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Posts from the ‘Writing Life’ Category

May 9

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Wake up early to be a more productive writer: Here’s how

Some of the most productive people I know get up early. I know that when I get up early, I get more done and feel happier because of it. When I was in graduate school and working full-time, I knew I had to get up extra early if I was going to meet my deadlines. I also wanted to write in my dream state.

So I started getting up between 5 and 5:30 a.m. It was hard at first but I was motivated, and I found that after a few days, I’d automatically wake up.

Writing early in the morning doesn’t work for everyone. Some people are most productive in the evening after their children go to sleep or even in the middle of the night. But if you’re thinking of getting up earlier, here’s what I’ve learned, including several tips that might help you.

1. Think about what you’ll work on first thing in the morning. Each night, I write down two or three topics for free writing exercises or questions that I want to answer in my writing. Regardless of what you work on, having a plan sets the stage and alerts your inner artist to be ready. Read more

May 6

Four contests to energize your writing life

One good way to inject some energy into your writing is by entering contests. Sending out your work helps create focus and momentum and if you win, cash and publishing credits aren’t bad either.

Here are four contests that came across my e-mail this week. For more, check out Poets & Writers Writing Contests, Grants & Awards page.

The New Letters Literary Awards
Prize: $1,500 each for poetry, fiction and essay
Entry fee: $15
Deadline: May 18, 2013
Contest details Read more

May 3

Pitching your manuscript: How does your book compare to others?

As I revise my memoir, I’ve been thinking about how to pitch it. One of the first questions agents and editors consider when they’re pitched is how they’ll sell your book. Where does it fit on the bookstore shelf? What category does it fit on Amazon or Barnes and Noble? How will they describe your book when they pitch it to publishers?

This is where you need to know titles that are comparable to yours. You’ll use this information in your book proposal and if you find an opportunity to pitch agents and editors at a writers conference. Listing comparable titles offers context and helps agents and editors fix your book and its genre in their minds as they read the first pages.

To figure out how to compare your book to others, start with your reading list. You should be pretty familiar with your genre, and you may find appropriate titles from your book collection. Read more

May 2

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Rituals of famous writers revealed

Whether you’re driven to writing with ideas exploding inside of you like Ray Bradbury or you take an hour later in the day to go over your morning pages like Joan Didion or you write in the middle of the living room with all kinds of white noise around you like E.B. White, you most likely have a writing routine or writing rituals you practice to make sure you get your words on paper.

Or, maybe, like Benjamin Franklin, you start each morning by asking yourself a question, “What good shall I do this day?” And you end each evening with another question, “What good have I done today?” Read more

May 1

What would you change if today was your last day?

What if you knew today was your last day on Earth? What would you wish?

The older I get, the more urgency I have to push forward with my writing goals. The idea of remembering you are going to die is one of the best ways to let go of fears and resistance. As a reminder, I’ve posted near my desk this quote by Apple founder Steve Jobs:

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

In January 2009, businessman Ric Elias had a front-row seat on Flight 1549, the plane that crash-landed in the Hudson River in New York. In this 5-minute TedTalk, you’ll hear what went through his mind in the moments before impact. See how surviving the crash led Elias to rethink how he lives his life.

Apr 25

How one author acts out her writing

As a child, author Randall Platt wanted to be an actress. She wrote screenplays for her favorite western television shows, complete with roles for herself. As an adult, she pursued acting but eventually found that what she really wanted to do is write.

In a workshop at the Las Vegas Writer’s Conference, Platt, award-winning writer of Hellie Jondoeand other YA and adult fiction, shared how her experience as an actor carries over to writing.

Her lessons and tips:

Know your character’s motivation. Every character we create must have reasons for why they do what they do. To understand your characters’ motivation, you need to know their backstory. It shows how they’ll act and react. With each book she writes, Platt creates character sketches that include information about her characters’ religion, family, what they do for a living, their parents, and more. Some writers spend a “day in the life” of their character examining everything the character does. Other authors like to write letters to their characters to understand them. Read more

Apr 18

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Carry a poem in your pocket today!

Poetry can make us laugh or cry, it can give us sustenance when we need it most, it can make us fall in love with words. Poetry can grab you by the shirt collar and drag you into a golden field full of mountain lupine or toss you high on a wave. Poetry can drown you in dandelion fluff.

As part of National Poetry Month, today is, “Poem in Your Pocket Day.”

“Select a poem, carry it with you, and share it with others throughout the day. You can also share your poem selection on Twitter by using the hashtag #pocketpoem.”

Poets.org also has pocket-sized poem PDFs for you to download and carry with you.

The poem I’m carrying with me today is one my blog partner Carly shared with me earlier this year when I was going through a difficult time: “Self Portrait” by poet David Whyte.

What poem will you carry? Please share!

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