Pandemic, New Edition
This week is my birthday, and it also happens to be my book's birthday: Sky Pony Press is publishing a new edition of Pandemic. My young adult debut novel was written pre-COVID, and although this version of the story is the same, I updated the resources and back matter to reflect current events. The cover design has been modified slightly--the words "A Novel" have been added, in case people were to confuse this with nonfiction. Is this more of a reincarnation than a birthday? I'll celebrate either way. :)
Productivity and Joy
In honor of this happy week, I wanted to highlight the connection between productivity and joy, which also relates somewhat to this month's Insecure Writers Support Group blog hop. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for creating IWSG and the hop, and to SE White, Cathrina Constantine, Natalie Aguire, Joylene Nowell Butler, and Jacqui Murray for hosting. This month's optional question:
When the going gets tough writing the story,
how do you keep yourself writing to the end?
how do you keep yourself writing to the end?
It's important to find (and remind ourselves!) about the joy of writing, especially during the tough patches. Here are ten tips to joyfully reach "The End" of a novel.
- Map out your story with construction paper, a piece of oaktag, scented markers, glitter, crayons. Make it fun. :) This can be a map of the setting or plot, or even a collage reflecting your character's personality and interests. (For a tech version of the collage, use Pinterest.)
- According to a recent article on Entrepreneur.com, Increased Productivity Will Increase Your Happiness, "You get a great sense of accomplishment when you cross out tasks or mark them as complete on a to-do list. . . . Dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes us feel light and happy, is released when we check off tasks." But writing a novel is a huge task, not easily crossed off the list. One technique I use is it to break "writing" into small chunks of time. (You can also use word count as a metric.) Since starting is often the hardest part, once I begin, I work much longer, and I get the happiness of checking the box.
- Write haikus from your MC’s POV summarizing what will happen in the remaining chapters.
- Consider taking a break. (But not for too long....)
- Consider powering through. Reaching the end is a huge accomplishment! And you can't revise unwritten pages.
- Do you have the right tools to finish? Maybe a binder to hold the work-in-progress would help, or a fun pen to use for editing? Or would a change in scenery be inspiring? Gretchen Rubin says in Better Than Before, ". . . attractive settings relieve drudgery, and well-made tools make work a joy--which helps to strengthen habits."
- Create a schedule to finish, even if it's your best guess. Consider telling someone else your intended deadline, if that type of accountability works for you. Don't wait to be inspired to work. (ICYMI: My previous blog post is about Productivity and the Myth of the Creative Muse.)
- Write with other people, setting up a common time (by Zoom, for example) when you work together even if you can't meet in person.
- Make a list of a few scenes you can't wait to write, then work toward them. These are what Holly Lisle calls "candy bar" scenes, and she has an excellent article, How to Finish a Novel. I highly recommend giving it a read.
- Imagine how great it will feel to finish! As Frank Norris originally said (and reiterated by many authors since then), "Don’t like to write, but like having written."
Happy June!
I very often like writing, but I *always* like having written.
How is the process for you?
I very often like writing, but I *always* like having written.
How is the process for you?
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