Tips on productivity, energy managment, time managment, stress reduction and memory loss. Anything to help your productivity suck less.
I just watched Michael Sliwinski’s 10-minute chat with Seth Godin. The discussion circled around Seth’s prolific content development schedule. I’d encourage anyone involved with writing or blogging or starting a business to watch the interview.
The following are a few quick points I paraphrased. Check out the interview because there are many more.
Continue reading »
So I contacted my buddy, Lorna, and we’ve resumed our Gmail chat meetings. We connect by chat, then write for 1/2 hour or so, and then share word counts. It’s silly but the meetings keep me going when resistance is high.
Our first meeting after several months took place yesterday. And OUCH, I remembered why I’ve been avoiding this. Writing SUCKS.
I remembered why I’ve been avoiding this for a few months.
Writing sucks.
I’m a professional writer. I know what it takes to get something produced and published. You’d think that by now I could flush out copy without feeling like a big fake.
Not even close.
At one point in my life, I decided that my purpose on this Earth was to be someone who feels all the fear, insecurity, dorkiness, and ambivalence that everyone else feels, but who goes for it anyway.
So what if writing is hard? Everything easy was once hard. I can do hard.
So what if writing is hard? Everything easy was once hard. I can do hard.
Next week I’ll slap out a rough outline for my next book.
Onward ho.
I started the outline of my new project.
OH-MY-GOD-IT’S-SO-BAD-IT-WILL-NEVER-SELL-I’M-GOING-TO-DIE-PENNILESS.
Got that out of my system.
Think about yourself for a minute. (Not difficult for most of us.) Every experience in life has created who you are today: your pain, your sins, acne, that time you vomited on your date. Everything. Not just the pretty stuff.
It’s the same with your project writing and development. Everything you produce — even the overwrought purple prose — puts you this much closer to the ultimate goal: a really strong piece of work.
Glory comes to those who dare, but sometimes you have to dare many times before the glory can happen.
You have something you need to do/write/build. Do you dare?
Last October I decided to write the Great American Novel. During November NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), I pounded out 50k.
I continued refining the book until March 3rd when I pitched a fine synopsis package to two editors at the Whidbey Island Writers Conference (a great conference BTW). The first editor basically blew me off. The other listened politely and then informed me that:
So how did I, a successful nonfiction writer who produces books on goal-setting and stress management, react to this negative feedback?
I ordered cheesecake and stopped writing.
I took one editor’s opinion (the woman who blew me off doesn’t count) and let it define my future as a novelist.
Say it with me, people: stupid.
Well, I’m not a writer who whines and sits, I’m a writer who whines and writes. Clearly it’s time to get busy again.
Anais Nin says your world shrinks or expands according to your courage.
Your world shrinks or expands according to your courage.
Anais Nin
Since my courage tends to flower when I strategize properly, I’ll start the new book by gathering support. First, I’ll reconnect with my best writing friend, Lorna. She stuck with me last year until I crawled under a rock. Second, I’ll teach another writing class at the college. That’ll provide plenty of courageous, energetic students writing alongside of me. And of course, I’ll keep up this blog.
Will you work on your goal with me? (Less the cheesecake. That’s just my thing.) Keep me posted on your goal and progress, writing or otherwise. We’re all in the soup together.
See you at the keyboard.
Well, I finished NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) Nov 29th. Over 50K. Woo. I felt pretty damn good until I looked at what I’d written.
Hmmm.
So. No more podcasts. But l’ll leave them up because people seem to like them.
I do choose to finish my novel despite setbacks (yes Carpal Tunnel I’m talking about you). The book is a mainstream coming-of-age fiction about massage parlors, set in the late 70′s early 80′s when masseuses were more than massage therapists. My wrists worked better then.
My new deadline is March 3rd because that’s when I’m taking the book to a the Whidbey Island Writers Conference. I’ve pitched a lot of nonfictions, published a lot of work. But fiction is a new adventure. Always good to push the edge.
Feel free to keep me posted on how your work is progressing, whatever it is. I’ll keep going if you do.
Writing-oriented 3-minute podcasts:
- 1: Getting Started
- 2: Word Flow
- 3: Calming the Inner Critic
- 4: Handling Resistance
- 5: Fresh Start
- 6: Don’t Stop Now
