a.k.a writer

a.k.a writer

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The tips here for gaining perspective on your writing are worth bookmarking to reference again and again.

November 11, 2011

The real challenge with my writing: myself

May 20, 2011 — 4 Comments

As I write this, a nagging voice keeps telling me that I should be working on brochure copy or web copy for my clients. It’s true: I did book a very heavy workload this month. But something’s different. I’m finally starting to treat my own writing with the same importance as my paid copywriting projects. There’s still room for improvement, but I’m getting closer.

Since last November, I’ve been struggling with this. It hasn’t been about balance—it’s been about making room for my own writing, period. Given the momentum I gained last summer and early Fall, it’s heartbreaking that I let go of my work-in-progress and my blog for nearly six months.

So how did I start making changes? I asked for help, something that’s not easy for me. In the past, I relied on classes when I was stuck, but that’s not what I needed. I was looking to make sustainable changes and get myself back on track, so I signed up for Lisa Romeo’s I Should Be Writing Boot Camp. Even after I paid for the class, I was skeptical. And then, within a week or two of Boot Camp, something amazing happened: I started writing again.

Lisa’s Boot Camp made a huge impact for me and I highly recommend it. She gave me a fresh perspective and it was through working with her that I had a huge “aha.” There’s a difference between adding writing weekly goals to my to-do list and actually making real, daily changes to create more room—time—for my writing. Of course, I realized that only after over-booking myself in May but it’s a lesson I’m already applying to June.  It’s not going to be easy, but I’m committed to making it work.

What about you? Have you ever lost sight of your writing goals? How did you get back on track?

Meditation, Jump Rope & Daydreaming: Writers Need Recess, Too

September 13, 2010 — 1 Comment

playground. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®In response to someone encouraging me to meditate, I found myself saying that it was really hard for me. If I could shut off the day-to-day worries, I tended to let myself daydream and imagine things I might write. To turn off even the writing part of my brain seemed, well, risky. What if I couldn’t turn it back on?

Okay, I realize that’s silly. I’ve found that developing discipline around my writing has opened up—not squelched—my creativity. So what might be possible if I could get myself to meditate?

As of today, I still don’t know. But what I do know is this: writers need a recess, too. What that looks like is probably different for every writer and I’m sure, for some of you, that might be meditation.

I realized that for the last few years, my recess has been spending time with my nieces and nephews. Because they are so important to me, my number on priority when I’m with them is to be 100% present. That means the phone is put away (unless I’m texting their mom a question about treating a sore throat or sending her a picture) and the worries are shoved into a box, locked away for the duration of time with the kids.

This summer, I had my two nephews for a week, which meant outdoor adventures. Having that time away from my laptop was incredibly refreshing and, when I returned to my writing, I had lots of new ideas and had even found solutions to issues I was having with a chapter.

It seemed magical, but it wasn’t. I’d given myself an opportunity to experience new things and focus on something other than words.

Kate Monahan, who I’ve linked to before, published a post this summer about how she had not done much writing. Instead, she was doing plenty of other writing related things. As she and her husband settled into their new house in a new town, she was consumed with painting and unpacking. Yet, she was also feeling “dreamy,” letting possible characters introduce themselves into her imagination. And she found that very satisfying.

I like that “dreamy” state Kate describes, too, and find that I tend to let my mind drift when I’m cooking or watching TV. But I’m still thinking about meditation and what might be possible if I give my brain an intentional recess on a regular basis. Can I do it? I’m not sure, but I will let you know.

What about you? Do you meditate? What do you do to give your mind a writing reprieve? Please share in the comments below. Thanks!

Cognitive Connection, July 16: A Heaping Helping of Encouragement and Writing Tips

July 16, 2010 — 1 Comment

Cognitive Connection. Thinking. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®Some weeks can feel like churn: me, my laptop, email and copy. I consider myself very fortunate to spend my time working with words and getting paid for it, but like any job it can have it’s duller moments. But this week was exceptional. I left the house and engaged in interesting, thought-provoking conversations (with other people) about books and writing. I’ve met many talented writers the last four months and I love learning from them all.

  • Ask Allison When One Opinion is Just That: One Opinion A reader asks author Allison Winn Scotch for advice after an agent tells this reader there’s no place in the market for her book. In answering, Allison reminds us all that we should not “get caught up in singular feedback.”
  • Janet Fitch’s Blog 10 Writing Tips That Can Help Almost Anyone As soon as I discovered Janet’s blog this week, I immediately added it to my Google reader. Her writing is beautiful and Paint It Black is one of my favorite recent novels. She offers helpful, actionable advice in this post. And, it’s applicable across many genres.
  • Lisa Romeo Writes Summer Writing Prompt Project From Lisa: “If you are having a tough time churning out words, if you occasionally feel (in addition to overheated) that you really should be writing more, or just enjoy a creative kick, a daily writing prompt may be the ticket.” She’s offering a free daily writing prompt until August 31.
  • There Are No Rules – Guest post by Justin Kramon 2 Concrete Ways To Keep Your Writing Career Moving Forward Justin’s book Finny was released July 13. In this guest post, he offers specific tips (including resources and links) to help writers fend off despair in a field of rejection. If you like Justin’s post on There Are No Rules, check out his blog—it’s all about his process of writing and getting his novel published.
  • Work in Progress This is a monthly e-mail newsletter presented by Farrar, Straus and Giroux The description from the website had me hooked: “Welcome to Work in Progress, our monthly missive from the front lines of literature. […] Think of this as a shifting space—an exhibition, a meet-and-greet, a freak show—curated by our editors and writers, delivered here and to your inbox.”

Your turn. Any opinions, blog posts or articles on writing you’d like to share? Post away in the comments below. Thanks!

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Dear Young Writers, Thanks for the Inspiration

July 14, 2010

Arriving with the refraction 2. Stock photo by mmagallan via stock.xchng®One of my favorite discoveries at Aspen Summer Words (ASW) was the workshop offered to young writers ages 14-18. I had the privilege of meeting one of the participants (I’ll call her Ms. M) at breakfast the first morning and she—along with several of my fellow workshop attendees as well as a smattering of poets and novelists—became a regular part of my mornings.

Ms. M is 15 and had just completed a novel she started when she was around 12, maybe 13. She claimed to have no social life and so she wrote all the time. Intelligent and motivated, she spoke about how much her writing has grown and, yes, improved over the years. She loved the program and clearly took it very seriously. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see her the last morning, but I had wanted to ask her what she learned, what she was working on next.

Rumor had it that one of Ms. M’s fellow young writers sold a novel during a consultation with an agent at ASW. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Ms. M sells hers.

When I was Ms. M’s age, I didn’t have much of a social life and I wrote. But I kept my scribbles and handwritten scenes hidden. It would have never occurred to me that I could spend my summer learning about the craft of writing from published authors. (Of course, it was Texas, and anything outside of sports was hard to find.) My writing pursuits in journalism were supported and encouraged. It just never occurred to my family or me that writing could lead to rent-paying work.

Although I didn’t know my maternal grandfather very well, I knew he wrote and I even performed one of his prose pieces in a speech competition. Just recently, I re-read a letter he wrote me when I was 18, sharing his writing advice. He referred to himself as an “unsuccessful, frustrated writer” and then suggested, “If you stay away from creative writing you will probably live a much less complex life. Maybe not as interesting…but certainly less tormenting.”

Of course, creative writing is what I’ve grown to love most. I couldn’t have told you that at 15, or 18 or even 25. So, when I got a message from a young writer earlier this week, I was honored that she invited me to check out her new blog, her first blog, where’s she posting her creative work. You inspire me—and, yes, that means you, Lauren.

And to those posting their prose and poetry at The Young Writer Revolt, keep it up. It amazes me that you’re so determined, focused and active with your writing. It took me until I was 30. Don’t let school or graduation or the pressure of bills and rent keep you from writing. Every time I read your work, I’ll remind myself of that very advice.

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50/50 Post: How Are You Making Time to Write?

July 12, 2010 — 27 Comments

Blank Page. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®Since fall of 2009, I’ve been especially focused on keeping my writing a priority and juggling it with freelance copywriting. I’ve tried several options, including:

Carving out one weekday per week to write. This seemed like a great idea, especially being a freelancer. The reality? It was too easy to give up that day for client projects. Or, I’d see that I couldn’t carve out an entire day and throw in the towel for that week. I approached it as all-or-nothing and, well, nothing won.

Taking an in-person workshop. While the workshop had me focused on my writing, but the weekly 500-word exercises weren’t quite what I needed at the time. I was used to online classes that drove students to the completion and polish of chapters, so I was looking to repeat that experience.

Writing 1,000 words per day. The best part about this was that a friend agreed to let me email him my daily word counts. Knowing that someone would read that number was a good motivator. However, I set my 1,000-word goal and then immediately had a surge of new copywriting work. While I hit the goal some days, I failed most. It was too many words per day when I was spending almost eight hours on copywriting.

I may try a words-per-day goal again, starting with a lower number. For the next few months, my goal is to complete one (draft) chapter per month. How I’ll get it done, I’m not sure. But I know I must to meet my goal.

Like all my 50/50 posts, this is where you share your experience. What’s worked for you in terms of balancing a day job (or other responsibilities) and writing? What have you tried that you’ll never do again? What are key elements that help you set—and meet—your writing goals? Please share in the comments. Thank you!

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Cognitive Connection, July 9: Rejections, Post-MFA Life and Agent Interviews

July 9, 2010 — 2 Comments

Cognitive Connection. Thinking. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®While my friends in the Pacific Northwest are finally getting some summer sun and my friends on the East Coast are sweltering in the heat, it’s been cool and rainy in Denver. Quite reminiscent of Seattle, really. And it’s been a gift because it’s been the perfect weather for digging into revisions. By the end of next week, I could be kicking off a big copywriting project, so I’m trying to squeeze in as much writing as I can now.

With that, here a few Friday reads for you, including three new blogs worth checking out.

  • Rejected Onion I found this site through the Denver Egoist. Rejected Onion is a copywriter sharing the headlines that The Onion has rejected. A blog is certainly one way to deal with rejection.
  • SlushPile Hell Speaking of rejection, this blog is bound to make you feel better, no matter how many bathroom walls you can plaster with rejection letters. SlushPile Hell is an anonymous blog, with the tagline “a grumpy literary agent wades through query fails.”
  • Tapping into the Wild This is Kate Monahan’s new blog. I originally found her through her Writer’s Digest MFA Confidential blog, where she shared her experiences as a second year MFA student. Tapping into the Wild will be Kate’s chronicle of graduating from her writing program and diving into the “real world of writing.”
  • The Writer’s [Inner] Journey The 5-Question [Literary] Agent Interview: Anita Bartholomew If you’ve read much of my blog in the last few months, you’ll know I am a big fan of Meredith Resnick and her brain child The Writer’s [Inner] Journey. Meredith’s author interviews are always interesting because she asks compelling, thought-provoking questions. And the same is true of her literary agent interviews. If you enjoy this one with Anita Bartholomew, you can catch up on all the The 5-Question [Literary] Agent Interviews.

Your turn. Any opinions, blog posts or articles on writing you’d like to share? Post away in the comments below. Thanks!

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Blogging for Writing Discipline

July 7, 2010 — 7 Comments

Black and white illustration. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®It would be impossible for me to deny that I found myself facing a strong desire to quit blogging. Having almost two weeks worth of guest posts was such a treat—and a relief. I loved knowing that smart writers, who were not me, were keeping a.k.a writer going while I focused on a completely different writing project.

I found myself wondering what I could accomplish if I channeled my blog writing into my personal project. How much more time would I have?

The answer: probably none. While I’d like to think that I’d fill any spare moment with writing, it’s far more likely that I’d end up eroding the time by fitting in one more new client project or doing something else related to copywriting. (It both helps and hurts that I enjoy my “day job” as a freelance copywriter.)

How does blogging help me with writing discipline?

  • In the (almost) two years since started this site, I’ve developed a regular habit of writing three posts each week. I deliberately write the blog over the course of the week, instead of writing all the entries at once.
  • It’s a constant reminder that there’s more to my writing than copywriting (a.k.a, writing for others). At least three times a week, I have to think about what I want to say and put it into words here.
  • If I can build and maintain a blog, I can finish other writing projects, even if I do it 300 words at a time.
  • It keeps me comfortable with getting my writing in front of people. While I’ve been fortunate to have mostly positive comments from readers, I know that any post could elicit that response from the one person who just can’t stand something he or she reads here.
  • Blogging has connected me to other writers, several of whom I wouldn’t have met otherwise, and helped me build a community and network. Maybe that’s not exactly discipline, but many of these writers have shared their own techniques—and struggles—with making time to write. I’m learning from them.

While my personal writing projects (and one in particular) have a new, high priority for me for the rest of this year and into 2011, I am going to stick with writing the blog. The key is to apply that same commitment to my other projects.

Your turn. What’s your experience with blogging? Do you find it helps you with your writing? Or do you feel it detracts? What (good or bad) has blogging taught you? Share your experience in the comments below.

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