Naomi Hawkins-Rowe
It’s 2020, folks. Don’t you just love how that rolls off the tongue? We here at Write Owls hope that you are beginning your year with the beautiful sound of click-clacking on computer keys (or a typewriter if that’s your preference), and a list of goals, both set in reality and in daydreams (because we need those too, especially now.)
I, like most people, have thought long and hard about what I wanted to do and change Continue reading
Megan Norris Jones
My writing background is in journalism, and every good journalist learns how to write under deadline. You have a story due. You report it. You write it. You turn it in. You repeat. Because your editor is counting on you. And because it really is going to be published with your name on it, so it had better be good.
But even though I know how to write on deadline, I have difficulty moving my fiction forward at the same efficient pace of my nonfiction because (1) there is no editor waiting on it, and (2) I have no assurance it will ever be published anyway.
So how can I simulate the efficiency-producing deadlines of journalism in my fiction writing? Through a combination of written deadlines and external accountability. Continue reading
Posted in Megan's Posts
Tagged author motivation, deadlines, goals, inspiration, setting goals, time management, writing, writing habits, writing routines
Megan Norris Jones
The key to being a writer is writing. The key to writing is establishing a routine. And the key to routine is consistency. But do you know what my life isn’t? Consistent. Sure, I’ll have a routine that works for a season, but schedules change, and then my routine falters, and my writing suffers.
For the second year, WriteOwls is hosting Write by Midnight in the month of February with the goal of helping you—and us—establish a daily writing routine by the end of the month.
Write by Midnight was a huge success for me personally last year. At the time, I had five hours every Tuesday to write, and I used Write by Midnight to establish a short daily morning routine to keep my momentum going throughout the week.
But, do you know what? I don’t have Tuesdays any more. And I don’t have mornings either. Life has changed since February 2017, and I need a new push to establish a new routine. Continue reading
Posted in Megan's Posts, Write by Midnight
Tagged goals, WBM, Write by Midnight, writing, writing life, writing routines
Naomi Hawkins-Rowe
Around the first of the New Year, I thought a lot about the goals I had for 2018, both personally and professionally. They were of the standard variety, you know: be more organized, take my yoga practice up a notch, go to bed at a “human” hour, FINISH WRITING THAT BOOK! All these are well and good, and if I’m honest I’ll likely be successful at doing them for the first few months of the year before my enthusiasm will wane and I’ll half-a– the rest of the year. Willpower can only take you so far! (The Frog and Toad story “Cookies” comes to mind when I hear the word willpower). Continue reading
Posted in Links, Naomi's Posts
Tagged author motivation, goals, resolutions, self-control, self-discipline, setting goals, writing habits, writing life
The WriteOwls wish you a Happy New Year. As we begin 2018, we encourage you to reflect on the writing life you had in 2017. Celebrate your accomplishments, and assess where you fell short of your writing goals. Spend today setting new goals for the upcoming year. Do you want to create a more efficient writing routine or simply get into the habit of writing every day? Check back in with us for tips and encouragement during our upcoming Write by Midnight series. Whether your goal is specific – I will write 1,000 words every day – or broad – I will outline a new novel this year, we invite you to share your aspirations with us here. What do you hope to accomplish in your writing life in 2018?
Posted in Administrator
Tagged celebrations, goals, setting goals, WBM, Write by Midnight, writing life