Tags
#AtoZChallenge, #productivewriter, A to Z Challenge 2018, A-Z Blogging Challenge, behind the scenes of writing, guest post, lessons in writing, social media, writing, writing tips
H is for How
Sometimes it’s difficult to find the balance between our fiction and reality. To help with that, I invited writing friend Chrys Fey to share some tips on having a life while still being able to write.
*This post has moved to a new home: http://www.ronelthemythmaker.com/how-to-write-but-still-have-a-life/
Ronel the Mythmaker 
All very good tips. I write as part of my day job and then I come home and write for my blog and I have to be very careful about burn out (and carpal tunnel). I go to the gym, I go for a walk, I play some video games, and I go and play Dungeons and Dragons with my friends. You have to stay loose if you want to keep writing.
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Absolutely. Burn out and carpal tunnel are real dangers for writers that others just don’t realise — or make off as “all in our head”.
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Burn out is a serious thing. I burned myself out, and I’m trying to work my way back from that. We have to do what we can to prevent that.
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Yeah. I try to also work ahead a tiny bit when I can in case I do burnout so I can relax about deadlines. It’s hard.
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I found the writing schedule the most useful. Fit it into your day – even if it’s just an hour. Wonderful post.
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Thank you 🙂 A writing schedule is sometimes the only thing that gives me direction in an ocean of words.
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Schedules are very helpful. Thanks for commenting!
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Another illuminating interview. Finding the time when you can’t afford to be a full-time writer is definitely the most challenging thing.
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I’m glad you enjoy my A-Z posts 🙂
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Thanks for visiting and commenting, Iain!
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Nice to have ‘met’ you 🙂
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I find a schedule really helps – I set up a load of alarms on my PC that tell me what to do when – email/online first, then book marketing stuff, then short story work, then novel in the afternoon. I have them turned off for the AtoZ 🙂 but they work quite well usually.
The only thing on the list I will never do is try to write anything by hand. My brain works too fast and I end up with cramped fingers, words missing and illegible handwriting 🙂 Typing is the only thing that can keep up!
Tasha
Tasha’s Thinkings – Movie Monsters
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Writing first thing in the morning usually helps me with productivity — and writing by hand eliminates all distractions! Though I do struggle to read my own handwriting at times…
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Alarms are a great idea to stay on task.
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Excellent post. I’m still working on carving out that regular writing slot, but the challenge has helped as I’ve a deadline so *have* to make the time. Also, if I don’t sit down and write, it keeps me up at night as the ideas waiting to get onto the page have a party in my mind. I’m really feeling the love for planning now. When I wrote as a pantser, I never had this happen. 🙂
A-Zing this year at:
FictionCanBeFun
Normally found at:
DebsDespatches
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Party in your mind — I totally get that!
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A to Z can really demonstrate how to make time for other things. I remember when I did the challenge two years in a row and a plan/schedule helped me to get through each day.
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Great tips here! Thanks for sharing with us.
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I’m glad you found it useful 🙂
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Thanks for visiting and commenting!
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Great post and tips.
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Thanks, Juneta 🙂
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Thank you, Juneta!
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Chrys would know how to do this. Good suggestions. The ‘unplug from writing’–is that even possible???
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It is very possible and essential to keep us from burning out or overdoing it. A little time away can be refreshing. And that’s how you can have a life away from writing. 😉
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I try to unplug from writing during the weekends — it’s difficult, but doable. I mostly play on my compost heap 😉
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Hi Ronel – great interview with Chrys … she’s an amazing person with so many skills – excellent to have her as a guest post … loved reading this and I’m sure her book will be excellent – cheers Hilary
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Thank you so much, Hilary!
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Thanks, Hilary 🙂
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Thank you, Ronel, for asking me to be a guest for your A to Z Challenge. I hope your followers find my tips useful. Have a great Challenge!
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Thanks, Chrys, for doing the guest post. I’m sure my followers will learn a lot 🙂
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Love the tips, especially the one about stopping. I read somewhere an advise that even recommended to stop in the middle of a sentence! I’ve not had the chance to try that yet.
My blogs in the A to Z: Self discovery via travel and a separate Interactive story.
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I’ve heard that one too — I’ve stopped in the middle of a sentence, but not on purpose 🙂
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I’m not sure I’d have the willpower! It’s like eating half a chocolate and leave the other half for tomorrow – I could never do that either 😀
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Chocolate isn’t meant to be left uneaten 🙂
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I’m a wildlife biologist, and my schedule can become very random depending on the season. However, I attempt to schedule my lunch break as my free writing time. If I’m in the office and it’s a warm enough day, I get out and sit outside to write. If I have the opportunity, I will write in the evenings as well.
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Sounds like a great way to use your lunch break 🙂
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Good advice. I get more done at a bookstore coffee shop than I do anywhere else. I have to watch out for email. Once I’ve answered several, I have the illusion I’ve written.
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I know that illusion well — which is why I prefer to completely unplug. Notebooks and printed-out stories work best — especially with electricity not always a given in my country 🙂
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And maybe paint or draw once in awhile just to shake things up!
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Absolutely! I love trying to draw the images in my head 😉
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Lately I’ve boy toying with creating a (small) designated space for this kind of activity.🤞
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I didn’t know about your book, Chrys, but I’ve been out of the loop. Looks like an excellent resource! Excellent tips here. I do find that writing by hand is very freeing, and a different experience.
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Thanks for stopping by, Nick 🙂
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Ronel,
I believe one of my mistakes for not continuing to write for children is put too much emphasis on marketing which meant I was too focused on social media. Part of me would like to write more in-depth stuff but my brain isn’t on the same page as my desires. Writing fiction is a nice idea but sharing myself with others seems to be where my heart is for now. Good pointers, though!
~Curious as a Cathy
A2Z iPad Art Sketch ‘Heart Hands’
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I’m glad you enjoyed the post 🙂 Some of my projects are waiting to be continued (maybe a little impatiently) while I work on what I have to this year. Getting the right balance between marketing (social media) and actually writing is difficult, but that is why I stay off the internet for four months a year now 🙂
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