have a love/hate relationship with the snooze button). Then I write until my husband gets up around 7:30 and we go to the gym. This is my writing time, and I’m very protective of it. I won’t open my emails, won’t open my iGoogle and look at blog posts — no matter how much I’m tempted. I won’t reply to instant messages that pop up. That time is for my writing. I have set it aside. I have MADE it. So I write. (Of course, I have my off days, and often stare bleary eyed at the screen for 45 minutes before my hands even touch the keys, but I’m still there.)

I don’t get as much done as I would like in those mornings. Remember my goal of six chapters a week for my current revision? I was a chapter short last week and am at only about 2.5 chapters so far this week, and it’s Thursday.

But, making that commitment, making that time, allowed me to finish my novel. Maybe I would have finished it if I was still finding the time, but it probably wouldn’t have been for a lot, lot longer. Also, when you make the time, it’s a state of mind, saying to yourself that writing is important to you, so important that it gets a regular slot in your schedule. You wouldn’t miss an appointment for work, so don’t miss your own appointments for your writing. Even if they’re not paying your way yet, they’re just as important, for your psyche (writers need to write, and if you’re a writer, you know what I mean) and for your future.

On Monday, as I chatted on the phone with my mother telling her about the conference, I told her about my finding time/making time conversations. At the end, she said, “You’ve inspired me. I’m going to start getting up early and making time for the gym.”

I hope my “make the time” pep  talk helped my friends at the conference, and I hope this helps you.

How do you make the time to write?

Write On!

Annette holds up a copy of her book at Barnes & Noble

I interviewed debut author Ellen Booraem a few months ago, and here’s a Q&A with another debut author, Annette Fix. Annette decided not to go the traditional route of getting her memoir, The Break-Up Diet, published through a house. Instead, she self-published and learned a lot along the way. This interview is part of a blog tour Annette is currently doing. After all the questions in this interview, check out the links where you can find Annette and have a chat.

Thanks for joining us today, Annette. First, congratulations on The Break-Up Diet: A Memoir. It’s a fun book. What inspired you to write this book?

Thanks! It’s been a crazy ride! Initially, I was a screenwriter; I actually never intended to write prose. But, I believe the story chooses the medium. The unlikely inspiration came from my live-in boyfriend leaving home one morning and calling me from work to break up with me over the phone. I wanted to find a way to capture the humor and pathos that went along with my bunny-boiling break-up recovery, diving into the shallow end of the dating pool, finding myself, and eventually dumping my basket of issues into the lap of my Prince Charming.

While you were writing it, you also had a family to take care of and jobs to go to. How did you balance that with your book writing?

Like every writer who has a life full of responsibilities, I had to squeeze in writing time wherever I could. My AlphaSmart went with me everywhere. I wrote at my son’s little league games; I wrote while at the park with my dogs; I even wrote during slow times at work.

Then Uncle Walt threw a Disney miracle my way. When I was about three-quarters of the way through writing the book (and still didn’t have an ending), my fairy godmother dropped a handsome prince into my lap dance and he offered to support my son and me, so I could quit my job and finish my book. Of course, the marriage proposal wasn’t too far behind! So, I was very blessed to find someone who is encouraging and believes in me enough to support my dreams.

What made you decide to self-publish your book?

I first sent queries to agents and called my manuscript a memoir, but not one agent requested to read it. Then I tried a little experiment and sent out the exact same query, but called my manuscript “chick-lit”—and I had agents clamoring to read it. Within a month, I had an offer of representation. After I signed with her, I told my agent my book was actually a memoir, not a chick-lit novel. (This was soon after the James Frey A Million Little Lies incident.) She said she didn’t want to shop it to publishers as a memoir because when she read it, she thought it was fiction.

The manuscript made the rounds and didn’t get picked up, so my agent suggested I put it on the back burner and start working on something else until the cycle turned. I decided to self-publish because I just couldn’t bear to let my story languish in a drawer.

How was that process? What did you learn?

Boy, I learned never to do that again! (laughs) The self-publishing process had a HUGE learning curve; I wanted to do it right, not use a subsidy/vanity company. So, by choosing that path, it was a lot more hands-on. Moving my manuscript through the editing, design, and printing steps took two years from the day I told my agent I was going to publish it myself to when it finally came out in print. And I made a lot of expensive mistakes along the way—including buying a block of 100 ISBNs! Knowing what I know now, if I could take a publishing mulligan, I’d choose to stay with my agent, work on something else, and wait out the trend cycle.

Are you working on another book? And if so, would you consider self-publishing again?

I’m mostly in marketing mode right now, but I am starting to outline my next book and create the blog site for it. Despite the way I answered the last question, I may consider self-publishing this next book, or maybe going with an independent publisher. It depends. I’m planning to create the book as a stand-alone, but I want to use it as a required guide/textbook for a single-parenting workshop I’m developing. I may also write a book proposal as part of my outline, and I’ll see if I get any nibbles when I send it out.

What advice would you give to writers trying to fit their writing into a busy schedule?

Stay connected with people who are striving to do the same thing you are. Get an accountability partner. It’s too easy to get caught up in daily life and lose the excitement and motivation. It’s too easy to put off writing because you’re too tired, have too many other things that “need” to be done, etc. Don’t let life trample your creative spirit! And WRITE EVERY DAY—even if it’s just a little bit. The word count will add up faster than if you wait for a big block of available writing time that never comes. Trust me on that.

Thank you very much for stopping by and chatting with us. We wish you the very best for the continued success of The Break-Up Diet: A Memoir.

Annette Fix is a freelance editor, a publishing industry and single parenting speaker, Senior Editor of WOW! Women On Writing, and the author of The Break-Up Diet: A Memoir. Visit her writing blog at Annette’s Paper Trail and The Break-Up Diet site. She enjoys hearing from her readers and other writers. You can email her directly at annette[at]annettefix[dot]com. For the length of her blog tour, Annette will be giving away free digital copies of her memoir. If you’d like a copy, send an email to promo[at]thebreak-updiet[dot]com, please put “Day-by-Day Writer” in the subject line. You can purchase copies of The Break-Up Diet: A Memoir online and from any independent or chain bookstore.

Another good writing day. For day 28 of my delayed unofficial participation in National Novel Writing Month, I got up at 6:30 and got a good two hours of writing in — after I read J.A. Konrath’s latest post on his A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing blog, but more on that later.

I’m writing a new section at the beginning of the novel and the words and description are flying along. It feels good. Writing is definitely easier than rewriting, and I can feel that what I’ve done this morning will be too wordy, but that’s ok. I’m getting down the ideas as it’s a first draft of the chapter, and I’ll edit and tweak later. This new chapter has two parts and I’ve done one. By Sunday, I want to have the second part finished too — a small new goal, inspired by that blog post I was reading.

Yep, dreary eyed, I dragged myself out of bed in the dark, sat in front of my computer, which was still on and in sleep mode, and noticed my iGoogle page was showing on the screen. Even though I knew I had dragged myself out of my warm bed to write, I couldn’t resist easing into it by first reading Konrath’s most recent blog post (I subscribe to his blog via RSS on my iGoogle page). Funnily enough, his post was about Discipline! Yes, that’s right, the kind of discipline that drags you out of bed when it’s still dark, plops you in front of your computer and makes you start writing — oops! So, after I read that, I immediately started writing.

But the post is good advice for all writers who want to succeed. Many people start novels, but not many actually finish one. And then there’s the revising and finding an agent/editor and promoting it… Konrath offers up five things to do to be successful, many of which I’ve talked about on this blog. But these are things Konrath did to become successful. Read it for yourself.

Got any tips you’d like to share? How are you on discipline?

Write On!

Another quick check in today, as part of my unofficial participation on National Novel Writing Month.

Wrote for an hour this morning, mainly going over the three chapters I’ve been fussy with for the last few weeks. For the rest of the week, I have to move forward to make my new goal of two sections at least every week.

Even though my work has been slow for the past few weeks, knowing that I have to check in here has pushed me on. So, thanks to you guys for keeping me honest!

Need a little push yourself? Feel free to set a goal to check in here every day or every week and let us know how you’re doing. Like we learned from Kathi Appelt’s talk at the Brazos Valley SCBWI conference, having to deliver something — whether it’s 25 pages to an agent, whether she reads it or not, or writing on a blog — can give you that added push to fit writing into your schedule.

Good luck, and write on!

All’s going well in my continued unofficial participation of National Novel Writing Month. This morning I was back to revising chapters I had already written in my first draft. Everything was going well until I started looking back at my original layout for the book and realized some of my early ideas that weren’t used in the first draft and are more exciting than some of my current sections. Guess some rewriting is in order, but that’s what the revision process is for.

Also, in a kind of part four to my notes about the Brazos Valley SCBWI conference, I wanted to mention something else Kim Griswell said: That if we’re serious about writing, we should be reading at least one book a week — at least one!

I read slowly, so I’m lucky if I finish one in a month. But even if you’re a fast reader, finding the time to read one book in a week is hard, much less more. I’m talking about novels, of course. It should be pretty easy to get in at least one picture book. But as Kim pointed out, you should read what you want to write. So, if you’re like me and writing a novel, it’s probably tough to fit that into a schedule filled with a day job, cooking, laundry … oh, and writing your own stuff.

But, what Kim said is right. Reading is very important. It helps us become better writers. So, how to fit it in? Here’s a few ways I get it in my schedule.

1. Read while brushing your teeth. Lay the book out on your bathroom counter with a bottle of moisturizer on it to keep it open and read during that two-minute brush. It’s not a long time, but you can get a couple pages in. You can also extend it to reading while putting on your moisturizer and brushing your hair.

2. Read while drying your hair. I have long hair, so this is a good 10 to 20 minutes for me. Mine doesn’t take much styling, but I flick my eyes up to the mirror every now and then to make sure I’m not completely botching my hair.

3. Read while cooking. If the rest of the family is otherwise occupied during this time, keep the book open on your kitchen counter and read a few paragraphs or pages while the spaghetti is boiling.

4. Read while walking your dog. If you have a dog, of course. Now, this is something I have been doing for years, but people look at me strangely when I say I do it, and it’s usually followed with the question, “Don’t you trip?” Although that has happened a few times, mostly no. But if you’re not comfortable with walking and reading, stick to other ways of getting reading into your schedule.

5. Back to personal hygiene, read while taking a bath. If you have time to soak in the tub for a bit instead of having a shower, bring the book in for a few pages before you soap up.

Anyone else got some tips on fitting reading into your schedule?

Write On!

In my last post, I said I was getting back to a good writing schedule since the hurricane. Well, let me change that to I’m trying to get back to a good writing schedule.

This past week was pretty good. I wrote every morning except one. And then this morning, despite good intentions, I haven’t yet opened my novel document. I have been getting up at 6 am, or at least, snoozing until 6:30, but it’s still pitch black at that time, making it hard to drag myself out of bed. Late nights also don’t help, of course.

But most of all, it’s laziness on my part. Sure my day job is busy, and there are things I want to do around the house. But most of all, I think it’s because in the back of my mind, there’s nothing to keep me accountable. I haven’t been to our critique group since the hurricane. (There was one meeting right after, but no one could make it.) And because I don’t have that connection with writers, it’s easy for me to do something else. A friend from our critique group emailed me the other day saying she felt similarly. She said she had been all over the place since the hurricane and hasn’t done a bit of writing in a month. She too was looking forward to the next critique group meeting to get that inspiration fellow writers can provide.

Writing is so solitary, that unless the desire is really driving us, it’s easy for us to put it off today, and then the next day, and the next, until, before you know it, you haven’t written in a couple of months. That’s where critique groups can really help. Being around fellow writers inspires us to keep putting pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard.

My husband and I vowed to workout every week day for a month before the hurricane, and I made up calendars so we could tick off the days. During the hurricane, all that stopped and since the hurricane, it took us a while to get back to it. But we did three days last week, and my husband suggested we make up a calendar that has four months on it instead of just one to inspire us to keep going. I decided I would also use my calendar for my writing.

Having something to make you accountable can help pull you through the dry times, when you don’t feel like writing. There are plenty of days we don’t feel like going to work, but our jobs pay us, and if we don’t do them, that pay cheque will go away. That keeps us accountable, keeps us coming back.

With our own writing, there is no pay check … at least, not yet. Our ultimate goal is to sell our work, whether getting it published for an article, short story or book, or selling a screenplay. Either way, we hope that one day, our work will provide us with a pay check. Of course, there’s no guarantee of that pay check at the end. There’s just hope. But writing also gives us so much more while we’re doing it: creative outlet, feeling of accomplishment, the joy of living with our characters and our worlds outside of our own lives for that time that we’re in front of our computer or notebook. The journey of writing is a reward in of itself; the pay check, if we get it, is bonus.

So, when we think of putting our writing on the back burner — as I have been doing lately — we should remember two things: Firstly, without writing, we’re missing out on the creative journey and feeling of satisfaction it gives us knowing we have done something for ourselves today. Secondly, the longer it takes for us to finish the writing (and revising, and revising, and revising), the longer it will be before we have a chance to get that pay check.

Writing might not have a pay-off that we can identify immediately, but it is there, and that should also help keep us accountable, and writing.

All right, that said, I’m going to print out my four-month workout/writing calendar — and I’m going to make sure every single day is filled in.

How are you getting on with your writing? What are your distractions? What are the things that keep you accountable with your writing?

Write On!

J.A. Konrath has another great blog post up. (I know I link to his blog a lot, but what can I say, the guy makes sense.) In his post “Brain-Check,” Konrath lists eight instructions for writing success. They’re all good (click the link to read), but No. 8 is perfect for those of us who aren’t writing full-time, who are balancing work and writing and trying to keep our momentum amid other obligations. No. 8 says: “Bust Your Ass: If you aren’t driven to succeed, you probably won’t. How bad do you want this? If the answer is: really bad, then you have to prioritize accordingly.”

This reminded me of one of my earliest posts on this blog, Making The Time. Konrath is right. If your passion is to write, you have to write. If you want to be a successful writer — a full-time writer — you have to write, and that might mean (at least, for me it does) getting up at 6 to fit in writing time around the other stuff in your life.

Coincidentally, today I got an email letting me know of a message someone had posted on a thread on the SCBWI message board. You have to be a member to get in (but you should still check out the website if you’re a children’s writer), but the thread was started by a new mother who was saying her muse was gone and she didn’t have the same desire to write that she used to. The new post was from another mom, who advised that when she adopted her children, she didn’t feel like writing and took time off to just be a mom — nothing wrong with that. But later, a story that had been formulating in her head 10 years ago popped back into her conscience and took over. The drive was so big that she got up early and wrote, wrote while her kids watched TV, wrote while they ate breakfast — wrote whenever she could. She said that some nights she would get five hours of sleep, and most days she went through the day feeling tired (I feel the same often — and I don’t have three children!). But the important thing for her was that she was writing.

And that’s basically the key: you have to Bust Your Ass.

Despite my encouragement to others on this blog to do just that, I have been slacking off lately. So, I’m making a renewed commitment to Bust My Ass. Who’s going to join me?

Write On!

My day job has been kicking my butt, lately. It’s a busy time of year for us, and I’ve been swamped, which, of course, has put all my passion work — my own projects — on the back burner.

Last week, I didn’t get anything done on the Florida Sir Newton Color Me book, and it was depressing me. Knowing that I’ve done some work, however small, on my own projects, helps me with my day job. Every job has it’s ups and downs, things we like (pay check and hopefully some other things too) and don’t like. But doing what you’re really passionate about is what makes the day great. One day, they’ll be one and the same.

I have found some time on the weekends, however. And, although I’m not going to make my goal of finishing SIr Newton’s Color Me Florida by the end of June, I will be much further along. This weekend, I finished up all the drawings and I have started inking them. All that’s left to do is scan them, fix them up in the computer, get them on the layouts and final proofing. With any luck, I’ll have all that done in a few weeks–fingers crossed.

The thing is, even if I find just the smallest amount of time to work on my own projects, I’m happier for it.

How are you doing with your goals?

Write On!