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May 13

Working on a deadline? Try these tips for maximum productivity

Deadlines. We all have them, whether it’s personal or for work, self-imposed or not. Everyone’s situation is different, but when I was balancing a full-time job with school, I had several strategies to stay focused and keep my energy up.

I limited the amount of sugar I’d eat and tried my best to balance out the caffeine to avoid the jitters. If I was preparing for a long writing session, I’d cook extra food ahead of time and buy healthy snacks, so I wouldn’t have to spend much time in the kitchen. I’d try to find blocks of time to work without interruption, even if I had to get up extra early.

If you have a looming deadline, you might want to try some of these tips courtesy of a nifty graphic from MBAonline.com.

Set up your writing space. My blogging partner Carol and I like to do timed writes together. We set deadlines to motivate ourselves to reach writing milestones. Before we “go in,” we like to set up our space a certain way. We set out our favorite pens, clear the clutter off our desks, and secure our beverage of choice: water, coffee, or my personal favorite — tea, which contains an amino acid called L-theanine that helps with relaxation and focus. Read more

May 10

Stick it to the man: Follow your creative passion

In today’s age of smartphones and the internet, it seems that we actually work more hours than we used to. Ironic, isn’t it?

I know in my busy world it’s a constant battle to find time and quiet to write. Sometimes, one day of interruptions can lead to several days in a row of the same. So, what do we do? Give up? Give in? Watch others achieve their dreams while we sit and spin and wonder what happened?

Instead, take pianist James Rhodes’ advice in his post, “Find what you love and let it kill you,” and satisfy your hunger for what you love.  You don’t have to go to his extremes—unemployment, divorce, nine months in a mental institution, and weight loss—to live your dream. But if you DON’T live your dream, you might as well dig a hole and jump in now.

You can still live your dream by setting aside time each week or each day to pursue your art or passion. If you have a job that you don’t love so much, then beginning to live your dream may just save your life or your sanity.

Read Rhodes’ post and please share it with those you care about.

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 8

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A good story should punch you in the gut…and more

Christopher Vogler, author of The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, has been a consultant for Hollywood studios for years. He has helped guide story development for movies such as The Wrestler, Black Swan, The Lion King, The Fight Club, and The Thin Red Line.

I had the honor of learning from Vogler at the Story Masters Workshop last year. One of the things I still remember from his lecture was when he said, “If your story does not make two or more organs of your body squirt fluids, it’s no good.”

Say, what? Squirt fluids? Yes, that’s what he said. And it makes perfect sense once you know what he means. Read more

May 7

Add poetry to your writing repertoire

April may have been National Poetry Month but poetry is a mainstay in our writing life here at OneWildWord. Writing and publishing poetry or short stories is a great way to build up your artist resume while working on longer manuscripts.

Below are three of our most popular posts on different aspects of writing poetry. We hope you enjoy them!

How do you know when your poem or story is done? In this post, Carly shares her thoughts and those of poet Mary Jo Bangs on when a poem feels “done.”

Queen of the list: How I transformed compulsive list making into art is about creating lists to use in your prose or poetry. If you have a compulsion for list making, why not turn it into something useful?

This post answers the question, What makes a good metaphor? And how do you know when a metaphor is working?

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

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