WELCOME TO THE TIPS TO STAY DISCIPLINED ROOM
THE PANEL TODAY IS: Stacy Hawkins Adams, Sophfronia Scott, Electa Rome Parks, Michelle Monkou, Lori Soard
Learn about how to stay displine.
Tips are posted in comments.
Post your questions in the comments section.
Please read the previous comments before you post, so we don’t have duplicate questions.
Please address your questions to a panel member or all panel members.
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5 comments:
Hi...my question is directed to any member of the panel...
What are some of your personal suggestions that you have used to help you stay disciplined in reference to your reading and writing?
As far as time management, is there an average amount of time you feel one should have when writing a storyline fiction or non-fiction?
Thanks
Tempie Badge #151
hi,
this is directed to all of the panelists.
i'm keenly interested in time management too.
my question-
have any of you hired assistants be they housekeepers or lawn care specialists or ??? in order to free up more time for writing?
i'm particularly interested in knowing if you've hired any writing assistants like publicity folk or ???
i'm coming from the place of direct sales where the old adage is that it is better to figure out how much money you average per hour from doing what you do and then ask yourself a question like this- if you average $75 an hour from sales of your wares why not spend $12 an hour for someone to do work that will take you away from the most lucrative thing that you do? in other words why lose money doing housework when you can pay someone to do it and still make a profit by doing what brings in the $$$$.
thanks,
meri#129
Hi everyone! TGIF!! I hope your day is going well. . .
In response to the previous posts, I'm going to sum up my response into one post and tell you what works for me.
Presently, I work as a full-time writer (since April 2003); however, that may change soon. As Michelle stated, it is hard, initially, to make it as a full-time writer; it takes forever to get paid in publishing.
However, for the moment, I treat writing as I would any job/career.
I work from 9-5, Monday through Friday. Who am I kidding (LOL)? Seeing that I work from home, I put in so many more hours beyond the call of duty. When I was in corporate America and had more time restraints, I wrote during my lunch hour, late at night and during the weekend. I'd edit my work sitting under the hair dryer at the beauty salon or in the waiting room of a doctor's office, etc.
Now, when I'm working on a project, I try to complete a chapter a day. A certain amount of pages may work for someone else, ie., five to ten pages per day. Once I've completed one chapter, even if I have to go back later and do a major rewrite, I feel productive. Decide on what you're comfortable writing per day and whether you prefer writing early morning or late night. Once you've decided, don't break your routine for anything.
As for the hiring of professionals, this is my reasoning: do as much as you can by yourself in the beginning. Many things that a publicist does, you can do yourself. Presently, I have an inhouse publicist at Penguin and an outside publicist. However, I've discovered even as a mainstream author, you still have to do a lot of things yourself. I definitely still do many, many marketing/promotions myself.
Reading. I too share a serious love for reading. However, when I'm working on my projects it's a no no. You will be amazed at how much you subconsciously retain from reading some else's works. So, it always a divine pleasure when I have the opportunity to simply read.
Bottom line, if you are serious about writing and truly passionate about it, you'll make a way out of nowhere to write.
Hope this helps!
Electa Rome Parks
Author of Almost Doesn't Count & Loose Ends
www.electaromeparks.com
Hi, everyone. This conference is such fun. Huge thanks to LaShaunda for putting it together. I'm enjoying reading through all the panels.
Discipline is hard for me. For most of my life, I have worked. When I was 9, I helped my parents in their stores they owned and got used to having my own money and like it that way. However, I have what I call "lazy" days, where I just want to veg out with some romantic comedies or do something with my girls and enjoy life. There is a song by Toby Keith about his list of things he has to do and the important things in life. That song really speaks to my soul.
The main point I'm trying to get at is that you need some balance. Yes, be disciplined...have a certain amount of time that you write each and every day, but also allow in that down time. If you don't, you may start to find that the work is so tedious that you get little done in the allotted time anyway.
If I am experiencing a lazy day (happens about once a month), then I do the bare minimum that day and allow myself some time for fun. I find that when I return to work the next day, I am able to work much more efficiently.
I also take Sunday off unless it is a dire emergency. Our family goes to church and that takes up much of my day, but I also just feel that I need a little down time to plan for the week ahead.
Speaking of planning, I have a top 5 to-do list for each day. I may have a lot of other, smaller things that need to be done, but what are the most important 5? Seeing those tends to get me working quickly. I also look at my work about once a month and see what I can delegate to my helpers or if I need to hire someone else to help with the business end of things.
Somehow, it eventually all gets finished. Another trick I was taught by a good writer friend of mine was that if writing is really important to you, you will do it first. You will always do what is important to you first. So, my day goes like this (after shower and dressing, etc.)
Read the Bible and do a devotion with my girls (they are homeschooled)
Write while they do their independent work (usually about 30 minutes now)
Math with the girls
They read while I work on other things.
And so on. There seem to be days when I am stuck in molasses and just don't work very fast. Other days, I get a lot done. Don't beat yourself up. That's just the nature of working at home. Learn to enjoy the small interruptions and they won't seem so big.
Warmly,
Lori Soard
www.lorisoard.com
www.soardpro.com (Professional Promotions)
Hi!
Well, I've always been pretty good about writing regularly, but I think having a child really forced me to be more disciplined about my work. When he's at the babysitter's, I know I only have X number of hours before I have to pick him up and I really want to make those hours productive so I get to work. I'll even do a "prep day" a day or two before he goes to the sitter's--that's when I do the laundry, clean the bathrooms, buy groceries and do any household stuff that might distract me during my writing time.
It's also important to know why you write and that you really believe in what you're writing. That will give you the motivation to keep going. I find that people who don't finish books are often unclear about why they're writing in the first place, or they're writing something that they don't necessarily believe in.
Good luck,
Sophfronia Scott
http://www.TheBookSistah.com
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