Category: Writing practice

Find your writing superpower

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment
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On your writing journey, you’ll develop a full range of editorial skills from writing dialogue to creating an imaginary world for your characters. Conversely, those newly-developed skills may be more on the administrative side, such as managing tasks and making the best use of your time.

Some skills must be learned, while others seem to be born within us. I call those natural abilities superpowers. A writer’s superpower is that one aspect of writing that they are better at than any other skill.

If you’ve been writing consistently for a while, you may notice that you have a knack for doing certain things, almost by instinct. Those skills emerge organically from within. That superpower comes about with consistent practice.

And if you don’t think you have a writing superpower? Don’t worry. It’s there somewhere. You just haven’t discovered it yet.

Allison Tait, who writes children’s’ books, has this advice for developing writing superpowers in kids, but I think her advice works just as well for adults. She writes: “I encourage kids to identify one superpower and use it to give them confidence to keep writing. Because when you’re confident that you’ve got at least one thing going really well, then it’s much easier to take risks with writing and to try different things.”

Writing is a risk, but to be successful at writing, you have to experiment to see what works for you. Writing forces you to dig deep within yourself and release all the old, stagnant feelings you have buried there. It’s about exposing yourself to others, who may not like the person you reveal yourself to be. It takes courage to write, especially when you know how high the stakes may be and that readers may not like what you create. But still you continue to write—because you love to write.

How do you find your own superpower? By being consistent with your writing practice. Write as often as you can. That’s how you discover your special skills, your superpowers.  

There are other ways to find your superpower, such as: 

  • Being curious about the world and the people you encounter every day.  
  • Reading widely in all genres, even non-fiction.
  • Experimenting with different writing styles.
  • Immersing yourself in creative environments and in nature.
  • Learning about your craft by taking classes and attending webinars.

    There are numerous possible superpowers you could discover. Here are a few that I’ve recognized in myself and in other writers. You may discover different superpowers of your own.

Idea Generator. Some writers can come up with plot lines almost at will, while others knock their heads against a brick wall looking for inspiration. For these idea generators, writer’s block is a foreign concept.  They have notebooks with story ideas and notes for the next work-in-progress. No sooner have they completed one story that they’re ready to write the next one.  

Task Master. Most writers have numerous unfinished manuscripts sitting in a desk drawer collecting dust. Not the Task Finisher, who manages to finish every project they begin. They seem to have a clear idea how their story will end, and even if they don’t, they keep working at it until they do. This is one superpower I wish I had.

Time Manager. Some people love routine and schedules; others don’t. The Time Manager can set a schedule and follow it to a T. They just know how to make the best use of their time to meet deadlines and get the most work done within a certain time frame.

Writing Warrior. It takes courage to write. A writing warrior isn’t afraid to get words down on the page and doesn’t second-guess themselves about how the story will unfold. The warrior trusts that whatever comes out on the page is the story they are meant to tell.

World-building Visionary. With a vivid imagination, world-building visionaries can see an entire new world in their mind and then describe it in rich detail. This is what makes science fiction and fantasy writers so unique. If J.K. Rowling wasn’t a world-building visionary herself, would any of us be able to experience Hogwarts the way Harry Potter did?

Conversation Analyst. An ear for dialogue and the audacity to listen in on other people’s conversations without guilt can turn an average writer into a conversation analyst. They can detect the emotional undertones, the wording choices, vocal accents and mannerisms that make the conversation real, and then emulate those details in a carefully crafted dialogue.

Technical Translator. Some people have a knack for understanding technical lingo. They can read a technical manual then “translate” the instructions into plain English that others can understand. This superpower is especially helpful when writing non-fiction, but you might use it for describing scenes involving a scientific or technological method.

Sensory wizard. Though we are all born with five senses—taste, touch, smell, hearing, and seeing, only  a blessed few have the ability to write descriptive prose involving those senses so that readers feel and see and taste it too.

Emotional Caretaker. Few writers have ever been able to touch my heart and soul with their words. I’m not talking about descriptive writing, but emotional writing. The simplest words can be filled with so much emotion and drama that they make readers feel something within themselves, make them cry, or send chills down their spine.

Self-editing Guru. Writing the first rough draft is the easy part. Editing is where the hard work begins. The self-editing guru can edit their initial draft and rewrite scenes without second guessing themselves. By the end of the second or third draft, they have a publishable book, while other writers are still slaving away on a fourth or fifth round of edits because they question whether the story is good enough.

So which superpower do you have? Which one do you wish you could develop further? Or do you have a superpower that’s not on this list? Share with me in the comments.

Using Meditation to Make Yourself a Better Writer

~ The Regal Writer ~ 1 Comment
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There are numerous ways to improve yourself as a writer—attending conferences and workshops, pursuing an advanced degree, writing every day, reading books about writing, among other things. But there’s one more way to become a better writer that is often overlooked.

Meditation.

Yes, meditation offers numerous benefits for writers. For example:

* Meditation can help calm the mind and slow down your thoughts, which can help you think more clearly. You might see solutions to your plotting problems that you didn’t notice before.

* Meditation can help you get in touch with your inner self, to access thoughts, ideas and emotions you might have buried.

* Meditation can help you feel less stressed when faced with writing deadlines, blank pages and a daunting writing process. It can help you deal with writing anxiety.

* Meditation can boost your confidence so you feel more comfortable tackling difficult tasks or working out of your comfort zone.

Granted, meditation take practice. But with a little time—no more than 10 minutes a day—your daily mediation practice can help you stay focused and calm, and help you access the most creative part of yourself. That can result in better writing and better stories.

What is the connection between meditation and writing?

With meditation, your mind calms. A calmer mind opens a gateway to creativity. It’s like unlocking a door and gaining access to a room who have always wanted to enter but was never available to you. Meditation also reveals aspects of yourself that you might have unintentionally kept hidden, aspects that come forth with your writing.

What writing won’t do….

Unfortunately, meditation can’t help you do a lot of things, like clear up a messy desk so you can write. It can’t improve your technical writing skills, such as grammar and punctuation. It can’t give you more space in your schedule so you have more time to write. These tasks are still up to you to do.

Meditation also can’t cut out the negative feedback you might receive about your creative talents, BUT it can help you deal with negative feedback with greater equanimity. You can still accept the comments but with a calmer mind, negative feedback won’t throw you off your game. It’s like having an invisible coat of armor around yourself; any negative comments will simply roll off your shoulders.

How to begin a meditation practice

As I mentioned, all you need is 10 minutes a day to quiet your mind. The easiest place to begin is in your own home. If it’s possible, find a place that is quiet and free of noise and distractions, such as your bedroom. Sit in a chair with your feet planted on the floor, or sit cross legged on the floor. Try not to sit on the bed as you might be tempted to lay down and nap!

Shut off your phone or leave it somewhere where you can’t get to it. Remember, with only 10 minutes for your practice, you don’t want to waste it worrying about your phone.

Once you are settled in place, close your eyes. Begin by breathing deeply. Focus on your breath. Each inhale and exhale will feel like a pendulum swinging back and forth. Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat.

Your breath becomes a mantra that your mind follows. Your thoughts might still race, but when you notice it, let them go. Don’t dwell on them. Let them roll past like an insect flying past a window. When you feel ready, open your eyes. Note how you feel. You may feel nothing the first day, or the first week. You may feel it didn’t make a difference at all. But your efforts will pay off eventually. If anything, because you slowed your breathing, you might feel calmer and clearer.

As you gain more experience, you can try more advanced meditation exercises or lengthen your sessions. You can also try some apps, but I usually find them more of a distraction. Still, you can find one that works for you.  

Here are a few things to keep in mind about meditation:
* Be patient. Don’t expect results overnight. In fact, you may not notice any significant changes in several days or weeks. But stick with the program. Quieting the mind has a cumulative effect. It will build over time.

*Be consistent. Practice your meditation a little bit every day. Because of its cumulative effect, it’s important to be consistent with your practice.

* Don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone is different. Each person will experience meditation in their own way. Find what works best for you.

With a little bit of effort, you can make meditation a part of your daily routine and it can be a valuable part of your writing practice.

Give Yourself Writing Credit

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment
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It can be a real drag to be slaving away on a lengthy piece of writing for months or even years. It’s even harder when you’re doing it in relative invisibility. There’s no one around to cheer you on when you get stuck, no one to urge you toward the finish line (unless you have a spouse or best friend living with you). There’s no one to help you celebrate small successes you experience along the way, like hitting the 10,000-word mark on an 80,000-word novel or finishing a chapter. When you’re focused on the next goal, the next chapter, or the next deadline, you might forget to pat yourself on the back for the work you’ve put in.

Experts (both writing and psychology) say it’s important to give ourselves credit throughout a project, not just at the end. Delayed gratification is a no-no. It’s not just to keep you motivated, but to acknowledge the hard work and grief you’ve gone through during the writing process. Since most writers work in isolation, no one else sees how you toil behind the scenes. No one witnesses the blood, sweat and tears you pour into your work to get it published.

By setting up a credit system for reaching certain milestones, you can take time to appreciate the work you’ve done so far. You can feel good about what you’ve accomplished while you’re accomplishing it. No need to wait until the bitter end to pat yourself on the back. Who wants to wait that long before receiving any kind of acknowledgment of your hard work?

Giving yourself credit plays off the concept of “What’s rewarded gets repeated.” When you acknowledge that you wrote 5,000 words in one week, how likely are you to repeat that effort the following week? Of course, you’ll want to keep performing at that high level. As the words pile up on the page, so do your rewards.

The rewards should be small things, like giving yourself a day off from writing or taking a day trip somewhere. They don’t have to cost anything either, like playing with your favorite pet or re-watching a favorite movie. In fact, waiting until the end of the project for a larger, more indulgent reward, something that could be a splurge, like dinner at a hot new restaurant or a massage.

There are a few guidelines for giving yourself credit:

  • Refrain from food-related credits, which can sometimes be unhealthy and ruin your diet.  
  • Keep credits small and budget-friendly. Save the bigger splurge for when you complete your project.  
  • Consider hobbies and activities that you enjoy that you don’t get to do very often, like dancing or spending an afternoon at the library.
  • Don’t put off cashing in your credit. Take it the moment you reach your milestone.

So what types of credit should you give yourself?

  • Re-reading a favorite book
  • Re-watching a favorite movie
  • Going for a hike or walk in nature
  • Going for a bike ride
  • Going to a matinee movie
  • Visiting a museum
  • Buying fresh flowers for your work space
  • Dancing in your living room
  • Taking a day off from writing
  • Spending an afternoon at the library, bookstore or coffee shop
  • Spending time with your pet
  • Spending time with a friend you haven’t seen in a while

Here’s another fun thought, shared by book coach Jessica Conoley. Use fun, colorful stickers to decorate your calendar. Every time you meet a goal, say finishing a chapter, put a sticker in your calendar on the date of completion. Or your goal might be to write 1000 words a day. Every day you reach that goal, put another sticker on the calendar. Over time, you see how many stickers you’ve collected as “credit” for the work you’ve done. You may not see all the words you’ve written toward your finished manuscript, but the stickers in your calendar can show you how far you’ve come.

As writers, we all work hard, often in isolation. Few people see the hard work we put into our craft. Taking time to give ourselves credit isn’t frivolous. It’s a way to acknowledge that our work is worthy of recognition, even if we’re the only ones to see that progress.

So how do you acknowledge your hard work? What special rewards to you give yourself for reaching your milestones in a longer project?

A Writer’s Guide to Building a Professional Support System

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment

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Writing is often a solo venture, and it can get a bit lonely sitting behind your computer screen creating your latest masterpiece. Every now and then, you have to get away from your desk and join the human race, if only for a little while.  

No writer ever really works alone, however. Successful writers surround themselves with supporters from various areas of their lives—friends, family, business associates, members of their church, school, etc. Having a strong support system can help you get through the rough times, like when you feel stuck in your writing or receive three rejection letters in one day.  Certain individuals can help you find the weaknesses in your manuscript and provide meaningful feedback to improve your story. Yet others can provide moral support to help you get to the finish line.

If you’re not sure where to look for your support system, start by taking stock of the people already in your life. You don’t need a huge circle of connections, only a few that can make you feel supported as you try to get published. But if you want to expand your social circle, there are numerous places to go to build your writing support system.

  • Spouse or best friend – Those closest to you not only appreciate who you are and what you do for a living. They can act as your first reader. Many successful authors often rely on their spouse to do an initial read of their manuscript. If you don’t have a significant other, identify a close friend who you trust to give you meaningful feedback. Count at least one person in your closest circle who can act as your go-to person to talk out your story idea.

  • Writer friends or a writers’ group – The next circle of support are writer friends. Like you, they are working through their own manuscripts. As writers, they may have insights about plot and character development, and perhaps help you through those times when you feel stuck. They may act as beta readers for later drafts. Just remember to return the favor.

  • Avid readers – I like to include this group because avid readers understand what it takes to make a good story. If a story isn’t good, readers aren’t going to keep reading until the end. Readers also buy books, so they know what’s already on the store shelves. They can tell you if a story drags, if a love story is lacking emotion, or whether there are loose ends that still need tying up. In fact, they may be better suited for the role of beta reader than fellow writers because they read as much as they do. They may have a better understanding of what you’re trying to accomplish with your own work.

  • Professional associations – As writers, you never stop learning. That’s why it’s important to be involved with an association or be part of a professional group. Through these associations, you can learn more about the business of writing, publishing trends, new technologies that can impact writers, etc. These groups also provide social opportunities so you have a chance to mix and mingle.

  • Business colleagues and coworkers – If you hold a job in addition to your writing, don’t overlook your coworkers or people you associate with through your job, such as vendors. You never know if someone has experience or special hobby that could play a role in your story. For example, someone who loves to bake and has aspirations of opening their own bakery can serve as inspiration for a character in one of your stories. Or someone with carpentry experience can explain the finer points of building a bookshelf or repairing electrical wiring.

  • Writing students or classmates – Whether you take writing classes or some other adult education class, such as art history or auto mechanics, be open to connections with your fellow students. They can offer moral support, or serve as beta readers or subject matter experts. Be sure to offer your expertise in return.  

  • Community – Look around within your community for book clubs at your local church or library. Ask if they would be willing to act as beta readers for your work. Also check out meetup groups that center around reading or writing for potential connections. These places are also great for social activities and building friendships.

Writing may be a solo activity, but you don’t have to achieve your writing goals alone. It takes a village, as they say. There are many options available to find the support you need. Really, you only need a handful of people, not an entire army to back you up. Most important, be sure to offer your support or expertise in return. You’re only as strong as the people who surround you.

How Much Patience Do You Need to Be a Writer?

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment

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The longer I work at this thing called writing, the more I realize how much patience it requires. When I’m forced to wait for something else to happen, I realize I’m not nearly as patient as I think I am.

While the physical act of putting the pen to paper can make you feel productive, there are times when you have to take a step back, whether of your own volition or because of circumstances. That’s when you feel at your most unproductive. Maybe you need to let a story idea simmer on the mental back burner. Or you need to let a story idea breathe a bit so it has time to sprout into something worth writing. On the business end, sometimes you need to wait for sources to return messages or that critical invoice to be paid.

So how does writing test your patience?

When the story idea is there, but you can’t work on it right away.
You have a brilliant idea and you’re eager to start writing, but you can’t because you have to finish up your current work-in-progress. Or you have work assignments or school projects that require your time and attention. As anxious as you might feel about starting a new project, you have to wait until you finish other obligations first.  

When you get an idea for a story, but it needs time to develop.
You need time to figure out the conflict, character motivations, plot twists, and whether it ends happily or mysteriously. Your patience is needed to allow the idea to gestate into a more visible form before you begin writing.

When you finish your first draft.
Experts recommend that you allow several weeks to pass before you begin the editing or rewriting your draft. That time away from your work in progress allows the story to settle a bit. When you begin reading what you’ve written, you can see the story with a fresh eye and make the changes necessary to make it publishable. That in-between time, whether that’s one month or six months, is another test of your patience.

When your work is being read by beta readers.
There’s lag time while beta readers review your manuscript. So you play a waiting game, wondering if they will like your work.

Freelancers face other lessons in patience.

When there’s downtime between assignments.
Especially if you write for bi-monthly and quarterly publications, there’s often a longer lead time between assignments. You have to find a way to fill that time. It can be a test of patience, not knowing when the next assignment will come or if it will come at all.

When you must wait for people to respond to your messages.
You may have to wait for sources to return phone calls or emails so you can set up interviews or get answers to your questions. Sometimes you can wait several weeks if the person you’re trying to speak with is traveling out of the country. Zoom calls may be out of the question. It’s hard to be patient when you’ve got a deadline looming and your assignment isn’t finished because you’re still trying to reach a source.

When you need an editor’s review before you can proceed to the next step.
Once you submit the article to the editor, there’s more waiting. You have to wait for the editor’s review and approval. They may have to submit it to another person for review, so you have to wait for them as well. This phase can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. With more waiting, more patience is needed.

When you’re waiting to be paid.
The worst scenario requiring patience is waiting to be paid. Some clients can take an inordinate amount of time to pay you. I usually require 30 to 45 days for invoices, but because of the quarterly publishing dates, it has been known to take longer. Editors have their own internal protocol to follow, such as not submitting invoices from freelancers until the publication goes into production. When you’ve got bills piling up, though, that extra time to wait for payments from clients can be nerve-racking. An email or phone call to follow up may be necessary; but so is patience.

It does no good to sit at home twiddling your thumbs, however. There are things you can do to pass the time. In the meantime, you can:

* Work on individual scenes for your story idea that are clearer to you or that are more fully fledged out.
* Catch up on errands and chores that have piled up
* Catch up on reading and research in preparation for your work in progress
* Catch up on sleep, since sleep is so important to your creativity
* Make pitches to other editors to keep work assignments flowing toward you.
* Experiment with other types of writing. It’ll keep your writing fresh.

Who knew that having a writing career would require as much patience as it does?

Learning to Trust the Creative Process

~ The Regal Writer ~ 1 Comment
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For the past two years, I’ve been plugging away at a novel that is nowhere near finished. I started with a bang, writing the first draft in four months. Then the editing phase began, where the real writing begins, so the experts say. I’m still muddling through the novel after starting over several times to make sure those first few chapters are “just right.” It’s much like starting to put together a giant jigsaw puzzle, but all you have are the pieces.

Some of that is, admittedly, my perfectionist tendencies. The rest is learning to trust my creative instinct. I have found that the deeper I go into writing my novel, the more I need to realize that there is a process to all this muddling through. The more often I get stuck in my current WIP, the more I realize I need to trust the process. The process, so it seems, knows more about my story’s natural progress than I do.

From my experience, I’ve found that there are several moments in one’s writing practice when it’s necessary to trust the creative process:

  • When you begin to doubt yourself
  • When you get stuck in a writing rut
  • When you’re not sure where to go with the story next
  • Whenever you face a blank page

There might be other moments too that I have not listed. You’ve probably noticed them yourself. It’s at those times when trusting the process is a necessity, not a luxury. When you forget about trusting the process and push on, that’s when things tend to go off the rails.

Everybody’s creative process is different, of course. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to writing. The hardest part for most newbie writers is figuring out the best process for your work-in-progress. That may require some experimentation. (Hence my multiple attempts at writing that oh-so-critical opening chapter). But once you figure it all out, getting to The End is much easier. (At least, I hope it is.)

So what does trusting the creative process look like? For me, it was:

1. Starting a writing project with only a vague idea of what it will look like in the end. Or conversely, …

2. Having a clear vision of how the story will end so you begin writing, trusting that your story will end where it’s supposed to.

3. Writing a little bit every day, knowing it might be crap but also understanding that something truly beautiful and valuable could emerge.

4. Knowing you have a gift for writing and knowing it’s what you love to do and want to do. People may tell you that writing is a waste of time, but you write anyway.

5. Writing for the sheer pleasure of it, knowing it may never achieve recognition or publication

6. Understanding that every story idea goes through a gestation period. It has to simmer on the back burner until you are ready to put pen to paper.

7. Not waiting for inspiration to begin writing. You write regardless if you have a clear idea what you want to write about. You gotta start somewhere.

8. Understanding that story ruts happen. See them as signs that you need to adjust the plot or introduce a new character. You know if the story isn’t going anywhere, it’s time to make something happen to move the story forward.

9. Knowing that a solution to your plot or character problem will show up if you are present enough to recognize it. The solution may come in the form of a webinar you attend, a conversation with a fellow writer, or a podcast.

10. Recognizing that writing can be a messy process. Sometimes there are no neat paths to completing your project. There are times you simply have to muddle through.

11. Recognizing that writing is scary – and doing it anyway. It’s a part of yourself that you are putting out into the world in the hopes that people will like it.

12. Taking time to appreciate your accomplishments, no matter how small they may be. From small accomplishments come larger ambitions to create something new.

So the next time you feel stuck in your writing, or you stare at a blank page or someone doubts the wisdom of your career choice, that’s when you may need to trust the creative process.

Eight Strategies for Returning to Writing after a Hiatus

~ The Regal Writer ~ 4 Comments
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Imagine my surprise when I checked my calendar this morning and realized it was February. Where did the time go? It seemed like yesterday I was watching Hallmark Christmas movies and making plans for the New Year. I realize now how little progress I’ve made in my writing.

That’s because since November, I’ve had numerous distractions, from demanding job assignments and household responsibilities to holiday celebrations and catching up on sleep. With everything that was on my plate, creative writing wasn’t a priority. I’m barely making my weekly deadline for posting to my blog.

Contributing to this scheduling mess was the fact I had completed writing a sports romance, but was having second thoughts about its viability. I knew I had to re-read it and edit it further, but my eyes just weren’t seeing the solutions to my storytelling problems. I began to doubt the story – and by extension, my writing. Was I producing anything worthwhile, or was I wasting my time?

So I set aside the novel until I felt ready to edit it again. I was feeling so overwhelmed by the task that I took a break from it. I needed the time to regroup to figure out my next steps.

So now it’s February, and though I have dabbled writing a Christmas novella through the holidays, I have nothing concrete to show for my efforts. It’s time to get serious about writing again. But where do I begin?

I’m not alone. After reading this recent post by author K.M. Weiland, I realized I’m not alone in taking a sabbatical from writing. Weiland shared her own struggles with writing again after taking a lengthy break, and she shared the steps she’s taking to get back to writing again. Sometimes you have to step away from it to gain perspective about how far you’ve come and where to go next.

So how does one begin to get back on track? The experts at Masterclass suggest having a plan for building up your writing practice and getting those creative juices flowing again. Here are a few possible ways to get started writing again.

  • Start small. You can’t always just dive into the swimming pool. Sometimes you need to get your feet wet first. That might mean sitting at poolside with your feet dangling into the water. Or maybe you start further by wading in the shallow end for a few minutes before getting back out. The truth is you don’t have to spend hours on Day 1 playing catch up with your writing. Start writing shorter pieces, such as an essay, a poem or flash fiction. It might be easier to get your creative juices flowing this way, and you might feel more accomplished finishing that first short piece.
  • Limit your writing time. Using a timer or clock, set it for a specified time, say 30 minutes. When the timer rings, stop writing, no matter where you are on the page. OR…give yourself a word limit or page limit, such as 300 words or one page. In smaller chunks, you may not feel as overwhelmed by the writing process.

  • Don’t be hard on yourself. If you get too busy or feel overwhelmed, it’s okay to skip a day of writing. Some people feel pressure to write every day like the so-called writing experts suggest. Sometimes it’s not feasible. Although, I must admit, having a regular schedule helps me stick to my writing practice.

  • Schedule your writing time. If you’re the type of person who routinely plans your day and keeps doctor appointments, try scheduling your writing time. On your calendar or appointment book, block out a chunk of time for writing. As mentioned before, start small, say 15 minutes or a half hour.

  • Comb through old writing projects. You probably have a file or desk drawer filled with unfinished stories. Pull them out, read through them and see if they spark your imagination. By reviewing old material, you might get ideas for new projects or ways to rewrite what you’ve already written.

  • Try writing prompts. This might jumpstart those creative juices that you haven’t used in a while, and the exercises are short enough that they don’t require a huge time commitment.

  • Take a writing class or attend a workshop. Immersing yourself into the world of writing can inspire you to begin writing more. There might be in-session exercises to get those creative ideas going again. Reading a book about writing might also do the trick.

  • Remember that nothing is perfect. Whatever we put on the page is never pretty. Focus on getting ideas down, then go back and edit later. That’s when the real writing begins.

    With these strategies in your pocket, you’ll be back to writing regularly in no time, and with greater motivation and inspiration. It’s never too late to start or (restart) a writing practice.

Do You Have a Holiday Writing Plan?

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment
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I’m in the midst of several deadlines and haven’t had time to write anything new. The following post is repeated from several years ago (with a few tweaks), but it’s as timely and pertinent today as it was then. Enjoy, and have a happy Thanksgiving!

The holiday season is fast approaching. There is much to do – shopping, baking, decorating, attending parties, socializing with friends – you name it. On top of that are your usual obligations – work, school, housekeeping, family time, volunteer work, and self-care. There isn’t much time left for your writing practice.

Or is there?

It all depends on how you allocate your time.

If your writing is important or if you’re currently working on a deadline, eaching your writing goals is critical. To reach those goals, you need to have a plan. If faced with this dilemma, you have several options:

1. Put your writing practice on hiatus.

Going on hiatus will obviously clear the way for you to enjoy your holiday more without worrying about what your next essay will be about. Then when you begin working again, you come with a fresh eye. On the other hand, a hiatus can take you out of your writing rhythm. You could lose momentum on the current work-in-progress. Come January when you sit back down and review your story, you might lose sight of where your story is going. Then you may have to start all over again.

2. Decrease the time you spend on your writing practice.

This approach might make the most sense for most writers. You can still make progress on your current work while still making time for your holiday activities. Here’s how it works. If you currently write for one hour a day, you might decide to write for only half an hour. Or instead of writing six days a week, perhaps you only write three days a week. The scheduling is up to you.

3. Maintain the status quo in your writing practice.

To maintain your current writing schedule will mean reassessing your holiday activities. Are there any that have lost their meaning for you? Do you really need to go to every party you’ve been invited to? Can you skip sending out holiday cards or the holiday bar crawl? The choices are yours.

If you’re struggling to figure out how to maintain your writing practice during the holidays, here are a few suggestions:

1. Set priorities. How important is your writing? Make a list of all the activities that are important to you. Where does writing fall on that list? If it’s high on your list of priorities, you’ll likely make more time for it.

2. Make an appointment with yourself. Treat your writing as you would a doctor visit or a trip to the hair salon. Make an appointment with yourself to write, and put it in your calendar. When you see that you have three one-hour writing sessions in your calendar, chances are you’ll be more likely to stick to that schedule.

3. Set realistic goals. Be clear about what you want to accomplish. Make sure that goal is reasonable and achievable. Writing a 1000-word essay or a 3000-word chapter of a novel is probably more achievable than writing 50,000 words.

If you want to learn more about making a writing plan for the holidays, check out this post from the Books & Such Literary Management blog.

When you maintain a consistent writing practice throughout the holidays with all its assorted pleasurable distractions, you may actually feel more joyous throughout the season. Why? Because you know you’ve made a workable writing plan and are sticking with it. There is no other greater joy than to do what you love during the holidays.

Strategies for Getting Over the Mid-Summer Writing Slump

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment
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Ever have those days when you simply don’t feel like writing? Funny that those days seem to occur most often during the summer. Blame it on the heat that makes everyone feel lazy. Or the distraction of summer activities – picnics, parties, the beach, outdoor movies in the park. When it’s summer, the last thing you want to do is work. And writing is work.

Conversely, maybe you’re too busy with work assignments and deadlines to squeeze in any pleasurable writing time. Despite my busy schedule, I feel like most days I’m waiting for email responses, interview confirmations and reviewed manuscripts, which make me feel like I’m not getting anything accomplished.

Welcome to summer, where everything and everyone seems to move at a slower pace. Even your writing practice can begin to slow to a crawl.

How do you get back into that creative flow? How do you keep your writing practice going when there are so many summer distractions and obligations to take care of? Here are a few strategies that have worked for me. They might work for you too.

*Shorten your schedule. It might be necessary to shorten the schedule. For example, instead of writing every day, cut back to three or four days a week. If all you can give to your writing is three days a week, then go with that shortened schedule. Then when summer ends and activities slow down, you can always go back to writing every day. The most important thing to remember is to keep to some kind of schedule so you don’t lose momentum or motivation.

* Write in the early morning. If you can’t find the time to write during the day, try writing before breakfast. Many writers swear by this practice. It’s quiet at that early hour before the rest of the world awakes, and you can actually hear yourself think. You might be able to do your best work then.

* Write in the evening. If the early morning does not fit your schedule or appeal to you, try writing after dinner or before bedtime. You might find it more relaxing and it might help you get to sleep.

* Write in short bursts. Sessions of 10 to 15 minutes can help you stay productive. You’d be surprised how much you can get done in that brief amount of time. Check out my earlier post about writing in 15-minute sessions.

* Skip a day or two. It’s okay if you have to cut back on writing time to make room for other activities. Just don’t extend it too long or you might have trouble getting motivated to start writing again. Engage with the outside world and exploring new people and activities. They can only help to enrich your writing.

* Focus on non-writing activities. With less time available, writing may not be practical. Use your time instead to read about the writing craft, do research for your work-in-progress, or study the works of a favorite author.

*Set small goals. Setting smaller goals will feel less daunting and may be easier to achieve. Set a goal for writing one page a day. Or 1000 words a week (or about 200 words a day). By writing one page a day, you can still make steady progress toward your larger writing goal.

If none of these suggestions work, then try this exercise. Close your eyes and imagine your life without any kind of writing at all. What if you never wrote another word again? How would that make you feel?

If you see that your world would be drab and empty without writing, then use that vision as a catalyst for your writing practice. Use it as motivation to keep writing. Even if its the middle of the summer. Even if it’s just a little bit every day. When summer ends, you can jump back into a regular writing practice.

Is Journaling Worth Your Time?

~ The Regal Writer ~ 6 Comments

I came across an intriguing blog post about journaling on Jane Friedman’s blog. Anne Carley, a writer, creativity coach and journaling advocate posed the following question: Is writing a waste of writing time? The question prompted me to recall my own experience with journaling.

Once upon a time I kept a journal. It was about eight years ago, and I was going through a rough time in my life. I’d made a bad business decision and lost a lot of money because of it. I was out of work and asking myself, “What’s next?” I also went through a health crisis and my mother had recently passed away. I was experiencing a full-blown mid-life identity crisis.

With my life in disarray, I started writing in a journal not to make sense of these sweeping changes that were happening but to vent my anger, frustration, guilt and sadness. I churned out pages and pages of angst-ridden prose – two whole notebooks worth. I vented about my poor decision-making skills and the person who had been involved in the business deal. I poured out my troubles to the journal as if it were a therapist, which I suppose it was. Journaling was critical for my mental health during that time, as was a regular yoga practice. And journaling was far cheaper than visiting a therapist’s office.

Funny thing was, once this series of crises ended, I no longer felt the need to write in my journal. I stuck in in my desk drawer and forgot about it. Every now and then, I’d pull it out, look over what I’d written, write a few more entries, then I put it away again. By this time, I had begun a blog, was writing regularly for freelance clients, had part-time jobs and was writing essays and fiction. I had no more room in my life for journaling.

I know many writers who swear by journaling. They couldn’t imagine starting their day without it. It’s as critical to their existence as breathing.

Admittedly, journaling brings numerous benefits to writers, such as using it as a warm-up exercise, to brainstorm story ideas, or a means to improve their writing. It can help them examine motivations and behavior of themselves and of people around them, and it can be a useful tool to manage your mental health, as it did for me.

While there are certain advantages, there are as many downsides to journaling, such as:

  • It can feel more like a diary or a reporting of events
  • There are only so many hours in the day and too many obligations to allow time for journaling
  • It can be used to avoid doing your regular writing practice, or performing chores you’d rather not do
  • It can serve as a distraction rather than a tool to help you
  • It can feel like a chore, one more thing to add to your to-do list.

Writer Thomas Plummer suggests that new writers often fail at journaling because they have no idea what they want to achieve with their journaling practice. Plummer writes: “Journaling becomes a mind-numbing exercise because without a plan or an expected outcome, you end up writing the chronological steps of your day without adding an interpretation or without deciphering any meaning of what is going on around you.”

To overcome this failing, he presents an example of how journaling can be done so you get the most out of the experience.

Before jumping into journaling, think about the following questions:
1. Where are you on your writing journey? If you are new to writing, journaling might be a practical entry point, especially if you want to write essays or memoir where deep meaningful reflection is needed.

2. Why do you want to start journaling? Know your why. If your answer is because you want to become a better writer or you want to tap into your creativity, then by all means, go for it. However, if your answer is because every writer you know tells you that you should, or because it helps you avoid other responsibilities, then you will likely set yourself up for failure.

3. What do you want to achieve with your journaling? Have a plan for what you want to achieve with your journaling. My goal when I did maintain a journal was to simply feel better about myself and deal with the emotional turmoil I was feeling. I didn’t have a plan other than to write every day until those intense emotions subsided. Your goal might be different. Without a goal, however, you likely won’t maintain a regular journaling practice.

4. What kind of writing do you want to do? I think journaling is more helpful for narrative non-fiction, essays and memoir writing. It probably isn’t going to help you with writing feature articles or non-fiction.

The choice whether to start journaling is up to you. If you do embark on that journey, you’ll find plenty of resources and coaches on the Internet to help you get started.

One final thought: While journaling can help you improve your writing skills, it isn’t the only way. No matter what medium you use — a journal, blog, or something else — as long as you are consistent with your writing, your writing will naturally improve.

Do you keep a journal? What has your experience been like? Can you tell if your writing has improved because of it?