Monday, June 27, 2011

Discipline.....

I don't think you can be a disciple without discipline. There are so many awesome examples of disciplined people in my life (my mom's cup of tea with her Bible and prayer journal open at "her place" at the breakfast table are a firm mental picture in my head.) But, it is something I struggle with, and something I am really struggling with when it comes to writing, I have quite a few projects on my plate right now. Any suggestions? I need help!

5 comments:

Brooke said...

Give yourself deadlines and then share them with a friend. Ask them to hold you to that schedule.

Mom said...

Try a list. Think of one thing at a time. Eat one project off that plate, then go to the next. You may begin to feel like you are accomplishing. Like finishing summer school! Yeah.

Jill Locklear said...

here's a suggestion, although not helpful: better get it done before Pria comes! LOL- try the list suggestion, works for me. Oh, and QUIT PROCRASTINATING. There, you are fixed.

Laura said...

Here's the best advice on writing I've seen.

1) Set a word goal per day and don't do what you really want to be doing (internet, TV, belly dancing) until you've met the goal. It doesn't have to be a huge goal - even 250 words a day is something, and you can always keep going if you're in a groove. It also doesn't have to be *good* writing, so long as you're working at it. That's what revisions are for.

2) Corollary: you'll get further by just getting the words down on paper and editing later than staring at a cursor or a blank piece of paper. This one got me through my dissertation. I had to stop concentrating on getting my writing just right the first time through and just do something. The polish game after many (many many way too many) drafts.

3) Don't finish your last sentence when you're writing. Leave a few words at the end of the sentence for when you start your next writing session. This gives you a few "freebie" words that you don't have to think about when you start writing and helps you ramp up into the next sentence or paragraph. I've never tried this one, so I can't attest to how well it works, but I know of a number of professional authors who swear by it.

Giant list of other suggestions: http://blogs.plos.org/neurotribes/2011/06/02/practical-tips-on-writing-a-book-from-22-brilliant-authors/

Abby said...

Okay, this suddenly seems more managable! Thanks guys!