​With writing, as with most things in life, having a regular routine helps to keep a writer doing what he or she is supposed to do. Write! A quick internet search on the topic will result in countless pages of advice from successful business leaders to the most well known and bestselling authors. I spent some time reading through these pages and looking for some of the best advice I could find from some of the best writers in the world. I also turned to some amazing writers here in our back yard that also happen to be members of our guild. I took away one very good piece of advice. No matter what other writers do, find a routine that works best for you and stick to it.
 
Whether you take time early each morning to write, or prefer to write just before going to bed, it is important to develop that habit and commit yourself to sticking to it every day. Even if you aren’t in the mood to write, or have no idea what you want to write about, it’s important to force yourself to write something. Bad writing is better than no writing. It’s a lot easier to edit a poorly written page than it is to edit a blank one, according to Jodi Picoult, a New York Times bestselling author.
 
Hemmingway said, “I write every morning. When I am working on a book or a story I write every morning as soon after first light as possible. There is no one to disturb you and it is cool or cold and you come to your work and warm as you write. You read what you have written and, as you always stop when you know what is going to happen next, you go on from there.”
 
That’s pretty solid advice. Many of the writers in guild have a routine that they follow, as well. And each one that I talked to seemed to have certain things that worked for them and they try as best as they can to keep to the script, so to speak.
 
Victoria Fletcher, guild President, stressed how important having a routine is to her work. “To me, routine is everything. I have such a busy schedule that without routine, nothing would get done. Being organized helps but without a set routine to follow, my publishing business or my own personal writing would not happen.” 
 
One good habit to develop when you are writing is to make sure that your cell phone is off and you aren’t using the internet unless it is vital to researching something that you are working on at that moment. Minimize all distractions. If you love coffee and need a couple of cups to keep you going, make sure that there isn’t an unscheduled break for watching the news or checking your email when you make that quick run to the coffee pot for that second cup.
 
“For me, a routine is the difference between finishing a book in a month or two vs. a year. I think if you really want to get your books out there and tell the stories you have inside your head, you have to treat writing as a priority. I try to start and end my day with an hour of writing. Even though it makes me feel great and productive to accomplish this, it's the first thing to fall by the wayside if something else comes up. Even after years of trying to make daily writing a habit, it's still difficult to do sometimes. I think you just have to set that routine and make the conscious choice daily that it's not optional.” - Willie E. Dalton author of The Dark Side of the Woods.
 
I know how tempting it is to wait until the right idea hits or until conditions are perfect for writing. If we wait for that time to come then we’ll never have one page to show. That’s why a writer develops a routine. Good writing can be cleaned up. No writing, well that’s another issue entirely.
 
Whatever your routine is we invite you to share it with us in the comments below. Somewhere there is a struggling new writer trying to start of complete their first book. What advice would you give them?
 
 
 

Many times new writers set out on the journey of writing their first book with excitement and a good bit of planning. However, there is a common trap that some of us fall into, especially when we are new to the writing process. It’s easy to overlook the difference between plot and theme when you set out to write your story. It’s easy to spot when you’re reading a book, but sometimes it’s a bit more of a challenge when you start the writing process.
 
It may sound elementary, but it is certainly not. If you are reading this before you’ve actually started the writing process then consider your plot and theme for one more day before writing, but by all means take as long as you need.
 
Here’s the simple difference. Plot IS your storyline. It is how your story unfolds and comes alive on the pages of your book. Events that happen, what your characters are facing and their ensuing adventures…these are all part of your plot. The theme of your story is the thoughts or emotions that are being dealt with. Common themes are love, revenge, perseverance, war, etc… Theme is the “moral of the story,” it is the underlying message that you are trying to convey to your reader. Themes are important because they solidify your story. They make it more meaningful than just telling a story.
 
What is the theme of your book? What are you trying to leave in the hearts and minds of your reader when they put your book down?
 
I pride myself on being well read. One of the most recent literary fascinations of mine has been Jack Kerouac. After reading The Dharma Bums I took some time to reflect on the theme of the book. I’ll not offer any spoilers here, but read that book if you haven’t. So over the past couple of years I’ve been in love with the theme of “the place where you lose yourself and find yourself.” That was where the journey took the characters in Pot of Gold, one of my own books. The theme, if you want to assign it one word, was perseverance. Keep on with the journey and trust that it will lead to good things, even when your frustration level is maxed and you feel like giving up. How often have you come across that theme in books that you love?
 
So think about what theme is best for your story. Mull it over for a day or two before you start banging on your keyboard. A strong theme can be the difference between a good story and a great one.