The Productive Indie Fiction Writer

[RAVENEYE]

I was introduced by a helpful site during the Nebula Conference. The Productive Indie Fiction Writer covers tons of topics relevant to all writers, but is geared toward those who will or are or may try self-publishing. I've linked to the just the Articles page, but there is more to be found on throughout the site.

(The content covers way more than just publishing guidance, but I put the link in this subforum because of the end goal of self-pubbing.)

[ScintillaMyntan]

So— to be a novelist with a day job, you need to give up basically everything else? Wow.

I'm currently at a point where I have to force myself to begin writing each day, and churn out a short story or a poem once every few months. I was sort of hoping to really rediscover the love of writing and try a novel. For me, there's not much I would have to give up; I don't have many commitments at all. But just seeing the discrepancy between what I do now and what I would have to be doing makes me wonder. I don't know if all this is worth it anymore.

[havekrillwhaletravel]

Thanks for sharing the website! I've skimmed a few of the articles and spotted some productivity-related posts that I think would be helpful. The one on how to write on weekends seems especially relevant for me.

[RAVENEYE]

May 23, 2022 20:42:55 GMT -6 ScintillaMyntan said:

So— to be a novelist with a day job, you need to give up basically everything else? Wow.

I'm currently at a point where I have to force myself to begin writing each day, and churn out a short story or a poem once every few months. I was sort of hoping to really rediscover the love of writing and try a novel. For me, there's not much I would have to give up; I don't have many commitments at all. But just seeing the discrepancy between what I do now and what I would have to be doing makes me wonder. I don't know if all this is worth it anymore.

Hmm, it was interesting hearing from authors at the conference about this. There is usually a panel or two on how to manage your time, between writing and other commitments. I mean, most writers have kids and day jobs, yet they make it work. I think it comes down to what are your priorities, b/c there's always a way. 

The more practical advice I heard this weekend was "blocking your writing time." Because if your novel was to sell and end up on bookshelves, you're adding marketing to the workload. Say you have four hours you can spend on writing. You divide that into blocks of three hours writing and one hour doing social media/blogging/newsletter.

It was also very refreshing to hear these award-winning authors express their frustration over how little they do get to write. They're juggling kids and jobs that pay the bills, and one author Aliette de Bodard (I love her short fiction) was saying how she'll have her writing time set aside, then a kid comes home sick from school, and so she gets to write nothing that day. 

So write what you can when you can and be ready to extend forgiveness to Life when it gets in the way. And to yourself when your brain is washed out from dealing with it all. Self-care was a major thing that was discussed. The saying "you have to write everyday" is just bullshit. That's a great way to achieve burnout. The better advice was "make a little progress as often as you can" even if that is just jotting down a new idea, adding a detail to your worldbuilding, mulling over a plot hole while you're driving to the next commitment, etc. It all counts.

But not bothering anymore would be so sad when you've been working so hard at it and you're so talented.

[RAVENEYE]

May 24, 2022 5:16:54 GMT -6 havekrillwhaletravel said:

Thanks for sharing the website! I've skimmed a few of the articles and spotted some productivity-related posts that I think would be helpful. The one on how to write on weekends seems especially relevant for me.

Gosh, almost never do I get to write on weekends. The times I've tried ended in disaster. I can remember one weekend (maybe two?) where that wasn't the case.  Frustrating. May you have more luck and opportunity than I have. 

[havekrillwhaletravel]

May 24, 2022 8:51:48 GMT -6 RAVENEYE said:

Gosh, almost never do I get to write on weekends. The times I've tried ended in disaster. I can remember one weekend (maybe two?) where that wasn't the case.  Frustrating. May you have more luck and opportunity than I have. 

You're not alone! I do find it easier to write on the weekends, but there are just so many times when I go to bed on Friday, planning to wake up at an early ascetic hour on Saturday and write in contemplative silence while the rest of the world sleeps. And what happens instead is that my alarm rings and I keep pushing it back until I grumpily wake up, doom-scroll or disappear on a Youtube binge for an hour. Then I declare the whole weekend RUINED and write nothing because things didn't go exactly according to my hopelessly romanticized plan

[RAVENEYE]

May 25, 2022 8:30:39 GMT -6 havekrillwhaletravel said:

May 24, 2022 8:51:48 GMT -6 RAVENEYE said:

Gosh, almost never do I get to write on weekends. The times I've tried ended in disaster. I can remember one weekend (maybe two?) where that wasn't the case.  Frustrating. May you have more luck and opportunity than I have. 

You're not alone! I do find it easier to write on the weekends, but there are just so many times when I go to bed on Friday, planning to wake up at an early ascetic hour on Saturday and write in contemplative silence while the rest of the world sleeps. And what happens instead is that my alarm rings and I keep pushing it back until I grumpily wake up, doom-scroll or disappear on a Youtube binge for an hour. Then I declare the whole weekend RUINED and write nothing because things didn't go exactly according to my hopelessly romanticized plan

OMG, that's the best description of it ever! 

*plans to write all day Saturday* *sits down to do so* *makes mistake by checking that text* *OMG that was today???* *What do you mean the world doesn't bow to my need to finish this bloody novel??* *sighs* *slides away keyboard*