If I’m going to be a writer, there are a few disciplines I’m going to have find within myself. They are vital to my writing career. Without them, I probably won’t ever see my work in print. Not because my writing isn’t good, but because I will never finish anything.
Time Management: It’s super important to set aside time for writing. We have 500 things on our to-do list. And all of them take away time from our writing. In order to combat that, we need to schedule our writing time as if we were going to a regular part- or full-time job. And then we need to protect that time.
The Ability to Say No: It’s very easy for needs to get in the way of personal writing time. My spouse’s needs. My children’s needs. The dogs’ needs. My editing clients’ needs. The needy friend’s needs. Once I’ve scheduled my writing time, I need to be able to tell others that I’m sorry, but I can’t manage their issues during that time.
Butt in Chair: Once I’ve scheduled my writing time, I need to make sure I have the willpower to sit in the chair and get it done. Whether I need to write 500 words or write for three hours, I need to write.
The Ability to Avoid Distractions: Turn off the phone. Stay off of Facebook. Put the dog in the crate. Put in earbuds and crank up the writing tunes. Do what needs to be done to avoid the things that could easily distract from the goal.
Let It Go: Cue Frozen music. When our finger is frozen hovering over the delete button, we must find it within ourselves to let it go. Not every word we’ve written will be necessary or the best. We cannot become so attached to our words that we refuse to follow others’ advice and fight against the professionals. We aren’t writing for ourselves. We’re writing for our readers. It’s time to heed what other readers are saying and let some words go.
The Art of the Rewrite: First drafts are not final drafts. They are the beginning of a beautiful process if we’re willing to take the time and make the effort to bring out the fabulous.
Send It/Submit It: Knowing when enough is enough is another key discipline. We need to know when we’ve done all we can and we need to submit our manuscripts to the professionals.
Patience: Waiting with anticipation and hope is never easy, especially when an editor says they need 90 days to get back me. But I must be patient in hoping. I must not become a nuisance to those who can make or break my career. And I must learn to…
Trust the Lord: It’s not always easy for a control-oriented person to trust the Lord or anyone else with their … well, anything. Book. Career. Life. Dreams. Hopes. But it’s something we must learn to do. God has our best interests at heart, and He knows what we need, what we don’t need, and when the perfect timing is for everything in our lives. Trusting the Lord with our writing and our careers is also key.
Meet the Deadline: If we are blessed with the opportunity to see our words in print, we must discipline ourselves to meet deadlines. These are extremely important to the publishing schedule, and we need to make sure we’re on time. Not late.
Learn New Skills and Work Them: Our job doesn’t end when the publisher releases our book. Part of the publishing process is helping sell the book. We may need to learn creative ways to promote ourselves and our stories, which can be very uncomfortable for some. Stepping out of our comfort zone and pitching in is a must if we want to be successful authors.
What disciplines can you think of that writers need if they want to be successful? [reminder]
Alycia Morales is a freelance editor and writer. Her writing has been in Thriving Family magazine, Splickety Love, and several compilation books. Her editing clients have won several awards for their manuscripts, including finalist in the Selah Award. Alycia’s first ghostwriting project, The Spirit of Hospitality by Larry Stuart, releases in December 2018.
She is also the conference manager and the blog editor for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.
When she isn’t busy hanging out with her writing friends, her husband, and her four children, Alycia enjoys reading, watching TV, hiking, and crafting.
Follow Alycia at her blogs, Life.Inspired. and The Write Editing. She can also be found on Instagram and Pinterest.
Alycia’s Twitter: @AlyciaMorales
The Conversation
Great advice! I need to put my butt in the chair and write. I have 3 book projects at various points of completion. I also have 4 waiting in the wings. Thank you for the encouragement and the kick in the pants to get to work.
Well thought out and structured.
I feel i understand the commitment it takes to be a writer now.