WRITING TIPS

Today my writing tips are on Friday instead of Wednesday. After this week, I should get back in a little more order. This weekend our oldest granddaughter gets married, and it\’s been busy. October has been a busy month with vacation and now the wedding. I hope things will be easier from now on.

The hardest thing for me to do is to begin writing. Does anyone else have that problem? It is so hard for me to make myself sit down and write. I can think of ten million other things I can do instead of putting my hands on the computer keys.

When I do get down to writing, I always don\’t like what I\’ve written. I end up changing the first chapter about ten times. Sometimes we need a writing partner to tell us where we need to start our book. We don\’t see our baby as others do. After I have the start of the book worked out, I\’m ready to go until I get to the middle.

Since I write Cozy Mysteries, which are much shorter than a regular book by about 30,000 words. I have to be careful that I don\’t start the ending before it\’s time.

Here are some things I try to do when I\’m writing. There are always adjustments to life, so be prepared to let life happen.

1. Have one place where you write. I have an office which suits me fine. I can close the door, listen to the music I want to, and have peace and quiet. I cannot write in my husband\’s space. I want my own space with no interruptions.
2. Set a time to begin writing. I cannot write in the afternoons. I don\’t know why, but I can\’t do it. I have to write either in the mornings or at night.
3. Set a word count that you want to finish in that day. Try to make that word count. One thing I\’ve done is to determine how long I want the book to be, and then I divide it by how many words I need to write a day. The answer will tell you how long it will take you to write the book. Usually, I keep my Saturdays and Sundays free. We need time to rest and get ready for next week.
4. Have fun. That is the most important thing about writing. When you feel you dread writing, take a break. Recharge your spirit. Give yourself time to breathe, and then you\’re ready to write again.
5. I use several aids. I think I\’ve told you before that I use Grammarly. Grammarly has changed my writing. I also edit books with it. We have a few authors we still publish for, and when I\’m editing their books, I use Grammarly.

I hope these tips have helped you. You may have suggestions you use. If you do, share them with us in the comments.