Respecting the Writing

This wasn’t the topic I started out writing (that was on editing—trimming the story). But it kept calling me because the world around us, and even the technology, doesn’t always respect the writing.

I’m not talking about reviews, which is where some people immediately went. Reviews are not an audit for the writer; they’re for the reader.

Rather, it’s often other writers.

Before I go on, please check out the Free Spring Reads Book Giveaway. While it’s for paranormal romance and urban fantasy, it’s mostly romance. Onward!

This topic popped up because of the timing of several blog posts (links below), and also that I’ve been struggling with my writing. To the latter, I thought initially Adaptability was at fault.

In fact, if I’d gone to a writing message board and asked other writers, they would have likely responded with any of these:

You need to outline; pantsing is at fault.You must be letting the critical voice/inner critic get involved.Just write the first word; butt in chair.“There’s no such thing as writer’s block.”

I could probably come up with more, but those are the top four. Everyone is so certain they know exactly the solution to everyone’s else problem.

It’s not respectful to the writing.

As it turns out, my struggle isn’t about the writing. But if I’d asked other writers, I’d be chasing an answer in the wrong place. I did that with writing advice to solve problems—and no one was right.

The last two entries (4 &5) in Navigating the Terrain: Where Opinions Clash with Fact brings up the problems of writing message boards. Though it’s more of “Opinions Clash with Less Popular Opinions.” But it’s the same effect. As a pantser, I found myself biting my tongue at rampant misinformation about pantsers. When I brought up a different view, my comments were dismissed, or deleted. One person, when I discussed my process—not a generic “This is the way it should work for everyone”—told me I didn’t know what I was talking about. Two writers self-congratulated themselves on pointing out their perceived errors in how I wrote because it didn’t fit their “map.” Becca Syme talks about this in her post On Maps. I love the treasure map analogy.

Nora Roberts also had a dust-up this week with her Facebook group over her In Death series. In the first post, some readers demanded that the two lead characters have a baby. In the second post, Nora Roberts took to task writers offering “helpful” advice on writing process to her, a writer with over 200 books published. Yikes.

But we all need to question advice coming from other writers. Always.

Yes, we can use some—if it fits. But we shouldn’t assume that’s the way we should do something. Nor should we assume it fits us.

Circling back to why I’ve been struggling with writing: The day job.

I had to run some numbers and discovered—quite horrifyingly—that one aspect increased a staggering 1,630%. Add deadline crunches in the mix and my brain is short-circuited.

I’m much smarter about what’s going on than the last time this turned into an avalanche. I read Cal Newport’s new book, Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout, looking for ideas. What I like about the book: He doesn’t tell us “This is the treasure map.” Instead, he describes possible solutions and hopes that others will come up with more. He also uses a lot of fiction writers—names you’d recognize.

What I don’t like…

The first problem is that all the fiction writers are long-term writers who now write full time. Some writers from this era noted they took a day job that wouldn’t tax them so they could write. That worked in the 1970s. Probably in the 1980s. Not sure that would work as well today, especially with the high cost of living.

The second problem is the assumption that all this is for the day job, or that if you’re writing outside the day job, it will eventually be full time. It leaves an entire group of people out.

Unfortunately, he’s right about one thing: People will have to find their own treasure maps to solving this thorny problem.

So I have some things I must do:

Make sure I take time off. I forget that in the glut of too much.Do more than simply be off. I went to Carlyle House this weekend. Discovered the reason beds had curtains was to keep the warmth in. I also walked around a local park and watched an eagle dive bomb the stream.But not make it like what I had in the military, “mandatory fun.” The last time I went through this, I did a lot of that.Planning a vacation. Something fun, but not too expensive. I’m looking at Virginia Beach, because, well, beaches.Watching documentaries and taking notes. This is nothing special…just whatever appeals to me at the moment.Pushing on walking around more, swimming later when the pool opens.

I’m also going to leverage my strengths:

Intellection: It can get overwhelmed fairly easily, so I’m planning on bringing my noise canceling headsets when I’m in the office. The first thing in the morning is thinking about what I’m going to do. Not planning, but working out a game plan. Sometimes that means finding the fastest way possible, which may not be the first thing I come up with. Thinking time is often the first thing to go when things get crazy. I think that with work bubbling up in my brain in off work hours.Input: Light feeding of it to keep it happy. Topics should be diverse. This one’s tough when so many things are coming at me. It gets to share, a lot, but time keeps it from gathering more information. I keep a master list at work for questions. Copy and paste (which goes to the next one as well).Adaptability: Automate as much as possible, both in the day job and outside it. The strength does best with going with the flow, which is also a problem if things aren’t automated. This is why habits don’t work well for me. If something disrupts it—a vacation—I’m off it and can’t get back on it.

There’s probably more that I’ll have to think about. The challenge is that no one’s talking about this anywhere. We seem to have gotten locked into the culture of doing everything for the day job and forgetting we have a life outside the job. Should be an interesting journey.