Category: Motivation and the Writing Life

Productivity Tips for the Scattered Writer

Motivation and the Writing Life

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraigDeathtoStock_Wired1

I think of myself as a pretty productive writer.  But this winter has been the toughest ever for me in terms of being able to finish a project.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m behind on my current book.  And I never like to think of myself as behind…I start each day fresh with no catching up.

However, at this point, it’s time for this particular book to be finished with.  My freelance editor is waiting for it.  My beta reader is waiting for it.  I have been emailed several times about it by readers (I’d been smart this time and said ‘spring 2015’ to keep it vague.  Now they’re emailing to ask exactly what spring means).Continue reading

Regaining Confidence in a Project

Motivation and the Writing Life

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraigDeathtoStock_Wired1

I hope that I’m not just accentuating the positive on my blog. Writing rarely comes super-easy to me.  It’s always a fight to stay focused and meet my daily goals.  I worry over every single project.  I absolutely love the writing and feel incredibly fortunate about being able to do this for a living…unless it’s a day when I’m not loving it.

My current self-published project has been interrupted a lot more than any other project I’ve ever worked on. Some of the interruptions were personal…like Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Some were professional—my agent asked me to write up a couple of outlines for proposed projects.  Then I got global edits in for a traditional project that publishes this summer.  Then I got copyedits for the project a few days ago.Continue reading

Working from Home as a Writer—Some Truths

Motivation and the Writing Life

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Working from home is something that sounds amazing for many people.  Who wouldn’t want to work from home, right?  No commute.  No dry cleaning bills.  No annoying coworkers.  No gasoline budget, parking decks, or lunches packed.

The truth is that working from home is great.  Sometimes.  And sometimes it’s not as great.  Take this blog post, for example.  It should have been written yesterday (at the latest) and scheduled to post right after midnight this morning.  But it’s been a crazy last couple of weeks because my children have been frequently at home due to teacher workdays, a national holiday, and an odd midterm exam schedule.

Sometimes unusual weeks like these will knock me right off my game.  Maybe I can meet my writing goals (I have), but supper for the family ends up being canned soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.  Maybe I’ll meet some goals and not others. Continue reading

Creating a Production Plan for the Year—Some Thoughts

Business of Writing, Motivation and the Writing Life

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraigproduction plan

Happy 2015!  Hope everyone enjoyed their holidays.  I’m back into the swing of things and have been working on this year’s production plan for my books.

I’m not so much a fan of resolutions.  I’d rather see my goals laid out on a to-do list or on a calendar as deadlines. That’s why I use a very simple production plan each year. If you’d like to do the same, here are my tips for getting started or for honing your list.Continue reading

The Ultimate in Networking

Business of Writing, Motivation and the Writing Life, Tools for Writers

by Alex J. Cavanaugh, @AlexJCavanaugh  Insecure_Cover

While writing itself is usually a solitary venture, everything else we need to accomplish as authors is not. We need input from critique partners, advice on publishing, assistance with marketing, and encouragement. To accomplish that, we need to network with others.

There are many great ways to connect and find other writers: blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Sometimes we’re lucky and we find a group of writers. One that is active and networking with one another. Perhaps it’s a growing group that’s spreading to other platforms. That’s a big plus, as with a large group, we can make a lot of quality connections.

When I first began writing, it was just me. I wasn’t online and I wasn’t involved in any writing groups. It wasn’t until I signed my first contract and was forced to venture online that I realized what I was missing. Those connections are so important!

I’m fortunate to be involved in what I believe is the ultimate networking group – the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Connecting writers through several platforms and with a hashtag of #IWSG on Twitter, it’s swelled to over two thousand members in just three years. And we have four ways for writers and authors to connect:Continue reading

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