A Look Inside One Stop’s Templates & Worksheets

As you can imagine with an online library, there are many nooks and crannies to explore. One of my favorite places is up in The Stacks where we keep our Templates and Worksheets. (click to enlarge)

Pictured above is the Character Fears Template. By following the prompts, you brainstorm a character’s secrets, failures, greatest mistakes, relationship issues, wounding events, situations he avoids, the lies he believes, etc. so it uncovers the thing he fears most…which, in Character Arc, is the very thing he must face and defeat to become whole and achieve his objective or goal.

Templates are easy to use. You can fill them out right at One Stop and the information transforms into a helpful “wheel” showing how everything ties together. This is terrific for planning and plotting, and will also help keep you focused on your character’s motivation in each scene. Once a Template is created, you can save and access it onsite, or export it to your computer for printing. Try creating one for each character in your book!

(We’re also building new ones as we go, so if you have an idea for a template or worksheet that you’d really like to see, make sure to submit your Wishlist Idea through the CONNECT button at One Stop.)

If you aren’t a member yet, don’t worry! You can register at any time for free and poke around. Go check out the Templates and Worksheets for yourself, and see what you think!

Happy Writing,

Angela, Becca & Lee

The post Inside One Stop For Writers: Unique Templates & Worksheets appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS™.

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The post Mastering Words: Ways to Evolve as a Writer appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS™.

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I don't know about you, but I can take a while to write an article, usually an hour and then some. Even if I have an idea, I still try to add extra value into the article by doing a bit of research and getting 'social proof' to back up what I'm saying. For this article I decided to time it, so I can see just how long it takes me to create a top-notch, error-free (relatively) piece of content.

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I’m an easily distracted person. In order to write productively, I need a private space with no voices, few interruptions, and a view—because, let’s be honest, when you spend a large portion of your writing time staring out the window, you need something nice to look at. And all of this was fairly easy to arrange before my kids were born.

So cute, right? They make life worth living. They also make writing really difficult. For the past six years, I’ve had roughly 2 hours of writing time each day. To maximize that time, I’ve had to stick to a strict routine to keep myself on task. I work in my office, where it’s private, noise is minimized (meaning, the wrestling matches go undetected, but I can hear when they take the turn into a UFC cage match), and the kids can get me if they need me. I light a candle. I start up some instrumental music. With these things in place, it’s easier for me to focus and write.

But something happened last week that shot holes all through my perfect writing routine. My youngest son started school—half-day PreK. But that’s great, you say. Writing will be so much easier now with both kids at school, right?

One would think. But, le sigh, not so much. See, my kids attend different schools that are twenty minutes apart, with vastly different drop-off and pick-up times. In order to maximize my writing and decrease the amount of time spent driving back and forth, I decided it would be best for me to drop my son off, then write at the library that’s around the corner from his school. It wasn’t the perfect solution (obviously, writing at home with all my stuff in its proper place was the perfect solution), but I figured it would work. Unfortunately, those first few days were fairly unproductive. Why? Because the triggers I’d set up to get myself into the writing mood—privacy, music, candle, view—aren’t in great abundance at the library.

Now, I know that some of you don’t struggle with this. I know writers who can write anywhere, any time, no matter what’s going on. If that’s you, I envy you. I resist the urge to poke your dolls with voodoo pins. I wish I was wired that way, but I’m just not. So if you’re one of those types like me, who need structure when writing, what can you do when your routine/schedule/regimen changes, and you can’t  get into the writing groove? Here are some things that are working for me:

1. Keep Trying Ideas until You Find Ones that Work. My initial plan was to write at my son’s school (which is held at a church). But that first day, I learned that there was no Wi-Fi, which I need for Thesaurus writing. Also, my writing space was located right next to the nursery, which was noisy enough, but when the bingo group walked in…time for Plan B. I considered going to a nearby Panera or Chick-fil-A, since they have Wi-Fi, but I knew there would be too many distractions. So my third option was the library. It took me three tries to find a nice private spot there, and then I was on my way.

2. Duplicate as many of your old triggers as you can. There is no pretty view from inside our library, and for some reason, the dictatorial powers-that-be frown upon my open flame candle. *boggle* But I found the privacy piece in the Quiet Reading Room. And I realized that if I bring my earbuds, I can listen to music on my computer while I write. I also always have a drink of some kind while writing, so I’m now smuggling a Snapple into the library. I know. I’m a total hell-raiser. Anyway, when change rears its chaotic head, some of your old triggers just aren’t going to work anymore. But some of them will. Find the ones that do, and make them work for you.

3. Reward Yourself. It’s universal: change sucks. Scrapping an established routine and starting from scratch is hard. One of the things I wasn’t looking forward to was lugging my stuff to the library everyday to work. I knew I would need a good bag to carry my laptop and books back and forth, so I decided to get a nice one. And wouldn’t you know? I got this one for a song at a charity auction.

Now, I don’t mind carting my stuff around as much. Every time I see this, it makes me happy—not only because I bought a pretty new bag, but because I was able to help this incredible cause at the same time. Maybe you’d like to work at a local coffee shop or café—some place where you could have a yummy snack or drink while working. If you write longhand or need paper for taking notes, treat yourself to an awesome pen or notebook. Figure out what motivates you and give yourself a little writing-related pick-me-up to propel you into your new normal.

4. Maintain Perspective. The writing has to get done. Period. The conditions may not be ideal. You may have to write at a time that isn’t so productive for you (hello, mornings). You might have to squeeze your writing time into smaller chunks than you’d like (hello, children). But, chances are, your old writing routine wasn’t initially ideal, either. Very likely, that routine began because of a change that killed the preceding routine. While change is hard, it can be maneuvered, even conquered. Give yourself some time to adjust, and you’ll soon find yourself hammering out the words and wondering what all the fuss was about.

What about you? What are your must-haves to write productively? If you’re struggling with any part of your routine, feel free to let us know in the comments, and maybe we can brainstorm a solution.

The post When Your Writing Routine Goes Poof appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS.

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While the official start of summer is still two weeks away, writers with kids newly freed from school may already be wondering if they'll ever write again. At least that's how I felt every June about this time. I was fortunate to stay home with our kids, and there were a couple of really frustrating summers early in my writing career (and boy, am I using that term loosely). I drove myself crazy trying to follow the old "write every day" advice. Why wouldn't my kids cooperate?!

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Some fear the blank page. I fear the half-written page.
I was writing along, doing great on a story when life interrupted (how dare it!). Has that happened to you? You know where the story is going, you’re in the drafting mode and going strong and BANG! Something happens. You have to set the story aside for a while.

Momentum is lost.
The story almost seems lost, too.

Picking up the Threads of an Abandoned Story

The first thing I’ll do this week is re-read the story. It’s important to see what I actually put on the page.

Next, I’ll try to recapture the excitement and recreate my mindset. This means looking at notes, images, reference material or anything else that will help remind me of my place in the story. Maybe I’ll need to write a letter to myself about how excited I was when I was writing the story.

Retype a chapter. If that doesn’t help, I’ll retype a chapter and make small edits as I go.

Move the pen across the page. When I taught freshman composition, I used a technique that always worked. I insisted that the student move the pen across the page and write words. In other words, they had to go through the motions of writing.

“What do I write?” they moaned.
“Doesn’t matter.”
“I don’t know what to write.”
OK. Write this sentence and keep writing it until you want to write something else:
I don’t know what to write, so I am writing this dumb sentence.

Inevitably, after writing that sentence once or twice, the student segued into something else.

If all else fails to get me back into the story. I’ll do the same thing. I’ll sit and go through the motions of writing until I get so bored with the drivel that I’ll start to get creative and something will happen. I only hope what happens on the page is magic!

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Confession time: I'm the one who suggested we do a series about writing rituals. So I've read my fellow TeachingAuthors' posts with great interest. I didn't know that JoAnn likes to start her day writing in longhand before turning on her computer. Or that Jill tries to exercise first thing, even before breakfast. (Now that's what I call discipline!) Or that Laura, our newest TeachingAuthor, works best when she writes in short, intense bursts. But I was especially surprised to learn that none of them practice what they consider to be true writing rituals.

I'm surprised for two reasons:
1) I've read so many articles about the quirky rituals practiced by writers, such as those mentioned in Debra Eve's article that inspired this series, that I assumed nearly all writers had some sort of ritual.
2) I have several rituals of my own.

There. I've said it. I may turn out to be the only TeachingAuthor with regular writing rituals. If that's the case, so be it. Since I'm the one who suggested the topic, I feel obligated to be honest. Even if it means confessing that my ritual includes prayer, something I don't typically talk about on this blog.

I still remember the first time I heard an author admit that prayer was part of her daily routine/ritual. It was at one of our Vermont College residencies, and someone asked a highly-acclaimed visiting author about her writing routine. I was floored when she told the crowded room that she started every day with prayer. I'd been doing the same for years, but I'd never dreamed of admitting it in public, or hearing a fellow writer admit it. I guess I'd been raised to believe prayer a private matter. Even now, I feel a bit uncomfortable discussing hear. Oh well.

My writing ritual, which has evolved over the years, currently goes something like this:

• I light a candle and say several short prayers, including one that my work will be a blessing on the world.
• I pull up the music files on my computer and play some classical music to drown out other sounds/conversations going on in the house.  
• I open my Daily Tracking Log file on my computer and record my start time.
• I set a timer for however long I want the current writing session to last.
• I write until the timer goes off.

courtesy of ferguweb at morgueFile

Interestingly, I don't close with a prayer. However, I might add one now after reading about this closing ritual in Eve's article:

"J.D. Moyer jots down ideas for the next day’s session and says a prayer of thanks (even though he’s an atheist)." 

If an atheist is willing to publicly admit that he prays as part of his writing ritual, I guess I have no reason to feel embarrassed. J

Happy Writing!
Carmela

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Hi! I’ll introduce myself more in a future post, but I’m Laura Purdie Salas, a temporary Teaching Author. I’m so happy to be here!

Rituals. Hmmm…I was treadmilling the other night, listening to a lovely episode of NPR’s Backseat Book Club featuring Lucy Dahl, Roald’s daughter. Start at 3:40 for a fascinating glimpse into Roald’s writing setting and rituals. I wish I had such definite, comforting rituals. But I don’t.

I do have a few elements I return to, though: light, movement, and time.

Photo: Ikea

1) Light – Sometimes I light a little candle before writing. A flickering light sets my mind at rest, somehow. I have a lantern given to me by a dear writer friend that I love to write by. 

When I’m lazy but still want that flicker, I light my little febreze fake candle:>) Excuse me: Febreze Flameless Luminary.

And when I’m super-busy, I just write by a window, with the blinds slatted upward so I get glimpses of trees and sky, but not distracting cute bunnies in the yard.

2) Movement: When I’m frustrated with my writing, I move. Can’t think of the right word? I’ll pace around the kitchen/dining room circle, or go walk Capt. Jack (when it’s not 20 below zero), or even just stand up and do 30 squats.

Photo: DuBoix, courtesy of Morguefile

3) Time: Deadline-setting is really my only consistent ritual. I learned to be a writer in tiny bursts while blocking out life stresses. I still write best in small, intense chunks. No matter what kind of project I'm working on, I start the same way. I look at the clock. I look at the project. Panic shoots through me at my day's to-do list. Then I breathe and set a timer. “Rough draft of this poem. 20 minutes. Go.” Even if I have 3 straight hours of writing time, I probably work on 3-5 different projects during that time, each with its own deadline.

So, there you have it. Three sort-of routines. It would probably be simpler if I just started with a mug of cinnamon tea every day or something:>)

--Laura Purdie Salas

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This is the time of year when goals die.

Remember all those goals you set for yourself? What you planned on that bright and shiny January day when all things were hopeful and everything could be accomplished?

It’s now March and usually two scenarios are unfolding:

Scenario 1: You’re striving toward your goals and making great progress. You may even finish all your goals ahead of schedule. You’re officially kicking 2014′s ass.

Scenario 2: You’ve fallen off the wagon with your newly formed habits and now are having second thoughts about your goals. You’re getting behind schedule. 2014 is easily kicking your ass.

So let’s not talk about Scenario 1.

You’ve fallen off the wagon. You haven’t been consistent. You want to ditch all your goals and chill. All symptoms that your resolve and discipline are wearing off.

If you’re feeling this way, you’re right on schedule. This is usually the time of year when it happens. There are many reasons. I’ll share a few of mine:

1. These goals require hard work and sacrifice — what the hell was I thinking?
2. Overwhelmed with competing goals — I should take a nap and let my subconscious choose.
3. These goals gotta be perfect — I want everything to be flawless and it kinda isn’t. Dammit.
4. Fear of failure — if I stop trying to reach my goals I’m technically a quitter and not a loser.
5. Coldest. Winter. Ever.

The good news is that it’s not too late for me and it’s not too late for you.

You can dust yourself off and get back on track. If you’ve swayed away from any new-formed habits or haven’t been working on your goals — don’t beat yourself up about it.

If your goals are falling apart, it may be time to get realistic — take a step back and reassess what you need to do.

Ask yourself this important question: Can I accomplish all my goals in 2014?

If your goals are reachable, make an effort to keep striving but realize you may fall off the wagon again. New habits are especially slippery and when you find yourself slacking off — start back up again. You may also have to dig deeper on why you’re not actually making an effort to make a goal happen. Is it fear of failure? Trying to be perfect? More than likely it’s psychological. Be honest with yourself and take it on a day by day basis.

If your goals are too over the top, scale back and break down into smaller milestones. Can you *really* write 1500 words a day? Is 500 words a better fit for you? Maybe take the word count totally out of the equation. How about writing for an hour or 30 minutes a day? You’ll be more motivated by the success of finishing manageable tasks instead of being overwhelmed and giving up.

How do you keep your goals from falling apart? Are you still on track for your 2014 goals?

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It's the start of a new school year here in the United States. Many students have been back to school for several weeks already, and almost all will have returned by the end of this week. Below, I share about a writing challenge some of you, our readers, may be interested in. But first, I want to announce our own new beginning here on the TeachingAuthors' blog. Jeanne Marie posted a few weeks ago that she's stepping away from blogging with us for awhile. We will miss her unique perspective as a working writer and teacher who is also the mother of young children. We hope that she'll be able to rejoin us again in the not-to-distant future. Meanwhile, we're happy to welcome back JoAnn Early Macken!

With JoAnn's return, we're modifying the posting schedule a bit. JoAnn will return to her former Friday posting spot, which will allow her to participate in Poetry Friday. And Jill will take over Jeanne Marie's Monday spot. We hope you enjoy our new rotation!

Now, for a "new beginning" opportunity for you, our readers: Today I discovered that award-winning author Laurie Halse Anderson has shifted her annual Write Fifteen Minutes a Day (WFMAD) challenge from August to September. If you've slacked off in your writing over the summer, or you've been in a slump and you'd like some help getting back into a writing routine, I recommend you join the challenge. You can work on a project of your choosing, or write responses to one of two prompts Anderson provides each day. She also provides bits of inspiration each day. In today's post, Your Abundance of Time, she shares a link to an interesting article about why we allow the Internet to absorb so much of our valuable time.

But wait! Before you head off to write your fifteen minutes for today, be sure to enter for a chance to win a copy of Lisa Morlock's terrific rhyming picture book, Track that Scat! (Sleeping Bear Press).  

Happy Writing!
Carmela

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Howdy, Campers! Welcome to Poetry Friday at TeachingAuthors!

Please add your link to Mr. Linky below and then say a bit about your poetry post in our comments.
Thank you kindly.

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Today I'm supposed to write about how sticking to a writing routine can save the day. Or not. That ties in perfectly to my January 4th post, in which I vowed to set a writing schedule for myself in an effort to find my way back into a middle grade novel project. I'd like to shout, "Yes! A schedule was exactly what I needed! I'm well into Chapter 5! Hallelujah!" That would be inspirational, wouldn't it? It would also be untrue.

For the first time in my writing life (16 years), I entered a new year feeling overwhelmed by the number of projects awaiting my attention. Hmm. Could I work on the novel for two hours per day, fitting other writing in around it? No. Turns out that, like Mary Ann, scheduled writing time makes me itchy. Plus, I'm much happier and more productive when focusing on one project at a time.

For a few weeks there, I just avoided my office. That led to many late-night struggles with monkey mind - our pastor's apt description for when you can't sleep because your thoughts keep jumping from one problem to another. Especially worrisome were three picture book projects editors were waiting for (no rush, but still). Throw in the same real life chores/business/family stuff we all deal with and you have enough stress to set anybody's teeth to grinding.

What finally worked to get me back on track was my old friend, list making. Prioritizing. And, hold the phone...what was that hovering down there at #6? Yep, the novel. So I've put it aside and begun chipping away at those projects higher on the list. And I've seen actual results.
                    1) A nonfiction picture book proposal is almost ready to go out the door.
                    2) A fiction pb has been tweaked per an editor's suggestions.
                    3) My messy pile of writing-related receipts stuffed into a drawer and ignored through most of 2012, otherwise known as "important stuff my husband's  going to ask for any minute while he gets tax info together," is now collated and  duly recorded and in perfect order. (He may faint.)

And I'm feeling much, much better about the situation. As are my jaws.

Routine has saved the day, at least in part. I spend most mornings in my office, chipping away at that list. For me, though, balance is imperative. So I opened another creative outlet. Months ago, I picked out fabric* for a quilt I wanted to make. I finally sketched a design, calculated the pieces I'd need, and got to work. Piecing a quilt, unlike writing, lets me see results quickly. I think - no, I know - that those afternoons in my basement sewing studio have been therapeutic.

                                                       *the centers of the squares look black in this pic, but they are 
                                                         actually a dark coffee brown.

And, #6? Don't worry, I see you down there. Hang tight. I'm on my way.

Jill Esbaum

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     My good friend Carmela wrote such a lovely post on the subject of writing routine last Friday that there really isn't much left for me to say.

     Like Carmela, I am the caregiver for two family members. I know any number of writers who tote their laptops to bedsides and waiting rooms and are perfectly productive.  I am not one of those people. I am unable to isolate myself emotionally from the situation. I cannot write while I am worrying about finances and medication and contingency plans, should I not be available.

     In his autobiography, Rewrites, playwright Neil Simon writes for months and months with his wife dying of cancer in the next room. Simon describes his ability to enter another world peopled only with characters of his own invention, a world where no one was dying of cancer. I wish Mr. Simon could tell me how he so neatly compartmentalized his life.  It would be a valuable skill. But alas, he does not.I have been able to "write through" short term illnesses and crisis before. However, my situation for the past year has been one of ongoing issues and worries with no end in sight.

     Upshot...I am too emotionally wrung out to write with any depth. I can edit, teach, research, even write blogs (although not as well as I would like to.) Trying to create something new takes heart and soul that I do not have on hand at the moment.

    OK, back to the subject of routine/schedule, etc. Even when I am firing on all cylinders, the word "schedule" makes my skin crawl. I was raised in a home where every day of the week had a particular function (Wash Day, Baking Day, Shopping Day, Yard Work Day) and every hour was accounted for before the day began.  Whether I was wired differently from my parents or just a rebellious kid, I did not take well to all that regimentation. I grew up to be a person who wrote term papers in two days (hey, anybody can write a good paper if you have a whole semester!) and mailed my tax returns at 11:59 p.m. April 15th.

    I am a militant night owl. Left to my won devices, I would happily work graveyard shift. I loved being a school librarian, except that I had to be at school by 7;30, after a 40 mile drive.  Add becoming a mother to my disorderly life, and one of two things happen. You either stop writing, or you write when you can.

    I write when I can. Until this past year, I was pretty proud of my ability to write in ten minute chunks, wherever I happened to be. In the carpool line at school.  On commuter trains. During boring sermons. Wherever. A good chunk of my day was spent at the skating rink, as my figure-skating daughter skated upwards of 20 hours a week.

    I know there are writers who manage to carve out consecutive BIC hours (Butt in Chair) to stare at a blank computer screen, waiting for the Muse to arrive. I envy you. Even when my life unknots itself  and I regain my full creative energy again (someday), I don't anticipate tidy "office hours" or outlines or schedules.

    That's just the way I roll.

    Don't forget to sign up for our latest giveaway, a copy of Brenda Ferber's The Yuckiest, Stinkiest, Best Valentine Ever. Check Esther's post from last Wednesday for details.

    Posted by Mary Ann Rodman

 

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This past week, the Teaching Authors have been visiting the subject of best practices when it comes to our writing schedules.  Anyone looking to this post for tips on how to lead a productive and/or well-organized writing life had best look elsewhere.  If you'd like to make yourself feel better about your own work habits... read on.

I am an unabashed night owl.  My dad says that I was born in California four decades ago and never quite got my body clock on EST.  My most productive writing time (even when I lived in California, I must admit) has always happened between the hours of 10 p.m. and 3 a.m.  However, when I got married, I began waking with my husband at 5:30 a.m.  Our children are also early risers.  Bye-bye productive writing time.  Some nights I will try to take a brief nap at my kids' bedtime and then get up and work.  More often than not, given the busy-ness of our days, I wind up sleeping straight through.

My day job is a writing job, so there's always the matter of getting my paid work done first.  Typically I get up, get the kids ready, and drive the morning carpool before I get down to business.  On a good day, I will then spend half an hour on the elliptical with a book (or at least a few Days of Our Lives outlines -- there's always soap reading to get out of the way).  Then I plop my laptop in my lap, snuggle with the puppy, and start writing -- or at least make a stab at it.

My current job function is "scriptwriter," and I usually write one complete script each week.  (Every few weeks, there will be two.)  I have seven days to complete the week's assignment(s), so if I write and edit an act per day in a typical week, I'm in fine shape.  In practice, I usually spend at least a day reading and a day at the end of the process on editing and polishing.  We write from detailed outlines, and some scripts go much more quickly than others.  Also, if I could force myself to ditch my habit of Internet surfing every time I get stuck (approximately every five minutes), I would add an additional two hours of productive time to each day.

Afternoons are for kids' activities and homework.  This semester I also teach three mornings of the week, as well as one evening.  Besides the scriptwriting, I have to squeeze in time for lesson planning and, of course, grading essays (for example, 40 this weekend).  Every other Sunday night I also remember in the nick of time (at least so far) that I have a blog post to write.    

Now, scriptwriting is by far the least onerous and time-consuming paid writing job I've had in a decade.  But it has been so long since I've made my own writing a regular practice, I am having a hard time finding my groove again.  While in theory I think it would be better to work for an hour every day, I seem to do much better with larger chunks less frequently.  I had a vacation week a few weeks ago and did pound out lots of pages.  That felt good.  But it's like exercise -- the feel-good result is only so motivating in comparison to the difficulty and discomfort of the undertaking.

A fellow scriptwriter told me that she spends four hours every week working in a quiet room with a friend who's studying.  I have noticed that I am much more productive when someone in the room can see how much I'm goofing off. :)  I do think Carmela's on to something with her writing buddy idea.  Now I just need to find mine! -- Jeanne Marie
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Don't forget to enter our Guest Teaching Author Book Giveaway to win an autographed copy of FORGET ME NOT by the fabulous Carolee Dean.
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This week's reading recommendations:
Patrick (grade K): anything Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold
Kate (grade 2): The Bell Bandit by Jacqueline Davies
me: Capture the Flag by Kate Messner

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We had LOTS of great entries in our latest giveaway contest--see the end of this post to find out who our winner is. 

As Jill shared last Friday, for our current TeachingAuthors topic we're talking a bit about our daily lives/routines as writers. Before I discuss my routine, I have a confession to make: I don't want to be writing this blog post right now.

It's not that I mind the topic, or that I dislike blogging, because I enjoy these posts and the opportunity to connect with you, our blog readers. It's just that I've been working hard, keeping "butt in chair" for the past few weeks, trying to finish the revision of my young-adult historical, and I'm almost done--"almost," as in, to start this blog post, I had to stop at page 274 of a 280-page manuscript! I really wanted to keep plugging away without interruption until I reached the end AND worked through Chapter 1 again so I could send it off to my Beta readers.

Ironically (given today's topic), I would easily have made it through those last pages if regular life hadn't intervened with a minor household crisis this afternoon. But that's a topic for another day.

However, since I'm being brutally honest here, I should also note that these last few weeks have really been more "fun" than "work." That's because I FINALLY got through the revision of Chapter 12--the pivotal chapter where the two formerly antagonistic main characters realize they're falling in love! Once I had that chapter working to my satisfaction, I was on a roll: tweaking scenes, pulling threads, deepening sensory details, adding imagery, polishing language, etc. The stuff I love to do!

If you've been following this blog for awhile, you know it's taken me a LONG time to get to this point with this current work-in-progress. In fact, I've been ready to give up on this novel countless times. Back in June 2011, I blogged about how having a "writing buddy" turned out to be the key to my getting a finished draft. But that draft still needed a lot of work--work I hope to have finished by the end of this week. Hooray!

[By the way--my blog post about having a "writing buddy" led me to write a freelance article on the topic for the 2013 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market (Writer's Digest Books), edited by Chuck Sambuchino. The book was just released on September 21, and is also available in ebook form.]

So, what IS my typical day like? I blogged about my "ideal" day back in June, 2009, and that ideal hasn't changed much, though I rarely live up to it.

I find I'm most productive if I get up around 6-6:30 in the morning and get to work as soon after breakfast as possible, without checking email or Facebook. Since I have a hard time resisting email, I set a timer and don't allow myself to look at it until after I've put in 2-4 hours of work, depending on what else I have going on that day. After email and lunch, I work another 2-4 hours, though I take an exercise break in the middle of the afternoon on most days. (If you haven't read about the recent studies citing the dangers of prolonged sitting, you may want to read this Forbes article: Why Sitting at Work Can be so Deadly.]

I should clarify that "work" varies depending on my teaching schedule and my work goals for the week. I'm not currently teaching any classes, so the "work" time these days may include:

• writing/revising my current historical YA novel-in-progress (that's almost done!)
• researching/planning where to submit a novel I recently finished co-writing with another author
• writing a blog post, like this one, or planning future blogging topics
• pitching/querying new freelance writing projects
• writing/researching freelance writing projects
• updating my website with information about upcoming classes, publications, etc.

Weeks when I am teaching, my "work" time includes lesson planning, publicizing classes, and reviewing student work.

Depending on how much time I spend on email and social media, my typical work day is usually 5-8 hours long, Monday through Friday, plus 4 hours or more on Saturday. (I often teach on Saturdays.) If I'm on deadline, or on a "roll" as I have been the last few weeks, I may put in some extra time after dinner. But I can't do that for an extended period. I agree with what Jill said on Friday, that we need to have time away from our work to gather the material that will enrich our writing.

I know many of you have full-time jobs that make it pretty much impossible to spend 2-4 hours per day writing. The good news is, many writers who have much less time to devote to their writing are still able to have successful careers. Esther recently mentioned a new blog by Carol Coven Grannick called Today I Am a Writer. In one of her first posts, Carol talks about how productive she's been by following the simple tenet of devoting the First, Best Hour to her work. As Carol has discovered, knowing we have a limited amount of time can sometimes help us stay focused. I'm a believer in Parkinson's law--work often does expand to fill the time allotted for its completion.

But even if an hour is more than you can muster, you may be surprised at what you can accomplish by writing simply fifteen minutes a day. Every August, award-winning author Laurie Halse Anderson hosts the "Write Fifteen Minutes a Day Challenge" on her blog. Here's an excerpt from what she posted on the last day of the challenge::

Life happens whether you are writing or not. You don’t have to wait for the right time, or that Muse-blessed idea or a fellowship to a writing colony or a winning lottery ticket or anything. You just have to give yourself permission to take seriously your writing dream.

So I hope you'll give yourself permission to take your writing dream seriously. Why not start today, by setting aside some regular writing time?. Even if you missed Anderson's Fifteeen Minutes a Day Challenge last month, there's nothing stopping you from using her posts to work through your own month of writing fifteen minutes a day. Day one begins here.  

And now, time to announce the winner of Lisa Cron's Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence (Ten Speed Pess). Our winner is:

Mary Jo

Congratulations, Mary Jo! (Please respond to my email so we can get the book in the mail right away.)

If you didn't win, never fear--we have more giveaways coming SOON!

And now, I'm going back to my novel.
Happy writing!
Carmela

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My Writing Life

This post is in response to reader Tara, who wanted to know more about the writing life.

Before I was a writer, here's how I pictured the job:  A wild-haired writer sits at a desk, typing madly, interrupted every now and again with a call from her agent, who wants to know how her book is coming along or report sales figures or discuss her upcoming book tour. Sometimes she removes her glasses and taps them against her teeth while gazing thoughtfully at the ceiling. She stands to stretch and yawn, looks out the window, maybe goes for a fresh cup of coffee or a contemplative walk before settling in for another few hours.

Confession:  I still think this is what life is like for blockbuster authors. Alas, I am not one of them (knock wood and never say never).

My writing life, by contrast, is very sporadic. I might write three to five hours one day, then not at all for two or three days. Or more. For years I felt guilty about that non-schedule. After all, a Real Writer would follow Steven King's advice (in his On Writing), which was basically:  1) have a writing space with a door you can close, 2) set daily writing goals, 3) don't come out until you've met them. I do have novelist friends who pretty much stick to this model.

But I've made peace with my own jackrabbit writing style because of two things:

1) I wholeheartedly believe that every bit of our lives away form writing – every book we read, every person we speak with, every place we visit, every hobby we enjoy – soaks into our beings and feeds our writing in ways big and small. Maybe some of us have wells that go dry faster than others? *shrug* So what might I be doing when I'm not writing? Lately, there's quilting, a hobby I'm just getting back into after years away. My latest project, a wall hanging:

I might be running errands. Seeing a relative. Dining out with friends. Reading. Traveling. Baking. Taking a class (right now:  Basic Drawing - loving it!). Participating in a church function. Watching a video or catching up on Facebook. Writing for this blog. Enjoying a writing retreat. Sitting in a board meeting. Answering e-mail. Visiting a school. Teaching a workshop. Walking the dog.

2) I am primarily a picture book writer. Writing picture books is very much a process, and parts of that process work best if you take mental breaks. Every story needs a cooling off period, followed by a lot of revision. A lot. So the fact that I'm not in my office 24/7 doesn't mean my mind isn't still grappling with whatever story problem has me stumped. Some (most!) of my best ideas and aha moments come to me when I'm away from my computer.

All that said, I have had a totally different routine lately, thanks to a couple of short-deadlined projects. Here's the first, due out in mid-November from National Geographic:

Display Comments Add a Comment

This post is in response to reader Tara, who wanted to know more about the writing life.

Before I was a writer, here's how I pictured the job:  A wild-haired writer sits at a desk, typing madly, interrupted every now and again with a call from her agent, who wants to know how her book is coming along or report sales figures or discuss her upcoming book tour. Sometimes she removes her glasses and taps them against her teeth while gazing thoughtfully at the ceiling. She stands to stretch and yawn, looks out the window, maybe goes for a fresh cup of coffee or a contemplative walk before settling in for another few hours.

Confession:  I still think this is what life is like for blockbuster authors. Alas, I am not one of them (knock wood and never say never).

My writing life, by contrast, is very sporadic. I might write three to five hours one day, then not at all for two or three days. Or more. For years I felt guilty about that non-schedule. After all, a Real Writer would follow Steven King's advice (in his On Writing), which was basically:  1) have a writing space with a door you can close, 2) set daily writing goals, 3) don't come out until you've met them. I do have novelist friends who pretty much stick to this model.

But I've made peace with my own jackrabbit writing style because of two things:

1) I wholeheartedly believe that every bit of our lives away form writing – every book we read, every person we speak with, every place we visit, every hobby we enjoy – soaks into our beings and feeds our writing in ways big and small. Maybe some of us have wells that go dry faster than others? *shrug* So what might I be doing when I'm not writing? Lately, there's quilting, a hobby I'm just getting back into after years away. My latest project, a wall hanging:

I might be running errands. Seeing a relative. Dining out with friends. Reading. Traveling. Baking. Taking a class (right now:  Basic Drawing - loving it!). Participating in a church function. Watching a video or catching up on Facebook. Writing for this blog. Enjoying a writing retreat. Sitting in a board meeting. Answering e-mail. Visiting a school. Teaching a workshop. Walking the dog.

2) I am primarily a picture book writer. Writing picture books is very much a process, and parts of that process work best if you take mental breaks. Every story needs a cooling off period, followed by a lot of revision. A lot. So the fact that I'm not in my office 24/7 doesn't mean my mind isn't still grappling with whatever story problem has me stumped. Some (most!) of my best ideas and aha moments come to me when I'm away from my computer.

All that said, I have had a totally different routine lately, thanks to a couple of short-deadlined projects. Here's the first, due out in mid-November from National Geographic:

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As summer temperatures heat up, some writers heat up as well, typing like mad until they have to go back to their day jobs as teachers. Yet there are many other writers whose writing comes to a halt because they are Moms.

Maybe it’s because my family needs my income. I’ve never said, “I can’t write because the kids are home.”

If you’ve used this excuse, I’ve got something to say. If you genuinely want to write, it is possible even with the kids home if you are willing to follow these four steps.

Commit. The first thing that you need to do is commit to writing even when you aren’t home alone. You are a writer. Writers write. You are not neglecting your children by writing. You’re a Mom not a cruise ship activities director. You do not need to fill their every waking moment. They will survive on their own for short periods of time and they will learn to amuse themselves. Commit to the idea that you can write even with children around. This step is essential. Repeat it until you mean it. I am a writer. Writers write.

Talk the Talk. Lay things on the line for everyone involved. Explain that you are going to write. Because this is work, it is not optional and they must give you this time. Period. All requests during work time will get an immediate NO. Snacks. Movies. Swimming. The park. No, no, no, and (do I need to say it again?) no.

Help Them Find Something to Do. If your kids are used to sailing along with you as activities director, they won’t amuse themselves with grace or dexterity. Ask them what they plan to do while you write. A movie or the Playstation almost always work. Maybe they’d like to read or play a game. If your kids are particularly clever, they may announce that they are bored. You can’t say no to that, but you can always bring out the Jar of Joy. This is a sarcastic name for the chore jar, the perfect anecdote for boredom. Ask my son.

Do It. Decide how long you are going to write. If you normally don’t write with the kids home, this is going to be a learning process for everyone. If you have younger children, start with a shorter time, maybe 15 minutes. Set a timer and get to work. Don’t check Facebook. Don’t pop over to your e-mail. Write.

How do I know this will work? I’ve been writing since my son was an infant. He gave up naps at 3, but I didn’t give up writing. Why? Because I’m a writer and I’m not neglecting anyone if I take the time to do it.

–SueBE

Author Sue Bradford Edwards blogs at One Writer's Journey.

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It’s drilled into us by the Publishing Powers That Be: platform, platform, platform.

Embrace Social Media. Blog. Get on twitter. Engage. Network. Connect. Start early, think ahead, get a platform in place before the deal.

And because we want to give ourselves the best chance of being noticed, we do it. Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Tumblr and more. We participate in blog hops, help promo new books, run contests, join writing list-serves and organizations, post on forums, interact through writing support circles and groups. We host giveaways, we retweet, we #FF & #MM, we review books and we critique. We learn about SEO and back-linking and stress about Klout scores. We Follow. We Like. We+1. After all, this is what we were told to do, right?

For writers, putting time and energy into an online presence is the new norm. Time, hard work and luck all factor in on how successful a platform becomes. And some writers are very successful at building their platform. That's good...right? Yes, absolutely. Well, you know, except for the but.

Hold it...there's a  BUT in this scenario? Yes, and here it is:
  

A great platform is every writer’s end game...but the cold, hard fact is that it comes at a price: TIME. It takes a lot of time to manage a successful online presence.

When it starts to chew up too much, we get hit with a fish-slap of reality: there's no time to read. The research we need to do for our WIP is always on the back burner. Our family rarely sees us without a laptop or wireless device in our hand. And, the death blow? We're spending all our time blogging and networking instead of writing.

Eventually, a writer in this situation will become fed up, especially if they aren't seeing dividends as a result of platform building (an agent's attention, the editor's interest, the deal to celebrate). They begin to resent their blogs, or twitter, or whatever else is murdering their writing time. They also may resent those who preach that writers ‘must have’ a platform. Social Media Fatigue sets in, and as the pressure to keep everything going builds, a writer flirts with the idea of just...walking...away.

Running yourself ragged is not the solution. Quitting a platform you worked so hard to build is not the solution. Change is. So if you are finding all your time is spent trying to gain online visibility instead of writing, you need a SOCIAL MEDIA INTERVENTION.


Experiencing Social Media Fatigue? Look at what you’re doing for platform and what is draining your passion and time. What avenues can you cut back on? What can you do more efficiently? Here are some common TIME EATERS and POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS:

Blogging can be a big chore if you aren't into it. Do you struggle to come up with topics? Are you always writing posts? Do you like blogging but it takes up too much of your time?

--Blog less. Cut back on your blogging schedule.
--J

60 Comments on Do You Need a Social Media Intervention?, last added: 1/26/2012

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Laura Pauling said, on 1/23/2012 5:03:00 AM

Natalie cracked me up with her comment that she experiences this and she's not even on twitter. I definitely read way more blogs than I comment on. I wish those bloggers knew I was there! I'm reading you!

For me the desire to scale back that I've been experiencing recently is not due to fatigue. I really enjoy blogging. But it's never become so apparent than with the decision to self publish that yes platform is important and web presence is important but unless you are a super blogger, I'm talking thousands of readers, then the writing is way more important!

Super post!

JeffO said, on 1/23/2012 5:09:00 AM

Great post, great advice. I blog. I have a personal facebook page that I never post on (last status change was October), and I rarely comment on anyone else. I feel the pressure to tweet, etc., but I honestly have no desire to get into that. I spend enough time as it is on the blogs, either trying to get my next post just exactly right, or reading the others that I follow (and getting sucked down the rabbit hole of blogs the people I follow, follow). Agents and editors may not like to hear it, but I have to do what's right for me. And most of that stuff just isn't for me.

Yes, I'm doomed.

Sarah said, on 1/23/2012 5:40:00 AM

This is an extraordinarily useful and awesome post. I am determined to keep this balance, and one of the ways I'm doing it is by not spreading myself across too many different modalities. I do Twitter (in great moderation), and I blog. I can't do everything, so Tumblr and Facebook/Google+ just are not on my to-do list right now. They might be at some point, but something else will have to be curtailed if they are.

Ava Jae said, on 1/23/2012 5:53:00 AM

Wonderful post with a great point. I had to scale back with Twitter, but only because I was spending waytoo much time tweeting when I first got my account. Now I pop in less often, but I still make a point of trying to answer my @ replies and RTing anything I find interesting. Buffer and Hootsuite are incredibly helpful.

In the end, the best things writers can do for their platform is focus on what's important and write.

SA Larsenッ said, on 1/23/2012 6:09:00 AM

You summed me up in a nutshell.

I've recently broadened my blogging topics and am about to put out a call for guest posters. Want to be one?

When burnout drapes me like an old wet blanket, I step back and breath, even if only for a few days. We all are human and life going on all around us. As always, balance is the key.

Kendall said, on 1/23/2012 6:35:00 AM

Wonderful advice! I recently took a break from it all (about a month) but since I've come back, I've found myself back into my old routine (instead of making it fun).

This was just the perspective I needed! Thanks!

Matthew MacNish said, on 1/23/2012 6:39:00 AM

Thank goodness I'm not as addicted to Twitter as other social media. I don't know what I'd do. And I'm getting pretty turned off by Google + lately too. I mean it was so cool at first, but now I'm getting absolutely inundated by random strangers adding me to their circles. I mean it's not that big of a deal, but it just doesn't make any sense.

Christie Wright Wild said, on 1/23/2012 7:00:00 AM

I've heard a lot of this advice before, but never all in one place. My Facebook and Google+ are more for family and friends, not writing platform. I love twitter and have a blog. I have occasionally posted less frequently on my blog. I don't even visit my Google Reader anymore, but I try to visit a few blogs (from links on my own) a week. Thanks for sharing. You never know, I may have to return in the future.

Clarissa Draper said, on 1/23/2012 7:01:00 AM

Awesome, awesome post!

Jennifer Hoffine said, on 1/23/2012 7:22:00 AM

Yes, AWESOME POST...I suffer from plugging away but still feeling like I'm not doing enough. I've decided to put time limits on the social media, so I can put my writing first again.

ali cross said, on 1/23/2012 7:27:00 AM

This is a fun and awesome post. You guys rock! Thank you reminding me what sanity looks like.

Angela Ackerman said, on 1/23/2012 7:40:00 AM

I have to admit, writing this post was a huge stress relief for me as well. As writers looking to publish, we are expected to juggle a lot. But as much as we hear platform is essential, writing MUST come first. There isn't an agent or editor out there who would disagree.

With so many different Social Media outlets around, it can feel like we must do them all. But really, this is not the case and we need to resist taking on more than we can handle.

I have had to make many adaptations. I still am adapting to maintain a balance. With a following like ours, it is impossible to keep up. I have many blogs in my reader that I vistit--both followers and ones that belong to people who almost never comment here. This doesn't bother me. I visit for the content, not in hopes they will return here. Once upon a time I did think that way, but not any more.

Also, with a large following, the responsibility to continue to have strong output becomes even more critical. People come here with high expectations. We put a ton of effort into each post, including this one. I will always choose helpful content over socializing--always. The needs of our audience have to come first. That's why we created The Bookshelf Muse.

Like Laura, I visit a lot of blogs and don't always comment. Maybe the blog owners don't know I was there, but I still feel good about visiting when I can and I enjoy their content and learning new things. I also touch base with many of these folks through other mediums like twitter, etc.

Bottom line, I hope no one feels shortchanged if I do not comment on their posts each and every time, but I have chosen a way to be able to keep providing strong content and give back when and how I can. And always, I have to make room for writing. I hope everyone else will do the same, even if it means that one of the blogs they do not comment on as much is this one.

I love your visits, and I appreciate all your support be it comments, tweets, referrals or links. But it's okay to lurk too! :) Do only as much as you can. Knowing that this blog is helping you in some small way is a reward in itself. :)

Happy writing!

Angela Ackerman said, on 1/23/2012 7:45:00 AM

Jeff, I want you especially to know that you aren't doomed! The fact that you do what you can and focus on your writing is a good thing, not a bad one. :)

When the whole Social Media explosion happened, I was all in. Eventually though, I ended up with all platform, no product. This is never how a writer should end up. Knowing what your limits are puts you ahead of the game. :)

SA Larson, Becca or I am always happy to guest post when time allows. :)

Great discussion everyone! Keep your thoughts coming on this topic. It's so important to talk about, and something you are doing to find balance might help someone else who is struggling. :)

Nicole Zoltack said, on 1/23/2012 7:58:00 AM

Great post! It's so easy to get sucked in and then get no writing done. I have a certain amount of time that I allot to blog commenting and that's it. I stop once the timer dings. Otherwise I'd be reading and commenting on blogs all day! It's better to focus on a few sites than be stretched too thin.

Christina Lee said, on 1/23/2012 8:19:00 AM

This.was.EXCELLENT!!!! Off to TWEET it now (bwahahaha, b/c I'm addicted)! But really, I've cut back on Blogging (such a relief) and tweeting, and don't have tons of friends on FB, b/c i use it mostly to keep up with family!

How much do I owe ya for the session? :D

Arlee Bird said, on 1/23/2012 8:42:00 AM

When you start talking juggling, I'm on board. Whew, you said a lot here and I know what you're saying. I've already started doing a lot of these things and have been trying to do or at least thinking about the others.

I like the blogging part and since it's still writing, I can manage that part okay. It pains me to cut back on commenting, but there is only so much time and commenting can take a lot of that time, not to mention actually reading the posts.

It is, as you indicate, a big juggling act, but even when you're actually a juggler like I am, it's still difficult to keep it all going smoothly without dropping something now and then.


Lee
Wrote By Rote

Lisa Gail Green said, on 1/23/2012 8:55:00 AM

This is brilliant! Seriously. Does it negate the point if I go tweet about it now?? LOL! ;D

Mirka Breen said, on 1/23/2012 9:10:00 AM

*Fantastic* post.
This is where my line is drawn: nothing can take away from the real thing, the main event, the true kit ‘n caboodle, the center itself: WRITING FICTION.
The rest is the swirly stirring around. But writing time and energy cannot be compromised, or we are stirring a thin soup. .

Anne K. Albert said, on 1/23/2012 9:45:00 AM

Great advice, and yet, I just became a follower to your blog and that puts me at more than 300...is it too late for an intervention?!

Just kidding. Good advice is good advice, and time well spent.

I realized late in 2011 I needed to change. After more than a year of social media frenzy, my writing now comes first.

SHANNON O'DONNELL said, on 1/23/2012 10:00:00 AM

I have been feeling a bit of the burnout lately, and my writing has suffered. This is SUCH a great and meaningful post!! :-)

Marsha Sigman said, on 1/23/2012 10:15:00 AM

This was an awesome post. Perfect timing too. I think a lot of us are stressing on this subject right now.

Susan R. Mills said, on 1/23/2012 10:23:00 AM

I LOVE this post! I can relate to it on so many levels. Thanks for the tips.

Turndog Millionaire said, on 1/23/2012 11:17:00 AM

Ha oh how true it is you can lost in the Social Media world. My world is still very small but i'm weary of growth because it will bring its own downfalls

Like you say, you need to prioritise and stay within your limits. Stay relevant and do what you do really really well

Quality over quantity. That's what they say, right???

Matt (Turndog Millionaire)

Becca Puglisi said, on 1/23/2012 11:59:00 AM

At the SCBWI conference I just attended, one of the editors mentioned FREEDOM, which I guess is a free program you can download that turns off your internet for a specified period of time. I haven't used it, but it sounds like an effective tool for people who want a dedicated social-networking-free writing time.

GRACE PETERSON said, on 1/23/2012 12:03:00 PM

I'm still trying to figure out how to clone myself. Until then I'll have to learn to balance it all. Great post.

Patti said, on 1/23/2012 1:13:00 PM

I think that doing it all can be too much, especially with a family, a job and a life outside of writing. I've chosen to focus on one thing (blogging). I've attempted twitter and Facebook, but just can't keep up with it. Know you're limits and figure out what you enjoy the most.

I'm hesitant to say great post, but great post.

Susan Kaye Quinn said, on 1/23/2012 3:24:00 PM

I'm not in need of an intervention, but only because I hit the wall before this post came out! And did much of what you suggested - cut back on blogging, target my social media time. I turn everything OFF when I'm writing, and that's much more effective. I have precisely 15 minutes to cruise twitter and blog posts, and I've been meaning to read this one since this morning! There's only so much time... and that's ok!

Susan Flett Swiderski said, on 1/23/2012 3:30:00 PM

You're right. Sometimes we simply demand too much of ourselves and try to do it all, all, all. But we can't. Time to give ourselves permission to relax expectations. The more we try to do it all, the less we'll enjoy it.

Missy Welsh said, on 1/23/2012 4:12:00 PM

THANK YOU! I'm going to go write now and know I'm not screwing anything up because I'm writing instead of "socializing".

Deb Marshall said, on 1/23/2012 5:31:00 PM

OMG! Some rockin' good advice! Thanks!

SP Sipal said, on 1/23/2012 6:10:00 PM

You've obviously struck a chord with this post, Angela. Your advice is so on target as well. I know I'm not the only one needing to remind myself of your excellent points. Thank you!
-- Susan

Renee said, on 1/23/2012 6:47:00 PM

Thank you for saying it's okay to get tired. Sometimes, it's okay to be quiet and regroup. This was perfect!

Kelly Polark said, on 1/23/2012 7:58:00 PM

Excellent post, Angela.
I did have a little bit of blog burnout so I decided to just post less. But then I started a new blog. Doh! But I like how my new blog is different and caters to different people too.

I am very addicted to Twitter now. Must. Set. Timer. (great idea and I love that you listed so many great solutions!)

Sophia Chang said, on 1/24/2012 1:06:00 AM

I REALLY needed this. I read just your title and said, "Yes." Like out loud.

And now I should get off my reader and actually write.

Dee White said, on 1/24/2012 4:09:00 AM

Thanks for this fabulous post.

I thought you must have been peering through my study window when you wrote it lol.

Today, I came to this conclusion myself...that the world won't stop if I forget to congratulate someone on Facebook or retweet their twitter link or go a week without blogging.

Thanks for helping put things in perspective. Today I made the commitment - writing comes first and I fit the other stuff around it:)

tracikenworth said, on 1/24/2012 5:08:00 AM

I've cut back on the different social media to only following some every other day and others not at all. I do blog twice a week, 3 if there's a muse session from the yaff ladies, but so far that's working well. I try and keep my blogs short and don't stress over them.I understand that you can't visit every blog you want to, it's really hard to pick and choose. Sometimes you hit a winner, and sometimes a dud. And I don't think platform is the "end all" of things. I think it's what it's always been: the word of mouth about your books.

tracikenworth said, on 1/24/2012 5:08:00 AM

I've cut back on the different social media to only following some every other day and others not at all. I do blog twice a week, 3 if there's a muse session from the yaff ladies, but so far that's working well. I try and keep my blogs short and don't stress over them.I understand that you can't visit every blog you want to, it's really hard to pick and choose. Sometimes you hit a winner, and sometimes a dud. And I don't think platform is the "end all" of things. I think it's what it's always been: the word of mouth about your books.

Melanie Crouse said, on 1/24/2012 6:29:00 AM

I really needed this! I have a suggestion for the burnt our bloggers out there.

I started blogging a little over a year ago, and really wore myself out trying to come up with 5 brilliant posts every single week. The best "platforming" move I ever made was when I joined up with 5 other writers and we each take turns writing one post a week. The quality of my blogging increased, we get the benefit of our combined readership to grow our blog, and I get inspired by my fellow bloggers every day. It might not work for everybody, but it definitely works for us!

http://theprosers.blogspot.com/

Angela Ackerman said, on 1/24/2012 6:51:00 AM

I am completely overjoyed that this post has hit the mark with so many. I don't think any of us need apologize for blogging less, or tweeting less, or emailing less for the sake of writing or family. I am so proud of all of you for stepping back and taking stock!

In this business, it is easy to feel like we are failures, or that we are letting other people down if we do scale back or do a little less. We shouldn't feel this way.

This choice of career should be a happy one, and our choices within it have to always take us closer to goals and satisfaction, not burnout. :)

I do apologize for the length of this post--I try hard not to create overlong posts, but I wanted to make sure I looked at all the big social media platforms so writers only had to come back to one post if they needed this info now and down the road.

Becca's mention of social tools that cut you off from the internet or social media for a set period time is another way to help willpower when it needs a boost! I found this article that lists out a bunch of amazing tools that will help writers be more productive or even get a visual of how much time is spent where: http://the99percent.com/articles/6969/10-Online-Tools-for-Better-Attention-Focus

Thanks again for all the comments and for sharing what worked for you.

Angela

Stacy Green said, on 1/24/2012 6:59:00 AM

So far I've not experienced the fatigue. My blogging days are set, and I'm able to pop in and out of Twitter when I want. My frustrations come from figuring out if I'm doing the right things. I'd like to see the blog grow more, and I'd like to master Goodreads. I actually just did a blog post about trying to figure out what works. I'd like to reach out past my blogosphere so to speak, and find potential readers that aren't writers. That's what I'm struggling with now.

Great post, Angela!

Annie said, on 1/24/2012 7:12:00 AM

Excellent post. I fall pray to the fictional "Blogging Mafia" a lot. It's not like I have a huge readership, but it still feels like I owe it to the online world to post regularly. Who cares?! There's no blogging mafia!

catherinemjohnson said, on 1/24/2012 7:15:00 AM

Fantastic post Angela! I have cancelled a lot of my google reader subscriptions and moved most over to email. That way I only have one place to read everything I need and can move things to folders for a later time. I don't miss as much. People without books out right now don't need every single blog post tweeting either. But definitely this one! :)

The Writer Librarian said, on 1/24/2012 9:31:00 AM

Reading this was such a relief! I didn't realize how much my Twittering and Facebooking and blogging was sucking up so much of my time and energy, in addition to revising my new book, querying my old one, all along with the commitments that come along with my full-time day job. I hit a wall of exhaustion last night--and now I know why! Thanks so much for this--now I have a better idea of where to scale back!

timbarzyk said, on 1/24/2012 12:39:00 PM

This should be required reading for anyone getting started in the whole social network platform building extravaganza! Wonderful, informative advice. Will refer to this any time I fall off my social network wagon!

Sandra McLeod Humphrey said, on 1/24/2012 1:56:00 PM

Great advice--I'm feeling inundated!

Dane Zeller said, on 1/24/2012 2:04:00 PM

Great point! I'm going to cut back as soon as I make this comment. This is the last comment I'm going to make today, except for that comment I have to make on a post that had a recipe for chocolate fudge. (You can't treat chocolate that way.)

Heather Marsten said, on 1/24/2012 3:59:00 PM

LOL, Great advice - very pragmatic.

Heather

Heather Marsten said, on 1/24/2012 4:00:00 PM

LOL, Great advice - very pragmatic.

Heather

Martha Ramirez said, on 1/24/2012 6:59:00 PM

Really, really great tips! I like how you listed all the cures so easy to read. Thanks for this.

Mary Vensel White said, on 1/24/2012 8:07:00 PM

I think if someone read all of that, they probably need an intervention.

Nicole said, on 1/24/2012 8:24:00 PM

I love this post! Such a breath of fresh air to hear this perspective (even though we all secretly know it). :)

Sharon Jones said, on 1/24/2012 8:36:00 PM

Great post....

I feel the need to cut down on the bazillion blogs I am subscribed to. I get them in my email, on google reader, and through facebook-networked blogs...(I'm sure you do too) I don't get on Twitter all too often...it freaks me out a little. If I go to someone's profile from there and then hit return...there are a Zillion more tweets to read...how does anyone keep up with that? It's so much faster than FB, and even that is driving me nuts lately.

I just spent about an hour trying to get caught up on blog reading. And you are right...this is not supposed to be a chore. I have decided to cut back on my group participation on facebook too. I really need to get more writing/editing done...otherwise, what's the point in all this?

Burning out in Wisconsin...
Sharon :)

Ruby Claire said, on 1/24/2012 9:35:00 PM

First we must , Identify Oneself as an Employee of the Organization



Social Media questionnaire

Callie Kingston said, on 1/24/2012 10:54:00 PM

Oh, perfect timing: as I'm launching a new novel into the world, the time I'm spending on social media is exploding. Hopefully, this is a temporary issue, since I've got a manuscript to polish and another I just began. Thanks for the intervention!

Callie Kingston

Kelly Hashway said, on 1/25/2012 4:10:00 AM

I really needed to hear this. I do dread opening my email in the mornings. It's out of control. I'm trying to get better about not getting to everyone's blogs. I space them out through the week, but I still go to a lot! I appreciate the intervention.

Julie Hedlund said, on 1/25/2012 7:14:00 AM

This is a phenomenal and much-needed post! We need to give ourselves permission to slow the social media train down sometimes. Thanks for this.

Cynthia Chapman Willis said, on 1/25/2012 8:27:00 AM

This really needed to be "said," and you did it brilliantly. Keeping up with everything social media and beyond can (and often is, for me) overwhelming. Writing should be the priority and yet it often does end up taking a back seat to everything else.

Rena J. Traxel said, on 1/26/2012 11:04:00 AM

Creating lists on twitter was a lifesaver. In order to have time to write and blog I came up with a schedule and posted it on my blog. I also set aside specific amount of time everyday for networking, reading blogs etc. I did this after realizing how much time was being used up online. I want to create a platform but I also want to finish writing my novel! Ugg...the life of a writer.

Mary Witzl said, on 1/26/2012 2:41:00 PM

This is a great post, and you are so right. I think you can beat yourself up over building a presence just as you can beat yourself up over being the World's Greatest Mother or teacher or anything else. After a point, it's just nonsense to spread yourself so thin that you've got no time left for the most important work.

I love blogging, but I've had to cut way down in order to focus more on my real writing -- and reading. FB is what I use to keep track of my kids, and Twitter is something I treat myself to when I've completed a certain amount of writing. I feel like I'm making the system work for ME now. :)

Angela Ackerman said, on 1/26/2012 7:16:00 PM

Glad this helps, and again, thanks everyone for being so open about how the pressure to perform and do more makes you feel. :) I think it helps to talk about it and know other people are feeling the same strain and have the same worries.

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