Tag Archives: writing full time

How to Write Full Time & Stay Sane: Trick Yourself into Productivity

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I’m posting some oldie-but-goodie posts, folks newer to the blog may have missed.  Enjoy!

How to Write Full Time and Stay Sane is a series that offers advice to full-time writers about how to stay productive and in good spirits.

frazzled_girl

Since I tossed in the teaching towel in lieu of a full-time writing career, folks have asked me, “How do you not stay in your pajamas all day?”  Well, sometimes I do, but that doesn’t help me get my work done.

Working from home isn’t easy, but here are some things I’ve learned that help me be both productive and stay sane(ish).

Shower/Dress.

You must have self-discipline in order to work from home.  Just because you don’t have a dress code in your apartment doesn’t give you an excuse to look like a bum.  What you’re doing is still a job–still building a career–so dress the part, even if your beagle is your only “coworker.”  When all you want to do is crawl back under the marshmallowy goodness of your down comforter, a shower will wake you up.

Wash off the stink of a bad writing session.  Scrub away the grime of writer’s block—of a bad review or a rejection letter.  Lather up that loofah, and start anew.  You will be cleansed, feel refreshed, and be ready to go about your day.

As far as getting dressed, I’m not saying you should wear a suit in your house, but at least change out of your pjs.  While it might feel good once in a while, if you fall prey to that bad habit, you will begin to wallow in self-pity.  “Why am I so laaaazy?  Why can’t I get anything done?”  Because you’re in your frickin’ pajamas all day.

Wearing actual clothes will put you in the mood to be productive.  You’ve already made the effort to clean up and get dressed; now, what? The more you act like you are going off to work, the more ready you will feel to actually do work.  You will be less comfortable (translation: sleepy) in regular clothes than in flannel pants and an oversized tee-shirt.  I promise.

Molly judges you if you stay in your jammies all day.

Structure your time.

This tip sort of depends on how nuts you are; and as you will learn, I happen to be very nuts.

It’s probably better if you’re a bit anal retentive here, because you will better be able to structure your time and stick a schedule if you are.  For my ADD peeps out there, you’ll have to work doubly hard to discipline yourselves in this way, but if you can develop at least some Type-A personality traits, you’ll be good to go.

When I make a schedule, I not only like to write out bulleted lists of things I need to do, but I also specify times to accomplish these things.  The more items on your to-do list, even if they seem arbitrary, the busier you will feel.  You can cross things off your list like mad, and that will help foster a feeling of productiveness.

For example (yes, I am really this OCD when it comes to scheduling):

8:00-8:15—Awaken/Take out Molly/Feed Molly

8:15-8:30—Start coffee/Make Kyle’s lunch/Eat breakfast

8:30-8:45–Shower

8:45-9:30–Dress

9:30-11:00—Agent interview stuff

11:00-11:30—Break/Take out Molly/Call Mom/E-mail/FB/Eat

12:00-3:00—Edit manuscript

3:00-3:15—Break (if needed)/Walk Molly to mailbox

3:15-5:00—Edit manuscript or read/research for article

Geez, Ricki, it sounds like all you’re doing is fooling yourself into believing you’re getting things done.

True.  Sort of.  But bear with me.

If a little BS trickery puts you in a good mood and makes you feel productive, you’re going to be more apt to get into “the zone” when it’s time for the more substantial work on your to-do list.

Though it might seem a little crazy to designate specific times to catch up on e-mails or to check Facebook, if you can stick to the schedule, it will actually cut down on your distractions.  Also, keep in mind that, if you are fairly accurate when allotting time to do things and if you only round to quarters of hours, you will most likely have some time in between tasks when you can do quick e-mail checks here and there . . .

. . . and when that happens, it will make you feel more productive as well.  “Gee, I sent off the agent interview ahead of schedule.  Now, I have ten minutes to do X, Y, or Z.  I’m so productive.” *Pat on the back*

It’s all a mind game—yes, a mind game with yourself—but if you play it, you will stay positive and stay active.

Setting time limits for your tasks will help keep you focused as well.

Knowing Your Process is Half the Battle

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I’ve been answering some neglected e-mails today, and in one, I described my current mood by using the following video.  It’s from Forgetting Sarah Marshall; YES, I used it in my last 15 Beats post; and, YES, he swears twice (get over it):

But I think we all feel like this at one point or another—especially writers (<— probably more often than normal people)—where everything you’re doing feels like it’s pointless or for naught or just plain horrible and what were you thinking,  subjecting yourself to this??

So, what do you do when you’re feeling like that?  How do you get out of it?

Part of what helps me is that I’ve come to a point where I know it’s part of my process. And I know it’s something everyone feels at one time or another.

Maybe you’re going, “I never feel that way.  I always know I’m awesome.”  (If you are saying that, I have two words for you—and I’m not going to post them here.)

True, knowing there are going to be hours/days/weeks I’m going to feel like a hack doesn’t make me feel better instantly when I’m in that state, but I think it’s important to get to the point where you can acknowledge that it’s just a phase.  Then, you can being to look yourself objectively and get over it faster.

For instance, I notice I tend to feel this way when I’m close to something: an epiphany—a creative burst—a panic attack?  (<—Naw, I’ve only had one of those.)

My point?  I dunno—go back to the aforementioned video!

But I’d be willing to bet this happens to others when they at the precipice of awesomeness (<—hopefully) as well.  The late, great Blake Snyder might call this the “Dark Night of the Soul” beat, were your writing life a screenplay.

The question is, what makes you “Break into Three”(Act III)?

—

Since the rest of this post was probably very rambling and depressing, I’ll leave you with a ray of sucky sunshine from YA author Maureen Johnson:

How to Write Full Time & Stay Sane: Mac Freedom

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How to Write Full Time and Stay Sane is a series that offers advice to full-time writers about how to stay productive and in good spirits.

Understatement: Staying on task when writing is difficult.

Without a boss cracking the whip, it’s easy to get distracted by the gazillions of things the Internet offers.  I tell myself I’m only going to do a quick Internet sweep (which, for me, includes checking my e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, my blog, my writing social network on Ning, and occasionally MySpace), but then I look at the clock, and an hour has passed.  Yikes!

Since embarking on this full-time-writing journey, I discovered Mac Freedom, a program that allows you to block yourself from the Internet for as long as you want—up to eight hours at a time.

I first heard about this free program, able to be downloaded right from the Internet, when I interviewed the über talented middle-grade and young adult author Lauren Myracle back in October.  I had asked her how she stays so productive (she’s written 15 books in about six years, and—just today—she announced that she turned in the first draft of a Luy Ya Bunches sequel; the woman’s a machine!), and she gave me the scoop on one of her little secrets.

Although it’s free, the creator asks if you’ll donate $10 to keep it going—but the donation is not required.  However, I dare you to try the program and not feel compelled to cough up the cash.

It’s been an extremely useful tool for me, and I recommend it to anyone who is prone to Internet procrastination—and has a Mac (and no one’s paying me to say that).

I still need to be able to check my e-mail throughout the day, so I generally set it for an hour or two at a time, but it really helps me block out the rest of the world and just write—which is, after all, the most important thing one needs to do when writing full time!

Here's the picture Myracle & I took together after the interview. Such an exciting day for me! I learned so much!

Writing Tips: How to Write Full Time & Stay Sane–Installment III

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How to Write Full Time and Stay Sane is a series that offers advice to full-time writers about how to stay productive and in good spirits.

Much later than promised, here is the third installment of this series.  In writing it, however, I have decided that, instead of this being just a three-part series (as originally planned), it will be an ongoing series.  As I learn to write full time and stay sane (or attempt to do so, anyway), I so shall share my tricks with you.

Corner of the Sky

First of all, I’m using the title of a Pippin song that’s now stuck in my head (here’s a rendition of it as performed by the Jackson 5 = awesome!) to say: you need to set aside a place where you can work.

Little brat that I am, I recently got a brand new office in my new house 😛 , but if you’re not as spoiled as I, your “corner of the sky” could be a favorite chair, a side of the bed, or place at the kitchen table.  (Although, I recommend an upright seated position; otherwise, you’ve got procrastination written all over you.)

True, that was one of the tips we gave to fifth and sixth graders needing help with study skills the year I taught middle school, but it applies.  I’m much less productive if I’m all over my house or lounging on the couch with my laptop than if I’m at my desk.

Find your own place—one safe from your parents/spouse/kids/pets—and you’ll be much more apt to focus.

**Ooh!  I just got another great song in my head with lyrics that apply to this section—The Secret Garden’s “The Girl I Mean to Be.” (Musical theatre references?  No?  Okay…moving on…)

Don’t Let It Get Stale


At the 2008 Southeastern Writers Association conference, one of my favorite presenters, Bobbie Christmas, taught (I believe) a three-day workshop.  Each class, she made us sit in a different seat, on a different side of the room, next to different people.

The method behind her madness, she said, was that breaking out of your comfort zone gives you a different perspective, and our writing needs new perspectives in order to stay fresh.

The Type-A in me tends to cringe at breaking out of a routine when we’ve worked so hard to establish one, but Christmas had a point.  Although it’s important to establish a place of work so that you can get into “work mode,” writing is a creative process, and sometimes you need to modify your regimen in order to get the creativity flowing.

So, in all your planning, schedule an “off campus” writing day at least once a week.  Go to Starbucks—Barnes & Noble—your local library.  Indulge in a latte and let your fresh surroundings inspire you.  Even if 99% of what you write that day is drivel, 1% of it might be the kernel you were looking for to start a new manuscript or spin your existing one on its end.

As well, getting out of the house does wonders for your psyche.  Just when you forgot other living, breathing humans exist, there they are, interrupting your writing by yelling at the barista, hitting on the college girls next to you, talking about cheating on the SATs…giving you all kinds of material.

Speaking of Other Humans…

Pierce and Dean Pelton of Greendale Community College with GCC mascot "The Human Being."

Talk to other people—preferably those who understand you and your field.  As writers, we need to share our experiences with others who can best understand them—so we know we’re not nuts.  (Or, if we are, at least we can find solace in the fact that others are nuts, too.)

This is the aspect I have felt to be lacking most since I started writing full time because, without coworkers, writing can be a lonely existence.  I need to be able to bitch to someone who understands, to bounce ideas off a buddy, to ask questions about the industry, etc.

There are a whole host of things you can do to remedy this:

  • Writing groups. I’ve been pushing this a lot lately.  People serious enough to commit to a writing group certainly understand you.  There is a level of professionalism there—camaraderie.  They want feedback, you want feedback.  They have the same fears/grievances/joys as you.  Embrace that.

If there aren’t any writing groups in your area and you’re too lazy busy to start one of your own, the Internet has some great options:

  • E-mail. If you’ve met people at a writing conference and exchanged cards or e-mails—doink!—chat them up!  This isn’t rocket science.  Writers are some of the nicest, most approachable, most willing-to-talk-to-you (no matter what your stage of writing) people I’ve ever met.

If you’ve made a connection, follow through with it.  Don’t be afraid.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve met someone at such a venue, followed up with an e-mail, and the person responds: “I’m so glad you decided to write!”

I’m not trying to sound corny here (it’s just happening!), but why are we surprised when people follow through?  In the words of Andy Samburg’s character in I Love You, Man, “He gave you his card.  It’s an open invitation.”  We have to stop being so afraid to take chances and just make stuff happen.  Nine times out of ten when I’ve done that, it’s worked out more positively than I could have imagined.

  • Blog comments. If you find yourself without business cards from writers, check around the blogosphere.  Comment on blog posts you find interesting.  The more you put your name out there—particularly if you have something worthwhile to say—the more Web friends you will develop.  (I’m always thrilled when I get comments on my posts or e-mails as a result of reading my blog or Web site.  Others are as well!)
  • Facebook. Plenty of writing groups/authors’ fan pages are just a search away on FB.  These are breeding grounds for other write-minded folks.
  • Twitter. This one is, perhaps, the most valuable of all.  I was previously a “skeptwic,” (is that a thing?) but I have been converted in the last month.

TONS of writers, literary agents, editors, and other publishing industry peeps hang out on Twitter—day and night.  Not only do they have hilarious things to say on a regular basis, they also offer free writing tips, answer questions, and more.

Whether or not you want to jump on the Twitter train, it’s a great way to stay on top of the writing world as well as network with professionals.

For example, one of my favorite things right now is #YALITCHAT, a weekly writing discussion hosted by YA author Georgia McBride.  This, along with other “Twitter parties” similar to it, happens weekly, and in it, several of the industry’s top agents and authors answer as many questions as they can, within usually an hour.

Here’s a link showing more of these hashtag parties for writers.

  • Online writing groups or forums. I currently belong to two such groups on Yahoo! (TeenLitAuthors and YARWA), one stemming from #YALITCHAT on Twitter, and I’ve started my own (which is associated with my writing group here in Harrisonburg, Shenandoah Writers).

These are great places to get advice, vent, network, and most are password-encrypted as well as membership-required, so you know it’s a secure forum and you’re not just posting everything out there in cyberspace.  (I will be posting more info about Shenandoah Writers Online soon, so stay tuned—and I hope you’ll consider joining!)

Lastly, Talk to Humans Who Love You

And if your family can't help you, maybe they can strangle you. (Pic courtesy of http://www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com)

As I said, writing can be a lonely business.  Even if you make a ton of cyber friends, you “meet” with writers on iChat or Skype, and you have 500 followers on Twitter, that can’t always replace people IRL, so don’t forget to hit up your family and friends.

Although these people might not know what you’re talking about when you discuss “platform” or “urban fantasy,” they still love you and most will still listen to you vent about things when the need arises.  As well, they will support your decisions, whether they fully understand them or not.

Even if you’re writing schedule has you keeping vampire hours, take some time out of your week to tell Mom and Dad what you’re up to.  In most cases, it will make you feel better just to hear their voices, and when they catch you up on what’s been happening in their lives, it might be just the downtime your brain needs to stay on top of your writing game.