Distractions

I'm sitting here wondering what to write about until it hit me distractions and how to battle them. Or at least try to.

I still have a rewrite in process but have been about a week since I've actually done any writing in a week. With the holidays right around the question is how to battle distractions, missing muse, and yet still making some progress on your work.

Well here is what I figured out. Editing notes! With one finished novel and another in a work in progress I have figured out how I can keep working on one when I stall on the other...editing notes. As I was reading notes from other published authors as well as editors in the aftermath of National Novel Writing Month to see about getting some tips on writing and editing I came across the blog Pub(lishing) Crawl's post on revisions. (http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2012/12/07/tackling-revisions/) And it's amazing advice.

I've tried using index cards in the past but never utilized them to there potential. I've always gone right into line edits and taking things by chunks to help with fixing story issues and I'm sure I've missed more story line and character issues by not utilizing index cards.

*flops head on desk* Okay, I know I want to be the best author I can be so it's time to try to use everything possible on my own to make my book as best as it can be until I get the best editor possible who is just as passionate about my work as I am to only make it that much better.

So use your distracted brain that can't seem to focus on writing and start making your index cards to help edit your other works that are finished yet still in need of a good polishing. I highly recommend reading this article on revisions from someone who has more experience in writing than me. It's all about finding what works for you and where do you start to find that you ask? Find those you have succeeded in what you want to do and learn from them. Not everything works for everyone. It's trial and error but it will only make you the better writer.

So use those distractions of not being able to focus on your writing by getting ready for editing and starting writing notes and outlines for work that's in need to be edited or for a project that you want to work on in the future. Just cause your distracted away from one project doesn't mean that you can't still make some progress in other ways.