Category: MY Writing Update

My Writing Update

On By Robert EvenhouseIn MY Writing Update2 Comments

This past week was a recovery of sorts because the previous week was crazy in my writing, personal, and work lives. I’ll finish up my Breathe Writers Conference presentation in the next day or so, and then it’s back to my stories. Here is a list of the blogs I’ve written this week.

If you have any blog posts you’d like to share please add them in the comments section below.

If you plan to be at the Breathe Writers Conference, see you there!

Monday’s post was about cutting out distractions. Click here to read 10 Tips to Cut Out Distractions And Just Write here. Please share if you have your own tips!

The beginning of and end of writing a novel tend to come easy for me. The middle is where my books lose steam. I suspect you’ve been there too. Click here to view Tuesday’s post and use it as an inspirational springboard.

If you write every day, refueling can be tough. Lately, I’ve replenished my creative well with podcasts. Click here to read Wednesday’s post of Top Five Podcasts for the Writer And Entrepreneur.

Thursday I wrote about my wife. She is constantly encouraging, reading my stuff, and spurring me on. Click here to read To My Wife On Her Birthday.

In life, we encounter stories that will either crush us, or cause us to look deep inside and ask what really matters in the end. Click here to read Friday’s post about a car crash, love lost, and a challenge.

I’ll be talking about Worldbuilding in a week. I’m thrilled to have been asked and even more excited to present and connect with other writers at the Breathe Writers Conference. Click here to read Saturday’s post which includes a short story that won’t be in my books, but one I wrote to help me understand a society pivotal to my story.

Write today. One word, one sentence, is progress. Also, we are all busy. I hope your work is important enough to find the time to work on it today.

MY Writing Update

On By Robert EvenhouseIn MY Writing UpdateLeave a comment

Writing time is precious. Using it well and not getting lost on social media sites and email is important if you want to have daily traction in your work.

This past week I tried to balance that as I battled to keep my unread emails under 100. The good news is I finished my goal of writing a blog and 1000 words a day on my YA novel. If you were waiting for an email from me now you know why I was such a jerk and did not respond!

typewriter

On Monday, I revealed a hilarious typo I did on my 7000 words in a week challenge. Click here to see what I wrote and why I think it’s wonderful to laugh at yourself and not worry what the internet might think.

Writing a book can be a taxing thing, especially when we have a full life. On Tuesday, I asked if writing gives you joy or sucks the life out of you. It was my most popular post this week. Click here to read.

If you’ve been writing for a while and just feel like you are going no where, click here to read Wednesday’s post. I ask the question – What Do You Need To Take Your Writing To The Next Level?

If you are alive and not a zombie, sooner or later a life challenge will arise. A birth, a job change, a illness, etc. Click here to read What To Do When Life Happens To Your Book.

Self-Publishing carries with it the thrill of entrepreneurialship and for some, the stigma of typo-riddled garbage. Click here to read the discussion of Would You Self-Publish, Why Or Why Not? 

Saturday’s post was my pat on the back. I apologize if you feel I bragged but I was proud I wrote a blog a day and 1000 words a day on my book. At work it was the last full week of the fiscal, we had two of my daughters birthdays, a big birthday party, and had family in from out of town.

This was somehow balanced with a forty hour work week, sleep, and spending time with family. Okay brag over. Click here to read the completion of the My Novel Recomit 7000 words in 7 days challenge. 

If you are struggling with your book know that writing does not come easily. The muse is like a cat and shows up when they want to show up. Our job is to be there consistently and give that occasional magic the opportunity to be applied to the page.

My Writing Update

On By Robert EvenhouseIn MY Writing Update4 Comments

Today, I’m excited about my update. I’ve begun a challenge of 7000 words in 7 days. Writer Maria Berg has also decided to join me. Day one was a day of victory. I wrote 1079 words on my novel.

The 7000 words in 7 days challenge is to help reignite our love of our stories. If you plan on doing it, please mention it on the post yesterday.

Also, please don’t edit, just write. The good stuff will come. I understand the compulsive desire to edit but you have to learn to finish things. Then you can mold and shape your story through editing.

Once this week is done it’s back to preparing for my talk at the Breathe Writers Conference October 9-10th.

Click on the hyperlinks below to see what I’ve been up to lately.

Photo Credit: tudedude via Compfight cc
Photo Credit: tudedude via Compfight cc

On Monday I wrote about why art needs community. My writers group put on the Jot Conference, a free one night writers conference in Three Rivers, Michigan. It was a night of encouragement and connections.

On Tuesday it was all about the roads we take. Many times we want things to happen overnight or just be plain old easy. In this post I write about why the hard road is sometimes the best road to take.

Wednesday I asked a question to fellow novelists – How committed are you to your work? Some authors stay up through half the night and some get up horrifically early. But there are some incredibly dedicated writers.

Thursday I wrote about the struggles I have with details. We all struggle with something. Do you use your struggle as a crutch or are you creative enough to figure out a way to move forward despite it?

Friday was about restarting. We all arrive at the messy middle or lose momentum on our stories I wrote about my plan to move forward with mine.

Saturday I wrote about the challenge mentioned in the first paragraph of this post, 7000 words in 7 days. If you gave that effort once a week for a year you’d have 84,000 words. Think about that.

Let me know how you are furthering your writing career below.

My Writing Update

On By Robert EvenhouseIn MY Writing UpdateLeave a comment

My blogs are always posted before 8AM. Today I’m unusually late for the best of reasons. I was too busy recovering from the Jot Writers Conference that I helped put on and presented at that I had to hold off until tonight.

Here is the list of my blogs this week. I hope you found some encouragement, inspiration, and a little of yourself in them.

Writing Update

Monday’s post was all about organization. As we move ahead with our blogs and websites we can forget who may be watching. This post is a response to one written by Chad Allen over at Chadrallen.com. He’s an editorial director at Baker Publishing Group. If you ever want to be published some day, read THIS!

On Tuesday’s post, I wrote about how small, seemingly inconsequential details can create a huge impact both positive and negative. What details are you missing in your writing life?

We all get to the point where we feel cannot go on with a project. I’ve been there and back a hundred times. Check out Wednesday’s blog that asks the question, Are you a Chronic Starter or a Steady Finisher?

Thursday, I celebrated my blog’s belated birthday. Happy four years Part-Time Novel!

On Friday I wrote about suspending disbelief and writing regardless of what others may think or say. Please check it out. I’m a bit bashful to write this, but I consider it the best post I’ve written in some time.

Saturday, it was all about the Jot Writers Conference. Check out the post wrapping up the week.

Come back tomorrow.

I have some great content and stories to share about the Jot Writers Conference.

My Writing Update

On By Robert EvenhouseIn MY Writing UpdateLeave a comment

The JOT Conference is THIS Saturday. I am busy planning, coordinating, and putting on the final touches. Not much other writing besides parts of a book I’m not ready to share about yet, blogging, and outlining my workshop for the Breathe Conference in early October.

My Posts This Week

Photo Credit: zpeckler via Compfight cc
Photo Credit: zpeckler via Compfight cc

Yesterday’s post highlighted what else but the delightful Jot Writers Conference! Click here for details and for the sign up.

Friday – Many times we plan for the day, week, or month. But writing or blogging is something the builds over time. Are you writing with that distant goal in mind, or the quick hit?

Thursday – White Space is the space where you plan and grow and clear you head. In today’s world it’s hard to find space moment for this. But in life there are ebbs and flows like the tide. Time to produce time to play and time to plan. Remember to invest in White Space.

Wednesday – You’ve heard the old saying – you never know if you don’t try – a billion times. Often these pieces of sage advice wear thin and become dull. But this one still carries it’s luster as you’ll learn. Read the post here.

On Tuesday it was all about change. We want to grow here, travel there, and change this habit. But how does one make changes that stick and maintain growth that endures? Learn here.

Monday – Ever have that moment where you are caught with a compelling idea for a book but are thick in the middle of another one? Then it’s followed by a conga line of killer blog posts tiles that just won’t keep quiet? I have. Here is how you can stay focused on the task at hand and also collect all of these ideas.

I hope to see you this week at the Jot Writer’s Conference or in the comments section in future posts.

Do the things that matter longer than a day.

Write well this week.

My Writing Update

On By Robert EvenhouseIn MY Writing Update5 Comments

I’m putting the finishing touches on my Jot Presentation and the organization that surrounds the conference. Not a lot of other writing time. Join me for this free conference in Three Rivers, MI on September 12th. If you have not signed up, please do so HERE. The sign up is for seats, not a charge. Again, the conference is absolutely free.

Next up is rounding out my Breathe Conference presentation on Worldbuilding. My books will have to wait, but I’ll submit a few short stories this week.

Photo Credit: mbshane via Compfight cc
Photo Credit: mbshane via Compfight cc

BLOGS FROM THIS WEEK

With any project or career we get to the point that we ask ourselves Should You Throw In The Towel Or Try Harder? check out this blog if you are struggling with this question.

Blogging can suck up our time. In the blog Can’t Find The Time To Blog? Create A Blog Checklist I discuss how I have shaved twenty minutes off my blogging time.

On the journey to our writing we can get tired. This post discusses what to do when we feel exhausted and need to rest Do You Ever Get Writer’s Burnout?

We all want more of something. More of life, from our spouse, from our bodies, from our careers and our books. In Laziness and Fear The Two Roadblocks To Our Dream I offer up ways to overcome and succeed in these areas.

Our blogs can invade our lives like vines. They can grow into dinner time, steal the portion of our day we use for our books, and become something we loath not love. In Creating Boundaries For Our Blogs I show you how to reign in this invasive platform.

What Music Gets You Writing talks about the music that helps you paint your scenes or gets you in the mood to write. Please share the steaming service you use or music you enjoy while composing your novel in the comments section on this post.

Write well this week. Take advantage of any spare scrap if time!

My Writing Update

On By Robert EvenhouseIn MY Writing UpdateLeave a comment

Its been a rewarding and exhausting week in writing, work, and my home life. But that does not mean it hasn’t been great, because it has. I hope you had a chance this week to get tired by going after what you love.

Below is a summary of my writing activities this past week and a glimpse of what’s coming up.

Photo Credit: Vanessa Lynn. via Compfight cc
Photo Credit: Vanessa Lynn. via Compfight cc

Blog Recap

10 Ways To Get Your Blog Back On Track

We all have times when we struggle in the middle of our blog. I’ve posted 10 tips to help you dig in and get back in the groove. Click Here To Read It.

How To Eradicate The Fear Of Failure Once And For All

Fear can follow us around like a shadow. We want to make a career jump, write that book, or try our hand at painting but we don’t because secretly deep down we are afraid of what others might think or what’s on the other side of our currently comfortable lifestyle.  Here I talked about taking consistent steps toward what we want. Click Here To Read It.

If You Don’t Succeed Is The Journey Worth It? Lessons From A Failed Novel

For the past decade I wrote multiple drafts of one story. It was terrible but better in the end. I’ve put it on the shelf for now. As I reflect back I wonder if all of the struggle and thousands of hours and hundreds of thousands of words were a waste. Click Here To Read It.

On Removing Impulse And Instilling Good Habits

Life can be easily lived like floating in a lazy river. But if want to be brave and grab the life we want it means swimming against the current. Here I talk about how I tipped the scales at 200lbs for the first time in my life and what I am going to about it. Click Here To Read It.

Don’t Be A Cover Band

Many artists want to repeat the same success as the greats. In this blog I discuss how we need to blaze our own trail if we want to find our unique voice. Click Here To Read It.

How To Always Have Something To Write About

As a blogger or writer or anyone trying to fit their dream into their day stuffed with obligation, you can feel a bit like Sisyphus rolling his bolder up a hill over and over again. It can seem pointless and dull or overwhelming, trying to come up with something write about every day. Click Here To Read It.

My Current Project

I’m working on a middle grade book (4-8th grade target audience) and am nearly a quarter of the way through. I said last week I hope to get 10,000 written. Looking back, that was such an unrealistic goal! I probably wrote 1,000. My hope this week is to at least triple that. This should be realistic as I look at my schedule this week.

Speaking

Next month I’ll be speaking at the Jot Conference on Blogging. I’m excited to be a part of this conference again.

Plan to live this week. Life won’t just happen to you. Go and get it.