Oh, the dreams are big. Quit your job. Write all day. Make a living in your PJs, working your own hours. It’s so romantic. So appealing. The image of the writer is part of why so many people want to embrace the life of a freelance writer or novelist.
After so long in the industry, I have learned some overarching truths. Here are my top 10 lessons learned.
Last week I shared my favorite gadgets and gizmos. This week I am focusing on programs. While I am not a huge user of apps, I do find a few helpful and have looked into other that I don’t use yet but plan to add to my capabilities.
I am the first to admit I am not enamored of all things electronic. I tend to be a bit old school, but I do have my favorite things, which I am going to share today.
The reason I am not fond of many gadgets and apps is that I find they confuse things and make them harder than they should be or at least more cumbersome. When it comes to research and writing, I like to keep things fairly simple, but that is not to say I don’t use technology. I do and the things I use I swear by. Don’t try to take them away from me. You will get hurt.
Ideas multiply. It’s a fact. It’s physics. Energy begets energy. Ideas beget ideas.
I get a lot of ideas when I write. The come from what I’ve written, from my research and from my characters themselves. Sometimes it is a line I write that doesn’t quite fit my current story, but that sparks a new one. Most often, though, it is an idea to fill a hole in my plot I hadn’t realized was there.
If you’re like me, you are probably setting goals for the new year—promises to exercise daily or eat right. It’s the season for starting over and re-committing to good habits. There’s nothing like feeling you have a clean slate and can move forward freely into a new and improved you. But while you’re picking good habits, don’t forget your writing.
I’ve struggled with the second part of my ways to avoid annoying editors series, mostly because the things that tend to annoy editors (okay, me) are difficult to write about without sounding harsh. I kept trying to couch my comments to be nicer, but in the end decided that telling the truth was more important. It is better to hear about them before you submit than after. So take this advice for what it is: tips to get better so your work is accepted instead of rejected.
How? By doing one simple thing. It’s easy. Trust me. I’m going to share one of my biggest irritations as a writer/editor—extra spaces.
Yes, you heard me correctly. I dislike extra spaces, specifically the ones that appear after a period.
I spent today editing materials for a client who clings to old habits and here is what I told him:
What I carry in my bag to keep writing on the go. What do you need to carry?
Each new year is an opportunity to begin again. It’s a fresh start. A renewal. Whether you make resolutions or not, I encourage you to take stock and recommit to your writing by embracing these 14 habits:
Write Daily
I can already hear your protests and excuses. Every day? What about weekends? Yes, daily. Whether you take off weekends is up to you, but starting out, I suggest writing daily if you want to hone your craft. It takes time to find your voice as a writer and that only comes with practice and time at the keyboard. So pick up a pen or start tapping away. The more you write, the better you will be.
Stop Talking About It
Stop telling everyone about your novel and write it. The more you share your story idea, the less motivation you will have to put it on the page. Use that desire to share your characters to put more words on the page. Don’t waste them chatting with every random person you meet. Write it instead.
“Word, words, words!
I’m so sick of words.
I hear words all day through,
First from him, now from you.
Is that all you blighters can do?”
Verse from the song “Show Me” in the musical “My Fair Lady” written by Lerner and Loewe
It has been a long week and these words have been looping in my head all day. Some weeks are like that. I write so much that words seem to be filling my brain to capacity and beyond. Too many words. I wonder if they will ever stop. Whenever that happens, this song invades my brain. It’s a sign.
