distractions – Selina J. Eckert

Write the Thing!

How do we actually find the time to write the thing when so many other things need our attention???

So, this year was a big year for me. I published my first book as an indie author! It was a step I’d wanted to take since 2012, but the journey twisted and turned before leading me back here, 7 years later.

But now that I’m published, I have so many ideas…and so much work to do as a published author. I have to write new things. I have to promote old and new things. And since my eventual (hopefully within the next year) goal is to find representation from a literary agent for some of my other work, I also have to polish and query other entire novels.

It doesn’t leave as much time for writing.

I know people tell us as writers over and over that audience and platform are important. And they are incredibly important. But it is even more important to write the things so your audience/platform has the thing to read! Without a product, what do you have to give them? More about the same stuff you’ve already shared? Sure, there will be new readers. There will also be readers waiting for your next release.

But while the expectations and work has increased, my amount of time has not. I still have my day job, I still have my personal responsibilities, and I still have my relationships, all of which are important to my life.

So how do I balance the time I have? How do I get writing done…while still doing the business-y things I have to do? And all of that on top of a full-time job in an unrelated field, a family, and friends?

Here’s how I do it (though keep in mind that I’m still figuring things out…I’ve got plenty to learn!):

Prioritize some kind of writing as often as possible. For me, I used to try to write every day. But that doesn’t work when I’m mostly editing, so I have to approach it more from amount of time than word count. I don’t make myself write every day (I can’t), but I do try to make sure I’m working on creating new material or polishing upcoming material more than half the days of the week and catch up when I have larger chunks of time available. For now, that works.
Set realistic goals. It helps to concretely set a goal. While I’m drafting, I want to draft 1000 new words per day. When I’m editing, I try to get in a chapter of editing (or more) every time I sit down. By giving myself clear goals on what I expect, and making sure those goals are achievable, I’m setting myself up to make progress on my projects and bolster my enthusiasm and self esteem.
Make sacrifices. Yes, unfortunately you can’t do it all! I may have to give up time to play games or relax in front of the TV in order to reach a goal or deadline. I may have to say no to more things (such as client work or anthologies I’d like to be involved in). You need to make sacrifices so you have time for the things that are most important to you (for me, my relationships are top, then my writing).
Set aside recharge time. You can’t write with an empty well. It’s that simple. So if things are burning you out, make sure you take the time you need to refill those wells. Recently, I felt burned out from all the mental work I’d been doing for writing and editing since January. I didn’t do anything like that for a week. Instead, I did some other creative work, like watercolors and mapmaking, that were more helpful to recharge me than doing nothing at all. They used a different part of my brain that was refreshing and relaxing (and I may have also made something that relates to my WIP, Sea of Broken Glass). Find the things that will refresh you and give you back enthusiasm.
Schedule your marketing/social media/etc. Once again, you can’t do it all. And these little details of living the author life (being active online or working on the business side) can be draining and can suck away your time before you know it. So, I find that for me, it’s best if I set my plans for how I will approach my social media. Instead of sitting around all day on Twitter or Facebook, I intentionally set how much time I will spend and how much I will post. I post on Facebook once or twice per day (Monday through Friday only). I post a few times on Twitter per day, but not every day. I create one new blog post every week (and sometimes more ahead of time so I can take weeks off). And I set aside specific days or times for marketing or working on the business that are separate from my actual writing time. Right now, this works for me.
If you can, multitask! For me, I tend to write in front of the TV in the evenings (but if it’s during the day or I’m not home, I tend to write more without distractions at all). I know a lot of people say not to do this, but I find it easier to live my life if I am also doing things while I write. Sometimes this lets me catch up on shows while making (admittedly slower) progress. Sometimes this is when I’m spending time watching TV with my husband or sitting together in the same room. And sometimes, it’s the distraction I need to keep from freaking out about all the business stuff I am still trying to understand. I get stressed out really easily by finances and business, so having something to distract my attention a little helps me.
Be willing to make changes. Finally, you need to understand that what works now may not work forever. As my life and goals and career change, I will need to adjust how I approach my personal writing goals, scheduled time, and relaxation time. I may also need to change what I’m sacrificing. Try not to be so set in your habits that you can’t alter them to better fit your life as it develops. We’re supposed to change. Our plans should, too. 🙂

So that’s what I’m currently doing so that I can write the thing! I’m still trying to get everything to work, and right now, my biggest issue is that I have so many active projects I need to actually finish some! But I’m also lucky in that everything I’m currently working on I am absolutely 100% in love with.

And that’s a good feeling.

~~~

Are you juggling many things on top of your writing? How do you make it work? What things do you struggle with the most? Tell me your tips, and let’s talk about it in the comments!

Ooo, Shiny! (Or, Managing New Ideas While Writing)

One of the most important things to a writer is simply an idea. A place to spark their next story. An inspiration. A gift from a muse. The shinies we see and chase instinctively in a need to capture and create with them. Ideas are the life, blood, and magic of the writing process; without them, there is no story.

baby-blur-blurry-827991 — I see you over there, you beautiful new story, you.

However, as good and important as ideas are, they can also be dangerous distractions. They can lead us to lost time on our works in progress (WIP) as we daydream about the new idea, create Pinterest boards, write new outlines for new stories, or even start writing new stories themselves.

And what happens to the WIP when that happens? It starts to stagnate. It lies forgotten in the dust, that story that was also once a shiny worth chasing. It slows, and in many cases, it dies on your hard drive.

For years, this was how I operated. I would get a new idea and dive in head first, starting the new story with impatience while allowing the old one to sit half-finished forever. Because of this model (and how I only wrote when inspired… but that’s a story for another day), I never finished anything. In the years between elementary school and college, when I’d started to write my own stories, I finished two. And they were never edited or looked at ever again (they can probably stay out of the light of day, honestly).

But that all changed in the last five years or so. I still get new ideas all the time that want to pull me away from my WIP, but I manage to finish what I’m writing before moving on to the new story. I’ve learned ways that work for me, that keep me productive and motivated and entertained.

How do I manage these distractions and finish what I’m working on? Three simple tricks:

WIP has priority. That’s right. That simple. Set yourself a goal on your WIP, and make sure you complete it before you let yourself do anything with any new ideas. For example, if I get a new idea, I set a daily goal of 1000 words on the old project before I allow myself to work on something unrelated to my WIP. The trick here is you have to keep yourself accountable and disciplined. You have to do the work to get the reward, not just reward yourself for no reason. Writing trackers can be very helpful and motivating for this. I personally use Writeometer on my phone.
And speaking of the reward…
Make the new idea your prize. Use it to motivate yourself to finish your WIP so you can indulge in the new idea. Write your WIP goal for the day, then turn on Pinterest.
Don’t start writing until your WIP is finished. Unless you think you can keep up your enthusiasm for the WIP while starting the “more exciting” story in your head, just avoid beginning the writing at all. Instead, start doing the background research, create your mood boards and inspiration boards, create character sheets and plot outlines. Do whatever prep work you need. Just don’t start writing it. Writing the story is the ultimate prize for finishing your WIP… treat it that way!

So there you have it! It can be very difficult to keep writing a story, especially in the muddy middle or if you’ve been working on it for a while, and especially when a new, shinier idea comes around. But with a few changes in your routine or how you think about the new idea and your WIP, you can still finish your stories and enjoy your new ideas.

What about you? How do you manage your new shinies while writing something else? What suggestions do you have for focusing on your WIP? What methods do or don’t work for you? Tell me in the comments!

The Distracted Writer

A lot of writers on the internet are likely to tell you the same thing: in order to write, you must turn off the distractions and focus on your writing and your writing alone.

So okay, I know that’s pretty good advice. The best way to focus on what you’re doing is not to multitask. No TV on in the “background”, no Netflix, no Facebook or Instagram or Tumblr or email. Just you and the page set in front of you. And maybe a good instrumental (or otherwise) writing playlist.

And I’ll be the first to say that this is good advice for any writer to follow.

However, I’ll also be the first to say that I very rarely write without distractions.

Like many newer writers (and by newer I mean those who may or may not have published yet but have only recently begun to seriously write… oftentimes juggling writing with a day job and/or family), I work at my job full-time (and previously I was a full-time student). I deal with my problems, health, social life, and expenses on a regular basis. I try to develop healthy habits like exercise and practicing mindfulness and daily time to nourish my relationship with God. And I try to keep some semblance of a writing habit on top of this.

But I’m also a huge nerd with a huge pile of hobbies. I love going to the movies. I get sucked into reading multiple books at a time. I paint, draw, and play piano. I binge shows on TV and on Netflix. And these hobbies take up time.

Now, I am lucky enough to have a job with very set hours, a job where the work doesn’t really come home with me. And now I live less than half an hour away. So I get to leave at 4 in the afternoon (usually) and have until about 11 pm (my bedtime) to do whatever needs to be done. Sometimes all I have time for is meeting with a friend or a group and then using the last hour (or less) to equilibrate my introvert self before I go to sleep. Sometimes I have an entire evening to pile in as many hobbies as I want.

This often leaves me in the dilemma of choosing to read OR watch Netflix OR do something else that requires less divided attention. Oftentimes I will open up my current novel and turn on the TV in the background, leaving both on for the entire night. Would I get more done if I just focused on one for a set amount of time? Sure I would.

But I’ll let you in on a hint about me. It is very rare that I find myself able to focus solely on one thing. Even if I’m writing with nothing else, there’s still the cat. If I’m at my parents’ house, the different environment (and two lovable dogs) are distraction enough to keep me from even pulling out my computer. If I write with music, the music tends to carry me away anyway. And sure, I can focus when I need to. I’ve never had problems meeting deadlines. I know how to pace myself and how I work.

So the truth is, I am a perpetually distracted writer. And I know that. And you know what? That’s okay. Because I still get my work done, little by little, and I get a lot of it accomplished on weekends.

I am unlikely to finish my word count goal for Camp NaNo this year. I’m okay with that. My goal was more being able to get some kind of schedule back, because for a long time I had lost it entirely. I am getting my ability to write regularly back. And it’s regular writing, and not necessarily having a great, focused writing session day in and day out that leads to a completed work. Just always putting one word after another.

Sometimes that’s enough.