Mental Meanderings

Reading a new writing book - Page after Page

I ordered a selection of books from Amazon recently. I love books. I especially love brand new, just off the press books. Amazon is fantastic for these, books in pristine order that arrive neatly packaged in the mail. I've got a very lengthy wishlist on Amazon and somehow I keep adding more books to it faster than I could possibly afford to purchase them. lol But I love books.

At the moment I've just started reading a new writing book. Page after Page: Discover the confidence and passion you need to start writing and keep writing (no matter what!) by Heather Sellers. Catchy title huh? I'm really enjoying the book although I clash a little with the writers voice and some of what she has to say. It's not that what she's saying is wrong exactly, but it's a little rough around the edges and voiced as if her way is the only way.

There are so many writers who have made writing their life. They each do it their own way and I've found that there really isn't a single right way to make it work. There are so many books and guides out there. They market 'Write a book in 28 days' or 'Best Seller in a week'. It's a lot of hype but again, those sorts of systems just won't work for every writer. They're also based entirely on first drafting. You can't research and write in so short a time, or write and edit, or write and market, or write and find an agent.

Yes, you can write a book in under two months. I've done it. The first draft of The Dating Game was written in 6 weeks. But it's by no means ready to hit the eyes of publishers let alone readers. The book process takes much longer than this outcomes.

Anyway, I've wandered off point. Part of what I'm enjoying with Heather Sellers Page after Page is her empowering language. She might have a tone that grates to my anti-authority tendancies but she advocates self-empowering strategies. From what I've read so far I can see that she believes as I do, that you have time to write, if you make it for yourself.

We all lead very busy lives. There are so many things we can fill up our lives with and sometimes, when writing feels difficult or isn't something you're truly passionate about it is so easy to fill up your time with other activities. When I reached the point where I couldn't stand not writing, I found that there is so much time I waste doing other things that don't fulfill me.

One thing I don't agree with is that you don't need a schedule to write. I do believe that not everyone needs one but I know that I do. I know that since I started keeping track of my time and scheduling everything I can I get a lot more done. Having chunks of time set aside for writing is only the first step in what I do now. I also have various other tasks that has time allocated every day. This includes housework, and time with my children, even time to chill out, watch TV or play games or read is in there. Having it all there helps me make sure the important things get done every day.

It's not something I stick to strictly. Just because I have Mental Meanderings scheduled in for 7:30PM doesn't mean it has to be done then. That is just when the notification will pop up to remind me to get it done today. If I haven't already done it I get prompted to make time, now, to do it. Tonight it's already 9PM but I've accomplished other tasks prior to doing my blog, it will still get done because it's on my schedule.

Wandering again. *chuckles* I'm really enjoying this book and I recommend other passionate writers make the time to read it. If you don't have the time, it's just not a high enough priority in your life. You'll become a writer when it is, when you make the time to live it. I love to quote Stephen King when it comes to reading. "If you don't have the time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write."