Why should you worry about long-term goals when you have short-term goals that are more urgent? For the same reason riders on the Olympic Cross Country or show jumping courses look one or two jumps ahead instead of at the jump right in front of them. And for the same …
Writers often have difficulty keeping the real world and the imaginary world separate. Countless are the stories about the hapless writer who, while sitting around the dinner table, wonders out loud what So-and-So should do in a given situation only to be greeted by blank stares because So-and-So is a …
Computers. Can’t live with ‘em. Can’t live without ‘em. (Actually you can live without ‘em, but that’s another post.) Tuesday was the first day of my November challenge and it started out as a pretty good working day. I worked on Saving Grace – Second Draft and SG 2 and …
How appropriate is this image to writing a novel? When you first start, you see only the Big Picture. The finished novel. It’s full of light and glory and beautiful words. The view is lofty (just like this view from Coronado Heights near Lindsborg, Kansas). Then you get started writing …
Time to close the book on October. The sun has set on the last day of the month and on my October goals. Work on the second draft of Saving Grace is winding down, but not as quickly as I’d hoped. The second act was completed early in the final …
I wouldn’t say this story is a train that’s left the station … yet … but the engines are revving and the whistle may be about to sound. The struggle to determine what stays on the platform and what leaves with the train as far as scenes, events, and locations …
Writing is a difficult business. Once a new writer gets past the novelty of novel writing, it doesn’t take them long to realize writing is hard work. Those adrenaline rushes that come with crafting a well-turned phrase or with writing a scene and discovering tears streaming down your face are …
Last week, I wrote about my need for focus when it comes to writing and I used horse racing equipment as the analogy. Blinkers (or blinders) keep race horses from seeing what’s going on outside the track and keeps their attention focused on the race at hand and the competition. …
Carrie follows up a discussion on productive writing tips with thoughts on taking breaks from writing.
A couple weeks ago, I shared 5 Tips for Productive Writing. If you haven’t seen that post, take a moment now to read it. This week, I’ll share a few more productivity tips that have helped me and others to be more productive writers. Tips for Improving Productivity Keep Your …