#atozchallenge Your Writing Motivation

A Month of Writing Motivation is the Operation Awesome theme for the 2020 A to Z Challenge. I'm giving examples of how five reference books offer writing motivation.



The 30-Day Writing Challenge: Begin or Enhance Your Daily Writing Habit - Sara E. Crawford

This is a short book that's easy to read. If you're willing to try each exercise every day for a month, it can make you feel better about your writing. Most of the book is only asking for 30 minutes to an hour of your time.

Consider giving yourself a reward for completing that challenge. Maybe a new book or a special pen. Better yet, tell someone that you are doing the challenge, and ask them to hold you accountable. Maybe you want them to offer you a little reward if you manage this. Maybe you need them to remind you every day. I mentioned in other posts this month that knowing if you're more motivated by reward or by the fear of failure would help. Well, this book is your chance to test it.

There's no coincidence that I've saved it for the letter Y. You might be here because you've just done the A to Z challenge and are looking for another month of writing motivation and distraction. Well, here you go! Pick up Sara's book and get cracking.




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#AtoZChallenge - scriVener

Here at OA, we're talking about writing motivation for our A-to-Z Challenge: what motivates us, how to get motivated, and - according to me, at least - what apps are useful to keep motivated!

Today I'm talking about Scrivener, the program that many writers consider a one-stop shop for all things manuscript-related.

How it works

If you've spent any time in writing circles, you know that Scrivener is extremely popular; subscriptions are often given out as prizes for writing competitions. Once you buy Scrivener, you can use it for your entire writing process, from draft zero to ready-to-query. It allows you to outline and notate your manuscript as you go, comes with templates for various styles of writing, will let you export your work in various document types, and can even be used to prepare your work for self-publishing.

I don't personally use Scrivener, but I downloaded a free trial and played around with it a bit. I can definitely see why people rave about it so much. There are so many options available to make it your own and along with ways to help stay on-task, like fullscreen mode. I particularly liked the feature that lets you go back to previous versions of the manuscript, which is always a struggle for me and my Word documents because I want to recover that one sentence and I cannot find it between Draft 1, Draft 2, Draft 3, Draft 3.5, Draft 4, Draft 4 The Real One, Draft 4 Final...anyway. I also appreciated how easy it was to drag and drop big sections around, since reorganizing a manuscript is such a bother.

Pros

• Many options for customizing your use
• Widely-used; lots of other writers to ask for help
• Can be used to set up a manuscript for self-publishing
• Basically it has all the features you'd need to write a manuscript from beginning to end

Cons

• Pay to use
• Not supported on Android
• No way to get feedback, share, or collaborate with other writers

Final thoughts

Scrivener is really cool, but it's not for me. There are a lot of other users and a lot of features available. If you struggle with organizing your manuscript and its many drafts, Scrivener might be right for you! Give the free trial a download and see what you think. You can also find a learning course here.

***
J here! Check back tomorrow for a counterpoint post on this program from me, a long time user.



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Using Brain Science #AtoZChallenge #WritingMotivation #book #WritersBlock @RosanneBane

A Month of Writing Motivation is the Operation Awesome theme for the 2020 A to Z Challenge. I'm giving examples of how five reference books offer writing motivation.



(Goodreads)

Around the Writer's Block: Using Brain Science to Solve Writer's Resistance by Rosanne Bane

https://baneofyourresistance.com/

I cannot recommend this book hard enough. Don't go buy one copy, buy a dozen! Then you can throw it at your writer friends when they tell you why they aren't writing. I've read this at least six times already.

Hey! I published this month. Don't throw it at me.

Want writing motivation? Do the challenges in this book. Do you know what a neural pathway is? Learning about them will help you decide which ones you're proud to have and which you want to work on correcting. The book explains it with easy to understand science. You've heard of the fight-or-flight response? It ties into writing! The book defines Product Time, how writing for publication is ultimately about more than just getting words on the page.

Don't know what to write? The book has a section for that! It's called the Interest Inventory. You make a list of what interests you, based on the prompts, then free-write your way to a good story.

Give yourself credit for every day that you invest 15 minutes on Product Time (activities involved in the goal of successful publication). ⏲

There's a part about self-care, which includes sleep, exercise, focus, meditation, and play.

And if you like rewards for doing writing tasks, you'll love section 3-7.

If you're reading the Operation Awesome blog this month because you need the motivation to write, it's possible there's a Saboteur keeping you down! It's all about fear. The book helps you identify this so you can overcome it.

What is it like when you DO want to write? When you're motivated and can't wait to get the words onto the page? If you can identify it, you can probably duplicate it.

I'm most motivated to blog if I feel the post will help someone else (by promoting someone, by entertaining the audience, or by raising awareness). Have you ever thought about what most motivates you to write a blog post?



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#AtoZChallenge - Pomodoro

Here at OA, we're talking about writing motivation for our A-to-Z Challenge: what motivates us, how to get motivated, and - according to me, at least - what apps are useful to keep motivated!

Today I'm talking about the Pomodoro Technique. There are a lot of apps and websites that use this method, so it's up to you to figure out which one is best for you - I recommend Marinara Timer for web use. As far as apps go, I haven't found one that works better for me than the web versions, but you might be different!

How it works

The Pomodoro Technique is a 25-on, 5-off method for task management. You set a 25-minute timer, do the task until the timer dings, then set a 5-minute timer and take a short break during that time. Applied to writing, you simply write for 25 minutes, take a break for 5, rinse and repeat as necessary. It can be extremely useful for getting yourself to just sit and write because 25 minutes isn't too long of a time to commit to, and you may find that the rhythm of these half-hour blocks helps get you into the writing groove.

I've had mixed success with this method. When I write short stories, I find that this works really well because I like to do flash fiction and this is just the right amount of time. With longer projects and full novel manuscripts, it's a little trickier. If I'm really struggling to get words onto the page, Pomodoro helps a lot because I can think of it as "okay just write until the timer goes off and hopefully something good will come out." But if I'm doing well and the writing is really flowing, it's not helpful for me to take a break because I'm worried that I'll lose my mojo. Of course, it's not absolutely mandatory that I take a break when it tells me to, but as someone who needs to follow the rules, it can be hard to ignore that "ding."

Pros

• Free!
• Lots of options, so you can figure out which version works best for you
• Short amount of time to stay on-task, plus breaks!

Cons

• Hard to take a break in the middle of a sentence/scene
• Might spend a lot of time testing various apps and web-based timers to find the right one

Final thoughts

The Pomodoro Technique can be really helpful if you struggle to stay on-task when writing for long periods of time. Breaking up writing time into smaller chunks may work for you, or it may not. Whether this will be useful for you depends on your writing style.

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#AtoZChallenge - OneTab

Here at OA, we're talking about writing motivation for our A-to-Z Challenge: what motivates us, how to get motivated, and - according to me, at least - what apps are useful to keep motivated!

Today I'm talking about OneTab. OneTab is, in all seriousness, one of the most useful Chrome extensions I have ever used. And, it's totally free.

How it works

Always have fifty tabs open? Can't figure out where the music is coming from? Computer speed reduced almost to zero? You need OneTab. OneTab is a tab condenser - all you have to do is install the extension for Chrome, and when you want to close a bunch of tabs without losing the links, tap the OneTab icon. OneTab then converts all of your tabs into a list on a separate OneTab tab, delineated by the date and time they were OneTabbed. When you want to open one of those sites again, you can select them individually or restore all of the tabs in a group at once. If you decide you don't want those links anymore, you can easily delete them. OneTab will also let you lock a set of links to prevent it from being deleted, star it to find it more easily, rename it, and even share it so you can access it from another computer.

I have used OneTab for a few years, but hands down I use it the most for writing resources. I'm a completionist, so I have problems when I'm given a long list of resources like "Here are 20 websites to check out if you want to write female-female romance!" You can bet that I'm going to look at every. single. website. And of course, I get distracted in the middle, or I wear myself out, and those remaining 10 tabs just stay open forever, the tabs getting skinnier and skinnier as I open even more tabs...it's a vicious cycle. With OneTab, I just condense all of those sites into a list and give it a name, and then I can come back to it with fresh eyes. It's much faster than copying links into a Word document or something, and all of those resources are there are my fingertips when I need them.

Pros

• Free!
• Easy to collapse links and search through them later

Cons

• History metadata for sites is lost - you can't go to the link and hit "back" to go to a previous page on the site
• Can't convert links directly to bookmarks
• Only for Chrome

Final thoughts

OneTab makes it so easy to collapse tabs and manage your writing resources, you'll be kicking yourself that you didn't start using it sooner! Writers who don't use Chrome may be left out of this one - sorry about that. Give OneTab a try and let us know how it goes!

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#AtoZChallenge Living Writing Motivation

A Month of Writing Motivation is the Operation Awesome theme for the 2020 A to Z Challenge. I'm giving examples of how five reference books offer writing motivation.




Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

This is a stretch for the letter L, but the book is super motivating, so just go with it, okay?

It motivates the reader to look inside themselves to find creativity. The book talks about common fears, which are the enemy of motivation. There's a section about saying yes to an idea, versus saying no to one. Then it motivates the reader to write a story because, if you don't, someone else will get to write it. In "Hard Labor versus Fairy Dust," you'll find some of what I mentioned in the C post on April 3. The book talks about being grateful for creativity. What's motivating, the book suggests, is knowing that writing is how you want to spend your life.

It suggests that you'll feel more motivated to pursue your creative passion once you give yourself permission to do so. And it says to not let the judgments of others stop you. Then the book suggests staying motivated to write in order to support writing -- not writing to support your financial needs. It talks about being willing to take the good with the bad to get to write, which is motivating on those days when you hate the hard parts.

There's a part that suggests you should seduce creativity and motivation so they'll long to come to you. It's a different way to think about things, isn't it? And then it talks about finishing being more important than being perfect. (My J post on April 11 featured a book focused on that idea.)

An entire section is devoted to discussing how loving to write doesn't mean you won't suffer, that it won't be hard, or that you'll always be motivated. The book suggests how to accept and deal with that. The author focuses a lot on curiosity, using it to find motivation and inspiration.

Have you ever given thanks for being creative?

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#AtoZChallenge Jon Writing Motivation

A Month of Writing Motivation is the Operation Awesome theme for the 2020 A to Z Challenge. I'm giving examples of how five reference books offer writing motivation.



Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff

When I read this book, it motivated me to reevaluate my writing goals, which in turn motivated me to write more. It made it easier for me to be creative. That's why I wanted to include it this month. Here are some ways this book offers motivation:

• Focus more on doing, less on perfection.
• Day two is harder than people believe. Knowing that can help you get past it.
• Goals are easier to reach when cut in half, which will keep you motivated to accomplish them.
• Motivation dies when you try to be perfect at too many activities at once.
• Include more fun in what you're doing.
• Find out if fear or rewards motivate you more.
• Understand why you've set the goals you've set.
• Motivation is killed by doing other tasks instead of our goals.
• Stop thinking "I can't (write a novel) until I (whatever isn't writing a novel)," because that's shoving motivation aside.
• Easier and simpler goals are motivation's best friend.
• Data can prove you're motivated and succeeding. 
• Assess your previous success. 
• Know that finishing something means you get the gift of starting something else.
• Figure out what you get from not finishing, from wasting your time and motivation.

The chapters come with actions, so this isn't a passive read, it's a book to really put you in a motivated headspace. 

Have you ever read a reference book that wasn't aimed specifically at writing, yet it helped you on your writing journey?


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#AtoZChallenge - Forest

Here at OA, we're talking about writing motivation for our A-to-Z Challenge: what motivates us, how to get motivated, and - according to me, at least - what apps are useful to keep motivated!

Today I'm talking about Forest. Forest is a fun little app you can find in the Google Play store, the Apple App store, and as an extension for Chrome. It's free, although it also contains some paid content.

How it works

Forest blacklists sites that you might use to procrastinate and motivates you to stay on-task by growing a tree! You can set how long you want the app to run, from as little as 10 minutes to as much as 2 hours, and if you navigate to an app or website you blacklisted during that time, your tree dies. You get a few seconds to navigate away from the blacklisted site, so there's a bit of wiggle room if you forget that you put IMDB on there. The blacklist automatically contains some common procrastination sites at initial install (like Facebook and Twitter) and is also open to customization, as is the whitelist.

The longer you set the tree to grow, the more coins you earn, which you can use to unlock new varieties of trees like ginkgo and palm trees, along with some seasonal items like scarecrows and flowers. Plus, every tree you successfully grow appears in a little forest plot that you can visit! Forest also has a short quiz you can take to customize your use of the app, but all it really did for me was "unlock" a new type of tree and told me that I work best in a study group in a college library.

Pros

• Free
• Easy to use
• Can be used on a computer as well as on a smartphone
• Timer doubles as a way to commit to a length of time to write

Cons

• Have to pay to synchronize the forest across devices
• Relies on the user to adjust the blacklist
• Error time is very short

Final thoughts

Overall, Forest is easy to use and a very cute app in general. As long as you can actually commit to putting websites or apps onto the blacklist, Forest will probably work well to keep you on-track while you're writing. Don't let your tree die!

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#AtoZChallenge Cohen Writing Motivation

A Month of Writing Motivation is the Operation Awesome theme for the 2020 A to Z Challenge. I'm giving examples of how five reference books offer writing motivation.




The Productive Writer: Strategies and Systems for Greater Productivity, Profit and Pleasure by Sage Cohen

This book aims to motivate the reader by focusing on ways to be productive. Areas it touches on include:

• Know what you want to do, why it makes you happy, and what your goals are.
• Desire maximizes productivity.
• Keep track of your time. (Chapter 6 has a biorhythms component that everyone on pandemic quarantine/lockdown should check out.) 
• Creative activities to do when you aren't writing.
• Chatting with your muse/genius/whatever. 
• Organize better to keep from getting stalled.
• Get fear out of your way.

The book ends with chapters on what to do after you've written to your target length. If you struggle to stay motivated long enough to finish, or if you need to focus more of your motivated energy, this is an excellent book for you. It's short, well-written, and the concepts are clear. 

This book came out five years before Big Magic, but mentions Elizabeth Gilbert and one of the lessons she ends up using in her book. (Come back on April 14 to learn more about Big Magic.)

What goal do you feel you need to reach to consider yourself a "productive writer"?

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Motivation for Procrastinators

my actual motivational stones

I'm always on the lookout for motivational tools that I can get behind, something that can nudge me in the right direction without being a drill sergeant about it. I'd seen those pretty inspirational stones for sale before, but usually they cost more than I wanted to pay. So, when I found one at a thrift store for fifty cents (maybe even twenty-five) I picked it up. It was black and shiny and said "DREAM" in lovely white serif font. Now, I knew that a rock really couldn't inspire me that much... unless perhaps I kept it around my work area and looked at it all the time. So, I decided to set it in front of my keyboard and hope it would inspire me.

It was a lovely thought, but I didn't feel as inspired as I hoped I would. Eventually I realized a stone with the word "DREAM" on it, wasn't going to make me productive. I needed another word. I had to find another stone! I trolled Ebay (another wonderful way to spend a potentially-productive writing day) for such a stone, and eventually I found one. It was mottled white and said in no-nonsense depressed san-serif, "CREATE". This was it! I was sure that this stone, paired with my 'Dream' stone, would help me to finally see my goals through.

Guess what? It didn't. I still have those stones sitting in front of my keyboard, nudging at my conscious mind to DREAM and CREATE, but they mostly just make me feel guilty for not doing it.

This is a classic procrastination tactic, and I am a classic procrastinator. Did I really believe two stones would be all the catalyst I needed to launch into productive mode? No. Did I think it was more fun to search Ebay for more clutter I don't need than work on my current project? Yes. At least, at the time I did.

Procrastionation is an ugly, greedy, short-sighted mistress. It steals your time - time  you could be using to do the things you love. For me, the only way to beat procrastination is to remind myself on a regular basis what I really want and what I need to do to get there. The rest is about breaking down those To-Dos, and scheduling them, which I'm really bad at.

I seem to work best spontaneously. I spontaneously clean, spontaneously cook, spontaneously write. The key to getting myself to be productive a little more often is to psych myself up. Anything I want to do, when I think about it and how much I love it, or how great I'll feel after it's done, I become inspired to do it.

Here are the tips I've read that actually work for me:

1. Encourage yourself. Remind yourself how fun whatever you want to accomplish is.
2. Be passionate. If you aren't that into it, you're not going to want to do it. Find your passion for it, whatever it is. 
3. Imagine the goal finished and how great it will look/feel/sound/taste. (good for chores)
4. Break a big goal down into smaller tasks. Perspective makes all the difference.
5. Give yourself a time limit/deadline. This helps especially when it's something you don't really want to do. If you know you only have to do it for _ hours, it's not so bad.
6. Treat yourself. Give yourself an incentive to get the work done, and celebrate when you do. This might be going out with friends, writing a celebratory blog post, watching a tv show you love.
7. Surround yourself with people who encourage you to accomplish your goal, or people trying to accomplish the same goal you are. This is the writing community, so you won't have to go far before you run into someone who's also writing a YA set in the civil war, or a contemporary romance set in a bakery.
8. Dump the negativity. If someone - even a writer friend - makes you feel talentless, stupid, or doubtful of your skills, get away from that person. Accomplishing big goals is hard enough without naysayers trying to trip you up. 
9. Start. Just do the thing. It isn't that big a deal. Really. 
10. Repeat steps 1-8 and keep going. 

We are not stones, and the impulse of creativity/productivity is not inert. It is motion. It is fire, and it pulls and pushes and makes you very uncomfortable until you take action. So take action now. No amount of gentle, happy words telling you how great you are can beat that. Go to it!

Is your character someone to root for?

As I've mentioned before, effective character development is something I constantly strive toward. This was especially apparent last Friday, when my story was up for critique in my MFA class. 

During the workshop, people said they didn't really like the main character--and some of them even sympathized with characters who were supposed to be adversaries. 

One classmate hit the nail on the head as to why. She said, "She wasn't really someone I could root for."

This really struck a chord with me. Because we all want our characters to be relatable. Likable. Someone our readers will want to stick with for several pages. 

But if I'm rooting for a character, I'm with them all the way, even after the wheels fall off. 

So I asked myself the following:

Which characters make me feel like this: ("Rick 'em, rack em!")

From Tumblr: "A Girl Worth Fighting For" http://i-wont-say-im-in-loveee.tumblr.com/

Instead of this: ("If he can't do it, GREAT!")

From Tumblr: "Darling You'll be Okay" http://lover-drown-me.tumblr.com/

Here are a few examples I came up with:

Matilda Wormwood (Matilda, by Roald Dahl): Matilda grows up in a family that doesn't appreciate her. But what really keeps us with her the whole way is she doesn't let this get her down, nor does she act superior (even though she is). As an agent of chaos, she fights back by playing subtle pranks on her family and other adversaries.

What Matilda teaches us: Protagonists need to see the humor in their situations, no matter how bleak they are.

Claire Beauchamp (Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon): In contrast with Matilda, Claire is an inherently strong-willed person. But what keeps us for the long haul is her vulnerability as well as her strength. Like Matilda, she's cunning, and willing to be an agent of chaos to get what she needs. Steal a horse to return to the standing stones that brought her to eighteenth century Scotland. Or defy a priest to save the life of a young boy.  But in both those situations, Claire is also inherently vulnerable. 

What Claire teaches us: Protagonists' actions need a distinct purpose in concordance with the chaos they create, and strong characters need to show their softer sides.

Tally Youngblood (Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld): Tally, like Matilda, is put in a weak position from the onset, especially after she loses her best friend Peris to the "pretties." Although Tally considers herself an "ugly," she doesn't wallow in that. And through her journey to dismantle what's been created, she figures out that being "pretty" isn't all that important anyway. 

What Tally teaches us: Protagonists need enough flexibility to grow and change. 

Notice that all three characters have something in common: a willingness to be an agent of chaos. To turn their external worlds upside down. What makes the difference is how that change relates to them as human beings.

So in this short story I wrote (it's probably going to turn into a book chapter), I've decided to make my character a little wiser (like Claire), more stoic (like Matilda) and more flexible (like Tally). And, like all three, a true agent of chaos.

What about you? Which characters do you root for most? And in turn, what do you think makes readers root for the characters you've written?

Will Write for Food

Writing is often like climbing a mountain. Think about the struggle to the summit of a difficult chapter. The joy of finishing a scene/chapter/edit. The odd down moments when things don't go right. Sometimes you need a little push via a place I call the motivation station.

What can be found in the motivation station? Anything you like. It's kind of a donkey trying to get to the carrot on a stick. In math terms: 

G (Goal) + W (Want) x D (Do) = R (Reward) 

But how do you figure out when to use this reward method? I'll have to admit I'm often (always) tempted to reward myself in random ways for very little. But I have a few levels: 

Level 3: Food. There is nothing like finishing that tricky chapter before allowing yourself to and indulge in a cookie treat.

Level 2: Relaxation. This is when I'm taking a break. This is for the times your eyeballs are ready to explode. Watch a movie. Take a bath. Whatever you like to do to relax is golden here. 

Level 1: New books/music. Now I know books are something to buy at anytime, but finishing a first draft/major revisions means a BIG reward. That reward, for me, is a book or a track off iTunes. This works in two ways:

1) I get inspiration from the music. 

2) Reading helps with my own writing.

I love writing, but there's something fun about reaching the end of a stage with something to look forward to. A completed MS is a wonderful thing (and the achievement that comes with it), but I've learnt it's the little things can help push me that little bit further.

How about you? How do you reward yourself for a major writing achievement?

I'll Make it Fit: Why Cramming Things Together is a Bad Idea

Having finished the second draft of my WIP, I've thought about my editing process, and what I learned from this past go-round. A lot of things came to mind, but the most important was the consequences of molding the story into something it wasn't (and having to back-track when that didn't work).

We've all been there, I'm sure. When revising the heck out of Plot A, Plot B comes along and says, "I'm the real story here. Plot A can suck it." So I cut too much to accommodate Plot B, and ended up having to re-add it back in (thank goodness for previous saved drafts).

The trick is to marry Plot A and Plot B in a way that doesn't feel forced:

"I'll make it fit!"

When we try to force story, it gets stifled, and turns into something it isn't meant to be. If you're encountering this, take a step back and see what your characters are doing.

That's right--I said characters. Not plot. Because the "making it fit" phenomenon happens when I'm trying to tell my characters what they're supposed to be doing. Making them speak, instead of letting them speak.

If you find that your novel is feeling forced, ask yourself the following:

1. Am I letting my characters discover their true selves, or am I adding unnecessary frills and forcing the story?

2. Does Plot B contradict the characters' actions that led up to the current scene? Or is there a way to tie it together to what will inevitably happen?

3.  Am I going wider? Or deeper? (Hint: Go deeper so the puzzle pieces fit, but don't feel forced.)

Once I found my villain's true motivation--simple, with no frills attached--Plot B finally said, "Oh! That's what you're doing. Okay, I can fit in this way..."

And because my villain's no-frills motivation was directly connected with my protagonist's inciting event, it let me see what was supposed to stay (and what needed to be cut). And at last, I saw my way to the end.

So what about you? What do you do when things don't fit?

Tale of Two Bookstores

I have discovered the worst place in the world to be inspired as a writer.

It's a bookstore.

Not just any bookstore, but the Bargain Book Warehouse that popped up about a year ago in the vacant shell that used to be a Borders. With bare, dingy walls and acres of tables piled high with remainders, it's a great place to discover a new book for a dollar, but a terrible place to reflect on the need to add your own story to the sad lot of unwanted tales throughout history.

When I look at those tables, I think, "There are enough books in the world. There are more than anyone could ever read, and here there are more than anyone wants."If there were still a cafe in the dreary space, I can't imagine anyone sipping coffee and tapping out a novel there.

How many of those books would have been sold, might have been solid successes, had Borders not closed? And here they are, gathering dust, in the very same place that is a graveyard to writers' hope. I'm normally delighted to see my friends' books in the wild, but this was one time I didn't whip out my camera. (If I had enemies, it might be different, as Clive James wrote so well.) Note that my feelings of futility did not prevent me from picking up a few good discoveries. 


Fortunately, it's not the only bookstore in town. 

Yesterday, I went to Children's Book World in Haverford, a gem of an independent store that carries just about every title I could think of, classic to new, picture books to YA, even a small, carefully curated adult section. I didn't visit CBW nearly as often when Borders was alive, and now I do. And it's CBW's shelves where I long to see my own books, alongside the autographed editions by Kate DiCamillo, Laurie Halse Anderson,  and Jerry Spinelli.

Did I start longing again?? That's pretty close to inspiration -- better get to writing!

What settings or situations are motivating -- or demotivating -- to you?

Numerical Motivation: Spreadsheet Awesomeness

About a year ago I went back to work full time for the first time in ten years. Between that and the husband and the kids, it's been extremely difficult to make writing a priority. That's not even considering how fried my brain usually is when I get home from work. Weeks have gone by where I haven't written anything. So much guilt. But that's not what this post is about. No one wants to read about that.

This post is about my love for spreadsheets and how they've helped motivate me to write, even when I'm exhausted.

I started with your basic keep-track-of-how-much-I've-written type of spreadsheet. Excel is great for adding things together, but what most people don't know is just how awesome Excel is and how many other amazing things it can do.

And there's a new version out. I'm so jealous of anyone who has it. *drools*

Anyway, since I know what Excel is capable of, I can never have just a basic spreadsheet. I want my spreadsheets to do more for me than just addition and subtraction. And they should look pretty, too. So my basic keep-track-of-how-much-I've-written spreadsheet evolved into a tracking device with colorful rewards for reaching my goals and charts to show me how I'm doing over the year. I even added a WIP calculator.

And I thought I'd share it with all of you. :)

Here's a sample version:



Click on the ... next to March to see the other sheets.

The last three sheets in the workbook have the WIP Calculator, Stats, and Instructions. Don't let the fact that I included instructions scare you off. It's very simple to use. All you have to do is enter your daily goal and then your daily word count each day and the spreadsheet does the rest. :)

I modified my original version to accommodate the following schedules: Weekends Only (2 days per week), Mon-Fri (5 days per week), Mon-Sat (6 days per week), and Sun-Sat (7 days per week). They can be downloaded by clicking the links below. If none of these will work for your schedule, I put together a tutorial to show you how to customize the spreadsheet based on your schedule. That tutorial is up on my personal blog today.

Weekends Only
Monday thru Friday
Monday thru Saturday
Sunday thru Saturday

Please note, you will have to download the spreadsheets and you will probably have to enable editing to use them.

When you click on the links, you will likely get something like this :

Just click OK and then click the appropriate button to open the file.

Internet Explorer:

Firefox:

Chrome automatically downloads the file and displays it in the bottom left corner of your screen. Just click the button and it will open.

Once the file is open, you may need to enable editing. To do this, simply click the yellow Enable Editing button at the top of the spreadsheet. If you don't see this button, you don't need to do anything--you should be good to go.

Don't forget to save your file when you're done. :) Also, Skydrive automatically converts the file to the newest format (xlsx) when uploaded. If you need the 97-2003 format (xls), leave me your email address in the comments and I'll send it directly to you.

And the spreadsheets are all locked to protect the formulas. You'll still be able to enter your daily words and your daily goals with the locks in place.

If you're comfortable with Excel and aren't worried about erasing formulas, you can unlock the pages by going to the Review tab and clicking Unprotect Sheet. They're not password protected. (Pictorial instructions for removing protection are included in the tutorial on my personal blog.)

If you have any questions or if something isn't working correctly, please let me know in comments.

Now go write, so you can get started on filling in those numbers! ;)

Where's the Love?

I thought I'd start my OA posting history with where I am right now in my writing life. My first novel is due to be released into the wild this November, and for now, it is in the hands of an editor. So I got organized and developed a fantastic idea for a shiny new project (something to keep me busy while I wait).

All of my characters showed up the first day, each dutifully carrying note cards with character traits and arcs and a very clear outline of my expectations. And after the first 1,500 words, they got up and left.

Hello!? I need this first draft by the end of February! My goal seems completely reasonable, and I know I can write awesome first drafts—I've got one simmering as proof! What's going on here?  

Let's call my characters Team A and Team B. Team A has been around for years. They check in at all hours of the day and night, and I can count on them being ready to go at 5am, when I write best. They'll do anything I ask, and I don't argue when they say I'm wrong. Heck, even when I'm pretty sure what they want will be nothing more than a "candy bar" scene, I'm always willing to let them have a little fun. They've earned it!

Team B? They have no clue what's going on. Sometimes I think they sleep in 'til 3pm. Don't they know I'm long-gone by then, picking up the kids from school? Sheesh! And their eagerness to correct me all the time is not helping this first draft, it's putting a screeching halt to it.

So, I came to the creative conclusion that this issue is not about my skills as a writer (thank goodness). It's about the relationship I have with this new set of characters. They don't know me, I don't know them. I assumed they'd have the same work ethic as Team A, because, you know, I'm the author! I am not going to change what I've been doing successfully for years and years. Am I?


So, Team B and I got together for a pow-wow session and here's what I learned:

1. Where Team A was love-at-first-sight, Team B is more like an arranged marriage. We're going to have to get to know each other before we can expect to make anyone truly happy.

2. Team B is tired of being compared to Team A.

3. Team B doesn't reject my overall plan, but they don't trust me with the details.

4. With every wrong assumption I make in this first draft, they lose respect and motivation to participate. (Apparently, I've been wrong quite often)

5. They want more freedom and I'm not trusting them to stick to the plan. (Yeah, that's true.)

6. They don't like acoustic guitar, nor do they like silence. They want upbeat dance music during writing sessions (ugh).

7. Relaxing candle scents make the two youngest characters gag.

8. They don't care if my work space is organized, and get annoyed by the unnecessary delay if I take a moment to put things away. So basically, if I'm not ready when they are, they're not going to be ready when I am, just to make their rebellious point. (This one makes me mad—total lack of respect.)

9. They like chaos and crowds of people. If I can't find them when I need them, they will NOT be waiting in the orchard next to the river for a private pep-talk. They will be at the mall with their friends, one in the arcade, the other in the food court, texting her best friend who's sitting at the same table.

But the most important thing I learned from this WiP time-out, is that I'm trying to write this first draft as if it was a final draft, wasting precious time guessing at details I can't possibly know yet. The point of this draft is to test the overall plot and get to know the characters, to see how much stress each one can handle. Because nothing is set in stone at this point—not my writing routine, the PoV, personality traits, voice... not even the main character.

I never thought I'd say the characters aren't important, but maybe Team B should play elsewhere while I work out these first draft details—that way I can test some ideas without being ridiculed to death. (I swear they're worse than the "internal editor". SO dang picky.)

Right now, my only goal is to write the bones. I'll be more than happy to let the characters add heart, soul, and flesh to the story on the very first round of editing, after I've gotten to know them on a more personal level. I might even let them add a few scenes as incentive if they'll agree to keep quiet for now.

Anyone else having first draft issues, where everything is an obstacle and there's no love or motivation to make it work?

And here's a funny thing... this quote found its way to me today. ‎"We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action," Frank Tibolt

As of this moment, I would reply with, "But action seems so pointless when there's no inspiration."

Fake it 'til you make it? 

Three tools you NEED for your art

You need three things to keep going in any of the arts:

• Motivation

It's what makes the world go 'round. If you don't feel like your writing is going to do anything for you personally or for someone else (like a prospective reader), why write? For many of us, the motivation to write is as simple as this: we love doing it. But what motivates you on those days when the love is lackluster? The answer is totally personal, so if you don't have an answer to this question, get one. If all else fails, promise yourself chocolate. 

:)   <-- me after eating chocolate

• Ambition

I'm not particularly talking about the high-flying ambition that drives people to become valedictorian or MVP. I'm talking about the very basic ambition that drives you to set a goal - any goal - and actually work to reach it. It doesn't have to be glitzy, although allowing yourself a few glamorous dreams can be fun. Ambitious artists are artists who produce because stopping would mean putting a halt on their dreams. So if you don't have a goal, set one. Then tie it to your motivation above. For example, I want to get my middle grade superhero book in shape to publish (ambition) because I wrote it for my sons and can't wait to share it with them (motivation).

• Enthusiasm

You've probably noticed the link between these three words by now: it's ENERGY. Art requires energy. You need a muse (motivation), a goal (ambition), and a whole lotta love (enthusiasm) to get your project from an idea to a complete work of art. Without enthusiasm, the other two won't quite be able to get you up out of bed to write. Enthusiasm is an intangible, like love. You know it when you feel it. But where do you get it if you've run out? 

Well, that's what Operation Awesome was created for! The writerly blogosphere is a great place to find the enthusiasm you're missing. Another great resource for enthusiasm is writing conferences. There just so happens to be a free, online writing conference next week! 

(If you're interested in the history of WriteOnCon and how it came to be, check out our interviews with its founding members.)

If you're missing one of these elements in your art, I hope you'll take advantage of WriteOnCon, and writing blogs like this one, to help you find your passion and drive again. 

So your homework this coming week is:

• Set a writing goal (big or small, your choice)
• Tie it to a motivation (people you love, an audience you want to reach, recognition in publishing)
• Get excited about it!!!

Happy Friday, Everyone!

Bite-sized Goals

Thanks to everybody who entered yesterday's mid-month Mystery Agent contest! Come October 1st, we're back to doing them on the first of the month. September first, the anniversary of our launch, was a pretty special day for us. We're grateful we got to share it with you guys.

(Which reminds me, I'll be shipping out The Maze Runner and Paranormalcy to one of our prize pack winners. *happy sigh* I LOVE sharing awesome books.)

So Friday has rolled around and I have a confession to make.

I didn't write this week. At all.

*ducks head*

I did read a bit of a plotting book. And I thought about writing. But I didn't actually do it.

But I will. I promise. Just not sure when. Weekends are a time suck for me because my husband is home and I just want to be with him and the boys. It's family time, which is the best kind of time suck I know. :) We'll be so busy buying groceries, planning meals, and going to the park, I won't even miss writing.

And then Monday will rear its ugly head and I'll force myself to sit down and do some reworking of my abandoned-but-not-forgotten WIP.

One of my problems is thinking if I don't have time to write 2k words at once, it isn't worth sitting down to write at all. So next week, I'll set smaller, bite-sized goals for myself, like finish this scene or take out all the unnecessary 'that's or write a scene that demonstrates this character's desperately failing relationship.

I hope through these bite-sized goals, I'll be able to chew through revisions without gagging.

Imagine a tootsie roll. Mmmmm....

That oughtta do the trick.

How do you tackle the mountain of writing/revising before you?

The Incredible Knowledge of Writers

Photo credit

I am in awe of you.

Yeah, you. Everywhere I look in the online writing community, somebody is sharing a new tip, sometimes very complex ones, studying the writing craft, and passing on the knowledge. It's probably the most challenging time in the history of the world to be a writer, as far as competition goes.


I see a lot of talent in you. Sometimes it intimidates me.

Challenging as it is, it's also an exciting time to be a writer. I don't think it's ever been easier (or rather, more accessible) to learn about writing well. Every shortcoming I still have as a writer can be addressed if I only take the time to research it. And I don't have look beyond your amazing blogs to find my answers.

You are awesome.

You remember obscure information you Googled one time just to make your bat swarming scene more realistic. You understand what a character arc is, how conflict is different from creating tension, and how to check your characters against real people to write authentic reactions.

You continually inspire me by reminding me over and over again that JK Rowling had a slow start, and look how successful she was. You know Stephenie Meyer's how-I-got-published story in detail and which details aren't typical so I can feel better about taking FOREVER to get published.

In short, you use your acquired knowledge for good, sharing and paying it forward every chance you get.

Thank you for being on this journey, what sometimes feels like a mass exodus with no destination (Promised Land, where are you?). You remind me every day that not one of us makes it on our own.

And really, I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Have a great weekend!