Linda Rawlins's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"

Today, April 16th, 2013 is National Librarian Day - I'd like to thank all the Librarians who have promoted Literacy and Reading! I'm sure you've been a major influence on many of the wonderful writers out there as well.
Congratulations to you!
Linda Rawlins

Spring has sprung – a time of new beginnings, warmer weather, renewed goals and promises. Many changes are on the horizon – remain open to a different path and allow yourself the freedom to bloom without fear, anxiety, guilt or recrimination. Our time is fleeting – rejoice, enjoy every moment of the life you have been blessed with and do it with pure delight! If you write - just sit down and do it from your heart. Marketing and Promo will follow but you have to do the writing and do it well before you worry about where it will go. Sit down at that blank page and just let it all go!

You love to write. You tingle when you hit the zone and are exhilarated when you have so much to share. Perhaps you have written a chapter or two around a beautiful pool on vacation, camping in the mountains or on a beach while inspired by the glorious ocean. You dream about quitting your day job and writing full time. Dreams can become reality if you are willing to do the work. But do you truly treat your writing like a real business? Here are a few ways to tell…

1. Do you have defined goals? As in a typical day job, you should have a writing space where you work daily. Next, set a timeframe with specific goals and deadlines and adhere to it. You can plan for so many written words per day or week and then make sure you hit your mark. Honestly, some days are golden and some days are not, but the point is you show up for work and put words on paper. You can give yourself “days off” for sick time and vacation, but keep the amount reasonable. Otherwise, go to work, sit down and write. You will always take time to edit and polish later in the process.

2. How do you feel when you “go to work” as a writer? Are you excited to get to your desk and type all you have written in your head overnight? Or do you feel guilty you are not doing the laundry, mowing the lawn or shopping? Do you procrastinate or redefine your goals each week, allowing yourself to do one household chore and double your writing goal the following week? Do you ever accomplish the new goal? You would not be able to perform household chores if you drove fifty miles to work each day. Do not let working at home distract you. Many writers admit they do not treat their writing as a “real” job. You can set the timeframe for the work flow which is best for you. Beyond that, ask for support to allow you to accomplish the goal you set.

3. Do you keep good business and financial records, using an organized system? Do you log all your material expenses and time as well as your income? Are you ready when tax time approaches? As writers, we do not always have to approve a specific budget each month, but do not become complacent about the materials, software, marketing expenses, conferences, computers, smart phones and other items you need on a regular basis to write. Keep great records and have them handy when needed.

4. Do you have your sales/marketing/metric plan all set? Are you building your social media platform on a regular basis? Decide which social media platforms and blogs work for you and then put aside a specific time period each week or day to post, respond, share and comment. Have defined days to review the analytics of your platforms to see what is “working” for you and what approach is not. Try to reach out and make new connections on a regular basis. Keep a well organized system of beta readers, bloggers, and author friends who are willing to share, tweet, or post for you. Be prepared to do the same for them. I like to write in the morning and take care of “business” in the afternoon.
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Writing is a wonderful, creative outlet where you can express your thoughts, dreams and opinions of the world in which you live. For some, it is a wonderful hobby and for others a very involved occupation. Only you can decide what is best for you, define your goals and go for it! Happy Writing!”

Business is run by metrics. Metrics are used to measure things, usually performance or results. We use metrics to judge, track, and compare our decisions and choices. But what about personal metrics? As a physician, I’ve had patients who have come to the office for physicals, with pages of data relating to their medications, daily sugars, blood pressure, weights as well as other measurements. They were outstanding record keepers, precise, committed and complete. Yet their blood tests were awful, their sugars worse and overall health declined. I’ve had other patients who thrust a stained napkin towards me where a loved one had jotted down the names of the meds they remember taking. Yet, some of those patients had an excellent physical. Everyone uses metrics differently and what works for one, does not work for another. Some patients who were busy recording metrics were not necessarily exercising and those who worked out and watched their diet, may not have written anything down. We use personal metrics for other things, such as keeping track of our book sales or finances. We have modern technology which not only keeps track of personal metrics, but offers suggestions or comments when an activity is due or personal goal not met. For some, this technology is a wonderful tool for organization and can be very helpful. Others become so obsessed on the “numbers”, they lose track of the mission. Or perhaps the numbers they seek are not germane for their problem. It happens all the time. Whether you are dealing with health, finances, book sales or other data, decide what works best for you, why it works and how best to accomplish your mission. Are you shooting for the right goal and are you using the correct metric to get you there? Make sure you keep an eye on the bigger picture, set the proper goal, and use the tool, (or not) that works best for you.

I recently attended a book discussion where the topic was the latest release in a popular series. The concern was the protagonist did not seem like herself. The normally affable character was cranky, rude and egocentric throughout the book, which was a change. There was no indication of a contributing author and the plot did not require the protagonist to act in that manner. One reader made an interesting comment. “Maybe the writer was cranky this year.” So, how often does our mood affect our writing? Whether writing emails at work, working on our novel or corresponding with friends, how does our mood affect our writing, tweets or posts? We normally want our business emails professional and to the point, but are they clipped, rude or devoid of concern? Our tweets are shorter so we dispense with civilities and get right to the point. Does our character’s dialogue translate the mood we experience while writing? I do believe it is entirely possible and have now reread emails, tweets, and posts a second time before posting, preferably several hours later if time allows. A good editor will be able to pick up a change during review of a manuscript and all will be corrected before the final draft. All moods can be translated, despite our best intentions, whether through dialogue, exclamation points or happy faces. However, upon review we may find we only need one happy face, instead of six. Reread your work. Let me know if it makes a difference and have a great day!!!!!! :) http://www.lindarawlins.com