The Golden Heart Contest
By Debra Holland
It’s Autumn, the time of year for unpublished writers to consider entering the RWA Golden Heart contest. The entry forms are due on November 16. The Golden Heart is RWA’s most prestigious unpublished contest. Finaling not only opens doors for your writing career, but is a LOT of fun.
When the GH call comes, the good news gives you a happy, bubbly thrill. It’s a great feeling to share with your family and friends. The high can last for weeks.
The days after the GH results are announced are a good time to send queries to agents and editors about your finaling manuscript. Finaling makes your queries stand out, leading to quicker responses. It also gives agents and editors more of a reason to request your book.
If your manuscript is already with an agent or editor, it’s good to call or email with the news. This can motivate the agent or editor to hunt through their slush pile to find your manuscript, instead of waiting the months, or even years, it might take them to get to it.
It’s not uncommon to have five to ten finalists sell their books in the months between the announcement and the national conference. During that time about the same amount of writers also sign with agents.
Sometimes an editor who is judging the contest likes what he or she is reading and directly buys the entry--before the winners are even announced at the awards ceremony in the national conference.
The finalists organize themselves into a yahoo group and begin to get to know each other. They share stories of their “call” and of their books. They support each other through rejections and acceptances and celebrate if one of them sells. By the time the conference rolls around, the group has become friends.
At the national conference, GH finalists get to wear pink finaling ribbons on their name badges and be princesses for five days. The ribbon identifies them to other conference attendees, agents, and editors, and they get a lot of people asking about their entry. There is also a special reception for the GH and Rita finalists.
At the awards night, the finalists dress up in beautiful formal gowns and sit in reserved seating in the front of the theatre. As each finalist’s name is announced, two overhead screens show her professional photo and the name of her book--a great way to build name recognition.
Winners receive a beautiful necklace with a golden heart. Once a winner places that necklace around her neck, she is forever a Golden Heart winner. The necklace is a symbol of her accomplishment that other writers can recognize whenever she wears it. However, it’s also a tangible reminder when future doubts creep in--yes, she is a good writer.
As I see it, there’s only two cons to entering the GH. One is the entry price. $50.00 can be a bit steep on an unpublished writer’s budget, especially in this economy. Multiple entries can really add up. Make sure you follow all the rules. If you break a rule, your manuscript will be disqualified, and your money won’t be refunded.
The second drawback of the GH is that the only feedback you will receive are numerical scores. You’ll never know why you received a 9 from one judge and a 4 from another.
How do you know if you are ready to enter the Golden Heart contest?
Is your manuscript completed or nearly completed? A completed manuscript is a requirement for the GH, making it different from RWA chapter contests. This weeds out the people who have completely polished the first few chapters and synopsis of their books, and enter them in all the local contests, but have never completed the manuscripts. These entries might be multiple winners in local contests, but the GH is for finishers, which gives you a different caliber of competition, and much more respect when you final.
I have used entering the Golden Heart as a spur to completing a manuscript. As a finishing-the-book tool, this has worked very well. Actually there have been several years when I was writing right until the deadline to overnight the entry in order to have it arrive the next day. In other words, the ending was done, but not polished. However, one of these books still finaled, and the other finaled the next year when it was polished. But don’t do this unless you are confident you can finish. Otherwise, your entry will be disqualified.
Make sure the first fifty-five pages, including your synopsis, are polished. Have a critique partner or two or ten go over your entry. In the first round, it won’t matter how much you’ve edited the rest of your book. The first round of judges only sees the first fifty-five pages, which includes the synopsis. You probably won’t win if the quality of the rest of the manuscript isn’t as good as the beginning, but winning is just a bonus to being a finalist.
So challenge yourself. Get out those manuscripts, finish them, polish them, and enter the Golden Heart Contest!
***
Debra Holland is a three-time Golden Heart finalist. In 2001, her book, Wild Montana Sky, won the short historical category.
Labels: Debra Holland, Golden Heart contest
FREE FALLING: USING SONG TITLES FOR INSPIRATION
By Dr. Debra Holland
When Tom Petty’s song, Free Falling, plays on the radio, I like to sing along. “And, I’m Freeeeee. Free Fallin’. I don’t think much of the rest of the lyrics, but I sure do like the chorus. Some editors must too. A quick search showed three romances titled Free Falling: Stoble Piel, 1999, Mary Eason, 2008, and Sandy James, 2009. I’m sure there’s more.
Editors frequently assign song titles to books. For example, Jenny Crusie has two: Crazy For You and Tell Me Lies.
Song titles make great books titles because there’s instant recognition. The title may make a book more memorable or cause someone to pick up the book who might not normally.
Much of the time the working titles authors use are not kept by the editor. Instead, a new title is chosen. And since titles can’t be copywrited, the title may be used over and over. I have no idea if any of the above three authors used Free Falling as a working title. Yet, maybe they did have the title first and drew inspiration from it.
Have you ever listened to the radio and heard a song and thought, “That would make a great book title?” Maybe the song is one you’ve never heard before. Maybe it’s an oldie, but something about the lyrics sparks a story idea.
I mostly listen to the radio when I’m in the car. I don’t know about you, but I tend to think about my writing when I drive. I work out scenes and snippets of dialogue come to me, especially when the freeway is clear, and I can easily drive without much conscious thought. The other times are when I’m stuck in traffic (common in Los Angeles) and need to engage my mind to contain my frustration and pass the time. In fact, one of my books originated as a story idea while I was driving to my office.
I keep a notebook right next to the driver’s seat. If it’s possible to drive semi-safely and jot down the ideas, I do so. Although sometimes the writing isn’t too legible.
Sometimes I play with song titles, trying to create a story out of them. Then when I arrive at my destination, I write it down. Or if I don’t have time to write, I’ll probably forget about it. I’ve never actually developed a book from a song title, but I do have a list of potentials in my notebook. If I ever need some inspiration, I plan to play with them.
What about you? Have you ever written a story based on a song title? Labels: Debra Holland, writing stories based on song titles
This Week on the Wet Noodle Posse
Please join us as we continue August's theme of All Creatures Great and Small with the following blogs:
Monday, August 17th: Merrillee Whren Our Dog Pepper
Tuesday, August 18th: Diane Gaston Seven Cats
Wednesday, August 19th: Maureen Hardegree Out of the Ordinary Animal Encounters
Thursday, August 20th: Dr. Debra Holland TBA
Friday, August 21st: Q&A: What was your first pet?
Labels: animal encounters, cats, Debra Holland, Diane Gaston, dogs, first pet, Maureen Hardegree, Merrillee Whren
Creating Your Villain Using Facts About Real Men
By Dr. Debra Holland
I teach an online class for romance writers called "Understanding Men." I thought posting about "bad" men might be helpful.
In cultures worldwide, the things that trigger male violence in abusive relationships are surprisingly consistent.
1. Women disobeying
2. Women arguing
3. Her questioning him about money
4. Her questioning him about girlfriends
5. His belief that his meal isn't ready on time
6. Her refusing to have sex
7. He suspects her of infidelity
Violent men often have low self-esteem, feel insecure about their relationships, and use intimidation and anger as a way to control their partners. They feel victimized by others/society/government/the boss/women and don't take responsibility for their problems. Alcohol is often a problem, and the violence escalates when he is intoxicated.
A good book for developing both villains/ex-husbands/boyfriends you don't want the heroine to keep is Why Does He Do That? Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men, by Lundy Bancroft. This is also a good general knowledge book because if you haven't dated a man like this in your past, one of your friends or relatives has. And I sincerely hope you're not with one now.
I was halfway through the book when I picked up a category romance by a friend of mine. To my dismay, the hero was EXACTLY like the men in the book. I couldn't finish reading the romance. If this had not been a friend's book, I would have vowed never to read another of this author's books again. Be careful of perpetuating the myth that angry, controlling men change out of love for the heroine. They don't.
Have you read romances where you felt disturbed by the hero's attitude and behavior?
Labels: angry and controlling men, Debra Holland, understanding men, villains
This Week on the Wet Noodle Posse
For our last full week of Father Knows Best month, we have the following noodlers and guests:
Monday, June 22nd: Colleen Gleason TBA
Tuesday, June 23rd: Guest Gina Ardito Pride and Prejudice--It's Not Just the Tight Pants
Wednesday, June 24th: Debra Holland TBA
Thursday, June 25th: Guest Kendra Leigh Castle TBA
Friday, June 26th: Q&A
Labels: Colleen Gleason, Debra Holland, Gina Ardito, Kendra Leigh Castle
The Sisterhood of the Wet Noodle Posse
By Debra HollandIn 2003, some 60 of Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart finalists joined a yahoo group. For the first weeks I experienced a lot of confusion trying to get to know these strangers, something hard to do when people are just writing about themselves, and you have no visuals of them. (A lot, if not most, of us didn’t have websites at the time.) I didn’t know that this group of strangers would grow into a posse of sisters whom I consider dear friends and deeply love.
In the beginning, those of us who’d been finalists before gave the newbies advice about what to expect at the conference and during the awards ceremony. But eventually we evolved to talking about the ups and downs of writing and the publishing world. We also started to share about our personal lives.
You can read all about the beginnings of the Wet Noodle Posse (WNP) on our website: www.wetnoodleposse.com. The creation of the website and our monthly ezine brought us closer together as we worked toward common goals.
Since the beginning, we rejoiced in the births and adoption of babies, and the graduation and marriage of older children. We’ve even had one WNP marriage. Others have suffered serious illnesses. We’ve also supported each other through the illnesses and deaths of some of our parents. To our sorrow, we’ve also lost one of our members.
There’s something special about having friends who share your goals and dreams. They really understand the longing to make up stories that others enjoy, and the discouragement of rejections and publishing problems because they’ve been there too. Those sisters who’ve gone on to publishing success have led the way for the rest, sharing their wisdom. They’ve proved that the dream can happen if you keep writing. We have faith in each other. We are each others’ cheering section.
We don’t get to see each other much. We try to take some time during the RWA National conference. But it’s not easy because we are all pulled in different directions. Sometimes some of us meet as smaller conferences, and it’s always nice to spend quality time together. An often expressed dream is to have a retreat for ourselves. Someday....
I’d say about 60% of our sisters have become published. Yay! Unfortunately busy lives and writing schedules means that many no longer stay in the close touch that they once did. But they still pop in from time to time and are welcomed. I know I don’t post as much since my corporate crisis/grief counseling business took off a couple of years ago. But I try to read all the posts and send love, hugs, support, (and commiserations if needed.)
Although we had to discontinue our ezine, some valient sisters keep up our blog. If only I had time to read more of the posts... But I love to when I have a chance.
Here’s to my Wet Noodle Posse sisters. You are one of the best things my writing career has brought me. May all your dreams come true!Labels: Debra Holland, sisters, wet noodle posse
MONITORING YOUR ENERGY
By Debra Holland
Everyone I know has a busy, busy life. The temptation for most people is to go and do, trying to fit everything in. And when you’re an author, you always have writing hanging over your head—it doesn’t matter whether you’re published or unpublished.
About fifteen years ago, I found out the hard way what happens if I push myself past my energy limits. I was in graduate school at the time, in addition to working and everything else I was doing. I remember feeling stressed and fatigued, but I had a few projects to finish. My intuition kept saying, “Rest.” I’d answer that I’d rest once I’d completed everything, just a few more days….
Then I heard the message, “If you don’t stop, I’m going to force you to stop.”
I gave the same answer, so, sure enough; my body forced me to stop by making me sick. What a lesson!
Ever since that time, I’ve paid attention to what my body tells me about the stress I’m feeling, what my energy levels are, and if my immune system feels compromised. I’ve learned the little signals, personal to me, that tell me what I need to do to help myself. Consequently, I’m rarely ill.
In my work, both as a therapist and as a crisis counselor, I give a lot of my energy to help others heal. Therefore, I need to make sure I replenish my energy.
One of the best ways to take care of your energy is to know if you are an introvert or an extrovert. 
The way to determine if you’re an introvert or an extrovert is to ask yourself how you replenish your energy. “Do I replenish my energy through solitary activities (reading, writing, gardening, playing on the computer) or through people-oriented activities (going to parties or events, participating in clubs or organizations, or hanging with a group of friends)?
Most people make the mistake of thinking an extrovert is someone with an outgoing personality. Yet, you can be (like me) an outgoing introvert. Or (like most writers) you can be an introvert who’s not comfortable around a lot of people.
Once you know if you’re an introvert or an extrovert, you’ll know what to do to restore your energy. If you’re an introvert, and your extrovert spouse wants you to go to a party, you know that won’t help your energy levels, and in fact might actually deplete them more, even if you enjoy yourself.
As an introvert, it’s important for me to balance my people-oriented work and social activities with solitary time for myself. Otherwise, I’ll drain my energy too much.
What else do I do to keep my energy up?
1. I exercise semi-regularly. I say “semi” because crisis jobs tend to drop into my schedule, disrupting my routine. Also some times in my life, I’m more self-disciplined than others. I keep hand weights at home because on busy days it’s easier to take 20 minutes doing weights at home then to drive to the gym. Other days I do complete weight and cardio workouts at the gym.
2. I try to eat healthy. I say try because I’m too fond of chocolate, cheese, and pizza to be completely healthy. I keep healthy snacks handy that I can grab and eat in the car, such as hard-boiled eggs, apples, yogurts, protein bars, nuts, turkey hot dogs, string cheese. I love salads, but don’t like to make them, so I go to the salad bar at the grocery store and buy a big enough one that lasts for several meals. For each meal, I add avocado and cottage cheese to the salad.
3. I prioritize sleep. I need a LOT of sleep—more than normal. I take naps to make up for not enough sleep at night. I love long naps. Today (Sunday) I sent my boyfriend off by himself to see a “boy” movie, so I could nap without feeling guilty for not spending time with him. Once awake, I had enough energy to write and catch up on some of the tasks I’ve put off this week from fatigue and working long hours.
I’ve also found catnaps to be helpful. In the afternoon, if I doze for a few (two to five) minutes in my chair between clients, I’ll feel refreshed for the rest of the day and long into the evening.
4. I take a novel everywhere I go, so I can read every chance that I have. During a difficult consulti
ng job, I make sure to close the door, take a lunch and read, if only for a few minutes. Another way to refresh.
5. I take vitamins, minerals, Co-Q 10, and salmon oil. On days I feel my immune system dropping, I add a fizzy Airborne tablet to water or green tea, take extra vitamin C, and suck on Zinc lozenges.
6. I try to say no to people or opportunities that I don’t want to do, or that I know will take too much of my energy.
My life still gets away from me sometimes, but by focusing on “self-care,” I manage to maintain my energy level (most of the time) and stay healthy.
Labels: Debra Holland, monitoring your energy
This week on the Wet Noodle Posse
We shift our focus this week to a new monthly topic--the Holidays. Dianna Love will tell you more about it tomorrow. Here's what we have scheduled for this week:
Monday, December 1: Dianna Love "Introduction to the monthly theme--Holidays"
Tuesday, December 2: Dianna Love "The Grouch Who Made Christmas Special" & Recipe
Wednesday, December 3: Dr. Debra Holland "How to Deal with Holiday Stress"
Thursday, December 4th: Terry McLaughlin "Story and Recipe"
Friday, December 5th: Q&A focus on Book Clubs. (Readers' questions about writing are also welcome)
Labels: Debra Holland, Dianna Love, holiday recipes, holiday stress, Terry McLaughlin
This Week on The Wet Noodle Posse
Noodlers finish up Writers' Health Month, and we begin a new topic, dear to our hearts, Golden Heart Contest Preparation.
Here’s what’s on the calendar for this week:
Monday, September 29th: Norah Wilson “Today Was a Good Day”
Tuesday, September 30th: Guest Blogger Bonnie Vanak, Author of Egyptian Historicals for Dorchester and Werewolf Paranormals for Silhouette Nocturne
Wednesday, October 1st: Priscilla Kissinger “Golden Heart Preparation Month Introduction” & Raffle winner for September Announcement
Thursday, October 2nd: Debra Holland “Why Enter the Golden Heart Contest”
Friday, October 3rd: Noodler New Releases for October
Labels: Bonnie Vanak, Debra Holland, Golden Heart, Norah Wilson, Priscilla Kissinger, Writers' Health
A WRITER’S LIFE: COPING WITH STRESS By Debra Holland, Ph.D
To write for a living exposes authors to the unique stress of this profession. This is not a job where you show up a 9 am, do the work someone assigns to you, and go home at 5 pm. Writers are creative people who aren’t allowed to just sit at a keyboard and enjoy wrestling with their muse (which in and of itself can be a stressful process.) They must also cope in the publishing world, regardless of their affinity for business.
Writing is a profession that requires you to multitask. To be a successful author, you must also be good at sales and publicity, accounting, networking, public speaking, dealing with the public, arguing with your editor with just the right degree of tact, plus many other things.
Writing requires the self-discipline to spend long hours at home on your computer, regardless of what you’d rather be doing. When you write, you cannot leave your job behind at the office. In fact, many authors have a day job, and still have to carve writing time out of the rest of their day. Even when you write full time, family, friends, household tasks, and other commitments pull at your time and energy. It’s not the same as having a structured schedule where someone else supervises you.
For most authors, they ALWAYS have writing hanging over their heads, either to meet a current deadline, or come up with new proposals/books. The “I should be writing” guilt is difficult to shake off, thus making it hard to completely relax. Story ideas or characters sometimes don’t leave you alone, not letting you sleep, or be completely present when you interact with others.
To be a published author means your cherished work is exposed to public scrutiny, not just with a small group of people, but nation, and maybe world, wide. Not only do you have the internal and external pressure to do your best work, but once it’s published, then anyone, no matter how ignorant, can criticize your book. Reviews, gossip, sales figures fly across the internet, phone lines, and other media. And since you can’t please everyone every time, there is ALWAYS someone who doesn’t like your book, and of course you get to hear or read their critique, which can be hurtful and shaming.
As an author, you release your book from your control, giving your creation to people who will not appreciate it in the same way you do, nor take the care which would lead to its best success. You don’t control much of the process--if and when it’s bought, how much you make on an advance, your print run, your covers, the amount of publicity the publisher does for you, etc.
For most authors, the writing income is uncertain. You must make financial decisions and budgets when you don’t know when the next chunk of money will come, and how much it will be. Worry about money is one of the top causes of stress, and the number one topic couples argue over.
Our profession is very competitive, yet we aren’t necessary the ones doing the competing. It’s the publishing professionals who are making the choices, and the consumers who buy our books. There are even lists to shout to the world where we stand. And even if you are not competitive by nature, it’s hard not to compare your writing output to someone who might be able to write more books a year than you, or feel a twinge of envy when you hear of someone else receiving a hefty advance or making the New York Times list, especially if you know your writing is just as good or better. Every time you read a good book, it’s difficult not to compare, and have self-doubts.
When you write for a living, you have to cope with fear. Fear that you can’t come up with a new story idea, write it well, meet your deadline, sell, make enough to live on.... The list goes on and on.
Negative rumors sweep through our industry. “The mid list is shrinking.” “Everyone’s having a hard time selling.” These are examples of some common rumors. It’s hard not to get caught up in other people’s fear. It’s easy to forget that even if the rumor is true, it doesn’t have to apply to you. You can still do well, even if no one else is.
THE EFFECTS OF STRESS
When your body activates the stress response, your brain signals the adrenal glands to release the hormones cortisol and norepinephrine, which pour into the bloodstream, releasing glucose and fatty acids to provide energy to the muscles, and trigger the flight or fight response. Your heart rate increases, and your blood pressure, breathing, and metabolism go into hyperdrive, all so you can react quickly in a high-pressure or threatening situation. Continuous exposure to stress hormones take a toll on the human body, mind, and spirit.
If you experience frequent or unrelenting stress, you might remain locked into a negative pattern of stress response. Your body cannot sustain this type of alertness without side affects, often leading to long-term damage. The relentless exposure to daily, chronic anxiety is the most toxic form of stress. Stress wears down your immune system increasing your risk of illness. Stress damages neurons in the brain, causing memory problems. Stress can lead to weight gain, interfere with sexual performance, and lead to heart attacks and premature death, peptic ulcer disease, and insomnia. Stress can lead us to act irrationally and make poor decisions. High cortisol levels result in increased appetite and fat deposits, typically in the cervical area, trunk and abdomen. In the average person, stress, poor nutrition, and sleep deprivation contributes to a decline in memory which starts around age 40.
A person under stress may experience negative psychological responses such as fear, anger, frustration, worry, depression, irritability or despair.
The antidote to stress is the relaxation response. During the relaxation response, your endocrine and nervous systems activate changes to slow your heart rate, improve your circulation and digestion, and relax your muscles. This counteracts the stress response.
10 LIFE TECHNIQUES TO HELP REDUCE STRESS
1. Take Deep Breaths. Breathing is the quickest way to trigger the body’s relaxation response. When you breathe, make sure your stomach expands and contracts. Also, relax your shoulders and the rest of your muscles.
2. Practice visualization. Change what you are thinking about to a peaceful scene. A walk on the beach or through a forest is good.
3. Process your feelings. Don’t suppress or act out your feelings. If you are in the middle of a stressful situation, and it’s possible to walk away, do so. Then take the time to think through what you are feeling. If you need more help with processing, then journal or talk to a close friend, family member, or therapist. Don’t make any decisions until you have done this. Once you’ve processed your feelings, you can decide how to handle the situation.
4. Avoid procrastination. Procrastination leads to anxiety and lack of self-esteem. Whatever project or situation you are avoiding continues to hang over your head. If you have to rush to finish the project at the last minute, it won’t be done well.
5. Eat Healthy. Stress can increase your appetite and make you crave foods that contain high calories and few nutrients.
It’s important to consume plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish.
Eat breakfast. Make sure your meal is low on sugars and high on protein.
Plan ahead so you have lots of healthy snacks that you can grab and munch. Nuts, protein bars (look for low carb, low sugar ones), veggie sticks (which you buy precut at the store), olives, cheese sticks, yogurt, peanut butter (have your own jar so you can take out a spoonful.)
Limit consumption of alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, and sugar. These cause the body’s stress response to become heightened. (Although an occasional dose of chocolate is ok.)
6. Drink plenty of water. Dealing with difficult situations depletes the body of water, leading to drowsiness, listlessness, and more stress.
7. Engage in pleasurable activities. Make time to do the things you love. By having a balance between work and leisure activities, you can experience greater satisfaction in your life.
8. Take charge (which is different from taking control.) Ask yourself what you can do to minimize the pressure. Make a list of steps. Take one at a time.
9. Take vitamins and minerals. Stress causes the body to burn more vitamins and minerals, specifically vitamin B complex, magnesium, and zinc; these nutrients are needed for blood sugar balance. When their levels drop, stress levels increase. Also, the adrenal glands require more vitamin C and pantohenic acid (part of the vitamin B complex) during stressful times.
10. Exercise at least three days a week.
Numerous studies have shown that moderate physical activity helps modulate mood, reduce stress, improve self-esteem, and program the brain for optimism instead of pessimism. Moderate exercise can help reduce the body’s production of cortisol during stressful times.
The greater your level of fitness, the less brain tissue you will lose as you age. Aerobic exercise pumps more blood to the brain, bringing vitalizing oxygen and nutrients to cells, slows the rate of normal brain-cell death, and increases the production of brain cells. Labels: Debra Holland, stress and writers
This Week on the Wet Noodle Posse
This week we continue our month-long topic of Writer’s Health. Remember that responding to a post puts you in the running for this month's reader's choice raffle: a first chapter critique or bookstore gift certificate. The more you post, the better your chance of winning! Also, if there's a question about Writers' Health you're dying to ask, let us know. We'll be sure to address it on Friday.
Monday, September 15th: Diane Gaston “Think Positive”
Tuesday, September 16th: Guest Blogger Jennifer St. Giles (USA Today Bestselling Author of Gothic Historical and Paranormal Romance)
Wednesday, September 17th: Debra Holland “Stress and the Writers’ Life”
Thursday, September 18th: Guest Blogger Julianne MacLean (USA Today Bestselling Author of Passionate Historical Romance)
Friday, September 19th: Q&A (Readers Ask Questions, Noodlers Answer)
The Posse would like to extend cyber hugs to the Hurricane Ike survivors, those still in the storm's path, and to those readers who lost loved ones in the Los Angeles rail tragedy.
Labels: Debra Holland, Diane Gaston, Jennifer St. Giles, Julianne MacLean, Writers' Health
SELF-DISCIPLINE AS THE MOTIVATOR FOR INSPIRATION
By
Debra HollandSelf-discipline and inspiration are two words that don’t seem to go together. Inspiration sounds creative and exciting. Self-discipline, on the other hand, sounds like hard work.
If your muse flashes you an interesting idea, (if you’re like me) you gather a stack of scribbled notes full of character sketches, plot details, and dialogue fragments. Yet without the self-discipline to actually write, nothing will come of your brilliant story.
I’m not saying that self-discipline alone will lead to a successful writing goal. You do need the spark of inspiration. Yet all your creativity won’t be enough unless you “sit your butt in the chair in front of your computer.”
These days, almost everyone has crazy busy lives. The “no time” excuse is valid for almost all of us. But even when I have time, I often don’t utilize it well. I putter around the house in avoidance mode. I’m sure some of you are nodding agreement as you read this.
I recently returned from the RWA national conference. This time something really struck me about successful authors—the seriousness of their writing routine. Over and over again, I heard best-selling authors mention the rigidity of their schedules. “I write from 9 to 5 every day.” Or, “I write a chapter a day.”
Now, this is not new information to me. I’ve heard comments like these many times. But for some reason, the concept sank deep into my brain. I returned from the conference resolved to be more self-disciplined about my writing time.
I know from my own experiences (and that of others) that story inspiration comes easier when you write (at least a little) every day. It’s as if you’re opening up a spiritual spigot, and the creative energy flows forth. Some days in a gush, others a trickle. But at least it comes.
If you don’t write every day, or almost every day, you’re shutting off this flow. The spigot could even rust shut, leaving you blocked and afraid you’ll never be able to write again. It’s not that you can’t turn it back on (although the process might involve a lot of hammering.) But why handicap yourself when you KNOW (somewhere in your day) you can slip a few paragraphs into a notebook or your computer. If you can’t think of anything to write about, you can still journal or blog.
Last week in my plot group, we discussed the concept of keeping a daily log of the time you write, what you’re working on, and how much you write. I learned that the authors who track themselves are also successful at keeping to a schedule. For the last few days, I’ve started doing this. There’s something about writing down my start time in my organizer, which makes me actually begin the work. I’ve made more progress than I normally would have, so I intend to keep it up.
Due to my consulting work as a corporate grief/crisis counselor, I can’t stick to a set writing routine. I never know when I’ll get the call that summons me to a company to help them deal with whatever crisis has just occurred. But I can still write every day—at least half a page. And if I do this, my inspirational flow will continue. A page a day means a book in a year. That’s all it takes. J
How about joining me?
Labels: Debra Holland, inspiration to write
This Week on the Wet Noodle Posse Blog
Our month long discussion about inspiration continues. Be sure to post and get in the raffle for a $20 Barnes & Noble gift certificate.
Monday, August 18th: Esri Rose "Tools as Inspiration"
Tuesday, August 19th: Guest Blogger and St. Martin's Press author Berta Platas
Wednesday, August 20th: Debra Holland "Self-Discipline and Motivation"
Thursday, August 21st: Guest Blogger and Kimani author Carla Fredd "Fear as Inspiration"
Friday, August 22nd: Q&A (Readers ask questions. Noodlers answer.)
Have a great week!
Labels: Berta Platas, Carla Fredd, Debra Holland, Esri Rose, goal and motivation, inspiration to write
Introducing Dr. Deb!
Noodler, Debra Holland will be kicking off our Golden Heart series later this afternoon. Dr. Holland, whom the Noodlers affectionately call Dr. Deb, will be discussing
Why Enter The Golden Heart? Debra Holland is a three time Golden Heart finalist. In 2001, her book, Wild Montana Sky, won the short historical category.
In her doctor role, Debra Holland is a popular psychotherapist, consultant, and speaker on the topics of communication difficulties, relationships, and stress. She also writes a very popular feature in the Wet Noodle Posse's ezine.
You can visit her website
here and see one of her articles
here.
Labels: Debra Holland, Golden Heart
