Tag Archives: Tips & Tricks

Tuesday is Tricky: Writer’s Block

9 Oct

Mondays are “Meet My Guest Blogger Monday” like this so Tuesday? Tuesday is tricky. No really, “Tuesday is Tricky: Tips and Tricks” is the second theme day of the week.  It will be some form of tips or tricks about writing. Today, let’s take a look at…

Tips and Tricks to Beat Writer’s Block

1. Make a date with your writing desk. Nothing ever gets done unless we plan it. Plan to take a certain time of the day and make it yours for writing. I know..I know…you don’t have time! No one does. Yet we manage to watch TV, play online, and make it to the gym. If you are a writer then shouldn’t writing time be a priority to TV and the internet and at least as important for your health as time at the gym? Say yes and make a plan to devote a part of the day to writing.

2. Write words. Lots of them. It isn’t enough to just block off time for writing if you are not actually spending those hours writing. Set a small word goal for day one and then aim to increase it by 100 every day until you get to a comfortable spot. Remember that writing badly is better than not writing at all. There is always revision later. 

3. Write first, Rewrite later. Writing and rewriting are distinctly different tasks. Focus on getting your work written before you begin the rewriting. These are tasks for different days. Stop rewriting the same page for a week and force yourself to write badly first and rewrite later. LATER!

4. Juggle. Have multiple projects going at once. Give one as much as you can until you are stuck and then start another. I usually have a blog post or two going at once. I have flash fiction challenges and the WIP (and some smaller short fiction things). If I can’t make one work with me at the moment, I don’t panic. I put it down and pick up another.

5. Write (when it isn’t writing time). Once in a while, forget you regular writing time and trade it with gym time or some other time of the day. Attack your enemy from another direction. Flank those freaky words and come in from a corner of the battlefield that they would never expect. It’s like a mental ambush!

6. Write it out of order. Nothing says that you have to write it in the order that you want it read. Write the middle first or the end then go to the beginning. Mix it up. Write the part that wants out first. Then use that to build the rest.

7. Regular FreewritingMake time to freewrite every day. Freewriting is like priming the mental pump. Read this or this. That’s forced one shot writing. Do it freely and forget the grammar rules or spelling. Forget anything but getting words on the page. There is also this.  Now read all of my opinions on Freewriting and I have a lot of them. Freewriting is a must have tool in a writer’s toolbox. You must be willing to write for the love of writing. Rewriting is for later.

8. Pick up on the hint! Did you get my #1 most important tip to beating writer’s block? I said it over and over in each tip. Rewriting is not the same as writing. You build the house before you paint it. You must have words on the page before you can revise them. Tattoo that on your hand (or just put a post it note on your screen): REWRITE LATER!

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Build a Better Brand Platform: 30 Day Challenge (Day 20)

20 Sep
English: Wal calendar

English: Wall calendar (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Even I can do this math: we are 2/3 of the way through the MNINB Platform Building Challenge as we reach Day 20! Thanks for following along with me as I take this challenge and even played along with my changes to the challenge and listened to my additional commentary and advice. It makes a blogger proud to have a project turn out as well as this one has so far. Hats off to Mr. Robert Lee Brewer for designing an excellent challenge.

 

 

 

DAY 20: Create an “Editorial Calendar”

Would you take a long trip without looking at a map and plotting a route?   It might not be the wisest decision. It is the same with your blog. You probably want to have some idea of where you want to go before you leave home. It doesn’t mean you can’t take a metaphorical scenic detour. It does mean that you have signposts and landmarks ready to keep you on course to keep you from getting lost.

Don’t panic thinking that you have to plan out the whole year’s content for your blog today or even a month’s worth of content. All I am asking is that you start a spreadsheet (if you are a spreadsheet person like my wife) or a pencil and paper list (if you are like me and jot down scribbled plans on pages of a pocket-sized notebook). Some people will have a reason to pull out their Excel program this afternoon while the rest of us just need to draw out a list in scribbled lead marks of a general idea of what you would like to see content-wise in your blog for whatever amount of time that you feel comfortable.

I cheated with this month’s editorial calendar as each day I knew I wanted to follow along with the challenge designed by Robert “Not Bob” Brewer. I also knew that I wanted to continue a plan for sharing Freewriting on each Friday (aka Freewriting Friday). Let’s look at October then: It might be more manageable if you themed your days.

*Monday-  Meet My Guest Monday (Guest posts)

Tuesday- Tips & Tricks (brainstorming, prewriting, writing tips and tricks to share)

Wednesday-  Writing Prompt Wednesday (Writing on suggested prompts from my readers)

*Thursday-  Get Through Thursday (odds & ends and an occasional “day off” with just a comic or illustration)

*Friday- Freewriting Fridays (‘Evil’ Freewriting Exercises)

*Saturday- Phoetry (Photograph inspired poetry/flash fiction)

Sunday- The Novel / WIP (Work in Progress Update on My Novel as I remember that was the purpose of this blog anyway)

The Days with * are my “day job” days and I will be busy with “real life” and may have less time for the blog duties. I planned these days to be easier days for me with guest posts, quick freewriting or sharing photographs, illustrations, and comics. My heavy writing days will be the ones where I allow myself more time to devote to sharing tips and tricks or lengthy updates on my novel / WIP and I have planned for it.

This is the idea of an Editorial Calendar. All you want to do is give yourself a general idea of where you are going with your week of writing. Feel free to make more detailed plans than this for each week as you brainstorm new topics. Make the map first so you know where you have room to take those scenic detours. Planned spontaneity is the best kind of wild living! Not an oxymoron if you make it work for you (Who are you calling an oxymoron?)….

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If you haven’t yet, please connect with me on social media:

Please follow this blog by email or on your WordPress reader page (or both). If you found this information valuable then please feel free to share it with others. I provided the share buttons so you bring the shares.

As always your comments are appreciated.