Showing posts with label Inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inspiration. Show all posts

Wednesday 18 January 2023

What I Do to Write Fiction When I Have No Ideas

My desk buddy, Marvin The Martian
Last year I told you that I'd downloaded a copy of the eBook, Writing into the Dark: How to Write a Novel without an Outline, by Dean Wesley Smith.

It's an absolutely fascinating book about how to start writing a story with nothing but a character and a situation/setting. So for instance, a female ballet dancer at a truck stop, or a recovering alcoholic standing outside a bar wondering whether or not to go in.

And when you've got your character and setting, you just start writing without any idea where the story is going.

I had to read the book twice before I gave it a try because it seemed insane, but I figured if such a prolific writer as Dean Wesley Smith could do it thousands of times AND earn a lot of money from it, why not give it a go.

But it wasn't easy because I'm an avid outliner when it comes to writing. I can easily spend a couple of days writing nothing but my outline before I even begin writing a book.

So I decided to start small with a short story.

And it worked.

I tried it again only this time I went online to a random word generator page, got my 3 words, and started writing.

And I have to admit it was quite a blast. I was writing with no idea where I was going, but I did have to pause once or twice to try and think.

Since then I've done it several times and each time it gets easier, probably because it doesn't feel as scary the second, third, or fourth time.

I'm also quite surprised at how creative I am and how quickly ideas can actually come to me.

And funnily enough, all this writing short fiction into the dark, is what I do in the evening. For some reason, even though I'd swear I'm a morning person and it's when I do most of my writing, the evenings seem to be for fiction writing, which is another thing that surprised me.

I still don't think I could write a whole novel this way because my short stories have to be done in just one or two sittings. After that, my ideas start to fade.

It's probably why I prefer writing outlines for my books because once all my ideas are captured in my extensive outline, I can relax and write, knowing that nothing will be left out, and even as I write, more ideas keep coming to me.

If you haven't tried writing short stories "into the dark" give it a try.

You don't have to show your work to anyone else. It's just some fun writing for you to do.

I find it's a great way to start writing even if I don't have anything to write. I just get my 3 words and start writing. It means that I can write anywhere, anytime. All I need is a notebook and pen/pencil (I prefer to write by hand, me and Stephen King both I discovered), 3 random words, and I can write for hours.

I bet next time I have to take a long train ride into the city (which usually takes over an hour) I can write a brilliant short story during the journey there and back, even if I don't have a clue what I'm going to write before I get on the train.

What I'm going to do with the stories I've written so far I have no idea. But if I find a freelance market looking for a story like one of mine, I'll submit it. I may also collate them into a book of short stories.

Who know?

For now though I'm going to keep on writing, because that's the most import part of being a writer.

And being able to write into the dark anytime I want to, is a game changer.


NOTE: The photo above is of my little desk buddy, Marvin the Martian, who I complain to when I'm struggling to write, or who I smile at when I'm inspired to write and getting loads done. :)


Friday 19 August 2022

Write From Inspiration Not Desperation

Image: woman at computer too tired to write
Photo by Josefa nDiaz on Unsplash

All writers are the same There are days when we can’t wait to sit down, get our creative head on, and start writing. Yet other days it seems like no matter how hard we try, the ideas just won’t come, but we keep on trying anyway because we need to earn money.

This is the difference between writing from inspiration and writing from desperation.

The answer is to have more days of inspiration when you sit down, start writing, the ideas flow, and you get lost for hours in the writing zone.

But how do you make that happen? How can you turn a day of desperation into a day of inspiration?

The solution is not to let it get you down. Stop looking at your project as one big project. Simplify it instead, using the following ideas.

  1. Break your project into smaller tasks. Write down the steps you need to take to get your writing done. Your list might include things like, research points to cover, find people to interview, write a brief outline, expand each point into 3 questions, find answers to the questions, write, edit, proof, submit. Whatever the steps are, write them down, arrange them in the right order, and being at number 1.
  2. Write a detailed outline. If you’re stuck and can’t get going, start with one sentence about what you’re going to write, expand it into one paragraph, then into one page, then each paragraph on that page gets expanded into a page… You get the idea.
  3. Use a timer. Before you start, set a timer for 33 minutes and don’t stop working no matter what. It doesn’t matter whether you’re listing tasks, expanding an outline, or actually writing. Set a timer first. This will help keep you focused and working. When the timer goes off, get up and go do something else for 5 minutes, something that doesn’t involve looking at a screen. Then sit down, set the timer, and start working again.

And that’s it. If you want to feel inspired to work, break your project down into tasks, create an outline, start your timer, and begin working.

Working this way means that when you sit down to write you know the first thing you need to do which makes it so much easier to sit down every day, because you’re not overwhelmed thinking about all the things you have to do. You only need to concentrate on number 1 on your list.

We are creatures who are motivated by our emotions, so beginning with a positive intention helps you work from inspiration every day, and stops neediness making your feel desperation.

All you have to do now, is begin.


Want to know how I earned over $4,000 writing articles in just one day?


I did it using my simple 15 minute article writing system which Includes Research, Writing and Proof Reading

How to Write an Article in 15 Minutes, or Less


















Wednesday 26 January 2022

You Don’t Have To Write, You Get To Write

Enjoy writing and you'll write better
Photo by Austin Schmid on Unsplash
I was reading an article recently about a man who is a single parent of a very special needs child.

He said that his life seemed difficult and often he felt it was unfair that he was always so busy and that his son required his constant care.

Then one day he had an epiphany and suddenly his life was so much easier and pleasurable. He didn’t change a thing about his life. He still got up every day and did the same things he’d always done. The only thing that he did change was his attitude.

It all happened when he was showering with his son one night (his son can’t shower on his own) and he was grumping to himself about never being able to shower on his own because he always had to shower with his son.

Then for some unknown reason he suddenly stopped and thought, “I don’t HAVE to shower with my son, I GET to shower with him.”

And that was it. His life changed in that moment. He decided that from then on, he would stop saying ‘have to’ and say ‘get to’ instead. And that one small decision changed his whole life.

I then read about a woman whose friend had an auto-immune disease and could no longer move and needed constant nursing.

She said that seeing her friend’s predicament changed her life because it made her appreciate things instead of complaining.

She said that whenever she woke up during the night and had to turnover, instead of her usual irritable thought about being awake when she didn’t want to be, she’d think to herself that she didn’t have to turn over, she gets to turnover, which is more than her friend could do now. Her friend had to wait to be turned over, no matter how long she was awake and how uncomfortable she was. She didn’t get to turn over anymore.

Thinking that we get to do something instead of having to do it, puts everything in a new perspective of realising how lucky we are that we get to do so much.

And it can be applied to writing when you really don’t feel like it.

Just think that you don’t have to write, you get to write.

And then sit down and enjoy it.


Mission Critical For Life: Start Living Your Life on Your Terms by Pursuing Your True Life Mission










Monday 24 January 2022

This is better Than a Writing Prompt

This is so much better than a writing prompt
Photo by Mike Tinnion on Unsplash
Writing prompts are such useful things for getting our creative minds working. They also give us a starting idea of what to write about which is all a writer needs to get going.

But writing prompts are just that. A bump to get you started writing. Nothing more.

So, what if, instead of using random prompts, you looked for paying markets and writing competitions and used them as prompts.

You don’t have to submit them, just use them as writing practice. There’s a lot of advantage of doing it this way.

1.    You’ll be practicing writing what the industry is looking for, so you’ll know what kind of writing sells         and what subjects/topics are currently popular.

2.    You’ll get used to writing to deadlines. Having a limited time to write can give you the bit of pressure you need to get your writing done. Writing to tight deadlines can also help improve your writing by not giving you time to second-guess yourself or to try and edit as you write, both of which are fatal to good writing.

3.    You can submit your writing if you want to and earn money. And because you’re only practicing your writing, it doesn’t matter if it gets accepted or not or if it wins a free competition or not. You’re just getting used to being a regular writer.

There really are no disadvantages to using writing markets and competitions as writing prompts.

It’s great practice, gets you writing regularly, and gets you used to deadlines.

Plus, you can submit your work if you want to, and even if it’s not accepted, you can find another market for it later. Or not.

And it can really get your creative mind working, which is what using prompts is all about.


Monthly Challenge Writing Series




















Tuesday 28 December 2021

Writing When I Really Don’t Feel Like Writing

 
Writing when you don't feel like writing
Image courtesy of mohamed_hassan. Pixabay
It’s funny isn’t it that although writers say they enjoy writing, they often resist doing it. And I’m no different. Sometimes I think a pile of ironing looks more appealing than sitting down and writing.

So what is it? What makes us not want to write?

The truth is that resistance to writing is no different to the resistance we sometimes feel to other things. And it’s not the actual thing we have to do that’s the problem, it’s just the act of starting that seems hard.

Last week, Dean and I had plans for a day out We were really looking forward to it. But when the day arrived, we started to ask each other if we still wanted to go and maybe we could just stay home and sit by the pool, have a swim, and then go back up to our apartment, have lunch and watch a movie.

And while that would have been okay to stay home and relax, we eventually said no. We’d planned a day out so we were going. So we packed up and headed out.

And do you know what? We had such a great time. It turned out so much better than we originally thought.

So we can even feel resistance to fun things we want to do, as well as resistance to doing chores we don’t feel in the mood to do.

To make it easier to write when I don’t feel like it, I just sit down and look in my diary to see what I had planned, or I re-read what I’ve written the previous day, or type up some handwritten work. I start with something simple, and then it’s easy to keep going.

Sometimes I buy an ebook or a course or something else that intrigues me, that will give me direction, and makes me enthusiastic to write.

Next time you feel resistance to writing, do whatever it takes to get back into the writing zone fast. And don’t be afraid to invest in your writing future.



Living The Laptop Lifestyle





















Friday 24 December 2021

Working On My 2022 Writing Goals

It’s now so close to the end of 2021 and I still haven’t finished sorting out my writing goals for next year.

But I have been looking at all the things I do in a day/week/month, including sleeping, eating, and time with family. And all this certainly takes up most of my time.

I looked at my list and thought that many people work 40 hours a week and still do all this stuff so where am I going wrong, because according to my calculations, I only have 13 hours of writing time a week. That’s less than most people’s part-time working hours.

I gave it more thought and realised that no matter how I try and divide my time, every day is different. Some days I only write for a couple of hours, and other days I write all day. It seems to depend on how much I have to do and what mood I’m in.

And when I worked it out, I sit and write far more than 13 hours a week. But if that’s so, then how do I still fit in all the other stuff?

And even more confusing, if I now live in a small apartment so that I don’ have a lot to do then how come I have so much to do?

My poor little monkey mind could not figure this out. I’m no math genius, but these numbers just aren’t adding up.

So instead, I’m going to take a run at it from a different angle and look at what I actually do every day, hour by hour, and how much time it takes me. But I’m sure I already know, because it’s what I do every day. Now I’m really confused.

I’ve also been looking at what I want to write, and I already have so many ideas already, probably more than I can do in a year.

Or maybe I should push myself to do it all anyway? I’ll let you know how it goes.

I hope your writing plans are coming together too, and that 2022 will be your most profitable writing year ever.


Friday 15 October 2021

Why Do You Want To Write?

It's great to want to be a writer, even better if it's how you want to earn your living.

But before you can take it to the next level, you need to know what kind of writer you want to be. What is it that you want to write?

When you imagine yourself as a writer, what are you doing? What are you writing?

Are you writing books? Articles? Copywriting? Journalism? Fiction? Non-fiction? Essays?

What is it that you want to write?

They say that once you go somewhere in your imagination you can go there in life.

But what if you don't know where you want to go and what you want to do?

I had the same issue when I first began writing, so  I did everything. I tried every kind of writing that I could. I tried whatever appealed to me. And that taught me not just what I was good at, but also what I wasn't good at. Writing erotic stories was something I was really, REALLY bad at.

I also learned what type of writing I enjoyed.

So if you're sitting on the proverbial fence, or you don't know what kind of writing you want to do, just start. It doesn't matter what you do, just do something. Take a course, buy a book, start journalling, start searching online, enter a competition, find some writing prompts.

Once you begin you'll feel motivated and soon you'll know what you want to do.

The Monthly Challenge Writing Series







Tuesday 12 October 2021

The Easy Way to Write More

Wouldn't it be great if you could write more than you do now? What if you could sit down and find that you're far more productive and write more articles, book chapters, and stories in one sitting than you ever could before?

Is that even possible?

You bet it is, and it doesn't even have anything to do with writing faster.

If you want to write more, you need to want to do it.

Does that sound too simplistic? Well, it isn't.

You see, if there's one thing I've learned in life, it's that if you don't want to do something then you either won't do it, or you'll do it badly, or slowly. It's something all we humans inherently do. You'll know what I mean if you've ever watched a sulky teenager doing a household chore that they don't want to do. See the hilarious short video below: "How to avoid washing a car by Kevin the teenager - BBC"




It doesn't matter what it is, if we don't feel excited, motivated or we simply have no interest in doing something, we just won't do it.

And if 2020 taught us anything, it's that working from home is harder than going out to work because there's no boss, no set hours and far too many distractions. Being at home doesn't provide the motivation to sit down and start writing.

But the truth is that you can't wait for motivation before you start. Motivation won't show up for work until you do. I know, because I battle with this problem every day. 

The only way to defeat it is to have more bum in chair time and shut off all distractions. I have a computer that I use exclusively for writing so that I don't have all the usual online distractions to deal with. I have nothing on it but my writing files, and when I have to go online, I switch to my other computer and transfer my files on a flash drive.

You can't find motivation but it can find you.

And it always finds you when you're already working.

Want more help getting started?

Download my Monthly Challenge Writing Series and work your way through them all.

They'll get you started quickly.


Monthly Challenge Writing Series









Wednesday 15 September 2021

How and Where to Get More Writing Ideas Than You Know What to Do With

 “Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.
 ~ Steven King

I've quoted the famous horror writer, Steven King, because he is absolutely right about being a successful writer.

They say that to be successful, you don't have to be a better writer than anyone else, you just have to outwork them. Talent won't make you rich, but talent plus hard work will.

I've heard more than enough people ask about how to find things to write about. It's as though they have no writing ideas at all.

The 'secret' to having writing ideas is to write. It's that simple.

Got nothing to write?

Find a paragraph of writing and copy it out. Then copy out another one, and another one. Keep going and the ideas will start to flow.

I also find that the faster I write, the faster the ideas flow. They say that productive writers always have plenty of ideas, and I know I do. 

The more I write the more ideas I get. And the ideas don't stop coming when I'm not writing. I can be standing at the sink washing dishes and the ideas just keep coming, so I stop and take a few notes and before I know it I've written pages of ideas. To anyone else, my notes look like illegible scrawl with words circled and arrows pointing every which way. But to me it's gold.

And as to the infamous writer's block, I don't have time for it. I'm far too busy writing.

If you have trouble with writing ideas, start writing. Write anything. Write about what you did yesterday, or what you had for breakfast, or something you watched on TV. It doesn't matter what you write, it just matters that you do.

Some people believe that writer's block is the hardest thing to overcome. But I think starting is the hardest.

Once you conquer that, the only problem you'll have is what to do with so many ideas.


Books to help you make money from your writing










Monday 5 July 2021

A List of Inspirational Writing Quotes

 I recently added a new page to my website.

It's a page of writing quotes, inspirational quotes, and inspirational writing quotes.

My hope is that they not only inspire you to write and earn more, but are also useful if you're looking for a quote about writing or quotes about life.

To give you a preview, below are a few of the quotes:


"There's a word for a writer who never gives up – Published."
~ Joe Konrath

"There's no problem for which a great sales letter can't be the solution."
~ Gary Halbert

"I’ve written over 70 books over my 40-year career, and I can tell you that as much as we would like them to, books don’t write themselves."
~ Brian Tracy

"Most people need less done well, not more done poorly."
~ Brian Christiansen

"If you don't have time for what matters, stop doing things that don't."
~ Courtney Carver

"To have more than you've got, become more than you are."
~ Jim Rohn

"If you don't have time to do it right, what makes you think you'll have time to do it over?"
~ Seth Godin

"Lack of time is actually lack of priorities."
~ Tim Ferriss

"In the long run, we only hit what we aim at."
~ Henry David Thoreau

"Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship."
~ Buddha

"A donkey carrying a pile of holy books is still a donkey."
~ Zen proverb

"To every man is given a key to the gates of heaven. The same key opens the gates of hell."
~ Buddhist proverb





Friday 2 July 2021

Ever Wondered How To Be a Better Writer?

 I always wanted to be a writer. I visualised myself sitting and writing every day, working from anywhere, just writing and getting paid.

At the time I had no idea how I was going to accomplish it all, but I learned.

I started small just doing anything I could just to get started, and I didn't even know what I was doing.

But once I made being a writer my life's mission everything changed. Not just my writing but my whole life.

I met and married my husband, had another child, studied for a university degree, quit my job, and worked as a writer.

My self-esteem quickly grew, my whole life changed and I never looked back. I'd found my calling. My mission.

And you can do it too with your own life mission - no matter what it is.

And the good news is that, like me, you don't have to get it right, you just have to get it going.

All you have to do is follow the 10 simple steps in my book, Mission Critical For Life. It will not only help you find your mission but follow it.

https://ruthiswriting.com/books/MCFL.html


Thursday 1 July 2021

There's No Such Thing As a Friend, Especially When You're a Writer

These days the media is full of advice about we all need friends and how important it is for us all to have a support group we can turn to.

But do we? And is there really such a thing as a friend?

I have plenty of acquaintances and people that I often talk to, but I wouldn't say I actually have any friends. In fact, I don't think anyone really knows what a friend is.

People tell me that if someone is your friend, then you are obligated in the following ways:

- if they ask you to do them a favour, you have to do it or they'll consider you not their friend

- you have to 'be there' for them when they have a problem and you either have to listen to them talk about it or do something to help them.

- if they have a favourite charity or their kids are doing a school fundraiser, you have to donate or get involved if they ask you to

- if they have strong political views, you have to agree with them or keep quiet

And the thing is, if you let them down on just one of these things, they won't want to know you anymore.

This is why I always say that there is no such thing as a friend. They're an obligation. That may sound harsh, but it's true. It's not that I have anything against people, I just don't consider anyone as my friend and I try not to get heavily involved with anyone's life, but I don't mind talking to people I like.

I found this especially true when I quit my job and became a writer. Many people I considered friends said I was a fool to give up a good job and that I'd never earn money writing. A few even ridiculed me for my decision, and some even said that they'd always thought about being a writer, but well... they just didn't have the time to try and write. It just seemed like so much jealousy. 

But if I'm honest, it was probably me that turned away from them at that point because I was busy on my writing mission and didn't have time for their negativity and snide remarks.

It was around that time that I realised how fickle friendships are. At first it made me a bit sad. But then I figured that having friends makes you needy because you feel like you don't just WANT them as friends, but you NEED them.

Since then, I've just kept light relationships with others and immersed myself in my writing.

What if you had a mission to turn to instead of needing others? You could close the door on the world and spend time on your mission. And your mission can be whatever you want it to be - creative, business, charity, religion, education, invention, or so many other things.

I found that having a mission has given me more confidence, self-esteem and enabled me to live my life on my own terms, doing what I want to do.

Start living your life on your own terms by pursuing your own True Life Mission.

https://ruthiswriting.com/books/MCFL.html


Tuesday 29 June 2021

Momentum, Motivation, Energy. How to Have All 3 Instantly

When you read anything about the struggles writers face, one that comes up again and again is getting started. So many of us find it so darn hard to actually sit down and have more bum-in-chair time.

But that can be the same for just about any activity. It's not the doing it that's hard, it's the getting started.

So wouldn't it be wonderful if, whenever you wanted to write, you could just click your fingers and instantly have the momentum, motivation and energy to sit and write for hours?

Well, surprisingly, you can.

You see it's too easy to think that you have to wait for the trinity of momentum, motivation and energy to show up before you can write.

But the opposite is true. You don't wait for them before you can start writing. You start writing and then they show up.

If you spend your days not moving, or doing very little, then you'll always feel like not doing anything. 

Laziness is an all too easy habit to cultivate.

Momentum must be created every day.

How?

With planning and consistency.

You need to schedule everything, and follow through by doing it.

Don't feel like going to the gym? Go anyway.

Once you get moving (whether you're at the gym working out or your at your desk writing) momentum will kick in and you'll soon have unstoppable motivation and energy.

After a few weeks, it will be a habit.

And this is the same with anything. Whatever it is you want to do, whether you feel like it or not, do it every day. No matter what.

Plan to take action. Then do it daily.

Starting is the key to momentum, motivation and energy.

And be consistent.


Living The Laptop Lifestyle:
How To Start & Grow A Profitable Online Business So You Can Quit Your Job




Friday 30 April 2021

A Writing Lesson From a Priest In Poverty

One of the TV shows I love to watch is Law and Order SVU. I have 21 seasons on discs and I watch them all the time (as well as other shows too).

And the other day I was watching an episode in which the detectives suspected a young Catholic Priest of committing a crime, a murder that happened in his church. He hadn’t done it, but couldn’t tell them who had without breaking the secrecy of the confessional.

But the storyline wasn’t what interested me, and instead, I was fascinated with how the priest lived and worked.

He lived in a tiny apartment and owned almost no furniture or other personal items, not even a TV, and even what little he did own was old and looked years old.

The detectives were stunned that anyone could live in such poverty and own so few possessions but the priest explained that he took his vow of poverty seriously. Clearly, he also took all his other vows seriously too because whenever the detectives showed up the priest was busy writing sermons, scrubbing the church floor, cleaning the pews, or visiting parishioners. He seemed to do nothing but work and said that he loved it so much that he didn’t need anything else.

And it got me thinking about writers and how all the successful ones are hard workers who love what they do and are always writing or plotting their next book or setting up another money-making website.

This is why I recently sold my house and moved to a small apartment at the coast so that I could spend less time on things that don’t matter (lawn mowing, house maintenance, etc) and more time on writing and other things I enjoy (and I love the fresh sea air too).

How about you?

Do you fit your writing around your life or your life around your writing?

Want to learn how to do it?

Start by clicking the link below.

https://ruthiswriting.com/books/LLS.html



Thursday 8 April 2021

How to Eliminate Writer's Block in Just 5 Minutes

 A few days ago I was reading a popular post on Twitter about how writers buy a lot of notebooks but never use them, and there were so many comments from writers saying that it's EXACTLY what they do all the time but they thought they were the only ones. But haha, I think we all do it. I know I do.

For me, the reason is that I think that buying a new notebook will inspire me to write more, and get rid of any writer's block. But by the time I get home with my new notebook, the ecstatic feelings have gone and I put my new notebook away, promising myself that I'll write in it soon.

I wish that buying a new notebook did make me write and earn more, but it isn't true, no matter how much I want it to be so. The only way that having a new notebook makes me write more is if I've got an idea burning in my brain and I'm not at home, so I have to buy a notebook and start writing in it straight away, which means it's not the notebook that inspired me but the idea running around in my frantic monkey mind.

But there is something that always gets me writing straight away, even when I think I don't feel like writing.

And that is to just sit down and start writing. Sometimes I journal, or re-read my work from yesterday and make corrections, or browse ideas in my ideas notebook, or start reading a book and take notes, or get out a great piece of writing by an author I admire and write it by hand to get a feel for it.

Or maybe I'll write something else. It doesn't matter what it is as long as I just start.

I also don't allow myself to get distracted by anti-social media or online surfing.

So if you're stuck and can't get past writer's block, just sit down and start writing. Write anything.

And if you're like me, within 5 minutes you'll be immersed in your work, brimming with ideas, and inspired to write - especially if you have a new notebook. :)

Don't believe it can work?

Try it.


Goodbye Writer's Block










Goodbye Writer's Block:
How to Be a Creative Genius and Have an Abundance of Ideas Plus the Inspiration and Motivation to Write


Friday 26 March 2021

How To Tell If You’ve Lost Faith In Your Writing

People sometimes lose faith in God and feel like they’ve lost everything, as though God doesn’t care about them any more.


But what they’ve actually lost is faith in themselves which makes them feel as though God is far away from them.


And the loss of faith happens all the time in many different situations, like loss of self-worth, with a current job, in the ability to do things, and even loss of luck.


And this is the same with writers who stop writing because they have no faith in their own ability or they fear editors, fear criticism, or fear people’s online opinions, especially on anti-social media.


Years ago I stopped writing after I uploaded a story I’d written to a writer's forum and asked for feedback. Unfortunately, someone told me that my writing was so bad that I shouldn’t call myself a writer. They upset me at the time until I realised that they were nobody special. And now here I am earning my living from my writing while they are nowhere. And I’ve never bothered with writer’s forums ever since. Yeesh!


But now I don’t let other people’s unsolicited opinions stop me from writing. Not at all. I love to write and I’m never going to stop.


Not everything I write gets published. I often write in my journals, which are for my eyes only. And what I find is that it’s a real confidence boost being free to write like that.


So if you’re struggling with fear of criticism, my advice is to accept the fear then keep on writing.


Haters are going to hate no matter what you do or don’t do.


So if you’re not writing, it could be because you’ve lost faith in your ability. And the only way to overcome it is to pick up your pen and get back on the proverbial horse and don’t stop riding/writing. 


Keep going and live your own writer’s life.



Living The Laptop Lifestyle

How to Start & Grow a Profitable Online Business So You Can Quit Your Job.

https://ruthiswriting.com/books/LLS.html

Wednesday 24 March 2021

Affirmations About Writing

 We’ve all heard about affirmations and how they're used to improve your life.

But what exactly are they and how can they help you to write more and earn more?

Well, an affirmation is something (a goal) that you repeat to yourself daily. And the way it’s supposed to help is by keeping your goal at the front of your mind so that you’ll notice if you start to stray off your intended path to your goal.

But for me, affirmations don’t work unless I know what it is that I have to do to achieve my goals.

For instance, if I want to write more, then I need to make my affirmation about avoiding distractions, or stop time-wasting, or having more bum-in-chair time. In other words, I need to know HOW I’m going to achieve what I want, which also means knowing what I DON’T want (like distractions and time-wasting activities) so that I can eliminate them.

Do I do daily affirmations?

Yeah… Nah.

I do write down what I want to do and how I’m going to achieve it because explaining things in writing makes it much more logical to me so I can spot flaws in my planning.

I also look at my notes often and think about them daily.

And then I get down to doing it.

Remember that writing daily is more important than thinking about it every day.


Goodbye Writer's Block
How to Be a Creative Genius and Have an Abundance of Ideas Plus the Inspiration and Motivation to Write.


Wednesday 17 March 2021

A Real-Life Insight Into Focused Writing

For years I’ve witnessed an on-going, real-life lesson in being a focused writer. And the lesson is from my daughter.


She’s now an adult and owns her own home, and she has always loved to write.


Unlike her mother, who loves to write by hand, my daughter types all her stories straight onto her computer. Even as a child, she would sit curled up in an armchair, typing away while her Dad and I watched TV. She was always oblivious to her surroundings whenever she was writing or reading, and she’s an avid reader too.


And now as an adult, she still loves to write, and if I phone her while she’s writing, she just blows me off and says she’s too busy to talk.


Sometimes she tells me “I’m going to write tonight,” and she can’t wait to do it, and she’ll write for hours and not go to bed until the early hours of the morning.


She’s probably written more books than most people even dream of writing. She just loves to write and says it’s “fun” and “relaxing” and her focus when she’s writing is envious.


She doesn’t even publish her work. Never. She’s only interested in writing, not publishing, and as soon as she finishes writing one manuscript, she can’t wait to get started on the next. Writing is her hobby and she always looks forward to doing it.


And I SO envy her dedication to her craft and her ability to always prioritise her writing.


But mostly I envy her focus when she’s writing and her ability to block out all other thoughts while she writes.


If I had the dedication and focus on my writing like she does, I’d have written and published hundreds of books. I’d be a multi-millionaire by now.


Plus I’d be a seriously prolific writer and loving it. I just wish I could have her writing focus.


I wish we all could.







Mission Critical For Life

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Friday 20 November 2020

Slow Progress is Still Progress

I was doing some sewing the other day. I was using my sewing machine and had it set to a really slow speed for more precise sewing, but it felt so slow, as though I wasn’t progressing at all.

But the reality was that my sewing project was progressing and as long as I kept at it I was moving forward and getting it done.

And it occurred to me that I sometimes feel the someway about my writing as though it’s all going really slowly and I’m not making good progress. 

But it’s just the same as anything I do; as long as it’s moving forward, no matter how slowly, it’s better than doing nothing at all.

With sewing, small, slow progress eventually leads to thousands of stitches sewn. 

And with writing, slow progress leads to thousands of words written.



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Friday 13 November 2020

That's My Writing Spot

I love watching the TV comedy show the Big Bang Theory because it's full of hilarious one-liners plus ongoing topics that are always funny.

One of the ongoing things is that the main character, Sheldon, doesn't like anyone sitting in his spot on the couch and he's always saying, "That's my spot" if anyone sits in it so that they'll move because he refuses to sit anywhere else.

And I had somewhat of a 'Sheldon' moment a few weeks ago too that had to do with my writing spot.

You see, here in Australia it was cold (it's winter in the middle of the year here) and I wanted to save money by not running more than one heater every day.

My office where I work is in a separate room to the rest of the house and I have to walk across the back veranda to get to it. It's where I have my desk as well as a table that I use when I'm writing by hand and it has a separate heater to the rest of the house.

Anyway, every day I went into the back room, collected all my writing material and my computer and took it all into the main house and did my writing at the dining table because the heater was on in the house every day.

But I wasn't happy being there and so I began to write less and less until eventually I wasn't writing at all.

Luckily, it became warmer after a few weeks (our winters aren't usually cold for long) so I migrated back into my usually writing room and then I became amazingly productive and even though it was still a bit cold some days, I refused to go back into the house to write and instead put on wooly jumpers and slippers and kept on writing.

Now it's almost summer and it's warm every day so I'm back in my usual writing spot and I'm much happier here.

I just wish I'd not been so stubborn before and just worked in my writing room and put the heater on because it turns out I do need my writing spot.

When it's really warm I do go outside to write, at the park or sometimes in my own back yard, but mostly I prefer to work at my own desk (or writing table). 

That's my writing spot.

I hope you have a writing spot too and that you love it.

And take Sheldon's advice and don't let anyone sit in it.


Goodbye Writer's Block:
How to Be a Creative Genius and Have an Abundance of Ideas 
Plus the Inspiration and Motivation to Write