Catégorie : Writing Tips

1 tip and no pain to ease your way back into your writing routine

The first week back to work, I completely forgot about that good old tip of mine, which I feel like is probably everybody’s tip to ease their way back to work.

Yeah.

Summer vacations are over. Definitely over.

Work is back. Dozen of emails, yet zero prospect. Translation: oh-so-much things to do, oh-so-much queries to send.

Plus, we’re surrounded by the buzzing sound of debut novels. When I was working in the bookstore business, I was looking forward to that time of the year.

Now, I find the amount of debut novels… well, overwhelming to say the least. How on earth my novel, if it ever get traditionally published, or self-published even, will do out and about among so many new titles, so many many, goods books?

With that in mind, getting back to my writing routine was surprisingly difficult. Creative writing is my refuge, my comfort zone. And yet, words were lost and AuthorTube videos over-consumed.

Nothing that a good tip, tested many times, couldn’t fix thought!

Same spot, same time, but with a twist

I love a good work routine.

Precision: I love my work routine. I need to decide the « when’s » of my day. When to eat, when to take a break, when to query clients, etc…

Put me in any kind of desk job 9 to 5, with judgy co-workers and a snobby boss, and you’ll soon see me turned into a yelling-disgusted-with-human-kind monster, who always reads during her lunch hour, keep as much as possible to itself and always, always, always skip the Xmas party.

Nevertheless, going back to a work routine can be challenging, especially you are as lazy as I am and there’s a ton of revision, editing, re-writing to be done before being able to move on to the new exciting writing project.

Therefore, before even starting to work, I would treat myself with a « not every day because a bit expansive tea ». Or I would buy a new book before starting to work. Or I would get myself a real good Monday-doesn’t-have-to-be-horrible breakfast. Or, you get the idea!

Funny enough, the first week back to work, I completely forgot that I used to do that: rewarding myself with stuff that I love.

This Monday, my pre-reward for finishing writing an article for this blog, which I have been procrastinating with for weeks, was a big bowl of frozen yogurt, swimming in a sea of fudge and brownies bits.

Just one big bowl.

I swear.

Until next time!

PS.: A little ko-fi goes a long way. Thanks a million!

Wouh, that’s a cool writing tip. Thanks toddler!

Just wanted to share a quick, cool writing tip have been trying out this week.

It’s nothing new under the sun. In fact, I think I may have heard something similar, back in my college days.

Here’s the writing tip: stop writing while you’re still having fun writing. Even if it means stopping in the middle of a sentence!

The same principle can be applied to a toddler game: stop playing the game before the toddler gets bored with it – trust me and millions of parents on this one.

Sure, there will be some « oh, but I really want to keep going » or some « but I am so close from the word count goal of the day ».

Nevertheless, I swear, it works.

I am looking forward for the next writing session. Plus, it gives me time to brainstorm the scene I left behind or the chapter I’m about to get into.

Not saying I will do this every time, because deadlines, but I will certainly use it whenever I can.

Until next time !

How to have fun while writing your novel

Her first book, a novel about a single girl in love with her cats (its way better then it sounds, trust me), was a success, but the kind of success you quit your day job over.

I started writing stories when I was 9 years old. I never stopped.

At first, writig was an escape, then a dream. One thing was constant: I always, always enjoyed writing.

Since I decided to work my hardest to make that getting traditionnaly published dream come true, writing has become stressful.

Doudt is haunting me. Words are hiding behind outlines, characters arcs and that freedgin’ creativity killer, way too famous beat sheet. Roaming the Web for tips and tricks has helped me, for sure, but it also filled my head with pressure, with the feeling of constantly running out of time.

It doesn’t make any sense.

The Ten years goal

A successful author once said in a interview : « When I decided to earn a living writing books, I gave myself ten years. You do that for ten years and if you don’t succeed, do something else. »

She worked as a waitress when she finished University. Her first book, a novel about a single girl in love with her cats (its way better then it sounds, trust me), was a success, but not the kind of success you quit your day job over.

She then published a mystery novel. It when best-sellers. Every single novel she then wrote also went best-sellers.

Since then, for more than nearly 30 years or so, she is been one the rare author in my tiny province up North to be able to live by her pen.

I set a similar goal for myself. Ten years. Either it works, either you go grow Christmas Tree in a remote place away from the publishing world.

It means writing a novel every nine months or less. A good novel even!

It means keep querying, and keep writing, while, you know, raising your kid and earning a living.

It sounds like a computer program. It certainly doesn’t sound like fun at all.

How to have fun while writing a novel

I had to set aside the deadlines and more so, I absolutely had to stop endlessly looking for some new, faster, better way to write a novel.

Instead, I looked for and finally found my old stories. Yep, the one I wrote on paper when I was 9 years old, 12 years old, 17 years old.

Good news: my writing skills improved since those good old days. So did my storytelling skills. Also, it reminded me of awesome times with my friends from back then. Lots of fun memories! Going down memory lane helped me rebuilt some confidence in my writing.

Another thing that helped me bring the fun back is I stopped stressing about is the dreaded day-to-day word count goal.
It is a goal, not homework.
I do take writing very seriously, but I need to have serious fun as well. Powering through a scene problem, or a backstory thing, saying I will fix it later just because I want those 1 500 words is not working for me. What works for me is writing a fun paragraph, stop to brainstorm a bit or fix the outlined right away, if I have one. Making the characters more complex, making the story better, that’s fun.

I stopped forcing myself to write every day, every night, plus I lowered my word count goals.
Here’s the thing, I set myself up to succeed in a professional field where I have very little control over things, and where the elusive luck itself plays a major role.
Who needs to feel guilty and discouraged and disappointed pretty much every day on top of that?

Not me, not anymore… she hoping with all her heart.

Until next time !