Have you ever felt all alone as a writer - on an island of self-doubt? Where can you find the ideas, the support, the comradery of writers everywhere without leaving the house? After all, you are trying to put out some pages every day and you don't have time to find an obscure bar in downtown Houston where poets and other eclectic types hang out wearing fedoras and smoking cigarettes.
Welcome to the internet of things. Online books and online groups have made writers gather together virtually. Fiction writers have their own groups. Romance fiction has their own twitter groups. Science fiction has Instagram groups and hashtags allow us all to follow and search for what interests us. When we read novels and read online we can easily find links to groups and feeds that we may be interested in following.
The other advantage is that we may be able to find popular books and famous authors via some feeds or groups. We can follow them and join the same groups they are in. What better friends could we have as an aspiring writer of fiction than a famous author who has already created great literature? These chat groups and forums are all free, which is another huge benefit, and since they are virtual it does not require us to travel any farther than our own computer or cell phone.
Online reading, online fiction, online novels - these are all great search terms for the beginning of our road to group therapy. Find some groups that have writers, and readers. Post some of your own work and be receptive to the feedback. Our attempt at writing novels is genuine and we are heavily invested in our own ideas - but sometimes a fresh perspective from someone who is not invested at all is a good one to hear. One thing that I have noticed myself is that I do not take every single suggestion that comes along, but it plays in the back of my mind over and over while I am writing. It cannot help but have some effect on my work.
Imagine a room of 1000 writers all offering their opinions, not all will be valid and not all will agree with you on anything. But all one thousand taken as a whole can help us to balance our own ideas.
Now, it is also true that great literature was being produced long before we had focus groups, chat rooms, twitter feeds, and supportive friends. Many great authors struggled and worked to produce their books without an agent or publisher, or even a printing press! Humans have written great works and they will continue to do so - it may even be you who writes the next great novel. So look inside yourself to find your story. Accept advice and get support, but follow your own story your way. Not every book has to follow a formula for success - some books follow no formula, that is what makes this an art.
Go, make some art - write fiction.
Thursday, May 10, 2018
Finding Time to Write
We may wake up with the best intentions to write a novel. We may think the night before "I’ll get to it as soon as I get out of bed" - - then morning comes. Our best intentions get sidelined by other things. These distractions can make our productivity almost non-existent. So what can we do to get motivated and stay in control of our writing time.
It is important to be organized. If we can prepare a to-do list and consider what is important and what is urgent. If we have some appointments that cannot be adjusted then make sure you have allotted time for writing. Maybe that means getting an early start in the morning while the juices are flowing and we may be more motivated. Rather than at the end of our day when we are too tired to think. So as we are making this to-do list take time to reason on what is essential to accomplish our goals. We may need to discard those nonessential tasks that are consuming too much time. With that comes being able to say no. If we really want to write and fulfill a goal of so many words or chapters in a day we cannot be pulled in different directions. Too many other activities can rob you of precious time and energy. So set priorities and this will help us get organized to write some literature.
Now when we went to bed we were all gung-ho to write, now the morning brings an ugly side. We start to be indecisive and procrastinate. When we procrastinate our task of writing we are robbing our time and productivity. We can get so distracted by "what ifs" and over-analyzing our story that we don’t write a single word all day. The thinking process is great to get our ideas in focus but if we don’t write then those are ideas are wasted time. So get writing and once you do you will be more optimistic when you see the results of the many pages of fiction you will have written.
If we set realistic goals when we start our day, our week, or even our month then it will be much easier to attain them. When we don’t we can feel overwhelmed and disappointed in ourselves for not accomplishing all we set out to do. If we have other commitments then we may not be able to write a novel in two weeks. We should be content with what we can accomplish and satisfied with the results.
It can be hard to focus on writing a great science fiction novel when we are surrounded each day by reality. Or to write romance fiction when we live alone. We need to have our "escape time" so we can live in our imaginary world of fiction. Just like others read novels to escape, writers need to escape to write them. Take some time to read also. Read online books, popular books, or free fiction online. It can be an easy way to escape for a moment and get into the writing mood.
After we take the time to consider our goals and what is truly important for us to succeed as a writer this should give us the end result of realizing what our time is worth. Consider how much time we have in the day and take a hard look at what is important to get us to start writing. We can omit the non-essentials that are ultimately time wasters and focus on writing. We will be happy we did.
It is important to be organized. If we can prepare a to-do list and consider what is important and what is urgent. If we have some appointments that cannot be adjusted then make sure you have allotted time for writing. Maybe that means getting an early start in the morning while the juices are flowing and we may be more motivated. Rather than at the end of our day when we are too tired to think. So as we are making this to-do list take time to reason on what is essential to accomplish our goals. We may need to discard those nonessential tasks that are consuming too much time. With that comes being able to say no. If we really want to write and fulfill a goal of so many words or chapters in a day we cannot be pulled in different directions. Too many other activities can rob you of precious time and energy. So set priorities and this will help us get organized to write some literature.
Now when we went to bed we were all gung-ho to write, now the morning brings an ugly side. We start to be indecisive and procrastinate. When we procrastinate our task of writing we are robbing our time and productivity. We can get so distracted by "what ifs" and over-analyzing our story that we don’t write a single word all day. The thinking process is great to get our ideas in focus but if we don’t write then those are ideas are wasted time. So get writing and once you do you will be more optimistic when you see the results of the many pages of fiction you will have written.
If we set realistic goals when we start our day, our week, or even our month then it will be much easier to attain them. When we don’t we can feel overwhelmed and disappointed in ourselves for not accomplishing all we set out to do. If we have other commitments then we may not be able to write a novel in two weeks. We should be content with what we can accomplish and satisfied with the results.
It can be hard to focus on writing a great science fiction novel when we are surrounded each day by reality. Or to write romance fiction when we live alone. We need to have our "escape time" so we can live in our imaginary world of fiction. Just like others read novels to escape, writers need to escape to write them. Take some time to read also. Read online books, popular books, or free fiction online. It can be an easy way to escape for a moment and get into the writing mood.
After we take the time to consider our goals and what is truly important for us to succeed as a writer this should give us the end result of realizing what our time is worth. Consider how much time we have in the day and take a hard look at what is important to get us to start writing. We can omit the non-essentials that are ultimately time wasters and focus on writing. We will be happy we did.
How do you instill in your children a love of reading?
How do you instill in your children a love of reading? In a day when everyone seems to be addicted to cell phones or video games, how do you make a child put down their electronics and read a good book?
A big attraction to electronics is the fast-moving frames and lots of action. Books may seem to be quite boring in comparison. Providing a variety of reading material may help. So, why not make a day trip to a local library and expose them to the endless variety of choices. At the library, there will usually be a large assortment of good fiction books to choose from that are suitable for children of any age. Depending on their age, they might like to read mystery fiction, I know I did when I was a child. Or perhaps, they prefer crime fiction or suspense fiction, something with a good plot! Allow them to choose five to eight books of their choice to bring home. The fact that they chose the book and not you will encourage them to read it.
Or, if there are no libraries near where you live, why not together with your children search for online books that they would like to read. There will be an endless number to choose from!
When I want to begin a new habit, I often need to have some kind of reward for accomplishing what I set out to do. Why not create a chart or graph where the number of books read can be recorded? That way, your child can visually see the progress they have made in the amount of books they have read.
As a parent, do you like to read yourself? Children will often follow the example of their parents and reading is no exception. Growing up, I never saw my mother read a book. She was always busy around the house, taking care of us. The only time I saw her read was when she was on vacation. Ironically, I tend to also read when I am on vacation! It takes effort for a parent to show children that reading is not a chore, but something that can be enjoyed at every age.
Make reading a special time with your children. I can remember when I was quite young, Mom would read a small book to us before we went to sleep. I know that we had Mom read the same book repeatedly and we knew the ending, but just to have time with Mom was special. Reading then becomes associated with spending time with you – something every child wants! This can also be a good way to reward your children for work well done and to help them relax before they sleep. Video games and electronics don’t have the same effect!
The love of reading that is instilled while young will carry over to when they are older and will prove to be a big asset when in school. Don’t miss opportunities to nurture this love in them when they are young. Reward them for books they have read. Join a book club so a new book is delivered to your home every month! Take the opportunity to spend time with your children by reading to them before they go to sleep. And take a moment too for yourself to remember the time gone by when you too loved to read. Perhaps you will rekindle the love for reading that you once had as you begin to sink into a good book.
A big attraction to electronics is the fast-moving frames and lots of action. Books may seem to be quite boring in comparison. Providing a variety of reading material may help. So, why not make a day trip to a local library and expose them to the endless variety of choices. At the library, there will usually be a large assortment of good fiction books to choose from that are suitable for children of any age. Depending on their age, they might like to read mystery fiction, I know I did when I was a child. Or perhaps, they prefer crime fiction or suspense fiction, something with a good plot! Allow them to choose five to eight books of their choice to bring home. The fact that they chose the book and not you will encourage them to read it.
Or, if there are no libraries near where you live, why not together with your children search for online books that they would like to read. There will be an endless number to choose from!
When I want to begin a new habit, I often need to have some kind of reward for accomplishing what I set out to do. Why not create a chart or graph where the number of books read can be recorded? That way, your child can visually see the progress they have made in the amount of books they have read.
As a parent, do you like to read yourself? Children will often follow the example of their parents and reading is no exception. Growing up, I never saw my mother read a book. She was always busy around the house, taking care of us. The only time I saw her read was when she was on vacation. Ironically, I tend to also read when I am on vacation! It takes effort for a parent to show children that reading is not a chore, but something that can be enjoyed at every age.
Make reading a special time with your children. I can remember when I was quite young, Mom would read a small book to us before we went to sleep. I know that we had Mom read the same book repeatedly and we knew the ending, but just to have time with Mom was special. Reading then becomes associated with spending time with you – something every child wants! This can also be a good way to reward your children for work well done and to help them relax before they sleep. Video games and electronics don’t have the same effect!
The love of reading that is instilled while young will carry over to when they are older and will prove to be a big asset when in school. Don’t miss opportunities to nurture this love in them when they are young. Reward them for books they have read. Join a book club so a new book is delivered to your home every month! Take the opportunity to spend time with your children by reading to them before they go to sleep. And take a moment too for yourself to remember the time gone by when you too loved to read. Perhaps you will rekindle the love for reading that you once had as you begin to sink into a good book.
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