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Smokin'
Keyboards-Issue Ten
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Welcome to the tenth
issue of Smokin' Keyboards!
It's been a crazy
couple of weeks on the homefront. In the middle of hair and nail
appointments for my wedding, yours truly took the regional semi-finals
in the CBC radio Canada Writes contest. The blog that got me airtime
and a potential shot at national recognition was a rant on 'fractured'
wedding invitations. It seemed ironic that after years of sweating
bullets to produce quality content, a personal vent would garner me my
15 minutes of fame.
There's a lesson in this. ANY writing is worth more than none at all.
Everyday life, and the people in it, are sometimes our best subjects
because that is what we're passionate about. One comment that a judge
made was that he liked my entry because he could relate to it. That's
what we all want...for our readers to feel some empathy with our words.
There is a time and place for literary genius, but you can't forget to
write informally, as if you were talking to a friend. Relax, have fun,
and let your inner child babble on a keyboard. Who knows? That little
piece of silly might just get you places you never dreamed of being.
~Arlie
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We
could all use more time...I loved some of the suggestions in this
article on how to waste less and find more. Enjoy!
Time to Write by Mui Tsun
SO YOU WANT TO BE
A WRITER?
Many people have entertained the idea of being a writer. They feel the
passion to write. They have a best-seller idea. They want to share
their specialist knowledge with the rest of the world. Yet years go by
and nothing happens. Why? The reason is almost always the same: they
can't find the time to write.
Whether you want to write fictions, magazine articles, plays, screen
plays, non-fiction books, children's stories, film scripts, radio
scripts or commercial writings, one thing is for certain: if you want
to be successful writer, you must write.
There are only 24 hours in a day and most of us lead hectic lifestyles
which leave little time for luxury like sitting down to write. Family
and job usually come first, and by the time the dishes have been washed
and the children put to bed, chances are you're exhausted yourself and
the writing will just have to be postponed until another time.
But if writing is important to you, then you must be disciplined and
decide how you want to divide your time. You'll have to analyse your
lifestyle and cross a few things off your list to free up time for your
personal goals.
And it's not as difficult as you may think.
HOW TO MAKE TIME:
If in doubt, cut
it out.
Record your daily activities in details for a week. Look at the list
and eliminate those activities which do not contribute positively to
your life. One such obvious activity is watching television. If you
must watch it, at least try cutting the time spent on it. Watch it for
one hour instead of two, and you’ll have seven more hours to write
every week. Don't watch it at all and you'll have fourteen extra hours!
If you spend long periods gossiping with friends on the phone, try
cutting it down and using emails to keep in touch instead. I’m not
suggesting you should cut off all contact with your friends, but if you
want to be a successful writer, you’ll have to sacrifice some of that
gossip time.
Break out from
the rut.
Are you one of those people who go through their days by rote? Up at
7.30am, breakfast at 8.00am, set off for work at 8.30am, at work until
6.30pm, dinner and TV until 9.30pm, watch the news at 10.00pm and go to
bed at 10.30pm? Do you follow the same schedule pretty much every day?
Do you spend a lot of time doing something because you've always done
it, not because you enjoy it or it makes a positive contribution to the
quality of your life?
If that sounds like you, then try having a break from your set routine
and be surprised at how much extra time you have. For example, you
don’t ‘have to’ watch the 10 o’clock news every evening. If you skip it
for two nights a week you will have created some writing time for
yourself. Perhaps you are one of those who can write with the radio on
in the background. In that case, listen to the news on the radio while
you're writing and kill two birds with one stone.
Sleep a little
less.
If you are a morning person, get up an hour earlier. If you’re a night
owl, go to bed an hour later. Pick a time at which you feel most
creative.
Use your lunch
hour.
Don't write at your desk though because you're likely to be distracted
by office activities or hassled by your boss about that urgent report.
Escape to the back of your car, a café or the park to do your writing,
anywhere where you won't be disturbed for a while.
If you work near a library then you are lucky. You can use your lunch
hour to do research for your writing. Nowadays most libraries have
internet facilities so you can also conduct online research.
Use your travel
time.
If you take the train or the bus to work, use that time productively
rather than looking out of the window. Carry a notebook with you at all
times to jot down ideas or even write your next chapter. Or print out a
few pages of your writing for editing during this time. Look at your
fellow passengers for ideas: one of them may be the perfect character
for your novel.
If you drive to work, invest in a hand-held recorder. You can use it to
record ideas, or to dictate your writing. Then when you get home all
you have to do is play it back and type it in the computer.
De-clutter your
life.
Spend a few days clearing out the clutter in your life. By this I mean
both the physical clutter around the house, and the emotional clutter
which has prevented you from writing in the past. For example: how
often have you said this to yourself?
"I will write when I feel happier about myself."
"I want to lose some weight first."
"I can't start writing until I've sorted out my relationship problems."
"I don't feel confident that I can write."
See what I'm getting at? Spring-cleaning your life is a good way to
start a more disciplined and structured writing life.
Get support.
Enlist the help of your family. Ask your partner or parents to look
after the children once or twice a week. If you have older children,
ask them to help with house chores for a small reward. That way they'll
feel they're helping you with your writing, they get paid, the
housework gets done, and you get to write for an hour or two.
Everyone's happy.
Talk to your family and friends about your passion for writing. They
may not understand what writers do, but at least they will be able to
feel your passion for writing and provide the support you need. If they
don't know you need support, you're not going to get it.
HOW TO BE MORE
PRODUCTIVE:
Okay, now that you have freed up some time for writing, how do you make
sure you use this time productively?
Establish a
writing schedule.
Writing is essentially a solitary activity. As a writer you need to be
self-disciplined; nobody is going to make you sit down and write. In
fact, your family and friends will be glad that you're not writing and
are spending time with them. But to succeed as a writer, you must
write. Having a writing schedule is an important step. If you don't
schedule something, chances are it will get pushed to the bottom of
your list and never get done.
Write every day if you can. Otherwise, aim to write on a regular basis:
every two days, three times a week or whatever suits you. The important
thing is to write regularly. The more you write regularly, the more
your writing will flow.
Buy a wall calendar, highlight your writing time a week ahead and put
it up where you can see it. If you're disciplined enough you can use a
pocket or electronic diary, but make sure you do look at it and not
just let it sit in the drawer. Stick to the plan the same way as you
would other regular activities in your life. Don't make excuses for
yourself.
If you can, write at the same time every day. Writing regularly at a
specified time establishes a pattern, and is essential to building a
schedule.
Pick a time to
suit your lifestyle.
If you want to write from midnight to two in the morning and get up at
10am, and it fits in with your lifestyle, then do it. Similarly you may
want to go to bed at 9pm, get up at 4 in the morning and write until
the children get out of bed.
Don’t get
distracted.
Aim to do nothing but write during your scheduled writing time. Try not
to get distracted by writing-related activities such as research,
note-gathering, writing the outline, etc. Do these things at some other
time, ie, read the book for your research at bed time. If you find
yourself spending all your scheduled writing time in preparatory work
and never get down to the actual writing, then you need to take a look
at why you’re actually avoiding writing.
Prepare for
writing (if you need to).
If you have a demanding full-time job, you may still be in work mode
and find it hard to relax when you get home. In that case you may need
to do something to help ease you into a more productive mood for
writing. Call it a transition phase if you like. Try the following:
o Do some gentle exercise
o Have a shower or a warm bath
o Spend 10 minutes with your children
o Read a few pages of a book
o Listen to some relaxing music for 10 minute
o Go for a short walk
o Enjoy a cup of tea in the garden
Don't over-do this bit though or you'll end up not writing.
Stick to the
schedule no matter what.
When it comes to your scheduled time to write, do it, even if your mind
is completely blank and the last thing you want to do is sit down and
write.
Don't worry about writing rubbish at first - even the greatest writers
wrote rubbish sometime in their lives. Don't expect to create something
worthy of publication each time. Even if you have only managed to
produce garbage in a ten-minute slot, you have achieved something: you
have written. As most writers know, beginning is the hardest part. Once
you've started, it gets easier.
The bottom line is: don't spend too much time thinking about writing,
write!
Be selfish.
Put up a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on your door (if you write in a separate
room), on your computer or on the back of your chair. Be selfish. Let
your family know you are doing something for yourself for an hour or
two, but you will emerge as the loving wife/mother or husband/father
again in due course. Don’t let guilt stop you from following your
dreams.
Initially your family may ignore your sign, but don’t give in the
moment someone shouts: “Mum/dad, where’s my … (fill in the blank)”, or
“Honey could you get me my (fill in the blank)”. Be strict. Don’t make
exception unless the house is on fire. They will get used to your
schedule after a few days.
Look ahead.
At the end of each writing session, set yourself a goal for the next
one. This can be:
"I'll produce 500 words."
"I'll write 3 pages."
"I'll finish the first chapter."
Having a goal not only helps to motivate you, it will also minimise
wasted time when you begin your next session.
No excuses
Don’t use "I don't have time" as an excuse anymore. Remember, we tend
to make time for something we really want to do. It all depends on how
badly you want to become a writer; if your desire to write is strong
enough, you will find the time.
Happy writing!
= = = = =
About The Author
Mui Tsun is the creator of Inspire Software: the simple yet powerful
Character Generator, First Line Generator and Scenario Generator will
enhance your creativity, kick-start your imagination and clear your
writer’s block. Don’t be stuck, be inspired!
For more ideas and inspiration, visit the Rain Catcher website .
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"So, you think
you
CanWrite!"
Sixth Annual Contest
The Canadian Authors Association is pleased to announce its Sixth
Annual CanWrite! Conference Story Contest.
Guidelines
This short story contest is open to all ages and all Canadian and U.S.
residents. Please pay close attention to the following guidelines:
Short stories must be fiction, unpublished, and no longer than 1,500
words in length.
Entries should be typed and double spaced with the story's title
appearing on each numbered page.
Please include a separate sheet with your name, address, phone number,
email address, word count and title—as well as your payment and a
self-addressed stamped envelope for the contest results.
The entrant's name must not appear on the manuscript.
The final deadline for entries is February 28, 2008.
Prizes
The top ten selections will be published in an anthology that will be
launched at our 87th CAA Annual Conference in Edmonton on July 3-6,
2008.
The top three winners will also receive $500, $200 and $100 plus a free
conference registration with no cash value. (Winners must attend the
conference to receive this free registration.)
Judging will be completed through a blind process with final selections
made by our contest judge. Manuscripts will not be returned. Results
and story evaluations will both be released in July.
Entry
The entrant's fee is $15 Canadian per story. Please make all cheques or
money orders out to "Canadian Authors Association" and mail your entry
to
CanWrite! Conference Story Contest,
c/o Evan Kenney,
32 Green Meadow Crescent,
Welland, ON L3C 6X3
Early Bird Special
Submit your story no later than November 30, 2007 and you'll receive a
one-page evaluation with comments from a professional member of the
Canadian Authors Association. Please include a self-addressed stamped
envelope.
Final Deadline
The final deadline for entries is February 28, 2008.
From C. Hope Clark @ FundsForWriters, this is
the best ebook combo available to writers. Fourteen ebooks PLUS a one
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from recipe writing, humor, poetry, flash, and so much more. Pick up
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Upcoming
contest!!:
We're still not quite at the 100 mark yet. If
you haven't confirmed your subscription yet, now is the time to do it!
As soon as Smokin' Keyboards hits the magic number, I'll announce the
contest.
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Call For
Submissions:
Motherwords
is an irreverent, realistic look at motherhood. We’re looking for
submissions that capture the true essence of motherhood and serve as a
"neighborhood" where mothers can share experiences and connect with one
another. It's a forum for caretakers to talk about ideas and
information; a place for writers to stretch their proverbial wings. We
are actual moms who want to read and write about real motherhood, kids
and life partners.
We welcome submissions from women and men from all over the world.
After all, we are all in this together. What could be more universal
than child rearing? For submission guidelines, click here.
Freelance
writer available:
Do you need content for your website/ezine? Are you looking for a fresh
voice for your magazine? For reasonably priced, well researched
material, contact Arlie
MacGregor.
1).
Are
you a publisher/editor looking for submissions? Drop me a line
(Subject:
Submissions Wanted) and I'll post your request in the next issue
of
Smokin' Keyboards.
2).
If you're a writer looking for work, reviews, or need to shout at the
world about your latest release, let
me know!
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Smokin' Keyboards is
published by Arlie MacGregor, Editor & Contributing Author,
whenever she has something worth saying or sharing.
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