It's been about three weeks since I posted a blog. Somehow, my writing time seems to have gotten away from me. I've been so busy at work, and haven't had much free time to myself, and also haven't had optimal conditions to be able to feel creative and to get much writing done.
I have been thinking about my writing projects though, and have still been making notes for each of them. I've been doing some online research about Boston (of present day as well as twenty years’ past) for my time switch novel, and I've been adding to my character sketches and general plot notes for that project. That's the book that's been in the forefront of my mind lately – I've been thinking about it every day. I think that I'm ready to really get into writing it now.
I've also been working a bit on my tween novel, What Luck. I registered for the SCBWI First Pages event that will be on March 10, and sent in the first page of my manuscript for critique. I'm looking forward to that event, and to what kind of feedback I may receive from the two editors and the agent who will be participating. I know that a first page is not much of a representation of an entire work, but at least I may learn whether my opening is strong enough or whether I need to rewrite it. I hope to also get a better sense of direction for my story, so I'll be able to see it through to the end of its first draft.
But I know my biggest challenge is to try to be able to write as often as possible, no matter what amount of time I may have, or what circumstances I may be in at the given time. Unfortunately, I tend to wait for a lengthy amount of uninterrupted time at the computer in the study to be my time for writing. And that's something I'm not able to get very often.
Today I found a great piece of advice, while I was reading the recent (March 2012) issue of The Writer magazine. In an essay titled “The Portable Writer,” short story writer, poet and Georgetown University and George Washington University writing instructor David Harris Ebenbach says that it's fine if writers have a routine or a special place to write, but they should also be open to changing their writing habits if or when their circumstances may change.
Sure, it's great to be in an ideal writing condition such as the opportunity to write in an artists’ colony – it's easy to be productive in such a creative atmosphere that's free from day-to-day responsibilities, but he emphasizes that “these opportunities are usually short-term… and the conditions they provide do not mirror those of most people’s year-round writing life.”
But often, people try to mimic the perfect writing circumstances each time they write – they can only write in a certain quiet space; or at a certain time when they’re alone or when everyone in their house is asleep; or if they have a certain kind of inspiring music on; or when they’re in the right mood to reflect their story. But what happens if they don’t have the optimal situation for writing?
Ebenbach tells his students “there’s only one secret to being a writer: You just have to write.” And “it’s possible to write under all kinds of conditions.”
He suggests finding ways to bring some familiarity and routine into any environment, such as hunting for a new quiet place; or writing during a different time of day or night; or bringing inspiring music along on a music player with earbuds; or using a different mood to inform a story. He says, “The point is that if you’re thoughtful about what it is that helps you to write, you might be able to bring at least some of that to your new or just less-than-ideal situation.”
He also advises that a change of place, time or mood can be good – it can “usefully inform the content and form of a person’s writing, whereas a static routine can make your work static, too. … New situations… can bring new imagery, settings, ideas and more. … Anything that’s new or unusual has the chance to show up productively in the work.”
He sums up by stating, “If we refuse to write under anything but perfect or familiar conditions, we probably won’t spend much time writing.” And “ … we don’t have to be slaves to what we consider ideal circumstances. Instead, we can… strive… to be writers who can get their work done when the situation is new, unfamiliar or awkward. In other words, we should strive to be portable writers, writers you can take just about anywhere.”
I’ve heard that kind of writing advice before, but it’s good to be reminded of it, especially when I’ve been struggling to find the “right” time, situation and mood for my writing. I know that instead of waiting for the right writing circumstances to come along, I need to train myself to be able to write in nearly any time, place or mood that I find myself in.
I have several writing friends who are very creative and productive, no matter when or where they write. When my friend Michelle was working at the book store, she would write during her lunch/dinner breaks, and even during her taxi rides to and from work. I see my friend Usman nearly every night, writing in the store’s cafe, and usually after he’s spent the day working as a teacher. And my friend Kim Sabatini, a mom of three lively little boys, found the time and energy to write an amazing book, Touching The Surface, that Simon Pulse is publishing in September. So I know I can definitely learn something about writing flexibility from them.
And more famously, nearly everyone knows that J. K. Rowling wrote her first Harry Potter book in her local cafés in Scotland, while her baby napped in her pram. Stephen King wrote his earliest short stories and novels on his wife’s manual typewriter in the laundry room of their trailer, while he was also working as an English teacher in Maine. And Scott Turow wrote his first bestseller, Presumed Innocent, by hand while commuting on the train to and from his day job as a lawyer in Chicago. Just some examples of how writing adaptability can lead to great success!
So what can I do to be more flexible and prolific with my writing? I know I should think outside the box – or in my case, outside of my apartment study. First, I want to be able to become more adept at using the Dragon Naturally Speaking program, so I can dictate my writing more often and not be restricted to typing or writing by hand. I wrote most of this post using the Dragon program, and then went back to typing for the editing process. I want to be able to write more often in different areas of the apartment, as well as outside on the terrace when warm weather returns, so I need to get back to using my laptop more often again. And I plan to upgrade my Nook Color to a Nook Tablet – it’s got a faster processer, more memory space and longer battery life, so it should be more efficient to use for writing. I want to become more proficient at using the Quickoffice Pro app – it turns the tablet or e-reader into a word processor, so I could use it on my breaks at work to write and save the files and then transfer them to the computer later. I’ve also ordered a flash drive, to store all of my writing files so I can share them on all of my devices.
Hopefully, all of this technology will help me to be able to write anytime and anywhere. Now I just have to keep my book projects in my mind and stay mentally and emotionally connected with them, so I’ll be able to get into them whenever I have the chance. I also want to keep up with my blog post more regularly. So, I’ll keep in mind the advice of David Harris Ebenbach’s writing article, and also keep in mind the flexible writing habits of my friends as well as famous writers, and try to follow their examples. And hopefully, I’ll become better at reaching my writing goals.
