Apologies that this post is a day later than usual.
Life reared its ugly head and post scheduling did not occur.
Sometimes the simple act of writing becomes challenging. How do you make yourself write when you aren’t in the mood? Do you ever reward yourself at milestones?
"Moving to Germany took me away from my board game group, so I've filled the void with the more solitary aspects of gaming, like deck-building for card games and painting miniatures for tabletop wargames. If I hit my work goal for the day I get to play at night :)" - Dan Wells, author of Fragments.
"Usually I only have a couple hours to write a day, so I don’t really have time to think about my mood. I just have to get as much done as possible with the time I have. This works for me, though. I’ve learned to be efficient and how to focus when I need to." - Natalie Whipple, author of Transparent.
"I’m always in the mood to write. If I’m not writing something or working on a project I get restless and cranky!" - Page Morgan, author of The Beautiful and the Cursed.
"Truth? I don’t force myself. If I write from a place of despair or annoyance, the pages show that clear as day. The writing is crap, and I have to throw it out later. What I do instead is something physical that doesn’t involve writing. So then I’m suds deep in the dishes or sorting all my striped socks in the laundry (I like stripes) or shredding old failed manuscripts so trash foragers can’t find legible passages of my awkward drafts in the garbage cans out behind my building and it’ll hit me: the perfect line. And I’m back to writing again. As for milestones, I have a way of not rewarding myself when I accomplish something because I am never, ever satisfied. There is always something new to complete or attack or strive for. I need to stop sometimes and have a slice of cake." - Nova Ren Suma, author of 17 & Gone.
"I allow myself to write badly, in order to get something down on paper. I read that John Green deletes 90% of his first draft and I found that idea very liberating. I reward myself with cups of tea and blasts of music to keep me going on long writing days." - Dave Cousins, author of 15 Days Without a Head.
"So... recently in Vegas I got a tattoo on my outer wrist that reads STORYTELLER. When I feel like giving up, I just look at the tattoo and think, 'Well, I got the damn tattoo. I can't exactly quit now.'" - Suzanne Young, author of The Program.
"Yes, I use every trick I can to keep my rear in the chair. Incentives ('500 more words and then you can bake cookies!'), threats ('this due tomorrow, you worthless slacker,'), and pep talks ('there, just look at the stunning scene you just wrote. Pulitzer Prize, here you come! Only 50 more pages just like that.')" - Emma Carlson Berne, author of Never You Let Go. 
"I don’t reward myself, and as awful as it is to admit, sometimes I just don’t write. It’s both the blessing and the curse of full-time authorship. There’s no one there to make you work when you don’t want to, but sometimes there should be." - Josin McQuein, author of Arclight.
"Writing is work. Some days I love it and some days I hate it, but like any job, I can’t pick and choose the days I work. I’ve been self-employed since I was eighteen, so I have a pretty good understanding of the concept 'no work = no food.'" - Scott Blagden, author of Dear Life, You Suck.
"Deadlines. I hate them with a burning burn, but they take away the option and makes this more of a job (which I also hate). I would never get through a first draft if I didn't have to. I reward myself for everything from chapter completion (chocolate) to book release (party, new outfit, etc)." - Lindsey Leavitt, author of Going Vintage.
"While writing is a calling, it is also just a job. There are lots of times I don't feel like doing it, or the words won't come or the plot won't weave itself together. Best to put it aside and do something physical, like cook a good meal, or take a walk in the snow. A nap's good, too, because it's a time for my brain to process while my body rests. Other times I resist starting a project, or starting the day's writing, because I know I'll be immersed in it and won't want to surface for other more mundane tasks." - Lois Ruby, author of Rebel Spirits.
Stop by Tuesday to find out what show the authors' main characters
would be on if they were reality TV stars!
would be on if they were reality TV stars!
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