Tag: Platform vs project

Part Time Novel Lite

On By Robert EvenhouseIn The Writing Process6 Comments

So, my goal to wake early and write each day has been somewhat successful. It has depended upon whether my young daughter wakes up at 2am or not. It is a little harder to get out of bed in the morning when you’ve had two naps of two and a half hours, but I’ve done it, some of the time. Now that she is sleeping better, I have the desire to dig in and attain tangible progress on the writing front.

I wrote about the Breathe writing Conference several posts back. I was incredibly encouraged afterward and had a ton of writing energy but so little sleep that I did not have an opportunity to seize the day. Now, it might be premature but I think I will be able to string together a consistent writing time. And I don’t want to waste it.

Now it comes to it. I have decided to back down my blog to three days a week. Yesterday was an anomaly but I plan to post on Monday Wednesday and Friday. I realized that my goal is to be a novelist and to publish short stories. I turn Thirty next May and I want to be in the submission stage of writing, not just have a collection of blog posts, as much fun as they are.

Here are the writing goals I hope to accomplish by giving up blogging two days a week:

  1. Submit two short stories between now and Thanksgiving.
  2. Have the next draft of my novel to readers by the end of the New Year.
  3. Get a short story published next year.
  4. Seek representation for my novel after the New Year.

My challenge to you readers is remember your goals and your writing dreams and do something about them this week.

Cheers,

Bob

 

 

 

 

Why do YOU blog?

On By Robert EvenhouseIn The Writing LifeLeave a comment

I have been a whining moaning writer. Time has been my Enemy. Outside, I have been calm and collected. Inside, I am frustrated, tired, and utterly spent. Which made me reflect, why am I even blogging? I could be working on my novel! I want to be a writer and it is hard to both build a platform and work on a novel.

However, the question much closer to the heart of all of this is: When you strip all of the craziness of life away, if you could stop for a moment and evaluate what is important, what is worth the precious currency of time we all carry in the pocket of our days?

I am a writer I tell myself, that is why I am writing. I am building my platform. But, I am married and have young children. Cindy and I have been married for seven years and I wish that to continue for the rest of my life. Clara is eight months, soon to be nine months, and June is capable of conversation. Do I want to be one of those distant husband or father figures so virtuously engrossed in my own little writers’ world that I put my dreams above them?

True, the answer is obvious. My kids and wife mean more to me than my job and my writing and even my life. But, I still want to write. There’s just too little time for it in this season of life.

When I heard about Ray Bradbury’s death and some of the things he used to do, like write for hours at a time EVERY. SINGLE. DAY., it made me wonder what his life was like. He had children. He was married. With all of the other obstacles that come up in life he still found that minute morsel of time for his dream.

Every person’s life has seasons. Perhaps this is my writer’s Winter. I cannot wait for the writer’s Spring!

Find some time this weekend to write my friends. I shall try and do the same.

Cheers,

Bob

How Often Should You Write?

On By Robert EvenhouseIn The Writing LifeLeave a comment

Happy Tuesday. I am proud to announce that the internet quandary has been resolved and I have the ability to post once again, look out!

Since my hiatus from the blogging and writing world over the last few weeks a question came to mind. How can I call myself a writer if I am not writing? Which brought to mind another question. How often should a writer write and still be allowed maintain that glorious namesake of “Writer” with a capital W?

I wrote a post a while back about warring between time spent on my platform (here) and time spent on my novel. What happens when you are too busy to do either?

I know I am the king of “If you can’t find time to write why not cut out some sleep and just catch up on that later.” Well, Bob, I can’t cut out sleep because I can’t count on the fact that there will be sleep in my future! (Take that haughty Bob).

Some of my “Greats”

Which brings me to my question for today’s blog. How often should writer’s write? When you consider the Greats, (whatever authors work resides on your bookshelf, I presume) how often did they write? In my mind I consider them super heroes, writing from dawn until dusk and even all night for months or years at a time.

However, how unbelievable it might seem, I am certain there were times when they did not write too. Times when they had to focus their efforts on their clerk duties or when there were papers to be graded.

How long does it take until you get that twinge of guilt and shameful thought of, well, I should probably get back to writing? I am there and will certainly remedy it this week. If you are here I hope you do too.

Cheers,

Bob