Branching out with my writing
Even if it’s that chapter you finally finished yesterday, despite concerted efforts from a family member. If you finished it, that’s success.
Just don’t overdo it. A sugar-high can be an ugly thing.
Success is a journey, not a destination.
The doing is often more important than the outcome.
*Arthur Ashe*
A book I like on success and ‘getting stuff done’: The One Thing by Gary Keller. [No, I don’t always heed the advice, but it serves to get me back to the essentials.]
Image by Gratisography
This chapter is killing me!
A whine emanates from the other room. He knows…
A little he-and-I time wouldn’t hurt.
A deadly whimper-whine combination.
Stop right there! You know deep down once you leave that keyboard, there’s little chance you’re coming back, not even to turn things off.
Aim for a quick win, or at least a compromise. Set the timer for 20 minutes. You power through till the buzzer goes off and then Droopy-Eyed Ralph can get his walk.
Other anti-distraction tips:
http://published.com/magazine/how-to-create-distraction-free-writing-life
…and for those with family members who can’t read ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs and who claim to not understand clearly-stated boundaries: http://www.diyauthor.com/distraction-working-home-when-you-have-pets/ .
And, don’t forget the one writer you should always be competing with: the previous version of you.
***
photo courtesy of Gratisography
You face-planted on your last foray into a new genre. Critics cared enough to send their very best…jeers, barbs, and insults. [Remember, writers, everything comes in threes.]
Trust that you will find your voice. Characters will come alive. Plots will write themselves. [Again with the threes?]
It’s time to hop back on and start pedaling. [After some reassembly.]
***
photo courtesy of Gratisography
guitar player, or saxman.
Experiment with different working audio.
Even try migrating from digital to…
yes, vinyl. [Granted, if you’re under a tight deadline or you’re on a roll, you might have to hire someone to switch albums for you and nudge the turntable in the event of skipping. Talk about a narrow niche for a side-hustle…]
You might also consider background noise [not counting the barking dog next door].
***
photo courtesy of Gratisography
A little change in circuitry might just do the trick.
“My dear friend, clear your mind of can’t.”– author Samuel Johnson
***
Find many more positive thoughts here, thanks to Barrie Davenport.
It also seems fitting here to acknowledge the passing of Louise Hay earlier this week.
***
photo courtesy of Gratisography
Remember the message of August 29: Don’t linger too long on writing’s low points.
https://www.arcamax.com/thefunnies/rhymeswithorange/s-1991391
Besides, if you’d followed the sage advice from August 05, you’d have already steeled yourself against apathetic responses to your work.
No matter the audience size, it’s a good idea to open up, to gauge your readership.
After all, you’re a wordsmith. A master of your message.
And your readers’ reactions? Wellll, it’s anybody’s guess.
With that in mind…why am I doing this writer’s horoscope [WH]?
Not necessarily in order of importance:
1. This is a project that will keep my head in the writing game. I like to stay involved in the process and if I have to think daily about even one aspect of it, well, that’s helpful.
2. I’m writing for me. I’m facing up to a self-issued challenge and since I’m not a great finisher up to now, I want to see if I can finish a year of it. [I can hear the groans from the folks who read the WH and really, you’ve been great, but I’m guessing you might roll your eyes at the repetition of some of the topics/themes I explore, which brings me to…
3. I’m thinking that if certain themes keep rearing their ugly heads, well, that’s telling me something–namely, they are issues that I consider important, if for no other writer than myself.
4. Maybe a different reader/fellow writer happens upon [is force-fed] my blog, say, a month from now. They’ve missed all my other gems [just humor me on this] about sticking your neck out, but the one on their screen might just hit home.
5. Each time I click ‘Publish’, I’ve given resistance a small-scale whack on the side of the head and believe me, resistance deserves it.
6. I really do ascribe to Austin Kleon’s ‘Show Your Work’ principles two and three ‘Think Process, Not Product’ and ‘Share something small every day.’. It’s giving a peek behind the curtain because frankly, the WH is obviously a work in progress. I mean, really, depending on the day, is it really a horoscope?
7. Maybe some of those dominant themes will co-opt themselves into a different form later on.
8. It’s fun to look for the photos that cast a ‘tongue-in-cheek’ eye at the various themes. [I’m sorry, but when the absurdity of that bizarre three-body-part-in-one phrasing popped in my head, I just had to go with it. Can you tell this is first-and-a-half draft material?]
9. Short pieces like this W.H. work for my limited attention span. In fact, this 450-word post is downright exhausting. [I can only imagine what an ordeal it is for anybody who has read this far.]
Okay, that’s nine reasons, with probably a couple more hovering out there.
So, feel free to keep reading and when you come upon repeated topics, just reassure yourself: A] “it’s not you, it’s me.” [Thank you, George Costanza.] It’s my experiment. B] My own denseness requires plenty of repetition.
***
photo courtesy of Gratisography
Writing has its low points.
And even the highs of writing can be wearing, as the descent isn’t always a joy.
So, yes, savor the good stuff, don’t linger too long on the bad stuff, and keep typing. Even if you have to stray off topic, props to you for gangster-slapping resistance [see August 28].
Word Inventions