Writer’s Block & Burnout

Myths of Being a Published Writer: Part 2

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Ruth Ann Nordin

Myth: If I publish enough books, I’ll be able to make a living as a writer.

Fact: I wish I could say this is true, but there is no guarantee you’ll make a living as a writer, no matter how many books you publish.

And I have no idea why some authors sell more than others or why some books appeal to a wider audience than others.  Look at all the vampire books out there.  There are so many of them, I can’t even begin to count them all.  But it’s only a few we actually know about as a society.  Twilight might have made it big, but that doesn’t mean all vampire books will make it big.  I met a NY Times Bestselling author who was featured on JA Konrath’s blog who made big sales with one of her books.  But her others didn’t sell even a fraction of what that one did, and no matter how many more she publishes, it’s just not there.  Why?  I have no idea.

This is something we can’t take for granted.  While publishing more books increases our odds, it doesn’t promise anything.  That’s why you have to be in this business because you love it.  It has to be something you have to do.  It’s hard, often frustrating, definitely confusing.  The business isn’t an easy one to understand.  There is no easy answer to why some books sell and others don’t.    There is no “one-size fits all” marketing technique out there.

And it might not even be you that does something to hurt your sales.  The algorithms on online bookstores could mess you up.  I suspect that probably causes a lot of the damage to sales because without visibility, how are you going to reach new readers?  I’ve heard of authors who were selling very well when a glitch in the system knocked them down and it hurt their sales and chances of being noticed.  I’m not even going to try to guess what causes glitches, but I’ve read enough about them on forums to know something is going on.  Once in a while, this stuff works against authors.  Writing more books can help buffer you, but it might not save you.  Just don’t take anything for granted.  This is a rollercoaster business and the only relief I find is when I remove myself from all online activities so I can write (because writing is one of the few things that gives me peace and joy).

I know I’ve said it before, but I’m going to say it again: do whatever you can today to put yourself in the best financial position possible.  I am preaching to myself with this one.  I’d like to say that I have a huge emergency fund put aside and no mortgage payment.  The truth is, I still have a mortgage payment and nothing saved aside because I’m struggling to make my quarterly voucher payments for taxes (which went from 15% to 40% on the federal level thanks to the new IRS laws, and when you consider my state income tax, I am taxed at almost 47% of my total income).  So if anyone needs to hear, “Be careful and wise with money,” it’s me.

Myth:  You must write every day if you’re serious about writing.

Fact: Writing every day might lead to burnout which means your books will suffer in quality.

Sometimes a break does you the most good.  I do think you need a schedule.  A routine helps you stay focused on what you need to do, and you maximize your effectiveness if you have a set time when you sit down and write.  With kids, I tend to spread my time out across the day, but I’ve noticed there are certain hours of the day where I have the best chance of meeting my word count goals for the day.  Word count goals help me stay focused and helps me see my progress in a way that encourages me to keep going.  Other authors find it more beneficial to write for X number of hours, regardless of word count.  Some authors even take weekends off.  As a general rule, I don’t take weekends off because weekends can be my most productive time (esp. I can write while my kids are playing at the park).

But no matter what your situation is, I think it’s time we stopped feeling guilty for taking some time off from writing.  This idea that we must write every single day can be unhealthy.  It can force us to write out poor quality work (just to make word count) or make us hate writing the story we’re working on.  Sometimes you don’t know where you’re going in a story and need to take a break from that story until you figure it out.  This is why I work on more than one book at a time.

We aren’t machines and real life kicks in.  When I start feeling my enthusiasm slide on writing, I’ve learned that if I take a nap, go for a walk, take the day (maybe even week or more) off, watch a movie, or read, I feel my enthusiasm return.  There are days when I push through that “I don’t feel like writing” feeling, but if I have only managed a couple hundred words in two or three hours, I call it quits because I know I need a break.  There’s also time when you should focus on family and friends.  Vacations, family day trips, etc need to be a priority because at the end of our lives, it’s the people we loved who also loved us that give our life the greatest meaning.  Writing is important; it’s who we are.  But it’s not more important than people.  So there should be a balance somewhere.  A schedule can help give you a structure where you can set aside time for writing and time for the people in your life.

Now, it is harder to get back into the writing routine when you get out of it, so be prepared to feel like you’re pulling teeth in order to get stuff written after you come back from an extended break.  If you just take a break for a day or two, you’ll be fine, but I’ve found if you’re away from the routine for a week or more, it’s awful to get back into the routine.  If you’re having trouble getting into the routine again, be patient with yourself.  Just because you’re not making a certain word count every day, it doesn’t mean you’re not serious about writing.  Being serious about writing means you care about the quality of your books.

I’m going to say it again in bold so because I want this thinking to take the place of the “you must write every day” trap:  Being serious about writing means you care about the quality of your books.   Quality being the key word.  ”Quality” basically means is that you put forth your very best effort with the help of outside resources (other people who know what they’re doing).

Categories: Psychology of Writing & Publishing, Schedules & Routines, The Writer & Author, Writer's Block & Burnout | Tags: , , , , | 47 Comments

Work-at-Home Obstacle #1: Family, Pets and Friends

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Stephannie Beman

This was posted on my author blog and by request I’m posting an excerpt here for you. This is a four-part Work-at-Home Series that will be posted over the next few weeks. The next ones will be Work-at-Home Obstacle #2: Working From Home is Distracting; Work-at-Home Obstacle #3: Your Workspace, or the lack of one; and Work-at-Home Obstacle #4: Writing and Working Myths that stand in your Way.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

After my last post’s mention of some of the obstacles I run into working at home, I had someone (who does not wish for me to name them) ask me how I get any work done at home as a writer. This is a four-part series and I thought I would start with one of the biggest obstacle that writers run into: children, family, pets, and friends who demand or disturb you while you are working.

ArticlesThere is nothing more annoying than talking to a client or taking a business call and have a child or spouse interrupt you, or have the cat jump on the keyboard and send an email before your done, or be in the moment, typing out that story for all your worth and have a child demand you help them with something. Or the biggest one at my house, my hubby wanting me to see something on the Tele or help him with something, not because he needs the help, just because he wants to company.

There is nothing as potentially harmful to your productivity then having your sweet child crawl into your lap for love, having to deal with a sick animal, or friends calling wanting your to hang out and go to lunch. So how do I work around this obstacle?

I’m honest with my family and friends. Explain to them that this is your job. Talk to your family and friends about what you do. Don’t get discouraged if they don’t understand, most people who aren’t writers don’t. Tell them that this is how you make, or will be making, your money for your future. Even if it’s just a supplemental income right now, this is your business and should be treated as such.

Schedule my time. I’m not one for schedules but I’m learning to schedule time to get my ranch chores done, meals prepared, and house clean. I schedule in time to be with my darling kids and lovely spouse. I schedule my writing hours. I schedule my book design hours. I schedule time to read emails (early morning before the eldest heads to school) and time to answer them (before I end work for the day). I schedule time to hang out with friends. Read the rest….

Categories: Writer's Block & Burnout, Writing as a Business | Tags: , ,

What if You Don’t Feel Like Writing?

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Ruth Ann Nordin

I’ve noticed the longer I get away from my writing routine, the harder it is to get motivated to write.  This is especially hard when there is a major life event going on: moving, health issues, birth of a baby, death in the family (just to name a few).  If you have unsupportive family members or friends like I do, it’s even harder.  Because our work is at the computer, no one “sees” us working.  We’re not doing physical labor, so it’s harder to convince them that what we’re doing is a job and must be treated like a job in order for us to stay in the business mindset.  Just because it’s work we enjoy, it doesn’t mean it’s always easy.  There are times when it’s downright hard, and we end up feeling like we have to pull teeth to get words on paper.

So what are some steps we can take if we don’t feel like writing but have to?  

1.  Decide you’re going to do it no matter how many words you get down.

This is where it’s helpful to set aside a small chunk of time at the computer.  I recommend 15 minutes because it doesn’t seem overwhelming.  Turn off the TV, disable the Internet if you have to, unplug the phone, and remove any other distractors you need to.  I prefer music while I write, and I usually make playlists for each book or series that I work on.  Having that type of music in the background helps me.  But there are times when absolute quiet is better.

2.  Get comfortable.

Whether you’re at your writing desk, in a library, in a recliner, or somewhere else, be in a place where you can relax.

3.  Get away from people.

There are times when having people around is great.  When you’re struggling to write isn’t one of them.  If you have to lock yourself in your bedroom or bathroom, then do it.  (As a mother of four school-age children and a stay-at-home husband, I understand completely why that lock feature on the door is the best thing that has happened to writers.)

4.  Put a treat by your side.

This won’t work in a place that will let you snack on something, but it can in other places.  At the moment, I have a shrimp and crab salad on the table next to my recliner.

5.  Keep an eye on the time or set a timer.

6.  Don’t stress word count.

The key is to write something.  Sometimes writing a blog post or doing a free writing exercise can help.  Sometimes the act of writing something unrelated to your book can loosen up those stiff writing muscles.  This blog post is my warm-up writing before I dive into my current work-in-progress.  My first fifteen minutes is going into this post.  :D

7.  Put the plan in motion.

Once you’re ready, get writing in your story.   If you have to pull up two works-in-progress and go back and forth between them to fill up that 15 minutes, go ahead.  I currently have three works-in-progress up.  A week ago, I ended up writing a paragraph in one, had no idea what to put next, went to my other work-in-progress, wrote a paragraph or two in there, and had to go back to the other work-in-progress.  It can be frustrating because you’re not seeing a major progress in your works-in-progress, but every little bit helps you get closer to the goal (another finished story you can publish).

Final thoughts:

Fortunately, the words do end up getting easier as you go along.  It might get easier the same day, it might take a couple of days, or it might take a month.  In 2011, I went through an entire month where I couldn’t write more than 200 words a day.  Talk about snail pacing it!  But sooner or later, things will pick up and the words will fly from your mind and onto the computer screen.  It’s the process of getting there that sucks.

I wish stories would write themselves, but they don’t.  I wish all writing was easy, but it’s not.  Ironically, when I started writing, it was a lot easier than it is now.  It is work.  Hard work.  Sadly, people who don’t write have no idea how difficult it is.  This is why I think it’s helpful to have a couple of author friends you can trust who can share the ups and downs of this profession.  It helps a lot to know you’re not alone.

For more inspiration, I’d like to point you to Melanie Nilles’ post “How do I get my writing done?”

If anyone else has tips they’d like to share on getting past the horrible “I don’t feel like writing” feeling, please comment.  :D

 

Categories: Psychology of Writing & Publishing, Schedules & Routines, Writer's Block & Burnout

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