May 16, 2012

More, more, more! Faster, faster, faster!

Some of you probably read the NY Times article last weekend called Writer’s Cramp: In the E-Reader Era, a Book a Year Is Slacking.

Here is the gist of it, before I add my two cents’ worth.

Authors on Assembly Lines

Apparently authors are being pushed, prodded, and persuaded to write more books per year, plus short e-stories in between books to promote upcoming books. One popular author, James Patterson, writes twelve or thirteen novels per year! He writes some and co-writes some. Here are some quotes from that article:

“Authors are now pulling the literary equivalent of a double shift, churning out short stories, novellas or even an extra full-length book each year… The push for more material comes as publishers and booksellers are desperately looking for ways to hold onto readers being lured by other forms of entertainment, much of it available nonstop and almost instantaneously… Ms. Scottoline [a thriller writer] has increased her output from one book a year to two, which she accomplishes with a brutal writing schedule: 2,000 words a day, seven days a week.”

Bear this in mind: that’s 2,000 words per day in addition to all the promoting, travel, speaking, and social networking required. One author (who has to write short stories between his novels for his publisher to sell cheaply or give away) said this: “It does sap away some of your energy. You don’t ever want to get into a situation where your worth is being judged by the amount of your productivity.”

But isn’t that exactly what is being done here?

From Quality to Quantity

If this is the future of publishing, can the quality of writing go anywhere but down? We see this all the time.

A debut novel is a hit, often an award-winner. The new author explains that it took 5-10 years to write and revise. The author’s new agent and publisher want another novel from this author RIGHT NOW–while she’s still hot property.

Is it any wonder that often subsequent books are of inferior quality? [I'm not picking on anyone here. I've written series with very short deadlines, and you just can't write with the same quality when you only have six weeks to do a whole book. There is no down time, no extra think time, and little revision time.]

Great Books Take Time

Oddly enough, just before the NY Times article came out, I was re-reading Chapter After Chapter: Discover the dedication & focus you need to write the book of your dreams by Heather Sellers. In one of her chapters, she discussed how writing needed to be slow. Does this resonate with you?

“Writing books is, and should be, really slow. The great books are still around–just like the great recipes, the great songs, the great trees–because they took a long time to develop. Time-soaked writing is good writing….Are you, like so many new and experienced writers I know, constantly berating yourself for not writing more?…If so, you are quite possibly internalizing cultural tendencies–this inexorable push for speediness at the cost of quality.”

My Take on the Discussion

I personally dislike rushed books for two reasons: (1) I don’t have that much free time for leisure reading anymore, so I don’t like to read poor writing and shallow stories with what time I do have, and (2) the rushed stories that didn’t “steep” long enough just won’t hold my interest, and I refuse anymore to force myself to read something that bores me or has characters I don’t care about.

Are books that win awards and become classics written in a rush? I sincerely doubt it. [There will be a panel of writers and editors discussing "Books That Rise Above" at a Highlights workshop in October. I'd love to hear what they have to say on this subject.]

What’s Your Opinion?

What do you think? Does super fast writing mean a decline in the quality of writing? If so, do you mind?

• Are there times you don’t mind reading a novel that was obviously rushed to the presses?
• Are there certain authors you will read, no matter what the quality of the story?
• As a writer, do you feel the “push” to produce faster?
• Will you be pushed? Or will you fight against that?

I’d really like to hear your thoughts on this. I’m only one opinion. Please leave a comment.

May 2, 2012

You might think from my recent posts on motivation and commitment (Parts 1, 2 and 3) that commitment is all you really need to get the writing done. Basically, that’s true. If your commitment is strong, you can write through anything.

HOWEVER…

It’s more fun to add motivation to your writing commitment. It might be the icing on the cake, but it’s lovely icing!

With that in mind, today’s blog is devoted to some of the best motivational writing I found this month.

“Should You Focus on Your Writing or Your Platform?” by Jane Friedman is excellent! It will help you decide the balance you should strive for.

“To Sleep or Not to Sleep?” by Tanya Dennis is about trying to fit writing into a very busy schedule of job, family, and community. Many of you will identify with this challenge to your motivation.

This “Link Round-Up” by Victoria Strauss on the Writer Beware blog has TEN links to important articles. These are subjects that might not necessarily motivate you to write, but sometimes we need to be motivated to keep up on industry changes. These articles will do that!

“What You Can Do When You Can’t Write” by Mary Keeley is a practical and understanding article about dealing with real-life issues while trying to maintain a writing schedule. Good tips!

“3 Tips for Beating Discouragement in Your Writing Career” by Jessie Gunderson. She’s a fairly new writer with some wisdom I can second!

There! That will keep you busy and motivated until next week! (And P.S. Several of you have written lately and asked why you weren’t getting the daily writing tips/articles/posts on Facebook. Several months ago I added a fan page, and unless you also “liked” the page, you wouldn’t get the writing posts. You just need to click this “like” button, and that should do it.)

April 25, 2012

Have you collected quotes and free ebooks and downloads from the Internet? Do you remember to document the source of your information (the URL)? I nearly always forget. Copying and pasting the information and a long URL was a headache.

Until now.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

First, the Quote

Below is a quote that I wanted to use for today’s blog, but I wanted to also give credit where it was due. I copied it onto my computer screen some months ago, but I can’t remember the source. (If any of you know, tell me, and I’ll add the credit.)

I remembered the quote when I was looking over several boxes of manuscripts that I had never finished. I didn’t recall why. Then I remembered this quote, and it gave me a solution:

Canvas your half-done creations, whether they are chapters half-written, paintings half-painted, business ideas half-formulated, or programs half-coded. How many of them are stuck at roughly the same spot?

I’ll bet that spot is where you started thinking about how you were going to sell or share that creation.

I’m not saying you can’t sell it – I’m saying you have to create it first. And to create it, you have to create it for yourself. You have to be passionate about it. You have to be interested in it. You have to have your moment to cherish the newborn.

Go back and review those half-baked ideas. Put a sign, physical or otherwise, on them that says “Not For Sale” or “Just For Me.” Give yourself room to play. (Source Unknown) [P.S. LATER: Thanks to several people, I can now give proper credit. It's from an article called "Your Art is For You" by Charlie Gilkey.]

What to Do? Help is Here!

I decided to mark every abandoned manuscript as “not for submission” and give myself room to play and enjoy the writing. It’s made the writing fun again.

I wished I knew where I pulled the quote from because I’d like to go back to that website or ebook or blog and read the author’s other ideas.

I mentioned my aggravation to a friend, who told me (again) that she had solved that issue long ago by using Evernote for online research of all kinds. Using the program’s F*R*E*E version, you can capture whole web pages, movies, audio files, you name it. You then tag your material and file it in a folder you create.

You can download the free version of Evernote to all your computers, phones, and mobile devices so they can synchronize. I downloaded the free version and started using it immediately. (The simple guide to using Evernote takes just a few minutes to read.) There are also Evernote Tutorial videos and an Evernote blog–chockful of great tips!

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, usually some research is necessary. The Evernote system is a much more organized place for it than your Favorites, and you can actually store the information itself (URL and all). I love being able to collect it, then get off-line to read it at any time.

 

April 18, 2012

The last couple of weeks we’ve discussed the difference between commitment and motivation.

A true commitment is a heart-felt promise to yourself, from which you will NOT back down, no matter what the circumstances. Hopefully, you have re-committed to your writing in a signifant way!

When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results. But then what?

The Slippery Slope of Compromise

Unfortunately, what often follows (sometimes after a very short period of time) is a compromise. Little ones at first, but they grow quickly into big ones.

Writers have good intentions and dreams, but only a few are willing to commit to what is necessary to achieve them. Zig Ziglar said,

“It was character that got us out of bed,

commitment that moved us into action,

and discipline that enabled us to follow through.”

So then…what keeps us from following through? Compromise. (I’m not talking about the good kind of compromise, where everyone “gives” a little so we all get our needs met, but the kind of compromise that keeps us from becoming writers of excellence.)

What Happens to the Commitment?

One definition of compromise is “a concession to something detrimental; to reduce the quality or value of something.” In our minds, often without conscious thought, we reduce the value of writing daily (or whatever we committed to.) It becomes less important over time as life’s other demands take precedence.

Unfortunately, compromise is more common than sticking to a commitment. As Bertrand Russell once said,

“Real life, to most men, is a long second-best,

a perpetual compromise

between the ideal and the possible.”

What is the ideal? Whatever goal we committed to. What is the possible? It’s the second-best choice–the compromise–we sigh and accept.

Accepting Second Best

How do committed writers compromise? Let me count the ways:

• I know I said I would write for an hour every day this week before going to work, but I’m too tired today, so I’ll read a writing blog today instead.
• I committed to writing twenty minutes before taking a break, and I mean to do that, but I just have to answering a ringing phone!
• I committed to writing one query every week, but since this week got away from me, I’ll start over next week.

What’s the answer? Pay attention to when you compromise. Is it when you’re overly tired? Then get to bed earlier. Is it after you’ve talked to your super successful friend who leaves you feeling depressed? Then write before you see this friend.

Search out the reasons you compromise and block them! Never under-estimate the power of commitment without compromise.

As Bill Cosby said,

“Anyone can dabble,

but once you’ve made that commitment,

your blood has that particular thing in it,

and it’s very hard for people to stop you.”

And the person who most often tries to stop you? Yourself. Recognize it. Be alert for the temptations to compromise. And just say “No, I’m committed to this.” And go back to writing.

 

April 11, 2012

Last week I talked about motivation and commitment, and we discussed the differences and definitions. [Read “Motivation or Commitment? Only ONE is Necessary” first.]

 

Motivation can be fleeting, but real commitment is here to stay.

The WHY Behind Committment

Commitments come in different sizes. I am committed to big things (my marriage, children, and grandchildren) and I’m committed to smaller things (paying the bills on time, and brushing my teeth.)

Other things I do when I’m “motivated” (like spruce up the guest room when company is coming, or buy new shoes for some social event). But I don’t like to decorate or shop, so unless I’m motivated by something outside myself, I don’t do those two things. But I pay bills and babysit grandkids, no matter what else is going on in my life.

Commitments occur when something is truly gut level important to us. Some things I’ve always been committed to (e.g. my family and paying my bills). I would hate to be a bad mother or a deadbeat. Other things started off as “sometimes activities,” based on whether or not I felt motivated (e.g. cutting out junk food and eating vegetables); they only moved to the “committed” category when I encountered various health issues that demanded a change. It was amazing to me how my waffling attitude became committed overnight.

Reasons to Commit

What about our writing? As an ICL student and early writer, I was motivated! I loved the writing, being published, being paid, seeing bylines, you name it. I was excited by it all. During the single parenting years, the writing became a commitment. (Meeting deadlines was non-negotiable; it meant having food on the table.)

But the kids are all adults now, and my writing income isn’t required to keep a roof over our heads. I wonder if that’s why, in recent years, the writing commitment has slipped back into the “I need to feel motivated to write” category. Whatever the reason, I do NOT like it. I am determined to move my writing back to the committed side.

Some commitments come naturally to me (like with God, my family, and my country). Some commitments I make when I really want something (like giving up sugar and caffeine because I wanted my health back). I know that commitment is a choice. Is it just a matter of choosing to be committed? Is it the old Nike slogan, “Just do it!” [I sure hope not. I am sick of that route.]

Check Out the Obstacles

I think part of my problem is the shifting publishing scene. I love some of the new options, but some of it I really don’t. My old writing life, the one I was committed to for years, no longer exists. Publishing has changed that much, especially with all the marketing that has shifted to the writer’s shoulders, even if you’re published by a traditional publisher.

I think part of the problem has been re-defining what writing now means to me—and describing a writing life that I could truly commit to. What would it have to look like? What would the writing experience need to include (and exclude) for me to re-make a whole-hearted commitment to it? Each of us needs to answer that question for ourselves, and it will be different for each writer.

I DO know that I’m tired of the almost constant need to re-motivate myself. It takes a lot of time and writing energy. When I’m finally motivated to write some days, I’ve had a lot of fun. But I’ve used up my writing time. I’ve journaled (or done writing prompts and exercises) so long that there is little time left.

Of course, one sure-fire way of making yourself committed is to take on so many writing projects that the deadlines force you to write. Been there, done that—and I’m tired of writing with a gun to my head. There must be another way.

Steps to Committing

After doing a lot of reading and talking to some very committed writers, I discovered that they had at least four common traits. None of them required constant motivation to write. They were simply committed to it.

So…here are some steps that appear to be requirements if you want to make a commitment to your writing:

1. You must see your writing commitment as important. For some reason, we often find it easier to commit to things for other people. I think that’s why my middle years of writing were easier commitment-wise. I wasn’t just selfishly doing something I wanted to do. I was doing it to feed and clothe the kids. It moved the writing into a category of “things you do, whether you feel like it or not.” The same goes for health changes made in recent years. For some reason, I couldn’t see that taking personal time to get healthy (exercise, sleep enough, eat right) was that important—until I couldn’t keep up with my grandbabies. We’re so good at making commitments to others. It’s time to set necessary boundaries and make a commitment to yourself. You must see your writing as important, whether or not it directly benefits others at this time.

2. You must be careful about what you commit to. You will shoot yourself in the foot if you commit to the wrong things (or too much of the right things). I used to cringe when I received a new student whose goal was publishing his/her first novel with a traditional publisher within months. Equally difficult goals include output goals like writing 4,000 words every day. Few writers can keep that up day after day. You will find it easier to commit to goals like “I will write every day for a minimum of one hour” or “I will query five editors/agents each week until I get a request for my manuscript.” These goals are both more realistic and things under your own control. (And if you manage to do even more on any given day, you feel super successful!) You must choose your commitments carefully.

3. Committed people learn about what they want to do. They don’t just set goals or have wishes, then hope for the best. They take steps to learn all they can, and they apply that knowledge. They learn what they need to do to maximize their chances for success. Athletes learn how to build muscle and endurance, and what foods make the best fuel. Moms continually learn about child development, what makes a healthy diet for kids, and how to educate them. And committed writers are always learning about their craft and their markets, through books, classes, workshops and critique groups. You must outline your own personal learning program.

4. Committed people plan for success. “They plan to work, and they work the plan,” as the saying goes. Success doesn’t just happen, and committed people know this. They are very intentional about what they do. Athletes lay out work clothes the night before and plan nutritious menus. Moms continually incorporate learning activities into daily routines, always looking for those “teachable moments.” And (among other things) committed writers organize their desks and writing materials the night before, get off-line, and then get a decent night’s sleep so they can be alert in the morning. Another old saying is, “A fail to plan is planning to fail.” It’s that important. You must think ahead and design rituals that set you up for writing success.

In summary, committed writers who don’t rely on constant motivational “recharging” appear to follow these “rules”:

• You must see your writing as important, whether or not it directly benefits others at this time.
• You must choose your commitments carefully.
• You must outline your own personal learning program.
• You must think ahead and design rituals that set you up for writing success.

And then, after all this, committed writers “just do it!”

 

April 4, 2012

I’ve been thinking a lot about motivation lately, mostly because mine seems to be fizzling.

Motivation simply doesn’t last forever. Sometimes it is gone before the morning is out. We writers try hard to stay motivated so we can meet our writing goals.

However, when motivation starts to fizzle out, you need rock solid commitment to keep you moving ahead on your writing goals.

Same or Different?

Sometimes we use the words “motivated” and “committed” interchangeably. We say “I’m motivated to write today” and “I’m committed to write today.” Even so, the words aren’t the same. Being motivated to write today can help you meet your daily quota of words or pages. Being committed to your writing will get the book finished.

Motivation involves getting yourself to do things because you feel like it. Commitment will cause you to do things even when you don’t feel like it. Getting that novel written—developing your writing career—will only happen if you have commitment that keeps you moving through the motivational lapses.

Motivation is Big Business

Motivation happens at writing conferences, writing workshops, and when we start new classes. That’s why we read blogs and writing books about the emotional life of writers. There are motivational websites, and you can hire a motivational writing coach. Don’t get me wrong. All of these can be wonderful. If only the motivation lasted!

Commitment, on the other hand, is about doing what is needed no matter what. (Picture being up with the teething baby in the middle of the night. You don’t feel eagerly motivated to get out of your warm bed, but you’re committed to that little darling.) You need to develop that kind of commitment for your writing. (“But how?” you’re asking. We’ll get to that in a bit.)

Fluctuating Motivation is Normal

Undeniably, a shot of motivation makes the commitment to your writing easier. It’s great to write down dreams and goals. But unless you commit to those goals, your chances aren’t very good that you’ll reach them. You’ll only write when you feel motivated or inspired.

Remember: motivation is always temporary. It will fluctuate, ebb and flow, come and go. Do NOT be alarmed by this. It happens to all writers throughout their writing careers. And there are just too many things that can poke holes in your motivation. Physical aches and pains, emotional upheaval in an important relationship, or mental worries can puncture your motivation like a popped balloon.

Instead, focus on strengthening your commitment, whether you are motivated on any particular day or not.

Defining Our Terms

If we want to have a writing career, if we want to finish a book, we need to find ways to move our writing life from the “motivated to write” side of the ledger to the “committed to write” side. So…how do we do that?

Maybe the answer—or part of it—lies in the definitions. Motivate means to “stimulate toward action or give incentive to.” Things that might stimulate you to write would include having lunch with another writer or reading a published novel that inspires you to do likewise.

Commitment, according to the dictionary, means several things: a pledge, an obligation, a promise; something that restricts one’s freedom of action, and official consignment of a person to a mental hospital. (That last definition is reserved for the worst writing days.) It says that a commitment implies responsibility (something that takes up time or energy), loyalty (devotion or dedication to a cause or relationship), and is a previously planned engagement (a planned arrangement or activity that cannot be avoided.)

I think this definition is a good measuring stick. Using this definition, here are some possible signs of a committed writer:

• Have you made a promise to yourself to write as close to daily as possible?

• Have you placed non-negotiable restrictions on your freedom in order to write? (e.g. less TV, no Internet in the mornings)

• Have you given up time and energy to write? (Do you have a weekly pages or hours quota?)

• Do you make definite writing plans that cannot be changed? (Do you write at your scheduled time despite phone calls, invitations to lunch, or the continual call of the refrigerator?)

A committed writer writes most every day in some form, whether she feels well or feels like writing. A motivated writer writes when she feels excited and inspired. Maybe that’s why contract deadlines work so well for most people. Whether you “feel” like writing or not (motivation), you get the work done (commitment to fulfilling the contract).

The Olden Days

While motivational seminars and books aren’t new, they have become big business in our day. Previous generations seemed to rely more on commitment. My grandparents on both sides were farmers. I can’t imagine any of them hiring a motivational coach for doing their jobs, taking care of their families, or sticking with their spouses. They had hard lives too. Commitment was more of a given in previous generations. I believe we can develop that mind-set for our writing.

 

The Bible describes three different pictures of commitment:

• A soldier who fights every battle until he has won the war

• An athlete who keeps running till he crosses the finish line and wins the prize

• A farmer who continues to weed, cultivate and water until a crop is ready to harvest

In each case, the individual is rewarded by winning the “prize” or reaching the goal.

 

Conversely, motivated individuals might look like this:

• A soldier who fights when he feels brave, but not otherwise, and ends up losing

• An athlete who runs until tired, and then quits

• A farmer who stops work in the field, lets weeds take over, and harvests no crop

In each case, there is no real fruit for all the effort made.

[Next time I will finish this article. It was way too long for one blog post. Next time we’ll talk about how to go from being an occasionally motivated writer to a committed writer.]

March 28, 2012

This week, while working on a new novel plot, I felt about as creative as mud. Luckily I had the new edition, Writer’s Guide to 2012.

While I was encouraged by the positive news and lists of new publishers (more about that below), what saved my writing week were four articles at the end of the book in the section called IDEAS.

Getting Out of the Box

These are the articles that helped me maneuver out of my mental log jam.

“Loosening the Ligaments: A Writer’s Journal” by Judith Logan Lehne

“Self-Inspiration: Keep Yourself Writing Until Your Big Break” by Sue Bradford Edwards

“The Key to Writing a Book that Makes an Impact: Ideas & Theme” by Patricia Curtis Pfitsch

“Spin Zone: Remixing Headlines, Brainstorming Ideas” by Meredith DeSousa, who (I’m convinced after reading this article) must be the most creative “idea” person I know of!

In Addition…

Those great articles are just in the IDEAS section. There is a MARKETS section (ten articles), a STYLE section (eight articles), a BUSINESS section (seven articles), a RESEARCH section (four articles), the IDEAS section named above, and a CONTEST section. A detailed Index at the end helps you find what you need.

In these articles you’ll find everything from writing book proposals and early readers to structuring a novel and creating a website. There is just as much news on publishers: who they are, what they want, and how to sell to them.

What’s New and What Do They Want?

Do you know about book publisher and imprint start-ups like Electric Monkey, Scholastic Ruckus, Albert Whitman Teen, Jericho Books, Splinter, Downtown Books, Kensington Teen, Confluence Books, Signal, Fenn/McClelland & Stewart, and others?

They are all reviewed in Writer’s Guide to 2012.

As the Titanic Turns

After two years of demoralizing sales and profit declines, the American book industry has rebounded with two years of growth in both sales and profits. Overall industry sales were up by 5.6% in the latest year, unit sales by 4.1%.

Inside those numbers is the huge advance made by ebooks. E-reader use has doubled in a year. Amazon made huge news by having its first month ever when it sold more ebooks than traditional books, and that excluded free Kindle titles.

No Risk

If I haven’t convinced you to buy the book, that’s okay. This particular offer comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You have 30 days to decide whether Writer’s Guide to 2012 is a keeper. I’m betting that I know what you’ll decide!

March 21, 2012

How would you respond to this email?

“I know that publishing has changed drastically, but I don’t want to self-publish, and I don’t want my first book to be an e-book. I want to hold a published (by a traditional publisher) book in my hands. I’m willing to work hard—very hard—to improve my craft, and I’m willing to market, but I only have so much talent. Do I even have a chance of landing a traditional publisher?”

Songwriter Irving Berlin knew that while talent may first separate you from others, the advantage it gives doesn’t last long. “Talent is only a starting point,” Berlin said. “You’ve got to keep working that talent.”

Berlin sounds as if he’s saying that we all start with some talent–but there’s something we’re supposed to do with it. Your bit of writing talent is more than a given attribute, like your height or bone structure. It’s something to work with.

Okay, but do what with it?

John Maxwell, motivational speaker, often talks about finding your “strength zone,” or the areas you excel. He says the majority of people don’t do that. Instead, they waste time focusing on strengthening their weaknesses instead.

For example, I can write short nonfiction very quickly, and little rewriting is needed. On the other hand, I can’t write a poem to save my life. It would be silly for me to spend a large amount of time trying to write verse novels. Instead it makes more publishing sense to get even better at what I already do well.

Increase Our Talent? Really?

Most of us believe that we are born with a certain amount and type of creative talent that is fairly fixed. We know we can practice our writing skills and improve, but talent seems as constant as having blue eyes or big feet.

Is that true? Are you stuck with a certain amount of talent, and you just have to make do with it? Or are there ways to maximize whatever God-given talent you might happen to have? Maxwell (whom I follow on Twitter) says there are thirteen ways you can make the most of your talents. For writers–for anyone–that’s good news! Choose one of these ways today, and use it to help your talent grow.

1. Belief lifts your talent.
2. Passion energizes your talent.
3. Initiative activates your talent.
4. Focus directs your talent.
5. Preparation positions your talent.
6. Practice sharpens your talent.
7. Perseverance sustains your talent.
8. Courage tests your talent.
9. Teachability expands your talent.
10. Character protects your talent.
11. Relationships influence your talent.
12. Responsibility strengthens your talent.
13. Teamwork multiplies your talent.

Get Started Today!

Many writers compare themselves to others and feel as if they were on the short end of the stick when talent was distributed. Even so, there are things you can do to help it grow. In changing publishing times, this is good to know.

Which one of the ways above can you choose to implement today? And then another way tomorrow? I challenge you to take each attribute and focus on one per week–and watch your talent grow in the coming months.

March 14, 2012

Before reading a great article last week, I secretly feared I had lost my drive to write.

Not my “want to.” Just my drive.

For thirty years I’ve set goals, worked hard toward meeting them (some called me ”driven”), achieved most of them, then set more.

I happily set one-year goals, five-year goals, and ten-year goals.

Goals that Once Spelled Success

• Graduate from the Institute’s course. Check.
• Sell first article. Check.
• Sell first short stories. Check.
• Repeat many times. Check.
• Sell first novel. Check.
• Sell more novels. Check.
• Get agent. Check. Fire agent. Check.
• Sell first series. Check.
• Sell many series. Check.

They were busy whirlwind years, with writing, raising children, and teaching. But somewhere around Book #35 or so, I found myself losing the drive. Or so I thought.

I still loved writing and didn’t want to quit. But enjoying the writing and having a balanced life (e.g. more time to sleep and be with grandkids) meant more to me than the next contract, the next conference, or jumping on the next social networking band wagon.

Changing Times, Changing Goals

But last week, in a romance writers magazine that was given to me, I read an article by Barbara Wallace called “Defining Success.”  Many definitions were as expected: get published, be represented by an agent, win an award, get fan letters. I almost stopped reading, thinking, “Same old, same old.” But then!

I read some definitions of success written by women who had been writing quite a while, most of them published many times. Here’s what their current “definitions of success” were:

• Jackie Braun: Now, more than 25 books later, my definition has changed again. I see success as achieving and maintaining a happy balance between writing books and spending time with my family.
• Judith Arnold: Today, with my mortgage paid off and no more college tuitions to cover, I define success as writing the books of my heart. I define it as ignoring the commercial pressures and focusing on the stories I feel compelled to share.
• Donna Alward: If I never wrote again, I’d  survive and I’d do something else. But if something happened to my family, I’d be destroyed. Figuring that out was really liberating and helped me rediscover the joy of writing.
• Pam Nowak: I feel good about what I have done. If I never sell again, I’ll know what I achieved, and I’ll feel good about having done so.

It helped me to see how their goals had also changed over the years. I could really identify.

Coming Full Circle

Actually my goals now aren’t so very different than when I started writing when my kids were babies. Back then, I worried about how to write without neglecting anyone. In my first interview, the reporter came to my farmhouse to photograph me with the four kids piled on my lap. I still recall her last question: “How do you choose between your children and your writing?”

It was a great question, and it solidified my priorities for the next thirty years. I told the writer, “I don’t choose. The kids come first. The writing comes after them. If I can’t do a good job at both, I’ll quit writing.”

Some Things Don’t Change

I feel the same way today, although it’s about grandchildren now instead of children. They also grow up very fast! And they won’t always love coming to Nana’s house more than anything else they do.

Does that change my goals? Without a doubt. Will it mean less money? Probably. But like the other ladies in that article, success today (for me) means having a happy balance between writing and family–and writing the stories closest to my heart, despite the current market trends.

What About You?

How do you measure writing success? Depending on where you are in the process, your answers will differ. There is no “right” answer either, so don’t let anyone else define success for you.

Do spend some time thinking about this. Your answer today may well change in a few years, and that’s to be expected. But you’ll be a happier writer once you figure out what success means to YOU.

March 7, 2012

I’ve been re-reading The Art of War for Writers by James Scott Bell.

The following statement got my attention:

“There is one discipline that stands above all else in the quest for writing success… It is the single biggest reason I was published in the first place, and have produced the books I have. It is, simply, this:

 

WRITE A QUOTA OF WORDS EVERY WEEK

 

The daily recording of the number of words you write is an invaluable incentive to get your work done. But set your goals on a weekly basis…If something comes up on one day that prevents you from writing your quota, you just make it up later in the week.”

Quota of Words Written or Hours Written?

I love the idea of setting a quota. However, the quota of “words written” only works for me for rough drafts, when you’re pulling words out of thin air and creating new pages of your novel. So little time, though, is spent writing that first draft.

Before that come hours of planning and writing character sketches and researching settings. After the rough draft stage, there are months of revision. Some days you might proofread five whole chapters. Other days, your entire writing day might be spent figuring out what’s wrong with your first chapter. Several more days might be needed to fix it. How many words would that be?

For those reasons, I like a quota of hours spent writing (instead of words written). My only restriction is that the time must be spent on my current work-in-progress. Not blogging, or reading writer websites, or Twittering, or being on Facebook, or answering email, or anything except working directing on the new book.

Nuts and Bolts of Setting Quotas

If you try setting a quota, keep track of time using a timer. I use a kitchen timer, but you can use one on your computer. When I am ready to actually start work, I hit the “start” button. I turn off the timer if I get up for a drink of water or to answer the phone. I only log in the minutes actually spent working. Each time I write sixty minutes, I log in another hour in my little notebook.

My quota right now is to average four hours per day, five days per week. That’s a quota of twenty hours per week. If I don’t get it done M-F, I make up for it on the weekend. (Last weekend we had a packed schedule that included much driving, so I finished my quota for the week in the car. The day I watch my baby granddaughter, I write before she gets up, when she plays, while she naps, and later that night.)

Success Rate

Do I always make the twenty hours quota? No, but I get close, and sometimes I go over. But the increase in writing hours is what amazes me. Before I decided to do a quota system, I was writing as much as I could (I thought). I worked around interruptions and marketing and babysitting and volunteer work, always believing that the writing was the most important thing.

But how much writing was I actually getting done? Maybe four or five hours per week. That’s right–per week. No wonder I was so frustrated!

Prioritizing Made Easier

With the quota system, knowing that it’s Thursday and you still have a lot of hours to work before you make your weekly quota helps you say “no” to a lot of other things that tempt you. It helps you get started earlier. It’s fun to mark off the hours and add them up in your notebook. It helps me not get behind earlier in the week too, as I don’t like working through the weekend.

But mostly, at the end of the week now, I love seeing how much progress I’ve made on a novel. I like how the book lives on in my mind after I finish for the day. Because I am finally spending enough actual time writing again, ideas and solutions routinely come to mind when away from my desk.

Set a Reasonable Quota

If you have a day job and/or have small children around every day, don’t copy my quota numbers. Be realistic about how much time you can set as a weekly quota. Don’t set yourself up for failure.

On the other hand, don’t aim too low either. You can write before kids get up, during naps, after they go to bed, while cooking supper, on lunch hours at the office, sitting in a car in the parking lot, in doctors’ waiting rooms, in bleachers…wherever and whenever. I know because I’ve done it. Push yourself to claim time for writing that maybe now you are wasting.

Your quota is personal to you, based on your unique circumstances. Don’t compare your quota to anyone else’s.

Commit to It

Your quota won’t help unless you make a commitment to doing it. If you need someone to hold you accountable for your weekly quota, find someone.

Reward yourself for the weeks you make your quota–which will be more often than not. Reward yourself on any given day that you meet your daily quota as well.

The more I read about successful writers with busy lives, the more I run into this idea of the weekly quota. It’s a tried-and-true strategy. It’s worth trying!

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