Find the Energy

Being a professional writer has its pros and cons just like any vocation. One major con is that writers mostly spend their days alone, stuck in front of their computers and piles of notes. Sometimes in order to boost your writing energy a writer needs to get out and smell the roses or in my case the breakfast at La Madeleine's.

I've blogged before about the importance of surrounding yourself with successful writers. What a better way to learn about this crazy industry then spending time with those who obviously know what they're doing? But you can gain more than industry knowledge from other writers you can feed off their energy. To get energized you don't have to be in the room with New York Times bestsellers. Surround yourself with other writers of all levels and genres.

A group of writers in Houston recently launched a Houston YA/MG group. We meet once a month and discuss various related topics. The topic discussions are helpful but the best part is feeling that energy in the room. The excitement that each writer has for the craft is contagious and I love it! I'm currently on my final revision pass for my YA WIP. Ok, I know I said in my last post that I finished but I'm beginning to think that I'll never finish! I do PROMISE that this will be my last read through before send off!

Back to today's blog topic, energy. I have found that when I'm revising I lose the energy that I had when first got lost in my fantasy world, writing the WIP. After spending 3 hours in a room of energized writers how could I not feel pumped and excited to get back to my WIP? Even if I am revising, energy can make all the difference.

So yes, I should have been revising Saturday morning but after getting re-energized I was more productive in my revising. No matter what kind of deadline you are on you need ENERGY. Find a writing group or a small group of friends. Set a regular time and take a writing break. Taking the time to re-energize will boost your writing and your moral in this business. Enjoy the break! If you have had a great "energizing" experience please share in a comment below.

Keeping the Celebration Short

i just wrapped my final revision pass of my YA fantasy. Now I still have the final read through, to perfect the synopsis and send it off to agents that I still need to research. So, yes I still have some work to be a glass of wine while enjoying old episodes of 'How I Met Your Mother' with my husband couldn't possibly hurt!

This morning I'm back on the keyboard following my daily writing plan. A plan that will in time lead me to my goal of making a living as a fiction writer. Celebrate the milestones and large goals being met but don't lose sight of your overall goal. I see each goal that I check off my list as one step closer to the reaching the big picture. Use that check-off list as your ultimate motivation. I do.

Especially now since time is my enemy most days. As a writer and a new mother to an almost one-month-old I have to make the most of my time. Celebrating can be fun but it won't get me on the New York Times Bestselling list. Whether you are caring for a child, an elderly loved one, or working another job while trying to write you have a full plate. Make the most of your time, whatever your situation may be. Enjoy the small celebrations without losing sight of big picture and enjoy the road to reaching your ultimate goal.