Two years ago, I wasn't even considering the possibility of ever becoming a writer. I was perfectly happy (if by happy, I mean pretty much miserable) working at Blockbuster and trying to figure out where the hell my life was going to go. How I was going to get out of Blockbuster without going to a job that I hated more than that one.
Then, as I'm sure all of you know by now, I discovered nano, and suddenly my life changed.
I knew what I wanted to do. I want to be an author. I want make a living by publishing my books. I want, more than anything in the world, to see my name in print. (Okay, so it's my initials rather than my full name, but close enough.)
Other the last two years, I've been developing my craft. I've written nine full books, and two half books that will probably never be finished (though don't tell them that.) I realize that sounds like a lot, and you're probably wondering what I've been doing with those books. I have the answer: nothing. None of them have been the book that has made me want to sit down and edit. Only two of them have I been able to picture on the shelf, and one of them actually has me wanting to edit (which is a HUGE step for me.)
Now, though, as I'm sitting down getting ready to work on that novel, and thinking about one of the four (yes, four. Yes, I'm insane) books that I'll be writing in November I'm starting to realize just how much writing has taken over my life.
I am now part of a critique group. Every other week we meet up to tear apart each other's work (and give them encouragement, of course). When I'm at my day job, all I think about is the work I want to do (and have to do) when I get home. I was out for supper tonight, and before everyone got there, when we were just sitting waiting for a table to be ready, I had the distinct thought of 'I could be editing right now'.
Aside from the actually writing parts, I participate in a poker night (which basically consists of my critique group with the addition of one person's husband.) I do a gaming night every once in a while (again, critique group minus a few). I attend the monthly nano meet ups that my local nano group hosts. This year I even went to a writing conference here in Calgary.
Then there's the beta reading. I did my first one this past week, and I've been asked by another friend to do one this week (which I will *hopefully* be starting tonight or tomorrow so I can get her feedback as soon as possible)
I feel like writing has slowly taken over my life. I'm pretty sure I only have about one friend outside of the writing realm left, and I'm honestly not all that upset about it.
Today one of the girls at work told me that I didn't seem all that excitable or hyper, and while I did seem relatively happy, it wasn't overly so. When I relayed that to my friends today they actually went silent in surprise, then my boyfriend asked if she was talking about me or another Danni.
Truth be told, I can be myself around my writing friends because they understand me. And that's something that no one can truly understand until they've experienced it themselves. People who don't give you a confused look when you randomly put your characters in the middle of conversations (most of my friends just add their characters and make it all the stranger).
My day job doesn't make me happy. It makes me want to stab myself in the eye with my pen. Unfortunately all that would do is land me in the hospital with no vision in one eye and a perfectly good pen would be ruined. So, I'm trying to avoid it.
Currently I have a goal of submitting my novel to agents starting in January. I'm not expecting miracles. I realize I'm going to have to stay at my current job until money starts to come in, and I trust my income enough to quit. But it's a step in the right direction.
Because, one day, writing is going to completely take over. Let me tell you, that day can't come soon enough.
Showing posts with label conference. Show all posts
Showing posts with label conference. Show all posts
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Productivity For All
I recently attended a conference here in Calgary at which there was panel about productivity. You may have heard of the man who presented it. His name is Kevin J. Anderson, and he actually has over 23 million books in print. (I'm trusting his word on that statistic...) He's also considered a prolific writer, which is a title I hope to carry myself some day.
He gave us 11 tips on how to become a prolific writer, tips that I'm now going to share with you. Of course, because this is my blog and I get to torture you...I mean, share my thoughts with you...I'm going to give you my own opinion on each of these little tips.
Shut up and write
This one is pretty simple. It's the basic idea behind writing in general. You have to just write. Don't talk about writing, just sit down and write. Get those words down on the paper, and you're taking your first step on the rode to being a writer.
Defy the empty page
Again, simple. Don't let the empty page defeat you! So many writers stare at that empty page and just don't know what to write. They agonize over every single little detail, and can't seem to make that first sentence perfect. But that's kind of the problem, isn't it? It can't be perfect! You have to write the sentence and just let it be whatever it is. If you obsess over that first line, I can promise that not only will it never get written, but you'll get frustrated and never want to write anything again.
Dare to be bad
Not everything you write has to be amazing prose. Just get it down. This falls under the heading of my favourite saying ever. You can edit crap. You can't edit nothing. Once the words are on the page, you can go back and fix them. The first draft doesn't have to be the best draft, it just has to be a draft.
Know the difference between writing and editing
This one I couldn't agree with more, and it's a distinction I made long ago. Don't edit while you write. This is along the same lines as the last one. It can be bad the first time around. If let yourself go back and edit before the draft is finished you could get caught up in the details. Details are the leading cause of books getting shelved before the first draft is even finished. Know when you're writing, and know when you're editing.
Use every minute
If you know that you're going to have ten minutes to write, don't spend eight of those figuring out what the hell you're going to be writing about. Think about it when you can't be writing. When you're caught in traffic, or sitting at the hair dressers, spend that time considering what you could be writing next. It will save you time, and who knows what you can get done in those ten minutes.
Set goals for yourself - and stick to them
Don't let yourself pick some arbitrary date. If you make a goal, you accomplish that goal. Simple as that. I know, I know, I'm guilty of this one too. My deadlines and goals blow by and I end up wondering what the hell just happened. But I'm working on it, and I think it will definitely help my productivity once I figure it out.
Work on different projects at the same time
This one I can definitely do. All you have to do is look at the corner of the page and you'll see my different projects. Unfortunately this one isn't one that everyone can do. Some people are consumed by one project and can't stop until they finish it. Just like anything with writing, these are just tips to be taken with your own process. Don't let yourself feel confined.
Create your best writing environment
Set up your work space well. Make it somewhere that you can work. Don't think that you can set up shop wherever you want and everything will work out, because the truth is that there aren't a lot of writers out there that can do that. Get to know yourself, and tailor your workspace to what works best for you.
Think outside the keyboard
When he first told us about this one, I was really iffy about it. Of course, that might be because he equated it with dictating. I cannot dictate. Trust me on this one. I barely manage to string a sentence together while talking. Somehow my typing seems much closer connected to my brain. Then I started really thinking about my process. All of my planning is done in a notebook, and it definitely helps. If your frustrated at the keyboard, take a break.
Get Inspired
If you're stuck, get out in the world and look around you. Do some people watching. Try the bus, or a coffee shop. Become a sponge and use what you see!
Know when to stop
You have to finish eventually. I don't even just mean the first draft, either. You have to find a point when you're willing to stop. Or even just give up and realize that it will never be perfect. Every single writer out there wants to continue editing their work even after it's published. If you never finish, you can never get it out there. Simple as that.
Well, those are all of them. I adored the panel, and I hope that you find some use for it. I like to think I'm pretty productive already, but I think that I can still improve. Which means that I will be taking these tips to heart and doing what I can to become prolific.
He gave us 11 tips on how to become a prolific writer, tips that I'm now going to share with you. Of course, because this is my blog and I get to torture you...I mean, share my thoughts with you...I'm going to give you my own opinion on each of these little tips.
Shut up and write
This one is pretty simple. It's the basic idea behind writing in general. You have to just write. Don't talk about writing, just sit down and write. Get those words down on the paper, and you're taking your first step on the rode to being a writer.
Defy the empty page
Again, simple. Don't let the empty page defeat you! So many writers stare at that empty page and just don't know what to write. They agonize over every single little detail, and can't seem to make that first sentence perfect. But that's kind of the problem, isn't it? It can't be perfect! You have to write the sentence and just let it be whatever it is. If you obsess over that first line, I can promise that not only will it never get written, but you'll get frustrated and never want to write anything again.
Dare to be bad
Not everything you write has to be amazing prose. Just get it down. This falls under the heading of my favourite saying ever. You can edit crap. You can't edit nothing. Once the words are on the page, you can go back and fix them. The first draft doesn't have to be the best draft, it just has to be a draft.
Know the difference between writing and editing
This one I couldn't agree with more, and it's a distinction I made long ago. Don't edit while you write. This is along the same lines as the last one. It can be bad the first time around. If let yourself go back and edit before the draft is finished you could get caught up in the details. Details are the leading cause of books getting shelved before the first draft is even finished. Know when you're writing, and know when you're editing.
Use every minute
If you know that you're going to have ten minutes to write, don't spend eight of those figuring out what the hell you're going to be writing about. Think about it when you can't be writing. When you're caught in traffic, or sitting at the hair dressers, spend that time considering what you could be writing next. It will save you time, and who knows what you can get done in those ten minutes.
Set goals for yourself - and stick to them
Don't let yourself pick some arbitrary date. If you make a goal, you accomplish that goal. Simple as that. I know, I know, I'm guilty of this one too. My deadlines and goals blow by and I end up wondering what the hell just happened. But I'm working on it, and I think it will definitely help my productivity once I figure it out.
Work on different projects at the same time
This one I can definitely do. All you have to do is look at the corner of the page and you'll see my different projects. Unfortunately this one isn't one that everyone can do. Some people are consumed by one project and can't stop until they finish it. Just like anything with writing, these are just tips to be taken with your own process. Don't let yourself feel confined.
Create your best writing environment
Set up your work space well. Make it somewhere that you can work. Don't think that you can set up shop wherever you want and everything will work out, because the truth is that there aren't a lot of writers out there that can do that. Get to know yourself, and tailor your workspace to what works best for you.
Think outside the keyboard
When he first told us about this one, I was really iffy about it. Of course, that might be because he equated it with dictating. I cannot dictate. Trust me on this one. I barely manage to string a sentence together while talking. Somehow my typing seems much closer connected to my brain. Then I started really thinking about my process. All of my planning is done in a notebook, and it definitely helps. If your frustrated at the keyboard, take a break.
Get Inspired
If you're stuck, get out in the world and look around you. Do some people watching. Try the bus, or a coffee shop. Become a sponge and use what you see!
Know when to stop
You have to finish eventually. I don't even just mean the first draft, either. You have to find a point when you're willing to stop. Or even just give up and realize that it will never be perfect. Every single writer out there wants to continue editing their work even after it's published. If you never finish, you can never get it out there. Simple as that.
Well, those are all of them. I adored the panel, and I hope that you find some use for it. I like to think I'm pretty productive already, but I think that I can still improve. Which means that I will be taking these tips to heart and doing what I can to become prolific.
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