Looking Back Over 2012

This year is finally drawing to an end and there has been many unexpected twists and turns throughout the past twelve months.

I published my second book back in August and have written over 10,000 words on my third novel. I  secured myself a second job last month and so far that is going well.

But for various reasons, good and bad, 2012 hasn't ended like I had predicted. At the start of this year I had many different business goals to accomplish and I am proud to say I have achieved them all. I did exactly what I had planned to do and the results were instant. But the fantasy of achieving these goals and the reality of every day life has turned out to be very different.

And that is life through and through.

People often think that if they changed their life in a certain way they would be much happier. And maybe they would for a short time. But whatever the situation, good or bad, there will always be pros and cons. You may think being a millionaire is a guaranteed road to happiness and it probably is, but only in the financial area of your life.

True happiness doesn't stem from how much money you have or how many flash cars you drive. It stems from a much deeper satisfaction of being true to yourself and expressing your personality in a way that only you know how.

My true happiness stems from writing and spending time with loved ones. I don't care that I haven't updated my phone in ten years to a iphone or Blackberry - I am quite happy with my beloved, trusted Nokia 3410. After all, it's only a phone and all I need it for is to call and text. No device like that is really worth much. It's never going to find a cure for cancer.

Nothing materialistic is ever going to bring me much happiness.

Now I'm not saying that I can get by in life without money - nobody can. We all need money to eat, be warm and clean, and to surf the Internet in the hope of connecting to people overseas. I could not live without broadband and I need money to keep that! But society today places too much value on fame and how people look. And if you don't look a certain way then you end up being accused of all sorts.

Where has kindness and compassion gone? Has it left human souls forever more? The tragic events in America over the last couple of days seem to answer this very well, and it's here that I'd like to say that all the victims are in my thoughts.

So, as it's Christmas, the very time of year that we should make an effort to be nice to each other (although why we can't have that mindset throughout the whole year really baffles me) Make an effort and do a random act of kindness for someone.

I'll be away from this blog until after New Year so may I wish all my followers a very happy holiday.

Why It's Good To Write Less And Rest More

If you're anything like me normal life is just one challenge after another. Whenever you need a rest to prevent your head from exploding, there's just one more crisis to be solved. Sometimes it can feel like your running on the spot but making no further progress.

Sometimes life can ruin your creative spirit.

I started a new job several weeks ago and I was determined my writing wouldn't suffer. And so far it hasn't. I still write but unlike before I don't write everyday.

But yet here is the funny part, and it's the pivotal part of my post. Even though I don't write everyday, my total word count for the week remains about the same. I spend less time writing but my productivity remains constant.

At first this took a while for me to get my head around. In a world where everyone claims to be too busy to write, I always thought you had to devote the amount of time as you would to a full time job to write books. But I am gradually learning you don't.

So where is the logic to this? How can I spend less time writing but still produce the same amount of words?

Well obviously before I was spending too much time writing and I was tired without realising it. I constantly had to push myself harder and harder to do the same amount of work. Basically I was writing more or less everyday. I didn't allow myself to recharge my batteries. I could manage this at the start but after a while my creativity obviously sapped and I had to work harder to achieve less.

I was running on the spot but made no further progress.

So the key to successful writing isn't how much time you devote to the art, it's the amount of writing you produce at the end.

How To Be Patient And In Control

After my first successful week in my new telesales job I am pleased to say I'm writing again. The positive side of my new job is I have more money to play with, but the downside is I have less time to write. However, I am still determined to keep writing and I have demonstrated this by producing 9,000 words in just over a month.

But there is certainly one thing I need more of and that is patience.

In a world where everything is instantly obtainable, one's writing goals are indeed never ending. Sometimes it seems there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Every project we hope to complete seems to increase in length the closer we are to finishing it.

So how do we achieve our goals and put everything back into perspective?

Well we must find the courage to carry on, the determination to succeed while warding off doubts, fear and depression. And most of all, we must learn to ignore impatience.

There are certain things in a writer's life that we have no control over. When we send our finished manuscript to an editor for a final polish, we have no control over how long it's going to take them to get the job done. When we are liaising with artists, arranging our book covers, we have no control over how long it will take them to produce the final piece of art. And when we put our finished product up for sale we have no control over how many people will buy it.

These are things we cannot change or have any control over so it's best just to focus on the things within our control. Things like continuing to write, continuing learning how to write by taking courses or reading books. Researching different writing styles, and putting energy into maintaining our online presence.

How do you conquer impatience?

How To Avoid A Meltdown

I started a new telesales job on Sunday and although I love it, so far it has left me feeling rather frazzled. I didn't know I spent so much time writing until I've spent it in my other job working. The job is flexible in the sense I don't have to work set hours, so in theory I still have time for my writing. But like any other normal person (when have I ever considered myself normal?), I want to devote all my energy into this job until I get settled.

But I thought I would still have the time and the inclination to write. And then I realised I'm not superhuman, and yes, I do need an adequate amount of sleep to function. Something has got to give and my big question is what's that going to be?

In order to prevent myself from going absolutely stark raving mad, I decided to write a list. I thought I would use the same strategy as I use to write my books and plan and outline my life so I can see just how much I have to do without feeling like the walls are closing in on me.

It was only when I composed this list did I realise how much stuff I actually do that's not essential. Things like watch television. Who needs a TV to survive? Reading magazines and having coffee with friends. Surfing useless social media sites like Facebook. Feeding and walking the dogs (okay, I'm joking here - I would never neglect my dogs) but my point is I desperately need to prioritise my life more. I do housework every day because of my boyfriend's dust allergy but instead I'll just buy him a dust mask. I also like to read a lot but I guess I can cut down on that as well. All these things do not pay the bills so I need to focus on the stuff that can pay the bills and give that priority.

So, how do you cope when life feels overwhelming?

How To Become A Prolific Writer

Many people think that in order to become a prolific writer you have to write full time. I thought this myself until I started meeting lots of successful writers who had full time jobs. Back then I wondered how they did it; be so involved in work and then to come back home and start writing.

But then I realised these writers had traits in common. They follow a strict routine. They probably write everyday. They write regularly so they always have a constant flow of ideas floating around their head.

They probably write after using an outline to map out ideas. (Before you pantsers send me hatemail to object to this, I'm going to insert a clause here to say I know this isn't always the case but I am an outline writer so I'll stick to what I know). Writers who outline say once they've finished they just have to fill in the blanks in their first draft. They write their first draft to get the story down on paper. Then they go back to edit and rewrite it while ignoring the voice of self doubt that tells them their writing is rubbish. Through ignoring this voice they continue to put pen to paper, thus improving their confidence. They just sit down and write, producing one book after another.

If you really, really want to write you'll always find a way. I know one writer who took ten years to finish his first novel. Now it's available in a major U.K. bookstore. People who make excuses why they don't write all have one thing in common: their heart really isn't in it. They use the excuse of being too busy with other things in their life so that's why they fail to write. Sometimes I think you can write better with a little bit of outside pressure. There's just enough stress to get you focused. I know I can write more efficiently when I have a looming deadline in front of me.

Are you a prolific writer?

What Is Your Favourite Point Of View?

I am almost 6,000 words into my third book and I am finding it easier than ever to write. I don't know if this is because it's my third piece of work and I am better because of the practice I've had writing my previous two books, or because it's a complete work of fiction. But I have noticed all three books have one thing in common - they all have the same point of view (POV).

I have noticed during the time I've been writing seriously that most books are narrated from a third person POV. Of course, POV depends a lot on the genre of the book as some POV's are better suited to books like crime and chick lit.

I've always preferred the first person POV because I feel more connected to the book. You feel as if you have been let into someone's life as the style of narration is so personal. I've always said for my first two books I wanted the reader to feel as if they've met a close friend who they haven't seen for a while and they spend that time having a good catch up. I wanted my readers to feel like they're in their friend's house, having coffee with them while they have their feet up.

But first person POV isn't suited to everyone and every book. A lot of writers say that this style of narration is very limiting because the reader only gets to see what's inside one character's head. First person is written from the protagonist's POV, so it's always their take on the story. You don't get to see other people's opinions.

I think the majority of writers like their readers to really know all of their characters so they use third person POV. I think this POV is maybe best suited in giving an all round balanced view of the story.

So what is your favorite POV? Do you use different POV depending on the type of book you are writing? Do you find some POV's easier to write than others?

Reasons Why Writing On Paper Is A Good Idea

No matter what I write, whether it's a book or a blog post, I will always write the first draft on paper.
Some days my writing will always flow quicker than others. Sometimes it can take hours just to write one single sentence. But my mind is always fully engaged in a very complex thought pattern, brain storming ideas and sorting them out into some kind of order. I find it much easier to pen these thoughts onto paper rather than type them into my computer, mainly because I focus too much on where the next key is instead of where my next idea will come from.

Staring at a blank screen also does nothing for my creative juices. It's as if someone is holding the delete button down in my mind, preventing me from typing a single sentence. I find just looking at the brightness of the screen wipes my mind blank in one swift movement.

I love writing words down on paper. I love the process of shaping out each letter into a word. I find it helps me to think of the following sentences much easier than it would just to type them. Writing stimulates my creativity. I have more time to ponder mid sentence, and as a result I am often a slow writer. But when I finish the first draft I often find little needs doing in my second one. I think this is because my focus has been entirely on the creative process and I haven't been distracted doing unnecessary editing in this early stage.

What do you think? Are you a first draft pen and paper writer? Please share your thoughts and experiences.