Is clutter the cause for your writing frustration?

Welcome spring! After a relatively boring winter it’s so nice to finally say hello to spring. Where as winter makes me think of holidays, cozy blankets and working with hot chocolate on my coaster—spring makes me think of color, cleaning and productivity.

For most writers the holidays get in the way and clutter builds up throughout winter as we fight to catch up to our once productive routines. This is especially true for writing moms because we have even more to manage. But is the clutter in and around your life disrupting your writing?

Everyone knows the age-old phrase of “spring cleaning” and if you are like me you HATE IT! I hate cleaning, doing laundry, and many other household tasks. Honestly, I’m about as domesticated as a wild mountain lion. The ideal day for me would be sitting on my back patio writing to the sounds of wildlife and enjoying the fresh air and thinking about the fresh dinner I would enjoy making that evening. But the truth is that sometimes it takes a little hard work to give our productivity a boost.

Just try it out. No matter what deadline you are on, take a half an hour (if you need that) and clean up your desk, office, etc. No you do not have to “spring clean” the entire house. You can be like me and do that in pieces but do clean your workspace.

You can make this enjoyable. I put on some music. You can opt for an audiobook or catch up with someone on the phone. Do what you can to make this time not painful but do your “spring clean.”

Once you are finished sit back. I had a glass of wine and observed the work. Take a few deep breaths and doesn’t everything seem manageable now? Of course it does, you can see the color of your desk! Now neatly organize what piles you have on your desk and get back to work.

You will quickly see how simply cleaning up can improve your writing and productivity. Now you can take that feeling of accomplishment and apply it to other rooms in your house. Clearing the clutter from your life will make you feel better and help you in all aspects of your life.

Have you done your spring cleaning yet? Share your spring cleaning stories and tips in a comment below.

Making the most of your writing space

Earlier this week I wrote about locations and how they can impact your writing (or work.) They can help you stay focused, organized, inspired or create chaos and career destruction. But you can prevent such catastrophe by knowing what works best for you and making it work. The same thing can be applied to what goes around your workspace.

I write from home while caring for my toddler and dog. As her nap times become shorter I must get creative with my office space. I’ve created an office/playroom environment that even accommodates Oscar, my dog’s needs.

In this picture you can see the corner of my desk with toys across from it. Sometimes the books on the lower shelf of my bookcase become great toys too. And yes, that is a ball pool. My house is like a slice of Chuck E. Cheese fun! And then you may be able to see a piece of Oscar’s velvet, memory foam stuffed bed under my desk. It is good to be a baby in our house (and yes I’m calling my dog a baby too!)

But you don’t need to have children or demanding pets to custom your workspace to your needs. What helps you focus? What makes you happy when you are stressed? What distracts you? These are just some questions to get you started in creating a productive work environment. In addition to my playground of toys I have white erase boards and story boards up on walls. I have inspirational quotes and pictures that make me happy.

It’s your work zone and you can create it to make it perfect for you. How have you made your work space a better working environment for you?

I’m giving away a free “seat” to my upcoming Writing Moms Workshop. Leave a comment and you will be entered in a drawing to win!

Announcements:

I had the great opportunity of guest blogging on author Colin Falconer’s blog. Learn about the ever-changing writing process.

February is National Dog Training Month. For helpful tips on training the furry friends in your life follow my Examiner column, Special Needs Dog Care.

I will be teaching another class of my Writing Moms: How to do it all without losing your mind Write It Forward Workshop this March. It is a month long workshop focused on busy writing moms, something I know a lot about. Click here for more information.

Who Dares Wins Publishing offers fantastic writing craft and industry Write it Forward Workshops. Be sure and check them all out here.

My book, Caring for Your Special Needs Dog is out and a percentage of the profits go to The Texas A&M Foundation to the benefit of the Neurology Section, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinarian Medicine.

If it ain't working, fix it!

We all know the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Well the same is true for the opposite. If what you are doing is not helping you meet your goals, then change it! I realize that this is easier said than done.

We all work hard but are you really maximizing your efforts to your full potential? I encourage you to stop all the mutli-tasking that you are doing right now. OK, I’m sure your skimming this while scrolling through Twitter or cleaning your desk. Ask youself this question, “What is your greatest weakness?”

Do you know what it is? Now brainstorm and strategize a way to fix it. Obviously there is something that you are doing that is holding you back. I’ve heard a quote before and I’m not sure who said it but it goes, “Only you stand in your way of success.” Of course there are many factors that weigh into success. For writers we must finish a book, make sure it is a great book, get an agent/publisher, market, etc. And then we can always do everything better than we did. Still though, the one major factor we can control is ourself.

This also ties into the great need for writers and all professionals to have flexibility in their work structure. For example, when my father became ill last month it resulted in a change in my daily work routine. As I temporarily moved to where he was to help my family I had to prioritize my goals. Social media is important but had I strived to maintain my social media and Examiner column schedule then my greater goal with my writing would have suffered.

In the end, I still was not as productive as I usual but writing out of town, without my office for over a month will do that. We’re human. Things come up. Especially writing moms. Being a proud mother of a very active toddler has taught me that you never know what the next moment may bring. My daughter could be fine one moment and running fever the next. The same thing goes for mornings. Most of us never really know what we are waking too. You may wake up with a migraine. Lord knows I have. Just last week I went to greet my daughter when she woke up and found her diaper thrown out of her crib and a mess that needed cleaning.

Something that every writer should do is work ahead on ALL blog posts or any typical social media posts. I always work two weeks out. Then all I have to do is review and edit a post the night before it runs. This way if I do get behind, I’m not really “behind.” Of course new topics come up and you can always fit a timely article in amongst planned articles.

My point is that we can make to do lists (or as I call them, goal lists) or we can accept the fact to be somewhat flexible to the needs of our careers and lives. I put my family and being a mother first. By doing this I have accepted the fact that I will do my best writing at odd hours. By accepting this and making it happen, I am getting closer to reaching my long-term goals.

Announcements:

February is National Dog Training Month. For helpful tips on training the furry friends in your life follow my Examiner column, Special Needs Dog Care.

I will be teaching another class of my Writing Moms: How to do it all without losing your mind Write It Forward Workshop this March. It is a month long workshop focused on busy writing moms, something I know a lot about. Click here for more information.

Who Dares Wins Publishing offers fantastic writing craft and industry Write it Forward Workshops. Be sure and check them all out here.

My book, Caring for Your Special Needs Dog is out and a percentage of the profits go to The Texas A&M Foundation to the benefit of the Neurology Section, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinarian Medicine.

There's an app for that!

I'm writing this blog post on my iPad on the road. Thanks to technology, it is easier now then ever to be a writer on the go. This also means that we writers have fewer excuses. You can meet that daily writing go even when traveling.

It is true that there is an app for just about everything these days. There are useful apps such as the flashlight app, compass apps, a variety of alarm clock apps, etc. There are useless apps like angry birds (which I do not own,) words with friends, and other games. And don't forget all those Sesame Street apps! You don't have know that I'm a mother to a toddler, just look at my apps! There are very helpful tools to make life easier like Grocery IQ, and yes there are apps specifically for writers.

Docs To Go is why I wanted an iPad. I no longer have to carry my laptop around with me. I can sync files and work from my iPad. Yesterday I revised a whole chapter for my young adult novel and wrote out articles for my Special Needs Dog column for the rest of the month. while visiting family, those tasks may still be in my to do list.

There are other devices for writing on the go. I just use the iPad so that is what I'm familiar with. My new favorite app is Priorities where I can easily keep up with my to do list and it doesn't seem that overwhelming. I recently downloaded My Writing. I haven't used it yet but it seems great for those moments when you're out and just have a little time to write. It even has a word counter. When browsing through writing apps I also found one that helps you write a novel in 30 days. Now that just sounds perfect for NANOWRIMO.

I've seen writers and professionals out and about making the most of technology to get their work done. I'm able to get through my to do list at a faster pace making more time for new projects and family time, all thanks to new technologies.

How do you write on the go? What apps do you find helpful? Share your personal story of writing on the go success in a comment below.

Announcements:

February is National Dog Training Month. For helpful tips on training the furry friends in your life follow my Examiner column, Special Needs Dog Care.

I will be teaching another class of my Writing Moms: How to do it all without losing your mind Write It Forward Workshop this March. It is a month long workshop focused on busy writing moms, something I know a lot about. Click here for more information.

Who Dares Wins Publishing offers fantastic writing craft and industry Write it Forward Workshops. Be sure and check them all out here.

My book, Caring for Your Special Needs Dog is out and a percentage of the profits go to The Texas A&M Foundation to the benefit of the Neurology Section, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinarian Medicine.

Writing while chasing a toddler

It takes a special kind of person to be a writer. A writers life is a difficult life filled with challenges, disappointments and lots of waiting. Now, add an active toddler in that mix. Being a writing mom (or Dad) takes even more discipline, planning, patience and the "want" than a typical writer.

All writers are busy but writers with children have to be a little more creative. I'm not talking being more creative on plots and characters, writing parents must be more creative with their time.

As a writing mom of a toddler and multiple deadlines I know that I get the most work done by waking up early. That may not be the advice that you wanted to hear but it is the most beneficial, at least for me. I've also learned ways to create more time. I'm a huge fan of my new slow cooker! And working out may seem to take time away from your writing but in reality it helps me stay well and clear my head so that I'm more productive.

Modern day technology also is a friend to writing parents. I have revised and plotted chapters while chasing my toddler. My iPad helps me with this task but you could use anything. A simple old-fashioned pad of paper and pen will do the trick.

The main thing to remember is to plan and make the most of the writing time that you do get. Being a writing parent is a challenge but you are not alone.

I will be teaching another class of my Writing Moms: How to do it all without losing your mind Write It Forward Workshop this March. It is a month long workshop focused on busy writing moms, something I know a lot about. Click here for more information.

Announcements:

February is National Dog Training Month. For helpful tips on training the furry friends in your life follow my Examiner column, Special Needs Dog Care.

Who Dares Wins Publishing offers fantastic writing craft and industry Write it Forward Workshops. Be sure and check them all out here.

My book, Caring for Your Special Needs Dog is out and a percentage of the profits go to The Texas A&M Foundation to the benefit of the Neurology Section, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinarian Medicine.