Writing Tips

Our guest post this time around is from Sleuths' Ink President Kathy Garnsey. Some really good advice for getting your words down.

 

 

 

Whether you're ready for it or not, we are in the fourth month of the new year.  How much have you written?

That is the burning question isn't it? As writers we seem to find every excuse in the book from family obligations to killing ants! I personally know about the ants this year. Anyway, we are full of excuses, but excuses never wrote a book! So how do we get our seat in the chair and write? I suppose if I had that answer I would be a genius, but I do have some advice---as told to me and read by me--how else do we learn?

1. Set a time each day, even if it is only a half-hour or an hour, and DO IT. It doesn't do any good if you still don't do it. Tell everyone you know to leave you alone from four to six in the evening and write! Whatever time you decide you must put your rear in the chair and write. It isn't that hard--really.

2. Never get discouraged. If you fall short of your goals, and most of us do, do not get discouraged, simply try harder to get it done. Our families never seem to understand what a writer is, or does, so it is up to us to educate them. Or ignore them, whichever works best.

3. Get over your writer's block.  There is NO SUCH THING! Really, truly, there is no writer's block, simply a plot glitch to which we have not thought enough about. If you ever write for an editor, you can never tell them you have writer's block because they will tell you "real" writers do not get writer's block. Ask any published writer you know and I think they will tell you the same thing.

4. Stop procrastinating! Which actually brings us back to the #1 above. Yes, it is a full circle that we procrastinate around. Actually stop and listen to your own excuses and you will most likely find the same ones over and over again.

So how do you get past the "non writing" phase you may be in? The advice is really simple. You get rid of all the excuses and JUST DO IT! No, that phrase does not belong to just one shoe maker, it belongs to each and every one of us. Set a word goal for the week or the month and make yourself stick to it--no matter what! Get your laptop out while you watch TV and work on your book. Set a goal with a fellow writer and see who gets there first. 

Whatever it takes to write that book and get it done, just do it! 

Happy Writing to everyone!