Writers First Aid

First Things First

January 21, 2009

Do your writing first! Leave the dishes and your exercise routine and everything else–and just write. Haven’t we all heard that advice a hundred times?

I have–and I’m still no good at it. But from this point on, I will be!

Accountability, thy name is Donna!

In the online class I’m taking this month, we were encouraged to pair up with what is called a change coach. We hold each other accountable and encourage each other to pursue our goals. And we’re supposed to confront (nicely) when our partner isn’t keeping her commitment.

My change coach is Donna McDine, the middle-grade novel reviewer at the Writing for Children Center. A graduate of the Institute’s course, she also blogs at the “Write What Inspires You!” site. We noticed this week that while we both have great written goals, put in lots of hours, and truly LOVE to write–we weren’t getting much writing done on our own projects. (We wrote for others, critiqued, reviewed, taught, and blogged–but by the time we got around to our own books, we were too tired or it was evening and others needed us.)

Ready, Set, Go!

So, we made a deal, Donna and I. We have committed to writing first thing each morning on our own projects. I’m aiming for a minimum of an hour daily. If we can do more, great. But Monday through Friday, we’ve promised to spend time on our books first. When we’re done, we’ll email each other to say how long we wrote. It won’t take us long to send that email, but since I’ll know Donna is waiting for my report, I bet I get the writing done.

It’s on our schedule first now. And we’re planning ahead for success. We’re taking time before we quit each day to set up our desks with all the materials we’ll need to get started right away in the morning. One iron-clad rule we agreed on: absolutely NO Internet until the writing is done.

Do YOU write first thing each morning, before you get caught up in the day’s demands? If so, what are the tricks YOU use to make it work? We can use all the tips you have as we try to establish this new habit!

Post tags: boundaries, discipline, distractions, finding time, focusing, getting started, goals, mentors, on-line classes, priorities, procrastination, productivity, schedules, strategy, support, time management, writing coach, writing habits, writing schedule

19 Comments »

FYI: I wrote for 90 minutes on my new novel before posting this blog! It was heavenly.

Comment by Kristi Holl — January 21, 2009 @ 7:02 am
Great post and great challenge. I’ve been reading here for a while now but not sure I’ve ever commented. Anyways, thanks for the helpful insight. I need to make some commitments like this.

A friend and I were talking about accountability this morning and she mentioned a book she’d read. In it, the author explains his aversion to the word accountability due to his accounting experience. He said he preferred the word editability – giving someone else editing rights in our lives. Not with a red pen per se, but being open enough to receive their helpful suggestions. Whichever word we like, we all need that kind of input from a few sources, I think.

Comment by Dianne — January 21, 2009 @ 9:04 am
Editability–I like that! Thanks for sharing, Dianne. I’ve made this “write first!” decision many times in the past, but gave up too easily, long before it was an established habit. I’m hoping with the “editability” input from Donna that I can at last make this a habit!

Comment by Kristi Holl — January 21, 2009 @ 9:09 am
I like the idea to write first before going on the internet. I started my blogs to just get me writing consistently since I was not even doing that. I want to give myself time first to just write, not necessarily on my novel, and do lots and lots of reading. I feel I will get my idea from reading the books I want to write myself, which is romantic suspense. I also am reading books on the writing craft.

Comment by Ana — January 21, 2009 @ 9:24 am
Ana, blogs DO help us write regularly. It sounds like you’ve moved past needing that prod right now. Yes, give yourself time to read and write and study. In this hurry-hurry society we live in, it can feel like wasting time, when in fact it’s the best thing you can do for your career!

Comment by Kristi Holl — January 21, 2009 @ 10:08 am
Writing is not on the top of my list in the morning, unfortunately.
My children want to eat. Silly kids!
Writing for me is still a part-time venture, but I’m working on prioritizing my schedule so I can fit more of it in.

Comment by Avily Jerome — January 21, 2009 @ 10:47 pm
Great post Kristi, and it’s so true. I’m still learning to put writing first, but I’m getting there.

I read your post about e-mail and it really got me thinking. I do check for messages a lot, and while I still may get something written, it is a distraction.

Now I’m convinced I need to make a change, so starting tomorrow I’m not to going to check my e-mail or go online until I’ve done some writing.

Comment by C.J. Rockwell — January 21, 2009 @ 10:52 pm
Hi Kristi,

I’m taking Margie’s class, too, and find that not connecting to the internet before I do my writing is crucial. In the beginning it was a challenge but it’s become habit now.

I’ve also found that timing my use of email helps tremendously.

Have a lovely Thursday and congratulations on committing to your own projects.

Karrie

Comment by Karrie Myton — January 22, 2009 @ 2:05 pm
Kristi & Donna,

What a great idea – wonderfuly simple but highly effective as you’ve already proven! Of course the other option would be to hire a chef and maid, so we never have to worry about housework or cooking again – LOL.

Best wishes as you hold each other accountable. Let us know how it goes.

Beth )

Comment by Beth Bence Reinke — January 22, 2009 @ 2:23 pm
Avily, when my children were small, they often had to come first too. Even when I managed to get up an hour before they were supposed to get up at six to get ready for school, the baby would get up at five or something. You roll with the punches then. But if you can get some writing in before they get up in the morning, it will set your day off to a good start!

Comment by Kristi Holl — January 22, 2009 @ 3:57 pm
C.J., were you able to try writing before getting online at all? I have only done it two days so far, but I was astounded at how peaceful I felt writing, and how much better I was able to focus, even with the grogginess of the early morning hour. I think we’re onto something here!

Comment by Kristi Holl — January 22, 2009 @ 3:58 pm
Karrie, you’re ahead of me in this game, but the rewards of writing first are so BIG that I think it’s a habit that won’t be as hard to establish as other (less fun) habits are. The lure of email and the Internet is something I never had to deal with as a beginning writer, and I’m seeing how lucky I was!

Comment by Kristi Holl — January 22, 2009 @ 4:00 pm
Thanks, Beth! I would probably find a chef and housekeeper more distracting than the Internet! I’d clean before the housekeeper came. I’d do dishes before the chef showed up… We all have our own oddities!

Comment by Kristi Holl — January 22, 2009 @ 4:02 pm
Hi Kristi and all who have checked in…here it is 12:40 pm EST and this is the first time I’ve been online today. Kristi, I received your check-in email. Yes, I wrote first thing this morning and I’m so relieved about it. Now I can move on to the other tasks of my writing career…SFC Marketing, blogging, updating my website, reading, etc. I don’t feel so crunched now.

I’m here to tell you all it works…writing first thing. Make it a habit and feel more relief! Thanks to Margie Lawson for getting us both on track…YIPPEE!

Kristi…is great giving that virtual slap up side the head…LOL.

Have an inspiration day!
Donna

Comment by Donna McDine — January 22, 2009 @ 5:42 pm
Hey, Kristi and Donna,

How cool that the two of you are each other’s change coach. Great idea!

I write first thing every morning. I try to get up early before the phone starts ringing, I have dozens of emails to answer, etc. I find I’m much more productive first thing. Even if I set aside time to write at night, by then my creative energy is gone. But first in the morning – I’m dynamic! I can write like the wind!

Suzanne Lieurance
The Working Writer’s Coach
http://www.workingwriterscoach.com

Comment by Suzanne — January 23, 2009 @ 12:25 am
Donna, I’m finding the same thing as you said–I’m more productive with other tasks after I get my own writing time in. And I’m NOT resentful of the marketing and other stuff that has to be done, since it’s not stealing time away from my own work. And I love not being on the Internet till I’ve written. There’s something very fragmenting about it, for some reason.

Comment by Kristi Holl — January 23, 2009 @ 1:12 am
Suzanne, that is so true about being drained of creativity by nightfall, even if you have the time to write. I suppose for certain YOUNG night owl types that might not be so, but I’m best in the mornings too, by far. (I still re-read your Morning Nudges that I saved from last year too.)

Comment by Kristi Holl — January 23, 2009 @ 1:14 am
Terri Forehand, I think your comment got accidentally deleted, but I did get it. Thank you for your kind comment. Yes, Donna is a terrific encourager, isn’t she? That’s neat that she also did that for you. I am blessed to have found her!

Comment by Kristi Holl — January 25, 2009 @ 7:45 am
[...] and I started our accountability check-in last week, I’ve written daily. My goal for putting my writing first each day was to accumulate more pages. In the past week, that has certainly [...]

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