Let's Talk Apocalyptic Thinking with Matthew Barrett Gross

What motivated you to write your current book, The Last Myth: What the Rise of Apocalyptic Thinking Tells Us About America?

At the end of 2004, there was a great deal of hand-wringing in the mainstream media about the role evangelical Christians played in the re-election of George W. Bush. At the same time, we began to observe the tendency among those on the left to utilize the apocalyptic narrative to sound the alarm about global warming and peak oil. Rather than imagining apocalyptic thinking as something only the crazy, other side engages in, we began to ask, "What if apocalyptic thinking is actually uniting Americans regardless of political persuasion?"

How did your book collaboration come about? How long did it take to put together the book?

At the end of 2004, we both were working separately on memoirs that in some way played around with the apocalyptic ideal. I was working on a memoir of my work in presidential politics, and Mel (who is my wife) was writing about an illness that had befallen her. We were going through a personally very apocalyptic moment, with the Dean campaign having ended and Mel's health in serious question.

One day we both realized that the conceit of the apocalypse was far more interesting than what we thought were the main subjects of our books, so we decided to collaborate on that. Little did we know that it would be nearly six years before we finished the book.

How does your process work? Do one of you focus on the research?

We researched together and wrote together, but one of the challenges when writing about a topic as broad as the end of the world is that there are a lot of rabbit holes! At one point the book was twice its final length, and so the last year was spent relentlessly editing and trimming down the manuscript. Much has been written about the apocalypse, but little of what has been written about the apocalypse is of interest to the non-religious or non-conspiratorial or non-academic reader. We wanted our book to appeal to a general audience.

Apocalyptic thinking is nothing new. Centuries ago, The Mayans foretold that a major apocalypse or earth change would occur this year. Science teaches that everything entropies. Is it really an obsession or just another wave of passing interest?

What we've found is that in Western history, these flourishing moments of apocalyptic expectation come at great pivot points in history. We find an outbreak of apocalyptic expectation just prior to and after the Reformation, when the Catholic Church was losing its hold over much of Europe.

We again find an outbreak in the United States during the 19th century, as the agrarian way of life began to give way with rapid speed to the process of industrialization. And so the question becomes: if we are again experiencing such an apocalyptic outbreak, what might this signal? Simply the end of the American century, or something larger?

One of the crucial points we make in the book is that measuring apocalyptic expectation can give us clues to what is happening on a broader, more historic scale. To fall back into the factually untrue argument that "people have always believed in the end of the world" is to miss those clues. 

Your bio says you were the director of Internet Communications for Howard Dean. Would you consider yourself a “spin doctor”?

I'd consider myself a teller of stories that seek to put the audience in the lead role -- because the end goal of all political communications is not merely to get people to believe something, but to get them to act on that belief.

An excellent example of how to spin a story! What was your activity in politics prior to that?

I think the power of the Dean campaign was that I hadn't been active in national politics at all prior to that. I simply got into my pickup truck one day in Moab, Utah, and drove to Burlington, Vermont and joined the campaign. Others on the campaign had similar stories. This wasn't a campaign filled with seasoned, cynical operatives. The campaign was filled with people who believed. It was a true expression of citizen involvement.

There have always been and always will be “true believers” in every campaign that are drawn to a campaign by their own lofty ideals. That same “true believer” involvement was also part of the Reagan campaign years before Dean.

That brings me to my next question. With the opportunity to photo shop or edit speeches to distort a candidate’s stand,  do you think political campaigning has gotten more negative or is it that because of the internet we are more aware of it?

There's no question in my mind that the Internet has given more people more power to get involved in electoral politics -- and that is a good thing. The problem is that this improvement has happened at a time when the media has become ever more focused on the horse race, or the process. The end result seems to be more people with more power to effect politics, but more people choosing to tune it out in disgust. In fact, in 2012, you have the lowest percentage of voters who are satisfied with the candidates than in any presidential election in 20 years. And with good reason. 

What do you think is the current percentage of voters who actually take the time to research the candidates as opposed to those who just rely on political ads? What do you think it takes to become a more cognizant voter?

These numbers are tough to pin down, but I think the number of people who simply rely on political ads is smaller than we often think. For example, some 58 million people watched the first presidential debate in 2012 on TV -- and that doesn't count the millions more who saw parts or all of the debate through secondary sources such as YouTube, or read about it online or in newspapers. That's nearly 50% of the actual electorate that will turn out in November.

The real "problem" as I see it is not that people don't understand the candidates, its that they often don't take the time to fully understand the issues. Any salesman on the lot can tell you something that "sounds good" or sounds "true" -- but if you don't have your own, independent knowledge about cars, you're just setting yourself up for disappointment.

Yes, you need to know the candidate before you vote. Our presidential choice should not be based on who you may think is cute or would be fun to have a beer or a glass of wine with in an evening. It should be someone who you think will support your values. This should be judged on their record. If you are happy the way the current President has handled the economy and foreign affairs, then vote for him because his record as President speaks for what he will continue to do more than campaign speeches.

Using our current President’s own standards as when he ran in 2008, if you don’t like the way the country is going, then you need to vote for a change in government. The choice is yours – be an informed voter or don’t vote at all. 

If you would like to purchase The Last Myth, here is the Amazon link 

or if you'd like to connect to it via Facebook.

Can You Write a First Draft of a Novel in 30 Days?

Next month is National Novel Writing Month or shortened it is known as NaNoWriMo. This is  when writers are challenged to roll out a first draft of a 50,000 word novel in a single month. This year I am going to attempt to do this so I can finally write my romance novel. I started it years ago and still have some hand-written notes but lost the computer copy due to technology changes. To get me ready for this writing challenge,  I asked for tips from a fellow writer & blogger, Esther Smith, who completed the task last year. Read on for her tips to make it a successful month!

If you need to write 50,000 words that means about 2,000 words daily. How long does that take?

I would say for the average writer it would take 2-3 hours to finish their word count, but that doesn't factor in procrastination or the amount of time they may have to write. Many participants who are busy make up for lost time on the weekends. But honestly I think it really depends on the writer, and the type of day they are having.

On my very best days I can write 1000 words an hour while on the worst days I find getting anything done at all is like pulling teeth. It can take you one sitting or several to get your daily word count done. But again it all depends on the individual. There are a few participants that have actually finished the 50k within the first week.

Tell me about your experience?

I participated last year and won, also did Camp June (made it halfway) and sort of July (failed because of being too busy), also I plan on doing it this November and maybe "win" again.

What is "Camp June"?
Camp June is just an extension of  Nanowrimo. It's a fairly new addition, I believe by only a couple years. It's simply alternative months (being June and August) to November where you can take on the same challenge. Some participants consider it a warm up, or can even be a trial run for those who may be weary of the challenge. It's the same in many ways but is smaller in scale and has a camp theme. Participants are placed into "cabins" with others, which acts like a writing buddy group.

How did you prepare?

What worked for me was preparing a loose outline, having the basics of the story (plot points etc). Then I split it into 5 parts (just what worked out for mine you could do however many you want) and determined roughly how many words I would want/need in each part. That helped a lot because it gave me an idea of where I needed to be if one part wasn't quite as long as I wanted.

How were you able to keep on track to write consistently for 30 days?
To be honest it wasn't easy. I just made it a priority in my everyday life. At the beginning it was deceptively simple, but once the new-project-sparkle wore off it was a real grind. I mean you have really good days but you also have really bad ones. I found the best way to get it done was to do half the word count in the morning and the other half at night and make it a habit. But it's different for everyone.

If as you suggest you keep up with other bloggers on the writing isn't that a distraction to your time to write?
I'm guessing you're referring to what I said about the Nanowrimo website. The forums and community can be a dangerous distraction if you allow it but it can also be really rewarding with the right amount of self control. If you are struggling you can find others struggling, you can ask for help with stubborn plots, give critiques. It's basically a haven for participants.

I would also encourage having a "writing buddy" which is a fellow participant that you talk to throughout the month.  It helps to have someone you can compete with. If your buddy has a higher word count it's a really good motivator, and they are someone you can directly turn to at problem points in your own story. You can get a buddy by finding the writing buddy topic in the forums, and posting a bit about yourself, your genre this month, and interests.

What are your tips for the actual month of writing?

• Tell people you are participating, fair warning for them, and accountability for yourself
• Write 2000 words a day when possible, this helps put you ahead so when you have days you are too busy or burned-out you can relax without falling behind
• Find a writing buddy, whether from this site or from the NaNo site. It makes a world of difference to work out problems, and be encouraged by someone
• Do your best not to edit. I sort of break this rule myself from time to time, but it's too easy to fall into a destructive cycle of editing. The best thing you can do is write and at the end of the day reread/edit as you need to. But after that day don't look at it apart from reference.
• Week 1 is the easiest since your idea is still fresh and new. Around week 2 or 3 expect to want to quit, you are going to hate everything you've written. You will be uninspired. It can be an emotional roller coaster. This is when doing the extra 400 words a day pays off. You should have long enough to get back on your feet before falling behind.
• Don't be hard on yourself. When you are pumping out that many words a day the majority of it will be crap. If you want to succeed you sort of have to accept that this is just a Draft Zero, getting down the words before doing any of the real work.
• Lastly if you don't meet the goal don't worry about it. It's crazy to write that much in a month anyway.(lol) Just do what you can in your schedule and enjoy every minute of it.

What did you do with the writing after you completed the contest?

After the event I took a small break then finished off the draft. It's currently still in rewrites as I've been working on other projects but I do plan to market it when it's finished. I think every future participant should know that what comes out of this event is actually a draft zero that is very messy, with plot holes, missing characters, and shifts in tone. So rewrites are a must. The value of NaNo is really just getting your story down on paper.

Thanks for your insights! Are you ready for the challenge? Here's the link so you can sign up

"How to" Series - Writing the Heartache with Alice J. Wisler

Once again I am including a topic on writing tips. This one is from Alice J. Wisler who is the author of five inspirational southern novels and one devotional which is set for release in 2013.  She teaches Writing the Heartache workshops both online and at conferences.  I hope you find her thoughts encouraging and inspirational for your life and your writing.

Read on for her thoughts on Writing the Heartache...
 
When we write through pain, the life we save is our own.

Once, I thought I was the only obsessive author frantically writing in order to survive. Then I picked up Louise DeSalvo’s Writing as a Way of Healing and heard the voice of another Alice. Alice Walker: “It is, in the end, the saving of lives we writers are about…. We do it because we care…. We care because we know this: The life we save is our own.”

Writing for sanity, for sanctity, for survival. DeSalvo showed me that this is not a new concept, for the Greats-- Henry Miller, Virginia Woolf along with Alice Walker--have all done it. Miller was about to take his own life after his wife ran off with a female lover. Woolf was molested by her step-brother. How did they heal from their heartaches? They wrote, furiously. Have you had a tragedy in your life that will not let you go? Writing through it can be redemptive and healing. DeSalvo states that in order to allow writing to be therapeutic we must honor our pain, loss and grief. 

But chances are, you already know this. Your tragedy has caused you to look it straight in the face and you have picked up your pen and poured out your pain. You are standing today, perhaps even thriving because the ability to write has saved you. It has caused you to look at your heartache and be able to tolerate it.

But how do we successfully use this creativeness of pen and paper to work through the pain of a parent who has died, a spouse who has betrayed us or even a God we feel has let us down? Can we write to help others and in turn, reach those like us who can learn and grow from our experiences? Can we use our pain and as DeSalvo writes, “…establish our connection with others and with the world?” Is there a market out there, willing to buy what we have to say? Yes, but like so much of life, there are rules to follow.

First, don’t expect you can write a full-length book about your tragedy and have a publishing house immediately snatch it and buy it. There are so many books out there written by individuals, many of them famous before the tragedy, who have had deep pain. Unless you are the parents of Jon Benet or sister of John F. Kennedy, Jr., your book is going to be extremely hard to sell. However, if you work your writings into how-to articles and essays---pieces that will reach others and help them---then the chances of being published are far better.
For example, if you were an unwed pregnant teen, recall the things people said and did that helped you and the things which cut and hurt. Write an article with the slant of helping young mothers and submit it to a parenting or women’s magazine. If you were a victim of domestic abuse, inform readers of steps of action to take in order to get away from the situation. Do some brainstorming. How can you tailor your heartache into articles that sell?

Sarah, a writer friend of mine, has sold an article on Ten Helpful Ways In Overcoming Anxiety and Stress to five different publications. Her mother died of breast cancer when Sarah was only ten and there was a time Sarah felt burdened with guilt. This brought her an overwhelming amount of anxiety and worry throughout her adolescence until she took measures to face her situation in her writing. What had caused the guilt? It was the lie she had told herself over the years that her mother’s death was her fault. Because she learned how to successfully change her thinking, through her writing Sarah is now able to guide others with similar circumstances to lead calmer lives.

When you write, don’t bleed on the paper. Perhaps there is deep anger because of the mistreatment you received from someone close to you. What do you with that which keeps you awake at night? Buy a journal and pour it out within those pages. No one wants to hear self-pity or extensive anger. In fact the bereavement magazines I write for stress hope and healing. That’s because if the focus is solely on the agony of losing a loved one, no one would be able to write to show how to live with grief.

In order to be able to produce any comfort or advice to others in your same boat, you most likely need to vent first. Venting is a process of healing. Freely allowing the wound to be exposed can lead towards an understanding of emotions and with understanding comes the capacity to, in time, constructively share with an audience. From some of your journal themes you may be able to reconstruct the anger and design a helpful piece to submit to the markets on how to effectively deal with this emotion.

Show by using creative imagery instead of clichés. Be original as you convey your feelings. Find another way to show your father was as mean as a snake. As with other types of writing, write vividly. Show and don’t tell. What kind of childhood did author Frank McCourt have in Ireland? He could write detailed pages about how miserable he was during it but instead he lets us fill in our own emotions as we visualize his cold and poor life in Angela’s Ashes.

Find something unique that sets your story apart from others who have had a similar situation as yours. McCourt tells of his brother Eugene’s burial and how he was upset when his father and the coffin carriage driver placed pints of beer on top of the casket. At the graveside the drunk driver left McCourt’s family stranded. The fascinating reading here is the unique details McCourt selects to portray this sorrowful event. We are smiling and crying at the same time because of the manner in which McCourt shares his story.

From Cara De Silva’s In Memory’s Kitchen we get a unique perspective on life in the World War II concentration camps. The hungry Jewish women of the Terezin camp kept their sanity by writing down recipes from memory, hoping they would one day be able to return to their kitchens to make these dishes. The compiled recipes, salvaged over the years, appear in this book, showing us that even in devastation, the human spirit does survive.

Dig deep and find a different slant to use in sharing your sorrows.

Be real and don’t pretend. I don’t want to read about a mother whose child has just died and hear her say that everything is okay since she knows her child is safe in Heaven. My four- year-old died and although I believe he is in Heaven, I still must live here without him on earth and I daily yearn for his smile. I will be teaching society nothing if I stress that losing a loved one is a grief that eventually fades. Much of society already believes that myth. What I want to convey is reality from what I have experienced. My longing for my son Daniel will last a lifetime. How do I cope with it? How can society effectively help the bereaved? This is where I want to reach across the chasm and in a how-to article offer realistic ways the community, family and friends can soothe the bereaved wounded heart.

If you expect to gain a realistic perspective of your trauma and write towards healing, you must allow your narrative to be honest, filled with both negative and positive aspects. Even after Rick Bragg wins the Pulitzer, in All Over But The Shoutin’, he never lets us forget how his dismal roots with a drunken father who abandons the family is always a part of his soul’s core.

Heartache as a way of life is what so many of we writers are about. The urgency to write may increase the more you allow yourself to acknowledge your heartache and deal with its many facets. Freely cultivate this. As your writing evolves and matures, you will help others, bring healing to yourself and even get paid.





Resources for writing through the heartache
Writing As A Way of Healing. Louise DeSalvo. Beacon Press, 1999.
Writing For Story. Jon Franklin. The Penguin Group, 1986.
The Writing Life. Annie Dillard. Harper And Row Publishers, 1988.
Bird By Bird. Anne Lamott. Doubleday, 1994.
One Writer’s Beginnings. Eudora Welty. Warner Books, 1984.
Room To Write. Bonni Goldberg. Penguin Putnam, 1996.
Writing To Heal, Writing To Grow: Margie Davis’ web site: www.writingtoheal.com/
(a site especially for cancer patients, their family members and caregivers)

[Article first appeared in ByLine Magazine in 2001]

As you can see from the book covers, Alice writes on a variety of topics. If you would like to learn more about her writing, visit her website.

Role Models for Young Girls, an Interview with Natasha Yim

You have a new book out this month called, Sacajawea of the Shoshone. How did you first get involved in writing this book?

My last book Cixi, The Dragon Empress was released in October 2011 by Goosebottom Books. It's part of their series The Thinking Girl's Treasury of Dastardly Dames. Goosebottom Books' first series was The Thinking Girl's Treasury of Real Princesses (Oct. 2010). I had a lot of fun researching Cixi and bringing her story to Life so when Goosebottom Books decided to add one book to each series and asked if I wanted to write one of them, I jumped at the chance.

Did you suggest a choice of females to write about or did they give you specifics?

The two choices were either a Native American or an African woman.  In the last few years, I had become increasingly interested in writing subjects from a multicultural perspective and that would tap into my cultural roots, so I had chosen to write Cixi because I'm Chinese and I wanted to learn more about Chinese culture and history.

For the next book, I chose to write about the Native American woman because I have some Native American ancestry (my great-great-great grandmother on my mother's side was Duwamish/Suquamish) so for the new book, we researched different historical Native American figures to see who should be the next princess or dastardly dame. I have always loved the story of Sacajawea so eventually, we decided upon her biography and she became the next Real Princess.

Do you have a preference to write fiction or non-fiction?

Prior to Cixi, The Dragon Empress, I had written primarily fiction (my first picture book Otto's Rainy Day was published by Charlesbridge Publishing in 2000) except for magazine articles which were all non-fiction. I love the creative flow and freedom of fiction, but I love the structure and research of non-fiction, so I can't say that I really have a preference because they both appeal to me in different ways. I would have to say though that stories naturally come to me in fiction form and non-fiction requires a conscious shift in my thought process. 

What are some of the best ways for a writer to get involved in writing for the children’s non-fiction market?

Tap into the children's magazine market. Children's magazines are published several times a year so if you're a naturally curious person and love research, there are many opportunities there for writers to get their foot in the door. It's also a good way for writers to build their resume. If you've been published in a well-respected children's magazine, it shows a publisher that you've worked with an editor before, know how to handle deadlines, and (hopefully) editorial revisions.

What magazines have published your stories?

My first children's article appeared in Highlights for Children (June 2010) and I have also had articles in Appleseeds (May 2011) and Faces (January 2012), which are part of the Cobblestone & Cricket magazine group, writing such diverse topics as therapy horses and a woman who saves endangered and abused Asian elephants in Thailand. Most of their magazines have monthly themes and you can access their guidelines at www.cobblestonepub.com/guides_editorial.html.

What are some of the similarities of writing fiction and non-fiction?

With both fiction and non-fiction, you have to write with a certain authenticity. Obviously with non-fiction, this is in the classic sense of historical accuracy and fact-checking. With fiction, your authenticity comes from giving your characters' traits and putting them in situations that are believable and that make sense in that character's world and time period. Sometimes, fiction also requires research especially if you're writing historical fiction, but even in contemporary fiction, if you make a reference to 8-track cassettes and you're writing young adult, you should check if kids these days even know what that is. 

How do you start your research? How many different sources did you use for this book?

I usually start my research with looking for relevant books in the library. I love how everything is online now so I can search "Sacajawea" and see what books the library has on her and request the books before I have to make a trip to the library. It's so much faster and less time consuming than the old catalog index cards system. I also search for websites that have information about her. The internet is a great tool because the information is so much more immediate and can be updated frequently and quickly, and sometimes you find interesting things that happened recently that are not in the books.

For example, for Cixi, The Dragon Empress, I found that scientists in 2008 discovered that Emperor Guangxu's (Cixi's nephew who she was supposed to have poisoned) hair and clothing samples tested positive for arsenic 20 times that of a normal persons confirming that he had been poisoned, but by who is still the mystery. However, with the internet, you also have to be very careful because there's a lot of inaccurate information out there so I use a combination of both and I cross-check my internet facts with  those in books I've read and vice versa.

How did you decide what specifics of your character’s life you would cover?

I found a terrific Shoshone website that had all kinds of wonderful information about her. I probably read about five books on Sacajawea and gleaned information from 8 or 9 websites although I looked at quite a bit more. Deciding what specifics to cover is definitely a challenge in writing biographies for kids because of the limited word count. I had to tell her story in 2,300 words or less. But in a sense, Sacajawea's story has a certain linear structure to it because her travels with Lewis and Clark followed a specific route, so that provided the guideline for shaping her story.

Because the Goosebottom Books' series are written in a story-telling narrative style, deciding where and when to embellish the details and where to just gloss over them, proved a challenge. And some things I wrote into the manuscript didn't make the final cut because we had to trim it for length. Some interesting facts, we were able to include as sidebars though. My editor, Amy Novesky, really helped me mold the manuscript by suggesting areas where I didn't need to be quite as long-winded or pointing out passages that needed more sensory details.

This book has some beautiful illustrations. Were you involved / were you able to suggest any of them?

No, the illustrator, Albert Nguyen, had already been selected by the publisher and he illustrated the last six books in the series. Each series has its own illustrator so that the books in the series can have a consistent illustrative style and look. So this book was illustrated by the same illustrator as the rest of the books in The Thinking Girl's Treasury of Real Princesses.

Above the title for the book it reads: The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Real Princesses. What does that mean?

There are a lot more biographies written about men in history and a lot more biographies written for boys, so Goosebottom Books' mission is to tell the stories about women in history who were just as important in shaping the world in which they lived and to make history fun and informative for girls.

The title came about as a way to combat the stigma of the pink, fluffy, girly Disney princesses who dreamt of marrying their handsome prince. These real princesses became an admiral in the Greek navy and led her own ships into war, ruled all of Moghul India and fought battles atop an elephant, declared herself Pharoah and amassed a fortune for Egypt, and in Sacajawea's case, traveled over 7,000 miles—the farthest of any woman of her time—to help Lewis and Clark navigate the rugged American West. They were strong, powerful women who did amazing things at a time when women had little say at all. Through their stories, we hope to inspire girls all over the world that they have the power to do whatever they want to do.

That is very inspiring to young girls to go after their dreams. I hope it will also inspire my readers to pick up your books. Here’s some links to do just that.

If you would like to buy Sacajawea of the Shoshone, here are two options

Goosebottom Books

Amazon 

If you would like to learn more about Natasha and her writing, here’s some options.

WEBSITE 

BLOG 

FACEBOOK

TWITTER 

PINTEREST  

If you would like the opportunity to get a free book, go to the next blog stop for the book at Susanna Leonard Hill's blog, http://www.susannahill.blogspot.com

How to Achieve your Writing Goal

One thing I know about myself is that I am a great procrastinator. I also tend to lose interest in writing projects when a new and exciting idea hits my brain and I want to write about that! When that happens I can write into the early hours of the morning.  

Since I am so much caught up in start and stop writing, I thought I'd look back on some previous goal setting. The example below was done two years ago. As I currently am trying to build up a new career, I don't have the same amount of time for writing as I did then. I just thought it might give others the encouragement to set daily, weekly or even monthly goals. I'd suggest doing the shorter ones to prevent procrastination.

 

Weekly Goals

1.      Write Press release for Career Guide – done, check Tues for review to send

Completed!

2.      Send release to at least 3 newspapers plus L.A. Times

Completed! Sent out 5

3.      Send release to R.E. Magazines as well – have names & addresses

Completed! Sent out 4

4.      Write pitch for family magazines queries

Helping children deal with moving

Tips for making a move – how to plan

One more??

5.      Send out 5 queries to family magazines with the above  pitches

6.      Write a new children’s story or do a final edit on reptile story

Did a new edit on reptile story – will meet again with interviewee to confirm facts

7.      Work on either Christmas story – working on Santa’s suit

Story is now 50% complete for first draft

8.      Send in 5 blog posts – 4 blog post done,

9.      Blog on 5 blogs about my blog

Completed! Goggled children’s writer’s blogs and posted 6 of them with links to mine

10.   Bring Comfort food story to Writer’s group to critique

Completed! Got 2 reviews

What are your writing goals? How are you going about getting them accomplished?

"How To" Series with Anita Paul on Handling Distractions.

Today I am handing over my blog to author, Anita Paul, also known as The Author's Midwife. She has gained this name from her coaching aspiring and current authors to write their best. She is the author of Write Your Life: Create Your Ideal Life and the Book You've Been Wanting to Write.  and is the creator of the Write Your Life program, through which she has created a dynamic system to Write Your Book in 90 Days or Less. She has owned The Write Image for 15 years, and has had her freelance articles featured in over 25 publications in the U.S. and Canada. 

Read on to find out her suggestions for handling distractions...

5 WAYS TO CONTROL DISTRACTIONS

Picture this: You've carved out a few hours to work on your book. For weeks, you’ve been thinking about what you want to write about, how to continue the story, what tips to share, a few resources to include, and what you want readers to get from your book. So you’re ready to tackle the next step in creating your book.

You’re in your writing “cave;” that room of your home that you’ve designated as the place where your creative juices are most likely to bubble up and overflow like a volcano. You’ve got the laptop ready, the resource books at hand, the key websites pulled up, your favorite beverage within arm’s reach, a bag of your favorite snacks, and you’re ready to go. Type, type, type, think, think, type. Okay, you’re on a roll, when suddenly there’s a knock at the door. It’s your (fill in the blank: spouse, child, roommate) wanting to ask a simple question; it’ll be really quick s/he promises. So you allow the interruption, take care of it, and get back to work.

Wouldn’t you know it, as soon as you get on a roll again, your cell phone rings. Caller ID indicates that it’s your (fill in the blank: business partner, mother, doctor’s office). Should you answer it or let it go to voicemail? Now your stomach is growling, you’ve got to go to the bathroom, and you can’t think of that word; you know, that one word that always seems to elude you.

You get the picture. These are the distractions that every author experiences. But what do you do about it? Here are a few ways to control the inevitable distractions that threaten to destroy your timeline to get your book done:

Advise your family of your writing time. This is not the point at which you ask their permission to leave you alone for a few hours. This is the turning point when you tell them that you have a deadline that you WILL meet and that they MUST respect your writing time, which is on whatever day between whatever hours you say. Not only do they have to respect this, but so do you!

Turn off your phone. Unless you’re expecting an emergency call during your scheduled writing time, there is no reason to have your phone on ring or vibrate. Set it to silent for a few hours, and get busy writing!

Avoid email, text messages, and instant messages. Turn off the alerts for these inevitable, non-emergency distractions. They can all wait until your writing session is complete. After all, no one ever texts that they’re having a heart attack, or emails that they’ve fallen and they can’t get up!

Take care of your bio needs. We all get hungry and thirsty, feel the need to nap, and have to go to the bathroom from time to time. Do all of this stuff before you start writing. Grab a snack and a drink (preferably non-alcoholic, unless that helps your writing somehow), take a 20-minute power nap, and a potty break before writing, then get ‘er done!

Gimme a break! Okay, give yourself a break. Take a 5-minute break every so often during your writing sessions. Stand up, stretch, take some deep breaths. You know the routine. If possible, remain in your well-lighted, well-ventilated writing cave during your break. Otherwise, you’ll be tempted to wash the dishes or clean something instead of writing!

There are lots of other distraction busters that you could incorporate to help you stay on task with your book. What are some of yours?

Great tips! Not only for writing but for anyone who is self-employed. Now what is  your excuse for not getting down to the business of writing?

Anita is also the host of "Book Your Success." She can be reached at www.writeyourlife.net

 

6 Ways to Discover Success

I'm starting the beginning of this month to kick off the Christian Writer's Monthly Blog Chain. The topic for this month is "Discovery." Other blog chain members who will be offering their ideas on the topic are listed to the right. I hope you will continue to read on with them. Now on to my post and the topic at hand ...

I've been in sales and marketing in some form or another most of my adult life. I've learned a lot from motivational speakers on selling but I've discovered that a lot of what I've been taught can also apply to writing which I would like to pass along now.

1. You Can't Please Everyone - No matter how good a salesperson you are or a writer, not everyone will like your work. Expect rejections they are a part of work. What is important is to do your best. Don't compromise your ethics. Only listen to objective criticism that builds you up and doesn't tear you down.

2. Get Rid of "Stinking Thinking" - Not everyone can be #1 but it doesn't mean that you still can't thrive & survive in writing.  Remember, your beliefs create your reality. If you think you can't be successful, you won't be. But remember, it does take work. No one becomes a success by just dreaming about it. You need to act on it and be persistent.

3. Rethink Success - Being a celebrity with great wealth, won't make you happy. You become successful when you have a purpose and you help others. As Mike Ditka, the football star, said,“Success isn't measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace.” Or as Booker T. Washington said, "Success isn't measured by the position you reach in life: it's measured by the obstacles you overcome."

4. Stop Criticizing Yourself - When you beat yourself up, you will lower your self-esteem and feel empty. Think to the future and not your past failures. Remember what Scarlet O'Hara said, "After all tomorrow is another day." A new day is always a fresh start to begin again. 

5. You are Unique and Something to Celebrate - Take time to stop and appreciate all the good and positive things you do both in and out of work. Get out of your inner shell and be of service to others. This will spark your energy level and open up your creativity. 

6. Change the Channel - When those rejections come, don't wallow in them. Find something that will bring back your positive spirit - whether it's listening to some inspirational music, reading a devotional, or going for a walk or run.  

Lastly, here's the lyrics by Johnny Diaz about being you as a positive thought...

There could never be a more beautiful you
Don't buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you
There could never be, a more beautiful you.




 If you are not familiar with the song and would like to see the video click here