How to Choose a Writing Project and Stick With It
Links in this Episode:
Essential Book Outline [free resource]
Season 4: The Resilient Writers Radio Show [additional podcast episodes]
First Book Finish Waiting List [sign up for a special bonus when we open again!]
The Journal of Creative Behavior
How to Choose a Writing Project and Stick with It: Full Transcript
Intro:
Well, hey there, writer. Welcome to the Resilient Writers Radio Show. I'm your host, Rhonda Douglas, and this is the podcast for writers who want to create and sustain a writing life they love. Because let's face it, the writing life has its ups and downs, and we want to not just write, but also to be able to enjoy the process so that we'll spend more time with our butt-in-chair getting those words on the page.
This podcast is for writers who love books and everything that goes into the making of them. For writers who want to learn and grow in their craft and improve their writing skills, writers who want to finish their books and get them...
How to Finish a Book...Even When Life Gets Hard
Links from this Episode
Show Notes
Well, hey there, Writer. Welcome to the Resilient Writers Radio Show. I'm your host, Rhonda Douglas, and this is the podcast for writers who want to create and sustain a writing life they love. Because, let's face it, the writing life has its ups and downs, and we want to not just write, but also to be able to enjoy the process so that we'll spend more time with our butt-in-chair getting those words on the page.
This podcast is for writers who love books and everything that goes into the making of them. For writers who want to learn and grow in their craft and improve their writing skills. Writers who want to finish their books and get them out into the world so their ideal readers can enjoy them.
Writers who want to spend more time in that flow state. Writers who want to connect with other writers to celebrate and be in community in this crazy roller coaster ride we...
2 Unruly Beasts All Writers Must Tame
The Two Unruly Beasts You Must Tame In Order to Create a Writing Routine and Writer’s Life You Love
How do you create and sustain a writing routine? Is it even possible in today’s hustle & ping world of distractions and demands?
That is the question.
The goal of this consistent writing routine is not necessarily to be a prolific writer and pump out hundreds of thousands of words.
Our true goal is to LOVE the process (most of the time), so we can LIVE the writer’s life for the rest of our days.
It’s no secret that I believe the key to all of this is becoming a resilient writer. And I’ve talked about what that means before.
But how do you get there from where you are now? Why do so many writers struggle to find the time to write?
There are two beasts we must tame, in order to become the writers we want to be…
Tame Your Expectations
You’ve always loved stories. And you’ve been a writer for as...
A Long and Satisfying Journey to Publication
The path to publishing a book isn’t an easy one.
That goes double when you’re learning about what you want to write, what kind of book you’re going to publish, trying to get your book selected by a publisher…
A Long and Satisfying Path to Publication, with Mari Ruddy
The list of bumps in the road to publishing goes on and on, and author Mari Ruddy hit every single one. The entire process of writing her second book took Mari over ten years—but after all her hard work, patience, and perseverance, it’s finally here!
And as you may have guessed, Mari didn’t get published by cutting any corners.
Listen to learn:
- The importance of knowing what kind of book you’re writing
- Why you should pay for an editor, especially as a self-published author
- How much it can cost to self-publish
- The value of having a writing community
Here’s a sneak peek:
[6:54] So I joined this co-working space and...
On Deciding to FINISH
Are you writing to FINISH?
Nearly every writer has days when the voices in her head get snarky and loud.
>> Why even bother?
>> Is this even worth it?
>> Who do you think you are to write a memoir?
>> You’ll never get this published.
>> Why don’t you stop wasting your time and do something useful for a change?
Honestly -- that voice is such a b*tch! And she always shows up uninvited and at the worst possible time.
If you hear that voice often, then you will at some point wonder if you should even bother finishing and if your book is worth it.
So let’s take that question at face value and try to answer it:
Should you even bother finishing your book?
Deciding to finish: know your WHY
Simon Sinek has a great book called Start with Why and it’s lead me to thinking about the importance of WHY we write in the first place.
Because depending on why you write and why it matters to you, the answer about finishing your book will be...
6 Ways to Fit Finishing a Book Into Your Busy Life
Of all the reasons writers give for not [yet] finishing their books, time is at the top of the list.
We think we would finish the book we’ve started – the one gathering pixel dust deep in the recesses of our laptops – if only we had more time.
How much more time?
Heaps! Gobs! Bunches! Loads!
At least one completely free day every weekend, but preferably just weeks and weeks of open time as we go off somewhere alone and away from all our daily tasks and distractions.
We want a long stretch of time with nothing to do but write, ideally with someone bringing us yummy food, and changing out the towels and bed sheets every 2-3 days. (I confess: IT ME!)
For many writers, it’s impossible to conceive of finishing a book without a blank calendar that stretches miles out into the distance.
And when was the last time any of us had one of those?
You can see the dilemma.
But here’s what I’ve learned the really hard way: you don’t need swaths of open...
How to Write a Book (From Great Idea to A Book That Works!)
AHA! Lightbulb moment. The air is practically sizzling around you because you, Dear Writer, have a new idea for a book.
TA-DAAA!! How completely and wonderfully awesome is that? CONGRATULATIONS!
Except, once the adrenaline wears off and you’ve maybe dashed off a few initial pages, you might be left wondering how the heck to actually write the beautiful book you’’ve imagined…
Books come to us in different ways. Some books arrive as an image, some as a character, some as a situation, and some begin with voice. Depending on what your starting point is, you’ll need to take a slightly different path to flesh out your basic book idea so that you can turn it into a full book.
When you’ve got a great idea and are wondering how to write a book now that all you have is the start of a great idea, the trick is to know what questions to ask yourself. By asking yourself key questions, you can write all the way from the start to the end of a first draft.
...