“How does a project get a year behind schedule? One day at a time.” ~~Fred Brooks (IBM computer software developer) While I’m not behind a whole year on my current writing project, this question has been ricocheting around in my mind lately. I have writing deadlines stacked up for many months, for which I am truly […]
writing habits
A No-Guilt Writing Life
Does taking time to write make you feel guilty? In her book Writing as a Way of Healing, Louise DeSalvo said, “Many people…have told me that taking time to write seems so, well, self-indulgent, self-involved, frivolous even.” Does that describe you? Do you fight your own guilty feelings that say you should be doing something […]
Beware! Burnout Ahead
“Writing is not everything,” says Lisa Shearin in Writer Magazine. “And if you want longevity in this business, play isn’t just important–it’s critical. We get so intensely focused on having achieved the dream and working so hard to keep the dream going, that we’re blind to the signs that if we keep going down that […]
The Gift of Time
It isn’t my birthday or Christmas or Mother’s Day, but it feels like it today. Why? Because I’ve decided to give myself a wonderful gift now. The gift of time. I’ve been writing and publishing since my kids were babies. They’re in their thirties now, with their own children ranging from toddlers to teenagers. During […]
How the Chunky Method Saved My Life
A couple of months ago, after being sick and traveling and meeting two book deadlines, I stalled when given some unwelcome health news which required tests and more tests. I got really, really behind on an adult mystery, and for hours I would struggle to write, only to throw it all out at the end […]
Jane Austen and Me
I’ve been thinking about Jane Austen a lot since visiting her home in Chawton, England, in September. Another time and another place, but some lessons to learn that apply to me as a writer today. Kinship of Writers Jane’s home in Chawton was where she revised Sense & Sensibility and Pride & Prejudice for publication. […]
Writing Momentum: the Unexpected Bonus
During the six weeks so far of running the October-November writing challenges, I have rarely missed writing daily. My goal for putting my writing first each day was to accumulate more pages. Despite a couple of personal setbacks, that has certainly happened. I’ve logged in anywhere from twenty minutes to four hours, depending on the day’s […]
Celebrating Freedom….for Writers
Sometimes, in order find freedom, you have to take the exit pointed out for you. Last week was one of those weeks. And at the end of this post, I’ll share with you a very easy path to the freedom to focus. Losing Focus I had reached the middle of a novel, one thoroughly plotted […]
A Writer's Flexibility
Persistence: the first quality a writer must have to make it in this business. What ranks a close second? It’s being able to give up control and go with life’s flow. That quality is flexibility. Persistent Flexibility I’ve been writing seriously for 35 years, and there are many things I’ve loved about writing. I’ve been […]
Stage 4: Maintaining Long-Term Success
At last, success! If you’ve taken time to do each of the previous steps, congratulate yourself. It’s been time well spent. But if you’ve done the work, you want it to last. That brings us to Stage 4 for making changes in your writing life, where you learn techniques for maintaining long-term success. (First read […]