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As I sit and work at writing till all hours of the morning it occurs to me that in the last two years I have made some great progress in my writing. My writing has progressed greatly. I haven’t had writers block in over a year. I can’t afford it. I write a monthly column now and a 2,500 word per month serial for an on-line magazine. I also contribute other stories to the magazine, one thing per month. I’ve completed three novels in the last year and a half.
So what’s changed? I still have two kids at home, a 7yr old and a teenager. I’m still mom’s taxi for everyone in the house—for the last year we’ve had only one car. My kids are still involved in Scouts, Youth Group, Ballet, Tap and Piano. I’m still involved(actively) in scouts as well. I’m still a substitute teacher. In fact, in the last year I have substitute taught more than any other year, averaging three days a week or more. I still do a couple of newsletters a month and I am an Assistant Editor of Wild Child Magazine. I also manage the household finances and do most of the upkeep on the car. And I belong to a crit group here and have a couple of e-mail crit partners as well.
So what’s changed? Looking at the above list I think I must be nuts. But aside from insanity I know what’s changed for me. I have made a serious commitment to writing. Let me repeat—I have made a serious commitment to writing. Notice that the above list does not include went to party on Saturday. I do go out sometimes, my hubby and I need that. But I am the one that turns down the afternoon get togethers with the other moms, or the adult birthday parties. I am a writer and my writing is first. I get up at 5 a.m. everyday and write until I have to take my husband to work. I run back home and write until the kids have to go to school or the sub phone rings. Out the door I go. If I don’t work, I volunteer in my daughter’s classroom until noon then home again and I write until I have to go pick the kids up. I do my shopping then go get my hubby from work taking a notebook with me and hand write until he is done for the day. Then it’s home again where I work on writing until supper time. I get more in on the nights my hubby cooks, we take turns. I don’t watch TV or go to movies(we do rent them sometimes and I will watch the occasional show)but I do not turn on the boob tube and surf the channels. I don’t take time off for illness, life getting in the way or any other reason. My writing and my commitment to it come first. I write my 2,500 words per day even if I have to do them standing in line at the bank, commissary, post office and at stop lights.
That’s what’s changed. I write no matter what. Where I once worried where my next idea would come from, I no longer do. I now sit down and write. I don’t fuss over one chapter, I write the whole thing and come back to it(something always changes along the way and I have to go back anyway). My stories have progressed from the stupid to the supreme ideas I once only imagined. (see I have the writers vanity as well) I have discovered that Heroic Fantasy is not my best genre. I have discovered I can write in first person, and do it well. I have discovered I can write short stories, columns, novels, and anything n between. My grammar has improved, my style has solidified. I have found my voice.
This didn’t just happen by some god given talent. It happened through commitment and hard work. Making it in the world of writing is a tough thing to do. You can make it, but only if you are truly serious about being a writer. No more excuses, first and foremost above all else just write. IMHO anyway.
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That is fantastic Shawn. I've read your other posts and have been most impressed. Now though, I truly admire your passion and drive. You are, if you'll pardon me, my idol. My passion is in the right place, but I have to fend off doubt and procrastination. It is difficult to try to stumble into writing when there are so many above you. It's a great reminder that nothing comes without work, and everyone has to start somewhere.
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<blushing> Why thank you. It is a learning process just like anything. We are all on the writer's path or we wouldn't be here. we are all just at different crossroads. Which road a writer chooses can make the difference between being a writer or an author.
Good Luck! Don't give up and remember--A writer writes!
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Your passion and drive are inspiring. Anytime you have spoke to us, I have been inspired. This time even more so. I wanted to commit myself to the plan that I will detail in a moment and challenge our other readers to make their own statement from their little pea-picken' hearts, too!
You hit home with me when you talked about pouring over a chapter repeatedly, or something like that. That's what I do. I go over and over something (or at least the novel I say I want to write) until I am so frustrated that I dread spending time with it. That is such a shame because I love to write and I know I can do better work…but I can't do better without writing! See what I mean? I see what Shawn is saying - WRITE IT. If I spend the time I have writing and NOT stalling over the bum start, I'd bet myself I'd do a heck of a lot better. Just need to get rolling.
So, I promise myself that I will get done with my obligations as soon as I possibly can and that will leave we with whatever time to write. I will not procrastinate when it comes time to do my household and personal chores. I will do my school (6 credit hrs - 2 classes - accelerated, 16 weeks of work in 8) right away instead of spacing them and giving myself a 'break' before starting the next module. Since my job is at a desk, I can write while on the job at times when it is slow. I can use that time wisely, instead of chit-chatting. I already have pad and pen with me all the time, but can at least jot something down for a change. Once I get rolling, which I will, I will re-instate my tape recorder for use in my truck.
Right now I started the second book of the Native American series I am working on. It felt like pulling my fingernails out. How much info do I need to include from the first one? How do I put it in there without huge info dumps? And the OH HOW THIS SUCKS feeling. I wrote the chapter and moved on to the "good part". I wrote 5,000 words yesterday on it(two chapters). Yet this morning the temptation was there to go back and fix that chapter now. I won't until he whole thing is finished.
I also look at the crits I get and make some notes--but unless the book is done I don't go back and use them until it is. I have found that they help though. Someone once told me I needed to remove the word JUST from my vocabulary. It stuck with me and the writing after that was much better.
Setting goals is a great way to get going. Rather than set time limits try a words per day limit—even as little as 100 words can get you there. I do 2,500 a chapter a day about. But I have worked up to that. It used to be one double spaced page per day, then two then five. Now I look at word count.
Try to avoid frustration at all costs—it’s a killer. When you feel it coming on---move on to the next scene---even an unrelated scene(at the moment). In the end a person ends up moving stuff around anyway. Write the good scenes and then use words sparingly to join them.
If I can inspire even one person to realize their dream of writing and ultimately publishing then I know I have done some good in the world. Pretty shallow huh?(with all that needs to be done in the world.) But I know how good it made me feel when I got my first thing published and how euphoric it was to finish my first novel. We artists suffer form the most depression of any group as a whole. I keep that in mind and think of my writing as Prozac for the soul. With no side effects.
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