I would love to say I hop out of bed, wide awake at 5am, and have a standard, structured, set routine for my writing, but at best my writing process is wobbly. At worst, it’s papers piled all over my desk and files in seven or eight different folders. I depend heavily on meeting writing buddies at the library or a coffee shop. We write, we brainstorm, we talk about writing stuff “normal” people would roll their eyes at.
I’m focusing on getting more streamlined and organized. I cleaned up a ton of unneeded computer files. I shredded unnecessary paperwork.
My Get-Trapped-in-a-Book group meets twice a week for silent writing sessions and some socialization. Brainstorming happens about once a month. I round all this out with online groups, zoom calls and classes. I prefer meeting in-person, but that isn’t always possible.
Once the book is finished, I print it out and put it in a three-ring binder. I read through it and fix everything I can. It seems like a lurching process, but I haven’t found anything better for me.
I love writing conferences for the energy of being around other creative people.
I love finding someone to read my work. Getting fresh eyes on a project is the best way to make it better. It’s easy to miss glaring issues like pacing, grammar, or misspelled words.
The hardest part for me is to keep going, to not get distracted or discouraged when there is so much to do. Lately I’ve been visualizing, making lists of my goals, taking more classes, and revamping my website which keeps my head going the right direction. I’m grateful for people who keep my process moving.
It’s wonderful to have writing partners to bounce words and ideas off because, as a writer, I can agonize for days over a single word choice. My husband AKA My Viking has been bribed, wheedled, and charmed into going down that rabbit hole with me.
My Viking:
