June 29, 2009

Today in a newsletter, a couple paragraphs leaped out at me. Why? Because (almost verbatim) they were the words I’d been asking myself all weekend about a project that has limped along for over a year. Here’s what jolted me:

“No matter how successful you are, likelihood is there is some idea you are dabbling with. What is in the way of you committing to this idea? To really going for it? To playing it out to see what is possible? To see what kind of an impact you can have if you just get out of your own way?

I encourage you to make a decision one way or another but to quit dabbling. Either decide to go for this idea in a way that is exciting and fun for you or let it go.”

She’s Reading My Mail!

That’s the decision I needed to make.

Over a year ago, I had an idea for a more ambitious writing project, one that would require more time, some serious study, more research than I was used to, and lots of work. I ran the idea past an agent and my critique group, and they all thought it was a great idea. I was glad–I’d been wanting to stretch myself as a writer for a number of years. This project was my chance.

I started out like a house on fire, but over the last year or so, the fire has fizzled. Hardly a spark anymore–even though I still really like the idea and the first hundred pages I’ve written. One thing after another came up, and weeks passed while I was “too busy” to write. And yet…the idea nags at me, and I actually loooong to get the idea down on paper.

So what’s the problem? I had no idea. I’ve never had this problem before, not in thirty years of writing and publishing 35 books. But I think I found the answer this morning when flipping through the course notes from Margie Lawson’s “Defeat Self-Defeating Behaviors” class. I blogged last January about her class, sharing in several posts some of her ideas that worked best for me.

Fear of Failure? Me?

I was re-reading Margie’s course introduction today and something else caught my eye. It was under the heading of “Failure to Produce” and said, “Sometimes writers keep themselves too busy with life distractions so they have excuses to not progress with their book. Are these legitimate? Or, are they protecting themselves from failing? If they never finish writing the book, they’ll never have to face the fear of rejection. What if I do my best and I still fail…”

Whammy!

There it was! I’d seen it in my students for years and encouraged procrastinating writer friends past such obstacles. But I couldn’t see it in myself! However, Margie’s words rang true. This ambitious project I had tackled had me scared. I feared that I was over-reaching my writing skills and didn’t want to face possible failure. After all, if you don’t finish your book, you can’t get rejected!

I’m hopeful–I know I’m on the right track. I have to stop now and read Margie’s next section on combatting this fear! And then I’m going to get to work. I’m eager to get back to that project and move ahead to completion.

June 26, 2009

I was shocked last week to discover that I had high cholesterol. It’s been low all my life, so I quickly agreed to try a very low fat diet for 3-4 months to see if I can bring it down without medication. I religiously write down each morsel I eat, along with the grams of saturated fat, trans fat, etc. for each item.

Just having to write things down has helped me make good choices. I definitely prefer Cheetos, but the nutritional information on the package was alarming. An apple with cheese (fat-free!) suited my goals better.

Does this have anything to do with writing? Yes, it does–so hang in there with me.

Trackers are Winners!

My best friend lost 100 pounds about five years ago, and she’s been able to keep it off. That puts her in the top 5% of people who lose weight. She now leads a recovery group helping others lose excess weight. When I asked her for some secrets of her self-discipline, she mentioned that she kept careful written track of the food she ate–daily. Even five years later, she still tracks her food intake, like the others in the top 5%.

What’s the power in writing things down? She didn’t know, but several big studies have shown that dieters who write things down lose twice as much weight, and it’s also one of the big secrets of keeping the weight off. Simply writing it down!

So, you’re still asking, what does this have to do with writing?

Keeping Track

I believe that concept works to help us attain our writing goals as well. It’s been helping me! As I mentioned in my post “The Unschedule,” I was using the “write 30 minutes and then reward yourself” system, and part of the Unschedule  involves keeping track of your writing.  Each time you work 30 UNinterrupted minutes, you can log it in. (I use a kitchen timer.) I only keep track of hours written on my current novel, time writing this blog, time studying a writing book, and time spent on my marketing efforts. (I do NOT count reading or answering email or surfing the ‘Net or reading other people’s blogs. Even though it can be tiring, it doesn’t get tracked as “work.”)

The days I keep track and write down what I accomplish are days when I write more and accomplish more. Would keeping track of our progress DAILY help us write twice as much–as dieters lose twice as much? Would it help us establish habits that will sustain us in the long run? Is that how the top 5% of writers who actually make a living at their writing manage to do it? The similarities bear thinking about!

A Separate Notebook

For my Unschedule, I have a lot of loose pages because I printed out the daily schedule on my computer. But today I ran across a journal I’d bought at least ten years ago, but I never wrote in it. It’s a LITTLE WOMEN journal, with art and quotes, and it seemed too special to write in (since my journaling tends to be a lot of griping and problem-solving.)

Today, though, I decided it would become my “work journal.” I’m going to have an official place where I DAILY write down the time spent on each writing activity. I’m not burdening myself with goals at the moment. I just want to see if there really is power in writing it down.

Please join me for the summer in this experiment. I’d like to compare notes in a few weeks. Leave a comment if you plan to try this with me–OR if you already do this and find it helpful!

June 24, 2009

This week I reviewed my goals notebook, the one I set up late last December. Even though I’ve accomplished half of the goals for the year–and the year is only half over–I felt more a sense of failure than success.

I found it puzzling…until a writer friend emailed me a link to a newsletter that discussed five reasons why goal-setting caused problems.

Shooting Ourselves in the Foot?

I’d love to have you read “When Goals Fall Flat” and then give me your feedback. In part, it says:

Goal setting, as a tool, has its utility. We all need a compass. We all need a dream that excites the living daylights out of us, helping us spring out of bed in the morning with vibrancy and enthusiasm.

[But] in my work with top executives, surgeons, artists, and athletes, I see too many people held back by goal setting; people who use this tool to set laundry lists of exercises and meaningless accomplishment measures. They are unsatisfied with their careers, out of balance between work and life.

The reason? Goal setting has five significant downsides when it comes to happiness, exuberance, and a true sense of fulfillment.

Pause and Consider

If you read the article’s five “downsides” of goal-setting, let me know in the comments what you thought of them. I think there is a lot of wisdom in this article–and the ideas presented there are worth “chewing” on. It helped me pinpoint a couple problems in my own mindset and correct them. Hope you find it helpful too!

June 22, 2009

How do you make good use of the notes and information gleaned at a writer’s workshop or conference?

A woman in my weekly critique group spent last week in Honesdale at one of the Highlights Foundation Founders Workshops on novel writing. The rest of our group was “pea-green with envy,” as Scarlett O’Hara said. From the enthusiastic email we received from her, she learned as much as she’d hoped and came home greatly encouraged. This Thursday at our critique meeting, we are setting aside an hour or more for her to share with all of us what she learned last week.

The book Networking at Writer’s Conferences: From Contacts to Contracts (Spratt and Spratt) has a section about what to do after the conference is over. In a chapter called “Where Do You Go from Here?”, the authors talk about returning from the world of the conference to your world of day jobs and the outside world clamoring for your attention. Before you get caught up in it again, how can you retain what you learned from your conference? I hope our friend’s mini-presentation at group on Thursday will do just that.

“Before you file them away [the conference notes]  for the future, review them (and your postconference evaluation) for new ideas, new information, and new possibilities gleaned from your conference…If your notes contain any gems dropped by conference speakers, post the most encouraging statements in your office or writing area where you will see them often–preferably every time you sit down to write.”

Share the Value

When our writing friend gives her talk to us on Thursday, I think it will help all of us. It will certainly be a treat for those of us who couldn’t attend the workshop to learn some “members only” insider tips and insights and techniques for writing deeper. I think the sharing process will also help my friend “cement” her revision ideas and talk through her critique suggestions.

I will also make sure she posts those very encouraging comments from the workshop leaders on her writing wall beside her computer. She will need the reminders as she delves into her four-week revision process.

 

Conferences are expensive and time-consuming to attend. So be sure you are well prepared beforehand, work hard during the conference, and take the necessary time to follow up when you get home. Sharing your new-found insights with other writers is one (generous) way to do this!

What thing(s) do YOU do when you get home from a conference or workshop so that you retain what you learned? Share some ideas!

June 19, 2009

I talked about some of the pluses of being able to market from your home via the Internet, using such things as book trailers. But is there a down side to all this? Yes, according to Elaura Niles, author of Some Writers Deserve to Starve! (31 Brutal Truths About the Publishing Industry.)

It’s a New Marketing World

Not only can we do a lot of promotion via the Internet, but we also submit e-queries, receive e-edits, and do e-revisions. It was at least ten books ago for me that I actually had to snail mail a paper copy of a finished book to a publisher. Being able to submit through email has been wonderful. It gives you more time before the deadline, allowing you to work right up till 5 p.m. the day it’s due, press “send,” and still be on time. And it saves hundreds of dollars in paper and stamps and gasoline burned going to the post office.

So what’s the problem?

Hidden Dangers

In the chapter called “Many Writers Are Working in the Stone Age,” the Starve author says this (and I totally agree): “But a word of warning before we go: While e-queries are the new way of doing business, the Internet can be a huge time gobbler, and many writers have been lost to Web marketing. Some writers don’t realize when it’s time to stop, and there are no Web lifeguards to reel you back in from thousands of research hours. A good rule of thumb is to spend one hour of Net time for every two hours spent writing. After all, you can’t call yourself a writer if you don’t write.”

How does your own writing stack up against this time frame? When you count marketing time on the Internet, count such things as looking up writers’ guidelines, studying online magazines and market guides, reading industry newsletters and blogs, Twittering, and yes, blogging. I know blogging involves writing, but it’s still essentially a marketing technique.

Finding the Balance

I, too, have fallen into the trap of thinking, “Well, I wrote today because I blogged.” Yes…and no. Yes, I wrote. No, I didn’t make any progress on my novel. I need to reassess my time online. Am I writing enough first? After all, as the author said, “you can’t call yourself a writer if you don’t write.”

What kind of online marketing tends to eat up your time? More importantly, what ways have you found to limit it and be a “responsible” Internet user? I’d welcome your ideas!

June 17, 2009

Wouldn’t it be great if you could be inoculated against your writing fears? Get a shot that short-circuits that “fight or flight” response we have to so many things associated with the writing life?

Well, apparently you can. The shot takes about 30-40 seconds to take effect, and if I hadn’t tried it yesterday on a whim, I wouldn’t have believed it would work.

Bite the Bullet

Many things about the writing life can make us freeze. It might be starting the research on a major project. It might be writing the rough draft of that assignment, needing to pull words out of thin air. Perhaps your “fight or flight” response kicks in when you’re hit with revisions–you just don’t know where to start!

The fear inoculation shot works for all these things, according to the author of a book I just started. (I’ll review the book later if I like the whole thing.) To get your shot, begin by choosing up to three of your most stressful or worrisome tasks in your writing career. Write them in a notebook.

Since I always have major procrastination problems when working on a rough draft, that’s what I decided to use my inoculation for. I had dinked around all day getting started, and by 3 p.m. I still hadn’t written a single paragraph. So for my shot, I chose the problem of staring at a blank page while needing to write a scene.

Facing Your Foe

This is not your usual “positive imaging” approach. The 30-40 second “shot” is a mental rehearsal of you confronting your worst fear. You put yourself into that scene. (I pictured myself at the computer, looking at the blank screen and the ticking clock as my writing time seeped away.) Close your eyes and pay very close attention to what’s happening in your body. NOTE: notice how you react in the first five seconds and write these reactions in your notebook.

• note your physical changes (tension, heart rate, breathing)
• pay attention to the thoughts in your head
• listen to what you’re telling yourself

Stick With It

Instead of panicking at the fearful reactions you’re experiencing–and running for the candy or turning on the TV–sit with the fear. Take five or six slow deep breaths and stay focused on the experience you fear. If you stick with it, the author claimed, “you will shut off the fight-or-flight response and come into a calmer, more focused level of energy.”

Feeling skeptical (but desperate to get some writing done), I decided to try it. I closed my eyes, pictured the blank screen and the scene I needed to write, and immediately felt tense inside, began breathing faster, thought This is really stupid that you have to do this, and told myself You know this will never work.

I continued to breathe deeply five more times, focusing on that mental blank screen and ticking clock. And I tell you, the weirdest thing happened. By the time I’d finished the slow deep breathing, I was (without consciously trying) picturing myself writing and had no trouble beginning! I wrote for 45 minutes and got some good writing completed! Later, after answering some website email, I decided to try it again. I took another 40-second fear shot and wrote another hour!

Multi-Purpose Shot

I was so intrigued by the results that I applied the “fear shot” to a couple of personal situations I was dreading yesterday and today. I put myself into the situation, felt the fear response, but forced myself to stay there for 40 seconds. Both times, when I later had to face the situations for real, the fear was gone and they went smoothly.

I think, from now on, I’ll do a mental rehearsal before I tackle any writing task that evokes self-doubt and anxiety. I used to be afraid of shots–but not anymore!

June 15, 2009

“Crazymakers like drama,” says Julia Cameron in her classic book for writers, The Artist’s Way. “If they can swing it, they [the crazymakers] are the star. Everyone around them functions as supporting cast, picking up their cues, their entrances and exits, from the crazymaker’s (crazy) whims.”

Surprise!

You may have a quiet weekend of reading and writing planned, but then voila! A crazymaker shows up. It might be someone you thought was banned from your life for good. It might be someone no one else suspects is your crazymaker. They might rage and scream–or knife you in the back while smiling in the traditional passive-aggressive style.

“Whether they appear as your overbearing mother, your manic boss, your needy friend, or your stubborn spouse,” says Cameron, “the crazymakers in your life share certain destructive patterns that make them poisonous for any sustained creative work.”

Enough is Enough

Sometimes you get blind-sided by crazymaking behavior. It can be shocking and look ludicrous. It turns your schedule upside down, destroys any plans you might have, nearly always costs you time and/or money, is draining with its drama, and–if they’re really good–the crazymaker can blame you for the whole problem they created.

I’ve had more than my share of crazymakers to deal with in life. (I suppose everyone feels like that!) Anyway, it happened to me again recently, and I was tickled by my reaction. I recognized the game, called a spade a spade, and was astounded to see the problem go away. It didn’t cost me any sleep, and the crazymaker found someone else to harrass.

A Dance by Any Other Name…

Julia Cameron always said, “If you are involved in a tortured tango with a crazymaker, stop dancing to his/her tune.” Yes, that’s easier said than done–but it CAN be done! I was thrilled to see that if I stepped back and didn’t play the game, it stopped. And beyond that, I got some writing done! And I’m ready for a good writing week.

Maybe there are some nut cases in your own life that need to be banished for the sake of your creativity. Is that possible?

June 12, 2009

Do you need to market your book, but speeches make your knees quake? Is some of your “fear of success” wrapped up in the marketing and promotion you might be expected to do? If so, don’t overlook the power of the Internet. Promoting your book via the Internet can be done from the comfort of your home. I gave it a try recently with this video book trailer.

Preview of Coming Attractions

Book trailers, like movie trailers, are to spark interest in your product. In the coming week, I’ll be doing a variety of things with this trailer (created by Misty Taggart, a very talented lady.) Book trailers can be used to promote your book (fiction or nonfiction, adult or juvenile, single title or series) in the following FREE ways and places:

• posted on your personal website and blog
• posted on your Amazon Author Connect page
• added to your email signature
• added on your Facebook author page
• added to your publisher’s website
• burn DVDs and CDs for give-aways at book signings and elsewhere
• send to anyone who will/has reviewed your book
• and many other uses!

Don’t let a fear of public speaking stop you from pursuing your publication dreams. Book trailers are only one way to promote your books. What are some other ways you’ve seen (or done) that don’t require a public performance? Let’s share some ideas!

June 10, 2009

Three times this week–in emails and questions from students–I’ve been asked about the “fear of success” as a reason for procrastinating. What do you think? Is such fear a reality that holds back certain writers?

Beyond Success

What form does your “fear of success” take? I can think of several possibilities, based on questions I am asked:

• Fear of exposure: my parents/siblings/spouse will read what I really think about them
• Post publication panic: I’m scared of the idea of marketing (e.g. giving speeches and doing book signings)
• Fear of being a “one-shot wonder”: people will expect me to write another–even better–book
• Fear of bad reviews: my peers will see them
• Fear of no reviews: having the book totally ignored
• Fear of poor sales: never getting a second chance with a publisher
• Fearing reality: getting published may not give my life meaning, save my marriage, or resurrect my self-esteem

Do you fear success? In what way? Do you think this fear is holding you back from pursuing your writing dream whole-heartedly? Leave a comment, and let’s talk about it!

June 8, 2009

Last week I tried the “Unschedule,” a technique for breaking through procrastination found in The Now Habit, a book by Neil Fiore that I’ve referred to in “Unblock: Two Techniques,” “Five Stages of Procrastination” and “The Vicious Procrastination Cycle.” The four days that I used Fiore’s “unschedule” turned out to be some of the most productive I’ve had in a while. The one day I disregarded it (thinking I really don’t have time for these breaks–too much to do) I actually got less work accomplished!

This coming week is very full again. I’m tempted–again–to scrap the Unschedule as a bit “frivolous,” but then I remember last Thursday. I dumped it that day too–and got precious little done and didn’t even enjoy the time  off. So…I filled out my Unschedule this morning before starting this blog.

What in heaven’s name is an Unschedule?

Hooked on Play

A clue is on the cover of the book. The full title of Fiore’s book includes the subtitle: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play. An unschedule is a way that incorporates play and leisure FIRST in your schedule. Yes, you actually put FUN on your schedule before your chores are listed. Each immediate and frequent reward follows a short (30-minute) period of work. (This is instead of delaying a reward until the whole project is done.)

For example, I have a five-hour critique to do today. Always in the past, I did the five hours non-stop, then crashed with a bad neck ache and headache. Today I’ve scheduled it in small chunks with rewards interspersed frequently. I also have a phone call with a friend at noon on the schedule. I’m eager to see how it works for me.

Why Fun First?

Remember, we’re trying to overcome procrastination here–getting previously frozen people back to writing, enhancing their productivity and creativity.

“By starting with the scheduling of recreation, leisure, and quality time with friends,” Fiore says, “the Unschedule avoids one of the traps of typical programs for overcoming procrastination that begin with the scheduling of work–thereby generating an immediate image of a life devoid of fun and freedom. Instead, the Unschedule reverses this process, beginning with an image of play and guarantee of your leisure time.”

By the way, before scheduling the fun times, block out the chunks already committed elsewhere–taking kids to summer swimming lessons, a class you teach, dental appointments, lunch, commuting places, etc. It will encourage you to get started a bit quicker when you see how much free time you ACTUALLY have for your writing.

Tiny Work Loads

The other recommendation for the Unschedule is to keep work periods to thirty minutes. Thirty UNinterrupted minutes. Thirty minutes of work–use a timer to be sure–and it can’t include anything like checking email on a whim, or returning a phone call, or other distractions we procrastinators are famous for.

After your thirty minutes is up, you record the actual work done on your daily schedule somewhere, and then freely enjoy your reward. Believe it or not, those half hours add up by the end of the day. Fiore says, “Thirty minutes reduces work to small, manageable, rewardable chunks that lessen the likelihood that you will feel over-whelmed by the complexity and length of large or menacing projects.” And thiry minutes of concentrated work can mean a lot of pages piling up.

Time for me to go! I’m twenty-eight minutes into this blog, and I hoped to finish in thirty instead of my usual plodding hour-long pace. Guess what comes next? I plan to read a chapter in Gone With the Wind, my favorite summertime re-reading book.

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