Ten Tips on Writing Through Chaos
Alison, thank you so much for having me on your blog during my Cherish the Romance Virtual Book Tour, which launches my romantic suspense, Lancelot's Lady. I'm sure I'm not the only one who experiences the challenge of chaos, so today I'll be discussing something not so romantic―writing through chaos.
I usually work out of a nice, quiet office, with the door shut. But in March, we sold our house, moved into a rental and are awaiting completion of our new home, which is being built by Coventry Homes in Edmonton. Half my house is still in boxes, and what is now my office in the rental is actually the family room, a cramped room that is open to traffic and jam packed with stuff. How does anyone work (write) in all this chaos?
Here are ten tips that might help you:
Write early in the morning before the chaos starts. If you're a morning person, this will work well for you. If not, try tip #2.
Write late at night. Write when everyone is either sleeping or preparing to go to bed. If you're not a night owl, try tip #1.
Set up a special area of the house, whether it's a spare room, corner of your bedroom or the garage that is all yours during your writing time. Find a place that has good energy. Then place an invisible cone of silence around you and write.
Make time to write and let everyone know that's YOUR time. No interruptions. Put a sign up so that people in your house know not to disturb you unless your house is burning down.
Be realistic. How much can you really accomplish? How much time can you really devote to writing? How much can you do with whatever is going on around you?
Set smaller goals. Smaller goals are accomplishable. Don't set yourself up for failure. Start small and work your way up to medium goals when you can.
Don't be distracted by the little things. Dishes can be done later. So can the vacuuming. And the dusting. Really. I promise it'll still be there when you're done writing.
Assign others the responsibilities of the household while you're writing. Do it before you start writing.
Be as organized as possible, knowing your limitations. If you know you have to get laundry on that day so that your husband or kids don't have to go out in dirty clothes, put the laundry on first thing and set a timer. Write while the washer is on.
Always ask, "What is really more important at this particular moment―that I do _____ or that I write?" The answer will vary, and that's okay.
I avoid my upstairs "office" at all costs, preferring instead to sit in the living room with my laptop. This room is more spacious and calm, though it is the hub of the house. With the kitchen behind me, everyone passes through, thumping and clanging and talking. Once everyone's gone though, I can settle in to a productive day of writing, while listening to music. It's the best I can do at this time.
That's the key to writing through chaos―doing the best you can do with what you've got.
Lancelot's Lady ~ A Bahamas holiday from dying billionaire JT Lance, a man with a dark secret, leads palliative nurse Rhianna McLeod to Jonathan, a man with his own troubled past, and Rhianna finds herself drawn to the handsome recluse, while unbeknownst to her, someone with a horrific plan is hunting her down.
Lancelot's Lady is available in ebook edition at KoboBooks, Amazon's Kindle Store, Smashwords and other ebook retailers. Help me celebrate by picking up a copy today and "Cherish the romance..."
You can learn more about Lancelot's Lady and Cherish D'Angelo (aka Cheryl Kaye Tardif) at http://www.cherishdangelo.com and http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com. Follow Cherish from September 27 to October 10 on her Cherish the Romance Virtual Book Tour and win prizes.
Writers: How do you get through the chaos so you can write?
Leave a comment here, with email address, to be entered into the prize draws. You're guaranteed to receive at least 1 free ebook just for doing so. Plus you'll be entered to win a Kobo ereader. Winners will be announced after October 10th.