Tag: goals

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Writing and Publishing

What is the Ideal Writing Process?

Ideal Writing Process

What works for one writer may not work for other writers and that’s okay

Every writer has a different method of writing. I know that because many of you tell me.

Schedule

Some write every day (like me) and others do not.

Motivation

Others wait for inspiration and some sit down and write regardless of how they feel (like me).

Target Date

Some need a deadline to spur them on and others do not (like me—though a deadline does amp up my motivation).

Writing Mode

Others spew out a quick rough draft and fix it later, while some write with more intention to produce a reasonably good first draft (my goal).

Time of Day

Some write in the morning (like me) and others at night or random times (I occasionally do that, too).

Planning

Next are those who strategize before they write (like me) versus those who figure it out as they go.

Many people call these two modes plotters and pantsers (writing by the seat of your pants), but I prefer the labels of outliners and discovery writers. They sound nicer.

Length of First Draft

Another consideration is writing long or writing short. That is, some writers write long first drafts and then edit them down. Others write shorter first drafts and then add to it. I’m neither. I have a target length in mind and aim to hit it.

The point is we all go about our writing differently.

My Approach

I write every day in the morning, even if I don’t feel like it, work to produce a good first draft from an outline (be it written or in my head), write to hit a target length, and most don’t need deadlines. But that doesn’t mean you have to follow my example.

It simply means this is what works for me – in this season of my career. If this works for you, too, then great. But if it doesn’t, then figure out what does work and then follow it, adjusting as needed along the way.

There is no one correct way to write; we can all learn from each other’s processes. The only error is trying to force ourselves into a mold that doesn’t fit us.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

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Writing and Publishing

Celebrate Being a Writer

celebrate being a wrtier

Even though it took me a while to call myself a writer, I’ve been writing most of my life. In high school, I learned I had a knack for it, and it’s been part of almost every job I’ve had. Although I’ve had some great jobs, my work as a full-time writer is the most rewarding of anything I’ve ever done.

Using words to educate and entertain others is an art form that I cherish. Being an author and writing every day is a job so wonderful that it doesn’t even feel like work. I get to influence and encourage others with my words. How amazing is that?

I don’t plan on ever retiring. I like writing too much to stop. My prayer is that I will be able to write—and write well—until the day I die, which I hope is a long way off.

Until then, I will persist in my goal to change the world one word at a time.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

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News

Reading Goals for Writers

reading goals

It’s important for writers to read, and many writers make an annual reading list of what books to read.

But because I need to push myself to read, my overarching requirement is that the book interests me. This limits the range of what I read, which is not a good thing, but it’s better than not reading at all. So my first goal is to read what entertains me, or sometimes, what educates me.

My second goal is to identify what I like—so I can apply it to my own work—and don’t like—so that I can avoid it.

Third, I look at what keeps me turning pages and what tempts me to skim—or stop reading altogether. Again, this informs my own writing.

Fourth, I look for writing that confuses me. How would I edit that section?

Last, I listen to my editor’s internal commentary. Since I do a lot of editing as a periodical publisher, I can’t just turn off that part of my brain when I read—even though I try. Despite this, I remain mindful of the big issues: the flow of the work, the beginning, the end, the order of the chapters, and so forth.

As I do this, I’m vigilant about not emulating the author’s style or voice.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

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Writing and Publishing

How Do You Find Time to Write?

find time

Writers struggle to find time to write, but the solution is simple

I commonly hear writers complain that they don’t have time to write. Some say “no time” and others say “not enough time.” Time, it seems, stands as the enemy of writing.

Yet the fact remains that everyone has twenty-four hours in their day. From the busiest person to the least active, we each have twenty-four hours to use—one way or another. Some of this time goes for eating and sleeping. And if you work, that takes up about a quarter of the week (forty out of 168 hours). But the rest of our hours are discretionary.

Yes, some of our discretionary time goes to extremely important things. Caring for children, paying bills, and grocery shopping come to mind. Yet even with these essentials, we exercise a degree of control over when we do them and how much time we spend.

If we intend to write, we need to make it happen. We must carve out time if we expect writing to occur. This requires sacrifice.

What will you give up so you can write?

I suspect everyone can scale back on watching TV and the social media time suck. We might socialize less, not be so worried about work around the house, or eliminate non-essential tasks.

Depending on where you are in your life and the scope of your responsibilities, you may only be able to free up a little bit of time for writing or maybe you can find more.

The worst thing, however, is to put your writing on hold. I can guarantee you that if you’re too busy to write now, you’ll be too busy to write next week, next month, and next year. And don’t put writing off until retirement. I hear retirees become even busier, which is one reason I don’t plan on retiring.

I am a writer. Writing is a priority. I make sacrifices so that I have time to write. I do this every day, every week, every month, every year. And as I do, my word count grows.

Finding time to write is simple. Implementation is hard. We make sacrifices and give up other things so we can write.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

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Writing and Publishing

Was 2016 Your Best Year Ever or an Epic Fail?

Best Year

We need a realistic view of our history to plan a reasonable vision for our future

My wife sometimes says I view things as though my glass is only half-full, that I’m pessimistic. I counter that I’m simply being a realist, but the truth is I’m not sure who’s right. Perhaps a bit of reality resides in both perspectives. So it is in viewing my past year as a writer.

As such, I share two perspectives:

Best Year Ever:

  • After years of talk, I participated in NaNoWriMo for the first time. What a great experience.
  • I wrote two novels, the second one in about three weeks. (I’m still editing them both.)
  • My work as a commercial freelance writer really took off this year, with more clients, more work, and more income—all new records.
  • I grew my Twitter followers from 2,400 to 11,500, surpassing my year-end goal of 10,000. I’m enjoying good connections and engagement there.
  • I took LinkedIn seriously and made 100 posts to a growing audience of 2,300, which more than doubled in 2016.

Epic Fail:

  • I didn’t publish a book this year.
  • I didn’t win any writing contests.
  • I wasn’t published in any anthologies.
  • I didn’t accomplish my number one goal for 2016. (Which is now my number one goal for 2017.)
  • Work/life balance continues to elude me. (It’s even harder to achieve when you work at home.)

I could reasonably adopt either of these two perspectives as my primary view of 2016. While it’s easy to dwell on disappointments, missed goals, and wasted opportunities, a better outlook is to focus on what went great this year. Though I might need to reread this post to remind myself, I can truly say that 2016 was my best year ever, and I look forward to 2017 being even better.

As you review 2016, I encourage you to celebrate the mountains and not allow yourself to wallow in the valleys. Though everyone is at a different place as a writer, no one had a flawless year and everyone has something to celebrate. Focus on these things as you move into 2017.

May it be your best year ever.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

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Writing and Publishing

What to Do When You Hit the Wall

Hit the Wall

When our carefully constructed world of work comes crashing down, follow these steps to reconstruct it

Writers are often amazed at the amount of writing I do on a daily and weekly basis. They ask how I manage to consistently stay productive. Part of it is my stage of life, part of it is discipline, and part of it is an illusion. The reality is I seldom feel like I am doing enough of the right things and that I am careening through life trying to juggle five items, while I’m only capable of three. I do this as I speed on a motorcycle…in the dark…without headlights. Then I hit a metaphoric wall, and everything stops. Okay, maybe this is a bit hyperbole, but you get the point.

Hitting the wall happens to me on occasion. This time it was a combination of over-commitment, too many deadlines, excessive optimism about my productivity, family priorities, time away from the office, and a strange sickness that required me to sleep more and robbed me of my concentration. It was like a house of cards, carefully constructed and most tenuous. My house of cards imploded. Kaboom!

Here is what I do when I hit the wall:

Pause: The first thing I do is put some things on pause. Exercise is one. Reading is another. Social media is a third. All are important, but none are essential. I can put them on hold for a few days.

Scale Back: What activities can I reduce? I don’t need to listen to as many podcasts as I do. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by what I’m not getting to, I merely pare back the quantity, unsubscribing from some and skipping episodes of others. I also curtail my TV watching and entertainment.

Eliminate: To make my writing life sustainable, I also look for things to eliminate. At one time I had five blogs, each with a different focus and strategy. A few years ago I stopped posting on two of them and just now stopped the third one.

Say “No”: I like to help people and don’t want to disappoint anyone. But I need to remind myself that sometimes declining requests is in my best interest or I’m of no help to anyone.

Reprioritize: If five things are a priority, then nothing is a priority. What is the one truly important thing at this moment? I do it and then move on.

Restore a Buffer: When new opportunities arise I try to squeeze them in. Before I know it, I’m living a life with no cushion. I need to re-establish some buffer to leave room for the unexpected—because surprises do occur.

A few months ago, I saw my wall looming. I took action to protect myself, such as scaling back the frequency of one of my newsletters, saying “no” to some new opportunities, putting one critique group on hold, and curtailing the amount of time I invested in Twitter. These were all good changes, but they were not enough. All these corrections did was delay the inevitable.

Today I am reconstructing my work and my writing life, striving for balance, sustainability, and a saner schedule. It will take time, but I will bounce back—hopefully with fewer projects and less stress.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

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Writing and Publishing

3 Reasons Why Writers Need Deadlines

Having a firm due date provides authors with three essential benefits

Few people enjoy being confronted by a deadline. And due dates apply to writers perhaps more than most others. Deadlines harass us; they make us write when we’d rather do something else, something fun, important, or beneficial. Due dates force us to make sacrifices, too. But deadlines are not our enemy. They are our friends because of the offer us three key benefits.

1) Avoid Procrastination: Most people put off doing things, even important, essential tasks, such as a writer putting off writing. We call this procrastination. The reasons for this are many, and those who struggle with procrastination should explore the reasons behind it. Regardless, having a firm due date provides the motivation to avoid the ugly threat of procrastination. For example, I post on this blog each Saturday. This is my deadline—no excuses.

2) Avert Perfection: Another characteristic of many writers is an inner drive to make every word, phrase, and scene be exactly correct, to be perfect. Without deadlines, writers will continue to edit and tweak without end, day after day. A friend recently completed writing her novel. I asked how long she would spend editing it. Her simple answer spoke volumes: “Every day until it’s due.” Without a firm due date, she would have continued an endless pursuit of perfection.

3) Advance Production: When we hit deadlines we produce content, one piece at a time. Our writing production grows. Sometimes we see our submitted work published; other times, not. Regardless, these annoying, inconvenient deadlines cause our writing output to soar. Deadlines serve to expand our portfolio.

To realize these three advantages assumes that writers take deadlines seriously and don’t miss them. Otherwise, a due date becomes nothing more than a nagging distraction. We need to embrace deadlines for the benefits they produce and thank them for pushing us forward.

Peter DeHaan is an author, publisher, and editor. He gives back to the writing community through this blog. Get insider info from his monthly newsletter. Sign up today!

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

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Writing and Publishing

Six Writing Goals to Spur Us On

To make progress in their work, writers must have a plan to move their writing towards completion

When I write, I always have a goal. Without an objective to strive for, I wouldn’t write too much, if at all. I’m sure I’d spend more time thinking about writing than actually writing. The biggest byproduct would be guilt. I’d also wallow in procrastination. I’d become that person who talks about writing but never actually writes.

To avoid these very real threats, I use goals to propel my writing forward. Here are six that I use, not all at once, but as appropriate to the situation.

Schedule: My most common writing process is to set a schedule and stick to it. This involves writing every day for at least one hour (but it’s usually more). The first thing each morning, before I do anything else, I sit down and I type. On the weekends, it’s blogging, and weekdays, it’s a personal project, usually a book. (I fit freelance work in later in the day. See “deadline” and “paycheck.”)

Word Count: When I’m working on a book, especially one with a deadline—be it self-imposed or set by others, I set a word count goal for the day. As a recovering overachiever, I’m not happy unless I surpass my daily word count goal. As a side benefit, this allows me to complete the project ahead of schedule, or it provides a cushion on those occasional rough days when the words refuse to cooperate.

Targets: Other times my goal is not time or words, but outcomes. I will write one scene and take a break. I will complete two sections and give myself a small reward. Or I will finish the next chapter and stop for the day. Regardless of how fast or slow the words flow from my fingertips, I persist until I reach my target for the day.

Milestones: Another technique involves establishing major goals or milestones. A common milestone is to finish my first draft of a book by a certain date. Or to complete my final edits by a set time so I can send off my writing. After each milestone, I take time to celebrate (but not too much time).

Deadlines: Due dates are a powerful motivator for me. Professional writers treat deadlines as inviolable. I strive to do the same. Often I set my own, and other times they are set for me. Only once (that I recall) have I missed a deadline of others in thirty-five years of writing.

Paycheck: Most of my writing does not result in immediate payment, but when I write for clients pay for my words waits for me at the finish line. This is a powerful motivator. Yes, I do track how much I make each week. It keeps me focused.

I use one or two of these goals for everything I write. Without them, I fear I would never finish a thing.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

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Writing and Publishing

Writing is Not a Hope, it is a Habit

Real writers make a commitment to write, and that requires sacrifice

Though I sometimes talk about when I write and how much, I’m always reluctant to do so. Writing is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. We are individuals with different family situations, who are at different life stages and have different levels of obligations. What works for me, doesn’t apply to you – at least not directly.

But the principles of my writing practices can pertain to everyone.

If we are to be writers, we must embrace the truth that writing is not a hope, it is a habit. What writing habit can you cultivate today?

Commit to a Schedule: I write every day. Not everyone can. Some write on weekdays only, while others are weekend warriors. Maybe Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon is all you can squeeze in. Start with that.

Discover Your Time: While I like to write first thing in the morning, that doesn’t work for everyone. Maybe it’s late at night or in the middle of the night. Perhaps you arise early before the kids get up. Find out when is best for you.

Pick a Place: I have a writing office. Not everyone has that luxury, but find a place and dedicate it to writing. When we enter our writing place, our mind learns it’s time to write.

Set a Small, Realistic Goal: My first goal was an hour a day. It grew from there. But an hour might be too much for you. Can you block out ten minutes? Or maybe you don’t set a time goal, but a word count goal. Can you commit to writing one hundred words a session? If you go beyond ten minutes or one hundred words, consider it a bonus. But strive to reach your goal every time your schedule tells you to write.

Don’t Stretch Yourself Too Soon: Once you form the habit of writing, you may want to expand beyond ten minutes or one hundred words. Just don’t push yourself too fast or too soon. I didn’t push myself to write more than an hour a day, my writing (some might call it my muse) propelled me to do more.

Recognize Your Style: Some people write like the fabled hare and others resemble the tortoise. Figure out which you are. Then embrace it. But know that both have seasons when they write more and write longer. The writing hare uses deadlines and then takes a long break. The writing tortoise plods forward every day but makes more progress during certain seasons. Recognize that writing productivity ebbs and flows. Sometimes it’s futile to fight it.

The point in this is, don’t hope you will someday find time to write, begin today to make it a habit.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

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Writing and Publishing

Why Writers Shouldn’t Wait for Inspiration

Professionals don’t need the inspiration to write; they push on without it

Sometimes I’m just minding my own business, not giving my writing a conscious thought when an idea pops into my mind—a really great one. Inspiration hits me like a lightning bolt. If at all possible I stop what I’m doing and write. Even if it’s in the middle of the night.

However, if immediate action isn’t an option then I scribble a note or add an entry to my smartphone. The last thing I want to do is push my vision aside, for it may not come back. I don’t want to risk losing my literary epiphany. It has happened.

But sometimes inspiration doesn’t confront me; the vision for what to say eludes me. What do I do then? It’s simple. I write anyway. Here’s how:

Deny Writers Block: At the risk of angering some of you, I have never had writer’s block. In fact, I don’t believe in it. What many people call writer’s block is really another issue in disguise: Fear of failure, fear of success, perfectionism, self-doubt, or some other neurosis. You get the idea. These things are real, but confront them for what they are, and don’t use “writer’s block” as an excuse. Then…

Just Sit Down and Write: Put yourself in a position to write. For me that means I’m in front of my computer, I’ve to remove distractions, and I expect to write. Then I start typing. If all else fails, type: “What I want to say is…” and then complete the sentence.

Deadlines Help: Deadlines are a powerful motivator. And if a publisher or editor isn’t giving you a deadline, give yourself one: a time, a date, or a word count. Break longer projects into smaller goals (so many words or pages a day) or milestones (completing a chapter or section). Celebrate each win. Postpone all other activities until you hit your deadline.

Allow More Time: It may take longer to write if there is no inspiration, but not always. I can write upwards of a thousand words an hour if I’m truly stirred. My normal pace is around five hundred. If I’m struggling, I know editing will take longer. We need to factor writing speed and editing efficacy into our schedule.

Keep an Idea List: I have several lists of topics and ideas for future writing projects: a blog post list, article ideas, concepts for short stories, ideas for content marketing pieces, and even book ideas. Some of these will never be used, but most will eventually materialize. I keep my lists ready. If I don’t know what to write, my list will prompt me. Many of my ideas come to me when I am writing something else. (The idea for this post and the next two all came to me, in lightning-bolt fashion, as I wrote last week’s piece.)

Through creative insight is wonderful when it happens, real writers don’t wait for inspiration to hit, they just write—whether they feel like it or not.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.