My Writing Habits: The Ideal and the Real by Sandi Somers

 

Image by 123rf.com

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

(Proverbs 16:3).

It is a truth universally acknowledged that good writing habits bring success.

And good writing habits are what I’m focusing on at this strategic time.

I'm very much an early riser. With fresh coffee, I write my morning pages and then head into the Word for a leisurely time with the Lord. 

My devotional time feeds my writing. While reading and meditating on scripture, thoughts and ideas spring spontaneously to add to a new article or to in-progress devotionals.  After writing a quick outline, I record into my cell phone, as it’s much faster than composing on the keyboard. (I’ve started to clean it up immediately—as first drafts are often messy.) After breakfast and a walk (weather permitting), I continue my current project of revising and polishing unfinished devotionals, writing five days a week if possible.

 My writing table faces my east window—I need the rising sun and morning light and space to enlarge my thinking. (How could Annie Dillard pull down her blinds and write in a dark room?! But she said she gets too distracted by what happens in the world around her. I’d get claustrophobic if I did this.)

However, my daily word counts and time don’t add up to those of some prolific writers. Not by a long shot!! Nor do I have their mental stamina. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said he could write seven days a week, up to 12 hours each day. He said that in one day he could revise 20 typewritten pages, single-spaced, margin to margin, top to bottom!

Or take Stephen King, who wrote 2,000 words per day, although he admitted slowing down as he’s aging. Or consider Michael Crichton, one of the most prolific writers of the last two centuries, who wrote 10,000 words daily. Or Margaret Mead, who got up at 5 a.m., and wrote 1,000 words before breakfast.

Then there’s Graham Greene, who wrote 500 new words a day while revising his previously-written work. Or Arthur Hailey, who wrote 600 finished words per day. Goals to aim for!!   

When I finish writing for the morning, I follow Ernest Hemingway’s process, to “always to stop when there was still something there in the deeper part of the well,” to create a thought-filled bridge between the two days’ work.

During the weekend I meet with the Lord for a “Business Meeting with God”. In my special journal for this purpose, I write thanks, successes, questions, hopes, and plans, and wait for God’s answers. Sometimes the Spirit's still small voice speaks immediately, or I think of strategies. Sometimes, however, the answer doesn't come until the days and weeks ahead. 

For planning ahead, generally 12 weeks works best, although I do keep an eye on longer-range goals. I work through a questionnaire I adapted from Lloyd John Ogilvie, who writes, “The Lord constantly wants to surprise us with what he can do if we dare to risk, to accept his gift of faith, and to leave the results to him.”

Then we ask ourselves: “What would I dare to attempt if I were sure that the Lord would intervene to help me, infusing wisdom, love, courage, and strength? (Mentally picture it completed.) What had I avoided by thinking, ‘That’s impossible!’ What steps do I need to take? Where/how is God prompting me now to step out in faith? What is the next thing I need to do?”[i]

That's my ideal writing pattern. 

But as we all know, life happens, and our ideal writing life doesn’t always work out. In our posts last month, we acknowledged both distractions that derailed us, and interruptions that were God’s divine appointments.

But whatever happens, I’m discovering that the secret of writing success is to saturate my writing with prayer, as Jeanette Oke did, and listen to God’s whispers. And write, write, write! The writer Peggy Stoks said, "If I showed up at the computer every day whether I felt like it or not, my pages would eventually turn into chapters, and those chapters into a complete book." That is my goal.

But beyond that, my aim is to give my writing and my time to the Lord, knowing that He is guiding my steps in the ideal and real of my writing life.

---

[i] Adapted from Lloyd John Ogilvie. Lord of the Impossible. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press. 1984. Pp. 9, 15-16.

My Creative Space ~ Wendy L. Macdonald

September’s Writing Prompt: What Is Your (Daily) Creative Ritual? ~ Sandi Somers

In a blog post of the same name, Karen Stiller, co-editor of Faith Today, wrote that “highly creative and accomplished writers, artists, musicians and super-smart math people, all discovered how to work well within the possibilities and limitations of the space and the time they had.”

What are your (daily) writing patterns? 

How is it working for you—or not?

How could your ritual could be fine-tuned for better, deeper work?

https://karenstiller.com/blog/what-is-your-daily-creative-ritual/

Wendy’s Post:

I struggled to start my post for this month’s theme. Not because it’s not an excellent one, but because summer upended my normal creative rituals. But then something happened, and everything shifted into glorious gear again.

My writing ritual is rigid for long spells and then sporadic when the gardening season or new hobbies arrive. 

A love of tinkering outside amongst plants, combined with a growing passion for making junk journals usurped space in my writing schedule (and in my creative space). I was hooped. Guilt and shame shackled what remained of my morning writing time. Forgetting how much one can accomplish word by word and line by line, I fell into crafting and cleaning instead. 

And then something happened. 

I moved another desk into my creative space. I gave myself permission to craft and write in the same room. Except, one desk was for playing with paper, glue, and paint and the other one was only for writing. 

Boundaries are helpful for people who have a multitude of interests. And since I have stayed faithful with my morning quiet time, I knew I could be faithful again with writing if I set up stronger boundaries for myself.

I’d broken a huge boundary during the summer. I stopped reading writing craft books while eating my cereal and watched crafting videos instead. 

Oh, dear. How was a writer supposed to get motivated to write when every piece of paper in her den was calling out, “Pick me. Put me in a junk journal”?  

Reading Lorilee Guenter’s August post on Inscribe Writer’s Online helped me forgive myself for falling out of my writing chair. By the time I read her post, I was back in writing mode and had several new chapters of a W.I.P done. But it was her post that helped me realize that maybe I needed that summer break. Maybe all that fun I had would spill into my writing? 

Yup. My new chapters were more honest than usual and included more humor. And it seemed like God rewarded me for making a concerted effort to work better; a few minutes after having had a productive writing morning, I made a meaningful connection with someone in the writing world I greatly admire. Humbled to be able to converse with her, I teared up and had to sit down. That’s when God reminded me: I already have a much grander connection to the creative world—our Creator—Him. 

Thank you, dear Father, for using everything in my life for good, even when I don’t feel so good about my tendency to wander down crafting trails.

Paper. Yes, there are tea-dyed papers drying in my kitchen right now. Hopefully, the junk journal bug won’t disrupt my cooking duties. (Actually, I made a big pot of spaghetti sauce while I was puttering with papers.)  

Blessings as you find the creative rituals and boundaries that work best for you, dear writing friends.

Wendy Mac

Wendy L. Macdonald is an inspirational blogger and podcaster who loves to photograph nature on Vancouver Island. Her byline is: “My faith is not shallow because I’ve been rescued from the deep.” Her main website is wendylmacdonald.com where she enjoys interacting with readers.

Reordering My Distracted Writing World by Sandi Somers

Distractions Image by Unsplash

Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.  

1 Corinthians 14:40 (NIV)

When I introduced this topic last December, I had no idea that God was waiting to speak to me about my distractions. And speak to me He did!!

 One morning while working on this post, I awoke with the Spirit encouraging me, “God is ready and waiting to meet you at your point of distraction.” I knew then that God’s invitation meant, not only to arrest my distraction thieves but to develop greater intimacy with Himself.

He revealed that I was to take each distraction, one at a time, spend time with Him to discern why it derails me, and ask Him to give me a right way through the potential landmines.

 One of my major distractions to writing became symbolized by an incident in childhood. In a baseball game at school, I was guarding third base. The bases were full. The batter hit the ball my way, and I caught it and reached out to touch my runner. But in my hurry to throw it to home base so the catcher could put out that runner, I almost, but didn’t touch my runner before throwing it.

Did I ever hear from my teammates!!

Not finishing. I sometimes don’t finish my tasks before going on to the next—leaving my Bible, notebook and other materials on the table after I finish my devotions. Or revising an article and not taking time to discard the old draft and extra notes, either in my hard or soft copy. Or not reshelving the books I’ve pulled to reference as I write.

 This month I’ve begun taking time to slow down, clear the clutter and organize myself. “Do it now—get it done,” my friend Judy suggested. Doing so will prevent wasting time hunting for that article draft, or that book, or those notes I left somewhere.

 It has been said that it takes 21 to 30 days to develop a new habit, and I’m conscious now to follow through with organizing myself.  Clearing the clutter and “doing it now” will become more natural as the days progress.

*

As I determined and asked God to help me and guide my next days, He gave me a beautiful image. As I visualized handing Jesus my need to live a better-balanced life, He quickly answered, “I give you the gift now.” He also revealed that once I’ve ordered my world better, I can accomplish more than I thought, and that includes more writing. And more writing means giving my readers more messages the Lord has for them.

*

PS. I want to thank all of you for your posts on this relevant topic. I took Bob Jones’ challenge to spend time in August examining and working on this issue. And because my thoughts weren’t clear enough after a wicked flu in time to post in my regular slot, Wendy graciously offered me today’s spot.

As I reread all your posts and comments, I’ve appreciated the vulnerability with which you opened yourselves, and how the Lord is inviting you to grapple with your situations. But more, you illustrated how time away from writing can be God’s appointments—to become refreshed and renewed, to spend time with family and friends, to help another in need, or to tend to an urgent matter. (We get holidays from work, so why not take time off from writing for a few weeks?) Your input and thoughts and strategies have given me excellent guidelines as I’ve explored my own distractions. 

Fight the Distractions ~ by Sheri Hathaway

 

Camping was a big distraction from writing this summer!

I don’t think any summer has held the volume and intensity of distractions that this summer has brought. My daughter and family moved to the city, requiring help with shopping or babysitting while they shop. In appreciation, they invited me along to a seasonal event, one that we often attended when all the kids lived at home. Those memories must be relived. Then the whole family decided to go camping. Then my friends decided to do something fun, so naturally I had to go along. 

In the meantime, I have flowers to attend to, raspberries to pick, and any of the other numerous plant and outdoor chores that grow with the season. 

Our prairie summers only last a given number of days so why not take advantage of it? I can write in the winter, right?

None of these activities could be denied. All are important in their own right. Decisions must be made to manage the hours God gave us in each day. May I offer a few suggestions for managing your time? 

1. Take charge; gain power over distractions: Previous experience has taught me it’s practically impossible to write – the kind of writing I do in long stretches of quiet time safely hidden away in my office – through a summer. Last spring, I looked ahead at the calendar and decided not to write during July and August. Taking charge over distractions by planning for them gives me a sense of power over the unexpected. Don’t let them take charge of you. You’ll only feel frustrated. Planning for them will give you a sense of power over them. Believe it or not, some things are more important than writing. Ecclesiastes 3 teaches there is a time for everything, and summer – my kind of summer – isn’t a time for writing… unless it’s a different kind of writing. 

2. Alter writing habits: Usually I write at my computer but in summer, I return to my old practice of slipping a notebook into my purse or market bag, with pen attached. I pull it out and write in a quiet – well, not quiet, then times when I’m doing nothing, like riding in the car, waiting for something or someone… Those times pop up if I watch for them. I know it’s not real writing, but it’s keeping my head in writing by planning for a bigger project later. 

3. Change the way you think about distractions: That invitation to the Taste of Saskatoon led to an unexpected art sale bordering the Taste grounds. I talked to a vendor, made some notes, and tucked that idea away for a future article. Wherever you go, stay alert to possible writing, no matter your genre. Think of distractions, not as a hindrance, but as a source of possibilities.  

4. Alter my expectations: I don’t plan to write a long piece or anything profound in summer. The final draft will come later, maybe this fall, maybe this winter. During short periods of writing in summer, I’m simply taking notes to develop later: future ideas for articles, changes to make on that blossoming book,  a catchy phrase for a poem… But… 

5. Warning! Retain some semblance of order: There is nothing more frustrating that having time to really write, remember a great phrase or idea I wrote down on the beach last July, and can’t find the book I wrote it in. Just as you developed the self-control to write regularly, use that self-control to maintain a useful organization practice of your notes. Keep the same notebook for an entire summer, moving it from one bag or purse to the other as you go, clearly write a meaningful title on the cover, for example, “Writing notes, June – September 2022”, and when normalcy returns, put it on the same shelf as your other writing notebooks so you can find it when you want it. 

We all have distractions so take charge of them and use them. They may still annoy you, but not as much as when they threatened to ruin your day. 

Sheri Hathaway is a freelance writer and watercolour artist living in Saskatoon. She writes historical pieces focusing on farm and family. Her writing has been published in the Western Producer, Neighbourhood Express, Freelance magazine and others. Her online home is sherihathaway.com and on Facebook at Author Sheri