Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Making it with Discipline

Today I'll give you guys a look at an article I did in April that was featured in Michelle Pillow's Frivolous Fridays blog. It is still something I have to read over because I have struggles with procrastination sometimes. Let me know what you all think! If you'd like to reprint it for public use, please ask for permission first. =)
------------

Making it with Discipline
By Sarah Mäkelä

In the past, I have had a lot of trouble with staying focused and being disciplined when it came to writing. I had thought that writing was something people do when they’re feeling creative and inspired. New York Times Bestsellers probably wrote every day, but they made a living writing. I would write when I thought about it, and I loved writing when I did, but it wasn’t something I would do on a regular basis. I loved my characters and thought about them a lot, and when I did sit down to write, I would think about new ideas that had occurred to me, and start writing out those stories. Needless to say, I now have six partials for novel-length works. Most of those are around twenty thousand words.

I always hear a lot about writer’s block, and my answer is that I don’t believe in writer’s block, so it doesn’t believe in me. Most times when I’m “blocked,” I just need to keep that much more focused on the work and break through it. That doesn’t mean I think there can’t be actual problems going on when a writer is stuck. Always examine where you are stuck and try to figure out why, but then continue on. I know of well-known bestselling authors who write their first draft quickly, and then go back and make sense of the manuscript. Stephen King in his book, On Writing, suggests three months for this process.

Before completing my first manuscript with the help of National Novel Writing Month, I didn’t understand that. Why would I want to hurry through such an important step? With National Novel Writing Month, you have to turn off your internal editor and lock her in the closet. If you don’t, you simply won’t be able to write fifty thousand words in one month.

I think sometimes writers get bogged down with making everything perfect on the first time through, but if the first draft doesn’t get done with the diligence of sitting down to write every day, then you won’t make it to the second draft. Now with my first book coming out April 1st, and my second book ninety-one percent written, I recognize that a person needs to have discipline when writing, or pursuing anything else that they desire in life. Writing is a creative process, but it’s also a business.

If you have the desire to write, then go for it! Don’t let others deter you from your dreams.

(c) Sarah Mäkelä

9 deadly screams:

Molly Daniels said...

Good advice, Sarah:) I've got to buckle down myself; I've had 3 different storylines floating around in my head all summer, and each one has one chapter written. Time to pick one and stay focused. Hmm...wonder if I could move out of the house for a week? Have no responsibilities other than to write my fingers off!

Gracen Miller said...

lol Molly, I so agree with you on the moving out of the house part. Like you I have two books started and both of them want to talk. On top of that I have sick children, a bathroom in the middle of remodel and not enough hours in the day to clean and wash clothes, not to mention extracurricular activites. I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day.

But, I'm sure if I really buckled down I could find time to write at some point in the day. So, procrastination must be my middle name.

Great blog, btw, Sarah. Really enjoyed it. Now I need to get inspired to write, right now! ;-)

Gracen Miller said...

lol Molly, I so agree with you on the moving out of the house part. Like you I have two books started and both of them want to talk. On top of that I have sick children, a bathroom in the middle of remodel and not enough hours in the day to clean and wash clothes, not to mention extracurricular activites. I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day.

But, I'm sure if I really buckled down I could find time to write at some point in the day. So, procrastination must be my middle name.

Great blog, btw, Sarah. Really enjoyed it. Now I need to get inspired to write, right now! ;-)

Gracen Miller said...

lol Molly, I so agree with you on the moving out of the house part. Like you I have two books started and both of them want to talk. On top of that I have sick children, a bathroom in the middle of remodel and not enough hours in the day to clean and wash clothes, not to mention extracurricular activites. I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day.

But, I'm sure if I really buckled down I could find time to write at some point in the day. So, procrastination must be my middle name.

Great blog, btw, Sarah. Really enjoyed it. Now I need to get inspired to write, right now! ;-)

Gracen Miller said...

Sorry, I have no idea why this posted more than once.

Molly Daniels said...

LOL:) Third time's the charm:) Blogger wanted to make sure you got your point across:)

Okay...got caught procrastinating. Am going back to work now...I think...I have a disgruntled hubby who is laid off after only 8 weeks of work. Talk about a downer! And when he's unhappy, ain't nobody happy, which puts a damper on the creative process. Know what I mean, Vern?

Gracen Miller said...

*grins* Obviously, blogger thought my comment was 3 times important! lol

And, boy, do I know what you mean about the hubby's mood dragging down the entire household's mood. Mine is the same way. If mine gets laid off from work, just go ahead and shoot me because I might shoot him. ;-) I love him, but I tell him that when he retires, I'm going to have to get out and get a real job. *grins* I'm dead serious though. He's too ADHD for me to keep up with him AND he's too moody.

Sorry to hear about your hubby, Molly. Hopefully, he'll find something soon and then you won't have any excuses to be procrastinating. *grins* Now, I just need to find a really good excuse. ;-)

Like you, I'm off to do some writing.

Molly Daniels said...

I'm SOOOOO glad I'm not the only one! I've said for several years that when he retires, I'm reentering the job market! There IS a thing as too much togetherness:) And this 24/7 for six months and now potentially 6 more has me wanting to run away from home...

Oh wait; I'm kinda doing that this weekend!

Sarah Mäkelä said...

Thanks for the comments, Molly and Gracen! I appreciate them. I really agree that too much togetherness in a marriage can be a bad thing. I love having my own space, so it's a must that we have time apart. Good thing though is that hubby also likes his time by himself, too.