The Only Way To Get More Writing Done

Now that it's a New Year, many writers think about managing their time better.

I used to do the same thing too. I used to think, "If only there was a way to get lots more writing done."

So I set out on a quest a few years ago to try and discover this 'secret' for having more time to write.

I wouldn't say I was actively pursuing the answer to this question all the time, but whenever I came across an article about how to have more time to write, I'd sit and devour it with my eyes. I would read every word hoping to find that elusive, time-creating secret to being able to sit down and write more.

And I think I did find it a long time ago but I ignored it because it's wasn't what I wanted.

And if I'm really honest, I knew how to get more writing done all along. I just chose to ignore it.

Yet it really is so slap-you-forehead simple.

What I discovered, and which I actually knew all along but I was trying to delude myself that there was an easier way, was that the ONLY way to get more writing done, is to get more writing done.

So there it is.

That is the 'secret' to getting more writing done. It's to do more writing.

What this actually means in day-to-day reality is making writing a priority and doing it every single day. No excuses.

It's not that hard to find time every day to write.

We all have 24 hours a day and how we shape our life depends on how we spend our time every day.

And to be able to write every day, means cutting out something else that isn't necessary and that won't help you reach your writing goals.

So it may mean watching less TV or getting an hours less sleep every day to get up early and write, or spending less time having after-work drinks with colleagues.

Or it may mean utilizing wasted time like writing during the journey to work or when your sitting in the car waiting for your kids to get out of school or when you're drinking coffee.

When you start to look at exactly how you spend your 24 hours every day, you'll find ways to change things around so that there is always time to get more writing done.

Make this the year that you write every day. No matter what it takes.

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

Why You Don't Have to Be the Best Writer

Nothing weaker than water.
Nothing stronger than rock.
Still, a slow flow of water can cut through mountains.
~  Taoist Proverb

Sometimes it's easy to feel discouraged about writing because you think you're not good enough.

But what you need to understand is that you don't have to be the best writer.

You just have to keep writing.

Even a small amount of writing every day is better than none.

If you only write 100 words a day, you'll have written 36,500 words by this time next year. That's a whole book's worth of writing.

So don't use lack of time as an excuse not to write. Everyone has time to write every day, yet most do nothing.

You don't have to be great, you just have to outwork everyone else.

Get the writing habit.

Sit down with pen and paper/blank page on a screen, and even if you don't know what to write, just start.

Today is New Year's Eve, so make your resolution for next year to sit down and write every day. Even if it's only 100 words.

Make 2020 your best writing year ever.

And here's another quote to think about:

If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.
~Zig Ziglar

What I Do When The Puppy Won't Let Me Write

This week I'm dog sitting. I'm looking after my daughter's dog for a week.

She's a sweet little thing and is only small. She's a cross between a mini fox terrier and a Chihuahua (I had to Google how to spell that).

So tiny yet such a distraction.

Even now as I try to write this, she is sitting at my feet whining then barking to draw my attention to the ball she's placed next to my foot and is waiting for me to throw it for her. So I find myself intermittently throwing the ball while I try to write.

I soon realised earlier today that it is almost impossible for me to write while she is distracting me in this way (or any other way).

At first I thought I'd give up and not write at all. But I have a lot to do with a new book coming out soon and a new website that I'm working on as well, so in my inimitable wisdom, I decided to do things that don't actually require too much writing, like working on my new website layout and writing up a list of tasks that I need to complete.

This sort of work takes more thinking and planning and I can sit on the floor while I do it so that I can throw the ball at the same time. Also, doing this sort of work is easier than writing because throwing the ball destroys my writing 'flow.' I need to keep 100% focused to write, which usually isn't difficult, but with the ball-obsessed-dog distraction, it's almost impossible to stay focused.

This is what happens when life gets in the way of writing. Which happens more often than I like.

But instead of complaining and wasting time, I just shift to working on something that doesn't need 100% focus.

And I always stop at least once every hour to go into the garden and throw the ball for 10 minutes without being distracted by my work. Because even small, ball-obsessed dogs need my full attention now and again.

And at the end of the day, there is always time for a walk too.

But in the meantime, I don't let anything stop me from working. I just change what I'm working on to suit my environment.

You can see for yourself just how ball-obsessed this little dog is by clicking the link below.

It's only a few seconds of video and it shows two dogs (one large, one small) playing, while our little dog is ignoring them because her attention is only on the two balls out of her reach. And she's doing the best she can to get them.  

https://twitter.com/RuthIsWriting/status/1191486528700071936/video/1  

It's Not What You Said, It's The Way You Said It

Yesterday, I watched a fascinating video on YouTube.

It was short talk (less than 45 minutes) by author Dean Wesley Smith.

It's called The Attitude of a Fiction Author, but the subject is suitable for any writer.

In fact, Dean tells you to write what you enjoy writing instead of doing the kind of writing you think you SHOULD do, or what you think will earn you the most money, because, he says, if you're not enjoying what you're doing, you won't be good at it, nor will you be able to do it year after year, which will make your writing career unsustainable.

Not only that, but it will interfere with how you write. In other words, the tone of your writing.

His overall message is to have fun with your writing. Just write, proofread (don't rewrite) and publish. Then get on with your next book, short story, or whatever.

He also said something that I found remarkably interesting, and that is, if you publish your work (whether it's a book or some other sort of writing) and it doesn't sell, don't take it off the market because it will eventually find the right market. And it may not be your book that's bad. It could be the cover or the sales page, but if you leave it alone, eventually the right readers will find your book and love it.

This was one of the best talks about writing that I've heard in a long time. His presentation is extremely uplifting and once I'd finished watching it and taking notes (I wrote copious notes), I was inspired to write.

You can see the video below.

It's well worth a watch.

And as this time of year is so close to the New Year, this talk could really motivate you to have your best, and most fun, year of writing, ever.

Enjoy.