Productive Procrastination

I’m currently in a slump. The writing just doesn’t want to flow. I’m fumbling my way through possible plot twists, and they all propel the story forward – straight off a cliff. That’s the trouble with us discovery writers. We need to write in order to find out what happens next, and sometimes what happens next is just not very interesting. It’s not like it’s the first time this has ever happened to me, and I’ve always found a way out of the slump. I know that I will this time, too. I trust the process. Sooner or later, the Read More …

Reading vs. Writing

In my world, reading and writing have an unfortunate tendency to clash. As a matter of fact, reading often kicks writing’s ass. So last year I made a New Year’s resolution to read less. That didn’t work out so well: I nearly doubled my reading for that year. This year I didn’t even bother with a resolution. I’m kind of resigned to the fact by now that my default mode is reading. I read for entertainment, for information, for research purposes, for inspiration, for an escape from the mundane, and, yes, for procrastination. I read in the morning, if I Read More …

NaNoWriMo Is Here

Every few years I apparently need a kick in the pants. A break from the routine as well as a reminder that if I really apply myself, I can get a lot of writing done in a short time. And what better way to schedule it and hold myself accountable than to sign up for NaNoWriMo? The first time I took the challenge, I drafted a good chunk of what was then Book 3 of a trilogy but is now Book 5 of a pentalogy. The second time, I drafted part of what was then a prequel to the trilogy Read More …

Goal-setting for Writers

To get ahead in life, you’ve got to set goals. Everybody says so. Unfortunately, not all goals are created equal. Setting the wrong ones can lead to time wasted, or it can derail our efforts altogether, and end in frustration and regret. Clearly, a goal of “I’m going to be a famous writer” isn’t very helpful. “I want to be a better writer” is only slightly more useful. Better how? And anyway, how can we tell if we’ve hit the mark? So the self-help world gave us SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based) goals. Much better. Now we’ll actually Read More …

The Battle of the Binge

Unfortunately this time of year is hell on my productivity. Some of my favorite authors have new books out. It all started with Robert Galbraith’s “Troubled Blood“. I tore through almost a thousand pages in three days. And now there’s Joe Abercrombie’s “The Trouble with Peace“, and several more books sitting on my teetering to-read pile, clamoring for attention. I seem to be a person who doesn’t do things by half measures. When I read, I binge-read. When I get hooked on a TV series, which fortunately happens only about once every five years or so, I binge-watch (I’m looking Read More …