Browsing Tag

getting ready for nanowrimo

Procrastinating on Your Writing? Why Writers Need Accountability to Keep Going.

Most writers know they need accountability in one form or another. Otherwise, it’s too easy to procrastinate forever and never start (or finish) the book we want so badly to write. But the problem is that too many writers get it wrong with accountability.

The worst kind of accountability comes from writing methods that are too rigid. I’ve worked with so many writers who have tried to write every single day, no matter what, or vowed to meet a certain word count during every writing session, no matter what, and these attempts ALWAYS end in failure. Why? Because there’s not enough flexibility and open space for the writer’s creativity to flourish, or the inevitable demands of everyday life.

I’ve coached and taught writers of all stripes for almost 10 years now, and I can tell you that the absolute BEST way to bring accountability into your writing practice is to choose a strategy that is flexible, actually fun, and doesn’t leave you all on your own. The power of group support is truly life changing for writers! Continue Reading

Writers! Are You Doing NaNoWriMo This Year? Read This First.

It’s that time of year where I’m flooded with phone calls from panicked writers who are trying desperately to prepare for NaNoWriMo. For me, the end of October is always filled with these kinds of last-minute coaching sessions, in which I talk writers down from the ledge and convince them that all will be okay and that they CAN make it through NaNo.

From all these years doing all these frantic phone calls with writers, I have noticed a pattern. Writers who have done NaNo before definitely seem to have an easier time of it, because they already know the thing that first-timers have to learn on their own: Continue Reading