The Surprising Thing Dog-Sitting Is Teaching Me About Being a Writer

 I'm currently dog- sitting for someone. She's a tiny dog, but she is teaching me a huge lesson about being a writer.

This little dog is ball-obsessed. All day, she just chases a ball. She has no interest in anything else.

Every morning, she wakes me up around 5 a.m. whimpering because she wants me to throw the ball for her. I ignore her for about half an hour, and then I sit up and throw it for her-again and again and again.

I throw the ball while I'm dressing and while I'm making the bed. I kick it out of the kitchen repeatedly while I make breakfast and ignore her cries while I eat breakfast.

The days all begin like this, and it goes on all day. Even when I take her for a walk, all she wants to do is go home and play. Even as I write this, she's putting a ball next to my foot so that I can kick it.

I honestly have no idea how she has so much energy, but I'm not surprised how deeply she sleeps at the end of the day.

And while I'm emotionally and physically exhausted by it all, I'm also impressed with her dedication and focus on her ball-chasing mission.

Her life is all about the ball. She'll do other things if she has to, like go out for a pee, or go for a walk, or eat, or put up with an insufferable visitor who insists on patting her instead of just throwing the damn ball like she's asking them to, but then she goes straight back to the ball when it's all over.

And it got me thinking about being a writer. 

I thought, wouldn't it be great to be just as excited about writing, waking up every day and wanting to do nothing else but write? 

I can imagine how great it would be:

• Writing before I even get out of bed because I just can't wait to start. 
• Spending every day eager to do as much writing as I can. 
• Doing other things as quickly as I can so that I can get back to my writing. 
• Enjoying writing so much that I can't wait to do it, and no time is wasted because when all the things I have to do are done, I go back to my writing. 

In reality, my days are never that simple. Even on days that I keep clear for writing, life always seems to throw up something to ruin my plan.

Or is it that I allow life to throw something up? What if I said no to other things so that I could write more?

I keep watching this tiny dog every day and keep marvelling at her zest for life and playing with a ball. 

To her, it's simple; she wants the ball. Life is all about the ball.

What if my life was more about my writing instead of letting other things get in the way of that?

It's something I'm constantly thinking about as I watch this happy little dog playing all day.

She knows what she wants, and she goes after it without apology.

And I think there's a lesson in that for us all.

The Art of Being a Disciplined Writer

Being a writer sounds easy, but we all know it isn’t. 

It takes hours a day of sitting alone, working with no distractions. This is also coupled with working from home, and people think we're not busy, so they try to distract us when we're working.

That’s why it’s not enough to be a writer. You must be a disciplined writer.

Anyone who achieves at anything does so because they're disciplined.

Buddhists meditate daily, athletes train daily, and surfers surf daily. 

They all have one thing in common.

Discipline.

Artists create, dancers dance, writers write - and all do it regularly and are disciplined.

If you read about any famous person or your favourite writer, you’ll find they all have a routine or a schedule and are self-controlled enough to stick to it.

Some writers didn’t become disciplined until later in life. 

Laura Wildes Ingle (who wrote Little House On The Prairie) didn’t become a disciplined writer until she was 48.

Isaac Asimov wrote his first book when he was 30 and worked on his next 500 books during the remaining 42 years of his life (which is approximately 12 books a year).

But they all had that one thing in common.

Self-discipline.

It’s not enough to say you’re a writer; you need to be motivated enough to have the discipline to sit down and write every day.

But how do you become a disciplined writer?

To begin with, all you have to do is get to your writing chair every day.

You don’t have to write for hours. You just have to sit down.

Starting is the hardest part of anything, which is probably why I’m often reluctant to sit down and write, but once I start, it’s easy to keep going. It seems rude to ignore phone calls and knocks at the door, but when I'm working, that's exactly what I do. I have scheduled times to write, and I try to stick to them no matter what (emergencies accepted, but how often does that happen?).

If you want to write and earn more, make it a habit to sit in your writing chair every day and make a start.

Everything gets easier with time till eventually you’ll look forward to sitting down every day and feel eager to write.

Free eBooks to Help You Write More and Earn  More

https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/free-ebooks.html

Changes are Coming

 I've been thinking a lot lately about how I work, especially when it comes to this blog and my website, https://ruthiswriting.com.

And I've decided to make a few changes.

I've decided that it would be better if I put shorter posts on this blog.

All my posts are automatically emailed to all my subscribers, and I thought, who wants to get loads of long blog posts emailed to them all the time? Who has the time to read them?

My posts can be read online any time, and I know they're read by many people because my blog gets over 60K visitors a month. I think it's easier for my blog visitors and my subscribers to read more short posts rather than fewer long posts. I know I do. 

Also, I'm going to stop including an image with every blog post because not only is it unnecessary, it's time-consuming. 

My blog is about information, not pretty pictures. My own personal email setup, for security reasons, blocks images and other remote content, so I never see them anyway, and I'm sure most other people do the same, which is another reason not to bother with images.

Another reason for shorter blog posts is because I write articles for my website that are longer than my blog posts, and they're emailed to all my subscribers. 

And in future, for the sake of brevity, I'll email only a paragraph or two of each article, plus a link to it if you want to read more. I've ummed-and-ahhed many times about whether to email the full article or just a link to it, and I've decided sending a short paragraph or two and a link is best. The short intro will be enough for you to decide if you want (or have the time) to go on and read the whole thing.

So these are the changes I'm making to simplify your life and mine.

This way, you'll only receive the information you need without the extra waffle, which will give you more time to write.

https://cheritonhousepublishing.com

Be Careful - Don't Catch the FLIT Virus!

I was recently re-listening to a talk given by the great copywriter Gary Bencivenga. In it he talked about how easy it is to catch the FLIT virus and how it can ruin your life.

And sadly, I think we all have it.

The biggest problem is that once you're infected, it's almost impossible to recover.

So what is the FLIT virus?

Focus Lost - Internet Temptation.

 This is the worst computer virus ever because it gets into your head from the computer and leads you to so many places you don't want to go.

It sucks away your time, hour after hour and day after day.

Every time you think you've beaten it, it bites you again and draws you back down.

So how can you beat it?

You already know.

Stop browsing and start writing.

Set up internet-free focus times on your computer if you have to.

If you find yourself continually on your computer but you're not writing, you're infected and need to clean yourself by opening your latest WIP, or getting off your computer immediately, opening up your notebook, and starting to write.

Luckily, it's a virus you can control - if you really want to.

It's time to choose.

And just think...

You can have an ebook written by this time next week, or you can still be browsing online.

https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/7day.html  

Time Management is Not the Answer to Writing More, But This Is...

So often (usually too often) we hear the phrase 'Time Management' which is said to be the be-all and end-all answer to our lack of productivity. And we all agree that it is.

But then you wake up every day with a whole list of all the amazing things you're going to do, yet find yourself spending time on other things instead, and you wonder why.

It's not a management of time that's the issue. It's time.

What I mean by that is, you need to give yourself time to get things done. Stop wasting your time being "busy" and instead spend time on the things you need to do. It sounds simple, doesn't it? So why do we never do it?

I've been looking at this for quite a while now, and what I've found is that there's an easy solution. 

Turn off your screen.

That's it.

I don't know about you, but when I waste time it's always wasted online. And I've noticed that it's the same with almost everyone.

I see people walking down the street while staring at their phones and not even looking where they're going. 

Parents ignore their children because they're more interested in their phones. 

People in cafes look busy on their computers, but they're only scrolling on social media.

People wake up in the morning and immediately reach for their phones. 

And don't get me started on time wasted playing computer games.  

Screen time is a really sad addiction, especially if you're a writer who opens their computer, gets distracted online, and so never writes.

But you might ask, how can you get off your screen if you do your writing on your computer?

Get a writing computer. Use it only for writing. Nothing else. No internet on it ever. No apps except a writing app.

I've always had a separate writing computer, and because I don't use it online, I have to transfer my files to my main computer using a thumb drive, which also provides me with an extra backup of my work. I've never connected my writing computer to the internet, so I'm never tempted to go online while I'm using it.

I also have a Kindle Scribe that I use for handwriting because it has handwriting recognition to convert all my writing to text. I write everything by hand first. The Scribe only has basic internet for downloading ebooks and emailing my files to myself, so I can't use it to go online (unless it's to go to the Kindle website to buy a new ebook).

I usually (hand) write for a minimum of 2 hours a day (of actual writing, not doing other editing or admin work), and during that time I stay off my screens unless it's my Scribe. My writing computer is only for typing up my work because, as I said, I almost always write by hand first.

Limited screen time is a HUGE time saver, and it's so simple. And it works every time.

Give it a go.

Life-Changing Ideas

"If a competent CEO got to run your life for a day, what is the first thing they would eliminate?" 

This was a question posed by author James Clear in a recent email.

I didn't have to think about it too hard.

Time wasting.

If someone was looking over my shoulder for a day, they'd see how much time I waste, even though I swear I'm a hard-working, productive person.

Every day I spend far too much time checking emails. I always tell myself I won't spend more than 20 minutes, then next thing I know it's 45 minutes later and I still haven't finished.

Then there's surfing the web. I go online to look up one thing and end up clicking and going down one rabbit hole after another.

Chatting to people when I see them can often be another time-waster. Sometimes I'm only on the front veranda for a short coffee break, and neighbours will stop by to say hi, or their dogs will bark when they see me so I HAVE to go and pat them, and that starts a conversation with their owners. But if I had a competent CEO with me, he wouldn't allow me to waste so much time, even if it's a cute dog wanting my attention (because how can anyone resist a cute dog, right?).

Seriously though, not only do I know that I waste too much time, I also know what the solution is. 

I need to stick to my daily schedule and not let myself be sidetracked so easily. 

I know how long things take to do, so I need to get them done. If it's in my diary to be done, then I should do it and take my coffee breaks inside where neighbours and dogs can't see me. It's very friendly where I live.

A timer is always my best friend because I work better when I'm working against the clock and my time is limited.

I know how much I'm capable of doing when I stick to my schedule every day, and to be honest, it's not even really that hard.

It's never a good feeling to get to the end of the day and regret all the things I haven't done.

Which is why I'm now hard at work writing my next book, and I've already planned the next one too. I need to keep my imaginary CEO cracking the proverbial whip every day because it works.

Which is how I wrote this blog post in only 15 minutes.

https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/15.html

My Latest Writing Updates (That means 3)

 I recently posted about my new novel, Magenta, which is the third and final book in my Campfire Stories Series, and will be available to buy from 1st October 2026, but you can preorder it now.

The good news is that I already have preorders for this novel, which is really exciting news (for me).

Have you ever read a book that is so good that you can't stop reading? This is what Magenta is about. It's about a woman who is so engrossed in reading a novel that it becomes harder and harder for her to get out of the story and get back to real life. Until she can't get out and finds herself trapped in a nightmare.

My other latest news is the opposite of publishing a new book.

I've withdrawn from sale my Monthly Challenge Writing Series. The reason is that the information is now somewhat outdated in parts, so I thought it best not to sell them anymore. It pained me to take four books off sale, but it had to be done.

But the good news is that I have two new books about writing that will be published soon.

So as you can see, I've been extremely busy behind the scenes, and I've had an interesting time writing and making publishing (and unpublishing) plans.

I've also learned that in future I need to produce books that are "greener," meaning their contents will be useful and entertaining for years.

Which is exactly what my new writing books are, and I can't wait to share them with you soon.

In the meantime, Magenta is my latest novel.

You can read more about it at:

https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/magenta.html

The Brilliantly Simple 2-Hour Schedule That Actually Works

There's a book I love by Dorothea Brande called 'Wake Up and Live.' It's an old book (and still available to buy from just 99 cents for the ebook) and was first published in 1936, but the advice it contains is still relevant today. It's a really popular book.

Wake Up and Live is all about being productive and achieving everything we want in life. One chapter (naturally) is about discipline, where she talks about her idea of using a 2-hour schedule to get more done.

At first this may seem too easy to be useful. But while it is easy, it also works like a charm.

The idea is simple. Decide what you're going to do for the next 2 hours and do it. This doesn't mean doing only one thing. It means being productive for 2 hours.

So for instance, your morning 2 hours might be-

6.00 to 6.30 am-shower, dress, bed made.

6.30 to 7.10 am Breakfast and Dishes

7.10 to 7.30 am Emails

7.30 to 8.00 am Set timer and write. 

The crucial thing isn't what you do during those 2 hours, but that you stick to each individual task for the designated time, no matter what. She advocates short, unbreakable daily appointments with yourself rather than massive time blocks.

It's the dedication to discipline that's important, and to maintain those time blocks as non-negotiable. So if you plan to check emails for 20 minutes then clean the bathroom for 20 minutes, stop checking emails after 20 minutes and go clean the bathroom. This will help you learn to stick to a schedule no matter how small it is. You'll also discover how long it takes you to complete each task while instilling discipline to get more done.

Before I tried the 2-hour schedule I had no idea how undisciplined I was and how easily I was distracted by unimportant things. 

I use the same 2-hour schedule for my writing using a timer for scheduled breaks every 25 minutes. And it's amazing how much I can write in just 2 hours when I work this way. Knowing that I only have 25 minutes to write in each block stops me from being distracted because I don't have time, and so I have to keep going whether I feel like it or not.

The 2-hour schedule is something that you have to try for yourself to see how powerful it is.

Wake Up and Live!
By Dorothea Brande
This book will help you reach your goals and achieve success
https://amzn.to/3gs6WU4

Finding More Ideas Than I Can Ever Write

Recently I've been having a huge clear-out at home, getting rid of things that I no longer want.

Many of them I sold on Facebook Marketplace (and made loads of money), and other things I gave away or donated or threw away if they were no good.

To be honest, even though it felt as though I was clearing out a lot of stuff, compared to most people I know, it wasn't that much. But it still created more space in the house which means there's less to look after, and wardrobes and cupboards are more bare which is great.

Next I tackled my writing stuff. I had drawers and shelves full of books, notes and handwritten writing projects, some of which I hadn't seen in a long time and had forgotten about.

So I sorted it all out and filed everything appropriately.

And do you know what?

I found loads of ideas I'd written down. I always collect ideas from things I read or from ideas of my own. I write them all down as soon as I think of them so that I don't forget, because boy do I forget ideas quickly even when I swear I won't forget, the idea can be gone in minutes.

And now, thanks to my de-cluttering and organising, I've found so many ideas that I'm eager to write. I wrote about this in my book " Goodbye Writer's Block" about how easy it is to go from no idea to an abundance of ideas in just minutes.

Try it and see how easy and motivating it can be.

Goodbye Writer's Block

How to Be a Creative Genius and Have an Abundance of Ideas Plus the Inspiration and Motivation to Write

https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/WB.html

My Latest Book Release.

I'm excited to share with you news of my latest novel. Why? Because it's one of my best, IMHO.

" Magenta" is the story of a woman who is so engrossed in reading a novel that it becomes harder and harder for her to stop reading. 

Until one day when she can't get out of the story and finds herself trapped in a nightmare more terrifying than anything she's ever read.

I had a ton of fun writing this novel and it's the final of my Three Campfire stories.

Each is a stand-alone book containing a story too frightening to tell in the dark around a campfire.

Magenta is available to buy from 1st October, but you can pre-order a copy now.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Go to the link below to find out more.

https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/magenta.html

Writing News And Writing Markets for August 2026

This week, I'll share what I've been reading online that I found inspirational (or interesting), some writing news, and a few writing markets for you to try, plus the Funny Writing Tips image, and I have no idea where I found it. I just came across it in one of my files.

It's been cold here in Australia (we are in winter), yet I've been reading online about how hot it's been in Europe. While I've been shivering, I cannot relate to how hot it is somewhere else. And because we mostly live in warmth and heat for 9 months a year, our homes aren't built for the cold. We don't have any central heating so when we get up in the morning, the house is cold.

For heating we use our reverse-cycle air conditioning unit, of which we only have one, so it never reaches every corner of all the rooms all the time.

Anyway, because it's been cold, I've spent more time indoors writing, reading and studying (I think it's always important to keep up-to-date with the writing and publishing industry because things change so fast). In fact I've spent so much time indoors recently that two of my neighbours said, "Welcome back," when they saw me on my front veranda because they thought I must have been away because they hadn't seen me for a while.

Well, here are a few things that I've come across online and I hope you find them useful, interesting and profitable too.

WRITING NEWS

Court Grants Final Approval to Landmark $1.5 Billion Anthropic Settlement

Authors included in the settlement now stand to be paid as much as $3,000 per work. Furthermore, publishers stand to reap a major windfall, with some of the larger publishers due to receive tens of millions of dollars.

https://publishingperspectives.com/2026/07/court-grants-final-approval-to-landmark-1-5-billion-anthropic-settlement/ 

2026 Booker Prize Longlist Announced

The 13 books longlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize, the U.K.’s highest honour for works of fiction, have been announced.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/awards-and-prizes/article/100927-2026-booker-prize-longlist-announced.html

New S&S UK Imprint Targets Self-Published Authors

Simon & Schuster UK and International has launched Simon Stream, a digital-focused fiction imprint aimed at self-published authors. The imprint hosts an open submissions portal, and is currently accepting crime, thriller, romance, historical fiction, and fantasy manuscripts of 70-100k words.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/100913-new-s-s-uk-imprint-targets-self-published-authors.html

$2m Crime Novel Deal Collapses Amid Questions Over AI Use

A high-profile publishing deal for a debut crime novel has collapsed after doubts emerged over whether artificial intelligence played a role in writing it.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jul/31/crime-novel-deal-collapses-questions-ai-jerry-falade-call-me-ill-hide-the-body 

16 Jobs for the Summer Slow Times
A really useful list of things you can do when you have no writing to do.

https://fundsforwriters.com/16-jobs-for-the-summer-slow-times/

Building Without Predicting

This is great advice from Derek Sivers for life and work, not just finding or building a house.

https://sive.rs/fit

Skip Being Everywhere Online, And Just Be Somewhere Instead 

    ~ by Richard Hoy

https://writersweekly.com/marketing-secrets/skip-being-everywhere-online-and-just-be-somewhere-instead-by-richard-hoy

WRITING MARKETS

Experienced True Crime Script Writer (YouTube)

This is a long-term opportunity for the right person.

https://problogger.com/jobs/job/experienced-true-crime-script-writer-youtube-3/

Horror Fiction & Nonfiction Wanted

Hobbyhorse is seeking fiction and creative nonfiction for its inaugural issue, themed around obsession, fixation, persistent ideas, irrational fears, recurring dreams, and the things we cannot stop thinking about. Original work and reprints are welcome, with a preference for speculative, weird, and memorable writing.

Submission Details:

Publication: Hobbyhorse Issue 1: Obsession

Submission: Closes Nov 30th, 2026

Payment: Original work pays $0.02/word up to 3,500 words

Word Count: Up to 5,000 words, with payment capped at 3,500 words

Flash Fiction: Yes

Poetry: No

Theme: Obsession, including fixations, compulsions, persistent ideas, fears, recurring dreams, and other subjects or thoughts to which people continually return

Genre: Fiction, particularly Speculative and Weird Fiction; Creative Nonfiction

https://horrortree.com/taking-submissions-hobbyhorse-issue-1/

August, 2026 Dark Fiction Short Story Markets

Minimum Pro-Paying (5 cents+ per word)

https://ericjguignard.substack.com/p/august-2026-dark-fiction-short-story

76 Calls for Submissions in August 2026 - Paying Markets

https://publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/2026/07/61-calls-for-submissions-in-august-2026.html

Stop Worrying and Start Writing

It's all too easy to worry about all the other things you "should" be doing instead of writing, or to worry that your freelance submission won't be good enough or that your books won't sell.

But what I learnt recently is that there's an answer to all this. Not only that, but the answer was here all along. And even more than that, you've always known the answer, whether you admit it or not.

I read a book by Dale Carnegie called "Stop Worrying and Start Living." It's a fascinating book, and he says that the easy cure for worrying less and living more fully is hard work. Being busy and productive not only helps to take your mind off your worries, but you'll feel better for achieving more.

- Hard work is the cure for worry.

- Boredom leads to worry and depression.

- Learn to love your job, or at least parts of it.

- Keep active mentally and physically.

- Do your best and ignore everyone.

- Accept what can't be changed.

- The devil finds work for idle hands.

All this is why I find writing to be the cure for all this.

When I'm writing, my mind is completely locked into the present moment. When I'm concentrating on my writing it's impossible for me to think about anything else.

Writing, especially when I'm working on a big project, is an escape from reality.

I find it to be a form of therapy.

Writing really is the way to stop worrying and start living, plus it's productive and profitable.

MISSION CRITICAL FOR LIFE

Start Living Life On Your Terms By Pursuing Your True Life Mission

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

No Excuses Allowed

Me in my new orange T-shirt

The weekend before last, Dean and I travelled into the city to attend a (biological) women's rights rally. You can see me at the rally in the photo. I'm wearing my new orange Sally Grover T-shirt, and Dean is beside me. (He's behind the man in the white hat. You can only just see Dean in his sunglasses.)

The rally was on Sunday morning so we caught the train the day before and stayed in a hotel in the city overnight.

We really enjoyed the rally. It was fascinating, with some amazing speakers like Sally Grover from the now-famous Giggle V Tickle court case and Senator Malcolm Roberts. And hundreds of people attended, both men and women. 

But during the weekend I began to feel ill.

On Saturday afternoon I had a bit of a headache. That night I slept badly because my head hurt and my nose became awfully blocked.

The next day, by the end of the rally, I felt exhausted. We went and had a picnic in a park and then headed to Central Station to catch a train home.

By the time we arrived home it was after 5 o'clock. We had dinner, showers and an early night. But the next day I felt worse. I joked that I'd caught 'Brisbane germs.' I spent a couple of hours asleep on the couch that afternoon. I still felt exhausted.

The feeling of illness persisted the rest of the week and was dragging me down both physically and mentally. But I was part-way through editing my novel, Magenta, so I worked on that every day. And what I found was that even though I didn't feel like doing it, I still sat down and did it, and once I started I was soon absorbed in my work.

By the end of the week I realised that working on my book was like therapy.

It took my mind off how rotten I felt, and, as it usually does, when I'm deep into writing I forget all about reality. My mind was completely inside the story, and even stopping to blow my nose repeatedly didn't deter me from my mission to get the edit finished. Which I did, so now I only have to do one more run through it, and I'm done. 

But what the whole experience taught me is that there really is no excuse for not writing. So unless I'm bedridden, I can write.

Even times when things have upset me, I can always get lost in my writing and take myself away from my troubles for a while.

It really is that easy.

So no more excuses.

I'm just going to write.

The Big Mistake Most Writers Make About Consistency

Consistency is a word that comes up often when people talk about writing. We're told that it's all about consistency, which means showing up every day and writing for a set number of hours or words.

I always believed that was true, yet I constantly struggled to maintain the discipline of a daily writing streak. Then I read something that blew that belief away and not only makes way more sense, but also makes building a writing habit so much easier.

This is the quote that I read: 

"In theory, consistency is about being disciplined, determined, and unwavering. 

In practice, consistency is about being adaptable. Don't have much time? Scale it down. Don't have much energy? Do the easy version. Find different ways to show up depending on the circumstances. Let your habits change shape to meet the demands of the day. 

Adaptability is the way of consistency."

~ James Clear

Once I read that, it became so obvious how wrong the belief is that consistency means strictly keeping to a daily set number of hours or words. I mean, sure, it may work for some people, but it doesn't work for me.

Life gets in the way of my plans all the time, making it hard to stick to a rigid target.

And I was looking at it the wrong way.

Consistency doesn't mean adhering to a strict schedule. It simply means turning up every day, which is pretty much what I do. Some days I work more than other days, and some days I don't do much at all.

Just the other day I was feeling guilty because I'd slept badly the night before and felt tired all day. I had a meeting with someone that morning, which was scheduled for 2 hours but took an hour longer than expected, and then Dean and I had to go and buy a few things we needed for the work we're doing on our house at the moment.

By the time we got home, took everything out of the car, had lunch and did the dishes, it was late afternoon, and I was exhausted and almost fell asleep as soon as I sat down. So no writing got done. I just looked over a few things, made a few notes, checked my emails, and left it at that.

At first, I felt disappointed, but then I realised there's no point in stressing about it. I usually aim for a minimum of 2 hours of writing every day, but days like the previously mentioned one don't leave mental or physical room for 2 hours of focused work. Most days I do manage it easily - often I do more.

The reason I aim for a minimum of 2 hours writing every day is because that's all it takes to be a prolific writer.

But I also need to be adaptable to whatever life throws at me. 

So for me, as James Clear said, consistency means showing up every day, no matter what or for how long.

That way I can keep writing fun, because if it's not fun, it's not sustainable.

Goodbye Writer's Block

How to Be a Creative Genius and Have an Abundance of Ideas Plus the Inspiration and Motivation to Write
https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/WB.html

How to Handle Writing Saboteurs

Have you noticed that whenever you commit to a big writing project, an unending stream of disruptions starts to happen?

It seems like everything and everyone in your life wants to sabotage you.

And it can be anything - a spouse who needs your attention, kids getting ill, friends dropping round, an old habit tempting you, or your own desire to quit and go and do something easier.

Whatever it is, the more you commit to a goal, the more resistance you'll get.

Why?

No one knows. 

It's one of the mysteries of life.

So what can you do about it?

There's nothing you can do except get comfortable with it and keep working towards your goal.

Deal with the saboteurs as quickly and efficiently as you can. 

Don't ignore things. 

Deal with them. 

If a friend knocks at the door, answer it and tell them you're busy and you'll catch up when you've finished. Don't ignore the door, or they'll come back and keep knocking. 

And don't ignore your writing. Keep going and work on it every day as much as you can. Even two minutes a day is better than missing a day.

If you let these things drag you away from your goal, then you need to ask yourself if you really were committed to it.

How about committing to the challenge of writing 12 books in a year?

Even if you don't make it, you'll have achieved so much.

The 12 Month Writing Challenge
Write and Publish 12 Books in a Year

https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/12MTH.html

Winners and Losers

I'm currently re-reading the book 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear, and I'm finding so much wisdom in it that I wanted to share some of it with you. I'm only on the second chapter, but even in those few pages, there is a lot to learn. 

As an aside, considering this is the second time I've read the book, I'm wondering why I didn't notice all this before. But this is why I always read books more than once. It's like watching a movie for the second time; I always notice things I missed the first time around.

But back to the book...

In the title, he uses the word 'atomic' to mean small. He says that success doesn't come from having grand plans, but from making small changes (the size of an atom) one step at a time. This produces lasting change.

Big goals (like the ones we always make every New Year) fail because it's too overwhelming to make big changes all at once, and we quickly get tired of trying too hard. But small goals that only mean minimal changes are easy.

In the book, he nailed it when he said that the goal itself isn't what differentiates winners from losers, or success from failure.

In the gym, they all want to get in shape. Olympians all want to win the gold medal. Every applicant wants the job. Every writer wants their book to be a bestseller.

What sets apart winners isn't their end goal because they all want the same thing. They all want the same goal, the same outcome.

What sets them apart is the daily systems they follow.

One does the work, the other doesn't. To be a winner you need systems that improve your results for good. You need to work in a way that changes your habits one atom at a time so that you'll stick to your new habits and not find them overwhelming. 

He says that if you're a writer, write daily, even if it means visiting your work for just two minutes a day. Don't skip a day. Build a daily habit, no matter how small.

I think building a daily writing habit, even a small two-minute habit, is extremely important, even though it doesn't sound like it is. It's just that sitting down to write every day is the hardest thing about writing. We can all think of other things that need doing when we know we should be writing. 

But when you know you only have to sit down for as little as two minutes, it's doable, because no one can say they don't have two minutes to spare. And that is the start of a daily writing habit. I've been doing it for the last two weeks, and it's working really well. Once I sit down and look at my diary to see what I should be working on, the next thing I know, half an hour or more has passed, and I didn't notice because I was so busy writing.

And it's while I'm writing that I can find systems that work for me. I can't possibly know what will work unless I'm actually working, and then it's easy to know what works and what doesn't.

James Clear says to find systems that create results and keep on refining them for endless improvement.

You'll love the process.

A Quick Heads-up Submission Opportunity

 This is just a quick post to let you know about an open writing opportunity from People's Friend magazine.

They posted on Twitter (X) that they are currently looking for fiction stories in all genres and all word counts.

What they posted is:

"Calling all authors! We're currently looking for stories set in August onwards for our weekly, and from late autumn onwards for our Specials. We're also now ready to read Advent and Christmas stories to feature across all 'Friend' publications. All genres and word counts!"

They also posted that they do not want any formatting in submissions, including no double line spacing and no page numbers.

You can read more at their website. But this is a high-paying market that publishes mostly fiction, including serials, so there are plenty of opportunities.

Their website is at https://www.thepeoplesfriend.co.uk.

Good luck.

The Single, Critical Key to Writing Better is Writing More

 

No doubt you're well aware (because I keep telling you) that I've been struggling to get my writing mojo back and to write as much as I used to.

Up until a year or two ago, I was quite a prolific writer, and I enjoyed it a lot. But somehow I lost it and all but gave up writing. Thankfully, I'm now a recovering non-writer, but it took a lot of figuring out as to what had gone wrong and how to fix it. Once I knew what the problem was, the fix was obvious and had been staring me right in the face the whole time. And, once I was honest with myself, I knew all along what I needed to do to get back to writing more and writing better.

The solution is to write. There are no shortcuts to writing, not even using AI. It takes time to write every day, so that is what I had to do, regardless of whether or not I felt like writing.

So I sat down and figured out a writing schedule. I can't remember exactly how I used to schedule my time, so I had to devise one from scratch. But what I do know is that I used to write for up to five hours a day, which may seem like a lot, but it's not for a full-time writer. And this is what's easy to miss. To write more, I have to have plenty of butt-in-chair time. If I had a full-time job, I'd have to work a lot more hours than that, and have to spend time in the evenings writing as well.

What I find is that the more time I spend in my chair, the more I write. And like anything we do, the more I do it, the better I get. Even sometimes when I think I'm not writing at my best, if I keep going and get it done. Usually, when I read it through later, it's actually pretty good.

Something I have learned is to write to please myself first. When I write to try to please my readers, I start to edit myself too much, and that never works out well.

And the truth is that no one knows whether readers will like what they write or not. No one knows how popular something is going to be. Writers don't know which books will be best sellers, musicians don't know which of their songs will be popular, and artists never know if others will like their work. Everyone has successes and flops.

That's why it's better to write for yourself because it's freeing and more enjoyable.Also, writing faster produces better writing (IMHO), because you can see in your writing how much you enjoyed doing it without your critical brain trying to stop you. 

You can't please everyone, so don't even try. Just enjoy writing, because if you don't enjoy what you do, it's not sustainable.

I used to sit and write for hours. I enjoyed it, and I wrote a lot. I didn't second-guess myself. I just wrote and loved doing it.

Somehow I lost my confidence, but I'm getting my mojo back so I can write more and write better.

Dorothea Brande talks about this in her book, "Becoming a Writer."  In it, she makes 3 clear points:

1. There's a huge difference between how to write and how to be a writer.

2. You'll struggle with your inner critic until you write a lot, and then it will be silenced.

3. Your biggest critics are those who know you, so never tell them what you're going to write.

I never talk to anyone about what I'm writing. Not ever. They probably wouldn't care anyway.

If you talk too much about what you're going to write, there's also the problem of "a tale twice told" feeling like it's already done.

So just keep writing. It's the only thing that works.

Writing and Weight Loss Update

A few weeks ago, I told you about my plans to finish writing my current book and, at the same time, lose 6 kilos. You can see that post here. 

So the time was up last month, so how did I do?

My goal was to do it all in 12 weeks following The 12 Week Year. Having a deadline made it easy for me to map out how much I needed to write per day and how much weight I needed to lose each week. You can see where I talked about this here.

I can report that I did finish writing my manuscript, but I only lost 4 kilos by my deadline, and I have lost another kilo since then. The reason for the delay was that Dean and I took an unplanned two-week holiday two months ago. We both felt a bit fed up, and it had been ages since we took a break, so we chose where to go, which was Byron Bay in New South Wales, packed up and went. We also stopped at other places on the way there and back.

While we were gone, we were doing so much travelling that I didn't get time to write, even though I did take my writing things with me. I also found it hard to stick rigidly to my diet, due to eating out and cooking at the camp sites, which was simple and quick food, but probably too much fat and sugar.

We did, though, find one really good place to eat in Byron Bay, called Manna Haven. It was a cafe/restaurant owned by the Seventh Day Adventists, and it was all fresh, home-cooked food, and because it was all vegan, it had fewer calories. And it was all delicious, so we ate there more than once.

But the holiday, while good, threw me back a bit with my plans. Thankfully, I didn't put on any weight during our trip, but I didn't lose any either.

Using The 12-Week Year helped me immensely. At first I thought it was impossible to condense 12 months' plans into 12 weeks, but I was wrong.

It's a fascinating way to work and showed me just how much I'm actually capable of doing.

https://amzn.to/4iB78Qi

The Final 10 Writing Tips From J A Konrath

 

Here are the final 10 writing tips in my writing quiver - for now. I hope you find them all helpful. The ebook I got them from, The Newbie's Guide to Publishing (Everything A Writer Needs To Know), is well worth the time it takes to read it, and it only costs a couple of dollars.

Here are the final 10 tips:

31. Read what’s currently selling, and come up with comparable ideas.

32. Show, don't tell. This means you don't need a one-paragraph description of a bedroom, a character's thoughts on everything, and for god's sake, don't put any backstory in the first chapter.

33. Always ask: “Does the story pull the reader in right away and then hold their interest?” In other words, does your story hook the reader?

34. Short stories pay poorly, but they’re extremely important for getting your name out there. Try to send out a few every month.

35. Talking about writing, reading about writing, taking writing classes, joining writing groups, discussing writing online, and attending writing conventions, are not substitutes for sitting down and actually writing. "Writers write."

36. Don’t be the writer who has ten projects going at once but never finishes any of them. Complete a project to the end.

37. Don’t be the writer who has a drawer full of finished manuscripts but no rejection slips because you never sent them to agents or editors. If you want to sell, you have to query.

38. Never listen to praise. Praise is like chocolate —we love to eat it up, but it isn't good for us. Being told something is good doesn't help you get better.

39. Know when to stop writing. There is ALWAYS something that can be fixed, edited, or told in a better way. To paraphrase Hemingway, writing is never completed, it is simply due.

40. Writing is a craft, and craft can be taught.

AND...

Because Joe Konrath is a funny as well as a helpful guy, here is a bit of bonus writing and publishing advice from him:

How to Become A Successful Crime Writer In Just Six Easy Steps:

Step #1: Read. 

Step #2: Outline.

Step #3: Write.

Step #4: Keep Writing.

Step #5: Edit.

Step #6: Sell It For A Lot Of Money.

And, as a famous cartoon pig once (actually way more than once) said:

That's all folks.