The weekend is coming…do you have your writing time planned?

If you are like me—employed full time, parent, stressed, harried, rushed, etc…—you need to make the most of your writing time when you get it. It’s taken me years to learn that I can’t just duck into my writing hole and work for thirty minutes when the opportunity does finally present itself. Instead, I’ve learned to plan ahead. You think this would be obvious, but my wife spends more time planning play dates for our kids than I do planning my writing time.

There seems to be something about writing that makes us feel like it has to spontaneous to be genuine, but this suggests that writing only happens when we sit down at the computer. But that isn’t the case. Our subconscious continues to work as long as we continue to work on the book on a regular basis. All planning does is move that subconscious work forward into a plan before we sit down at the computer.
Here are some ideas for planning your next writing time.

Think about the scene you will be writing next, and write down what the goal of that scene is. Ask yourself how it moves the story forward. If you don’t know what the next scene is going to be, then ask yourself what does need to happen next to move the story forward.

Jot down any sensory details that spring to mind to help you get a head start on visualizing the scene when you are at your computer.

List plot details that need to be revealed/introduced/resolved in this scene. If you are struggling with your scene, make this a brainstorming list and put down as many ideas as you can think of. Remember, a good scene has conflict and moves the story forward.

Finally, list ideas for the next scene in case you really get rolling. Even if you don’t, this will give you something to think about for your next writing time.

If anyone else has thoughts on how to make the best of limited writing time, please feel free to share them!

We make our own destiny

I'm going to make a goal of regularly posting on this blog, so for those few followers (my wife, my brother, the dog, etc...), please check back frequently and feel free to comment.

It's been rough writing for the past year or so. I've learned that as a writer, you may go through periods of not wanting to write. The guilt that happens during these periods can be substantial, but I've come to realize that sometimes the creative part of your brain needs to step back and pause for a while. I've also learned some tricks for reducing the time your brain needs to recharge. This may seem obvious, but in case some of you haven't experience this problem, I'm going to list them here.

1. First and foremost, read. Read books you truly love. Ones that inspire you and make you remember why you wanted to be a writer in the first place. Enjoy the break your brain is giving you and indulge yourself here.
2. Refresh, reorganize, revitalize your workspace. It's kind of like when you were a kid and you reorganized your room. It feels new and fresh, and makes you want to sit in your chair and work.
3. Research. If you have a book idea in mind, and you find the topic or subject matter interesting, immerse yourself in it. Don't worry about trying to force the information into plots, scenes or settings for your book. Just enjoy the learning.
4. Read inspirational books on writing. A Courage to Write by Ralph Keyes, Take Joy by Jane Yolen.
5. Relax- Take a vacation, even if it is sitting in a lounge chair in your backyard. Writing is work, and if we don't allow ourselves a break, we will burn out.

That's all for now. I promise it won't be over a year before I post again!