The math of making more time

The process of making time for writing isn't additive or multiplicative; making time begins with subtraction on both sides of the equation.

The first time I slammed into the inflexibilities of daily schedules, I was a young adult cast as a Jawa in the original Star Wars film. It could’ve been such a glorious memory; unfortunately, junking in the sands of Tatooine was deemed incompatible with my schedule as a student, dancer-in-training, and part-time children’s dance instructor, and no amount of indignant insistence could convince employers, parents, or film crew otherwise.

At the same time, my planner-ruled life had already shown me that If you need something important done, ask a busy person to do it. Busy people have energy—and more importantly, they know how to get sh*t done. While a nonbusy person stands wringing their hands over the mere prospect of a time-consuming task, a busy person’s already knocked out the first step.

It’s been my experience (with rare exceptions—sorry, Jawas) that when you want to do something badly enough, you’ll find a way to work it in. The trick is recognizing that you’re not simply adding the new thing to the pot; you’re almost certainly subtracting something, too. And if you’re really smart about things, you’re dividing and possibly multiplying smaller steps, using a divide and conquer strategy.

Sharpen your pencils, Writes-ers—it’s time for some scheduling math, as we sharpen our practice of The Writes of Fiction.

You cannot make time

The important thing is consistency and showing up for your writing when you promised yourself you would. Track the days you write. I like a blank calendar or sheet of paper with a grid where you can add a sticker for each day you write. Seeing all those stickers is proof that you can show up and keep going. Don’t force yourself to exceed your goal out of fear it isn’t enough. Only keep going when you can’t bear to stop because you’re enjoying yourself.

Keep this up until you can’t imagine skipping your writing session. When it feels as important as brushing your teeth or having that first cup of coffee, you can go on to the next step.—Keep reading Caroline Donahue’s You cannot make time.

More on inching along: If you write surrounded by people who don’t get that there’s no such thing as big interruptions or small interruptions for writers—only interruptions—take a page from the strategy that General Stanley McChrystal used whenever he addressed special operations units such as the Navy SEALS.

Engage support in five steps by creating comprehension of the goal, establishing your confidence and trust in their assistance, and then empowering others to support you.

1. Here’s what I’m asking you to do.

2. Here’s why it’s important.

3. Here’s why I know you can do it.

4. Think about what we’ve done together before.

5. Now let’s go and do it.—Get more tips like this at Small strategies to keep you inching along.

What is a zero draft?

What unites all the possibilities that follow, it seems to me, is that they are all what I would call ‘imagining on paper’: the things which land on the page when you start trying to think ‘with your pen’. What form a zero draft takes for you is probably dictated by which aspects of the final novel arrive earliest, for you, and which you can’t finalise until more of those aspects are solidified. The only things a zero draft is not, I suggest, is a) just a whole bunch of different kinds of planning notes, or b) your first shot at something which is hoping it looks like a final draft.

So a zero draft is trying to represent, in some way, the overall shape and content of the story in your head, as you currently conceive it - but without the pressure of producing what you hope are the right words.—Read more from Emma Darwin at What is a zero draft?

More on early drafts: The first priority of early revisions is to strengthen your story. Most inexperienced authors get stuck in a Möbius loop of trivial edits. They dig up lists of weak words and phrases to avoid and spend hours needlessly tweaking perfectly serviceable sentences—perfectly serviceable, that is, except that they don’t actually drive or deepen the plot.

Effective revision is a methodical, step-by-step process. You’ll make multiple passes—so many, in fact, that you’ll find yourself rolling your eyes at authors who can tell you which draft they’re currently working on. Revision is a process, not a number.

Making each pass with a specific goal in mind helps you work efficiently and effectively. Separate passes are your friend. They’ll help you stay focused through thousands of words you’ve read over and over again.—Read more at How to revise the early drafts of your novel.

At some point, you just have to deal with the work in front of you

I think there comes a point in a painting or a drawing where you almost have to set the reference aside. At some point, you just have to deal with the painting that’s in front of you. What it needs next may not be found in the reference you’ve been using. It becomes a matter of stepping back, squinting, maybe taking a black-and-white photograph to check the values, and making a decision about what the painting itself needs, not whether it matches the thing you’re trying to paint or not.

This is true of writing as well. You might start off with a very fixed idea of what sort of book you’re writing and what you want it to be like when it’s finished. But at some point, the book becomes its own thing. At some point, you have to deal with the book that’s in front of you, not the one you had in your head when you started out.—Keep reading from Amy Stewart in At some point, you just have to deal with the painting in front of you.

More on expectations and perfectionism: The only way to get really good at something is to do a lot of it. To get good at writing novels, you need not only to write lots and lots of pages, but you need to write lots and lots of pages under the scrutiny of outside eyes that can help you figure out what’s working, what’s not, and why. Don’t keep writing the same book over and over. It’s time for the next project.

Get used to the idea: there’s a lot of critiquing and workshopping in your future. You may end up hiring an editor for manuscripts that advance your skill but don’t quite make it as publishable novels. Your creative development is worth it, wouldn’t you agree? Maybe you’ll end up working with a story coach to help you keep unrolling the story threads from within you.—Read more at The writer’s solution to beating perfectionism and procrastination.

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What sells a book?

I can’t emphasize this enough: You have control over building your platform, which is a direct line to your readers. If you squander it, you’re making a mistake. Building a platform is building a brand; whether you like it or not, you are a brand. You must decide what kind of brand you want to project to readers. A platform on social media is a gift (and sometimes a curse) to authors. You must know how to talk about your book and many other things to connect with others.

… Newsletters are your chance to own your audience. You can obtain email addresses and communicate directly with your audience. The ability to land in someone’s inbox is invaluable, so think about what you can offer your audience and create a schedule to stay on track (says the woman who doesn’t keep a schedule to stay on track).—Keep reading from Kathleen Schmidt at What sells a book?

More on publishing your book: Most authors arrive on my editorial doorstep declaring their intentions of finding literary representation, with the caveat that “I’m open to self-publishing, I guess, if nothing else comes along.”

Please don’t handicap yourself with such an indecisive start. Waffling over publishing options is a disservice to your book. The way you approach editing should be driven by where your book is headed next.

Even if you don’t follow all the links I’m about to share, I’ll sleep better tonight knowing I’ve made my case for why you should decide how you want to publish before you get to editing.—Keep reading Publishing Options: Which one is right for you?

What here helped you this week?

What articles this week turned on a light for you? Let me know what’s making a difference—just leave a like on this article or comment below. I’d love to know what you’re writing, what you’re enjoying about the creative process, and what’s giving you absolute fits.

Keep your cool—autumn’s in sight.

Onward,

Lisa

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This is The Writes of Fiction, a curated trove of old and new thinking about writing designed to help you get better at the craft of writing fiction. And here’s your editorial assistant of the week. 👇

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