It's once again time for the AW Blog Chain. I haven't participated in one of these in a while, so I was glad to climb on board this month. The theme is writing, and over at FreshHell's blog (how cool of a name is that, by the way?), she wrote about discipline and creating deadlines.
Very cool, says I, because discipline has been my big thing lately.
We say it over and over again: writing takes discipline. And as I'm finding out, writing professionally takes discipline to a whole other level, because with it comes deadlines. No more, "I'll write as often as I can, and it's finished when it's finished." Oh no. Now it's, "I have to write every day, so I can finish it by __." Which isn't usually a problem for me, because I'm a fast typer and I tend to think out the next scene while at work/driving/showering/cooking/etc…, so I don't have to stare at a blank screen and figure out what the hell I'm saying next.
There are certainly times I don't want to write. I'd rather catch up on two hours of "Bones" episodes I've missed, or spend a few hours knocking around the Blogosphere, in search of something fun to read. I write anyway, and use the other stuff as rewards. After all, don't we all perform better when there's a reward involved?
Speaking of which, I've only got a few hours until "Heroes" is on, and haven't written a thing (blog posts don't count, HA!).
Next on the chain is razibahmed .
Me (Ralph Pines)
Unfocused Me
Sassee
Feathers
colbymarshall1
FreshHell
ChaosTitan
razibahmed
harri3tspy
mbroadway
rosemerry
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7 comments:
I find as busy as I am it's easier for me to squeeze in some writing time as opposed to having hours of free time ahead of me. But then I'm not freelancing. I'm just trying to find a good time that works for me with my ever changing schedule.
Discipline easier said than done. But isn't everything.
Discipline may not be everything but if you have none you won't get very far.
lyrajean, my schedule changes all the time, as well. I suppose it's one of the downfalls (and in some ways, benefits) of retail.
And freshhell, very true. Very, very true. :)
That's the problem, isn't it? I went through a stretch early this summer when I lost my discipline about writing my novel. I had other things going on, including some things at work that made it difficult to find the time, but really I just got distracted. I wrote other things, just not the novel. And surprise surprise, the novel did not write itself. When I came back to it, I was still mired in the same scene I had been stuck in when I stopped.
I suppose writing is like anything else that was, except that for those of us without contracts, no one but us cares if we don't finish.
Yep- I use rewards, too. If I 1k, I can then go watch an episode of something on the Tivo...yay!
unfocused me - You're right, it's more difficult without a contract looming over you, but that's when friends can come in handy. They can keep you accountable for productivity.
I'm trying this with a good friend who's usually the first person to read my new stuff--I'm holding my next novel hostage until I see pages from her.
colby -- Yay! For rewards! :)
Writing with a deadline is indeed very tough for most people. I love blogging because it has less pressure.
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