Categories
Craft

5 Books on Writing That Will Improve Your Craft

To be a great writer you have to be a great reader.
What’s going to help you hone your craft more than a book on writing?

Here are my top five suggestions!

Still Writing
by Dani Shapiro

This book has been my number one for so long and I absolutely love it. It’s a very digestible read and, in true Shapiro style, is a mixture of a memoir and her thoughts on writing. I re-read this quite often, and would highly recommend it.

How to Write Like Tolstoy
by Richard Cohen

I was given this book as a gift when I finished my PhD in Creative Writing, and once I started reading it I could not stop! This book basically goes into the minds and process of writer’s that you have heard of…and is fascinating in its insight.

How NOT to Write a Novel
by Sandra Newman and Howard Mittelmark

A classic – I’ve had this on my creative writing bookshelf (yes, I do have two separate bookshelves) since I did my creative writing undergrad. This is a fantastic reference book and very easy to read – I find myself picking it up every now and then and just jumping straight back in.

Zen in the Art of Writing
by Ray Bradbury

A celebration of writing? Yes. An insight into an incredible author? Yes. What’s to stop you from picking this up and giving it a go?

Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel
by Lisa Cron

The science of writing a story! Science was one of my least favourite subjects in school, but this book makes the science of a story accessible and really interesting.

Categories
Coaching

Author Comparison and How to Avoid It

We live in a world where it is really easy to see how other people are doing, check out their highlight reel, and draw comparisons between them and our own writing journey.

But, that way unhappiness lies! Author comparison is a negative mindset to be in, so here are some tips on avoiding the pitfalls.

Highlight Reels

Remember, that stuff you see being shared by your favourite author/writing friend is the highlight reel.

They aren’t necessarily sharing their struggles, the nights they’ve spent fretting about their work, the rejections they received before they got published. All those issues are very real and happen behind the scenes.

Of course, they want to share their success and that is awesome, but when you see a barrage of published books, what looks like endless easy writing days, and more besides, it can sting. It’s okay for that to sting, you are only human, and you are working really hard and trying your best too. Give yourself a pat on the back, and see their work as an example. If they did it, so can you!

Their success is just proof that everything you want is possible. How awesome is that?

Reframe the way that you view those highlight reels, and see them as a series of endless possibilities, instead of what you haven’t yet achieved.

Performance Enhancing Techniques

Phrases for reframing are so helpful and important.

For example, if you find that you are comparing yourself to another author and feeling down about it, try re-phrasing the way you are speaking to yourself. Imagine yourself as another person – what is the advice that you would give?

It could be something as simple as changing ‘Her success means I’m less likely to achieve mine’ to ‘Her success shows me how successful I can be as an author’. If you develop an amazing one, write it down and pin it somewhere near your computer/ make it your background and repeat it as a mantra.

You will find that the act of re-framing and re-phrasing will eventually change your behaviour and feelings, kicking comparison to the curb.

Generosity

Viewing others from a place of constant generosity is not always easy, but it is a worthwhile practice that can lead to a genuine change in issues of comparison envy.

Next time you feel that you are comparing, try looking at your fellow author from a place of generosity and saying ‘I am so happy that they have achieved this success. It says nothing about me and my journey, only that what I strive for is possible.’

Your Journey

Remember that your journey is your own. Yes, there are people who were best sellers at the grand old age of nineteen, but if that’s not your journey, that’s okay. There will be someone looking at your journey and wishing that it was their own.

Be grateful for your path, your ongoing education, and your personal growth. It’s an awesome thing!

Categories
Coaching

The Power of Taking Responsibility for Your Writing Journey

Being a writer is a tricky thing, and aside from that being because it’s um…hard to write a novel, that’s because there’s only one person to rely on. Yourself.

So what does it mean to take responsibility for your writing journey, when you’re already the one responsible? Read on to find out.

Taking responsibility can be a tricky concept to master. This is because sometimes things happen around us that change our days, and so if, for example, we decided to write for an afternoon, and then a friend showed up on the doorstep and asked to come in for tea, we would feel obliged and would watch our afternoon of hard work float miserably out of the window. Now then, it would not be our fault that the friend had shown up unannounced, it was not our decision and therefore was nothing really to do with us.

I’m going to slip effortlessly from fourth person narrative to second person now to prove the responsibility point.

It might not be your fault, but through the very act of them showing up at your door unannounced when you had planned to write, it is now your responsibility.

Your time is your responsibility. Your writing is your responsibility. Life throws all sorts at us, from work to laundry, to everything else that we deal with on a daily basis, but it is the act of taking responsibility for that time that gets things done.

The way I take responsibility for my writing journey is by planning it every week. I write down my weekly goals, which correspond to my quarterly goals. I make sure that everything is colour coded so that I know what I’m doing just with a glance, and I hold myself accountable.

By doing this, I make sure that there’s no room for procrastination, and I remind myself that I am the only person who is responsible for this novel getting written.

If it weren’t for me writing it, it just would not get done.

I am also responsible for self-care and the care of my loved ones. This means that I ensure I put time aside for rest, cooking, shopping, cleaning, reading, gaming – all the stuff that needs doing and that I want to do goes into my plan.

That means that I can realistically rest and relax, and hit my Goodreads 2021 reading goal while making sure that I’m writing during the times I have set.

In short, by reminding myself frequently that I am responsible for everything in my day, I give myself the power to move ever closer to my goals – whether they are reading that book that I’ve been hoping to finish for ages, or writing another thousand words of my work in progress.

So, what would I do if that friend showed up unannounced? I would tell them that I was unfortunately busy, compare diaries, and fix a time that works better for me. After all, nobody wants a resentful coffee, and everyone wants a friends full attention.

Are you looking for a way to create a routine and take responsibility for your writing life? Get in touch! I can help you build a routine that works for you, so you can finally that get your novel written.

Categories
Craft

Why You Should Find Out Who Your Ideal Reader Is

Your ideal reader is out there, and finding out who they are matters. Read on to find out why!

Who is your ideal reader?

It’s a question that could inspire a lot of consideration, and it’s worth taking some time to really think about it.

Once you know who your ideal reader is, you will find that your marketing will become much easier. Not only that, but writing, plotting, coming up with story ideas in the first place becomes easier too.

Why? Because you know who are you are writing for, what they want from a story, and most of all, where they spend their time.

How To Realise Your Ideal Reader

Think about your favourite book or brand.

It might shock you to know that you are probably that author’s ideal reader or that brand’s ideal buyer. After all, everything they write seems to apply to your interests, and that’s why you picked up the book and loved it so much in the first place.

Finding your ideal reader can do the same for you, it can help drive that person to you – just by considering who they are. You can get as deep as you like with this. For example, you can consider not only their occupation, but also where they live, their name, their age, and the other books they have on their TBR pile.

You might find that your ideal reader is a lot like you, and that would make sense if you absolutely love the genre you are writing in and have a passion for stories like your own.

So, take some time to draft out your ideal reader. Think carefully about who they are and what might draw them to your stories in particular.

Then, once you know what they are looking for, consider where they spend their time.

What bookshops do they frequent, or do they buy solely online? Would they baulk at buying from a chain, and prefer an independent book store? Are they more likely to use TikTok, Facebook or Instagram?

You can even do some research on this. You might find that Generation Z are less likely to have Facebook than TikTok, for example, so marketing your YA novel on Facebook could be a waste of your resources.

Visualise Your Reader

Once you know who your reader is, it’s time to visualise them.

Save the information you have about them, and give them a name.

Next time you’re marketing, chatting about your WIP, or plotting, keep this person in mind. Talk to them, and appreciate what it is they are looking for in a story.

Take them on the adventure they want to be taken on. You’ll find that you attract just the person you are visualising by considering them when you speak and write.

Want some free writing books?

Click here to grab The Writer’s Toolkit and The Writer’s Way!

 

Categories
Productivity

The Ultimate Guide to Creating Your Writing Routine

A 7 Step Journey from Time Poor to Productive Writer

Did you know that only 3% of aspiring authors finish their manuscript?

Now, of course, there are potentially plenty of reasons for why this is, from maintaining the desire to write to having the information you need to write a novel…but I’m going to take a guess here that one of the prevailing reasons is time.

This is actually more than a guess, this is based on my research into the pain points of aspiring authors online.

Time to write is vital. Writing a novel takes persistence, writing knowledge, a thick skin, hard work, the list goes on and on, but the thing writing a novel really requires? More time.

So, what if I told you that the answer to this issue was as simple as creating a writing routine that actually works with your life? Whatever your reaction is to that, surely it’s worth a shot.

If you’re ready to go from time poor to productive writer, read on!

My Experience of Time

Years ago I was in a high-pressure time sensitive situation all the time.

I was working two jobs alongside completing my full-time Creative Writing PhD. Time was precious, and I felt overwhelmed and tired.

Then, I developed a way to cope and followed the techniques I’m about to present for your reading pleasure in this blog post. After this, I thrived in each of my roles. I had a waiting list of students trying to get onto my creative writing classes, and full mark observations of my teaching. I won business excellence awards at a national level in my part-time office job. I completed my PhD in four years with minor corrections.

Since then, I’ve put my routine building skills to good use, planning my wedding for four months from the day my partner proposed, writing two novels in one year with time for querying, and more.

So, come in a little closer writer, I’m about to tell you my secrets of productivity!

1. Pinpointing Your Time Wasters

We all waste time in our week, and that’s absolutely fine.

After all, life is not just a series of work tasks to be completed – sometimes there is pleasure to be had in sitting on the sofa, switching on the television, and delighting in a little bit of time wasting.

But when this delightful time wasting turns into a daily habit, it often stops becoming enjoyable and can turn into a negative practice.

The first step of building your writing habit is to pinpoint those time wasters in your week. How much time do you spend mindlessly scrolling, for example?

Once you understand what tasks fill up your week, and which ones you feel you can do without, you can start to understand where space exists for your writing.

2. Weekly Goals over Daily Goals

Setting daily goals can often be an inflexible way of planning, meaning that there is no space for movement.

This in turn can lead to stress – after all, inflexibility in a routine means that the routine is most likely not sustainable.

Instead, weekly goals can help you achieve your writing ambitions.

Ask yourself what you would like to achieve this time next month, and then break down your goal into weekly easy to digest chunks.

For example, now you know that you would like to have written ten thousand words in one month, how will that fit into each week?

3. Your Creative Data

‘What on earth is creative data?!’ I hear you ask.

Well, it’s the time it takes you to write.

Next time you are writing, keep an eye on the clock and check how many words it takes you to write in one hour. Don’t race or hurry yourself along, because this is not realistic. Your data should be honest in order to work for you.

Once you know how many words you can write in one hour, on a normal day, you can understand how many words you can fit into a week.

4. Overestimating Your Time

Always overestimate how long it will take you to complete a task.

You might be able to write five hundred words in fifteen minutes on a good day when the work is planned, the sun is shining, and the house is quiet – but how many words can you write realistically in one hour?

For example, I write ninety words a minute, but when I’m writing creatively it can be more like ten words a minute. My personal best is 714 words in fifteen minutes…but on some days it takes me two hours to write 1000 words!

Overestimating how long it will take based on my creative data ensures a space in my calendar for the actual amount of words I’d like to get written.

5. Planning Flexibility

Life happens, and sometimes there is nothing we can do to stop it.

We can balance our writing routines by ensuring that there is space for some movement and flexibility.

For example, time blocking back to back and squeezing writing in where we can is one thing, but leaving small gaps in between tasks in the day will mean that there is movement for something to change.

This also means ensuring that if one writing session is missed, another one won’t be too hard to find.

For example, I don’t usually write on the weekend unless I missed a session in the week. Having that option means that my writing routine doesn’t get thrown out if life throws a spanner into my washing machine.

6. Building a Habit

Building a habit is something that I talk about often because it is a powerful way of keeping yourself writing.

It takes three weeks to build a habit into your life, and three weeks to lose one. So, once you have your writing routine ready, try it for at least three weeks to really give it a shot.

Building a habit requires the following:

Cue – An alert to remind you the habit is about to start.

Craving – Imagining the action. Inspire yourself by thinking of how wonderful it will be to write, how it will feel to have the finished product.

Response – The act of writing.

Reward – The incentive to write, whether it’s a cup of tea, an hour of your favourite show, or a pat on the back.

So, once you know what your time wasters are, you have set yourself your weekly goals based on your creativity data, you’ve overestimated your time and ensured that you have movement for flexibility in your week it’s time to start this writing habit by setting alerts into your calendar.

Once the alarm goes off, don’t ignore it, pay attention and imagine the action of writing. See yourself completing the task.

7. Holding Yourself Accountable 

This is key! No one can tell this story but you, so it’s time to keep yourself accountable.

Use rewards, be clear and realistic in your planning, and set yourself up for success!

If you struggle with holding yourself to account it might be a good idea to find an accountability partner who can support you.

This is exactly where a writing coach comes in useful! Through my work with my clients, I hold them accountable to action points they set themselves and investigate any issues that stop them from achieving.

Complete these seven steps and see how your writing routine grows beneath you – try it out for three weeks, and you’ll have a word count to be proud of.

Found this post useful?
Share away and help other writers create a routine that works for them!

Check out these related posts:

Want some free writing books?

Click here to grab The Writer’s Toolkit and The Writer’s Way!

Ready to create your own writing routine?

Get in touch.
I help authors write their novels and create a writing routine that takes them from procrastination to print, and I would love to help you! Click here for more information. 

Categories
Productivity

Task Batching – How It Can Give You More Time To Write

You’ve got those writing tasks to do, and they are not all fun (although, to be fair, a lot of them are). We’re talking research, actually writing a draft, querying, reading, blogging, editing, proofreading…the list could go on.

If you’re flicking between these sorts of activities daily then it’s time to talk about task batching – because this will save you time and energy in the long run.

Have you ever heard the myth of the proactive and productive multi-tasker? Yep, multi-tasking is not the way forward. In fact, the time that it takes you to re-focus on a new task when you are already in the zone could be spent much more effectively.

Let’s use writing a draft as an example. Writing a draft requires your creative brain to switch on.

Imagine the scenario where you have written your to-do list for the day, and you have the following on it:

  • Writing 1000 words
  • Editing – Proofreading
  • Querying
  • Research

So, you happily write your word count, feeling creative and completely in the zone. Right, time to switch to proofreading your work. This is a little trickier because editing is not the same as writing and requires a different type of concentration. So, after spending a good ten or twenty minutes trying to refocus, you proofread a chapter. Good. Okay, onto the querying. Ah, now this is different again. You have to refocus that brain once more, which wastes yet more time. We haven’t even moved onto the research element of your day yet.

Refocusing the brain takes up precious time that could be used on something else that suits the focussed zone you are currently basking in.

Matching Tasks and Batching Repeat Tasks

Depending on your tasks, there are a couple of different ways to task batch. These can be broken up into Matching Tasks and Batching Repeat Tasks.

Matching Tasks

If you have just written 1000 words of your novel, ask yourself, what writing activity on your to-do list is similar to this task? Take Blogging for example. Personally, I always use Tuesday’s as my creative days. That means that I spend time writing my work in progress, before moving onto writing a blog post. I don’t have to take time to re-focus my mind on writing to do so or to switch my creativity too much – because I’m writing about writing after all. In fact, I have found that when I write creatively my blog posts are far more interesting, chatty, and engaging (trust me – I asked Grammarly).

You can match your tasks depending on the thought process so that you know you won’t have to disengage and refocus before moving on.

Batching Repeat Tasks

As well as matching your tasks, it can really help to batch up jobs and tick them off. If you write a blog post every week, why not take one afternoon a month to get four blog posts written? This will really free up your time for other creative exploits, and you might find you get far more done.

By labelling certain days for job lot tasks ahead of time, you can line up your work and dive straight in without having to refocus your mind on the task at hand.

So, the next time you are planning your writing week (and if you want to read more about that, read: Ten Tips for Planning your Writing Week), try and think about task batching at the same time.

You may find that you reclaim those precious minutes that were previously wasted – and that’s at least another few hundred words of your work in progress.

Take a moment now to write a list of your tasks and see how they could fit together, or plan your repeated tasks into one time frame – you won’t regret it once you give it a go!

Want to chat about task batching and how it can help you? Head to the contact page and send me an email! Don’t forget to sign up to the email list to receive weekly blog posts before everyone else, direct to your inbox.

Categories
Coaching

3 Ways to Hold Yourself Accountable (Writing Edition)

It’s one thing planning your week, deciding that you would like to write one thousand words a day and highlighting everything in the right colours, but how do you actually hold yourself accountable?

Read on to find out my top three tricks for holding myself true to the task in my diary – you are more than welcome to try them.

1: Reward Yourself

I talk about rewards a lot because withholding those small luxuries – an hour of your favourite tv show, for example – as a reward for a task completed really works. It’s part of the act of creating a writing habit that sticks, and it’s something that you can set up immediately.

If you’ve completed that writing goal for the day, reward yourself. The reward will not only drive you through the task, but you will be more likely to sit down to complete it next time.

2: Be Clear and Realistic

You can’t hold yourself accountable for something if you’re not sure what success looks like, or how you are supposed to reach it.

When you are setting your writing goals for the week, be realistic and clear. Can you actually write 1,000 words a day, or is that setting yourself up for failure? There’s no shame in it, I write 4,000 words a week and am very happy with that. Some write more, some write less.

This is your journey, so be clear with yourself from the start. It’s better to have a realistic goal set that is moving you forward and keeping you positive, than one that is unrealistic and keeps being missed.

Ready to write 3,000 words? Great. When will you write them? How will you reach that word count? Holding yourself accountable is all about setting goals you can reach in the first place.

3: Don’t Start Tomorrow

We all love to put things off until tomorrow and say that we’ll begin with great gusto then. However, often that day never comes. Great change comes from small actions and steps forward.

If you want to make a change and hold yourself accountable for your tasks, begin today. If you falter, that’s okay, it is the trying that really matters.

Take the small step of writing one hundred words right now, and get ever closer to that weekly word count.

These three steps can help with holding yourself accountable for being that writing superstar you want to be!

Are you ready to take it one step further, investigate your writing process and discover your writing routine?
Click below and get in touch – I’d love to have a Zoom coffee and a chat!

Categories
Coaching

How to Harness Your Writing Motivation

Motivation is such a tricky thing, and we often don’t realise it’s stepping out of the door until it is too late. So, what do you do if you have lost your motivation for your current project?

Read on to discover how you can regain your passion for your writing.

Energy:

When we lose our motivation and drive for a project, it can be disconcerting. We can begin to question all sorts of things, whether we should be working on this at all, whether it’s good enough, or even whether we should write.

Before you decide on the answer to these questions, ask yourself the following:

How am I feeling?

Energy and motivation go hand in hand. If you are well rested, have time to focus on essential elements like self-care, and feel fulfilled in other areas of your life, you are more likely to have the motivation to write. So pay attention to how you are feeling, and ask whether you need to give yourself a break.

Taking a break from a project is fine, just so long as you keep that goal in mind. Rest and recuperate so that you can get back to being your best creative self and get that project underway again.

Keep the project goal clear in your mind so that it isn’t forgotten.

Success:

You might already know that success looks like a completed novel, and that is great. It’s important to understand what success is so that you know when you have achieved it. But, having a generalised idea of success without a timeline will only inspire motivation and action for so long.

Break it down into easier to digest chunks of action and information. What will success look like this week, for example? How will you achieve your monthly word count? And, what will you do once you have reached that weekly goal?

Reward your success at each stage and celebrate, before moving onto the next part of your novel writing plan.

Be specific about your idea of success.

Your Creativity Data:

What is creativity data? It’s discovering the facts of when you are at your most creative, and how much you can write realistically in a set period of time.

Everyone is creative and productive at different times of the day. For me, it’s the morning, and I know that if I want to get the most out of my word count, then it is best to get up and get writing first thing, hot coffee in hand. Because I know this about myself, I understand that an evening set aside for writing is actually no good to me. I know that I will be unproductive, and will struggle to write my novel then.

Learn when your powers of creativity are at their strongest, and harness this time.

Not sure when you’re at your most creative? Experiment! Practice writing at different times in the day across the week, and record when you get the most done. When in doubt, turn to the data – once you can see the numbers on when you’re your best creative self, and how much you can get done in that time period, you can use that to your advantage.

So there you have it! Need to regain that motivation? Make sure you have the energy, give yourself an understandable timeframe and accessible definition of success, and check in with your creativity data. You’ll be writing again in no time!

Still need a hand?

That’s absolutely fine – writing is not easy, and we all need to investigate our processes from time to time to see where they can be improved.

Get in touch for a chat, and tell me how I can help. Whether it’s assistance with creating a writing routine, understanding what’s holding you back, or help with a novel idea – I’m here to help.

Found this post helpful? Share it with a fellow writer who may also benefit!

Categories
Productivity

Ten Tips for Planning Your Writing Week

Do you want to make the most of your week? The best way is to get ahead of yourself and get planning. If you prepare and set yourself up for success, you have a far better chance of getting those pesky words written on the page!

Prepare before your week begins.

For example, if you begin your week on a Monday, get ready on a Sunday. Heading into the week with an action plan is the best way to face it – otherwise, time can really drift away!

De-clutter your writing area.

Whether it’s a desk, the area around your favourite chair, or nestled against a bookcase – clear the space the day before you intend to begin. Sitting down in a tidy area to write will mean that you can give all your attention to your work, and none of it to the demands of the space.

Set your word count – and stick to it.

Setting a word count is a really effective way of getting as much written as possible, but make sure you keep it realistic and don’t set yourself up to fail. For example, if you set 10,000 words but know that you have an extra busy week coming up, lessen it to something you know you can achieve.

On a normal week, I set myself the challenge of 4,000 words. I know that I can fit this around my work schedule, and sometimes I’ll even write a few hundred words over.

Look at the week ahead and plan out your spare time. What space do you have available for writing?

How much can you write in an hour? What’s realistic?

Set reminders on your phone.

Once you know where you have spare time coming up in the week ahead and you’ve set your word count, divide the word count by the time you have and set reminders. You may set a reminder to write 500 words on a Tuesday evening, for example, which you estimate will take you thirty minutes.

Get your rewards ready.

Having rewards already set up will drive you to get that writing done! Rewards are a big part of creating a habit and help drive you to take action. You’re more likely to get a word count completed if you know a reward is waiting for you. Your reward doesn’t have to be flashy, high in sugar or expensive. It can be half an hour alone to read your favourite book or a new candle. Whatever is special and important to you!

writing tips writing coach

Talk to people about your plans.

Whether you live with someone or not, tell a person close to you about your writing plans for the week. Ask them to hold you accountable. Studies show that people have more goal commitment if they tell others about their goals!

Ask a friend to help you achieve your word count by asking how it’s going. You could even promise to tell your writing friends on Instagram and hold yourself accountable that way.

Visualise.

Sit back for a moment and imagine how awesome you will feel by the end of the week if you’ve achieved your writing goals. Visualisation of achieving and satisfaction is another big part of forming a habit!

Set your expectations with those around you.

If you require half an hour to yourself on a Tuesday night, make sure that everyone around you is aware of it. Tell them that you would like to be left alone to work during that time, and set your expectations ahead of time. That way, everyone knows where they stand, what the goal is, and you’re more likely to get that time alone.

Research ahead of time.

Research time can take away from writing time, and it’s so easy to get into a rabbit hole of research and waste that time you had put aside for writing. Spend some time thinking about what you would like to write about during the designated period – what’s the chapter going to be about?

Will you need to do any research ahead of time? How can you best prepare to get the words written?

Be kind to yourself.

Remember – if you don’t get the goal achieved, it’s okay – life really does happen.

There’s a fine line between making yourself write and giving yourself a hard time for not writing – if your plans go totally array, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and make a plan for the next week with gusto.