It's the end of 2009 and a time for revisiting the year, evaluating your accomplishments and devising new resolutions to start 2010.
When it comes to writing, completing a novel can overwhelming you. You've come up with a wonderful, great idea, but sitting down to the computer and putting the words on a page is difficult. The best approach I have found is to break your novel into sections. Make things easier for yourself. Set reasonable, obtainable goals, so that the novel does not feel like a burden or work, but a joy.
I believe everyone has a novel in them. The trick is to learn how to express yourself and put those thoughts and emotions into words on a page. Don't let life, friends and even your family keep you from reaching this goal. For me, the best time for plotting is during the drive to work. I keep a tape recorder close in the car and put all of my ideas on it. During my lunch break or twenty minute break, I transcribe my notes and figure out where they belong in my manuscript.
Each morning between 4 and 5 am, while my husband is sleeping I go to my desk and write. Before I leave for work, I print the pages and somewhere doing my work day I edit them. This works for me. Find the approach that works for you. It's out there, you just have to figure it out.
A new year is coming, bringing with it a new opportunity to get that novel completed. Don't let it pass you by.
What do you think? I'd love to hear from you. Email me at karenwowens@gmail.com.
Remember, don't be a stranger.
Karen
Karen,
ReplyDeleteAs another writer with a full-time job on the side (year, I now call the day job my "job on the side"), I know all too well how to compartmentalize and get myself in "the zone" when it's time to write.
Like you, I rise early in the morning and write for a few hours before going to the side job. When the writing is going really well, I take an hour or two in the afternoon to write a bit more, but ideas are always flowing in my brain.
One thing that really got me off to a good start with my latest WIP was to take a day off from the day job and have a huge plotting/brainstorming session. Having a day dedicated to it (and not just a free day I happened upon, but one that was specifically to plot), made it really special.