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Finding Writing Freedom

Published on by Kristi Holl

Within the last month, I’ve switched over from XP to a Windows 8 laptop with wireless Internet. It has been a wonderful, eye-opening change!

YouTube videos and movies no longer stick, break up, or freeze. I can access the Internet in any room of the house—or even when away on trips. I can check frequently on Facebook to see new videos and photos of my beautiful grandkids. And I could decide to answer “just one more email question” before going to bed.

Therein lies the problem.

Addicted? Who, Me?

I never had a tremendous amount of sympathy for writers who couldn’t seem to stay off the Internet long enough to get their reading, writing, and studying done. How hard could it be really? Well, this past month I found that it’s a lot harder to leave alone than I thought! Having dinosaur dial-up and then a pokey DSL line had been my biggest productivity friend, I think.

While I love the new computer—and it would have been so welcome when writing a couple of nonfiction books that required much research—its high-tech capabilities are causing trouble.

Enter Freedom!

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have so much willpower to spare that I want to spend it fighting the Internet. And yet computers—with Internet access—are here to stay. So I did what my youngest daughter grilled into my head. Her answer to everything is “Google it!” So I did.

And I found a fabulous “block the Internet” download called Freedom. For a mere ten dollars (and there’s a free trial if you’d like to try it first), you get instant willpower. It buys you freedom to focus by blocking your Internet access! You can set the “block” for any amount of time, from fifteen minutes to 24 hours. You can set schedules for different days of the week if you like, and then you write.

I love the app. I would pay more for it, if necessary. (And I don’t part with my money easily!) I noticed this morning as I set the timer (on both my computers) for three hours of blocking, there was a wonderful sense of peace. There wasn’t the withdrawal I expected. Instead—and this will sound so anti-social—there was such a feeling of “no one can get to me for three hours—it’s my time to just write!”

And so I did.

Success!

Nothing makes us feel like writers more than writing. And nothing makes me feel like a successful writer more than having a very productive writing day. Freedom gives me that!

How about you? Do you need some writing freedom too? And do you have a favorite time-saving or willpower-producing tip?

Writers: Practice What You Preach

Published on by Kristi Holl

I got home late last night from the Highlights Foundation’s “Sharing Our Hope” workshop, where I did a lot of preaching about the importance of self-care for writers and how absolutely critical it is to our writing lives.

We had a marvelous time together and forged new friendships. Even so, after “giving out” for several days, I’m exhausted this morning and slightly under the weather.

Stop! Stop! Stop!

I started right in on my to-do list, which managed to grow considerably even when I was gone. But I felt over-whelmed. Then my own voice came back to me from a talk on Saturday on self-care for writers. The voice was clear: “Practice what you preach!”

So I read some of my own blog posts and reminded myself of a few things I already knew. Thanks to “Mood-Dependent Writing Stages,” I have decided to tackle some rote-writing and prewriting tasks that need to be done. They won’t require nearly so much psychic energy as what I had planned to do.

And after re-reading “Writer Diagnosis: Failure to Thrive,” I saw how I could get from “languishing” to “flourishing” today. I needed that middle step–nourishing–in a couple of different areas. I plan to actually DO them!

Do What You Already Know

I think today’s writers are some of the most educated writers ever seen. But we’re not especially good at doing what we know is the wisest thing to do.

I am guilty of that too frequently. At least for today, I’m going to change that! 

By any chance, is there some area of your writing life where you “know better,” but you also need to follow through? Be brave and leave a comment!

Writers: Choose Your Friends Wisely (Part 2)

Published on by Kristi Holl

[If you haven’t yet, read about the dangers of toxic “friends” in Part 1 of “Writers: Choose Your Friends Wisely.”]

Traits of a True Friend

So…what are the characteristics of friends who best nurture our creativity and productivity?

A. Supportive non-writer friends show an interest. They may not understand exactly what you do, but they ask about your current projects (as you ask about theirs). They’re happy for your successes, no matter how small in the world’s eyes.

B. Supportive writer friends pump you up to do your best work, and even act as cattle prods. (“Quit stalling. Sign up for that conference.”) The encouragement of your peers is special. At one point, because of some health problems, I had virtually lost touch with my writer friends for over two years. Until I reconnected at a conference, I hadn’t realized what a grind my writing life had become. Just being together to “talk shop” reminded me that I was a writer. It rejuvenated my enthusiasm.

C. Friends in a working critique group can be a godsend. First, the members offer good constructive criticism to each other. Second, members hold each other accountable (in a kind way) for actually producing some material each week.

D. In a beneficial way, misery loves company! How much better I felt when I attended a retreat to discover that I wasn’t the only one whose books were going Out Of Print or who hadn’t signed a book contract all year. Instead of feeling like an abysmal failure, I then saw my experience as part of the general upheaval of the publishing world.

E. On a practical level, supportive writing friends often share valuable marketing tips (who’s looking for what genre, an agent’s advice about a hot topic). Alone, we writers have little “inside information”; collectively, we have a broader base of knowledge.

Finding Those Friends

If you need a change in the friendship area, don’t despair. You can find new supportive friends. As you nurture your writing life and grow in self-confidence, you’ll attract friends (writer and non-writer alike) who are more supportive as well.

We often have to believe in ourselves before anyone else does. Others often take their cues from us. So learn to be your own best friend first!

Writers: Choose Your Friends Wisely

Published on by Kristi Holl

As I pack my bag this week to head off to the “Sharing Our Hope” workshop, I give thanks for the writers I know that will be there and the new writing friends I expect to make. 

We writers need to nurture our creative sparks, rather than snuff them out (or allow someone else to do it). This requires a lot of appropriate self-care: solitude, healthful eating and sleeping habits, and a mentally stimulating environment.

Is that enough? No.

Self-Doubts

Early in my career (like 30 years ago), I had all those things. I was very disciplined, ate right, walked daily, studied hard, and took time to dream my ideas into stories and books that sold. Yet my self-doubts grew along with my list of credits, my enthusiasm eventually waned, and I feared my success had been a fluke.

I was puzzled. Although I worked very hard, I was also careful to avoid burnout. I took time to relax with my friends. But, as it turned out, that appeared to be part of the problem.

Friendly Fire

The Bible says there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Today I’m blessed with many such treasures, but in the beginning I noticed that some of my friends said things to me like: “Come on and do this; you’re only writing. You can do that anytime”; “My nephew fell asleep in the middle of your new book”; “That book will never sell with that ugly painting on the cover”; “Jane’s advance was three times what you got”; and “How long does it take to crank out a kiddie’s book anyway?”

Each comment stung a bit. I thought I needed a thicker skin. But truly, with friends like these, who needs enemies?

Safety and Security

What does this have to do with health and self-care for writers? Creativity grows and flourishes when we have a sense of safety and self-acceptance. The writer in you, like a small child, is happiest when feeling a sense of security, and this requires safe companions. “Toxic playmates can capsize our artist’s growth,” says Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way.

Every writer needs friends, but it’s the quality, not the quantity, that counts when it comes to your emotional health. Our choice of friends is critical. We have enough of a challenge when plagued by our own fears of failure or inadequacy without having to deal with someone else’s.

Reasons Friends Turn Toxic

Jealousy makes some people toxic. These friends usually want to write too, but aren’t presently working. If you’re producing pages of a novel or interviewing experts for your magazine article, it’s harder for them to collect sympathy for being the victims of some mysterious block. Undermining your self-confidence is easier than completing their own work. Confront the issue kindly and ask for their support instead. If their put-downs don’t stop, consider ending the pseudo-friendships.

Sabotage from non-artist friends has more to do with your lack of availability. These friends may not understand your need to set aside time to work. Sometimes this becomes an unconscious test of your friendship. Will you stop work and be with them? (You wouldn’t expect your teacher friend to leave her classroom for two hours to go to a movie with you. That’s her work. Well, writing is your work, and every bit as valid.) So what do you do when your best friend shows up halfway through your writing time to go antiquing? Be gentle, be firm, but hang tough.

Plug the Drain!

Be aware also that some friends are so emotionally draining that being with them extinguishes your creativity. A hyperactive, life-of-the-party friend can leave you too wound up to work. Or your friend with serious problems may dump on you until you absorb all her negative feelings. If these draining friendships are valuable enough to you to keep, then choose your contact times carefully.

For example, during my rough draft stages where creativity must be high, I reduce time spent with such friends. I also learned to use my answering machine to screen the ninety-minute, heart-rending calls that derailed my whole writing day. I returned these calls after my writing was done. [Obviously I’m not talking about true emergencies here.]

But writers need friends! A good writing friend is the best kind of friend! On Friday I’ll talk about traits of a true friend–the kind every writer needs and deserves. Stay tuned!

Draining a Writer's Reserves

Published on by Kristi Holl

“To create, one cannot be constantly other focused.” Gail Sheehy

[I wish I had written the following article, but I didn’t. You should read it though, and maybe even print it out. It’s called “Encroachment,” and it’s by Robin La Fevers.]

“Encroachment”

“The pressing demands of daily life have a rather sobering ability to suck all of the creative oxygen out of a room. They don’t even have to be big, catastrophic type demands. Sometimes simply the endless dripping of life’s mundanities can wear away our reserves until there is nothing left. There are just so very many ways to be pulled in the direction of others–in spite of how necessary facing inward is in order to give free voice to our creativity…”  To read the rest of this excellent article, go here.  And if you decide that you need help setting and enforcing boundaries, see my e-book Boundaries for Writers.

Strong Writers Do This

Published on by Kristi Holl

During the past two years I’ve done more novel critiques than usual. Some have been so-so, some were very good, and a few have already sold.

What made the difference between the “very good” stories and the manuscripts that sold? In my opinion, it was the overall strength of the novels.

Often the “very good” book manuscript was strong except for just one area. Maybe there was no felt emotional connection with the main character, or all the dialogue voices sounded like the author’s voice. Perhaps the one weak area was lack of suspense despite beautiful prose, or poorly researched historical facts, or terrible mechanics.

Oops!

Often when I mentioned the trouble I saw, the writer emailed me back and said, “I suspected that was a problem. I guess I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.” It’s better to listen to your gut feeling and assume if you know there’s a problem, others will see it too.

“Hoping an editor won’t notice” isn’t a solid marketing plan. Even if they had the time (which they don’t), editors aren’t in the business of fixing the story for you or teaching you how to write. That’s up to you–but what can you do?

Back to School

“Unless you’re working with an expert instructor, you need to be designing your own writing improvement program,” says James Scott Bell in The Art of War for Writers. “Work out a systematic plan to overcome your weak areas by setting up self-study programs.”

We all hope our novel’s strengths will over-ride the weaknesses, but you want your novel to be healthy overall, not just mostly healthy with one or two weak areas. If your physique were great except for flabby underarms, you would target that flapping fat with exercises and a program designed specifically for upper arms. In the same way, if your novel is weak in one or two areas, you need a specific exercise program to strengthen that area.

Make a Plan

For example, if your problem is dialogue that all sounds like the same flat voice, you might need a self-study program called “Creating Distinctive Voices.” Your study question might be: How can I create distinctive voices for each character, so distinctive that I can tell who’s speaking without any identification?

Here’s one plan, and you can adapt it for any area you want to improve:

  1. Make a list of novels where you remember the characters coming through in their dialogue as distinctive. (accent, regional speech, slang, choppy vs. languid speech, hip vs. old-fashioned, formal vs. grammatically incorrect, straightforward vs. flowery speech, etc.)
  2. Choose several of these novels and re-read them specifically for the dialogue. Keep your study question in mind as you read. Underline passages that do the job and then write a few scenes where you try to accomplish the same thing through dialogue. Don’t copy their words, but try to copy the technique used.
  3. Buy some books on the particular writing problem you have and study them. There are good writing books available on every area of craft you can imagine. You don’t have to re-invent the wheel, nor do you have to submit stories that are weak in one or two areas.

In today’s economy, your stories need to be the cream that rises to the top. Ensuring that your novel is strong in every area is one way to do that.

Writing–and Writers–That Last

Published on by Kristi Holl

I’ve been watching Walton’s re-runs since the recent death of Ralph Waite. (He was the father of the Waltons.) So for you Waltons fans, here is a re-run of a post done after visiting Walton’s Mountain, VA…and what I learned about writers there.

I’m going to reveal my age here–I was born the same year as John-Boy Walton. I loved the Walton family, I own all ten seasons of their show, all the specials, and a few books about them.

So when our plane was overbooked and we didn’t get on our overseas flight, we drove from Baltimore to Norfolk, VA, to catch a plane flying out of the Naval Base there. We had four days to relax and read. I was looking at a map of Virginia when suddenly the words “Walton’s Mountain Museum” leaped out at me.

Forty Years Ago!

There it was! Right in the Blue Ridge Mountains, very near Rockfish. The Museum was in Schuyler, the small town where Earl Hamner, Jr. (creator of the Waltons) grew up. The drive took longer than expected, and we very nearly didn’t get there on time to see the 30-minute video before going through the museum. I was entranced, enthralled…

This was my favorite family during their ten-year run on TV. They were considered a goody-goody kind of show. When they were put on the air in September (’73, I think), they were in the same time slot as Flip Wilson’s comedy show and “The Mod Squad.” Earl Hamner said they didn’t think the series had a prayer against those two popular shows–but by Christmas just three months later, “The Waltons” was #1. They remained popular for ten years.

Write What You Know

I always love to see the homes of writers. The Hamner home on a steep hillside (above) was modest for a family that included eight children. The country store sits on the spot where Earl Hamner, Jr. had a writing shed. The church they attended was just around the corner on the country road. We passed several logging trucks and loggers at work as we neared Schuyler–everything very “Walton.”

Whether you loved the Waltons or not, as writers it’s worth thinking about its popularity at a time that everything was “mod” and becoming irreverent. Earl Hamner, Jr. tapped into something that spoke to people. First his books, and then the shows made from his books. How did he do it? He followed the advice of “write what you know.”

Writing That Connects

He studied people–and what made them tick. He knew specific details: the birds, the trees, the wildflowers on the mountain.

He observed dynamics between people and got to the heart of what made a common man heroic. He wrote and rewrote and rewrote some more.

[NOTE: Hamner is 90 now and lives in California, but you can still buy his autographed books at his boyhood home.]

I left the mountain inspired.

[Leave a comment if you were/are a Walton’s fan!]

Keeping the Dream Alive

Published on by Kristi Holl

Lately all my technology has decided to bite the dust. I’ve replaced the computer, the camera, and the Kindle.

To this full-time writer, $$$ “emergencies” often mean taking on writing projects that will pay NOW. For me, that’s writing books and test material for educational publishers. I’m so thankful for the work, but it can take over your novel writing time and energy.

So how do we keep our writing dreams alive when dealing with other things that require a lot of our time?

Life Happens!

“Life is what happens when you’ve made other plans.” We’ve all heard that saying. I want to remind you that it’s during these unexpected “life happens” events that you most often lose sight of your writing dreams.

How do we keep that from happening?

According to Kelly Stone in Time to Write, “The only requirement to be a writer is a Burning Desire to Write, coupled with the dedication that that desire naturally creates. Follow that desire up with action and nothing will keep you from success.”

Life Interrupted

I agree with Ms. Stone. Adhere to that formula for success, and you can’t miss. BUT life gets in the way sometimes: personal illness, job loss in the family, sick parents or children, a teen in trouble, a marriage in trouble. It’s at these times when you need to take precautions to keep your dream alive inside you.

Other writers struggle with this too, whether it’s during calm times in life or when there’s more upheaval. “It’s easy to believe that what you do doesn’t matter, but you have to think that it does matter,” says novelist Mary Jo Putney, “that you have stories to tell, and a right to tell them.  You should take the time to yourself to explore this ability. You’ll always be sorry if you don’t do it.”

Practical Tips

There are many tried-and-true actions to take to keep your dream alive. Write out your goals and action plan, breaking it down into small, do-able steps. Set small daily goals, and write–even if it’s only for ten minutes–to stay in the habit. Visualize in great detail having pieces published, autographing your first novel, or quitting your day job to write full-time.

You don’t have time for all that?

Okay, then just do ONE thing. Steve Berry, NY Times bestselling author, said it well: “The number one thing you must do is write. You have to write, write, write, and when you can’t write anymore, write some more.”

Don’t go to bed tonight until you’ve spent at least ten or fifteen minutes writing. Nothing keeps a writer’s dream alive and flourishing like sitting down and writing. Absolutely nothing.

[If you need more help, check out my books Writer’s First Aid and More Writer’s First Aid.]

 

 

 

 

Pacifiers or Catalysts: Your Choice

Published on by Kristi Holl

What if you’re tired of your non-writing rut, but you can’t seem to crawl out of it either? 

I’ve noticed one amazing thing about myself and other writers who claim to want to write more than anything else. Something odd takes over, and we fill the free time of our lives with all kinds of non-writing activities. We reach for things that make us feel good, that quell any anxiety we might be feeling, or at least keep us occupied.

What fills our lives–what quells our anxiety–can be either positive or negative. The activity we choose can be either a pacifier or a catalyst.

What’s the Outcome?

Activities that fall under the heading of “pacifiers” are things like mindless TV viewing, complaining about the sad state of publishing to all your writing friends, eating mass amounts of comfort food, surfing the Net, playing video games, or shopping till you drop.

Nothing good (for your writing career) comes from any of those activities. They serve simply as pacifiers, something to make the whining, fretful baby in us be quiet. But are we then any closer to our writing goals? No, not at all. We’ve simply passed some time–writing time that we can’t get back.

Positive Time Fillers

As I asked in the opening, what if you’re tired of your non-writing rut, but you can’t seem to crawl out of it either? What can you fill your free time with instead of a pacifier activity? Why not try a catalyst instead? It’s your choice. A catalyst is a springboard for change, something that nudges you in a better direction. The next time you feel anxious about your writing and want to fill your time with something to soothe the fear, why not try a positive change agent?

Activities that fall into the catalyst category might include:

  • watching an inspiring movie
  • spending time with a writing mentor or coach
  • reading an inspirational book or self-help writing book
  • listening to motivational tapes on an MP3 player
  • reading a biography or watching a documentary about someone you admire (especially another writer)
  • reading a current copy of The Writer or Writer’s Digest
  • attending a writing conference, retreat or workshop

Think Ahead–Then Choose

We all feel anxious sometimes to the point of being stuck. That’s okay. Just be aware that there are activities that only pacify the fear (and waste your time)–but there are also enjoyable activities that can act as catalysts to get you writing. Choose the activity that is going to propel you forward, not help you stagnate even further.

We all have our favorite catalysts. Mine include reading inspirational writing books or writing articles I’ve saved over the years, Skyping with another author about writing issues, or watching a movie about authors (like Becoming Jane, Cross Creek, Finding Forrester, Finding Neverland, or Miss Potter).

What is your favorite pacifier–and what’s the effect on your writing? On the positive side, what is your most helpful catalyst and its effect on your writing? Please share some ideas that work best for you.

Shifting Focus: a Critical Writer’s Skill

Published on by Kristi Holl

When driving a car, you need to focus on the distance so you don’t run a red light that is coming up or miss your exit sign. But you also have to focus up close, paying attention to your speedometer or the car in the next lane. You won’t successfully reach your destination if you don’t have both long-range focus and short-range focus.

The same holds true for your writing career, and this shifting back and forth in focus seems to be where writers often fall short.

Long-Term Focus

LONG-TERM FOCUS: bypassing instant gratification in favor of achieving your goal.

Long-term focus means taking the long view, like seeing the exit sign in the distance. It marks where you’re headed, and it keeps you on target whether you have to change lanes, stop for gas, speed up or slow down.

Long-term focus for your writing does the same thing. If your long-range goal is publishing a book, that’s where you need to keep your long-range focus. It will keep you moving in the right direction whether you have to stop for illness, speed up to meet a request from an agent, or slow down to do extensive revisions.

“Focus helps you eliminate the mental clutter that keeps getting in the way of your ultimate goals. To remain focused, you need to take time out each and every day to make sure you’re still focused on the things in life that are important to you.” (Self-Discipline: Unlock the Power of Self-Control by M. T. Anderson)

Perils of Long-Term Focusing

So when you’re focused on your long-term goals—really keeping them in sight and heading with determination toward them—what’s the problem? It’s one I can fully identify with.

“If you focus in on a single area of your life with laser-focus, all the other areas will begin to suffer,” says Anderson.

Hasn’t this happened to you? Whether through desire to complete a project or necessity (a deadline bearing down on you), haven’t other areas of your life suffered? Mine do. I don’t care much if my house gets dirty—it can be cleaned fairly quickly when I have time. I’m talking about more important stuff that suffers or gets neglected: exercise, taking time to cook healthy meals, going to bed on time, and other health-related things. I might finish 50,000 words during NaNoWriMo, but did I end up with back and neck pain, plus ten extra pounds?

It doesn’t have to be that way, but you must keep a watchful eye on important daily routines. You must learn to shift focus–and usually many times a day.

Short-Term Focus

SHORT-TERM FOCUS: activities that contain all the habits that will get you to your long-term goal (just like your careful driving habits of observing speed laws and filling your gas tank will get you to your destination.)

Short-term focus mostly has to do with your daily writing routines and how you accomplish your daily writing tasks. It also means not letting distractions lure you away from writing or cause you to get lost or off track. 

Most of us know the tips:

  • Find a quiet place to work, preferably one with a door.
  • Close your e-mail and social networking sites while you work.
  • Turn off your cell phone; turn on the answering machine.

You have to focus up close on your driving (writing) habits. The Internet is still a big problem for people. And it might be bigger than you imagine in your own writing life. If you want to find out, check out the time tracking software (FREE) called Rescue Time. It will tell you how you are spending your time online, let you set goals, track for you how you’re doing, and send you a weekly report. It has helped me waste less time after giving me weekly reality checks on where my time is really going!

Also, Anderson says “there are free browser extensions for all of the major browsers that will either block the sites you tell them to or will limit the amount of time you spend on the site. Install one and use it during the hours you’re supposed to be working.”  I use StayFocused for Google Chrome. See these 51 Productivity Extensions for more great ideas to help you.

Slippage

Look at your priorities, then see if you’re really headed that way based on what you’re doing on a daily basis. Focus tends to slip a little at a time. It’s easier to change focus slippage early on while the problem is minor.

If you don’t find a way to have daily short-term focus, it won’t matter if you set long-term goals or not. And vice versa. If you stare at your speedometer without looking down the road, you’ll probably crash. If you stare at the exit sign a mile away without bothering to note the cars behind and beside you, you’ll probably crash. Either way, you won’t make it to your destination.

You are driving your writing career, and it is primarily up to you if you reach your destination. Your writing—like your driving—needs both a long-term view and a short-term view. Taken together, this way to focus on your goals will help many more of them come to completion.