{"id":13572,"date":"2015-09-18T01:00:50","date_gmt":"2015-09-18T08:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?p=13572"},"modified":"2015-09-17T12:40:08","modified_gmt":"2015-09-17T19:40:08","slug":"writers-balancing-act-learning-vs-doing-by-carol-malone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2015\/09\/18\/writers-balancing-act-learning-vs-doing-by-carol-malone\/","title":{"rendered":"Writers, Balancing Act: Learning vs. Doing, by Carol Malone"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Summer<\/a>Please welcome author and editor\u00a0Carol Malone<\/a>. Today she\u2019s sharing her article on learning vs. doing as it concerns us as writers. Enjoy!\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>***<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been stuck in my writing of late<\/strong> and I started wondering about my goals. Though I want to be a bestselling author and made every plan and goal in my mind to do so, something is holding me back. Maybe my goal isn\u2019t big enough. Or maybe, something in my thinking went haywire and I started believing that I needed to read or study every word on the subject <\/em>of writing before I could write another word.<\/p>\n

Do you know a writer like this or are you one yourself?<\/strong> If given the choice, will you study about writing endlessly? Do you listen to the experts or attend conferences? Do you check out all the bestselling novels or literary fiction or poetry compilations for examples of fine writing from the library? Do you rub elbows with the various folks in your writing\/critique groups hoping their excellence will rub off? Even after all that, are you like me and don\u2019t actually do a lot of writing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to one of my favorite inspirational writing gurus, David Farland<\/strong>, best-selling author of The Runelords<\/a><\/em>,\u00a0and the man responsible for getting his publisher to read the very lengthy Harry Potter<\/a> <\/em>manuscript, \u201cSome of them [writers] have been studying for years but have never completed a novel, a short story, or even a poem. Are they really writers? Are they getting ahead? That\u2019s debatable. They might be able to speak on panels at conventions loquaciously, but they\u2019re not proving that they understand the process by doing<\/em> it.\u201d http:\/\/mystorydoctor.com\/a-question-of-balance\/<\/a><\/p>\n

The converse is just as bad.<\/strong> I\u2019m sure you know writers who write, write, write, but they refuse to learn new things \u2013 refuse to be corrected, critiqued, or edited. They can\u2019t imagine there might be a better way out there to put words to paper. They insist that \u201cpractice makes perfect\u201d and end up with substandard writing because they won\u2019t be an old dog that learns new tricks and that trick is, \u201cPerfect <\/em>practice makes perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

When I first started writing, I just wanted to write<\/strong> \u2013 as fast as I could and as many manuscripts as I could. Terrible writing. I didn\u2019t care. My goal was to write and I wrote \u2013 goal accomplished. I wrote six manuscripts in the first three months of my career. Would I want you to read them? Heck no.<\/p>\n

Then, I thought I would be a better writer by doing everything BUT writing<\/strong>. I joined the RWA and a host of other groups. Went to conferences. Studied with industry leaders, college professors, literary agents. Worked with book coaches and book editors. Subscribed to magazines like Writer\u2019s Digest<\/a><\/em>. Purchased multiple expert books on writing. Took tons of online workshop\/webinar courses.<\/p>\n

But \u2026 I stopped writing my fiction consistently<\/em><\/strong>. I was filled with fear that I wasn\u2019t learning enough, and that my writing wouldn\u2019t measure up.<\/p>\n

I also didn\u2019t make writing a priority in my everyday schedule.<\/strong> Even now I have the same attitude as the hare did in the hare-and-the-tortoise-race-story. I write thousands of words one day, then none for weeks at a time. Starting. Stopping. Starting. Screeching to a stop, and starting again. I\u2019m still too busy believing I need to know everything there is about the art of writing instead of writing<\/em>!<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s the answer to my dilemma?<\/strong> Do I take more online writing webinars, attend another writer\u2019s conference? Or write lots more non-fiction, educational-type writing?<\/p>\n

Quick answer:<\/strong> Yes and no! \u2013 to all of that. Everything within reason.<\/p>\n

Balancing Act<\/h2>\n

So \u2026 what\u2019s a good balance?\u00a0<\/strong>How can I feel like I\u2019m continuing to learn and yet put my writerly education to work and augment my writing with living?<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve combined ideas from a few sources<\/strong> and put together a list of possible<\/strong> ways to balance my writing life and my real life. You\u2019re free to make up your own priority list, but, as Nike says, \u201cJust do it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s my list:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Get up early:<\/strong> How early is up to you. I\u2019ve heard of some writers who get up at 3am. Yikes!<\/li>\n
  2. Express gratitude:<\/strong> Saying thanks for what you have and for being able to get up early.<\/li>\n
  3. Set a date and time with yourself to do nothing but write:<\/strong> Some people suggest you write every day. I\u2019m readjusting my thoughts on that, and I\u2019ll express that next month in my October column.<\/li>\n
  4. Exercise:<\/strong> It doesn\u2019t matter what, just move your body. I read somewhere (can\u2019t find the reference now) that just thinking about going to the gym will spark your creativity. But don\u2019t just think about it \u2013 go. Do. Something.<\/li>\n
  5. Do something spiritual:<\/strong> Rebooting the spiritual part of your nature will work wonders for your writing and your life. Whether you read the Good Book, pray, meditate, do Yoga, Tai Chi, or stare at the wall, do something to commune with a higher power.<\/li>\n
  6. Eat healthy:<\/strong> Something green can make you a writing machine. (I know, I\u2019m not a poet.)<\/li>\n
  7. Put a smile on someone else\u2019s face by expressing gratitude for them:<\/strong> Send someone a note or call them. Visit a neighbor, a sick friend, or a long-lost relative. Forgive others \u2013 even if they were in the wrong. It\u2019ll make you feel better.<\/li>\n
  8. Find a clean, well-lit place to create:<\/strong> Someplace where you can feel comfortable. Could be a home office that you de-clutter, or a restaurant, or coffee bar with an ocean view. Someplace where you can feel free to be you, and invite your muse. We\u2019re Pavlovian creatures. Doing the same thing at the same time at the same place will spark our body\u2019s response to the same sensual and spatial prompts to start writing.<\/li>\n
  9. Tell others you\u2019re a writer:<\/strong> Simply state it to friends and family, then you\u2019ll start to believe it and act like it.<\/li>\n
  10. Learn something new:<\/strong> Now that you\u2019ve got those zillions of writing books, crack one open. Look for a topic to study. Set a timer. Go. Read until the timer buzzes, then STOP! Time to write.<\/li>\n
  11. Switch off all electronic communication devices:<\/strong> Email, iPhones, tablets, social media sites, TV, radio (unless music helps you relax or stimulates the writing Muse), even the phone. Anything that makes a blip or beep will divert your brain. Switch them off.<\/li>\n
  12. Set a quota:<\/strong> If you like, you can set a timer for your writing time. Some people work better under a deadline. I know I do. I love doing writing sprints for 10, 15, or 20 minutes. You\u2019d be surprised how much you can write in that amount of time. Or, set a daily word count. 500, 1,000, or 5,000 words. Only you can decide what you are comfortable with.<\/li>\n
  13. Keep a sense of humor:<\/strong> You\u2019ll need one. Try to find a way to laugh at yourself because your inner critic, and I know you all have one, will try to hammer away at your insecurities regarding your writing and tell you neither you nor your story is relevant. Tell him\/her to take a hike!<\/li>\n
  14. Be curious:<\/strong> Stop the what ifs <\/em>by focusing on the why not. (Tweet this! You can edit before you publish.)<\/a><\/em> Come to your writing with a sense of curiosity and how it\u2019s going to evolve today and what impact it will have on the world. We all want to change peoples\u2019 lives for the better, right?<\/li>\n
  15. Allow yourself to write badly:<\/strong> At least the early drafts. Put on your propeller beanie and just write whatever comes into your head. This is not the time to put on the Inspector Sherlock Holmes\u2019 hat and go at your writing as an editor. You\u2019ll get enough critiques after you finish writing your story. But there won\u2019t be anything to critique if you DON\u2019T WRITE IT!<\/li>\n
  16. Then offer Praise! And Alleluia!<\/strong> At the end of the writing time:<\/strong> You\u2019ve done it. You sat down, you\u2019re learned something, you\u2019ve written some words (they may be junk), but you\u2019ve accomplished something. Mark your progress on a calendar. Record your completed word count. I use an Excel spreadsheet and online, I use Toggl timer. It\u2019s a visual pat-on-the-back to see what I have accomplished.<\/li>\n
  17. Get support if you need it:<\/strong> Be accountable to a friend or spouse. Hire a writing coach. (Best thing I ever did: Beth Barany, http:\/\/www.bethbarany.com\/<\/a>). {Editor’s Note: Thanks for the shout out, Carol!} Getting expertise from books is one thing, but having someone to bounce ideas off, is of such greater worth, especially if they are nit-picky and don\u2019t let you off the hook.<\/li>\n
  18. Most important:<\/strong> Have fun! Writing should be a creative expression of what lives in our hearts, in our brains, and in our deepest desires or passions. If you\u2019re not having fun, it\u2019s time to rethink the process or your projects. Try a different genre. If you\u2019re a memoir writer, take a stab at writing a science fiction love story set in medieval France. Explore your possibilities.<\/li>\n
  19. At the end of the day:<\/strong> Give thanks for a job well done. Returning thanks will create in you a gracious, gratitude-filled heart, and will open up your mind to new possibilities.<\/li>\n
  20. Remember to be relentless:<\/strong> Like me, sometime in your writing journey, you\u2019re going to get stuck. Feel writer\u2019s block. Blocked or stuckness is only a product of fear \u2013 fear to shove forward with the same grit and determination we needed to get started. If you don\u2019t like my list, make you own and run through it every day, especially if you get stuck.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    I would hope, like you, to have a gentle balance<\/strong> \u2013 enough writing education so that I can write on to perfection balanced with actual writing. I would hope that we will do as David Farland<\/a> suggests:<\/p>\n

    \u201cDo what you need to do, whether you need to study more, practice more, or both, Then, do it again tomorrow.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    References for my list<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Debbie Reber\u2019s blog:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.debbiereberwritingcoach.com\/11-secrets-to-completing-any-writing-project\/<\/a><\/p>\n

    Writer\u2019s Digest<\/em>: Courtney Carpenter, May 7, 2012; http:\/\/www.writersdigest.com\/tip-of-the-day\/make-time-to-write-10-tips-for-daily-writing<\/a><\/p>\n

    Lisa Kent on her blog, Lisa\u2019s Life: http:\/\/lisas-life.com\/2015\/01\/05\/creating-day-worth-living.html<\/a><\/p>\n

    ***<\/p>\n

    About the author:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    \"Carol<\/a>An award winning\u00a0novelist, Carol Malone<\/a>\u00a0writes romantic suspense, rocketing readers into the past to uncover a hard-fought happily-ever-after. Based in coastal California, when\u00a0not hammering out new tales, Carol reads, watches sports, the Food Network or HGTV, or spends time\u00a0with her author husband. She loves to connect with her readers on her website<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Check out her books here:<\/p>\n

    Fight Card Romance: Ladies Night<\/em><\/strong><\/a> \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

    Fight Card Romance: Ladies Night Christmas<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

    Summer Holiday<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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