As evidenced by my previous post, I was in New Orleans (fully vaccinated and wearing a mask in all public spaces, for those who may be concerned.) And writing EOM was…. Easy? Perhaps that’s the wrong word. But it just flowed. It felt like, “yes, you are in a new place, you should be writing this.” Things that had me stuck at home just resolved while I was in a new place. It felt wonderful.
Though only writing while I’m travelling is not a sustainable plan. I cannot travel enough to write all that I want.
Hence the routine.
Every book on writing I’ve ever read has stressed the importance of making writing a habit, incorporating it as a part of your routine. So, I’ve done my best to establish one, and, surprise surprise, I’ve been more productive!
My writing routine is:
When travelling – just writing every day at any time, because everything is stimulating and it’s seems all I want to do is write.
When I’m not travelling, I try to leave the house by 7am (this was the case before the pandemic and now again since I’m vaccinated.) Libraries and cafes work best. Monday through Thursday mornings I work on Where Power Lies, (which is currently over 70,000 words and a little more than half-way done. No doubt it will take lots of cuts and redrafting editing in future, but not today!
I’ve started putting my phone on Do Not Disturb, that rather than just silent for my morning hours. It’s too easy to get derailed. Just as one gets into a flow, one is brought out of it again by a text or a news notification. Already doing just this has upped my word count.
Another part of the routine, (inspired by Rachel Aaron’s book 2k to 10k) is to take five minutes before I start drafting, to write out in a notebook what the scene(s) I am about to write will be like. It only takes few sentences, and it really focusses my mind.
Fridays (like today!) are for EOM and perhaps also a blog post, if I have anything at all to say. (And it appears that today I do.)
Yes, I need to keep to a routine. It will allow me to complete projects and get more writing done.
But nothing will compare with the joy of writing in new place. I feel I write my most and best when I’m experiencing a place for the first time. I’m more observant, I make connections, ask questions, and am just filled with a general sense of wonder and curiosity. And that of course, is immensely helpful in the creative process.
I have plans for a vacation this autumn for Morocco and Spain, which Delta variant is seriously menacing. The intention was (and still is, for the moment) to write fun shorts while I’m away, based in the location I happen to be! I’m really looking forward to those projects. My future travels will inspire a little series of stories that I hope to put up on Amazon and other e-book platforms. I just want to put something out there. Get it over with. Break the barrier and start sharing my work, even if it’s rubbish.
Oddly, I do not have this hangup about fan-fiction. For some reason, fan-fiction readers seem much kinder and go into a story wanting to enjoy it. I know any readers for novels and novellas I e-publish will never be as wonderful as fanfiction readers. (Unless they are my fan fiction readers. Would I be so lucky.) But I can’t let that stop me from putting my work into the world… (anymore.)
So the plan is:
1. Post a new chapter of EOM next Friday (yay!)
2. Finish the first draft of Where Power Lies by the end of August (a stretch goal, to be sure, especially considering that I also want to finish building the cabin by then, too). And,
3. (Travel gods willing) write story or two during my vacation, and publish them as little e-books (probably in November? An untraditional but worthy NaNoWriMo project.)
So there. I’ve put my routines and goals out there in the world, and now I can be held accountable.
Do you have a routine? Any tips or tricks you’d like to share?