February 22, 2023
What are you capable of?
<p>Links mentioned in this podcast:</p> <p><a href= "https://www.centauripublishing.com/">Centauripublishing.com</a></p> <p><a href="https://calanthecolt.com/">CalantheColt.com</a></p> <p><a href= "https://www.etsy.com/shop/CentauriPrintables">https://www.etsy.com/shop/CentauriPrintables</a></p> <p><a href= "https://shop.centauripublishing.com/">https://shop.centauripublishing.com</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.notion.so/">https://www.notion.so</a></p> <p> </p> <p>Where you can find me:</p> <p><a href= "https://www.centauripublishing.com/">centauripublishing.com</a></p> <p><a href= "https://www.instagram.com/centauripublishing/">Instagram</a></p> <p><a href="https://reedsy.com/catherine-langford">Reedsy</a></p> <p><a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/clangford-editor/">LinkedIn</a></p> <p>This work is licensed under a <a href= "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a></p> <hr /> <p>[Transcript begins]</p> <p>Hello and welcome to Practical Writing: How to Organise Your Writing Projects. My name is Catherine, and I’m a freelance copyeditor. You can find me at <a href= "http://centauripublishing.com/">centauripublishing.com</a>.</p> <p>Well. I really thought that I would have been recording this podcast much, much earlier. If you don’t want to hear about the pandemic, skip forward about half a minute or so.</p> <p>So, long story short: since the last episode of my podcast, I developed long COVID. Because my energy is now much more limited than it used to be, I had to put some less urgent things on hold so I could attend to what’s most important. This podcast, sorry, is one of the things I put on hold.</p> <p>I had thought this second episode would be a deeper dive in how to match writing systems with how you think. But instead, I’m going to pivot somewhat to talk about how to match your writing systems to what you can do at any given time.</p> <p>In a perfect world, you will have all the energy and time that you need to do exactly what you want to get your writing projects organised, written, and finished in a timely manner. In a perfect world, we’d also have world peace, no climate crisis, and no hunger.</p> <p>If only.</p> <p>I’ve heard that there are some special unicorn writers out there who have as much time and energy as they need to work on their writing careers. I’ve never met one, though. The rest of us are juggling all manner of life commitments, important tasks, distractions, and health conditions. We carve out from among those things what time we can.</p> <p>If you’re anything like me, you often feel like it’s not enough, and guilt and doubt creep in at the edges, making you feel like you’re not good enough, that whatever you manage to do is never going to be enough.</p> <p>I want to say right here, before I go any further, both to you and to myself: those are just your demons. And they are lying to you.</p> <p>Whatever you are doing now is enough. You are doing great. This writing gig is tough. We’re doing this whole other thing on top of our lives that most people aren’t doing at all. We already won at being writers the moment we put that first word down on the page, or the screen.</p> <p>I’ve heard it said that 90% of people think that they have a novel in them, but almost all people never even start trying to write that novel. You have. You are fantastic.</p> <p>But if you’re here, listening to this podcast, then you’re looking to become a little more fantastic. And kudos to you.</p> <h2>Every word is progress</h2> <p>If you are struggling with health issues, or you have a child who is going through a difficult stage, or you have an elderly parent who suddenly needs more assistance, it can feel like you’re living as an embodiment of the Red Queen Hypothesis. That is to say, you feel like you have to run as fast as you can just to stay in place, and making any headway is impossible.</p> <p>But that’s not true. Or at least, not in your writing career. I certainly feel like making progress in my veggie garden is impossible. But I get edible food out of it, even if I never catch up to the weeds.</p> <p>When it comes to writing, though, keep in mind: every word is progress. If all you can carve out is 5 minutes to write every day while the kettle boils for you morning coffee, or right before you go to bed, you are still a writer. You are rocking this. The fact that other writers might be rocking their writing faster than you are rocking yours is irrelevant. This is not a race.</p> <p>I put part of the blame of this pressure we all feel to write faster on Amazon. Their algorithms have trained writers, particularly self-published writers, to try to release multiple books a year to keep their ranking.</p> <p>But think back to the pre-ebook days. Your favourite writers in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s released one book every several years and no one blinked an eye. Writers who wrote more than one book a year often used a pen name to offload some of their releases so that they wouldn’t look like they were writing too fast.</p> <p>Now, I know that you’re thinking “That’s all well and good, but I actually do drop down the rankings if I don’t release regularly, and lose out on money, and I like having a roof over my head and food on the table.” I know. And I don’t have a solution for that conundrum other than to say that capitalism sucks, and I hate that it is making you feel that way.</p> <p>Please be kind to yourself and your mental health in this capitalistic wasteland that we call the modern world. Because in this dystopia of late-stage capitalism and environmental degradation we live in, kindness is radical.</p> <p>Wow, this got dark. Wasn’t I supposed to be talking about the practical nitty-grittiness of writing systems?</p> <h2>The practical details</h2> <p>OK, so: everything sucks and the race is on to see which gets ground down to dust first: us or the political systems that are the framework of our civilisations. How can you get some writing done in the meantime?</p> <p>First of all: make it easy on yourself. You know how my first principle of organising your writing is to use a system that works for how you think? I discussed it in the previous episode. I also discussed that how you think will change over time, and that finding what is right for you will ever be an iterative process.</p> <p>“I am suffering a severe lack of spoons and I am having trouble getting things done” is a change to your thinking that needs to be taken into account when making changes to your writing system. If something is making you time and energy poor, change things up to lower the barrier of entry to your writing.</p> <p>If you are a mobile-friendly app-based writer, you probably already have this sorted. Scrivener for iOS, Google Drive, or Microsoft 365 all make it possible to whip your smartphone out of your pocket and dash off a bit of writing when you have a moment to think. The only thing holding you back is probably how apps like Instagram and TikTok are right there and really tempting to use when you are mentally tired but still in need of mental stimulation. If so, you could put your writing apps in prime position on your home screen and your social media apps tucked away in a folder a few screens over to level out the barriers of entry of the respective apps.</p> <p>Do you write long-form in a notebook? Keep your notebook on your bedside table, along with a pen, a water bottle, and maybe a little snack for energy. That way, if the inspiration strikes, even if you don’t have the impetus to get up, you’ll be able to jot down some important notes or add a few paragraphs to your story.</p> <p>If you are a computer-based writer, as I think most people are these days, you will probably have quite a high barrier of entry to get yourself writing. That will depend on how much time you spend in the vicinity of your computer, of course, and how many distractions (i.e. other programs) are installed. Some people have a dedicated writing computer that only has their writing-related software installed, but how many writers can afford to do that?</p> <p>If you find it difficult to get to your computer in the first place because you are busy elsewhere, then perhaps consider moving your computer somewhere more central or where you spend more time. For example, it may seem weird, but using a laptop on the kitchen bench might work well if you are in the kitchen a lot. Plus, the worktop height is perfect for a standing desk.</p> <p>If a laptop isn't an option, consider setting up a tablet or even a phone, if you don't mind typing on them, as a writing device. Set up the device with your writing software and any other necessary tools, and set up a special ‘writing dock’ for it, for example a tablet stand with some inspirational quotes around it, and any notes or reference materials you need close by. That way, whenever you are in the vicinity of your writing space, you will be reminded of your writing and be more likely to sit down and get some words on the page.</p> <p>If you're an app-based writer, make sure you're using the offline capabilities of your apps. For example, if you use Google Drive, you can set up your documents so they’re available offline. That way, you don't have to worry about being connected to the internet to write. And if you're using another mobile app, check if it can be used offline as well.</p> <p>Finally, if you are writing on a laptop or desktop computer, make sure you set up a comfortable writing environment with a supportive chair, a good desk, and plenty of natural light - if you like light. You want to be comfortable to work efficiently.</p> <h2>Reach out</h2> <p>My next recommendation is to find your people. Find other writers to connect with, some virtual water cooler on the internet to gather around and have a chin wag. Writing is a solitary pursuit, and that means we writers can so easily miss out on those interpersonal connections that other people get to have in an office or behind a counter.</p> <p>But there are lots of places on the internet where you can find writers, whether on social media, in Reddit groups, Discords, Slacks, you name it: it’s out there. Start with public-facing areas such as social media and put out feelers to see if you can find out where the closed groups are that you might be invited to. And if you can’t find anything in your niche, you could always start a group and invite others.</p> <p>These connections, once you forge them, can help you find your place as a writer, keep up your momentum, and learn to be a better writer by looking to others’ examples. And it’s not an exploitative thing to do if you’re contributing to the conversation too. A rising tide floats all boats.</p> <p>If you join these online communities, it's important to remember to be kind and respectful. Ask yourself if you're adding value to the conversation, and be mindful of who you’re talking to. Use the same language and etiquette you would use in-person. It's also a good idea to be aware of any cultural differences or language barriers, and be respectful of different points of view. Finally, don't forget to be open to criticism and feedback - it can be a great way to learn and grow as a writer.</p> <h2>Keep going: You can do it</h2> <p>That’s all from me for now. Keep going with your writing. I believe you can do it. You’ll get to where you want to be when the time is right.</p> <p>I won’t make any promises about when my next podcast will be out, or what the content will be. Everything is still too up in the air for that.</p> <p>If you want to know more about what I’m doing when I’m not making this podcast, at the moment I am gearing up a romance pen name for the release of my first book. I had a bit of a win over on that front recently when I heard that I am a finalist for the Great Beginnings contest with the Romance Writers of New Zealand. You can find out more about my writing at <a href= "http://calanthecolt.com/">CalantheColt.com</a></p> <p>I’ve also made some Notion templates to help writers with fantasy and romance novels. I’ve made two story bible templates to help writers keep all of their worldbuilding, character notes, plotting, etc. in one organised place. The templates also make great reader magnets, because you can publicly share the contents as a read only document for fans to pore over looking for details and hints. I have the templates for sale on my Etsy store and on my website. I’ll pop the links in the transcript.</p> <p>If you’d like to learn more practical writing management tips, I have a free ebook available to newsletter subscribers. Go to <a href="http://centauripublishing.com/">centauripublishing.com</a> and sign up on the front page or the side bar of any other page and you’ll be sent the link to The Essential Guide to Organising Your Writing Like an Expert.</p> <p>I look forward to speaking with you next time. Until then, happy writing!</p> <p>[Transcript ends]</p>
