How I Write

 
 
 
 

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    Tea

    I write when I have time.  Tea is one of the things that helps…it gives me something to break from work (I write on my lunch hours sometimes) and soothes me.

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    Goal Setting

    When you write catch as catch can it can be easy to loose track of what you’ve done. I set a goal of 2,000 words a day — if you can, set a goal you are pretty sure you can manage. You don’t want to feel overwhelmed, because a huge goal might feel so out of reach instead of challenging you it will just make you procrastinate. I like to bust goals — so if I set a reasonable goal, and surpass it fairly regularly I feel good about myself, and encouraged even when I hit a day where I’m lucky if I manage to string a hundred words together.

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    Feeding the Muse

    Self care are words you hear a lot lately, and I guess, in some ways, that is what I am saying here. You have to treat your writing brain like it’s own person, with needs that need to be fulfilled if it is to keep going. Give it rest. Feed it interesting things — I write a lot of real world magic inspired by actual folklore, so sometimes I read books on those subjects. I look at pictures. I go for walks and let the muse talk about other stories — as long as it knows that the main story must always be the focus. When you write as a second career, it is so east to not take care of that aspect of yourself.

My Tools

My Most Important Tools
 
 
 
 

Research

For inspiration

I read a lot. And I read widely…I have silly books of obscure facts, books on the meanings behind stores and the medicinal uses of herbs and food. The other day I read about storm globes and now have a whole new character and type of magic to play with.

Scrivener

My favorite software

I write on an iPad and on a laptop…Scrivener lets me trade back and forth between platforms…it also allows me to split up stories into workable chunks and keep like books together.

Pen and Paper

Always Useful

I often think of poetry fragments (and as you know, a good couple of lines of poetry is enough to hang the whole poem on, the seed that makes the tree) and story bits while I am driving, or trying to sleep.  I bottle it up as much as I can, because I am happier if I can sit down and explore the whole idea in front of a computer.  If I explore the idea too much away from the page, my brain is satisfied and sometimes walks away from the idea, and whole bits and pieces are lost forever.

SO, pen and paper is an absolute must.  And yes, I am one of those writers who has a crate of empty spiral-bound notebooks, several notebooks that are too nice to use, and notebooks meant for specific things so no touchy.

Main Working Principles

How to Write Like a Swashbuckling Hermit

Write A Lot

Write every chance you get, as much as you can. Set goals and make it a habit to hit those goals. It’s hard. The easiest person to let down in your life is you…but your ideas, your stories, are worth the time.

Absorb Stories

There is nothing easier than finding a story to read, watch, or listen to. Don’t be afraid to treat this like an all you can eat buffet, and try everything. Don’t like or intend to write romance? But chances are you will have romance somewhere in your stories. Se read. See how it is done. Steal techniques. Absorb cleverness. Learn from other people.

Share Your Stories.

Meet other people who love what you do and spend time with them. Write blog posts. Re-Tweet interesting articles. Most of all, tell the story lurking inside your heart before it makes you go mad.