In this life there are always things we want to do, and things we have to do. Then there are the things we should do... All this has me writing really long to-do lists, at which I often stare perplexedly trying to decide which item to tackle first. Sometimes it's a challenge to figure out … Continue reading Identify what’s important and make time
The secret ingredient to productivity
They say one of the keys to being successful at any creative endeavour is perseverance. Discipline comes in handy too. Yeah yeah, there are also talent and self-belief, but they're very hard to control... There is another secret ingredient I've come to value very highly over the years -- and that's friends. More specifically, friends … Continue reading The secret ingredient to productivity
Thoughts on interval writing
It's amazing how fast two weeks can whoosh past. And I've just ducked in here to share and comment on this post from literary agent Rachelle Gardner on Interval training for writers. The basic gist (based on research) is that optimal working habits involve no more than three 90-minute sessions of high concentration, divided by … Continue reading Thoughts on interval writing
New year’s #WIP500 resolution
My resolution for this new year is very simple. I'm going to complete the draft of the novel I'm currently working on. Of course, execution of this goal is unlikely to be simple. The longer I persevere with this fiction writing habit, the harder it seems to get. Possibly this is because I demand more of myself as time goes … Continue reading New year’s #WIP500 resolution
Finding that writing mojo (or shaking the CBF virus)
The most common writing advice one ever receives is the obvious one: WRITE. The actual act of putting the words down is more important than everything else -- including blogging and social media, reading educational posts and books, attending courses and conventions, meetings with the writers group. Carve out writing time and protect it. Bum … Continue reading Finding that writing mojo (or shaking the CBF virus)
On writing & discipline
It is an unequivocal truth that novels do not write themselves. Irrespective of how many words a writer can produce in an hour, or how many hours in a day (or even a week) can be made available to write, the fact remains that every single word and every single minute counts. Today I am mostly concerned … Continue reading On writing & discipline
View across the treetops
This weekend I have absconded down to Phillip Island for a four-day writing and relaxation retreat. I always find I get a lot done down here, where the sea laps at our doorstep (almost) and all the household cares recede into the background. There is food, there is wine, there is usually chocolate -- all the … Continue reading View across the treetops
Morning cafe experiment
In order to find a better mid-week writing window amid full-time work commitments, I am trying something a little different this week. I am taking my baby computer with me into work, and writing in a cafe before I arrive in the office. That is, I did so this morning and intend to repeat the event … Continue reading Morning cafe experiment
E V Gregory 