The Relaxed Writer

2 Tips for Happier Writing (for freelance journalists, copywriters, creative writers & others)

You are so lucky to be a writer.

You're powerfully endowed with creative, investigative, analytic and/or expressive abilities.  (Not so, you say? Then try this: "I'm actively developing my creative, investigative, analytic and/or expressive potential, and have a vast array of free instructional resources available to me whenever I log onto the internet.")

Given your writing abilities and potential, how can you enjoy your writing more today? 

My suggestions are simple.

1. Find silence. 
2. Use your words for good.

Find Silence

"Go to where the silence is and say something."  - Amy Goodman, journalist

I love the sense of the sacred invoked by this quote. I also love its utility, its global usefulness to creative writers and journalists and technical writers and copywriters...you name it.

If you're writing creatively today, read "silence" literally.  Still yourself with meditation before you write, or preface your time at the writing desk with a long, ambling walk, a la Brenda Ueland.

If you're thinking about new stories to pitch, train your investigative eye on the silent spaces in the culture at-large.  Give voice to an under-examined trend, an overlooked causal relationship, a neglected-but-important population, region, cause or initiative.

If you're writing copy or content or white papers, "find the silence" by looking at your audience's needs with fresh eyes today.  Discard your assumptions and ask your audience directly what they need.  Find out if there's an angle or an important question you've overlooked, and address it.  

Use Your Words for Good

The journalist I quoted above has devoted her career to activism.  Whether you share her progressive stance or drive, you can still use Amy's words and example to inspire your writing.

See if you can set an intention to direct your talents to "good" today. 

When you draft a fiction piece or examine your experience in memoir or essay form, you're expressing your individual stance and serving others.  Good, creative writing is a form of service and has the power to bridge gaps between people.  (Ever read The Help?)

When you publish a newspaper or magazine piece, you're directing attention to a particular subject.  As you formulate a new pitch this week, challenge yourself to tackle a subject you care deeply about. 

When you sit down to write copy, content or white papers, consider what skillsets you're using.  (Marketing savvy?  Analytical or creative thinking?)  Dream up a small and meaningful project you can take on this holiday season.

• Could you offer a 1/2-hour brainstorming session to that friend who's struggling to launch a non-profit? 
• Could you outline your own instructional e-book?
• Could you offer to generate infographics or give one-hour copy review by phone to a favorite organization you belong to? 

I know you're busy, and the point here isn't to add more projects to your workload. 

I'm simply asking you to consciously acknowledge your gifts and recognize that you have a choice in how/where to use them.

Find silence.  Use your words for good.  Two simple practices to help you enliven your writing career and enjoy yourself more.

What do you think?  Leave your thoughts in the Comments section below.

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Don't forget: "Two Days to Write," my step-by-step, virtual writing intensive, begins with a kickoff call this coming Wednesday, December 7th.  Check it out & join us!  http://www.twodaystowrite.com

 

 

 

Write During the Holidays - Tip #3: Create Momentum

This post is Tip #3 in a three-part series on how to stay on track with your writing during the holidays.  Be sure to read holiday writing tip #1 (Gift Yourself) and tip #2 (Create, Don't Consume) if you missed 'em!

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Write During the Holidays Tip #3 - Create Momentum

It's much easier to choose writing over sweater shopping when you've made some progress with your writing project.

When you've got momentum:

1. your writing is top-of-mind,
2. your next steps are clear and 
3. you've already accomplished a significant chunk of your writing goal.

Consider the woman sledding in the photo above. She's focused solely on getting down the hill on her sled, knows exactly what her next steps are (steer clear of the trees!  hold on when you hit that turn!) and has already made her way down the hill.  The girl's got momentum!

You don't need to be as solely focused as she is, but trying on the image for a moment is pretty useful.  Imagine you've got real momentum with your query-writing, creative writing or platform-building project.  Do you feel on-task, focused and energized?  Are you excited to be on the hill?

The easiest way to create writing momentum for yourself is to set aside a half-day, a full day or more to work on a specific, targeted writing goal.  (Perhaps you want to send out 3 new queries.  Or rework 2 chapters.  Or draft a new essay and outline a few blog posts.  These examples can help you design your own goal.)

Before you begin, make sure you clear your mindset and get your space, your project and your support network ready.  Plan out your writing sessions. And when you're writing, use your time productively. 

But be forewarned:  doing a writing intensive on your own can be challenging. Line up a friend to join you.  Bookend your writing sessions by phone or with Twitter. Or turn the planning and self-motivating tasks over to me.  I designed my upcoming writing and coaching intensive with one goal in mind: to help you set aside two days to write -- and use that writing time well.  If you're interested in joining us in December, you can learn more about my private and group coaching program here.

Imagine how great you'll feel after you clear that lingering assignment or writing project off your plate.  Imagine, for a moment, how incredible it'll feel to dive head-long into drafting your new story, getting new freelance writing assignments or launching a new blog. 

If you set aside an afternoon, a day or a weekend to work on your writing project, you'll create the momentum you need to stay on track with your writing--even when you're busy shopping for socks or ties or sweaters.

Your writing project will be top-of-mind.  Your know which next steps to take. You'll have some solid writing progress under your belt.  You'll be headed down the right slope with a smile on your face.

There's no better way to begin your new writing year.

 

Write During the Holidays - Tip #2: Don't Consume...Create

This post is the second in a three-part series on how to stay on track with your writing during the holidays.  If you missed Write During the Holiday Tip #1 (Gift Yourself), you can find it here.

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Write During the Holidays Tip #2 - Don't Consume...Create

"Don't Consume....Create."

A rather radical proposition, I know. But this year I've come across a few families who are planning to "create, not consume."  They'll skip the malls altogether in favor of crafting and creating their own holiday gifts.

Their reasoning?  Saving money.  Spending "slow" time together.  Creating new holiday traditions and memories.

How could you apply "create, don't consume" to your writing life this holiday season?

Take the idea literally, and you might...

•  write a poem or heartfelt letter and gift it to a special friend or family member
•  write and produce a simple video script using your laptop or desktop computer

Read the concept as a metaphor, and you could...

•  put a time limit on your holiday shopping (both online and in the stores). Do this mindfully and I'd bet you could save yourself at least one weekend day.
•  invest the time you save back into your writing by devoting an afternoon or a day to sending out new queries, working on your fiction or working on your book proposal

Find ways to create a holiday experience that's meaningful to you. 

If a slower, more inward holiday experience appeals to you, see how you can slow things down for yourself and your family this holiday.  If you're someone who loves the holiday bustle, enjoy it all but deliberately counter-balance the energy you're spending "out there" with several deliberate writing sessions each week.

The real tip today is to be intentional.  Take a little time to consider which holiday commitments and activities support your goals and vision for your holiday.  Then invest your time and energy in having fun AND honoring your writing.

I'm here to support you.

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What do you think?  Leave your comments below.  And stay tuned for the 3rd and final "How to Write During the Holidays" tip - coming soon.

 

 

Write During the Holidays - Tip #1: Gift Yourself

No doubt you've noticed that there's a lot competing for your attention this time of year.

Sparkly window displays.  Expectations. Scores of red and green discount coupons.

Amidst the hustle and fun, how do you stay on track with your writing projects? 

Join me for "Write During the Holidays" - a 3-part series designed to help you stay on track with your writing (even if you're busy shopping for sweaters). 

Read on for Tip #1:  Gift Yourself.

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Get Your Writing Done During the Holidays Tip #1:  Gift Yourself

The holidays are a natural time to focus on others.  But what about you?  Specifically....what about your own writing dreams and career plans?

You serve others better when you're actively honing our talents and working at your craft. 

Get used to the idea that it's okay to devote time to your writing.  Not only "okay," but beneficial to everyone in your life.

An way to get to the writing desk more easily is to do the work you love and reinforce the benefits you experience whenever you invest your time into writing.

Try this simple exercise.  Before, during and after your writing sessions, remind yourself:

• "A fulfilled writer is a better parent."

• "A fulfilled writer is a better friend /significant other."

• "A fulfilled writer is a better boss/employee/freelance business owner."

• "A fulfilled and writer is a happier person."

A happier you is the ultimate holiday gift, wouldn't you say?

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What do you think?  Leave your comments below. And please stay tuned later this week more holiday tips for writers. 

In the meantime, consider joining me and a group of excited, hopeful and ready-to-work writers for four days of training calls & two days of private and group coaching in December.

Join "Two Days to Write" and you can pick up some seriously useful writing, productivity and mindset strategies to use long after your two-day intensive is over.  You can learn more and register here:  http://www.twodaystowrite.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Gratitude: A Simple Game and a Few Lovely Links for Writers

I'm usually a chirpy, early riser.  If I didn't share a cozy cabin-of-a-house with my husband, kid and cat, I'm quite certain I would wake up singing.  Literally.

But yesterday morning? 

No way.

I'd been up late the night before, working myself into wakefulness fretting about a few people I love, rewriting reality to suit me better (good luck with that one, right?), stressing out over my big to-do list and worrying over a big organizing project I'd been putting off. 

Then I turned my attention to my daughter's immediate and far-off future. I freaked out about it all--for no good reason at all. 

And when my alarm went off the next day, I was not chirpy.   Or "sing-y." 

I was grumpy.

And I really couldn't afford to be.  I had a sweet family to breakfast with and a full schedule of private clients to coach once I left the house. 

I needed to get out of the "stuck place" so I could move on with my day.

Playing "Ten Things"

Life and meditation and coaching have taught me to take perspective when I'm feeling hijacked by fear or anxiety.  Rather than buy into the negativity and let it immobilize me, most of the time I try to gently shift my thinking.

One of the simplest way I know is to play "Ten Things I'm Grateful For."

Sp yesterday I stayed in bed 5 extra minutes, doing my best to survey my life and all the great things in it. 

"One, I'm grateful for my healthy body…"

(Playing "10 Things" always feels a bit awkward at first.  Usually don't let myself quit until I get to ten.)

"Two, I'm grateful for my family…"

I don't know how this game works, but it does. 

By the time I got to Number 10, I didn't feel perfect.  But I felt a little suprised at all the good stuff. 

And I felt better!

…Good enough to greet my little daughter and sleepy husband with kindness.

…Good enough to coach my clients.

…Good enough to write a few short pieces that really needed to be written.

…Good enough to draft this post for you.

I'm not promising your obstacles will melt away magically.  But a heart filled with gratitude has a little more agility, a little more ability to move freely and respond to life in helpful ways. 

When you need to write but are feeling too antsy or afraid of the page, try practicing gratitude by playing "Ten Things."  Try it, too, when you're driving home from work or waiting in line at the grocery store.   Ask your lover or friend to play along with you.

You deserve a happy heart.
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Lovely Links for Writers

In the spirit of feeling great about your life and writing, I wanted to share a few links to help you reconnect to your writing happy place -- that wonderful space where gratitude and possibility meet...

Writing to Change the World -  Carolyn Rubenstein
http://www.abeautifulrippleeffect.com/2011/10/writing-to-change-the-world/

Become a Better Writer by Practicing Gratitude - Jeff Goins
http://writeitsideways.com/become-a-better-writer-by-practicing-gratitude/

3 Ways to Recharge Your Writing Dream - (mine)
http://marla.typepad.com/the_relaxed_writer/2010/08/writing-dream-recharge.html

Grateful?  Now, go do something. - Judy Stone-Goodman
http://www.thereflectivewriter.com/feeling-grateful-and-hungry-put-them-together-to-help-those-in-need/

Enjoy your day and thanks for reading.  Feel free to share your thoughts and comments below.

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Two Days to Write, Two Days to Query: a December coaching intensive, now enrolling!

Two days to write...

Two days to revise...

Two days to query...

Two days to finish a long-postponed writing project...

Two days to explore a new direction in your writing career...

If you're ready to jump-start your writing, I'm ready to help.

No matter how you want to use your time, I've created an inspiring, practical and effective coaching program to help you get your writing DONE before the new year.

Two Days to Write, my coaching and writing intensive, is now enrolling for December. 

If you'd the chance to learn and apply new productivity techniques with the help of a coach and the support of like-minded fellow writers, please check it out.  As of this writing, I've got 6 openings for the one-on-one, private coaching option.  If you'd like my direct support as you head into the new writing year, the Two Days to Write premium option is an affordable (and fun) way for us to work together.

Thanks for reading today.  I'm wishing you a productive rest of the year, no matter how you choose to pursue your writing goals.

The "Almost-Done" Predicament: a Take Action Challenge for Writers

Do you have an inventory of almost-done writing projects?  (Most of us do.)

If you're up for today's take action challenge, go ahead and grab a piece of paper and a pencil.  (Go ahead, I'll wait!)

Here's a funky monkey to get you in the right frame of mind.  :-)

1.  Now...quickly jot down a list of open projects. 

• That "just needs a polish" personal essay?  Write it down.
• Same with your unwritten ebook.
• Add your "send more queries" project to the list.
• And don't forget to include your poems, short stories and other creative writing projects.

2.  Review your list for anything you've left out.  (You might want to get up and thumb through your file cabinet for a minute or two to jog your memory.)   At this point, most writers are surprised at the number of items on their lists!

3.  Take a look at what you've got.  I'm guessing you've got one, two or more very important writing projects on your list, right?  Circle them. 

4.  Now jot down a phrase or two to describe the benefits you'll enjoy when you wrap these projects up.  For example:

• Add a new income stream to my freelance business.
• Publish my story in a magazine I admire.
• Earn more money / get more writing assignments.
• Use my talents to do what I'm meant to do (creative writing).

5.  Circle all the projects you're actively working on in a given week. 

6.  Now choose one project -- a single, finish-able project -- that you could realistically complete before December 31st.

• What would it feel like to have this project wrapped up and done?
• What new opportunities would it open up for you?
• What challenges would you need to overcome to get it DONE?

7.  Jot down two simple actions you can take this week to start working on -- and finishing -- that important writing project. 

8. Write down a few simple steps you can take to get the help you need. Some suggestions:

• Call a friend or colleague and arrange to be each other's accountability buddy.
• Clean your office.  :)
• Join an online forum to meet new writers.
• If you need more writing time, get your hands on my free "Making Time to Write" ecourse for writers.  I'll lead you through 5 simple lessons designed to help you start shifting the way you think about time and writing.
• If you need help prioritizing your projects and following through, get my simple, easy to implement strategies to help you get your writing done. Join me tomorrow for a free productivity teleclass for writers.  (Details below.)

Chip away at your 6-week writing goal with simple, consistent actions.  You'll feel great knowing you're writing what matters most and if you follow through with your plans, you'll have a completed writing project and a sparkling clean slate for the new year. 

You can do this!

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FREE TELECLASS FOR WRITERS: 

"Get It Done:  3 Keys to Following Through with Your Important Writing Plans"

In this free, one-hour class I'll share practical tips and strategies to help you:

• finally stop postponing your big-picture writing projects
• follow through with your writing plans in 3 simple steps
• create serious writing momentum and jumpstart your writing project (making you feel GREAT again) -- even in the midst of a busy professional life or freelance writing career

I'll also set aside time at the end of the call to answer your questions about the class content and my upcoming "Two Days to Write" coaching and writing intensive. 

Details about the teleclass:

• class meets Thursday, November 17 at 11am PT / 2pm ET
• if you can't make the call, you can still listen in by registering below for an MP3 recording (free to download and keep)
• save on long-distance by dialing in via a local number, Skype or webcast

Get It Done:  3 Keys to Following Through with Your Writing Plans

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Note:  I respect your privacy as my own.  Your registration includes a complimentary copy of my monthly email newsletter, The Relaxed Writer.

One Good Reason to Go For That Bigger, Better Writing Assignment (plus, a new free teleclass)

A few announcements for you today:

• Learn More About Overwhelm and Freelancing:  Today Linda Formichelli published "Are You an Overwhelmed Freelancer?  Marla Beck Tells You How to Beat the Overwhelm and Kick Butt" today, an interview with me over at her excellent blog for writers, The Renegade Writer. Read about the power of a "two-day marketing push" and please stop by and say hello!

• Get Help Staying Accountable to Your Own Writing Projects:  I've created a brand-new teleclass for writers who have trouble following through with their own writing plans.  Sound familiar?  Click here or scroll down to learn more and sign up for the free call and a copy of the MP3 recording.

• Get Motivated to Go for What You Really Want:  And now, a not-so-obvious benefit to going for that bigger, better writing assignment.  Read on for more.

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One Very Good Reason to Go for That Bigger, Better Writing Assignment

You know this already: that well-crafted and thoroughly researched pitch, lovely seedling that it is, may not land you the first "bigger, better" writing assignment you're going for. 

But even if your pitch is rejected, keep watchful for the many healthy offshoots that often spring up as a result of you taking decisive action and bravely sending out that pitch:

• Your research may yield a thicket of intriguing new story ideas. 
• You may learn something new about the craft of writing successful queries, saving yourself time and wasted effort in the future.
• Your contact with the publication may spark a potentially fruitful relationship with the editor in the future.
• Re-slanted or reworked, your pitch may likely find a more suitable home in another bigger-'n-better writing market.

There are many good reasons to go for a bigger, better writing assignment.  The ones I've mentioned above I call "meta-results" - potentially positive, career-building outcomes sparked by the decisive actions you take today.

The trick to "meta-results" is to consciously look for them. 

Don't let yourself get so focused on the answer an assigning editor gives you that you miss all the good things you’re learning and doing as a writer.  Savor these positive movements in your writing career.

Widen Your View

Train yourself to widen your view and see more than just the ("Yes!") outcome you're expecting. 

Do so and you'll see that regardless of the potential financial and professional gains, the process of going for a bigger, better writing assignment becomes valuable in and of itself.

Get busy and start going for your writing dreams.  If you pay close-enough attention, you'll be able to do the happy dance whether your pitch is accepted this time...or not.

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Join Me for A Free Teleclass

"Get It Done: 3 Keys to Following Through with Your Most Important Writing Plans"

Thursday, November 17th at 11am PT (2pm ET)

call in via Skype, telephone or listen online with your computer

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(Please note:  when you register for this class, you will also recieve a complimentary subscription to my monthly ezine, The Relaxed Writer.  Can't make it Thursday?  Register anyways for a free MP3 recording of the teleclass.

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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Don't miss future issues of The Relaxed Writer ezine.  Subscribe to "Make More Time to Write," my popular free e-course for writers, and you'll also get articles, coaching-for-writers updates and occasional special offers delivered to your in-box monthly. 

 

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.

Not Quite Happy? Here's How to LOVE Your Writing Life.

I spent time with a good friend recently--a talented and beautiful woman who's got a whole lot to offer the world. As we caught up over coffee at my favorite local cafe, I watched her dreams light up her eyes as she talked about a new project she'd like to take on.

But just as the light and spark of creative possibility started to settle in, she'd say "Yeah, but..."

And she said no to herself in a hundred different ways.

My friend's circumstances keep nudging her to stand up for her beliefs.  To step towards her dreams.  To say "YES" to the challenge of creating the life she really wants.

How about you?  Are you daring to live a writing life you love?

Whether your writing dream is to make more money freelancing, finish your novel or launch a new creative project (like my client, Michelle Taute, who enlivened her writing life with a new blog and a  challenge to create a new creative piece every day: cootiecatchers...yes, really!) -- there's no time like right NOW to get started.

You don't have to reengineer your life or run away from your job, your kids or your freelancing.  You can start going for your big writing dreams right now, right here in the midst of your ordinary life.  I've designed a brand-new, free teleclass to show you how.

Start saying "YES." 

This coming Tuesday, I'll teach you a simple, 3-step process to help you get started saying YES to your writing goals and dreams: 

"Get More Writing Time -- How to Create the Time and Focus You Need to Write What Matters MOST"

If you'd like practical tips to help you honor your talents, move your writing project forward and start loving your writing life again, you'll love this free, one-hour class.

Empower others while you're at it.

When you show up consistently for your important writing project, you say YES to creating a writing life you love. Best of all, your "say YES to my writing life" actions benefit others, too.  When you pursue your creative goals, you give others permission and courage to do the same.

Let's create a ripple effect and unleash a tide of happy, fulfilled writers into the world.  Just imagine the possibilities we'll create!

Let's get you started.

Ask the Writing Coach: Should I Take My Computer on Vacation?

photo credit:  Marla Beck

Catherine, a freelance writer, asks, "I leave town for two weeks tomorrow and I'm debating:  should I pack the laptop?  How do I decide if I should take my computer on vacation?"

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You're not alone, Catherine. Many writers have asked me this same question, most of them expecting to hear a clear and "life-coachy" directive: 

"Of course not!  Leave the computer at home."

Alas, it's not so simple. There's no one-size-fits-all "take the computer or not" answer for everyone. As you decide what's right for you, today I offer you a few case studies to consider-- real-life examples from my coaching practice. 

Just Say No.  (Ronnie's Opportunity)

Meet Ronnie.

In the past two months, Ronnie's made major strides in creating clear boundaries between his freelancing work and his personal life. He says he's much happier and energized about his work these days. He feels like he has more control over his time, too.  When Ronnie's working, he's really working.   When he's not, he's completely off-duty -- no laptop in sight.  Ronnie reports that his partner really appreciates his newfound ability to be more present when he's at home, and he loves the newfound peace-of-mind he's found.

But Ronnie's vacation last month posed an interesting opportunity: would he stick to his new habits and dare to be truly offline while vacationing...for an entire week?  Or would he tuck his laptop in his luggage, just to check in?

I challenged Ronnie to honor his own time boundaries. I dared him to leave the computer at home.

Choosing a computer-free vacation required Ronnie to work a bit harder before he left town. His decision also required Ronnie to act on faith.  He had to trust that he'd "done enough" before leaving town.  He had to trust that new assignments and opportunities would be readily available to him once he returned.  

When Ronnie returned to his writing desk a week later, he was slightly more tanned and chock full of  new story ideas. "I left my computer behind...I did it!" he told me during our next coaching call.  He sounded pleased.

Ronnie left his work at home, and by traveling laptop-free, he'd taken a courageous stand to respect his own time and boundaries. 

"I wouldn't have done it any other way," he said.

 Don't Leave Home Without It. (Kelly's Opportunity)

Kelly's situation was a bit different.  A writer and busy mom, she used our coaching structure to help her  create the extra time she needed to develop a long-term book project. She gained momentum quickly and loved her work.  Until late May, that is.  This year, the end-of-school-year hustle derailed her writing progress for an entire three weeks.

A few weeks after the schoolyear ended, Kelly readied her family for a two-week vacation. "I should leave the laptop at home, right?  And not work on the book?" she asked.  She seemed hesitant.  A tiny bit guilty.

Kelly was working on an independent project she loved.  In her case, traveling with some of her research and her laptop was an act of self-care.  It took courage for her to admit that, "for me, writing is 'resting.'  I'm a writer and I love my work!"   But she did it.

Kelly returned from her vacation quite pleased.  She packed her laptop and didn't work on the book every day -- she wasn't expecting herself to in the first place.  She did manage to move her project forward though, and by investing just a few joyful and productive hours in her project, she regained much of the momentum she'd lost at the end of the school year.  Better yet, she felt great!

If you're like Kelly, I encourage you to own your own version of what it means to rest and relax.  Don't just blindly accept society's definitions.  If you find that working on your independent writing project is restorative and joyful, go for it.  Pack your laptop and enjoy some no-pressure writing sessions. 

Allow yourself to be true to you, regardless of how well you match social expectations.

Keep It Simple. (Melissa's Opportunity)

This week Melissa, a hard-working freelancer in the midst of an exciting career breakthrough, mentioned her well-deserved vaction during our call.  "We leave tomorrow morning," she said, "and I'm trying to decide if I need to take the laptop..."

"Here we go," I thought.

Remember that in Ronnie's case, saying no was an act of courage and integrity?

Remember that in Kelly's case, saying yes was an act of courage and integrity?

Well, Melissa's case was a bit different. Melissa's decision wasn't about taking a stand or owning her true nature. She just needed to think through a few logistics:  did she really need her laptop? 

After thinking things through carefully, Melissa realized that she needed access to much less info than she'd first thought. If the art department called her cellphone with a truly urgent caption question (her worst-case scenario), she realized she needed to be able to access her Dropbox, not her entire hard drive. 

She planned to upload a few documents to the cloud this afternoon. 

When she boards the plane tomorrow, Melissa will be travelling light:  no laptop.  No paperwork. No anxiety.  She's well-prepared to respond, if needed.

What'll It Be?  (Here's Your Opportunity)

So...what'll it be?  Did you relate to any of the writers I highlighted in today's post?  

As you pack your bags and decide for yourself whether the laptop stays or goes, I hope you'll also take a moment to make this simple decision: "I'm going to have a great trip."

Tuck a clear intention in your pocket and do everything you can to leave town feeling happy and relaxed.

Laptop or not, I hope you enjoy your vacation, Catherine.  If you write for a living, I've no doubt that you deserve it!

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P.S. - About Today's Photo...

I took the picture above while visiting Mt. Lassen last week with my family.

If you'd like to see a few more snaps from our trip through Northern California and Oregon, I'm posting a few more pics over on my Facebook Fan Page.  Click here to check 'em out and join us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ask the Life Coach: Why all the monkeys, and how to get 'em off my back?

Ann writes, "I've been so happy since we clarified my book project.  It feels great to have clear parameters--now I know what to focus on each day.

"Thing is, last week I heard back from the writer/presenter I met at the conference and today I received the package she mailed me. The articles and resources all seem to substantiate my idea and approach.  I think this thing's truly marketable! 

"But then it hit me.  If I'm thinking along these lines, surely others are too.  And with this topic getting so much publicity...will there be room for my project when I get my proposal together?

"I've cleared time to do next week's research trip, but now I'm not so sure that now's the time.  Is my topic really good enough?  Am I?

"Help, please.  Why all these monkeys, and how do I get them off my back?!"

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Hello monkeys...you're right on time!

Ann, the way I see it is this:  you've done the work to tease out your project.  You've claimed a specific goal and now you're showing up for yourself more decisively.  To your amazement, you're even getting feedback that your ideas are right on track. 

Who wouldn't be startled by all that goodness?

Here's where REAL relaxed writing begins.

It's time to feel your fears, then research. Feel your fears, then write.

Trust that for now there's value to flushing out this project exactly as you'd planned it:  stay with your topic until you encounter a series of much more definitive facts to sway you.  (Monkeys like nothing more than to numb you with dead-end doubts and enticing side roads.)

The trick is to research, write and persist...for now.

And please don't question for one moment the fact that you're feeling as crazy as you are.  Nobody said dancing with monkeys was easy, but we all do it.  Especially when we're right on track.

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Got questions?  Email your writing productivity, motivation or time management questions to me at advice_at_coachmarla.com and I may feature your question here on the blog. 

 

Why You Can Start Writing What You Love...Right Now.

photo credit:  grendlkhan (Flickr.com)

Give Yourself the Green Light

What's stopping you from writing what you love?  Have you ever told yourself something along these lines?

• "I can't work on my book until I'm earning more with my freelance writing."
• "I can't work on my novel until the laundry's folded and the house is picked up."
• "I can't work on my story until I know everything there is to know about [my craft/my story's setting/my main character]."

As you know, resistance, self-doubt and fear take many guises. But think things through for a moment. You don't really believe these lies, do you?   That you have to have ample time, perfect confidence and/or a tidy house in order to write?

Because you've already got everything you need to get started.  You've got the talent.  The time.  You've got the know-how to find out what you don't know, if you need to.  (And goodness knows the laundry and dishes will still be there when you return.)

Take a break today and let yourself start writing what you love.  Do it for just ten minutes--fifteen, if you dare.  Then challenge yourself to do it again tomorrow.

Because scarcity thinking serves no one. 

You really do have everything you need to start writing what you love.  It's up to you, dear friend, to let yourself begin.

2 Keys to Freelance Happiness (and a Free Teleclass for Writers)

I'm on a mission to help you become a relaxed, productive and downright *happy* writer!

And in my six years' experience coaching successful freelancers, 
I've learned two important keys to freelance writer happiness:

1. You're pursuing meaningful projects, whether as a bread-and-butter gig or side project;
2. You're using strategic tools and systems to streamline your business, clarify your priorities and get both your paid and your personal writing done.

This Wednesday, I'll be teaching a popular, info-packed teleclass designed to help you create more balance, happiness & success with your freelance writing business.

Will you join me?

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FREE TELECLASS FOR WRITERS -

"5 Steps to Balance, Bliss and a Booming Writing Business"
Wednesday, March 9 at 9am PT / 12 noon ET

Click here to learn more & register:
http://www.coachmarla.com/teleclass.html

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In this free, one-hour teleclass you'll discover:

• how to harness more time, focus and energy for the important "big picture" projects you keep putting off (marketing plan, query writing, book proposal, anyone?)

• three essential business practices to boost your productivity and your bottom line

• how to take control of your business so you can devote more of your time and talents to doing what makes you happiest

I'll share with you simple, easy-to-implement tips you can begin using right away to become a happier, more successful freelancer.  Best of all, I suspect you'll even have a little fun!

If this class sounds like a good fit for you, I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday.

warmly,

Coach Marla

Simplify Your Writing Life (part 2) - Remix Your Inputs

 

image:  Aussiegall (Flickr)

Imagine that you're at the controls of a stereo equalizer, a nice model with lots of sliders to help you modulate treble, bass and midtone sounds.  And just for fun, let's imagine that this equalizer has special powers, and it's sole purpose is to help you determine how intently you'll experience certain stimuli in your environment.

You get to decide how much you perceive all the "stuff" happening in and around you right now:

• the sound of the neighbor's kids playing outside,
• the memory of the perplexing conversation you just had with the editor (and the email you still  need to write to clear it all up),
• the leftover thrill you feel when you recall the awesome novel-writing session you had this morning,
• the sight of the dirty dishes somebody left in the sink

You get to decide how intently you perceive this stuff? Wow, what an opportunity! 

So what do you think: which thoughts and sense inputs serve your writing life well today?

I'm guessing the good stuff does:

• the quick glimpse of your first acceptance letter, still framed on your wall after all these years
• the excellent feeling of staying on task for just a few more minutes
• the email you can draft right now (draft, not agonize over) to clear up a miscommunication
• the 5 minutes it'll take to do the dishes and get on with your day

We writers are sensitive folks, and I definitely don't mean to oversimplify "get on with it." But there's something to be said for being as choosy as we can about what we react and respond to.  Most of the time we're better served by reserving the bulk of our energy for writing rather than getting too caught up in negative stuff we can do nothing about.

Use this technique to simplify your writing life and free yourself up to focus on writing what matters most. 

Try This

 Practice asking yourself "is it worth it?" the next time you feel overwhelmed.  Take a moment to inventory and parsing out the various inputs you're receiving via your body, emotions and creativity.  (This habit becomes easier with practice.)  Suss out which inputs need reducing and refocus your attention on the signals you'd most like to boost.

Next, take one constructive action.  You're one step closer to a simplified writing life.

 

 

 

 

Simplify Your Writing Life: Ignore and Thrive!

 

"Learning to ignore things is one of the great paths to inner peace."
-Robert J. Sawyer

I don't read sci-fi, and if it weren't for wikipedia, I'd have no idea who Robert J. Sawyer is.  I came across this quote completely out-of-context and who knows if what I'm going to share with you is at all aligned with the author's intent.

But y'know what?  I'm going to ignore all that. 

Because when I read Sawyer's words up there, I think he's saying something really useful.  Something YOU can use to simplify your writing life.

If you really want more clarity, focus and energy, you've got to train yourself to start being more aware.  More inquisitive.  More mindful. 

Practice ignoring what needs to be ignored.

Here's how:

• Decide what's truly worthy of your attention (and what's not).

• Notice how you react when you encounter situations, interactions, opportunities or feedback that really don't serve you.

• Practice responding in a different way. 
  

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 More to come!

 

In Praise of Crooked Paths

Was it John Lennon who once said that "life is what happens to us while we're making other plans?" 

Back in high school, I envied my friends (aspiring doctors, most of 'em) who knew exactly what they wanted to pursue after graduation.  Over time, I've watched them make incremental, beautifully linear progress to realize these dreams.

My own path's been a bit more crooked. At times I often wished for more clarity ("Now, please!") but looking back now, I'm really grateful for the way things turned out.

Has your writing path been "less-than-linear?"  I'd love to hear about your journey. 

Here's a bit of my own story...

* * *

At 23 I left a broadcasting job at a small NPR affiliate in Harrisonburg, Virginia to move to Washington, DC.  I'd discovered  photography as a college senior, and I wanted to learn more and develop my craft in an urban environment.

I got a job waiting tables and informally apprenticed myself to two friends:  one, a syndicate photo editor, the other, a freelance photojournalist.  I tagged along with them, following them around the D.C. streets as they documented news events (the Million Man march, various protests) and street life.  It wasn't long before I enrolled in fine-art photography classes at the Corcoran School of Art.  My plan?  To  apply to photography MFA programs as soon as my portfolio was competitive.

Then I got Hodgkin's lymphoma. 

While I was blessed with a positive prognosis, major abdominal surgery followed by weeks of weekday radiation treatments kept me clinic-bound and house-bound for half a year.  I continued to study photography, but my progress definitely slowed.  (Damn, cancer was inconvenient!)

After my treatments ended, a friend and I celebrated my recovery with a road trip.  Armed with a small inheritance and a decent set of whells, we took three months to drive across the Trans-Canadian Highway, down the Pacific Coast and deep into the central plains Mexico, where my father was based at the time.  I kept a visual journal and returned from that trip with ninety rolls of film.

Not long after we returned, I learned my Hodgkin's had returned.

My second bout with cancer was more intense.  For six months I was so sick from the chemo that I had to learn to conserve my energy between treatments.  Photography classes and lab time were no longer an option for me.  Creative writing was, though.

Tucked into my two-bedroom, ground floor apartment, I discovered Neruda and Rich, Forche and Ammons.  As my poetry library grew, I began taking writing workshops and literature classes at George Mason University. I wrote and wrote and wrote.

A year-and-a-half after my second diagnosis, I was able -- at last -- to apply to an MFA program.  I'm incredibly grateful for the time I spent practicing writing and learning to critique my own and others' work. I loved learning about poetic form and took to literary theory like ink to a page.  I probably realized it somewhat at the time, but now I see clearly just how lucky I was to study poetry at George Mason!  The MFA program gave me a strong foundation for a lifetime of reading and writing.

Sometimes I'm still surprised that my MFA was in poetry, not photography.  If there's one thing my cancer experience taught me, it's that the time to do what matters most isn't later.  It's n-o-w. 

* * *

Are You Doing What Matters Most?

I hope you won't wait for a life-changing event to get you to think about the "big picture" in your creative life.  Consider:

• What are you doing to realize your creative dreams?  Are you doing it on a regular basis?
• If you are trading your talent for money, are you also honoring your creative gifts by working on your own projects?
• Are you getting your work out there in ways you're proud of?     

 

Your Turn

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer, or did you travel a more crooked path (like me)?

Whether you freelance, parent or work another gig during the day, are you still finding time to write what matters most?  What questions do you have on this topic?  And what tricks & tips work for you?

Meet Me on Facebook 

Marla Beck - Life Coach for Writers

 

 

Life Coaching for Writers

If you're ready for change, my coaching can help you transform your writing life.   Email, call or Tweet me for details.

5 Reasons You Might've Said "Yes" to NaNoWriMo

Did you ignore my reasons to say no to NaNoWriMo this year?  Well, then.  Let's look at a few reasons why you might've said "Yes." 

1.  You want to have some fun.

As a NaNo writer, community awaits, in the form of in-person meetups, writing dates with friends or community online with writers around the world.  I imagine nothing's more inspiring than sharing the  journey to 50,000 words with scads of fellow writers who know exactly what you're up against.   

2.  You want to be told what to do.

NaNoWriMo offers you a straightforward writing assignment for the month. You've got a deadline.  (November 30th.)  You've got a wrap party.  (Don't you?)  You've got a wordcount.  (50k.)  You've got  guidelines. (New stuff only.) 

You've even got tips from the NaNoWriMo founders themselves.

3.  You want to kick your inner critic to the curb for the month.

I really can't illustrate this point this any better than Cinette did when she commented on yesterday's Relaxed Writer post:

"My one and only reason for signing up for NaNo is because I need to make myself power through a first draft without running back over (and over, and over) the first thousand or so words. My inner editor is one pushy dude. I'm going to try and force a holiday on him.As your fingers fly, you won't have time to talk back to yourself as you write."

4.  You want to write every day.

My guess is that by mid-November, the process of transitioning to writing and actually sitting down to write will take you a lot less time than it does now. 

Why?

• you'll have little time to waste
•  you'll know you're not alone
• you'll be writing with low expectations ("just get it done" vs. "do it right")
• you'll know you're taking on the challenge to have some fun

5.  You want to get out of planning the holiday party.

If you're reading this in the U.S., your participation in NaNoWrimo is the perfect excuse to let someone else host Thanksgiving this year.  May I suggest you offer to bring the rolls and the drinks?  No cooking for you, my friend.  You'll be too busy writing.

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If you're joining in the fun, the day's fast approaching.  Good luck to you!  Coming soon: a few tips to help you get and stay in the groove as you NaNo. 

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image credit:  Schmeegan (Flickr)

3 Reasons You Might Want to Say "No!" to NaNoWriMo

As a life coach, I often offer my clients permission.  Permission to take themselves more seriously.  Permission to say no.

Permission to run like heck from crazy schemes that'll challenge--if not utterly decimate -- their sense of balance and well-being.

So it probably won't surprise you that I can think of a few really good reasons you should think twice before signing up for NaNoWriMo.  

I'm not saying NaNoWriMo isn't right for everyone (tomorrow I'll take a look at why you may want to do it).  For now, though, a few reasons why NaNoWriMo may not be the right fit for you.

1.   Apples to Oranges

NaNoWriMo was created in 1999 by Chris Baty and three of his friends, Rolf Nelson, Ryan Dunsmuir, and John Sanders, in their San Francisco apartment. These friends were twentysomethings at the time, and they met daily to write and drink and shoot the breeze. ("Half literary marathon and half block party," says Baty.)  

Chris and his friends didn't have much else going on. 

And they weren't taking themselves very seriously.

If you're like several of the writers I've coached through NaNoWriMo, you may instead be greeted at the door by a demanding cat.  A spouse or kid wanting to connect (or be fed).  A reminder that your Thanksgiving holiday to be planned and shopped for and prepared.

You might even be putting a bit of pressure on yourself:  "I'm really a fiction writer if I win this year" or "I'm not a real writer if I don't."

Take a deep breath.

Does NaNo's 50,000 word success criteria suit you?  Take into account your personal situation, consider NaNo's origins and decide if committing to NaNoWriMo will truly support you as a writer. 

If trying to meet the arbitrary word count will make you crazed with stress, take yourself too seriously or alienate your cat or family members, you probably should pass.

2. That Body of Yours

Will you follow those twentysomething guys' examples and rely on Red Bull, bourbon and mucho Doritos to power you through hours and hours of writing?

Even if you choose healthier snacks and drinks, my guess is that, come December 1st, your body will show some wear and tear.

If so, how will you feel as you face the holidays?

• A little on the flabby side?
• Exhausted as heck? 

Consider whether you'll be able to regroup and recover before January 1, 2011 rolls around.  (Because no one likes to start the new year feeling icky if they can help it.)

Besides nutrition and exercise, you also need to consider whether you're  susceptible to repetitive strain injuries or carpal tunnel syndrome.

If writing and typing for long periods of time strains your body, think through carefully whether this month-long exercise is worth compromising your long-term health.  Say no to NaNo.  Or get your voice recognition software up and running so you can work in a way that works for you.

3.  Process or Product?

Chris Baty talks honestly about the original NaNo writers' motivations that first year:

"[W]e wanted to write novels for the same dumb reasons twentysomethings start bands. Because we wanted to make noise. Because we didn't have anything better to do. And because we thought that, as novelists, we would have an easier time getting dates than we did as non-novelists."

Are you in the same playful state of mind? If so, sharpen your pencils and charge your laptop battery. NaNo may be a no-brainer for you.

But take a moment to consider what your prose writing really needs the most.

• Would you benefit most from focussing on process for now?  If so, NaNo might be a terrific way to divorce your inner critic for the month.

• Or, do you most need to improve your story structure, character development, plotting or scene writing skills?  If so, imagine where you'd be in a month's time if you devoted even half the time you'll spend on NaNo to working through a fine fiction resource like Janet Burroway's classic, Writing Fiction: a Narrative Craft or Jordan Rosenfeld's Making a Scene.

Life is short (the wise ones say it's so).  What's the very best way for you to improve your writing in the next 30 days?

Dare to Do What's Best for You

I hope you'll think carefully about NaNo before you commit.  If you're ready for the challenge, here's wishing you luck, good humor and stamina. If not, here's a healthy helping of permission to say "No thanks, not this year."

Dare to do what's best for you.

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image credit:  E-Magic (Flickr)

p.s. - The above links aren't Amazon affiliate links.  I promise to let you know clearly if and when I use them in the future.

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What do you think?  Come November 1st, will you or won't you NaNoWriMo?

Just. Ask.

Sometimes the simples lessons are the hardest to learn, aren't they?

Like most coaches I know, I work with my own coach to help me see opportunities, take risks and do business in a way that serves my clients well, generates good income AND adds fun and happiness to my life.  Together my coach and I are creating a business that really works for me, not the other way around. (I not only teach this  "make your business work for you" concept in my Empowered Freelancer teleclasses, I live it.)

Anyways.  Like most coaches I know, my coach pushes me to do stuff I wouldn't ordinarily do. Like send out a survey to my list of ezine subscribers so I can learn more about their needs.

I'm embarrased to say that to-do item was on my list for two months.  I procrastinated, avoided and put it off.  Why?  I suppose I was scared, but really-- of what?!  Because once I started getting back folks' responses, I had a blast.  I got to know folks better.  I got marching orders for future projects.  And I learned that my community is as good a fit as I could have imagined for what I have to offer.

It's not always easy to ask for what you want.  I know.

But as a writer, today I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on these questions, and then follow up by taking one concrete action:

• If I weren't afraid to do so, who would I ask for help?  What would help me most? 

Coaching, mentoring, writing feedback and so much more is all readily available to you. All you need to do is ask.

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If you're a Relaxed Writer subscriber and you took my recent survey, thanks again for your time & input. I loved getting to know you better!

And congratulations to C. Ann Golden and Cheryl Glantz Nail -- the two winners of today's drawing.

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Writing Lessons from Photographers - "Never Shoot a Sunset"

In recent posts I gave you a few tips to help you put your writing in perspective and stay motivated for the long haul. 

In today's post (the third and final of my "Writing Lessons from Photographers" series), I'll show you a fun strategy you can use to improve your writing and editing chops.  Let's play a little game, shall we? 

*** 

"Writing Lessons from Photographers" - Never Shoot a Sunset

  
Take a look at this snapshot from my recent trip to a nearby beach at sunset. 

Grab a pencil.

Now quickly jot down three specific things you notice in the photograph. If you like, write a phrase or two to describe the overall mood or tone the image conveys to you, and I'll do the same.

Let's compare lists, shall we?

I'll go first.

If I'm trying to be objective, I see modest ocean swells, an annoying timestamp I just can't figure out how to get the timestamp off the pics my new little Vivitar handheld camera makes, and--oh yeah, a sunset. 

But here's a smattering of what really comes up for me when I look at this photograph:

• the scent and feel of ocean air, laced with salt and sand,
• the path the pelicans cut as they flew in formation just above the waves, 
• the pleasure I felt as I watched my three-year-old daughter scrunch wet sand between her fingers and toes, crouching on all fours as she pushed her way up a small incline pretending to be a "streetsweeper."  (The fact that she's imposing a mechanical metaphor onto nature--not the other way around--is another subject altogether, isn't it?  Aii.)

When you see this picture, I'll bet you're focussed on sand, light and wave.  You see what's actually there.

When I look at this picture, I'm taken by riptide to a technicolor sea of memory and recollected experience -- stuff that's nowhere to be found in the pixels of this 2-D photograph. I'm so driven by memory it takes deliberate effort for me to see what's actually there.

"Never Shoot a Sunset"

Steve Szabo, my photography professor at the Corcoran, once warned us rather bluntly: "Never shoot a sunset." 

Besides steering us away from visual cliches (and who better to warn than a darkroom full of aspiring fine-art photographers), Szabo's pithy injunction taught us to look hard at the photographs we were making.  He taught us to look at each image we made on its own terms. 

Szabo taught us to ask:

• What overtones, memories or sense experiences are we bringing to our experience of viewing the photograph?
• What aesthetic choices did we make to actualize our message?
• How did we do and what's lacking?

Had I been striving for "art" in the image above, I would've needed to manipulate expsoure, composition, or any of the other expressive tools of photography to evoke the mood I wanted to create. But to do this successfully, I'd have to first figure out what material I was bringing to the work vs. what was actually there.

Learning to See What's Really There

Szabo's advice to photographers is immensely useful for writers.

On a practical level, if you're still getting your writing chops up, you can save yourself time by avoiding the writerly equivalents of "sunsets" -- those cliche topics that threaten to become overly sentimental or melodramatic.

And no matter where you are in your writing journey, you'll improve your craft by consistently practicing seeing what's actually on the page (not what you recall or think or wish or project).  Szabo's advice can  improve every piece of writing you do, not just your essays and anecdotes. You'll become more aware of what you're doing well and you'll quickly learn which literary techniques you need to strengthen and improve to get your message across to the reader.

Personally, I've found this gentle practice of discernment enormously beneficial away from the writing desk, too.  Learning to see what's really there is helping me become more present, awake and mindful throughout my life, whether I'm coaching writers, loving on my little one or learning a new jazz tune. 

Seeing what's there/what's not is a beautiful practice for anyone aspiring to become a truly relaxed writer. 

What Do You Think?  

• What literary "sunsets" will you avoid writing about...for now?
• What specific questions will you begin asking yourself as you review your drafts?
• How will you practice seeing what's truly on the page and what's not?
• Will you try this practice out in your daily life, too?

 

New on Facebook

I just posted a few photos from my Corcoran days for you to check out.  Stop by my Facebook Fan Page to see the new "Writing Lessons from Photographers" photo album.  (Just click the Wall link or press the arrow key to access the "Photos" tab.)  If you'd like to see a few more, let me know!

3 Ways to Recharge Your Writing Dream

[If you're looking for "Never Shoot a Sunset," the third and final post in my Writing Lessons from Photographers series, you'll find it here early next week.  In the meantime, stick around and meet Annabelle - oh, and let me share with you some awesome ways to recharge your writing dream.]

In the past few months it seems I've become a personal lullaby jukebox.

Before snuggling down to sleep, my three-year-old daughter, Annabelle, asks me to sing two, three or five of her favorite songs, often specifying song order and volume.

Lately Annabelle has been keeping things simpler though. Her only request has been that I sing "Over the Rainbow" - again and again and again. She often murmurs lovely questions as she listens.

"Mommy?  Why can't I fly over the rainbow?"

"'What's 'whyohwhyohwhy'?"

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Yeah, I know. Rainbows.  Lullabies.  I realize I'm at risk of being schmaltzy here. 

But I do have a point, writers, and I think it's one worth making in all of the colors, as big as the sky.  

Who says you can't still go for a really big dream?  Figuratively speaking, why can't you fly over rainbows?

Because at some point in your writing life, you knew exactly what you wanted. 

• You got up early to write every day.
• You drafted your first chapters with optimism, hope and energy.
• You launched your freelance business intending to make damn good money, thank you very much. 

Now is the perfect time to discover if your writing dream is still colorful and vibrant or perhaps a bit faded at the edges. Read on for three ways to recharge your writing dream.

#1.  Step Back. 

The only way to see your dream all at once is to step back (waaaay back) from your daily work and writing.  To recapture the vividness and color of your writing vision, get out of your daily routine and take time to look at the bigger picture.  What does your writing goal really look like?

Clarifying your goals offers you two shifts in perspective.

• First you're able to make out the overall shape and contours of your dream.
• Then you're able to add color, texture and details.

If you have a chance,take an hour this weekend and freewrite at a local library or cafe.  Enjoy your mini-escape and do some daydreaming.  Then define your dream as vividly as you can: 

• what you want to achieve,
• why it matters to you, and
• what your writing life looks like on a daily basis.

#2.  Build Up Your Belief.

Do you believe it's really possible to write what matters most? 

To work productively and passionately, you've got to spark and nurture belief in your project.  Create time each day to build your belief that you really can do it. Read inspirational books, blogs and interviews.  But don't forget that the most inspiring, belief-building thing you can do is to sit down and actually get to work on your project.  Write.

#3.  Choose Your Best Supports.

Recharge your writing dream by seeking out people who actively value and support your ambitions. Proactively decide who will be the best supports for you.

• Will you hire a coach to keep you accountable, help you gain momentum and teach you to manage your work habits, projects or attitudes more efficiently?  (Clients who hire me often see major transformations in these areas in as little as two months). 
• Will you lock a trusted friend into bi-weekly writing dates (live or virtual), accountability check-ins or cheering sessions? 
• Will you push yourself to meet a writing contest deadline, no matter what?

The writing life can be solitary, but it need not be lonely.  Trust yourself to create the best community you can to support your work. 

And get busy recharging your precious writing dream!

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FREE Teleclass!

Overwhelmed freelancer?   If so, I've designed a free, one-hour teleclass just for you! 

Learn more and register the class here:  http://www.CoachMarla.com/teleclass.html

Writing Lesson from Photographers: The "10,000 + 1 Principle"

Now that you've mastered the "3% Rule," let's move on to the second of three posts in my "Writing Lessons from Photographers" blog series. 

Today's lesson is a powerful antidote for anyone who struggles with an overactive inner critic.  Enjoy!

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Last week a writer I know excised herself from cozy home and family to go to a nearby cafe to work on her novel.  Hot beverage on hand and comfortably seated, she opened her laptop and began to write. 

It wasn't long, though, before my talented writer-friend sent me this missive:

writing life coach! what do you do when your brain tells you that you can't write a book and that everything you type is a boring cliche that no one will ever care about?!

Oh, writer's block.  Who among us hasn't been in that very stuck place?  

Today's photography-inspired writing lesson addresses just this kind of creative paralysis.  Read on to learn about what I call the "10,000+1" Principle.

The "10,000 + 1" Principle

Readers, meet my one of my favorite photographers:  Henri Cartier-Bresson.

Over the years, this French photographer's spontaneous images, taken with his hand-held Leica camera as he roamed the streets of Paris, remain among my favorites.  (For fun, I'll include here my 1994 street portrait of a young boy in Mexico City.  Not too tough to see how much I was influenced by Cartier-Bresson's "Rue Mouffetard, Paris 1954," is it?)

A former painter, Cartier-Bresson believed in a concept he called "integrity of vision."  He didn't believe in cropping his photographic images to improve their composition.  Instead, he held himself to a self-imposed standard of "what you see is what you get," and printed most of his photographs with a thin black line around them, indicating that what you see on the print is exactly what he saw through the viewfinder. 

No cropping.

"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst."   - Henri Cartier-Bresson

Given Cartier-Bresson's "get it right all at once" aesthetic, it's not surprising that he was well-aware of the fact that as artists, we tend to start out..."so-so," and that with time, we improve.  This is a simple concept, but one that, perhaps because drafting a new chapter takes us writers a heck of a lot longer than the "decisive moment" Cartier-Bresson needed to compose a photograph, is often very hard for us writers to remember. 

• We forget that the piece we're working on is simply one project among many.
• We forget that our current work represents a single blip in time in our life cycle as writers.
• We forget that sometimes progress is incremental and hardly perceptible, and that, if we're alert and mindful, with each page we deepen our expressive powers and learn more (and more and more) how to do our chosen craft well.

Cartier-Bresson's quote is one of my favorite reminders that we develop our writing talent in stages.  Consider this the "10,000+1 Principle:"  over time we improve.  If we log in the hours and practice our craft, we are bound to produce our first "plus-one" piece.  Until then, our job is simply to show up and to pay close attention as we work.

Try This

Let's take the 10,000+1 Principle literally for a moment. 

Assume that you're a photographer, and you shoot rolls that are 36 frames long.  Using Cartier-Bresson's prediction, you'd need to shoot about 278 rolls of film before you move from "ugh" to "decent." 

Let's say you're shooting about 3 new rolls a week.   If my math's right, at this pace it'll take you a year and ten months to move your craft forward.

Consider that: 

if you were to start your work in August 2010, you could expect to shoot your 10,001st photograph right around July 2012.  And with that 10,001st photograph, you'll be moving into a discernibly better stage with your craft.  If you really want to be a good writer, isn't your long-term goal to evolve your craft worth this relatively brief investment of time?

Here are a few more ways to apply the "10,000+1" Principle to your work as a writer.

• If you're writing in a new genre, what would happen to your writing if you gave yourself a year-and-a-half to simply be apprentice:  to show up on time, to log in the hours, and to learn, learn, learn?

• What would happen if, just for this afternoon, you allowed yourself to focus on craft and creativity - not how your work will be received in the future?  I tried this today while writing this blog post, and this simple mindshift allowed me to finish up in record time.

What Do You Think? 

How will you apply the 10,000+1 Principle to your own writing?  Shoot me a trackback if you blog about the 10,000+1 Principle elsewhere, or share your ideas with us in the comments below.  (You can also leave a comment on my Facebook page by clicking here.)

Next Up:  "Never Shoot a Sunset"

Stay tuned for the next and final installment of this three-part Writing Lessons from Photographers blog series:  "Never Shoot a Sunset." 

Thanks for reading and enjoy working at your craft today.

Writing Lesson from Photographers: The 3% Rule

Welcome to my new blog series, "Writing Lessons from Photographers."  Today's lesson is part one of a three-part series.

* * *

Introducing the 3% Rule

It wasn't until my senior year in college that I discovered the photo department.  What joy!

My first photo professor, Steve Zapton, was known for his direct feedback during class critiques.  "Not for babies!" said a recent student on ratemyprofessors.com. Personally, I adored his straight-talk.

Professor Zapton taught me the most liberating of creative maxims:  "If you get one shot out of thirty-six, you've shot a successful roll of film."

One shot out of thirty-six.  

With this rule, suddenly the blurred, unlit and downright crappy shots on my contact sheets seemed less important.  If I could find just one image among all the experiments, mediocrity and missteps that unfurled in the course of shooting thirty-six frames, I was golden. 

I could circle what really worked and ignore the rest.

The 3% Rule

Assuming my math is right, "one out of thirty-six" translates into a 3% success rate (2.78% if you want to be exact). 

If just 3% of the time the magical mix of light, timing, composition and technique comes together to yield an image that really "says" something, a photographer is on track.

Imagine the creative freedom the 3% Rule offers to you as a writer!

If you expected success just 3% of the time you worked at your writing, would you be a bit more far-ranging and creative?

• Would your "new queries" lists be longer?  More broad?  More daring?
• Would you take more risks with your new poem starts and fiction ideas, knowing that you could discard 97% after a minimal initial investment of time?
• Would you be a bit more forgiving with yourself as you revise and edit your work?

The beauty of the 3% Rule is that it stops that one of the biggest ways writers sabotage themselves. Instead of judging our creative process as we create (ugh!), the 3% Rule teaches us to retrain ourselves to stop expecting a masterpiece every time. 

By lowering our expectations, we give ourselves room to experiment, room to fail and room to play on the page.  We can take our 3% and not get hung up in analyzing what the other 97% means about our talents or abilities.

Without this crushing self-criticism, we're free to return again and again to writing.

* * *

Next Up

If you liked this post, be sure to check out the second post in this three-part Writing Lessons from Photographers series:  "The '10,000+1' Principle."  

* * *

Follow me on Twitter:  @MarlaBeck

How to Save a Rotten Writing Day - Pocket Tip for Writers (audio)

I had a rotten writing session the other day.  I won't bore you with the details, but trust me:  the wheels were NOT turning.

After I got home, I decided to hike the hill behind our house.  (The walk is lined with redwoods that look a lot like the ones here in Miguel Vieira's gorgeous photo of redwood trees in Sequoia National Park.)

As I climbed the hill, I started to mull over the day.  Where had things gone wrong?  What did I do to "save" it?

My iTouch was in my pocket and I decided to take a risk and share my gleanings with you in "real time."  Here it is, the latest (and roughest, but hopefully helpful) "Pocket Tip for Writers:  How to Save a Rotten Writing Day."

How to Save a Rotten Writing Day (2:30, MP3)

Click the grey bar above to listen.

Your Turn

Will this strategy help you save your next writing session, too?  What else works for you?

Why You Are Never Not Writing

Writing and "real life" are symbiotic.  Every action in our day-to-day lives--whether directly related to writing or not--has the potential to influence the way we think about and do our creative work. 

Think about this for a moment.  When we're not actually writing,

• what we read, listen to and see...
• where we go...
• who we talk to...
• what we do with our hands, our bodies, our brains...

...all these activities (and more!) have the potential to shape our thought and craft once we settle down to write again.

Your life away from the page matters.  And in a way, we are never not writing.

To write well, be mindful.  And as much as you can, be happy about your life and choices, too.

* * *

Introducing:  3 Writing Lessons from Photographers

(photo credit:  Shermeee - flickr)

Speaking of extra-literary influence, this past weekend I got to thinking about the lessons I've learned while studying other disciplines. And I realized I've learned some really excellent creative lessons from  photography.

Starting next week I'll be sharing three of my favorites with you in a new blog series: "3 Writing Lessons from Photographers."  Stay tuned to learn three simple ways to get out of your own way and write.

Web Finds for Writers: Author Podcasts and a Little Laugh

Author Podcasts & Book Promo Opportunity (WritersCast.com)

Have you waded through the awesome audio archive over at WritersCast lately?  If you haven't yet stopped by, check out David Wilk's free 30-minute podcasts with poets, novelists and children's writers.   Recommended.

Browse around for talks on publishing and technology, too. 

If you have a book to promote, you may also want to pitch David for an interview yourself:

If you are a published author, and would like to be considered for an interview, reading or discussion, please contact David Wilk ([email protected]). Send a brief description of your work, and the kinds of things you might be interested in talking about on WritersCast. Or send a copy of your newest book to Booktrix, P.O. Box 3131, Westport, CT 06880 along with your contact information. We’ll get back to you in short order.

Good stuff.

* * *

"The Ungoogleable Man" (TheNewYorker.com)

As for other web finds, did you see this cartoon from the March 22, 2010 issue of The New Yorker?  My husband (a "Techie?  Not so much." kind of guy), and I shared a big belly laugh over this one.  Thought you might enjoy it, too.

View slideshows of other New Yorker cartoons (grouped by issue) here.

* * *

Back soon with a new blog series on photography and writing.  If you haven't yet signed up for The Relaxed Writer ezine, you can do so here:  www.CoachMarla.com - the next issue comes out within the week.

In the meantime, look forward to your comments and Tweets.  (@MarlaBeck)

On Writing Time and 'Real Life': 4 Steps for Smooth Transitions

* * *

It's audio time!

On Writing Time and 'Real Life'

I just made this 4-minute MP3 recording of me reading this article while my daughter slept peacefully in the next room -- shhhhh. ;)

Look forward to hearing your feedback. If you like the MP3, please share it with your friends! 

* * *

On Writing Time and 'Real Life':  4 Steps for Smooth Transitions
by Marla Beck

Engaging with the World

Yesterday I watched my little daughter harvest a small, blue egg from our neighbor's chicken coop. 

Feeling its just-hatched warmth, she rested the petite marvel in her right hand.  She stood completely still for a moment and lifted her arm carefully, clutching the egg with just the right amount of pressure.  She stared at its watercolor blueness intently, fully engaged with the experience.

Then, a dog came by.

Annabelle stepped purposefully towards the dog's wagging tail. She stooped down to look at a single, brown feather on the ground before announcing her discovery gleefully to the clouds and the sun. 

As we left the neighbor's yard and headed back home, my little one stretched as far as she could to try and reach the gate latch with her left hand -- the one that wasn't still clutching the little blue egg.

Focusing to Write

I don't have to tell you that we writers are curious folk.  Like three-year-olds, we easily engage with the world around us. In our creative work, this ability to get involved with life -- to pursue leads, to ask  questions, to try something new -- is an awesome asset!

But when we're actually writing, this tendency to get involved with our environment isn't always a good thing. Much too often (and often unnoticed by us), our attention spans get yoked by intriguing stimuli from our environment. 

We tend lose our place.  Without awareness, we forget to tend to the creative treasures in our care.

The Wide-Awake Transition:  Four Easy Steps

The secret to balancing "real life" with creative focus is the art making wide-awake transitions between these two ways of being.  Here's how.

Step #1.  Pause

Before you reach for the ringing phone, pursue an intriguing hyperlink, or give in to the temptation to click over to check your Facebook news feed just one more time (we've all been there!), pause for a moment. 

Ask yourself: 

• Am I really ready to put down the blue egg?  
• Or am I willing to persist with my writing for just ten more minutes?

Step #2.  Leave Tracks

If you do choose to stop writing right now, make the decision to do so with awareness.  Pause and leave a few creative tracks for yourself.  (Give yourself the very best chance of returning--productively--to your blue egg!)

Leave tracks for yourself by:

• Sketching out the inklings of the storyline you're working on.
• Making a list of what's left to do to wrap up that article.
• Noting exactly where you'd like to pick up again when you return to your writing desk.

Step #3.  Ground Yourself

If you can, after you leave tracks, sit still for a moment longer.  Notice how you've situated your back, your spine. Sense the feeling of your back against the chair. 

Ground your awareness in the present moment.

Step #4.  Plan Your Future, Enjoy the Present

Most importantly?  Decide exactly when you will return to your blue egg.  Then until you return, enjoy your time away from writing...guilt-free. 

You've put your treasure down gingerly. The blue egg is in good care.

c. 2010 Marla Beck.  photo credit:  WoodleyWonderWorks (Flickr)

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Want to use this article in your own blog or newsletter? 

Go for it -- as long as you include the article and following blurb in their entirety (with proper credit and all links intact):

Need more time to write? Sign up for my free e-course, "5 Keys to Making Time to Write," at http://www.CoachMarla.com/ecourse-mtw.html. For more great ideas for writers, visit my blog at http://www.TheRelaxedWriter.com.

Pocket Tip for Writers: Go Someplace Gorgeous

It's a holiday weekend, which means you've got a little extra time to do what you want, right?  This weekend I've got the perfect assignment for your writing.

Get out and about.  Go someplace gorgeous. 

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As writers, we're continually calling on ourselves to recreate worlds, to sharpen our syntax, to speak with clarity on the page.  And whether we're always aware of it or not, we call on our senses when we write.

We can't expect fresh perceptions and insights to arise if we don't occasionally uproot ourselves from our usual places and put ourselves someplace new.  Whether you make a simple shift in quality of light you're experiencing or take yourself to an entirely new physical space, it's not difficult to energize your creativity and renew your senses.  Here are a few ideas to get you started.

All Aglow

This past week I got to spend an evening learning about video blogging with the Bay Area Bloggers Society. My friend, Mary Cary, showed us around her studio.

"Isn't it great how diffused the light is?"  she said, pointing to an illuminated umbrella.  "This kind of lighting makes everyone look beautiful."

Later, I chatted with Emily Kischell (LiveWires), and Laurie McAndish King (Travel Writers News).  As we talked, I noticed how glowy we all looked.

"Don't know about you, but I'm feeling rather gorgeous right now," I quipped.

For the briefest of moments, me and these two smart women shared a big belly laugh as we preened and flipped our hair for an imaginary sea of admiring cameras. 

A simple thing, isn't it? 

Shift the quality of light, and our perceptions dance.

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"Lobby Love"

A few days later, my newly potty-trained daughter had to make a bathroom stop.  ("Now, mommy!" she said.) 

The gorgeous Acqua Hotel just happened to be nearby, and remembering its lovely lobby, I decided to stop.  My little one easily charmed her way past the front desk.

"I want to buy this bathroom for my room," my three-year-old told me with all seriousness. She was obviously impressed by the aesthetics of the place. 

For the next half-hour, we loitered happily in the lobby.  She checked out the view from every sofa.  She stood quietly as she listened curiously to the indoor fountain. She patted the silk-covered decorative pillows with approval. 

After we left the hotel, the whole day seemed better.  A new environment -- no, a new and gorgeous environment -- refreshed our senses.

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Light, Wood and Books, Books, Books

And here I sit, writing to you from a long, polished wooden table at the Mill Valley Public Library.  

This place really is as gorgeous as it looks in the photo.  The big French doors are open to the late afternoon light, and through the windowpanes long redwood boughs are lilting and surfing in the breeze. 

My aluminum-cased laptop always looks good, but in this light, in this space, it's not just a mere machine. It look like a work of art.

photo credits: cobalt123 (flickr), acqua hotel/jdv, mill valley library)

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Try This

The gorgeous places I've described in today's blog post are all interior spaces, but you need not keep yourself indoors.  Get creative and see what new spaces and aesthetic journeys you can take this weekend, indoors or out. 

What will you do to refresh your senses?  Will you go someplace gorgeous, someplace new?

If You Blog:  Why not write a post about your own gorgeous places?  Send a trackback to this blog and leave a comment below so we can share the adventure! 

Are You Writing What Matters Most?

We writers are lucky folk.

Isn't it cool that people are willing to pay us to:

• research and report news stories,
• market goods or services,
• explain or share technical knowledge or other kinds of know-how?

I'll bet you've also noticed how handy your writing talents are your civic and personal life, as you use your gifts to: 

• express gratitude or appreciation,
• publicize organizations or events you care about, or
• write letters on behalf of causes you believe in?

Alone at the writing desk, you may find your creative writing project especially fulfilling.  You may write because you:

• simply love the tools, the craft, the process,
  
• feel you have something you absolutely must say, or
• you're one of those blessed folks who simply cannot not write. 
  

Your expressive talents are marketable, adaptable and deeply needed by the world.  As a writer you have so many opportunities to use your gifts!

Amidst so many options, it takes real intention to show up for your own work, doesn't it?

Why Your Own Work Matters

If there's one thing I've learned from surviving cancer twice in my 20s, it's that life is short and the time to do what really matters isn't later.  It's now, now, now.

• Because your words have the potential to steal the hearts and days of an engaged reader.

• Because "everybody is talented, original and has something important to say," (Brenda Ueland, If You Want to Write, Greywolf Press, 1987).

• Because when you write what matters most, you're more patient at home, at the gym, on the road and in the grocery store.

• Because when you show up for your real writing work, you're happier and you model for your friends and kids what it's like to be a working artist (empowering them to do the same).

• Because when you make time to write what matters most to you, you spark that otherworldy light behind your eyes, that delicious glow you notice when you look in the mirror or see reflected back in the smile of someone who really knows and supports you, that joyful inner radiance that says, wordlessly: 
  

"I'm choosing to live in integrity today."

"I'm alive.  (Truly.)" 

"I use my life and talent to do what matters most."

Are you making time to express your gifts in ways that truly matter? 

Do you show up each week to write what matters MOST?

Try This: 

Let's call this little exercise "Drop and Give Me Ten." 

First:  Set a timer, fire up your word processor or get out a notebook and explore "writing that matters most" in a 10 minute (or more) freewriting session.

When you've finished, take a moment to share your insights & ideas with us by leaving a comment, below.  I can't wait to hear what matters most to you.

Image Credit:  gutter (flickr.com)

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Case Study: How to Get Lucky with Your Writing Goals

 

It happened twice in the same week.

After several weeks of coaching, two of my clients hammered out specific, clear, right-on-target short-term goals for their writing.

• "I'll finish and submit a personal essay in the next six weeks," Jeff declared.
• "I'll get out of the house and write my queries in a cafe this week," said Sharon.

Intentions clear, Jeff and Sharon set out to work on their projects.  While their goals were different, each achieved excellent results in similar ways.  They each got lucky, too!

Jeff worked diligently on the essay but along the way, something else emerged.  A clear angle for the book he'd been dreaming of.  Heck, not just a clear angle, but an entire structure for the manuscript.

"I'm being pulled to work on this book now," he reported in our next call.  "But if I choose to follow this new direction, am I abandoning my initial goal to publish the essay?" 

Together we found a way for Jeff to embrace this new development and pursue both projects.

Sharon's case was a bit different. 

This home-based freelancer intended to get out of the house to invigorate her motivation, get fresh ideas and generally feel a bit more connected to the world beyond her computer screen.

Instead, Sharon reported that after a good cafe work session, she took a break and went outside to sit on a bench in the town square.  As she sat, who should appear but a former colleague, someone who'd recently become an editor at one of the regional pubs she's been eyeing. 

After catching up, Sharon pitched a story idea on-the-spot.  The editor was receptive.  In fact, he liked it enough to arrange a follow-up call with her later in the week.

Jeff didn't set out to "discover his book." It just happened. 

Sharon set out to "get assignments," it's true, but she didn't expect to have a conversation with an assigning editor when she left her house for a query-writing session at the local cafe.

In their own ways, Jeff and Sharon each experienced the power of synchronicity: that happy, fruitful and unexpected "match" between intention and outcome.  They each "got lucky."   You can, too. 

Ready to get lucky with your writing goals?  Just follow these three, simple steps.

1. First, Jeff and Sharon set specific, manageable, meaningful goals.  They sat down to write with a crystal-clear understanding of what they wanted to do and why. 
2. Next, Jeff and Sharon showed up for their work focused and relaxed.  (This is key.)  They didn't waste energy on self-doubt.  They didn't get caught up in perfectionism, procrastination or any of the other myriad ways we writers tangle ourselves up before we even begin.  Using tools they learned from our coaching partnership, each "stayed out of their own way" as they worked.
3. Finally, when something a bit different from what they'd expected showed up (a book! an editor!), they were attuned enough to notice and respond to their good fortune--not turning opportunity down because it wasn't what they were expecting. 

image credit:  Caitlinator (Flickr)

What writing project would you like to "get lucky" with this month, and what are your plans to get you there?

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Discipline, Revised

On my afternoon walks through town, I'd often see my friend, the late sculptor Carl Dern, working.  During the week the wide doors of his studio were almost always open, and as I passed I'd often hear the plunk of metal-on-metal or see bright bursts of light as he welded and worked with metal. 

Carl was a professional who earned a living from his craft.  Week after week, his elegant tree sculptures began to accrue into a small metal grove in the grass.

By all measures, Carl's "show up every day no matter what" approach was disciplined.

But Carl had a sense of ease and humor about him too. 

(See him here, posing in a tutu?) 

Carl told his stories with a wise twinkle in his eye.  He'd make whimsical books with his wife, Marie.  He named his dog, "Kitty." He practiced meditation every day. 

Like Carl, I think it's important for us to show up regularly to do our writing, and to show up to the page as fully alive and truthful and "present" as we can be, our hearts and perceptive faculties alive and thrumming as we work.

But what we do away from our writing desk matters, too. 

Cultivate a sense of playfulness in your life, and (sometimes, at least) your relaxed and happy state will accompany you to the page.

And a relaxed writer is often both productive and inspired.

photo credit: Tom Rider

Five Keys to Making More Time to Write | Part 5

Meet Tad, a 40-year-old novelist. 

Tad wants to make more time to finish his manuscript.  He sets a target date.  He decides to discipline himself to write every day--a lot--until the novel is finished. 

Period.   

Tad experiences some early successes but soon "life" starts to interfere with his writing.  The laundry piles up.  He has to attend his girlfriend's cousin's wedding.  A friend comes to visit from out of town and stays three days.

Tad tries to regain his momentum after these setbacks, but he never quite succeeds.  His mood dims.  And after a few off-track weeks, discouragement sets in. 

"I'll never finish the novel," he tells himself. 

"I've failed, yet again."

* * *

Key #5 to Making More Time to Write:  Settle for nothing less than a writing schedule that works.

Tad created a simple writing schedule for himself.  He knew what his goal was, and he decided he had to hustle to attain it. 

But Tad's simple plan didn't work.  Here's why.

[Continued...]

image credit:  TonytheMisfit (flickr)

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Five Keys to Making More Time to Write | Part 4

If you're like most writers, when you get serious about making more time to write you find the time you need by elbowing your writing sessions into your already busy schedule.   

• You start getting up earlier or staying up late.
• You join a writing group and meet your fellow group members "after-hours."
• You open up your creative manuscript only after you've worked on your paid assignments, marketed your freelance business or spent a full day at the office. 

But when you squeeze your writing sessions into your life, you send yourself the message that, while writing your personal project is important, it's something you do on the side. 

It's not your real work. 

[Continued...]

image credit:  BobPetUK (flickr)

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Five Keys to Making More Time to Write | Part 3

Back in Lesson One, we looked at how your beliefs and thoughts can compromise your ability to make more time to write. 

Remember:

• You won't be able to protect your writing time against distractions until you believe that the act of "writing" itself is valid and valuable.  

• You won't be able focus and use the writing time you do have until you believe that your project is important and worth pursuing.

Realizing the relationship between what you think and what you do with your time is a terrific first step.

But to move your writing life forward, you've got to begin responding to self-doubt differently.   Here is a three-step model to help you do just that.   

[Cont'd.]

image credit: theogeo (Flickr)

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Web Reads for Writers: Time Tips and Creative Juice for Poets, Fiction Writers

Today, a quick list of great web reads for writers on managing your time and juicing up your poetry or fiction.  First though, some info about recent posts you've seen here on The Relaxed Writer.

"Making More Time to Write" e-course

For the next three days, you'll be seeing more excerpts from my new time management e-course for writers, "Making More Time to Write."  

As a busy mom and solo entrepreneur, I know just how danged difficult it can be to make realistic plans (and follow through) with personal writing projects.  As a life coach for writers, I know that change--sustainable, productive change--really can happen.  And that one of the very best ways to start is by revamping the ways we think about "time" and "writing." That's where the e-course comes in.

I've created five brief email lessons to help you focus on YOUR OWN writing and to inspire you to think differently about your time and your writing.  So. This little email course is kind of like a work-week's full of free coaching from me. 

You're seeing e-course excerpts here on the blog for two reasons. Obviously, if you haven't already, I'm inviting you to join in and sign up. Secondly, each lesson features a brief interactive exercise.  Posting intentions and plans online is one way to participate, and the posts provide a "place" for folks to do just that.

So there ya go.  To learn more about "Making More Time to Write," visit the e-course webpage on CoachMarla.com.  Or, click here and send a blank email to get started.  You'll get five daily time management lessons and a complimentary subscription to "The Relaxed Writer" ezine, featuring coaching news and discounts not available here on the blog.

* * *

Now for the Web Reads

>>A Dose of Time Management Mojo

Read time management interviews and tips, including an awesome quick time tip and my "How to Make the Most of an Off-Track Week" guest post, over at Make a Scene. 

>>A Shot of Poetic Inspiration

Listen to a free, two-hour poetry workshop led by Sage Cohen by clicking over to Writing The Life Poetic.

>>A Thought-Provoking Tool for Plotting Your Fiction

Explore "Hamlet = Cinderella.  Graphing Stories with Vonnegut," over on LiveWires.

Let me know what you think.  -Marla

image credit:  Drustar (Flickr)

Connect with Me on Twitter:  @MarlaBeck

Five Keys to Making More Time to Write | Part 2

Imagine for a moment that you're an archer in a once-in-a-lifetime competition.  You're going to be very, very rich if you manage to hit the bull's-eye on your next attempt.

photo credit:  Nchoz (flickr)

Take a deep breath. 

Now watch yourself heave the bow into position. Draw your arm back, release the bow and shoot the arrow. 

Now walk up to the target. Did you hit a bull's-eye?    [Continued...]

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Five Keys to Making More Time to Write | Part 1

You know that sense of possibility that comes with buying a new planner, scheduling software, or other time management system?

It's easy to think that an outside tool will tame your schedule and manage your time.  But think for a moment.  A calendar or schedule is a repository:  a place to record intentions about how you'd like to use your time. 

The real art of time management takes place long before you ink "writing worksession" onto your calendar. The real art of making more time to write begins from within.

[Continued...]

image credit:  Brenda-Starr~ (flickr)

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Writing Your Novel - When to Quit, When to Finish? (Ask Coach Marla)

Writers: want to see your biggest, burning-est time management, life balance or how-to-get-out-of-my-own-way question featured in an upcoming Ask Coach Marla post?

Join my Facebook Fan Page and post your question to my Wall.  If I choose yours, I'll feature your name, your question and a just-for-you answer right here on The Relaxed Writer.

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Question:

"How do you tell whether you should just move on to something else? I have three partly written novels, but I'm not sure any of them are worth my time." 

--Carolyn Cordon

Answer:

Three partly written novels?  Sounds like you're suffering no lack of creativity, Carolyn!

Before you can get clear about which writing project to pursue, you first need to get really honest with yourself. You need to explore two important questions:

1.  Why you're writing in the first place. 

• Because you find writing fun in-and-of-itself? 
• To learn the craft? 
• To get published?  Make a buck (or more)? 

2. Why you quit.

Keeping your motivations in mind, take a look at each manuscript. You need to ask yourself:

• Did I quit because I ran into a technical problem I just couldn't solve?
• Did I quit because I'm not sure  this story really should be written as a novel?
• Did I quit because the storyline bored me?
• Did I quit because I got bored with the writing process itself? 
• Or, honestly, did I quit because I got scared of actually finishing?

Many writers I've coached find that finally finishing an important writing project is incredibly empowering.  I can't suggest this enough:  after you explore your answers to the above questions, choose one of your manuscripts and decide to realize it fully.  See it through to the end. 

As you work, remember that this first novel need not necessarily be your last.  Allow yourself to learn all you can about your craft.  Allow yourself to learn all you can about your ways of working, too.  If you're mindful, you'll discover your own "most effective ways" to get started, power through and finish each writing session.  The fruits of your labor will be with you throughout your writing career.

How about you? Got an unfinished manuscript (or two) in the drawer?  What's been stopping you from finishing?

image credit: JessicaMullen (Flickr.com)

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Web Reads for Writers: "Why Hire a Coach?", "Why Social Media?" and More.

Welcome Urban Muse and Pen and Prosper readers!  Thanks for stopping by.

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>>Why Hire a Life Coach for Writers?

This week, Taylor over at Men with Pens made one of the best cases I've read in awhile for the power of coaching.   If you missed it, you can read about her mid-winter camping adventure and more in "Who Pushes You More?" and if you're so inspired, let me know if you're ready to explore coaching for your writing life.  Happy to help.

>>"I don't know how to publish an author who won't engage online."

Whoa.  If you're working on a book proposal and are still not convinced that developing your social media skills is a relevant, important element of developing your writing project, Debbie Stier's (HarperStudio, HarperCollins) quote makes an awfully convincing case, doesn't it? 

Read more in Iris Blasi's review of the "Get Noticed:  How to Earn Attention for Each Book" panel from the recent 2010 Digital Book World conference, held in late January in NYC.

>>Resources for Writers: meet a few of my friends.

In the past month I've connected with some talented -- and awesome -- new colleagues.  Take a moment to check out their writing blogs:

• Jordan Rosenfeld, Make a Scene
• Jennifer Brown Banks, Pen and Prosper
• Carol Tice, TiceWrites
• Emily Kischell, LiveWires

Be back soon with more advice and tips from The Relaxed Writer.  In the meantime, write well and thanks for being a part of my community.

-Marla (@MarlaBeck on Twitter)

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How to Finish What You Write: Be Your Own Project Manager

Welcome!  This is the first post in The Relaxed Writer's new "How to Finish What You Write" blog series.  Don't miss future installments. If you like what you read, click here to subscribe to this blog.

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Finish What You Write:  Show Up as Your Own Project Manager

It sometimes surprises me how often savvy freelancers overlook the need to direct and manage their own creative projects (and then wonder why their novel, marketing project or book proposal isn't yet done)! 

Are you showing up as your own project manager?  Here's how to get started.

1.  You balance your long-term vision with shorter term (monthly, weekly) goals for your novel-writing, book proposal or other marketing project.

Sounds paradoxical, but many creative types thrive within boundaries and structure.  With no editor, client or boss, it's up to you to create your own project plan and deadlines.  Take time to look at your project's scope and outcomes and plan how you're going to get there.  Doing so will help you relax as you do the day-to-day work.

2.  You "meet" once a week to review your progress and performance.

Keep it simple (15-25 minutes will do), and schedule this meeting for the same time each week if you can.  If you need a model, check out David Allan's "Weekly Review" model (in his seminal book on personal productivity, Getting Things Done).

3.  You invest in R&D.

Don't do your work in a vacuum.  To stay creatively fresh and relevant, each week devote some time dedicated to keeping up with your profession and continuing to develop your craft.  Each month, make some time to learn about and try on some new ideas:  creative, business or both. 

4.  You don't yell at your team.

 No one can work well in an atmosphere of intimidation, belittlement or doubt.  Believe in your writer (that's you).  Treat the writer with respect.  Value his work and believe in his ability to get the job done.  We often rise to the expectations of others. Set yours just high enough to really challenge and motivate your writer-self.  Stretch goals are fine;  unrealistic expectations (read: perfectionism!) are self-generated setbacks.

5.  Every time you sit down to work, you know what you want to accomplish.

Does all this project planning mean there's no room for spontaneity or freedom?  Not at all.  If you need a to spend a work session or two freewriting about your character, by all means, do what you need to do.   Just consciously choose a focus for your work session, and make sure that what you're choosing to spend time on makes sense in the context of your overall project.

Remember to always adjust your definition of "success" to meet that specific day's tasks.  No fair beating yourself up for not adding pages to your manuscript draft when your purpose that day was to deepen your own understanding of a character, 'k?

6.  You expect and learn from setbacks.

Did your writer have an off-day, an off-week?  Keep your writer-self accountable, but help her examine what stymied her progress and brainstorm other options for next time.  They say good organizations are always learning.  Study your setbacks, adapt this model to your writing life and thrive!

photo credit:  "psd" on Flicker

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Stay tuned for post #2 in the "How to Finish What You Write" blog series.   

Got a topic you'd like me to cover?  Please comment below or visit my Facebook Fan Page to leave your ideas on my Wall.    

Thanks for reading,

Marla

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Why That Blog Post Is Not Yet Written

I'm gonna' be honest. Tonight I'm sitting here with some coaching notes and an outline scattered on the couch beside me. My daughter's asleep, my husband's reading and my cat's snuggled on a pile of clean laundry across the room.

You'd think I'd be able to write up a few thoughts for you on how to finish your novel.

Truth is, I lost a dear aunt this week.  And I need to focus on my family for the next few days. 

I'll be back again later this week.  In the meantime, thought you might like to pop over to Write to Done and check out my guest post from last summer, "First Draft Secrets:  Five Simple Steps."

When my head clears, I think I'll be re-reading it myself. :-)

-Marla

A "Take-Action Challenge" for Writers (on MLK, Haiti & Your Novel)

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."  -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I'm no historian (and certainly no King scholar), but Dr. King's life, to me, is a luminous example of what it's like to really live.  Brave and vibrant, King's empowered engagement in the world sprang from his compassion for others and a deep, personal spirituality.

Music affected King profoundly.  (The Guardian reported that King's last words, spoken to the saxophonist, Ben Branch, were: "Ben, make sure you play "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" in the meeting tonight. Play it real pretty.")  Martin Luther King, Jr. left behind a legacy of social change and inspired oratory.

What Writers Can Learn from Dr. King's Example

Like us, each day King made choices. 

Given his accomplishments, King seems to have chosen again and again to "speak out" about what mattered most to him.  Sometimes Dr. King spoke with silent and deliberate actions.  Often he chose to voice himself in conversation, prayer or song. 

He spoke his mind out loud and on the page.

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, this week I encourage you to enliven yourself by engaging more fully with what matters most.

Introducing "The MLK Take-Action Challenge"

The MLK Take-Action Challenge is two-fold:

1. "speak out" this week for others' benefit, and
2. "speak out" this week on behalf of yourself

Part One:  "Speak Out" for Others
If you've been stunned into inaction by the aftermath of Haiti's 7.0 earthquake, act now to voice your concern and compassion. If you haven't done so already, please take a moment to donate to Haiti earthquake relief efforts.

Need ideas?

Today on LinkedIn, Randy Hecht, writer and a former consultant with the Points of Light Foundation, offered these suggestions:

Donate money.

Hecht recommends checking out these relief organization and supports their work herself:

• OxFamAmerica
• Doctors without Borders
• Grameen Foundation

According to Hecht, each organization is rated highly by the American Institute of Philanthropy (indicating  that more of your donation goes to direct services vs. funding administrative and overhead costs).

Donate frequent flyer miles.

If you're short on cash, Hecht suggests you consider donating frequent flyer miles to relief organizations.  "Contact the airline for a list of non-profits supported by donations via any given mileage plan," Hecht says.  You might also want to visit the LA Times Travel Blog to learn where to donate your travel miles and hotel award points.

Another option to consider:

Donate proceeds from selling your professional services or creative works.

Consider joining Kelly Diel's "Help Haiti Blog Challenge."  Diel, creator of Cleavage and a weekly contributor to ProBlogger, is asking other bloggers to join her in generating relief contributions in exchange for goods or services. There donating professional service fees or proceeds from the sales of  creative work (crafts, music, art objects or ___[your idea here]__.  To contribute (or get ideas for your own offerings), click here.

Part Two:  "Speak Out" for Yourself

Let's say that you're a busy freelance writer with a novel-in-progress. The manuscript may be perched on the corner of your desk, filed in the filing cabinet or still lodged in your imagination. 

Alternately, let's say you're a busy working writer with a book proposal in-progress.  A day-job holder with a blogging dream.  [Insert Your Project Here]

Part two of your "MLK Take-Action Challenge" is this:  each day this week, take one simple action to reconnect with your creative work and further your dream. 

If the novel's not yet started, a few suggestions:  do a ten-minute freewrite on what entices you and what scares you about writing this story.  Spider-diagram your characters, or sketch your plot. 

If you've got a work-in-progress, a few suggestions:  reread the last few chapters you wrote.  Revise your synopsis. Organize your research.  Sign up for my free "How to Finish What You Write" teleclass.

I'll be offering you lots more tips and thoughts on how to reconnect to--and finish--your writing projects  later this week.  Please subscribe now to be sure you don't miss a thing.

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I'll leave you with a two-minute musical offering, for those who'd like to hear Mahalia Jackson singing Dr. King's favorite hymn:

Enjoy this Martin Luther King, Jr.-inspired "Take-Action Challenge."  I'd love to hear about how things go for you this week.

-Marla (@MarlaBeck on Twitter) 

Calibrate Your Writing Life

Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.

-Japanese Proverb

Between "daydream" and "nightmare" dwells the lucid hour:  that state of rightness, receptivity and effortless right action otherwise known as the Flow State.

These late December days provide the perfect opportunity to discover how to best calibrate your writing life in the new year. 

How will you achieve that delicate balance between vision and action? 

Will you:

• Explore, deepen or work on truly owning your visions for your life and writing? 
• Move out of the "perhaps-I'll-do-it-someday" state into concrete habits to support your vision?
• Create a sustainable, effective plan to help you take consistent, smart actions each day?

As a Life Coach for Writers, I'm here to help you create the writing life you're dreaming of.  Tell us what you're working on, and please let me know how I can help you make 2010 your best year yet.

image credit (RickMcCharles-Flickr)

 

 

What's On Your Plate for 2010? (New Year's Roundup)

It's that tasty Monday between the Christmas holiday and the start of the New Year. 

If you're hungry for a few tips to help you get ready for 2010 (not just a new year, but a brand-new decade, as my friend and fellow blogger, Emily Kischell, points out in this LiveWires post), check out this lil' roundup of tips and exercises from last year's Relaxed Writer:

• Figure out what makes you happy
• Organize your goals and define a vision for your writing life
• Treat yourself to an annual review

Laser Coaching for Writers: 60-Minute Strategy Sessions

Many of you asked me for an affordable, powerful (and fun) way to coach with me this past year. 

Today I'm pleased to introduce you to the 60-Minute Strategy Session, a laser coaching session designed to get you on-target, unstuck and well-resourced for 2010.

You can learn more about 60-Minute Strategy Sessions here.

I've set things up so you can enjoy a fantastic rate if you book your session (for December, January or anytime) before Thursday, December 31, 2009.  

Please feel free to email or call me if I can answer any questions, ok?

What to Do When Your Writing Time Vanishes

Let's just say it's the holiday season, 2009. 

And you're a very busy person.  (A very busy writer-type person.) 

Writing much?

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@secondglantz:  @marlabeck The holiday rush has usurped all writing time. Can't wait to get back to it in the new year."

If you're struggling to make time to write during this busy holiday season, you're not alone. 

Like my Twitter friend, Cheryl, more than a few of my coaching clients have expressed frustrations with their writing lives this week.

No matter the source of their time stress (end-of-year work deadlines, kids' calendars or holiday to-dos), they've realized that their writing time has simply vanished.

Gone with the (winter) wind.

What to do when your writing time vanishes?  Here are 3 tips I've used with success in my own writing life and coaching practice. See what you think.

1.  Plug the Energy Drain.

It takes a lot of energy to redefine reality. 

Remember when you were little, and one of your siblings or friends started pushing your buttons by telling you something untrue? 

One of my own scenarios (from awful third grade) went something like this:

"Haha, you're a pig, Marla!"  (Can you believe that crap?)

"No I'm not." I'd say.

"Ha ha ha...you are!  A pig!"

After a few rounds of this exchange, I'd finally realize that a shift in tactics was in order.

"That's right," I'd say proudly. "I am!"

"I'm a pretty, intelligent girl." (Thanks Mom, for that one.)

While it was great to have a sassy comeback, defending myself against Billy's mean opinions sure took a lot of psychic energy.  Talking back was probably a decent coping mechanism as a kid.

As an adult, though, when faced with impossible situations (crazy folks' opinions of us, temporarily overwhelming time demands, you name it), sometimes it's best to pack up and go off to another sandbox.

Rather than force your writing time during the holidays, try saving your energy.  Quit fighting your situation and accept your temporary reality ("No time to write.")  Then use your energy to enjoy the season.

2.  Remember this Sanity Saver:  "Life Balance Ain't Linear."

"Now that I've made consistent time to write, things should stay balanced," you say.

It'd be convenient if "life balance" were always controllable, neatly manageable, and deliciously linear, but you may have noticed otherwise?

When disruptions to your writing time come up, your work as a Relaxed Writer is to remember that life balance is zig-zaggy by nature.

You're not doing something wrong if things get "squidgy" again.  You haven't lost all progress, either. 

Like trained muscles, your writing self and psyche have a "muscle memory" of their own.  Create the same conditions for writing when things settle down, and it's likely you'll be able to click right back in.

3.  Apply Patchett's "Edgar Principle."

Last night I picked up my husband from work, and while I waited for him (5 minutes or so) in the car, I  polished off a few rows on the scarf I'm knitting for him.  I added nearly an inch in length.

Seeing my knitting project grow incrementally over time has been a wonderful reminder that small efforts add up.  Little efforts really do matter.

* * *

In her fantastic Washington Post essay last week, writer Ann Patchett introduced a favorite productivity tool, inspired by composer and bassist, Edgar Meyer.

"[Edgar] put a notebook by the door of his studio and kept a careful record of the number of hours he actually sat down to work.  The startling conclusion of this experiment was...time spent work equals output of work.  Amazing!"

Patchett calls her friend's experiment the Edgar Principle: "The more time I committed to working, the more pages I stacked up," she says.

Small efforts really do add up.

* * *

@MarlaBeck: "@secondglantz & writers everywhere: Can you find small moments for writing and make good use of them? Even during holidays?"

@secondglantz @MarlaBeck Now that I think about it, yes. :) I do a lot of outlining/note taking during lunch and other work breaks.

@TiffanyVize   @MarlaBeck yes,I downloaded a notes app. For my phone and now I can write whenever,wherever!If that doesn't work, email a note to yourself :)

Cheryl outlines and takes notes during lunch.  Tiffany jots notes to herself using her phone or computer. I like to do 15-minute freewrites (and love to watch my small notebook fill up over time).  You might choose to use these end-of-year "small moments" to dream, plan or strategize for your writing in 2010.  (If so, I can help.)

Small efforts really do add up.  Little efforts matter.

* * *

Take a moment and consider your own writing. 

• How can you find small moments to help yourself stay connected to your writing, even in the midst of busy holidays?

• How do you track your "small efforts?"

photo credit: thomaspetermueller (flickr)