Put Discipline into Your Daily Writing Schedule

June 19, 2015July 17, 2015 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 4 Comments

As many of you know, if you read my post, Are Squirrels Interfering With Your Writing Routine? It is difficult for me to stick to a daily writing schedule. I won’t rehash the reasons (you can see some of them in the post). Suffice it to say, some days I’m disciplined, other days I’m like a thirteen year old girl with her mind on everything but her homework. And don’t get me started on how a retired husband fits into the equation.

So, in an attempt to become more disciplined and inspired by my sister, Jean Cogdell @jeans writing, I’ve decided to participate in Jeff Goins 500 Words 31Day Challenge. The challenge started yesterday and I wrote a story, Maggie’s New Beginning (Check it out) the (terribleminds) Flash Fiction Challenge (Chuck Wendig).

Day 2

I’m announcing so you and the other participants can help keep me honest and on track. Feel free to give me a nudge. The fun part of this challenge is there’s no theme. The purpose is to help you become disciplined to write at least 500 words a day. Some days, I will share writing tips and resources. Other days, I’ll share excerpts from my work in progress or a flash fiction piece.

For those interested in participating, here are the rules:

Write 500 words per day, every day for 31 days.
You can write more if you want, but 500 words is the minimum.
Don’t edit. Just write.
If you miss a day, pick up where you left off. Don’t make up for lost days.
Encourage, don’t criticize (unless explicitly invited to do so).
Blogging counts, but email does not.
All of this is completely free.

I gotta say, the “don’t edit” rule kinda makes me nervous. So expect to see an errant comma or two (I’m a bit of a comma whore) or a few passive sentences. I’m also a was whore as I tend to write as I talk; although, those who know me would never call me passive (ask them). Whatever I share I hope you will be kind in your comments and please do comment. I love feedback, even when it hurts.

How to be Successful in keeping a Daily Schedule

1. Set your alarm and get up an hour earlier. If you’re like me, you won’t need an alarm clock. I’m up every day before 6 am.

2. Set aside uninterrupted time to write. For me, that’s those early morning hours. Once my husband’s feet hit the floor, all bets are off. Which brings me to the next suggestion.

3. Tell your family (retired husbands included) the time frame you are not to be disturbed. If a large chunk of time is too difficult, set aside increments of time. For some, you may need to place a do not disturb sign on your door, send your kids to Grandmas or locking them out of the house (make sure they have plenty of water, it’s hot as Hades). As for the husband, can’t help you too much, keeping mine occupied is all I can handle.

4. Plan for the next day.

5. Spend at least a portion of your time brainstorming for topics.

I’ll leave you with this quote of inspiration:

“If you only write when inspired, you may be a fairly decent poet, but you’ll never be a novelist.” Neil Gaiman

Do you have a daily writing schedule? How do you do it? I’d love to hear from you. You can follow me on Facebook at SheilaMGood and Twitter @cofcmom

Are Squirrels Interfering With Your Writing Routine?

June 17, 2015October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 3 Comments

Lord have mercy, the squirrels are loose in Lyman! No, I don’t mean the nut-gathering, fluffy-tail kind. I’m talking about the partying kind. And, they’re having the time of their lives running amok in my brain.

Each morning I sit down intending to write on my novel, blog, or make notes on the story idea that came to me in the middle of the night.

Yet, somewhere between my butt hitting the chair and that first keystroke, the band starts playing.

I’ll just scan my emails first; it shouldn’t take long. In the middle of every email, what do I find? Links! They sound so enticing and I might miss something if I don’t click.

Then, I receive notice from Twitter, “You have a new follower; so and so favorited your tweet…” It would be rude not to reply.

Three hours later, I’ve clicked every link included in the first five emails (I still have two and a half pages left to peruse) and checked out my new followers on Twitter. Before I can’t get through Facebook (damn share buttons) my husband walks in, ” Hey, I have an idea; let’s go shopping then head up to the lake.”

Well, who doesn’t like shopping? And well, I could use a little relaxation.

What about you? Are these beautiful, sunny days feeding the squirrels?

How do you stay focused on writing when FUN is calling your name?

Tips for taming the squirrels:

Make a list of writing projects, in order of importance (deadlines, submissions, contests).
Devote your first hour of the day to writing and nothing but writing.
Schedule blog updates and your WIP on alternate days.
Check email, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Contently only after that first hour.
Buy your husband a golf membership or if all else fails, lock him out of the house.

What about you? How do you stay focused during the summer? I’d love to hear from you. Talk to me. Share the tips and be sure to follow me on Twitter or Facebook.

Character Building Tools Every Writer Needs

June 12, 2015October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 2 Comments

Stories are about people. It is the characters we fall in love with, root for, or sometimes dislike. We notice their quirks, sense of humor, and mannerisms. We relate to their failures, triumphs, and dastardly deeds. But, it is the characters that keep us turning the pages.

How we develop characters differ from writer to writer, but we all start with a vision, even if it’s sketchy.

Some characters, we envision before our pens strike the paper, others appear as the plot thickens. However, developing a character outline or sketch as part of your planning process will not only keep the flow of words moving forward, but provide well-rounded characters that keep readers engaged.

When I began writing fiction, I scoffed at the notion that a character, you hadn’t planned could walk onto the page, until it happened to me. An Irish American man named Richard Donovan stepped on the plane and took a seat next to my main character. Without taking my fingers from the keyboard, I understood the relationship he’d have with my main character and where he fit within the plot line of my story.

I still had work to do on Mr. Donovan if I wanted him to be anything other than a fly by night (no pun intended) aberration.

Characters are not just a name in a story. They represent a person we want our readers to understand, and relate to. Fully developed characters take thought and planning. We need to know what makes them tick if we have any hope of knowing how they will react or behave in the circumstances of our story.

Whether you clip photos from magazines, keep index cards or a notebook, developing a character is more than physical description. So, I thought I’d share my favorite tools for building and developing characters.

Resources:

Building Believable Characters

Angela Ackerman has a wonderful post today, 3 Quick Tips to Help Readers Connect to Your Hero. In addition, Angela and Becca Puglisi have written two books specifically designed to help you define your characters. Check out their Writers Helping Writers bookstore for complete details.

Matt Heron from The Write Practice explains in detail, Scrivener and with a free 30 day offer, now may be the time to give it a try.

What method, tool, or resources do you use when developing your characters? Tell me what works or doesn’t work for you. I love hearing from you. Talk to me and tell me your story.

Consequences of Telling Single Stories Revealed

June 6, 2015October 5, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / Leave a comment

A big thanks to Anne Greenawalt from WOW! Women on Writing for reminding us of the array of resources offered by TED, an educational, video resources for writers and for pointing us to a most moving video.

I must say The Danger of the Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was amazing, inspirational, thought-provoking, and a great way to start the day.

I hope you will take the time to watch and absorb the message so eloquently delivered. In the words of Ms.Ngozi Adichie,