Of course, there is always a degree of hand-wringing self-doubt, but because I write so little, novel writing is a very lengthy process. There is so much more time for those pesky “what if”s to sneak in and resume their steady excavation of buried fears.

I have decided to write the first quarter of the book, stop, probably work on something else for a month, then read and edit before continuing with the second quarter. This is a carefully considered plan that allows for the fact that I will take a long time to write it, and therefore allows me to

• work on other things
• remind myself what’s happened so far
• review what will happen going forward

But…

What if it’s no good?

I haven’t read any of it back to myself yet. What if it’s completely useless? Well, this one is not such a mystery. I have pretty much accepted that the whole thing will be rubbish. That’s what happens with a first draft, so fine, whatever. Although I’m sure my first read will be a dispiriting event, at least I will have something I can work with. More concerning is…

What if I don’t know how to edit it properly?

Seriously, what if I can’t make it better, or everything a I do makes it terrible in a different way? This one does give me butterflies, I have to admit. I imagine sitting down to read it and finding that there’s not enough; that I have to pad it out where everyone else has to cut (cutting, I have no real with by the way).

I imagine that it reads too fast, that the pacing is all lopsided, that entire pages are devoid of detail, or are simply uninteresting; that I can’t build a scene, I can’t describe a place or a person, I can’t give someone a convincing voice… Can’t, can’t, can’t. On and on. And people say there’s no such word.

Which is an odd thing to worry about now that I think about it. I have never ever had a problem editing longer work from anyone else. In fact, I have found editing a much more enjoyable experience than writing sometimes. Again, I think the fear is that there won’t be enough there, or that it’s so bad that the whole thing has to be rewritten. Neither have been a problem when reviewing someone else’s work.

What if I never finish?

Yes, there is always the fear of abandonment. I am bucking everyone’s advice by deciding to stop at a “convenient” place and pick it up later. Maybe instead I should go on a little longer, or break a little sooner, so I can continue in something of a flow when I return to write fresh pages.

I will probably do that – it sounds like a good idea. But refusing to work on it for weeks could still lead to a catastrophic stall and so the fear remains. I shall have to leap straight in with both feet when I write the next part.

Well, I’m glad I got that off my chest anyway. It does help sometimes to acknowledge your fears, but I think that’s quite enough for now. Dwelling on them too long can be dangerous. If you have something niggling doubts why not share them yourself in the comments?

So, it’s a hot topic in the writing blogosphere. Do a check. The next time you read a writing blog, search on it for a post on finding time to write. It will be there (if the blog even has a search, which I found to be a curious rarity). It was one of the first entries that made it on to this fine blog as a matter of fact. And chances are that most if them will say pretty much the same thing.

So given the wealth of information, where should you go for the best advice? Well, I’ve subscribed to a lot of blogs, and I’ve done that very search on all of them, plus searched in Google for good measure, and I’ve made a list of five that are not only good, but hopefully offer something a little different as well. I know, I know, but there’s no need to thank me. It’ll only make my head swell.

Behold, five great blog posts on finding time to write!

In no particular order…

1. Chip on Your Shoulder – Time is on Our Side: Write to the Beat of Your Circadian Rhythms
   This post by Chip Scanlan actually doesn’t talk about circadian rhythms at all, oddly enough. But it does collect a few anecdotes about how published authors found time to write, and offers some sound advice to boot.
2. Writing World – Time and the Writer
   Here’s an idea, keep a diary of exactly where you spend your time, great if you’re really struggling.
3. Write to Done – How To Find Time To Write While Traveling
   A little different this. What about if you’re travelling about – on holiday for example?
4. essortment – Finding Time to Write
   For a more rigorous approach, read this article. Get a new hairstyle? Yes, really.
5. We The ’Bistro – Finding Time to Write
   Seven tips included in this one. This represents the typical advice you’ll find across the internet, but it’s good advice all the same. Although, I’m not so sure about the writing class, but whatever helps.

And if all else fails, you could always get someone else to write it for you!

Please let us know how you find the time to write – we need all the help we can get!

The blog

First though, a quick look at the blog itself. Let’s say that number again – 51 blog entries! That’s one a week since we started (well, almost – I had a week off last week. Okay, I’m sorry. I’m a bad person). Now I know that in the grand scheme of blogs, that’s no great achievement, but it was for me! Of course I had some help, and you can see my thankyous in my Christmas message (I feel like the Queen), but I’m genuinely proud of that achievement. And it does seem to have been helping. I have at least done some writing this year, and the posts I write have at times been a great tool for reviewing what I have learnt.

It has not been as successful as I would have liked however. Of course, that is my fault. I know the days of, “build it and they will come”, have long since passed, but in truth I have hardly done anything to promote this site. Again, that is largely to do with time (isn’t everything?) but I will just have to build it into my routine. So, that will form the basis for my goals on the blog.

The writing

Way back in May, I wrote about measuring improvement in writing. I have been gathering these stats ever since, so I now have a good half a year of figures to pour over.

Looking at it overall, I can see that I hit my productivity peak during September. This was when I was approaching the end of a story I was working on. However, after that it drops right down. I started a new piece of work then, and I must confess, I have been rather timid with it. This is of course, not the way to behave when approaching a new piece of work. The best way will always be to take the bull by the horns and go for it! Whatever it is I’m afraid of can be fixed later!

I have been rather down on myself about how much writing I have done this year. I have always had the impression that I was not trying hard enough, and not knuckling down. I was right – there is a huge difference between my best week and my average week. This shows the difference between the potential of my current routine, and the reality of not sticking to it. Still, it is encouraging to know how much writing can be done, even in short bursts. When I total up each month, then the year, it is shocking how much can be achieved. I said that I wanted to see how small improvements can accumulate into big gains when I set up this method of measuring, and I can certainly see that!

I wasn’t writing in 2008, that’s the thing. So, as much as I rightly berate myself for not doing more, I am doing a hell of a lot more than nothing! This in itself is an achievement, but before I pat myself on the back too much (let’s not get carried away now), I have also taken a look at how my best week would look over a whole year. What a difference! I took my best week, multiplied that by 52, and was amazed. I knew that my best week was over double my average (meaning I’m not even reaching half the potential that my routine offers me), bit it is still an eye-opener to see the full number there.

Once again, I must recommend keeping some kind of stats on your writing. If you are doing everything electronically anyway, getting a word count is normally a snap, and it only takes a couple of minutes to add that to a spreadsheet. Seeing the effect of small changes to my habits over time is a real inspiration. And being able to extrapolate from that gives further motivation. If you’re not trying it already, I urge you to give it a go.

I would very much like to hear from anyone who has been measuring their writing over the past year and what hey think of the results. Or if this is part of your new year resolution, please let me know, too. And I would really really like to know if you visited getmewriting last year and found it helpful. All feedback in the coments section below, please.

My train was supposed to arrive eight minutes ago, and is not expected to arrive for another thirty minutes. Welcome to the British train system! The company in charge by the way, is National Express, who are fine as long as nothing goes wrong, when they are terrible!

My hungry belly and annoyance aside though, this is a perfect opportunity to write another blog post. Let’s face it, time is at a premium for most of us, and we have to learn to take opportunities like this as they come.

It makes sense, then, that you should be prepared for those moments where you might unexpectedly find yourself at a loose end. For me, that means carrying around my iPod Touch. I have it with me anyway and the notes app is sufficient for the quick note or blog post (though if anyone has any suggestions of apps I should try, please comment, and
I’ll review my favourites). I have blogged before about how I use it.

But whatever you use it should be portable, and instantly accessible. Another advantage you might consider is the ability to move such writing to the place and medium in which you normally write. I am thinking in particular of being able to email notes to yourself or otherwise get them onto your computer (if that’s where you normally do your writing).

Anyhew, as luck would have it inamorata now on a train. Not my train, but a delayed one that should have left 50 minutes ago. So it’s all good, and I can go back to my laptop.

Happy time-filling!

The iPod touch (or iPhone of course) is just one option. Many handheld devices now include some way of recording notes. Or if they don’t, then more and more devices support a way of getting something that does allow it, like a downloadable application. If you’re desperate, even a mobile phone will allow you to type and save a text (even if it can be a bit cumbersome).

I like using the iPod touch because I find the touch keypad relatively easy to use, even for things that are longer than a few notes. Not only that, but it is also easy to move those notes to the usual place I store my writing – on my computer. I have to wait until I get home, but I can easily email my text to myself directly through the notes application. Ok, so it’s not as convenient as having Dropbox, like on my laptop, but it’s a lot better than having to type something up that I’ve handwritten.

Of course, some people will always prefer a notepad, and that’s fine – whatever works best for you. personally, I find the idea of copying stuff up, or keeping notes in separate places, a real waste of time. After all, there’s so little of it anyway!

Has anyone got any tips for recording notes you can easily send to yourself? Any app recommendations? Or do you find that only paper will do, and all this technology just gets in the way?

I had begun to get used to my routine. What i try to do is write on the train on my way home, just as in the grand plan I had when I  started this blog. My other writing time would be early Saturday morning.

Although I managed to get up regularly every Saturday and sit in front of my computer, the writing part would often come slow or not at all. As I have mentioned before, I would often end up fiddling with the website, or checking my emails and Twitter. Although that was my greatest opportunity of the week for getting my writing done, it was actually my train writing that was becoming most productive. I suspect  it was because this was a more regular event anyway, and I was much more inclined to work on my writing when I was fully awake! But whatever the reason, I was finding it easier and easier to slip into a writing frame of mind every work day. I had got to the stage when 80% of the time I could simply find a seat (and not be too picky about it either), open my laptop, and just go at it. No pondering. No time wasting.

The Problem

Then something happened. I had a week off work. Great, you may think, that’s more opportunity for writing, you can get more done! Well, yes it is. But no I didn’t. My routine was centered around my journey home from work. Without that time to myself and the “mental hook” I’d programmed my brain to hang it’s writing hat on, I was doomed.

What’s worse, since I’ve been back at work I seem to have taken several steps back in terms of the effectiveness of my routine. Now I’m back to pondering, putting off, or just not doing. I have to start all over again!

Lessons

I’m sure there are lessons to be had here. Here are what I think are correct assumptions to be made:

1. Routines do work – I was getting better at writing in my allotted time.
2. Don’t break them unless you really have to. Taking a holiday from work should not have meant taking a holiday from writing!
3. It’s good to have a bit of variety in your routine as long as you’re disciplined. I’ll use an example to explain. Part of my writing routine is supposed to include writing on a Saturday morning. At home, for two hours, rather than on the train for one hour or less. If I stuck to that i would have got more writing done during my holiday (or when trains are cancelled and I have to write at home). But I have not been disciplined enough with that part of my routine, so that particular bit of brain programming was not available to me.

These are the rules as they appear to me, but some people will disagree with some if them. For example, a lot of people advocate having one place, and one place only, where they write. That’s too difficult for me though I’m afraid. I’m out if the house from 8 until 8 most days, so the train is appropriate (though hardly ideal), but not enough.

Still others might take that rule further and abolish a set routine altogether. The idea here is that if you learn to write whenever the opportunity arises rather than boxing yourself into a set routine, you are in a better position to keep on writing when the unexpected happens. I don’t really buy that either. I see the reasoning but I’m sure that would lead to no writing at all for Matt. Plus I think that habit can be a very powerful tool when used for good! And I need all the help I can get!

And right now I need your opinions! What do you think about keeping a writing routine? Is it a help or hindrance? Do you have one that works for you, and what is it? What’s the weirdest writing routine you’ve heard of?

A while back, I wrote about reviewing your writing plan. I have also written about keeping motivated in your writing endeavors recently. I mentioned I should remember that although I have not stuck rigidly to my plan, I am doing more than I was at the beginning of the year.

But you can only really use that once or twice. In a month’s time, I will find it difficult to know if I am doing a little better than I am now. And with my free time the way it is (i.e. limited), I’ve got to move forward by degrees. How can I give myself that emotional lift if I don’t know I’m doing any better? How can I find motivation to push on and get better when I don’t know what better is?

So I thought about it, and it’s got to be down to numbers. If I had a bunch of stats to judge my performance, I can compare and see improvement. So I’ve decided to go for weekly word count, and time spent writing. The aim is to increase both every week. Adding that up over four weeks gives me totals for the month, so I can see the small improvements adding up to bigger changes.

I’ll keep it all on one spreadsheet so it’s easy as a quick reference, and I am not discouraged from looking at it. And that will do for now. All I want to see at the moment is that I am gradually putting more time in, and getting more done. At some point time may run out, but I’ll still be interested to see if I am being more productive with that time.

Is this useful to anyone else? Can anyone think of other ways to measure progress early on? Leave your comments below.

Another problem is that it can be pretty hard to keep a collaboration on track using the method I explained before – largely because there is no track when you’re making it up as you go. When do you stop adding new elements to the story? When do you start wrapping it up? What about all those loose ends? And do you even know what’s going on?

This was one problem with our collaboration. It had started with a kind of crime mystery vibe. That’s all very well, but it’s an easy matter to keep adding more and more mystery, especially when you’re somewhat absolved from the responsibility of making good on your intrigues. You may not know what you’re writing about, but it’s okay – someone else can pick it up later.

Now, as much as I emphasised how friendly the atmosphere of a collaboration can be (and I meant it), there will likely come a time when someone writes something that you think is utter crap. Or (even worse!) a fellow collaborator may think that of your writing! It’s not fun to force someone to edit out what they thought was a great idea. This is where it helps to have an odd number of collaborators – at least you can vote on it! Plus, it helps you give or take criticism well. And, you can always console your friend (or yourself), that if it’s that great an idea, they’ve now got it all to themselves and can use it in something else. Still, such hardening stuff, though good for you, can be unpleasant.

And lastly (because this may often be the last thing that happens with a project), they can peter out and die, without ever being finished. After all, when you’re just relying on yourself, you know where you stand, and you can discipline yourself. As fun as it might be to discipline someone else(!) its not necessarily going to work.

I’m not sure whose turn it is on our collaboration (I’m pretty sure it’s not mine), but it seems to have ground to a halt. I am hopeful that it can be resurrected with a bit of persuasion to all involved, but it does mean that there are some rather scary unknowns left at the end of the process. I have no idea what will happen when we come to edit, for example. Whose responsibility is it, and will the more sensitive nature of editing cause arguments?

But for all that, I did enjoy it while it lasted, and I would definitely do it again. If you’re feeling a little demotivated, sorry about that, but maybe you can avoid these things if you bear them in mind during your own collaboration. You can always give my post on the advantages of collaborative writing another read  to get you in the mood again.

‘Shouldn’t you be writing the script instead?’

Fool!

True. But actually this week has been productive because of one thing. I’ve found my voice. Now voice is the most important thing for a writer. Sure you can write the best medical drama ever, but if you know nothing about hospitals (unless you can get one to collaborate with) this will be an ugly mess. Of course as the writer of the original book it was quite easy to tap into the voice, however, the problem was how to present it. Now the problem with the book is that it is mostly a first person narrative. Though there is lots of character interaction, most of this is interrupted by inner thoughts. How do I approach that? Well, I had a number of options.

1. The Voice Over.
2. The Talk to the Camera.
3. Ignore it Altogether.
4. A mixture of 1 and 2.

I tried writing the first chapter (which you can read here… (link) cheap plug) first using Option 3. I tried to break it down into a normal scene. Go from A-B. But it didn’t work. And the reason was that by doing this I lost a lot of the dialogue that could not realistically be spoken, and I also lost a lot of the character. This way would also have a drastic knock-on effect on the rest of the book as it is almost 60-70% inner monologue.

Ok, how about Option 2.) ?

Well, the problem is twofold.

Firstly, the comparison with High Fidelity and others is too great in this mode.
Secondly, as these thoughts happen so frequently the talk to the camera would either have to be restricted and once again lose some of the character or be so frequent as to be distracting.

A mixture of 1 and 2 was a thought, but maybe a little odd to figure out which bits would be which.

Which leaves me with Option 1.

Voice over seems the best route. In fact, it’s perfect as reading the book back, I found an over exaggerated element to the book. Something which would be greatly improved by voice over and also flash cuts (Quick cuts from the real world to the imaginary and back). So that was decided. The voiceover would introduce the scene or ‘day’, comment on the background thoughts of Michael and the rest of the action would just play out around them.

Once you make any decision like this it’s best to stick to it. Sure you can change your mind, but when you’re fifty pages in and you decide it’s not right all you have is fifty pages of wasted time. As soon as I decided on that I had to stick to it. Those fans of Bladerunner, ignore that thought as obviously voice over/non-voice over is possibly the biggest debate that science fiction fans have. But late on Thursday I sat down, 33 Steps at hand and started writing. And then

BAM    BAM    BAM    BAM

Four scenes were done? Four sections of my 33 steps were done! 12% of my film was done!

If I kept that pace up on a weekly basis, I’d be done in nine weeks. It was incredible, as soon as I had found my voice it just flowed from me, sweeping up the book in itself and transferring it.

It should be noted now that the chance of anyone completing a perfect script in less than three months is absurd. So I will assure you blog ten will probably be documenting my failure to keep up this pace or will be:

Rewrite Rewrite Rewrite… actually, it may just be that anyway.

Well, we shall see…

Such adjustments are a natural consequence of discovering how much you can do each month, and maybe trying to improve on that as well. But it could pay to take a closer look, and examine why exactly things went awry, or  why they went particularly well. As an example, I’ve just been planning my March tasks. I’m a little behind, which is disappointing considering how conservative I’d been with my goals, but I definitely feel like I can improve. The general feeling I’ve had is one of a lack of focus, and there will be small things I can do about it. I set out my tasks under several headings – write novel, write blog entries, write short story, yadda yadda, and so on. So, I’m on the train home, I take out the laptop, I look at my task list. I tended to pick the tasks I felt like doing at the time, regardless of what heading they were under.

As well as showing a distinct lack of priority for my most valued tasks, this leads to a bit of um-ing and ah-ing before I actually get started. But perhaps the worst effect is a lack of focus over the week. There’s is more of an effort made in getting into it (whatever ‘it’ I have chosen) each time. All of these things waste time, and likely produce poorer results. Time, as I may have mentioned, is precious for me, and I simply cannot afford to waste it on procrastination and a woolly-headed approach.

So, Each week, I pick one of my headed projects, and will concentrate on those tasks for the whole week. This should ensure I can get straight on with it, and that I am more likely to be in the right ‘headspace’. Simple? Yes. Am I stupid for not realising this sooner? Probably. Should I be embarrassed at my idiot mistake? I refuse! That won’t do anyone any good! No one should be afraid of admitting to even the slightest of mistakes and learning from them.

And with that in mind, I’d like to open up the floor to anyone else who has learnt something from having a plan and looking at how they have worked towards it. From reviewing, in other words.