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

Prioritise or Die

Do you know what your priorities are?

Does what you say you want correspond with what you do on a regular basis? 

If it doesn't, then you may feel as though you "die" a little inside every time you don't do what you always say you want to do. Or you may feel like you "die" a little inside every time you feel bad for not doing what you really want to do.

Author and self-help guru James Arthur Ray says you can tell what your priorities are by looking at the five things you do the most every day. 

For instance, you may say that writing is important to you, yet you do little or no writing, yet spend five hours a day watching TV or playing computer games, so clearly those things are your priorities. Or you might spend more time on social media than on putting pen to paper.

I believe that sometimes the hardest person to be honest with is ourselves.

So how about you? What is it that you really want to be spending time doing every day? Being completely honest with yourself is the only way to truly understand what you want out of life. Be true to yourself, not to what you think others want you to do.

Knowing what you want means first knowing what interests you, because if you have no interest in what you do, you won't do it.

And don't forget that priorities can and do change. When my kids were young, they were my main priority. Now that they're adults and can look after themselves, they're much further down the list.

These days, my list of priorities looks more like this:

My Home – I always take care of where I live.

My marriage – My husband, Dean, and I spend most of our time together.

My Writing – I write almost every day, sometimes for a short while, other days for hours.

My Health – I get plenty of exercise, and all my meals are home-cooked. Eating out and takeaways hold little to no interest for me.

My Crafts – I'm always productive, and even when I'm just watching TV, I'm knitting or sewing or doing something else at the same time. Home cooking is also my hobby.

These are the five things I spend my time on daily. 

They are my priorities, and each interests me greatly.

Mission Critical For Life
Start Living Life On Your Terms By Pursuing Your True Life Mission
https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/MCFL.html 

My 2026 Writing Plans Update

A couple of weeks ago, I told you that I had plans for what I would be doing this year, and that I’d let you know how it was going.

I got my ideas for my 12-month plans from a book I read called “The 12 Week Year.”

The book is about having 12-month goals and breaking them down to 12-week goals for a shorter deadline.

At first it seemed impossible because it means reducing what you do in one month down to one week, and reducing what you plan to do in one week down to one day. 

The first thing that came to my mind was that most people don’t even make New Year plans that way (and I’m just as guilty). People have goals of what they want to achieve over the next twelve months, but they don’t break them down into the steps they need to take on a monthly/weekly basis. They just say that they’re going to do something, then go at it like fury for a few weeks (or less) and then forget about it. Or they say all year that they’re going to do it, but they don’t start until they realise that December isn’t all that far away anymore.

In contrast, The 12-Week Year tells you to write down your goal, or goals, and then work out a timeline for how you are going to achieve it.

So, for instance, you might say that you want to lose weight. You set a target of losing 12 kilos, which means that you need to lose one kilo every month. But if you break it down into 12 weeks instead of 12 months, it means you need to lose a kilo a week, because a month becomes a week.

Losing a kilo a month would be easy because all you’d have to do is cut back on desserts, drink less alcohol and maybe drink more water instead of sugary drinks.

But losing that much weight in a week would mean more changes. So you might also reduce your portion size at meal times, change what you eat to reduce fat in your diet, and maybe go for a walk every day. Those are the things that I would do.

You might also have a goal to write a 100,000-word novel in 12 months, which would mean writing around 400 words a day, five days a week, for 50 weeks, plus 2 weeks to proof and edit.

But when you reduce it to just 12 weeks, it means writing 10,000 words a week for 10 weeks, plus 2 weeks for proofing and editing. And when you break it down even further, writing 10,000words a week and working 5 days a week means writing 2,000 words a day.

The question then is, are both these things doable at the same time?

The answer is yes, absolutely, they are.

I made two 12-week plans. One to lose weight and one to write a novel.

I wrote out my plan by the month, week and day, and while it seemed like a lot, it’s extremely doable. And both are so good for me in many ways. By changing my diet, I’m eating less and eating better, and my meals are smaller and mostly grains and vegetables. I’ve cut out snacking in the evenings and started eating fruit instead of sugary snacks and desserts. I’ve also cut back to drinking almost zero sugary soft drinks, and I’ve been drinking soda water with a slice of lime in it instead, and herbal teas. Not only is all this helping me to lose weight and stick to my weekly weight-loss goal, but I feel better, I don’t feel full all the time (which was awful), and I’m saving money.

Sticking to my daily writing meant creating a schedule and sticking to it, which I’ve done with only one or two slip-ups. Writing regularly every day on my novel is mentally good for me too because I get lost in what I’m writing, which is always a nice break for my crazy monkey mind, and the short deadline of only 12 weeks helps me to stay on track and on target.

The 12 Week Year is a book I’d recommend for anyone who wants to achieve more than they’ve ever done before. And because goals are achieved in just 12 weeks, it can be repeated three more times in a year, so you can quadruple your output.

Not only that, but at the end of each 12 weeks, there’s a week off to rest and plan your next 12-week goals, because there are 4 x 13-week periods in a year, so that means 12 weeks of focused work, then one week off, and then repeat.

I find that tight deadlines are easier to stick to because they don’t leave room for procrastination or wasting time with distractions.

It says in the book that successful people don’t achieve more because they know more, but because they execute better than their competition.

I’m finding that consistent execution substantially increases my results, not because I’m working harder, but because I’m focusing on the activities that matter the most. The tight 12-week deadline is helping me to work faster and with more focus, and helps me maintain a sense of urgency to get things done.

Working this way felt (a lot) uncomfortable at first because it’s not how I usually work, but I figured that nothing great is ever achieved by staying in our comfort zones.

And best of all, I’m ahead of schedule on my novel and on my weight loss (not that I have much weight to lose). Writing a book isn’t a huge task, but I have a definite deadline, and I also have other writing projects to complete simultaneously. So far, I’m managing it all.

I’m thinking of this as a 12-Week Challenge. And I do enjoy a challenge. I’ve also devised a few household tasks to complete within the 12 weeks, so it’s been ‘game on’ for the last few weeks.

But as I’d gotten completely out of whack with my writing over the last few months, this 12 Week Year was exactly what I needed to get me going again.

And I’m loving it.

Making Writing Plans Over the Christmas Holidays

As the famous ex-Beetle, John Lennon, once sang, “So this is Christmas, and what have you done? Another year over, and a new one just begun.”

This is now the time of year when we reflect on what we've achieved, or not, over the last 12 months, and make plans for what we're going to achieve in the next 12 months.

But that's not true, is it? It’s not what we do. It’s only what we THINK we do.

We don't PLAN what we're going to do. We only SAY what we're going to do, with no actual “plan” to make it happen.

But what if you did have a plan? A month-by-month, week-by-week, day-by-day plan for everything you want to achieve, whether it's saving money, losing weight, or doing more writing, or all three?

The best way to plan something, especially a long-term plan, is to write it down.

Write down what you want to achieve and then create a timeline of what you need to do every month, then every week and every day, to get there.

For the plan to work, your goals need to be specific. So, for example, using the previous three goals mentioned, you'd have to say exactly how much money you want to have in savings, exactly how much weight you want to lose, and how many words you want to write and what you'll be writing.

Then you need to figure out exactly how you're going to do it all.

I've been working on my plan over the last couple of weeks, and I found it unexpectedly enlightening as to how to actually execute what I want to do.

And the most amazing (and positive) thing was that when I broke it all down into smaller monthly, weekly and daily goals, it's not as big as I thought it was when I was looking at it as a 12-month goal.

For instance, if I wanted to write half a million words in a year, that breaks down to only an hour a day of writing. And if I wanted to save $10,000, I would only have to cut back my spending by $192 a week, which is achievable through simple things like careful grocery spending, making fewer car trips, and avoiding purchases that are only wants and not needs. But these are not my goals, but just an example.

With my actual plan already in place (and I've already started working on my plan), I know that I'll achieve my goals because I’m working on them daily, but I won't tell you what they are yet, because I don't want to jinx it. But knowing what I have to do in the short-term (monthly/weekly/daily) makes the plan remarkably easy to follow. And leaves no room for excuses.

But for now, I will tell you that by following my plan, I’ll be eating better and writing a hell of a lot more.

Click the link below to see where I got my ideas from, and read more about how to create a plan for your own 12-month goals.

The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months

Audio book:

https://amzn.to/4rFPOh0

Paperback:

https://amzn.to/4iB78Qi

The Key To Overcoming Procrastination

In my ongoing life quest to get more done by managing my time, I read a book by time management guru, Brian Tracy.

The book is called ‘Eat That Frog.’ The premise of the title is that if the hardest thing that you have to do in a day is to eat a live frog, but you don’t want to do it even though you know it’s the most important thing you have to do and that it will benefit you the most, eat it first just to get it out of the way so that you can stop worrying about it.

Although the thought of eating a frog, alive or dead, is a disgusting idea, I can see how getting the most important task of the day done first, can save time and stress.

He also says that no matter what you’re doing you should always ask yourself, “What is the most valuable use of my time right now?” This, he says, is the core question of time management.

Answering that question is the key to overcoming procrastination and becoming a highly productive person.

Every hour of every day, one task represents the most valuable use of your time, at that moment.

Eating the frog and asking the core question may not sound like much, but they are transforming if you use them.

Let’s face it, none of us want to tackle our biggest and most important jobs first. It’s much easier to start with small, easy tasks. Easier, but they don’t help much.

What’s your ‘frog?’

And why aren’t you eating it?

Eat That Frog

Never Even Consider Copying Someone Else

Do you know what’s the most important thing about being creative?

Being authentic.

Being yourself and writing in your own voice.

There is no other way.

Years ago, someone tried hard to be me. He even bought my website for writers (Writeaholics.net) and published all my old articles on it.

Naturally, it was a huge failure.

Why?

Because he’s not me. The articles on that website were written in my voice so there was no way he could mimic that in the future. So, he didn’t even try.

And because he wasn’t me, he also couldn’t earn money from that website like I did. For one thing, I had a huge number of subscribers who I kept in touch with every week. But I don’t think he knew that. So, while he was failing to earn money from my old website, I began a new site, carried on making money from it in my usual way, and kept on emailing my subscribers.

There was no way that he could earn money from that website because he wasn’t me, so he couldn’t write like me, and he also wasn’t aware of how I was earning money online. How could he?

No one can work the same way someone else does. It’s impossible.

But if there is someone whose books and work ethic you admire, then there’s nothing wrong with letting what they do spark ideas of your own.

Just so long as they are your ideas, and you stay true to yourself.

And if you want to find out more about the guy who bought my website and tried to be me (he even published my old “about” page with my photos and all my information about myself until I told him to take it down), you can read the article that I wrote about it at the time by clicking the link below.

 

Writeaholics.net: Why I Don’t Trust This Website

The Vital Importance of Knowing the Difference Between Goals and Rewards

 

Until recently, I was like most people and thought that a goal was an end result. I used to say things like “My goal is to publish six books this year,” or “I’ve made it my goal to go for more walks.” But it turns out that I didn’t understand what a goal actually is.

The late, great Buddhist teacher, Thich Nhat Hahn, understood goals perfectly when he said that when washing the dishes, you should wash the dishes to wash the dishes, not to have clean dishes.

At first that looks confusing because you have to wash the dishes in order to have clean dishes. So what was he talking about?

He made that statement when he was talking about mindfulness and the importance of keeping your mind in the present moment. He was saying that to have clean dishes, your goal must be to wash the dishes, to think only of each dish as you clean it. As he put it (and I paraphrase), clean each teapot and cup with as much care and attention as if you are washing the baby Jesus himself. Your reward for such diligence, is clean dishes. But if all you think about is wanting to get the cleaning over and done with then the dishes may to be done properly.

The goal is to clean each dish. The reward is clean dishes.

But, you may be wondering, what does this have to do with writing?

Well, goals and rewards work the same way in any situation, even with writing.

What you need to do is figure out what it is you want to achieve with your writing. It can be a short or long-term achievement. It might be to write and publish a book every two months, or even to earn $30k a year as a freelance writer, or become a ghost writer, or a high-earning blogger, or a short story writer.

Whatever it is, first you have need to know what it is you want (reward), and then you have to plan exactly what you need to do to achieve it (goal).

So say you want to write and publish a book every two months. You have to know how many words you can write in an hour and how long it takes to edit proof and publish a book. Once you’ve figured it out then you know how many hours a day you need to work. And if you work your plan you’ll reach your goal which is to have a strong daily work ethic.

Your goal is the plan you made for daily/weekly writing. The reward is having a book written and published every two months.

So just like washing the dishes to wash the dishes, not to have clean dishes, your goal is to write the books to write the books, not to have the books written.

And the reward will come if you stick to your goal.

The 12 Month Writing Challenge
Write and Publish 12 Books in a Year
https://www.cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/12MTH.html

Why You’re Not Writing and How to Fix it

 

I recently admitted to you all (to my subscribers) that I haven’t been doing much writing lately.

I’ve had a lot going on in my life for the past several months, and most of it was not good and was either emotionally or physically demanding. But it was still no excuse for not writing. Sometimes a week or more would go by without me writing a word. And it bothered me. I wanted to write, so why wasn’t I writing? I didn’t understand it.

Then one day I was reading a book by Kristine Kathryn Rusch called, How Writers Fail: Analysis and Solutions.[This book can only be bought as part of a series https://amzn.to/426rfQ9] It was fascinating (and I read it several times), and one thing in particular struck me.

Kristine is married to author, Dean Wesley Smith, and she said that he cannot write without a deadline, even if it’s just a self-imposed deadline. And I realised that was my problem too. I had no deadlines.

I was overwhelmingly busy with so many other things going on, including selling our apartment, packing up everything we own, looking for another property to buy and finding nothing suitable so having to quickly rent a house and unpack everything we own. So I’d jettisoned my writing because other things seemed more important, like being days away from being homeless. But I still should have sat down every day, at least for an hour, and written. But instead I did nothing. No writing.

The problem with being human is that when faced with a choice, we default to the easiest thing to do, with is usually watching TV or playing a computer game, while telling ourselves that we deserve a rest.

When you have a job to go to every day it gives you a deadline to work to. It always gives you deadlines at home too because your time is limited.

But it’s too easy to put things off if there are no deadlines looming. When I put off my writing, it felt like there was little consequence because no one knew I hadn't done it and I still got plenty of other things done.

We always put off doing things we know we have to do if there isn’t a deadline, even things like washing the car, exercise, cooking, and even going for days out. It’s always easier to do nothing. Yet we always feel better if we do what we’re supposed to do.

It’s also a matter of priorities, the things you deem important enough that you’ll do them no matter what.

Some people aren’t even aware of their own priorities. It see parents at the park staring at their phones instead of interacting with their kids. Dogs not walked, dirty homes, unmade beds. All of it leads to depression.

Many studies show that productive people are happy people. They have a sense of achievement and have everything they want because they get things done. And it works the other way around too. Not only are productive people happy, but happy people are said to be 13% more productive. But productivity shouldn’t be confused with being busy. People who are busy all day, are said to be miserable. There is also a correlation between happiness and having a job. According to the World Happiness Report (WHR), having a job is a major step towards happiness.

So your writing has to be a priority or it won’t get done, and you’ll be unhappy. To get it done you need a schedule and deadlines.

I organise my days for everything I want to get done that day, and I do it whether I want to or not. If I didn’t, I’d be miserable, just like I have been these last few months when I wasn’t writing.

I have a publishing schedule for everything I write, including blog posts and books. Freelance work always comes with deadlines so that always gets done on time. I already know that I have to finish my latest book by the end of this month. I also have other writing projects to do, as well as all my chores and obligations in my personal life.

And deadlines, like having to finish my book in three weeks, keeps me on track every day.

I definitely need deadlines, as I proved to myself recently.

And having a schedule and deadlines means I know what I’ll be working on every day, meaning I can get straight down to work with no time to procrastinate.

Now that’s what I call a win-win.

Cheriton House Publishing
https://www.cheritonhousepublishing.com
Books on writing and self-help

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. :)

Write From Inspiration Not Desperation

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

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

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

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

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

This is 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 look for paying markets and writing competitions and use 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

https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/MCWS1.html

Writing When I Really 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.

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

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.

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

https://ruthiswriting.com/books/MCWS1.html

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.

https://ruthiswriting.com/books/MCWS1.html

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

https://ruthiswriting.com/make-money.html

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

https://ruthiswriting.com/quotes.html

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

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