On the flip side, as I’ve discovered, I don’t have to get up early, so I don’t. I like having fun family day-trips to the zoo or to a swimming pool. And, I’d much rather be hanging out in the sunshine than in the dark recesses of my basement office.

So, although I probably have more time to write in the summer, I don’t have nearly the motivation. This presents a real problem. Many of my clients are publishers for which I provide editing services. And, for some reason, things really heat up with them in the summer time. So not only do I have my regular writing projects, but I also get hit with a constant stream of editing work.  My only complaint is that I would much rather be playing with my kids in the park or basking near a swimming pool.

This has been my daily struggle since June, and I must confess that I am losing this battle in a major way. As much as I love the summer, I’m really looking forward to the fall, when I might actually gain some motivation to stay inside and write. Especially since it’s been known to snow a time or two in October in Colorado where I live.

I’d love to hear from you on what helps keep you motivated during certain seasons of the year or how you’ve learned to work around this struggle.

Happy writing!

But we all need a jump start every once in a while. It’s easy to fall into a rut with our writing and get into a comfort zone where we’re no longer pushing ourselves or expanding our capacity. Or, we may hit a wall with our writing and need some help to hurdle it. It’s at these times when we need to go outside of ourselves.

Often, experienced writers no longer feel they need to keep learning their craft. If they’ve met their writing goals in life and have become successful, they don’t believe they have anything else to learn because they’ve already mastered it all. I think this is a dangerous place to be. For all of us, beginner to advanced, there are three main areas in which we need to keep up, so to speak, when it comes to the craft of writing:

1. The industry. No matter how advanced you are, the writing industry still changes. To keep current and know which direction it’s headed, it’s imperative to read about current trends in publications like Publisher’s Weekly, attend industry events, and stay connected to those who are in the know, like agents and publishers. And for beginners, knowing the industry and what’s happening with your particular genre can save you tons of wasted time and money by steering you in the right direction and keeping you on pace with writing trends.

2. The mechanics of writing. I believe that with writing, as with life, there is always more to be learned. The best writers I know make it a point to continue training themselves in the art of writing. There are many different ways to do this, so you’ll need to find what works for you. For beginners and intermediate writers, writers’ conferences, workshops, and online or correspondence courses typically work well. You can receive general instruction as well as training based on your particular genre. Most conferences also have advanced track writing.

Advanced writers (and some intermediates) may do well to find course options that are tailored to very specific aspects of writing and fine tuning various nuances, such as problems with character development or pacing, for example. Writer’s Digest offers writing courses online geared to all levels of writing, including specific classes for the advanced writer.

Any level of writer would do well to be a part of a critique group. Critique groups are not just for critiquing but also for learning and growing as a writer. Many successful writers attribute their success to the support and help they’ve received over the years from their critique group.

3. The connections in writing. The writing industry can often be about who you know. You still have to be a good writer, but knowing the right people at the right time can open the right doors that you may not be able to walk through on your own. In order to keep up your connections in the writing field, go to industry events, attend local writers groups, workshops and conferences, be a part of a critique group, connect with online writing forums–in general, get out of your writing cave and meet the players. Make a good impression, share your writing dreams, and keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities.

Don’t ever think you’ve arrived and have nothing left to learn! The writing field is dynamic and ever shifting. To be successful, writers must continue to improve their writing and keep abreast of what’s going on around them. It’s a great industry to be in! Learn all you can and watch yourself grow.

As a writer, we should go through a spring cleaning process as well. About this time  of year is the mid-way point to the calendar year, and if you’ve set writing goals for yourself (which you should have!), then this is the perfect time to re-evaluate those goals and see if you’re staying on track. This is where the spring cleaning comes in.

If you’re  not staying on track with your goals it’s probably because you let either other writing interests or outside interests pull you off-course. So it’s time to clean out those distractions and get your focus back. This will not be easy, I can assure you.

Right now I’m going through the spring cleaning process with my 3 kids because we’re getting ready for our big neighborhood garage sale. As I go through their closets of clothes and toys, I’ll say, “There’s no way this fits you anymore. We need to get rid of it.” And the child says, “But they’re my favorite pair of jeans of all time. I just HAVE to keep them.” Or, “You haven’t played with this  toy in nearly a year. Let’s give it to someone who will.” And the child says, “I was just going to play with that today…really.”

No one likes to let go. But you have to if you ever want to achieve your goals. So what does that look like in a practical sense? It means elimination of 3 major areas:

• Eliminate lead distractions—these are the writing opportunities you happen upon or someone in your critique group tells you about. But…unless the opportunity falls into your yearly goals somehow, it’s nothing more than a distraction and will set you off on a rabbit trail you can’t afford to be on. It’s best to file these opportunities away for another day. They’ll come back again, when you’re in a better position to chase them.

• Eliminate request distractions–these are jobs that other people want to give you…and usually they don’t pay–or pay very little. If this is an opportunity to do something you’ve always wanted the chance to do, then go for it. Otherwise, politely say, “No, I can’t take on new work right now, but please keep me in mind down the road.” It’s OK to say no…really it is!

• Eliminate outside distractions–this is everything but writing that ALWAYS screams at us to stop our writing and pay attention to it–NOW! There will always be outside distractions, and some are good, like our family. The best way to handle these is to block off periods of time during the day just for writing, and let everyone know that unless they are on their way to the hospital, you are not to be interrupted during that block of time.

Outside distractions are my biggest challenge in the summer. I so do not want to be in my writer’s cave when it is 80 degrees and sunny out! So I’ve altered my schedule to do most of my writing in the morning and again at night. Now I have the majority of my days and evenings free to play outside with my kids. I will occasionally take work with me if we’re headed to a park or somewhere that I know they will be playing on their own, but at least I have the bulk of the day in the sun with them!

You can do this. Keep your goals written out before you. Look at what you’re currently involved in, and if you have areas that are not helping you achieve your goals, it’s time for spring cleaning! Always ask when an opportunity arises, Does this fit into my goals? If not, eliminate it!

How do you handle overload? I think everyone probably has his or her own way of dealing with its stressful effects. Unfortunately, I also think that many of these methods are not very effective, judging by the  amount of anti-depressants, stress-reducing techniques, and alcohol that’s sold on a per capita basis.

So what does work? I think that often depends on a person’s personality. My husband, for example, the text book Type A personality, will just lock himself in a room for hours on end and won’t come out until everything’s finished. He’s the type that will tell me he’ll help me clean the house and promise on Monday that he’ll have it done by Friday, but then wait until Friday morning to start cleaning. He does well under pressure–when he can focus solely on the tasks at hand. His way of dealing with overload to is eliminate all outside distractions and zero in on what has to be done.

I, on the other hand, am a perfect Type B. I don’t like to be driven or pushed into a corner. Stress for me involves too much sensory input. I need to deal with the overload by breaking everything I have to do into bite-sized tasks, then writing a prioritized list so I can feel I’m actually making some progress when I see things being checked off.

I’ve  noticed that overload can paralyze me because I feel like I don’t know where to start when there’s too much to do.  I’ve worked through this problem in the past by finding just one or two small things to start on just to get some momentum going. Once I’m out of my paralysis, it’s easier for me to actually make progress and not just sit at my desk and complain.

Another thing I’ve found helpful is that, no matter how busy I am, doing something physical, even if it’s just getting out of my stressful environment for 15 minutes to take a walk, helps a ton. I often have a couple sets of dumbbells in my office  so I can move my body while my mind is stressing out over something. Exercise not only helps me think more clearly but it gives me energy to work through my anxiety.

Don’t let the stress of overload get to you. Take a few minutes for yourself, relax, take a deep breath, and know that the world won’t end if you don’t get everything done on time.

He knew God had called him to be the Israelites’ deliverer, but instead of waiting on God to bring His plan to pass,  he took matters into his own hands and killed an Egyptian. This act of impatience caused Moses to have to flee Egypt and live as a shepherd instead of back in Pharaoh’s house where he had much influence.

So, what does this have to do with writing? You knew I’d get to that eventually, didn’t you?

Well, it made me think of how I’ve been like Moses quite a bit in my writing journey, and chances are, you have, too, at some point. We feel called of God to use the gifts He has given us to write, but then we take matters into our own hands and do things our own way, bust down our own doors, and sooner or later, find ourselves frustrated because things aren’t moving as quickly or smoothly as we think they should.

Instead of shooting out of the gate in our own strength, take time to find out exactly what you’re supposed to write–and when. I felt God leading me to write a parenting book over 5 years ago, but I never felt the timing was right, and I never knew why. But I didn’t pursue it. I kept thinking about what would be in the book, kept praying about it, and wrote some notes, collected research  here and there, but never stepped into the actual writing. It’s only been within the past few months that I’ve felt it’s almost time to launch it.

Looking back I see how God has been preparing me to write this book. He’s sent connections across my path, taught me tons about the publishing process, and helped me grow in my character in a way that will be essential to birthing this book. He didn’t want me to do it prematurely–like Moses–just to crash and burn, and possibly hurt others in the process.

So if you get a word from God, don’t turn it into a paragraph. Wait on further instruction and wait for His perfect timing. He wants you to succeed, but He wants you to succeed in Him, not in your own strength.

For one, I was thinking about how important it is for us to run the race we’ve been called to. As writers, that race may be writing for children, writing in the business world, writing novels, or maybe just writing notes of encouragement.

It’s when we try to run someone else’s race that we get in trouble. My son, for instance, is an amazing distance runner. But he can’t sprint to save his life. For him to suddenly decide he wants to run the 100m dash because that’s where all the glory is,  would cause him to fail. Be true to what and how you’ve been created to communicate.

Another lesson I learned is that it’s important to pace ourselves as writers. I was thinking of this watching my son run the mile, one of his best events. The mile is so different than the sprints because there is so much strategy involved. When the gun sounded, another kid shot off the line into an immediate lead. My son, Conner, stayed about 50 feet behind him for the first lap, waiting for him to burn out. Sure enough, about half way through the race, the other kid started getting tired. Conner easily passed him then held his lead with the rest of the pack to end up winning.

Don’t we do this as writers? We blast off our starting line and go, go, go, full speed ahead. Writing, querying, submitting, then doing it again and again and again. Then one day we realize we’re tired and start lagging with burnout. The writer’s race is a race of endurance, not speed. Pace yourself. You are your true competition. Race in a way to make it until the end.

This brings me to the final lesson I learned, which was you’ll only lose if you quit. In a few of the races,  there was one kid who just couldn’t keep up. But…he never gave up. All alone on the track, he finished the race. This is the determination we need to have. Writing is a tough, tough field. Don’ give up. We have been successful if we do what we’ve been called and created to do. We will only fail if we end up not being true to that calling.

No matter what point in life you start your race or how late in life you finish it, as long as you make it across that finish line, you’ll hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” when you cross. There is no prize on earth that can compete with that.

Have a blessed week, and run your race to its fullest.

As we head into this most miraculous of holidays, I can’t help but think of Jesus’ death and resurrection in terms of writing projects. (I can’t help but think of most things in terms of writing projects!) Jesus’ death signifies our sacrifice to let go of an old, fleshly life so that we may be born again into a new, spiritual life. We can never move into the new until we let go of the old.

Personally, I have quite a few “old” things in my writing–whether it’s old ways of doing things, old projects that should’ve been buried a long time ago, or just old attitudes toward my writing. I’ve come to realize that these things must go if I ever want to move on and grow as a writer. Some things may have worked for me in the past, but they aren’t working anymore. So why hang on to them?

We often stay where we are because it’s more comfortable than trying to forge our way onto a new path. Sometimes we’re afraid of where that new path may lead, so we decide to stay where we feel secure. But the only way we’re going to grow is to take a step of faith, take some risks, and bury the past.

This week…think about what it is in your writing–whether it be actual projects, the way you perceive yourself as a writer, or perhaps the type of writing you do–that it is time to let go of so you can move on to something new. Resurrect yourself as a writer. Don’t be afraid to step into the new.

Others enjoy people watching in crowded malls or busy streets. Children’s writers often go where children are and just observe, listening to their dialogue and interaction with their friends.

There are many ways to get back into your writing element, and often it depends on what you’re writing. If you’re feeling at a lull this week or need some new inspiration, I encourage you to get out of your writing “spot” for a while and put yourself in a new environment. Take your laptop to a coffee shop or to a park. Be around the people you are writing about or  for. I believe you will be inspired in a whole new way.

I have not started any of these proposals, and I have so much of my “normal” writing and editing to do that I honestly do not know when I’ll get to them.  I certainly don’t want to blow them off, but needless to say, I am feeling quite overwhelmed.

I spent nearly an entire day doing nothing but planning my time for approximately the next two months. I think I found a strategy that just might work, so I wanted to share it with you.

This may not work for everyone, depending on personality types, but after talking with several writers, I’ve learned that our personalities tend to be similar, so hopefully you can glean something from these tips.

I decided that, instead of blocking off hours during my day for particular writing projects and household management jobs, I would be more successful if I blocked off entire days. I find it difficult to bounce quickly from one project to the next when I have more than three or  four things going at a time. So, when I planned my schedule, I marked off complete days, which for me is usually five to six hours, since I have three children and loads of other activities.

Each day I will work on one project and simply get as far as I can with it. Some days I may devote entirely to research, others to revising. But this way I can feel like I’m making some progress on each project. I have also  given myself short-term deadlines  for aspects of each project, just to make sure I stay on track.

Some people might prefer finishing one complete project before moving on, but what I’ve learned about myself is that if I know I still have seven more things to do that I  haven’t even started yet, it’s very hard for me to focus on that one thing in front of me.

If this sounds like you at all, I encourage you to make a master schedule, and shift your priorities so that you can do several things at once, but only concentrate on one per day. Then your focus will be stronger. It won’t be long until you’ll start noticing  big chunks of progress being made in every area.

One more thing…don’t neglect yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Getting out for walks, spending time with your family, having a coffee break with a friend, etc. will all help lower your stress level!

One particular theme that especially stuck with me is that no matter what we write, or how little we write, we are still significant as writers. I believe this is a perspective we would all do well to  remember.

How often do we feel that our writing is not important, or that, because it doesn’t get in front of many eyes,  it simply cannot make an impact? I have often felt this way throughout my years as a writer. But I’ve also come to realize that if you are trusting God to lead and guide you through your writing career, He will make absolute sure that your writing affects the exact people it needs to–at the perfect time.

Don’t fret if you’re having a difficult time finding an outlet for your writing. When what you have to say  needs to be said–by you–the floodgates will open, and your time will come.

Don’t fret if your audience is small. Sometimes quality is better than quantity.

If you have  been given the gift of writing, you can be assured that the Giver of that gift will present it to the proper recipient at the proper time. Your writing is significant and it does matter. We all have things to write that only we can. Our words are like no one else’s. Your time will come!