Jeff: To stop dreaming about it and do it. Which, for me, means getting up at 5:30 every morning. Only a very few authors support themselves by writing. Most have day jobs, myself included. I’m fortunate to have a day job that I am passionate about. But if I am going to write and market and do all of the other things that go into being a published author, I have to do them at 5:30 in the morning. Every morning.

One thing that I do think applies to Everyone universally is, as Jeanette said - “Make it fun.” One simple thing that made writing more fun for me was my laptop - it enabled me to write in the comfort of my favorite overstuffed chair with my feet propped up. Sitting upright in an office chair pecking at a keyboad reminded me too much of work-work, and that’s no fun. I also agree that you have to banish the “critic-that-sits-on-top-of-your-head.” (I call mine “Evil Susan,” and she sits on my left shoulder.) Not only that but, if you have nay-sayers in your life, shun them, too. Expose your passion to a mentor or someone positive who understands and encourages you.

As I’m a dog writer, my final word of advice is to take a lesson from dog training. In writing as in dog training, a little praise modifies behavior more than punishment does and, for the really stubborn ones, use food as motivation and reward. :-).

Thank you, Cheryl, for inviting me to join in this virtual tour. I really appreciate your hard work in putting this together.

I’m so paranoid that my WIP stinks that I can hardly go back to it. And it’s been a while.

When I go back to it, it’s not at all as bad as I thought. It’s not great but it’s not bad either.

Anyway, this is timely for me.

AND, you have been tagged. If you wander over to my blog, you will see the instructions.

If you decide not to do it, that’s perfectly fine. Hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day, whether you’re a mom or not.

Lynn

Make it fun. Write about the best thing that ever happened to you, or what you would do if you won the lottery. Where do you wish you were right now? On the beach in the Bahamas? Write about the feel of the sun on your face, the smell of the sea, the taste of a tropical
drink.

Just can’t cut loose? Then begin by describing your desk. Talk about your day. What are your pet peeves? What did you like about XXX book or movie? What can you take from it and use in your own writing?

If you could write the Great American Novel, what would it be like? Describe a non-existent book that you would like to read. What are the characters like? What are their conflicts? How do they handle this? What is the outcome?

Create a character — the Perfect Man, Perfect Woman, Perfect Child. Creating a bad guy can be lots of fun, too. Why is s/he “bad”? How did s/he get that way? What would make him/her happy?

Give yourself daily assigments, maybe only a paragraph long, maybe to write during your lunch hour or commute. For example, Monday write about your first car. Tuesday, write about what life is like from your pet’s point of view. Wednesday, what you love/hate about shopping, golfing, the subway, etc. Thursday, write a paragraph starting
with “Excitement is…” or “Love is…” or “Glory is…” (The
dictionary provides endless material for this one!) Friday, write a letter-to-the-editor about…anything. Write something every day — it doesn’t matter what — and it becomes a habit; you’ll find yourself looking forward to it and making time for it.

All of the above gives you something concrete to think about and write about, just to break out of the doldrums and connect with the writer inside. You might even find some inspiration for your next “official” written piece as you work on these or other topics that interest you.
Any kind of writing you do also helps you improve echnique. The more you write, the better you get.

Tell the Critic-that-sits-on-top-of-your-head to just be quiet and go away. You can always go back, change, and rewrite. It’s easier to edit than create. And it can be fun to explore bizarre, spur-of-the-moment ideas or plot twists that may add another dimension to your work, or might become your next work-in-progress.

Remember, nobody but you has to see what you’re writing! You’re absolutely free to do whatever you want in this space. Your writing is your playground.