Writers in the Storm

Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

When I sat down to write this post I intended to write about writing. It's what I love doing, and why folks tend to invite me to guest post on their blogs (which I appreciate). But this came at a time when I'm feeling reflective and optimistically hopeful about the new year after a rough 2016.

For me, it was a year of always being behind (raise your hand if you were here with me). No matter what I tried to do, something came along and knocked my schedule off track and prevented me from getting  much done. Ever worse, when I did have time to work, I was unable to write anything decent--if at all. I let the bad times bother me way more than they should have, which only exacerbated the problem.

Because the trap here is...

When we're stressed, we often gravitate toward the easy tasks that make us feel productive, when the opposite is usually true.

I've caught myself spending time doing smaller, easy tasks that didn't need to be done right away because doing them made me feel like I was accomplishing something--look, I crossed three things off my To-Do List! I was effective today! Problem was, none of those tasks needed to be done right away. I might have felt as though I was accomplishing something, but I was just getting more behind.

What I learned from this: When life spins out of control, prioritizing my day helps reel it in. Taking some time to determine what I need to do and what I can realistically get done that day lets me ignore the things that distracted me with a false sense accomplishment. Because just like our characters...

Sometimes, we have to let go to move forward.

There was a point late in 2016 when my To-Do List was rivaling my WIP in size. Just looking at the dang thing every morning made me feel helpless. There was no way I was going to catch up, especially with the holidays bearing down on me. I had to make a choice--keep struggling with an impossible task, or accept that my year was over and I'd gotten done pretty much everything I was going to manage until January.

What I learned from this: There's no shame in saying, "I took on too much, I need to cut back." It's okay to wipe the slate clean and start over at a time when I'm more capable of handling things. Time away also creates necessary distance so I can better identify what's a critical task and what's just something that needs to be completed "at some point." Because no matter how much we may want to...

We can't do it all.

I know this, I've told myself this year after year, but I still keep trying. I was better in 2016 with letting things go and accepting my limitations, but I haven't quite broken the habit of expecting more than I can reasonably do. But I have gotten better and using those high goals to motivate myself, and understanding that not meeting those goals doesn't equal failure. Reaching for the stars and landing on the moon is still pretty darn good.

What I learned from this: That I still have a lot to learn here about saying, "no." It's not something I do once and move past, it's a daily battle to not take on more than I can handle. Just because I want to say yes, doesn't mean I have the ability to say yes. Which can be hard because someone gushing, "thanks so much, you're the best for doing this," takes some of the sting out of feeling like a failure. Because...

It's easy to feel like a failure when we have too-high expectations.

Even though we should never compare ourselves to other writers, let's face it, we do anyway. I stopped logging into Facebook for months during a particularly rough time last year, because seeing my fellow writers announce new books or great writing news made me feel like I was failing--even though I had new books and good things going on as well. I was happy for them, but also envious that they were doing what I was "failing" to do--meet those too-high expectations I'd set for myself. I also ignored the fact that dealing with personal difficulties (family deaths and illnesses) took a lot of my time and energy, and it was unrealistic to expect to be productive under those conditions.

What I learned from this: As the cliché goes, s*#t happens, and rolling with it is far easier than letting it sidetrack me. When life is demanding more time and my writing needs to take a back seat, I can't beat myself up over it. All that does is make me feel worse and keeps me from getting anything done when I do get time. It's okay to cut myself some slack when I need it. I can only do what I can do, and trying to match someone else is a waste of time and energy I should be using to write.

Three Things You Can Do to Make a Fresh Start

A new year means a new start, but any day can be the first day of a new routine (I like using Mondays). I'm starting 2017 with fresh goals and a new schedule to help me keep those (hopefully) realistic goals. If a fresh start will help you, here are some things to try:

1. Make a work schedule you can live with.

Figure out what you need to do, where your priorities lie, what tasks run you off track, and plan accordingly. For example, Writing is my main priority, so that comes first (which is when I'm most creative, but if you're creative at night, adjust your schedule to suit your needs). Checking and answering email is a major distraction for me, so my schedule includes time chunks to focus on email. I don't check it outside of those times.

If you're unsure where all your time goes, spend a week tracking what you do all day and how much time you spend on those tasks. Create a schedule that allows for the actual things you do all day, not what you think you do.

2. Prioritize your goals in smaller time chunks.

Looking at the entire year makes me feel like I need to fill that year with projects, so this year, I'm focusing on three-month chunks. My goal of, "send my WIP to my agent by March 1, and have the next project ready to begin" is less daunting than a list of four books I want to write in 2017. It's easier to see what I need to do and how much time it'll actually take than a lofty goal.

3. Keep a running list of tasks that need doing, but aren't priorities.

I've added "free time" in my schedule to handle the unexpected. I know there will be days when I finish a task and have time to work on other things. It's easy to go back to, say, my main writing project, but extra time on my WIP doesn't help me re-organize my blog or line up those guest posts I want to do. A free hour is time I can use to knock one or two smaller "get to it someday" tasks off my list.

For this list to be effective, be as specific as you can about the tasks. For example, "redesign the website" is a huge project that can't be done in a free hour. But "research web templates" is. Break the tasks down into manageable bites so you know exactly what needs to be done and can jump on it quickly. You can even organize these tasks by size, grouping all the quick tasks that might take 15 minutes together, followed by 30-minute tasks, then hour-long tasks. Pick a task that fits the free time you have.

A new year is an opportunity to reevaluate our lives and how we work. It's filled with the promise and possibility that this year we can achieve our dreams. Take advantage of this opportunity to cast off old doubt and frustrations and embrace a fresh start toward your dreams.

 Are you making a fresh start this year? How do you plan to work toward your dreams?

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About Janice

Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of The Healing Wars trilogy, including The Shifter (2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read, shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and The Truman Award), Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. She's also the founder of Fiction University, a site dedicated to helping writers improve their craft, and the author of multiple books on writing, including the bestselling, Understanding Show, Don't Tell (And Really Getting It).

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We're at the beginning of another year. On Monday, we posted our annual "Word of the Year" blog. My main word is focus, but that's not my only word. I have seven more that are going to help me make major gains in my writing skill and my writing career. I hope they can help you to get where you want to be by the end of 2017.

1. Discipline: Move toward my goals every day.  

Whether that means writing every day or not, I'm going engage in some activity that will advance my writing career. If you haven't finished your first book yet, make a weekly word count goal that is reasonable for you, and keep your fingers on the keyboard until you've achieved that word count every week. If you've finished a book, revise it. Revise it some more. Make it the best dang book you can. Send out queries, if you're looking for a traditional publishing path. Learn about self-publishing, if you're thinking about an indie path. If you haven't yet, develop your social media platform. Build a website. Every night when I go to bed, I'm going to say at least one thing I've done that day to advance my writing career.

2.  Attitude: Clear my mind of can't. Use my attitude as a positive force.

     I've done a little research into the power positive thinking has on everything in our lives. The Science of Positive Thinking: How Positive Thoughts Build Your Skills, Boost Your Health, and Improve Your Work published in The Huffington Post compares what negative thoughts do to your brain versus what positive thoughts can do. This article from Johns Hopkins Medicine shares ways to build "positivity" in your life. It turns out, Pollyanna was right, begins an article in the NY Times. Reasonable optimism can pay big dividends for you this year. 

3.  Adaptability equals survivability: Stay flexible to deal with unexpected challenges.

     The publishing industry has been reshaping itself faster than a Rubic's cube in the hands of a pre-teen. As authors we, too, must accept that the old normal is gone forever. Many multi-published authors from years past are no longer on the shelves. Were they unable to weather the changes not only to publishing, but to the current necessity of author marketing? Building flexibility into my schedule will allow me to deal with life's curve balls while remaining professional and meeting my professional and personal deadlines. I'm going to use what I have at hand to conquer my challenges.

       4.  Knowledge: Stay humble and listen.

            Last week I read an interesting quote about how you can close your mouth, but you can't close your ears. The Dalai Lama says you can't learn if you don't listen. I'm working to improve my craft by reading books on writing and reading writing blogs. I've taken classes-in person and online, practiced new writing techniques, and read in my genre and outside of it. I critique with trusted writers and listen to suggestions. I've changed scenes, heck-chapters, that I loved. Knowledge is power. Powerful writing is writing that empowers my readers to use their imaginations, to consider new ideas, to continue reading when they should be doing something else. 

       5.  Excellence: Never lower my personal and professional standards.

            We've all read a book that we suspect was hastily finished on deadline. It wasn't up to the author's usual punch. The expected biting humor fell flat. The ending, well, it just ended. When my expectations aren't met, I consider before buying that author's next book. 

             As writers, we make a commitment to our readers to deliver our best with every word. Readers don't know about the flu I had for three weeks before a deadline. I sure am not going to put a disclaimer on my book saying, "Warning, author's brain was fried by fever during the final edit." I'm taking the time necessary to make that book as good as I can. Luckily I built time into the production schedule for crisis management. And I've decided that perhaps I may have to release one less book this year. 

        6. Perseverance:  My key to overcoming adversity.

             The word most commonly associated with mathematicians is perseverance. Who dedicates her life to solving one problem? But even the perseverance I've had in my "other" career, sometimes withers when it comes to writing.

             If writing and publishing a book were easy, everyone would be a published author. Give up in the face of the many adversities on this path, and I'll never be published. Some days, just sitting at the computer is a major adversity. And if I can't bring myself to write for a day, or two, or more, that's life impeding my dream. Oh, I eventually open up that story again and bring the lessons I've learned from my complicate life (whose isn't?) back to the page. I have to. I'm a writer. Perseverance will allow me to power through-or around-the obstacles to my writing goals. I will stay the course. 

         7.  Courage: Stand by my dreams.

              Courage can be a tricky thing to hang on to alone. While supporting the dreams of others, I've learned to support my own. Standing by my dreams means I dust myself off when I fall, and I write. I cry when that rejection letters arrives, but I send off another query-or five. I take the time to learn, to create a body of work I am proud of. I write with my heart, not just my brain. And when my expectations are not met, I have the courage to reevaluate, revise my plan, and renew my enthusiasm. 

It's time to level-up your writing and your writing career. It may not be easy. These are the Seven Keys to Excellence that are the basis for Navy SEAL training. Yes. Navy SEALS are encouraged to use these keys in their professional and their personal lives. 

You can do this. 

Can you share a hint for implementing one of the Seven Keys to Excellence? Is there one that presents more difficulty for you?

ABOUT FAE:

Fae Rowen discovered the romance genre after years as a science fiction freak.   Writing futuristics and medieval paranormals, she jokes  that she can live anywhere but the present.  As a mathematician, she knows life’s a lot more fun when you get to define your world and its rules.

Punished, oh-no, that’s published as a co-author of a math textbook, she yearns to hear personal stories about finding love from those who read her books, rather than the horrors of calculus lessons gone wrong.  She is grateful for good friends who remind her to do the practical things in life like grocery shop, show up at the airport for a flight and pay bills.

A “hard” scientist who avoided writing classes like the plague, she now shares her brain with characters who demand that their stories be told.  Amazing, gifted critique partners keep her on the straight and narrow. Feedback from readers keeps her fingers on the keyboard.

When she’s not hanging out at Writers in the Storm, you can visit Fae at http://faerowen.com  or www.facebook.com/fae.rowen.

 

The start of a new year has most of us reflecting on the previous year and making grand plans for the coming year. I don’t make resolutions. To me, they’re empty wishes. I set goals. And each year, I think of one word that will guide me through the year and keep me on track to meet those goals. I post that word in my office so I can see it every day. It’s a great reminder for those times when I’m feeling overwhelmed.

I once again challenged the WITS gals to think of their guiding word for 2017 –

Orly
My word for 2017: Enjoy
Last year was a mixed bag for me – on the writing side, there was a lot to celebrate; on the personal side, less so. Those “less so” life events left a murky film on pretty much everything I achieved. As I started thinking about 2017, one thing came to the surface: My debut releases on May 2. That’s a huge achievement. With that in mind, my word for 2017 is Enjoy. I will shake that murky film and I will enjoy my debut author year.

 

Laura
My word for 2017: Trust
2016 was a challenging one for me in my writing career. Finishing a contract, trying, and failing (so far) to break into New York in a new genre (women's fiction) with three different proposals had me questioning everything:  my ability to tell a story, my self worth, my sanity.

I sat myself down about a month ago and had a talk. I decided that:

• I am a good writer - I didn't start this gig to be a bestseller. I started it to get the stories out of my head and on paper in an engaging, true way. I'm improving at this, every book.
• I love writing - I'll do it whether I have a contract or not
• If I'm this 'fluffy', writing, what would I look like if I quit? (sorry for the visual)

Bottom line, I'm trusting what I know inside, not the outside yardstick of success. If I do, hopefully that yardstick will come into play again. If not? I'm having fun, playing with my characters. And if that's all there is, that was enough to start me on this journey to begin with . . . so it'll be enough, now.

Fae

My word for 2017: Focus

I made some huge decisions about my writing and my writing career in 2016. Decisions that have my writing time tightly scheduled with deadlines and commitments—to myself and to others. To learn what I need to learn and to produce at all levels, I have to maintain my focus. That doesn't mean that I'm not having fun, but there can be no "bird walking" this year.

Focus will help me target what needs to be improved. Focus will allow me to look to far-away goals, like binoculars focus on distant objects. Years of work are coming together in 2017, and just as a photographer adjusts and tightens the focus of a lens, focus will give me the sharp edges I'll need to attain my goals for this year. 

This is new for me, devoting so much of my day, and days, to writing, but it's exciting. It's amazing what a positive force attitude is. It's sustained me for the past six months. Adding focus, as the marketing pieces kick in, geared to summer releases, will keep me on track. Laser focused Fae. At least, that's the plan. 

Jenny

My word for 2017: Becoming

After almost a decade of trying, I finally won NaNoWriMo this year. When I pulled this year's experience apart to see what was different, I realized that I am the difference.

I stopped worrying about silly things and got out of my own way. We all have worries, and we cannot escape all of them, but some of what writers worry about is just silly creative-kryptonite type of stuff:

Will I ever get this book done?
Will it be any good?
Will this book ever sell?

I stopped worrying about all that and just wallowed in the fun of putting words on the page. I sped through word sprints with my pals. I joined write-ins with my fellow WriMos. I immersed in my story and just worried about the right now.

I not only allowed myself to become the writer all my pals here at WITS believe me to be, I allowed myself to believe it too. I plan to keep on becoming that in-the-moment writing powerhouse through the coming year. I dig that chick...she makes my soul sing.

 

Okay WITS readers, what say you … we want to hear your word for 2017 in the comments.

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About Orly

Orly Konig is an escapee from the corporate world, where she spent roughly sixteen (cough) years working in the space industry. Now she spends her days chatting up imaginary friends, drinking entirely too much coffee, and negotiating writing space around two over-fed cats. She is a co-founder and past president of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and a member of the Tall Poppy Writers. She is rep’d by Marlene Stringer, Stringer Literary Agency LLC.

Orly’s debut, The Distance Home, will be released by Forge on May 2, 2017.

You can find her on Twitter at @OrlyKonig, on Facebook at OrlyKonigAuthor, or on her website, www.orlykonig.com.