| April 2007 - Finding Time to Write |
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The Inside Story
April
2007
IN THIS
ISSUE:
• Finding Time
to Write
• Joke of the
Month
• Q&A: How
to End a Chapter
• April
Teleseminar: Turn Your Idea Into a Story That Sells
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Welcome to the
inaugural issue of The Inside
Story. Each month I’ll be
sending you tips, tales, and answers to questions — all dedicated to your
writing and storytelling success.
Please write
and let me know how you like the newsletter. And if you want to see a
particular topic covered, let me know that, too.
Enjoy this
month’s issue. May your stories be inspired, and may the Muse be with
you!
To your
publishing success,
Bruce Hale
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FEATURE Finding Time to Write
“I know I could
write that novel if I could just find the time.” Has that phrase ever crossed
your lips?
We talk of
finding time to write as if there were a secret stash of hours somewhere, and if
only we could locate it, we’d have all the time we need. But that’s not quite
true, is it?
The truth is,
it’s not so much a matter of finding the
time. It’s a matter of prioritizing
the time. We have the time,
but we spend it doing something else, because writing isn’t a high enough
priority. We give that time to work, to family, or even to watching
TV.
To make space
in your life for writing, you have to ask yourself, “How badly do I want to
complete that story?”
Badly enough to
arrange for childcare? Badly enough to eat lunch at the computer? Badly enough
to give up an hour of sleep a day?
I found time to
write and illustrate my first book by giving up two hours every evening after
work. That meant I had to exercise at lunchtime instead of post-work. That
meant I missed out on my favorite TV shows. That meant my girlfriend felt
neglected for 3-4 months. (Luckily I was only crafting a 32-page picture
book!)
But in the end,
the sacrifice paid off. I completed my book, published it, and took my
girlfriend out for a REALLY nice romantic dinner.
If you’re
struggling to make time for your writing, try these tips on for
size:
• Schedule
your writing — Jot it down in
your daily planner, just as if it were an appointment. Then keep it. It’s an
appointment with yourself.
• Make it a
habit — If possible, write at
the same time and in the same place every day. Humans love habits. Make yours
work for you.
• Write when
you’re not in the mood —
Writing is all about discipline. Don’t wait to be inspired. If you show up
every day and keep doing the work, the muse will know where to find you.
Eventually, she’ll show.
• Write to
the dinger — If you’ve only
got a 15- or 20-minute window, make the most of it. Set an egg timer, and write
nonstop until it dings.
• Find your
rhythm — If you’re a morning
person, get up a little earlier to write. If you’re a night owl, stay up
later. Find your time of focused energy and make the most of it.
• Set a
quota — Establish a daily
page- or word-count target. And when you meet that target, take the rest of the
day off.
• Make
agreements with spouse, family, and friends — Get their support in helping you meet your
writing goals. Reassure your spouse that life will return to normal after the
book is done; tell your friends you’ll see them again soon.
In the end,
finding time to write comes down to how much you want it. Ask yourself: What’s
it worth to me? What am I willing to give up in order to get published? When
you have the answer to those questions, your writing time will find you.
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April
Teleseminar:
Proven Methods for Turning Your Idea Into a Story That Sells
Want to kick
your writing up to the next level? Join Bruce Hale and interviewer Roxyanne
Young for a one-hour teleseminar on turning your idea into a story that sells.
Learn powerful, practical tips for brainstorming, developing your story, and
checking whether it has all-important kid-appeal.
Date: April 24,
2007
Time: 5 p.m.,
Pacific Standard Time; 7 p.m. Central; 8 p.m. Eastern.
For more
details, or to order a copy of this session, check the Products page under Teleseminars.
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JOKE OF THE
MONTH:
Into the local
bar hops a grasshopper. The bartender says, “Hey, buddy, we’ve got a drink
named after you!”
The grasshopper
says, “Is that so? Why would anyone name a drink Bob?”
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Q&A Ask the Writer Guy…
Send in your
writing or storytelling questions. If I use one of yours in this newsletter,
you’ll get an autographed ARC (advance reading copy) of CHET GECKO’S DETECTIVE
HANDBOOK & COOKBOOK – while supplies last.
Dear Writer
Guy,
I'm trying to
figure out when is the best time to end one chapter and begin the next? Is it
when a scene changes?
— Deon W., San Jacinto
Dear
Deon,
The short answer is that you want to end the chapter on a revelation, a surprise, a question (implied or stated), or on a note of rising tension. The idea is, make your reader want to start reading the next chapter right away.
Each chapter may contain many scenes. End with the most significant scene — one that advances the story and keeps your reader hooked.
And really, you don’t even have to change the scene at the chapter’s close. You may want to end the chapter on a tantalizing revelation, then begin the next chapter in that same setting, with the same characters — but for them, everything has changed.
If you want to
see chapter endings that hook you into reading the next chapter, check out Mario
Puzo’s THE GODFATHER or Dan Brown’s THE DA VINCI CODE. Both of these books hook
the reader relentlessly.
Happy
writing,
Writer
Guy
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Copyright 2007,
Bruce Hale. All rights reserved. Written permission must be granted to reprint
any part of this publication.
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