Having now completed my second novel (both of which have been picked up by Simon and Schuster) I thought it might be a good time to reflect on the ten most important things that kept me going through this long and solitary process.
Over the next several blog posts, I'm going to list my top ten strategies for sticking to the task of writing a novel.
In this post, I'll focus on the bigger picture.
1) DE-STRESS YOUR LIFE
Okay! I hear you laughing. I admit this might be downright unrealistic, but hear me out.
I'll be upfront with you. For me, the years of raising three children while commuting two hours/day to and from my full time job put a damper on my ability to give any serious attention to writing, or any other creative pursuit for that matter. I know there are people out there who can do it all, but I was not one of them. By the end of the day I was exhausted and didn't have two functioning brain cells to rub together.
I had to wait until my children were launched, before I had the requisite time and emotional space to consider writing in a serious way.
Even then, I had to make the choice. I could have continued to work full time, but with my long commute I would still be exhausted. And, what for? We go the extra mile so that we can have all the fun extras we are conditioned to believe we need - backyard swimming pools, the latest gadget from Apple, a granite counter top. I had to decide whether I was willing to give up the security of full time employment and all the goodies it would bring in order to devote myself to writing.
There is no doubt that the reduction of income was a sacrifice, but by jumping off the rat wheel, not only did I get to pursue my dream of writing, but somehow, magically, the stress in my life began to fall away. I may not have as much stuff, but I have a much greater quality of life. I'm happy with that.
You might want to examine your priorities, and if there is something in your life that is causing you unnecessary stress, and, IF you have the ability to get rid of it, why not give it a go?
2) FIND A COMFORTABLE WRITING SPACE
Stephen King may have been able to write in the closet at the end of the hall, while the kids were shrieking and the washing machine was thumping right beside his tiny card table desk - but not me.I need a special kind of space in order to unleash my imagination and allow the words to flow.
Fulfilling a life-long dream, we found a perfect little cabin in the woods. Less than 900 square feet, it requires little maintenance, so I don't waste a lot of my day cleaning. Most importantly, there are plenty of sunny spots to sit and write. Whether I am hanging out on my comfy couch, or sitting on the porch gazing up at the cloudless sky, our little slice of heaven is my perfect space.
Everyone is different. You might work best sipping espresso at a crowded cafe, in an out of the way carrel at the library, or locked away in a windowless room. Wherever your creative juices flow, find that space and make it your own.
3) MAINTAIN A DAILY ROUTINE
Check out how successful authors work. You'll find that many of them treat their writing like a job. Just as the stock broker gets on the train every morning at 7am, or the nurse heads off to her shift at the hospital, the writer must go to work every day.
But, working from home presents many unique problems. You don't have a bus to catch, a clock to punch, or a boss breathing down your neck. Writers are accountable only to themselves.
And, we all know that the tiny devil sitting on your left shoulder can get really noisy when there's something better to do - which feels like almost all of the time. Sunny day, great show on TV, a new recipe to try, a book you're dying to read...well, you get it. The list of distractions can be endless.
The first, and best way to fight those temptations is to set yourself a daily schedule. I start writing as soon as I've walked the dog and eaten breakfast, and I don't quit until I've reached a natural ending - usually sometime late in the afternoon. I try to write five pages per day - sometimes, I do less, sometimes, more - but I always try to keep moving forward no matter how much I'd rather be doing something else.
It is as simple as that. Set a daily schedule and stick to it, no matter what.
Next time, I'll dig a little deeper and explore some of the more specific strategies I used to get my novel finished.
