Publishing, Planning and Procrastination

I started to write this blog post months ago so I thought it was about time I put it out there.  It's all about reflection - specifically reflecting on what I intended to do, and what I actually did. I looked at my aims for 2013, which did not only focus on writing, because I am something of a butterfly and easily distracted by projects that interest me. 

These were my aims a year ago:

Developing my writing business, including republishing my extensive backlist of novels for children and teenagers.
Getting there, but slowly.  I am well behind my schedule for this.

Being braver and accepting more speaking engagements.
Yes, I am actively promoting this aspect of my work. 

Performing as a classical singer again, especially contemporary repertoire.
Nope.  This may have to wait until 2015. 

Continuing to raise funds for and awareness of the importance of research into early detection and treatment for pancreatic cancer.
Yes, I am organising a (now sold out) ticketed event to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer UK, and attended a meeting at the Houses of Parliament for the APPG Inquiry. 

In a September 2013 blog post I wrote, "I have 2 more horse titles I want to bring out before the end of September (more likely October now), plus a further title at the end of November (horse sci-fi!) and, hopefully, a completely new story end Dec/mid Jan."  

Ha! Well, I did eventually manage to publish both Joyrider and The Horse in my Heart in November 2013, and my 4 book Gemma series in December. I have not yet managed to put the equestrian sci-fi title onto Amazon - this is now imminent - and the completely new story has not yet been written.  

In my defence, I managed to put out a novella in February this year called Valentine Horse, which is aimed at slightly older readers.   

But I'm disappointed at my productivity, which is not what it should be.  I want to work on two new titles, which are both planned and mapped out, but I need to do the hard graft of actually writing the books.  

Procrastination and vacillation - right now, these two words describe my working practice perfectly!  This has to change.......so did you achieve your writing plans for 2013?  

Related posts: 
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/reflections-on-being-writer-judy-croome.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/thinking-it-and-doing-it.html

Reflections on being a writer: Judy Croome Guest Post

I'm delighted to welcome South African author Judy Croome to The Beautiful Room.  I recently met Judy "virtually" after reading her excellent article http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2014/05/judy-croome/, in which she shares her tips for reading aloud at writer events.  This really resonated with me, so I decided to visit Judy's website and contact her.  (This is one of the things I love about the internet - being able to connect with other writers anywhere in the world).  Happily, Judy very kindly agreed to be interviewed, providing some really thought-provoking and inspirational reflections on being a writer......

What is the best thing about being a writer?

Freedom, on all levels.

There’s the physical freedom of being able to work in my pyjamas on a cold winter’s morning or at a time of day that allows me to meet other commitments.

Then there’s emotional freedom. In today’s world many of us are so well-socialised or so intellectualised that we’ve lost touch with our feelings. Don’t cry, Johnny, boys don’t cry. Don’t shout, Alice, girls don’t get angry.  
No wonder we repress our deepest emotions. Whenever one writes, the possibility exists that we can, in a safe way, tap into those emotions buried so deeply and free them from where they’re nailed into our psyches. 

And, finally, when your writing pushes you into places you never thought you could go, there’s a spiritual freedom that comes from unexpectedly meeting an inner self that is truer than any other personality mask we wear.

What is the worst thing about being a writer?

Fear. The time between books is always a dangerous time for me, because it’s then that I’m most tempted to give up writing. I’m riddled with fear and doubt and anxiety about everything from the reviews of my last book to the ideas I have for future books. That’s why I procrastinate (a lot!) before diving in to the actual writing. When I do begin to write again, it takes an act of real self-discipline to keep myself writing as I travel into the dark places that the muse sometimes takes me.

Most writers complain about being easily distracted and the problems of procrastinating.  Is this something that affects you? 

I have a PhD in Procrastination. I’ve developed Procrastination into an art form more complex than anything I’ve ever written. I also have the attention span of a pea. So, yes, Procrastination is a serious issue for me. I think I’ll go and make a cup of tea now. I’ll be back in a minute to write the rest of this article!

Why do you think this especially seems to be an issue for writers? (rather than artists or composers?) 

Writing is a more intellectual process than the other creative arts. Each creative art has its own “intellectual” technique, that is, the learned part of the craft. But when it comes to the creative alchemy, words are more of the intellect than music or paintings. 

A writer needs a strong mind to keep the words dancing. While the power of the mind is a great asset in creating a logical story or character arc, or for the endless editing and revision stages that a story requires, that same mind can be a disadvantage at times.

It can deceive us into thinking we’re actually writing when we’re only perfecting our procrastination skills.  Social media, plotting our stories, seeking that perfect word to write that perfect sentence all feel like “real” writing, but they’re simply avoidance techniques.

What do writers want to avoid? All those scary emotions that writing forces to the surface in a way that the mind can’t control or repress. And so writers procrastinate more than artists or musicians who, to create, have to move into a space beyond the mind rather than (as writers do) work through the mind to create.  I sometimes think of my procrastination period as a pre-writing war: my emotional urge to create a story battling it out with my intellectual urge to keep the dark creative void at bay.

Do you have any tips for other writers to help in being focussed and maintaining that focus?

Only one. Write every day. Even if it’s only 100 words a day, write.  When I start a writing task, I use a modified version of the “Don’t Break the Chain” calendar based upon a motivation technique purportedly used by Jerry Seinfeld. It really works. Once you cross off the first block, it’s almost impossible to resist striving to keep the chain going. And don’t cheat yourself. If you don’t write on the work you’re trying to finish, you don’t get to cross off a block! Here’s the link for more information on that method: Jerry Seinfeld’s Don’t Break the Chain Method

Here’s another link to an excellent article on writer’s procrastination and how to overcome it

Can writers change the world? 

Indirectly, yes, I do believe that writers can change the world. As the great Mahatma Gandhi said, the way to change the world is to change oneself. Our words can reach out to people and change their inner landscape. Like water dripping from a tap, drop by drop, if enough people change themselves, then the world will eventually change too. I’ve included this philosophy in my biography on my website:

If you were not a writer, which other art form or profession would you pursue to express yourself?

I used to be an accountant. I still don’t know how I survived all those years in an office environment. If I could choose another career to creatively express myself in, I’d ask God to grant me the gift of being able to create beautiful music. Music, more than any other artistic form, has the ability to transcend language and difference, reminding us of our common humanity through the harmony of wordless sounds.

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Judy Croome lives and writes in Johannesburg, South Africa. Shortlisted in the African Writing Flash Fiction 2011 competition, Judy’s short stories and poems have appeared in various magazines and anthologies, such as the Huffington Post and the University of the Witwatersrand’s Itch Magazine.

Judy loves her family, cats, exploring the meaning of life, chocolate, cats, rainy days, ancient churches with their ancient graveyards, cats, meditation and solitude. Oh, and cats. Judy loves cats (who already appear to have discovered the meaning of life.) 

Her books “The Weight of a Feather & Other Stories” (2013), “a Lamp at Midday” (2012) and “Dancing in the Shadows of Love” (2011) are available, and she is currently researching child murders for her next novel and you can visit Judy on www.judycroome.com , “Like” her Facebook Author page for updates or join her on Twitter @judy_croome.

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You might also enjoy these related posts:
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/reflections-on-being-full-time-writer.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/can-writers-really-change-world.html

Thinking it and Doing it

Having crossed the scary bridge on Sark. (Picture Roger Hyland)

Thinking it and doing it are two very different activities.  Thinking it is fun.  Doing it is graft. Why is there such a big gap between imagination and action and why is that bridge so hard to cross?

 

I love learning.  Learning new stuff is exciting, a voyage of discovery.  Then there’s putting into practice the things you’ve learned.  That’s harder.  In some cases we never make that transition from learning it to doing it. 

So why is that?  Is it laziness?  Why am I stopping myself from doing the things I tell myself I want to do?

When I was a child I decided to be a writer.  And I just kept writing, so I was a writer. I worked hard.  I kept going. Eventually,  I became a published author.  Why can’t I transfer this determination to other things I want to do? 

I gave up singing because I never practiced enough between lessons, but I still fantasised about singing in concerts and shows, pictured myself standing there and wowing the crowd.  Ha!  Recently I had a lesson after a 20 year gap.  I loved it and got a real buzz, and I’ve started to think about all the songs I want to do but have I practised?  I think you know the answer. 

Today I went for a run.  I’m making exceedingly slow progress considering I took it up over a year ago.  I frustrate myself with my lack of willpower, still picturing a future me with a svelte frame and bags of energy.  The health benefits should be motivation enough.

It’s not that I don’t run, or never practised at all.  I’m inconsistent with my efforts and all too easily make excuses for myself.

So, back to the writing.  Well, now I apply the same lack of consistency to this, too.  Marketing is fun.  Blogging, part of the marketing, is also fun.  Writing a novel is hard work. I compare writing a novel to building a house.  Laying the foundations, stacking the bricks – that’s hard slog.  But decorating the house – that’s the fun part.  Like promoting the novel.  It’s great to play with categories and tinker with search keywords, and experiment with social media.  More fun than laying bricks.

I’m not playing down the importance of marketing – I love marketing and it’s been my job for over 25 years.  I just find it easier than writing a novel.  That’s how I see it. 

Do you prefer building your house or decorating it?

Related post: http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/the-art-of-time-management.html

Running, cats and writer's block

When I was a child, a teenager and throughout my twenties, writing came so easily and the words would flow effortlessly.  Now, I have to wrestle the words out.  It’s a struggle. A wrench.  Like dragging myself  from under the duvet on a cold winter morning.

Last summer, I took up running.  The main reasons were fitness and weight loss, but actually the thing I like best about running is the head space it gives you.  And, although I keep harking back to this, each run is a short journey.  And journeys are so effective at stimulating the creative juices.

When I was on my way back from a run on Friday morning, I noticed up ahead that a black and white cat was sitting on the zebra crossing in the middle of the road.  He was deeply engrossed in sniffing at something that demanded his attention, so much so that when a a learner in a driving school car passed by me towards the crossing, the cat stayed put.  The car stopped and the instructor must have told his pupil to sound the horn.  A loud hoot still didn’t persuade the cat to move.  I wondered what would happen next.  I was worried about the cat, wondering if I should try and scoop him up and keep him safe.  But the car, after waiting a bit longer,  simply drove onto the wrong side of the road and round the cat, who then sauntered casually away.

Watching this,  I recalled an assertiveness course I  attended many moons ago.  I don’t remember much about it but what did stick was this advice:  if you encounter an obstacle, either remove it or go round it.

I don’t really believe in writer’s block as such, in the sense that I rarely have problems getting ideas.  The issue is reining those ideas in and focussing on what to do with them.  And writing them down.  The actual writing, that’s the hard bit.  My favoured approach, like the car, would be to go around the obstacle.  In practical terms, this means doing something else until I can address the real problem.  So if I’m not working on my novel, like I should be, I might write a short story, a feature, a blog (my own or a guest blog) or get on with some marketing.  I hate to waste time.  So although I’m not actually removing my obstacle at least I’m achieving something.    I suppose you could call it productive procrastination.

That cat was really cute.