Friday -- The Writer's Porch -- Writers Write

Whenever you attend a writer's conference you will inevitably hear the phrase, “Writers write.” This translates to, if you are really a writer then you sit down at your computer and plod on along. You may sit and stare at the screen for hours, but your cute bottom is stuck to the chair until you write something down.

For the past several months, I have struggled with making myself write. I can think of a bazillion other things that I need to do or want to do. However, yesterday I made a decision to get back in the saddle (my ergonomic computer chair) and to write 300 words a day—except for Saturday and Sunday. If I do the math correctly that averages out to 1500 words a week. If I do this for 52 weeks, I will have written 78,000 words—in essence a book. And if I am honest with myself and I am actually writing I will probably achieve closer to 600 words a day. So for me that translates to writing my blog, my Proverbs 31 devotions and a book in one year. So why haven’t I kept up this pace? Good question.

Here are the things that tend to distract me from writing:

Emails

Internet research (Yes, we must do it as writers, but I can do it for hours)

Phone calls I feel I just have to make

Playing Hearts on the computer

A few weeks ago, I read Michael Hyatt’s blog. He’s the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing. He highly suggested setting the goal of zero emails in the inbox by the end of the day and to only read your emails twice a day. Check it out at http://michaelhyatt.com/2008/06/yes-you-can-stay-on-top-of-email.html Love it!

Internet “research” can take on a life of its own. It can become a fire breathing dragon that fries up your writing time. Make your search and stop! Personally, I am going to try to do my research at night while I'm watching TV or sitting outside enjoying the summer weather. And try not to do it when I am supposed to be typing away.

When I am sitting at my desk, for some reason I always think of someone I should call. So I call and bingo, 30 minutes is burned up on the phone. So, my new resolution is no calls until I have written my 300 words.

And the game of Hearts? It needs to be deleted. I had to do that once with Solitaire when I had a manuscript deadline looming ahead of me. So, if I can’t stop Hearts, it’s going into the recycling bin.

John Saul said, "When I write a book, I always think it's patently absurd that I can write one. No one, certainly not me, can write a book 500 pages long. But I know I can write 15 pages, and if I write 15 pages everyday, eventually I'll have 500 of them." (1942).

My word count for today: 750. Woohoo!