Firstly,
I’d like to thank everyone for the amazing support I received for last weeks
writers tip blog. It really was overwhelming, thank you. My second thanks
obviously go to the authors I had on board to help me, without you I couldn’t
have had such a successful blog last week. The exciting news is they are back
with me this week and for the foreseeable future so let’s give them a cyber
round of applause. *claps and cheers*.
Today I am
going to be discussing procrastination and the power of self discipline – with
help of course from my trusty authors. Their posts will be below mine where you
can also find details of their sites, books and blogs.
So, the
great enemy of any writer, the biggest worry weighing down an authors
shoulders; procrastination. There are many causes of this ranging from fear to
habitual laziness. If in your case it is the latter writing maybe isn’t your
forte. However, if it is the first; fear, this is something you can overcome. (Firstly
by reading this blog and hopefully finding some helpful tips you can relate to!)
The major factor of achieving this is you realising that writing should be
something enjoyable, especially when doing the first couple of drafts. The
stress is off during these periods as this is the time when you can explore
your characters, change the storyline. Last week I mentioned how characters
talk to you and bring your stories to life, well this is the time they will do
that and it’s so exciting.
My biggest
drive is not knowing how my story will play out, and only when I write it will
I discover.
A lot of
things can distract you from your writing, social network sites, YouTube’s top
ten funniest videos and “did someone say cake?” This is where the Power of Self
Discipline comes into play. Controlling yourself to stay focused on the task at
hand. As I say my key motivation is the reward of writing for me. Knowing by
the end of the day I’ve succeeded another chapter or even just a few sentences
that I’m happy with. Find something that will make you happy with your writing.
Set yourself little targets ‘today I will get to chapter 5’. Resist the
chocolate cake, the new tweet updates and Miley Cyrus’ latest music video. Your
novel is much more important.
It’s like
with any dream – they don’t work unless you do. So if writing is something you
are serious about doing, do it. Regardless of whether you work seven hours a
week or seven days a week, there is always time to achieve your passion. Jonathan
Lee has some fantastic advice below which he did mention to me last week; set
aside blocks in your diary you can afford to spare and commit to that time to
write. Turn down invitations, shut off the internet, silence your phone and
just let your creative juices flow.
Good luck
to all aspiring writers.
Let’s hear
what Jack Croxall has to say on Procrastination and The Power of Self
Discipline.
Ooo, someone’s
switched on the TV! What’s left in the biscuit tin? I wonder if anyone’s posted
any new lol-cat pictures?!
There really
are so many things that can distract you from your writing. Life often gets in
the way of finding time to put pen to paper and so that means you really have
to get down to it when you eventually get the opportunity. To ensure a
productive session, there is one simple rule I abide by like my life depended
on it: No internet. None.
It’s tough,
after all, I’m usually writing on my laptop which means those lol-cat pictures
are only a click away. But it helps so, so much. It keeps you in the flow, in
the zone; whatever you want to call it. I know people like a little reward
after completing a passage, I make mine a bite of my snack or a look out of the
window – not particularly exciting but that’s the way it has to be!
At the time it
can be really hard, but, when you go to bed, it’s so much more satisfying
knowing you’ve written your quota than knowing you trawled through twenty Buzzfeed articles!
Jack Croxall is the author of the YA Victorian mystery,
Tethers and the dark journal, X. He tweets via @JackCroxall and you can find out
more by visiting his author website: www.jackcroxall.co.uk
Here is
what Jonathan Lee thinks.
Hmm, interesting one this. I have to say that I lead an
incredibly busy life. I work around fifty hours a week in my day job. I have
joint custody of my three children (14 year old Alex, and my 9 year old twins,
James and Annabel) who live with me half of the week. Some mornings I leave for
work at 5:30 am to ensure I am back for the school
pick up. Other mornings I start at 10:00 am (following
the school drop off) and get home around 8:00 pm at
night. I take my daughter to theatre lessons one evening a week and my son to
guitar lessons another. On top of this, I have my social life: girlfriend, family
and friends to catch up with and try to fit in to the few spare nights I get
each week.
Just recently as well I have been asked to attend various
literary festivals and do local author talks to help promote The Radio. This takes up a
little more of my time.
But, and this is the
important part, I love writing. I want to spend my life (making just enough
money to get by) writing stories and sharing my thoughts with the world. I want
to inspire people; make them laugh, make them cry but more importantly connect
with them.
Therefore, the time that I do have spare, I have to use in the
most optimal way possible.
Self-discipline comes naturally – simply I want to be an author
and being an author doesn’t just come, it has to be worked at. When asked
this question I always consider the bands that spend years playing to a handful
of people in back rooms of pubs before one day getting their break and with a
bit of luck, finally ‘making it’. For them, it didn’t just happen
overnight, it all came from hard work. This is the only self-discipline I
need.
My advice is simple and straightforward and can only be…
Make a diary for the next month. Colour in blocks of time
where you will do nothing but write – it all depends on your other commitments
but generally for me it would be two four-hour periods a week. Don’t
overestimate how much you can do, it will only disappoint you if you don’t
stick to it. Fit in all the other important things and balance your life. But,
do set a rigid calendar that you will stick to and come what may, WRITE. Don’t
make excuses not to write. Don’t lose your focus. It is amazing how many times
you may think that you are too tired or not in the mood to write that day, but
then when you sit down and start it just flows.
Never forget why you are doing it.
And most of all, enjoy it.
[My goal? Is that as time goes by, the blocks of colour on my
calendar get bigger and bigger, until writing is the main thing that I do.]
Jonathan has also provided a picture of his diary on a
‘typical week’…
Jonathan Lee is the author of ‘The Radio’.
Follow Jonathan on twitter: @j0n4th4n_lee
Facebook: /JonathanLeeAuthor
Finally, we
hear from Sharon Sant this week.
I’m
procrastinating right now. In fact, I’m committing the number one
procrastination crime. I’m writing this post while flicking backwards and
forwards between my page on Word and Twitter.
I bet most writers today would tell you that social media is their
biggest nemesis and I’m no exception. It’s hard to balance. When I turn off my
social media and try to concentrate on my writing, I’m always fretting that I’m
missing something really important going on out in the world. Yet if it’s
constantly pinging to alert me of notifications, my phone is at my fingertips
before I can stop myself. I’ve decided
to think of my social media as an extension of my writing. I say to myself that
if I’m engaging in online silliness, it’s like working. Then I don’t get the
guilt from not writing. It’s not true,
but at least I won’t get a stomach ulcer from worrying, because there is no way
the online stuff is going to stop anytime soon!
And
self-discipline…. What is this self-discipline you speak of? I must admit to being pretty erratic with my
writing schedule, it has to fit in wherever I can find time because I have
kids, home and a part time job to juggle too. But I do set myself weekly word
count targets and I get unfeasibly stressed when I don’t hit them. This means
that I generally pull out all the stops to hit them, or at least come close. I
also make schedules for the month and even for the year ahead, knowing that I
have a lot of book ideas waiting to be written and promo stuff to get through,
I try to plan how long each thing will take and when it can be fitted in. So far, I haven’t stuck to 2013’s plan at
all; each planned book has been shifted around or kicked out completely in
favour of a new idea that’s begging to be written. It’s a learning curve, and hopefully the
longer I do it, the better I’ll get.
Sharon Sant is the
author of ‘The Sky Song’ trilogy.
Follow Sharon on Twitter: @SharonSant
Thank you for reading this weeks Writers Tips blog. Come
back next week for our next topic ‘Planning’. It’s a scary thought, planning a
book, but hopefully with our help you can overcome the fear :)
Remember, if there is anything you’d like help with when it
comes to writing, just comment below and we will do our best to provide some tips :)
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