The Relaxed Writer

3 Reasons NOT to NaNoWriMo

This article first appeared in the October 2011 issue of my monthly ezine, The Relaxed Writer.

I'm posting it here with the encouragement of Jordan Rosenfeld, author, editor, fiction writer and writing coach, who emailed me with great comments before sharing this thought with her Twitter followers:

@Jordanrosenfeld: Would love to encourage all writers to subscribe to your e-letter, @MarlaBeck!! It's magic. 

I appreciate the good words, Jordan.  Relaxed Writers, I hope you'll find this article useful, too.  -MB

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3 Reasons Writers Should Say NO to NaNoWriMo

Considering drafting your new novel next month?  

November 1 marks the start of National Novel Writer's Month (NaNoWriMo), and many writers around the world--over 200,000 last year-- are preparing to challenge their creativity and endurance.

NaNoWriMo offers many benefits to writers:  community support, new writing friends, accountability, encouragement…and most of all, a very specific and time-limited writing goal.  After all, it's much easier to stay committed to your writing when you know others are making the same choices you are to forego family fun for writing.

But NaNoWriMo isn't the right writing structure for everyone. Read on for 3 reasons NaNoWriMo may NOT be right for you.

1.  Is This Your REAL Writing Goal Right Now?

A specific, time-limited goal is absolutely key to getting the most out of your writing intensive.  But what if "drafting a new novel in 30 days" isn't your goal, exactly?   Your life is short, my friend.   If you have a work-in-progress, would it make more sense to complete your draft or polish an existing manuscript instead?

Think It Through:  If you choose to “NaNoWriMo,” ask yourself if a new, rough draft of a novel is the goal that serves your writing career best.

2.  Set Up for Stress

NaNoWriMo was founded in 1999 by 20-something writer, Chris Baty.  He started the challenge because he and his friends wanted to get more writing done after they came home from work.

When I coach men and women in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond--mothers, managers, professionals, executives, fathers--who've chosen to do NaNoWriMo, they often feel discouraged, frustrated or upset with themselves for not being able to complete the writing challenge.  If you have significant family or job ties, NaNoWriMo wasn't really designed for you!  Your writing goals may be much better served by choosing a different  structure.

Think It Through:  If you find it too difficult to fit yourself into the artificial structure of NaNoWriMo, stop straining and find another alternative that suits you better.

3.  Short-Term Imbalance, Long-Term Effects

As a life coach for writers, I'm trained to help you pay attention and honor your writing in the context of your whole life.  The writers I've coached who choose to "NaNoWriMo" have -- surprise! -- typically experienced quite an imbalanced month in November. 

I know that short-term balance is often necessary if we're to complete a big writing project. But the timing of NaNoWriMo is tricky. 

Baty founded NaNoWriMo in November because the weather’s typically rather rotten here in San Francisco in November. But for many writers, NaNoWriMo pits their relationships and home life against their creative work.  And the NaNoWriMo novelists I've coached typically take weeks to recoup their verve and energy come December.  In my opinion, a state of exhaustion is no way to start the season of gratitude, generosity and the promise of a new start in January.

Think It Through:  Before you commit to a month-long intensive, ask yourself if your diminished holiday season/beginning-of-the-new-year energy is a worthy trade-off. 

NaNo Alternatives

Participating in NaNoWriMo is a huge commitment of creativity, time and energy.  If you're going for the challenge, I’m rooting for you! But before you say "YES," please make sure this is the right time and writing structure for you.

NaNoWriMo offers structure, community and a fantastically clear goal.  But it's not the only way to get your writing done. 

• My Two Days to Write™ intensives offer accountability, goal-setting and support without committing all of November to your project.

• Camp NaNoWriMo lets you take the novel-writing challenge during the summer--an easier time, for many folks.

If participating in this year's NaNo doesn't feel quite right to you, take a little time to explore what writing structure might serve you best.  You owe it to yourself to do so.

And your writing career will thank you.

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Freelance Journalists: Take Charge of Your Writing Career

It's early here, but already today I've coached two freelance writers on exactly the same issue:  how to revive their writing careers and take charge of their assignments and workload.

The answer to this challenge seems like a no-brainer ("Pitch!") but making time to develop your career can be tricky, especially when you've put the time into developing relationships with editors and your efforts are paying off with regular, decent-enough assignments.

It's easy to say "Yes."

It's even easier to postpone pitching for just another week...

But if you're like most of my coaching clients, eventually you'll have to do something different to stay happy in your career.  You'll have to stretch yourself a bit.  You'll have to find the time, courage and motivation to pitch:

•  ideas you care about more
•  better-paying or more prestigious markets
•  more meaty, career-building assignments

If this sounds like you, what's standing between you and a thriving freelance writing career?  Lack of time?  An abundance of fear? Indecision?

A writing career you love is within reach, but you do need to take decisive action and say "Yes" to the challenge.  

Send out a new pitch this week.  Create a new opportunity for your work. 

Your writing career will thank you!

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Two Days to Write - an invitation to join us.

If you're lacking structure, community or courage to get your pitches out there, consider joining me for a two-day writing intensive in October or December.  Our October group is already active on our forum, and if you're a freelancer who needs to pitch, you'll fit right in!

Spend the weekend with us and you'll get your work done, feel great and gain insight into how to write more productively and sustain your career-building momentum after your intensive.  You'll have fun, too!

Learn more and register here: www.twodaystowrite.com

 

Two Days to Write: a New, Group Coaching Program to Help You Create a Productive Surge of Writing in 2 Days

Welcome, Renegade Writers! 

What a treat to guest-publish "3 Pitfalls that Keep Freelancers from Landing Better Writing Assignments" on  Linda Formichelli's award-winning blog for writers today.  Glad you're here!

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News Update: the "Two Days to Write" forum is already under way and our first group call is on  Wednesday.  If you are a journalist who needs to pitch new ideas or markets, why not get it done this weekend?  You'll fit right in!

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I hope you enjoyed my recent teleclass on making more time to write.  I've got something new to offer: a brand-new group coaching program for writers who want to generate a weekend surge of creative writing or freelance marketing:  Two Days to Write™.

This new group coaching program is a virtual weekend event, which means you can participate from the comfort of your home or office.  I  designed Two Days to Write™ to support you in creating the time, structure, mindset and support you need to set a challenging two-day writing goal and meet it. 

And if you're interested, you can get started as early as next weekend:  October 21-23!  Otherwise, we'll also meet December 9-11.

Two Days to Write™ includes four training calls and two group accountability calls.  I'm also including "open gym" call-in times, so you can access my personal coaching (1:1) throughout the weekend. 

This isn't a program to teach you writing craft or marketing skills.  Instead, on the training calls, we'll cover:

Wednesday (2 days before) -Topic:  Get Ready.  I'll show you how to clear your mind and prepare your environment for a productive two-day writing or marketing push.  (Call time is 11am PT / 2pm PT.)

Friday - Topic:  Get Focused.  I'll walk you through a simple, step-by-step process to create a laser-sharp (and compelling) two-day writing goal.  (Call time is 11am PT / 2pm PT.)

Saturday - Topic:  Get Writing.  Together we'll map out your two-day writing schedule, with careful attention to aligning your efforts with your goals and optimizing your physical and creative energy. (Call time is 8am PT / 11am ET.)

Sunday - Topic:  Get Going.  I'll show you how to create your 30-day action plan to help you sustain your momentum after your two-day intensive is over.  (Call time is 9am PT / 12 noon ET.)

We'll also meet for a group check-in call on Saturday and a celebration call on Sunday.  (Both calls meet at 2pm PT / 5pm ET.)

You'll have access to recordings of every training call, so if you have a scheduling conflict and can't make the calls live, you can still participate and stay current by listening to the MP3s.

You also get:

• a simple, "next-steps" coaching exercise after every training call
• templates, worksheets and simple checklists
• a personalized “Two Days to Write™ Blueprint” and 30-day action plan 
• access to our private, members-only online forum
• MP3 recordings of every training call (4 hours' worth)
• access to private coaching
• two group accountability calls
• a “Focus, Write, Relax™” 60-min. productivity tutorial (MP3)

The price to attend Two Days to Write™ will be going up soon, but if you register before October 21, you can attend the writing intensive for $147. 

You can also choose a "Premium" option to add two 30-minute private coaching sessions with me for just $297.  This option is limited to 8 writers only, and some Premium seats for October and December have already been claimed.  Please register soon if you're interested.

To learn more and sign up, please visit the Two Days to Write page.

Thanks and I can't wait to help you move your writing career forward!

Writing Retreat vs. Writing Intensive - Which Is Right for You?

Many of my private coaching clients are making plans to log in some extra writing hours before the holidays. Are you?  Here are some ideas to help you discern whether a writing retreat or writing intensive is the best option for you.

Janet's Writing Retreat

Janet packs her bags for a much-awaited weekend on the Northern California coast.  She's rented a condo on the ocean, and is looking forward to hearing the ocean waves, spending two days alone and savoring the opportunity to let her thoughts meander across the page like the morning fog.  Janet's goal is to rest her body, nurture her creativity and invite the Muse. 

During her retreat, she takes long walks, reads good literature and pampers herself guiltlessly.  As she drives herself home on Sunday night, Janet feels strong and centered.  She feels rested and creatively energized.  Best of all, her notebook and laptop brim with free-writes, poem starts and a few new ideas for her next short story and essay. 

She smiles as she turns into her driveway:  Janet's writing retreat was a success!

A successful writing retreat...

Supports open-ended creative exploration. 
A writing retreat is process-oriented.  No schedules, no productivity expectations offer flexibility to take creative risks, follow your whims and try new literary experiments.

Prioritizes mind/body R&R. 
Writing retreats help you court the Muse by helping you reconnect with your intuition, rest your body and nurture your senses and spirit.

Often supports creative inspiration with a gorgeous view, remote location or soulful landscape.
Environment matters!  Writers often retreat in beautiful natural settings to encourage a cross-pollination between environment and creativity.

Is inner-directed and (often) solitary.
Even in a group retreat, you have the opportunity to spend significant time alone and let your wishes, desires, intuition and curiosities be your creative guide.

A writing retreat is perfect for you if:

• you've just wrapped up a book or other big project and you want to cleanse or rejuvenate your creative palette before you take on a new project
• you need a rich cache of new creative material to mine and transform into literature throughout the next 6-12 months
• you need a break from your "real life" and need to get away
• you want to reconnect with your inner rhythm and creative pulse and energy

Lisa's Writing Intensive

Lisa can't wait to immerse herself in the novel, and she has plans to up her word count…significantly.  Lisa still plans to attend her son's ballgame on Sunday, but the family's agreed to "let mom write" for the weekend and everyone's planned accordingly. 

On Saturday morning, Lisa begins to write. Because she's mapped her work sessions out ahead of time, she knows when she'll write, how long she'll write and exactly what she wants to focus on during each work session.  She leaves a little room in her schedule for "moodling," but this weekend Lisa's aim isn't creative exploration--it's relaxed and focused productivity.  Lisa closes the door to her study and she writes and writes and writes.  Although she works hard, she takes regular breaks and she calls her accountability buddy for regular check-ins. 

On Sunday night, Lisa smiles as watches her printer churn out the last of her many newly drafted pages.  She calls her partner one last time, and together they celebrate: Lisa's writing intensive was a success!

A writing intensive…

Is pre-planned and structured. 
A writing intensive is productivity-oriented.  Time and goals are mapped out in advance, supporting you to simply show up, sit down and write. 

Balances modest periods of intense focus with guilt-free periods of rest and relaxation.
A successful writing intensive incorporates principles of relaxed productivity, and doesn't require you to overly tax your mind, body or spirit.

Elbows out time and space to write within the context of ordinary, everyday life.
Writing intensives help you significantly advance your writing project without leaving your family, packing your bags or linking your writing successes to outside circumstance.

Is goal-directed and often supported by an accountability group or partner.
An intensive is structured to keep you writing "on purpose," and provides you with encouraging support or community to help you stay on track.

A writing intensive is perfect for you if:

•  you're midway through a book proposal, novel or other big writing project and you just need a stretch of time to sit down, focus and write
•  you've been craving periods of uninterrupted writing time but you haven't been able to create it on your own
•  you want to focus on a specific career-building task like sending out queries or polishing and submitting your literary work and you haven't been able to find time to do so during the week
•  you write better when you are accountable to someone other than yourself

Which Option's Best for You?

So there you have it:  writing retreats vs. writing intensives.  As you can see, it's not that one option is inherently better than the other. Selecting your best writing structure just depends on your creative goals right now.

Are you considering a writing retreat or intensive before the new year?  Which option will you choose?  Leave your comments below.