Comments on: A Routine That Doesn’t Fit

By: Routines for Writers » Post Topic » Joining Friends and Supernatural – 100 episodes!

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:35:45 +0000

[...] I like reminding myself how to keep my spirits up like in An Antidote to Discouragement. I got a lot out of writing through my thoughts and feelings on expectations versus reality in Satisfaction Guaranteed. And after a great Author Crush Month, I spent some time trying to figure out if I had A Routine That Doesn’t Fit. [...]

By: Shonna Slayton

Shonna Slayton — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:52:01 +0000

It’ll be interesting to see if school makes you MORE structured. Something about having a deadline!

By: Kitty Bucholtz

Kitty Bucholtz — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:13:48 +0000

Stephanie, I get scared when you say things like that! LOL! But it does look like I’m going to be trying some new things that are more like you.

Stormy, I totally hear you! I feel better about my writing and want to do more of it when it sounds “good” to me, and just forcing words onto a page doesn’t fuel the joy that leads to “good” writing. For me, at least. You and I will have to stay in touch about this during the rest of the year.

Patricia, you and I will have to see if we come up with some of the same ideas as we go through last month’s pieces.

Good to hear from you all! I’m off to do a TON of homework from my first day of class!!

By: PatriciaW

PatriciaW — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:04:49 +0000

As with Stephanie, I think I learned that I need to trust what works for me. That’s not to say I can’t or shouldn’t take from what works for others. I just shouldn’t expect a “magic bullet”, the sole process that I can mimic and achieve success.

Daily word counts don’t work for me. Neither do weekly ones. I’m working now on developing more of a discipline around writing a minimum number of times per week, given the hustle and bustle of my life.

I got “a-ha”s from a number of last month’s pieces. I think it would be smart to do as you’re doing and to write them all down in one place and see what they shape into, and how they might influence my writing process.

By: Stormy

Stormy — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:14:18 +0000

Kitty, I think you and I are very similar when it comes to setting our writing routines and, like you, the authors who had more relaxed routines really struck me. So much, in fact, that I decided to relax my routines as well. For the past few weeks, instead of forcing myself to write when I didn’t feel like it or pushing myself to reach a certain word count, I write when I feel ready to write and for only as long as I feel good doing it. I’m not writing nearly as much as I was but I have noticed that when I do write, the quality of the writing is so much better. Before, it was like stringing words together but now, with the lack of pressure, I have time to really get into the mind of the characters and I think the emotion of the story is coming through so much better.

Thank you all so much for hosting such an inspiring group of authors last month! I love this blog! You three are amazing.

By: Stephanie Shackelford

Stephanie Shackelford — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:44:10 +0000

Welcome to the chaotic side of creativity, Kitty! (Care to join us, Shonna?)

As I alluded to on Monday, my biggest ah-ha moments were when I realized I COULD trust myself to find the best routine that worked for ME, no matter how non-traditional, illogical and chaotic it appeared. I just had to stop comparing my way of working with some unrealistic ideal of what is “right” and do what works.