When someone asks me how long I’ve been writing, I usually reply, “Since I could hold a #2 pencil in my fat little fist.” I wrote poems, stories, essays, term papers, and voluminous letters. The essays and term papers got me through high school and college, and dreams of someday writing ‘the great American novel’ got me through marriage and motherhood. Then I retired, and it was time to pay the piper.
Fourteen books later (traditionally published as well as indie published), I feel much like a caged hamster whose treadmill has gone into overdrive. Having learned enough to get started, I did—but getting started wasn’t even the tip of the iceberg.
I’ve read uncounted books and articles on the subject of writing, and most of them were pretty good. I count anything ‘good’ if I take away at least one idea from the text. But I kept thinking, “There’s got to be an easier way to write and promote what you’ve written.”
There is.
I had to get off the treadmill.
I had go get organized. Not necessarily organized the way touted by many writing gurus, but organized in a way which worked for me.
And I did.
And now I’m going to share a few things, hoping you’ll take away at least one idea and call this article ‘good’.
Writing is a journey, so let’s get started.
While some folks swear by just getting in the car and driving, most of us do a little pre-planning before we travel. At the very least, we know where we want to go.
Where do you want to go? Straight to the top of the New York Times Best Seller list, no doubt. Some of us will get there; most of us won’t.
So what’s your alternate destination? You know, one of those places the plane can land or the car can stop along the way. How about just deciding you’re going to write something?
Pack your bag.
So what will you take along on this writing journey? Here’s a list of items I’ve found indispensable baggage.
• A notebook. Ideas are everywhere, and no, you won’t remember them until you get home. Buy a pocket or purse-sized notebook (don’t forget a pen!) and take it everywhere. Everywhere. I’ve found characters for books in airports, restaurants, coffee shops, even on public sidewalks. Settings—what about that old house or building? Write down what it looks like NOW. Maybe it won’t still be there when you come back. Dialogue—how many times have you heard words which seem crafted by a master writer’s pen, but instead they came from the mouth of the man on the street? I could go on, but you get the picture.
• A thesaurus. Yes, yes, I know you can find one online, but I’ll guarantee you’ll use the real live book a lot more. Beef up your vocabulary—although not so much your readers will have to use a dictionary to get from page 1 to the end.
• A dictionary. Uh-huh, there’s spellcheck, but don’t even go there. Navigating the English language is like being in a house of mirrors. Look up the word!
• Something like 20,001 Names for Baby (Carol McD. Wallace). Your characters have to have names, and your imagination will run dry after a while.
• Something to write with/on. I love my laptop, but there are tablets with keyboards these days, and I understand all these new-fangled phones have aps for everything. A pencil/pen and a yellow legal tablet will work, too. Keep one handy for those spare minutes you’re waiting on your order at a restaurant. (I started writing on a heavy-as-lead upright Underwood typewriter, went through two portables, a couple of word processors, a desktop computer, and several laptops. I’m not hard on my equipment—just old.)
• A library card. You’ll be doing more research than you realize, and you’ll likely be using the internet. But libraries are for we impoverished scriveners who don’t want to buy the books we need. And, don’t forget the library loan program if your local library doesn’t have what you want.
• A kitchen timer. Do you want to write or play on social media? All things in moderation. I spend 15 minutes on each one every morning because I use these venues for marketing and promotion.
Study the road map in advance.
How many times have you been asked, “Are you a plotter or a pantser?” It doesn’t matter. I usually sketch out a story with some settings, character names and descriptions, and a few key events. Most likely they’ll change some—or even totally. Do what you need to do to get started and worry about the rest later.
Gather your traveling companions.
• Set up a folder in “My Documents” for any articles you run across which offer advice for writers: writing descriptions, fleshing out characters, keeping the plot moving apace are topics which come to mind, but there are many more. I copy and paste, save, and move them into a folder called simply “Saved Online Articles”. Don’t forget the link in case you need to go back for any reason.
• Sometimes I print them out and take them with me to my office-away-from home—that being Sonic Drive-In at Happy Hour—and read while I indulge in a large diet vanilla Coke. Don’t get bogged down reading online when you should be writing. Save and go back when you need a break. Skim topics within articles for relevant information. Online writing groups are fine, but as with social media, you can waste a lot of time in the chat rooms. One or two may be more than enough. In the end, you are your own best cheerleader.
Schedule your miles.
When you’re traveling, you may determine you’re going to make a certain number of miles a day, and maybe you will. Maybe you’ll get so tired you’ll wish you’d stayed home! Stop and stretch. Read that historical marker/aka book, magazine, newspaper. Have a snack. Take time to enjoy the scenery/patio, deck, porch. You’ll get where you’re going soon enough. It doesn’t have to be today.
Visit Randy Ingermanson at Advanced Fiction Writing and sign up for his free ezine. Check the archives for an article called “The 500 Club”. You’ll be glad you did.
Remember you don’t have to write the Great American Novel right off the bat. Start with some short stories. I started here at A Long Story Short.
Some things you just need to leave at home.
You’re enthused about your new writing adventure, but not everyone will be similarly excited. Ditch them. Not literally, of course—just don’t let someone expound on how you’ll be just one little drop of water in an ocean of water. It’s true—but keep in mind you just might sparkle more or in a different way than the other little drops of water!
Don’t worry about ‘the rules’. There are only three:
• Write something someone will want to read.
• Use good grammar/snytax and spelling.
• Be willing to edit and re-write and edit and re-write as many times as it takes to get it right.
At the end of the road
Yes, you’ll get there. When you look back, maybe you’ll decide to do things differently on the next trip. Whatever works for you is the thing to do.
There are side roads you’re going to have to travel, too: Publishing Parkway and Marketing Lane. But for now, you’re on the Writing Road.
So write.
Don’t wrestle with the small stuff.
Enjoy.
And whatever you do, don’t go getting all self-important. It will take all the joy out of what you’re doing.
You are a writer. You are yourself. That’s enough.
©Judy Nickles 2014
Judy is a retired teacher who is having her adolescent rebellion 50+ years late. Her books can be found on Amazon. Read more at her website, Someday Is Here, and follow her blog, The Word Place.