Super Duper Stress Creator

When it comes to writing, what is your ultimate super duper stress creator?

Is it coming up with the idea for your new book?

Is it writing that first draft?

Re-writing?

Editing?

Publishing?



Photo by: ladybugbkt, courtesy of Flickr

Marketing?

Anything that creates stress can block you from moving forward. Take it from me, if you also have life stresses occurring on a fairly frequent basis, you'll also have to figure out how to make your life work.

So how do you do it?

I am an avid believer in prayer; taking those moments to reflect and ponder about my life. I'm also fairly organized, and this helps when I find myself stressing about something I have little or no control over. Taking a break helps, too.

Today I made banana bread with the grand-children.

Tomorrow I might decide to take a walk.

Photo by:

 

rkleine, courtesy of Flickr

If your day feels too full (and some days what you can handle is less than what you can handle on other days) be aware of yourself enough to let go of what really doesn't matter.

And keep smiling.

Organizing Your Writing for the New Year

I don't know about you, but December is usually the month I start thinking about the new year and what I want to accomplish with my writing. If you think you can keep your dreams in your head and that somehow they'll get accomplished, think again.

You've probably heard the saying, "A dream unwritten is just a wish," and I can't help but agree.

When I wanted to publish my first book, I had the words written down in my journal. When I wanted to open my new business, I had the words written on a poster board that I saw every day.

Organization can be a daunting task; especially when there's still so much Christmas shopping to do, but you may want to consider these ideas as you prepare your writing for the new year. 





Photo by: casey.marshall, courtesy of Flickr

• Clean out your desk. Organize your file folders. I know, I know, this takes some time, but make it. As you accomplish new manuscripts in the new year you'll have a place to store your work that will actually be found again. I keep my work on the computer as well as on paper, just in case one of them fails me.

Photo by: One Way Stock, courtesy of Flickr



• Throw away items you no longer need. I have a habit of hanging onto old notes for books that I have already published. This takes up a lot of space. Throw out the old stuff so you have room for the new.
• Get a calendar for your writing. You can use your phone or buy a paper calendar. What days will you write in the new year? What times will you write? Some writers write particular things are particular days. For example, on Monday they may work on their blogs for the week, on Tuesday, their newest novel, on Wednesday, they might set aside time for research and so on. Keep in mind that the more you have written down the less likely you are to put your work aside in favor of cleaning the garage.
• Make some time for fun. In one of Jack Canfield's books I learned that everyone needs a day off each week to have some fun. And while you might consider writing as "fun" there's something to be said for putting that writing aside and going out for the day.
• Make your goals realistic. If you have a goal to publish a book this next year, make sure that your smaller goals lead you to it. You don't want to spend the majority of your time writing journalism articles, for example, if you're trying to get your book finished--especially if you're looking for a national publisher to publish it. Consider how much time this will take you in favor of self-publishing and work out your days accordingly.
• Treat your writing like a career. One of the most full proof ways to keep you writing is knowing how you think about your writing. If it's just for fun, that's fine, but if you are looking to really get your name out there you need to treat your writing differently than an old sock puppet. You may not answer the phone when you're writing. You may decide not to answer the door. You may decide that your writing takes precedence over cleaning the bathroom. Whatever you decide, stick with it.

Organizing your writing for the new year is a little like getting ready for visitors for the holidays. There's a lot of prep work, decisions that must be made and places you must visit to gather in all that you need.

Your writing should also take a front seat.

How Messy is Your Desk?

This morning as I was trying to decide what to write about, I couldn't help but notice the pile my husband had created on the center table in our office by cleaning off his desk. It looked like something from the garbage dump. I took a quick look at my own desk. Work from yesterday still sat across the surface; a can of salted cashews in halves and pieces and a container of Velvet Tuberose lotion glared over at me.

Photo by: msTea, courtesy of Flickr. No, this is not my desk, but you can see what I mean.

A finished ghostwritten manuscript sat on the right side of the desk, the opposite side held my calendar and the marketing work I was currently working on for my newest books. There were pens, a hand sanitizer container, small speakers, a stapler, a three holed puncher, paper clips and a stack of stuff unorganized sitting on the desk's back right corner.

Everything was (more or less) organized, still the desk resembled more of a jungle journey and less of a writer's desk. Or did it?

Isn't it true that the true creative types have a messy streak? Isn't it true that to be truly creative you have to have lots of stuff scattered around where only you know the system? Well, if this is true, I must be fairly creative. But it made me think about my writing life, and if there was a way I could streamline it to make my time more effective.

I love binders, I love holding my stuff in them, but what if I held more information on my computer laptop? What if I went through all junk mail the day it came in and sorted through and filed the good stuff the moment after I'd finished reading it? Would time be saved if my desk was free of accumulations?

I don't really know, but I'd like to think so. It's sort of like cleaning the living room so that it looks nice and so that people don't trip over shoes in the walkway. It's sort of like sunshine coming through the window because you've cleaned it.

And a writer needs that.