Friday, January 23, 2015

Blogging on Plans for Reading and Writing (or not)



Rhobin picked a great topic to start off the New Year. What is your favorite time and place to read? How about writing time? Do you have to make time?

Do you have a ritual or is your plan helter-skelter? I had a quilting teacher who followed the Swiss cheese method to completing tasks: Make a hole here, and sometime later a hole there; keep repeating this until the whole thing is complete. What's your method?

Let’s start with the easiest first - My favorite time and place to read. Okay, I don’t read as much as I should or want. I find it difficult to fit it in, but if given a choice I like to read in the evening. That way, if it’s a great book, I can keep reading. Favorite place varies with the time of the year. In the warmer weather it’s on or deck overlooking the lake, with a glass of wine. In the winter it’s inside in front of the fireplace with a mug of hot chocolate. 

Writing time – I try to write several hours a day. I have to make time and I try to schedule it in for the week, around appointments and other errands. Usually I try to write to do an hour or so on marketing and social networking in the morning. (I’m not very good at it.) Then I do 2-3 hours writing. Sometimes I also write at night for about 2 hours. I write linearly so I don’t really have a ritual. I grab a cup of coffee, plunk myself down in front of the computer and start writing from where I left off the day before. When I start to feel brain dead (or my muse goes to sleep) I stop writing. I don’t edit until I finish the book. Then my writing time becomes editing time. I usually try and edit it two or three times before I send it to my editor/proof reader. Then I edit once or twice more. On weekends I do blogs. I’m trying to do twitters for the week.

I look forward to seeing what others say and maybe learning a way that might improve my method, especially incorporating the marketing and social networking. Off to check their websites. I hope you will, too.

13 comments:

  1. You seem very methodical, which I kind of expect from a mystery writer. Interesting how we are all very similar but with different quirks!

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    1. I'm methodical, but I don't always accomplish a lot of useable words. :)

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  2. You sound far more organized than the person commenting. *lol* I count on my characters to lead me, and when they go mute, I'm hopelessly lost.

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    1. Your way sounds like more fun, but I don't think I'd get much done that way.

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  3. I love to read in bed before falling asleep but that's also the time I love to write! If only I could do both! Cloning needs to happen quicker!

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    1. You write in bed? Reading I understand, but writing. I'd fall asleep before I wrote anything.

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  4. Beverly, mystery writers are organized. I have difficulty keeping my Muse on task.

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  5. I need one of those signs you have! It's easier to snatch moments to read with the iPad. The last flight I was on seemed to whiz by because I was reading a really interesting book. Now, during basketball games, I will 'snatch' a couple of hours reading while my husband watches TV. More and more doctors' visits give me time to catch up on my magazine reading!

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    1. If only the sign worked. :) I like the way you get in your reading. I need to try that and start carrying my eReader with me. Thanks for the tip.

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  6. Sorry Beverly, that was from me above. I forgot that the address associated with my first blog is used on ALL blogs, like it or not. I meant to include my name....
    Geeta

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    1. No problem, Geeta. Thanks for dropping by - and the tip.

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  7. I need to be organized or I'd never get anything written. However, my muse doesn't always show up on schedule. :)

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  8. How wonderful it must be, to have that much time to write each day! I count the hours I can write in a week, not in a day. Having to work multiple p/t jobs sure takes up a lot of my time. Time that I'd prefer to be writing!

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