Writing Routines: Merry-Go-Round Tour #21

Here is my writing routine:

I sit down at the computer. I pull up the current story. I write.

Down through the years, I have developed the ability to write at almost any time and place. For instance, if I have a few minutes between work emails, I go and write a couple hundred words on a story. If I happen to be sitting in the car, I'll often do notes on some story or write a scene (My Nook HD emails the work back to my main computer. I love that!)I have, over the years, created an attitude (and yes, this is about attitude) that allows me to fall directly back into any story I'm working on.

I want to write.

Wanting to write -- really wanting to write, not wanting to have written something -- has made a huge difference in my work habits over the last few years. This is, of course, part of being prolific. Prolific doesn't mean anything if you don't finish first drafts and edit the work, though. You have to follow through on all steps, including either submissions for those choosing traditional publishing or publishing for Indie authors. (And here is a secret -- that last step is where I fall down. Right now I have three books all but ready to go to Smashwords, and I haven't done the last step to get them there. I'm positive something more needs to be done before I release them. This is an attitude problem I'm still working on.)

But let's get back to actual writing. I usually like quiet when I work, so there's no sorting through music. I might put something on if there are loud noises outside, but mostly the quiet works best for me. This is also good since it allows me to take advantage of those little breaks between other work without wasting the time looking for the right music, etc.

The cats are most apt to disturb me, though. And I swear whoever invented the Control+z command must have had cats. No, really, I didn't want to say uerwpqorwiu there, Zaphod. I'm sure it's a very proper kitty word, but it doesn't fit. Thank you for the help, though. Control+z and pop the epic 3,000 word battle back in that the somehow erased.

I think a lot of people have writing routines to set their writing apart from the rest of their real-world work. I think that's important in a lot of cases. I'm lucky because much of my real world is still involved in writing, and there's no huge dichotomy in moving from one part of my life to the others. I don't need to put that line between me and the rest of life.

So now I'm going to go work on getting one of those books up on Smashwords. It's time I hit my own problems straight on.

Wish me luck.

 

If you want to get to read about nearly twenty other writers, check out the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour. Be sure to read tomorrow's post by Sharon Kemmerer