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| What’s the difference between being productive as a writer and not?
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Sept. 14, 2022
Oakland, CA
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| | What’s the difference between being productive as a writer and not?
- Focus
- Clear purpose
- Boundaries/Guard rails
- Some kind of way to measure: Are we there yet?
It’s easy to sit down and write. I’ve been scribbling in notebooks since I was 2 years old and held a crayon and made glorious true scribbles and swirly-gigs.
But it wasn’t until I started creating books, unconsciously as kids do, and then as an adult, with focus and intent, that I learned to work every day.
Yet, nearly every day I need to reset and reconnect to my purpose and focus, especially as things keep evolving.
By things, I mean LIFE.
There are so many forces at play inside of me, responding to forces outside of me -- as we’re all connected.
So many changes and fluctuations that I’m unaware of, happening all around —
All this to say, that to be a writer, I need to:
- focus
- be clear on my goal
- know how to measure and reply to: Am I there yet?
How are you today?!
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| | 2 Things To Know Because Coming Soon...
Sept. 21st -- Self-Publish Your Book in 12 Weeks
Ruth Schwartz, thewonderlady.com, is offering a self-publishing course soon - starting Sept. 21st -- that is a good fit for anyone who has a working draft of their manuscript in hand and wants to get their book done this year. Please do tell her I sent you, as I get an affiliate fee.
November 2022 -- NaNoWriMo -- National Novel Writing Month. Write a 50,000-word novel in just 30 days!
Every year for the last 23 years, many writers commit to this crazy/amazing/brilliant {f*ree} community and world-wide challenge.
I know lots of writers who use this month to focus and get lots of writing done (Ezra Barany -- my husband, thriller writer, and co-teacher in many of our programs at Barany School of Fiction; me too {Raises hand!}).
Will you join in? Would you like to but don't know where to begin?
We got you.
The secret for us is... we prepare.
We usually take the month of October to go through all of the things: - theme, story summary, what-if, premise
- characters: their wants/needs, conflicts, motivations
- world building
- story structure
- plot
- and more -- much more!
I do these in great rambling detail in a pretty organized way inside of Scrivener, trusting my gut; I'm more of a pantser, relying on intuition. I also do tons of research because it makes me happy. By the time I sit down to write, I feel ready! And I write murder mysteries, where I know what my investigator knows, mostly. Hehe
Ezra plans with tons of methodical detail. He's more of a plotter, loving to dive deep into the nitty gritty before he writes. Spreadsheets, forms, index cards are his speed.
The blog post version is here -- f*ree; its ebook version is $0.99 -- 7 Essential Keys to Planning For Novel, available at many vendors.
Choices!
Get ready for Nano and then get writing your novel!
Cheers!
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Have a happy and creative week! Happy Writing!
All my best,
Beth
* Are you looking for intensive, focused 1-1 support from an experienced author and creativity coach? I have a few openings for coaching and consulting sessions this fall. Curious about how I work? Read more my approach here.
Beth Barany
Creativity Coach for Writers
I not only teach and coach novelists, I am one too!
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| | I live in the territory of Huichin, part of the stolen land of the Chochenyo Muwekma Ohlone, the successors of the historic and sovereign Verona Band of Alameda County.
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