Showing posts with label Productivity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Productivity. Show all posts

Friday 21 October 2016

A Simple Fix To Getting Everything Done On Your To-Do List


I've recently read Greg McKeown's best selling book, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.

And it's not the first time I've read it, but I felt like refreshing my memory.

One of the things the author talks about in the book is about making sure that your to-do list isn't overwhelming.

This is something I suffer from greatly. It doesn't matter if it's a personal to-do list or my writing to-do list, I always manage to cram too much into it or vastly underestimate how much time each task will take me.

But Greg McKeown has a simple fix. So simple in fact, that I slapped my forehead and thought "Why didn't I think of that?"

His simple fix for making sure you get everything done on your to-do list is what he calls a buffer.

He also calls it "the unfair advantage."

Your to-do list (whether it's a daily, weekly or monthly list) should be prepared with planned tasks and activities. This means knowing exactly what steps you need to take to get a job done.

As an example, if you were writing a book, you wouldn't just put "write a chapter each week." Instead you'd list writing out your idea, expanding it into an outline, preparing your character profiles, expanding your character profiles, and so forth.

This means listing each and every task that you need to do to get the project done.

And then you need to create a time buffer to prepare for anything unforeseen that might come up or in case it takes you longer than you think to complete your tasks.

And the buffer he suggests is 50% more time than you think it will take.

So if you list all your tasks you need to do, write how much time each will take, add them up and then add 50% more.

Now I know that 50% sounds huge but, if you're like me, it will be a more realistic time frame, and, if you don't need that much time then you'll have time to do other things or get a jump start on your next writing project.

 So now you can go ahead and write out your next to-do list and add 50% extra time to get it done and then actually do it in time.

And being able to tick off everything in a to-do list, is a great feeling.

And it will help to keep you motivated too.


Thursday 13 October 2016

The Importance of Having a Designated Writing Space

Living the Laptop Lifestyle
I love to read about how other writers work.

And it’s not only how they write that I like to know, but where they write.

This includes what country they live in, the climate, who they live with and where they go to write.

And a common thing amongst successful writers is that they all have a designated space where they do most of their writing.

For many it’s actually a physically, detached space like a shed or a summer house. For others it’s a room in their house or even just a desk in a corner.

Some writers prefer to write away from home.

Jeffrey Archer, the British novelist and politician, wrote all his books while away on holiday for a few weeks at a time.

Maya Angelou rented a hotel room to write in and it was always the same room in the same hotel.

Rachel Aaron found she could increase her writing speed from 2,000 wph to 10,000 wph (words per hour) by going out and writing in a coffee shop and always in the afternoon.

Writing daily is a habit (if you let it become so) and having a designated writing place is like having a trigger to start writing, so that as soon as you get to your writing place, it puts you in the mood to write.

At home I write either at a table on the deck (if it’s nice weather, and it usually is) or at a desk in the annex room at the back of the house.

I also find I can write more when I’m away from home, either at the park or in the library.

Writing at Home


If I stay home to write then my space must be distraction-free. This means no internet. So I write with a pad and pen which also makes my mind feel more creative. I then type up my work on my writing computer which is a Mac Book Air which is easy to carry and I use it only for writing.

Writing Away From Home


This is so easy to do because where I live we typically have good weather all year round so sitting outside to work isn’t a problem. I can also sit in the library if it’s too hot or rainy.

And although there’s a lot of noise around me when I’m out, it’s not distracting because no one is wanting my attention and when I’m busy writing, no one disturbs me.

But no writing can get done until I actually sit down and get to work.

And having a regular place to write makes it easier because I know where I have to go and my mind switches to work mode as soon as I sit down.

Stephen King in his book, On Writing, espouses having your own place to write, preferably and room with a door that you can shut.

But usually, for me anyway, as long as it’s my usual writing space, it works.


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Tuesday 27 September 2016

Take a Break From Writing

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Writing every day is important.

Writing every hour of the day is not.

Unlike other jobs, working as a writer can’t be done for hour after hour without a break.

Not in my world.

There are times when I’m writing in one huge creative window and I just keep going and going, and when I look up 2 or 3 hours have gone by and I’m dying to pee.

But usually I need to take breaks.

If I don’t, I start to get distracted by email that doesn’t need checking or social media feeds that don’t need my attention.

On these days I need to time my writing and take 5 minutes break when the timer sounds. It’s the only way I can sit and write if I’m not in the mood or what I’m writing about is boring.

There are also other days when I really struggle to stay focused and on these days I have to give up because it’s a waste of time.

But when I’m writing I have to take breaks to relieve eye strain, give my spine a rest and clear my head.

So I move away from my desk, stand, stretch, walk away and do something physical for 5 minutes, even if it’s pat the dog or hang out the washing.

It really helps me to sit down again with a fresh mind.



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Wednesday 21 September 2016

The Importance of Writing Every Day and How To Do It

Write Any Book, Or Script, In Just 28 Days...Or Less
If you read a lot about being a writer you’ll know that it’s important to write every day.

But why?

There are a variety of reasons and each one is just as important as the rest.

And here are three of them.

  • Laziness. It’s all too easy to get out of the habit of writing. First you miss a day, then another, and before you know it you haven’t written anything for over a week and you’ve lost the urge to write.
  • Habit. Bad habits are far easier to cultivate than good habits. That’s because it’s easy to NOT do something. So write every day to keep up the good habit.
  • Easy. Once you start writing every day, it becomes the norm and so it makes it easy to sit down and do it every day.


But sitting down and writing every day can be difficult if you don’t know what to write.

So make it easy on yourself.

Don’t think that you have to sit and do a writing marathon.

Begin with journaling. Just sit and write for 5 minutes about whatever’s in your head. 

Journaling is fun so you’ll want to sit and do it every day.

Or copy out someone else’s writing by hand. Just get out a book or article you wish you’d written and copy it out with a pad and pen. This will not only help you to learn that style of writing, but it gets you started writing.

Being a writer isn’t easy. Its having a job just like anyone else and it takes a lot of self-discipline to do it.

But every day I’d rather be a writer than anything else.

And THAT'S why I do it.




Wednesday 31 August 2016

Selling One Million Books

I think I might have mentioned it lately (perhaps a dozen or more times a week) that I want to pull back on the online writing and write more books.

Changing what kind of writer we are can be scary because we don't know if it will work and bring in the same amount of income as our previous writing does.

And now is not a great financial time for me to mess with my income because I am the only wage earner between me and my husband, Dean, who is busy renovating our house. (Oh the expense of it all!)

Anyway, just when I needed a bit of inspiration and something to let me know that I'm on the right track, I came across an article about an author who writes supernatural thrillers.

His name is Scott Nicholson and over the last 7 years he has written and self published 30 novels and has achieved over one million sales.

I read it and immediately got out my calculator (well, my phone app that works as a calculator) and worked out that if this author earns just $2 per sale, his one million sales means he has averaged an income of over $285,000 a year.

$285-thousand!

Naturally he earned less in the first few years because he had less books published, but still, his sales are amazing. And he publishes his books as ebooks, paperbacks, and audio books (he mixes it up a bit).

What I took from this article is that it is possible to make a really good living as an author, as long as you're a good writer, can write compelling stories and are good at marketing and selling.

And because I've had so many years practise at all this, I'm sure I'll do fine.

Now...back to book writing.


Tuesday 14 June 2016

How to Procrastinate Less & Write More

“Binturong Bearcat Sleeping” by Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee
Sometimes, it seems hard to sit down and write.

Procrastination overwhelms you.

But here is a really interesting thing.

There really is no such thing as procrastination.

The problem that I have on days when I just find it hard to sit down and write, is just that.

It’s simply getting started that’s the problem, and not the actual writing itself.

I even sometimes sit down and then can’t think of what to do.

So this is how I get over this problem in just 3 simple steps.

Wednesday 8 June 2016

How to Be an Organised Writer

“Under Control Means Display Advertisement And Placard” by Stuart Miles
I've said it before and I'll say it yet again.

One of the hardest things I find about being a writer is having the self discipline to sit down  and work.

But it's not just about being disciplined enough to write.

I also need to be organised.

Why?

Because otherwise I waste time doing the same things over and over or spend hours looking for something because I cannot find which folder (digital or physical) that I filed it in.

This is why I have to have a place for everything and keep everything in it's place whether it's in my physical office or my virtual one on my computer.  I need to have a system of saving and updating things so that I don't waste time having to do things over from scratch or searching for a document.

I also need to have a way to do things. This means having a system for the way I write and publish articles and books.

For instance, for my blog posts I need to scale my images to size. To do this I know I need to change the width to 250 px and allow the image to scale proportionately to the correct height. I do this for every image that is in the top corner of a blog posts like this one. That way I know exactly what I have to do once I've downloaded a suitable image. I also go to the same website, FreeDigitalPhotos.net to get all my images. That saves me having to look at more than one site.

It's the same with any job you do, whether it's a paid job, a work-from-home job and even doing chores around the house.

I have certain cleaning jobs I do at home on certain days. That way I just automatically do them without thinking about it and over the course of each week everything gets cleaned.

And it's the same if you start a new job. You learn how they handle everything from the morning mail, to public displays, advertising, filing systems, databases and more.

Companies have systems in place to speed up the working day.

Writers have systems in place to speed up their writing day.

I have systems that I use for the way I write articles. I have another one for how I write books.

If I didn't, every time I wanted to write something I'd have to sit and think of where to start, what needs doing and what order to do it in.

But because of my writing systems I know exactly what I need to do first and what to do next.

That way I simply work my systems and the writing gets done.

It's kind of like going to the gym or going on a diet. Once you know what you have to do, you just do it and you get fit or the weight drops off. No need for further thinking and planning. Just do what you gotta do and get on with it.

Likewise, I just stick to my tried and trusted writing systems and that's how I manage to work as a writer and earn all my income from my writing.

Being an organised writer is just as important as being a writer.

Without my filing systems and simple writing systems, I wouldn't get much done in a day.



Tuesday 7 June 2016

Finding Time to Write

Many people I know say that they find it really hard to find time to do their writing.

They say that between working, looking after their family and doing household chores, there is just no time left in the day for writing.

That's because there is no such thing as "finding" time. Saying that you'll find time to do something is the same as saying you'll do it later.  Later doesn't exist. There is no such time as "later" and you can't "find" time.

Instead you have to allocate time to write. And preferably allocate the same time every day so that you can build up a really good daily writing habit AND it will be easier to actually sit down and write if you have dedicated time to it on a consistent basis.

But how can you decide which hours of the day to dedicate to writing if you think your daily schedule is already full?

Here are three ways that really work. Try them all.

1. Do Less of What Doesn't Matter
We all have time that we spend doing things that really don't matter because they are not helping us move towards our life goals. These may be things like watching TV, gossiping, unnecessary shopping, social media, emails, web surfing, and more. If it's not moving you forward in your life to where you want to be then you don't need it.

2. Use Otherwise Wasted Time
There are plenty of opportunities to make use of what would be wasted time in a day. It could be a train/bus journey to work, lunch break, waiting for kids after school, or perhaps you could get up an hour earlier to write. When J K Rowling wrote her first Harry Potter novel, she did it while her baby daughter slept for 2 hours in the afternoon. Her second novel she wrote during her lunch breaks at work.

3. Keep an Accountability Diary
If you really want to know where your time goes keep a diary of what you do all day long. This can be a complete revelation into how you spend your time. It can also help you to stop wasting time when you have to write down how much time you spend doing everything. An accountability diary really helps to keep you responsible for every precious moment of the day.

We all have time for doing what is important. Yet we waste it on unimportant things, then wonder where all our time went.

But now is the time to turn things around and you have 3 simple ways to help you find more time to write.




Thursday 14 April 2016

Does Writing By Hand Make You More Creative?

“Hand Writing Through Computer” by Jomphong
One debate that modern writers always talk about is whether it’s better to write by hand or straight to the computer.

For speed it’s better to write straight to the computer.

Or is it?

Some argue that while typing is faster than handwriting, it slows the brain’s creative process and so it’s quicker to write with pen and paper.

But handwriting also means having to type everything up later.

Personally, I prefer to do all my first drafts by hand. When I type my work up later, I use it as a first edit, because I can type pretty fast.

I also like to hand write things first because when I only have a pad and pen to work with, there are far less electronic distractions. I can’t waste time idly surfing the net or checking emails or Facebook.
My phone isn’t set up for receiving emails and although I do have FaceBook on it, I’m not a big user and I have notifications disabled.

My pad and pen can also go anywhere with no need for internet or electricity.

I also write less critically while writing by hand. Working on a lit screen feels too clinical and so what I produce electronically is different to what I write by hand.

My writing seems to flow better too, for reasons I do not know. Maybe it’s because writing in a notebook feels more private and  personal. It’s all too easy for others to read what I write on a computer screen, but they are usually reluctant to look over my shoulder and try and read my scrawl and scribblings on paper.

And it’s not just me who prefers writing by hand.

I recently read an article about other well-known writers who also prefer handwriting their first drafts including J K Rowling and Joe Hills (Stephen King’s oldest son).

And because I earn my living from my writing, my daily word count is important so I need to hand write at between ten and twenty pages a day, more than that if possible. I also need time to type it up too.

But even though writing by hand is slower, it’s faster overall because I find it easier to sit and write with a pen (or pencil) but I’m more reluctant to sit down and write straight to the computer.

Which makes me more likely to write every day if I’m going to do it longhand because I find it far more enjoyable, so it’s easier to sit down and get to work.

Whereas, working on the computer causes me to not only procrastinate and waste time instead of sitting down to work, and because I’m more critical when I’m using a keyboard, writing takes longer.

I just enjoy writing by hand which makes me more motivated to write, my writing flows better, plus I get more done in a day.

And that’s what really counts.

So if you’re struggling to sit down at your computer and write every day, try handwriting your first drafts instead.

It works for me and it might help you too.





Monday 11 April 2016

The Hardest Thing About Writing Is Showing Up For Work Every Day

“Modern Office Interiors And Cabins” by stockimages
As a writer, people often think I write all day every day.

But it's not true at all.

I usually work for between 3 and 4 hours a day, 4 days a week (sometimes 5 days, but mostly 4).

The reason for this is that it's difficult (at least for me) to be creative for a full day. Not only that but I also have other admin things to take care of every day too.

And I also have a life.

Years ago I thought that working such short hours made me lazy. But it turns out that most writers only write an hour or two or three every day.

It seems that we are all plagued by the same problems:

  • Lack of creative thinking for too long.
  • Showing up for "work" every day.

Indeed, showing up for work every day is the hardest because before I can do any creative work at all, I need to be sitting at my desk.

I don't always write at the same desk every day, but I have to sit down at one of them.

Some days I sit in my home study, or at a table out on our big deck (with great views), or a picnic table at a park, or a table in the local library.

I've even been known, on occasion, to sit in my car, under a shady tree and write there, which sometimes happens if I'm out and it starts raining or there are no tables available at the park.

It's easy to get to work every day when you have a "day job" and a boss who'll fire you if you don't turn up.

But it's completely different when you only have yourself to tell you when it's time to work and when it's time to stop for the day.

In his book "On Writing," horror author Stephen King said that your muse doesn't show up for work until you do. And that is so true.

I'm rarely dying to sit down and write every day, but once I sit down and get to work, my muse does indeed show up and I can keep going for ages.

But that initial sitting down is usually the hardest.

And next comes the struggle of being able to keep writing for too long.

There are some writers, although not many, who can sit and write all day every day, but these kind of writers are few and far between. Isaac Asimov, the sci-fi writer, was one such author who would just sit and write all day from early morning till late evening.

Today I was listening to a podcast of writer Geoff Goins who was interviewing another writer Austin Kleon. Austin was talking about this very subject of how difficult it is for most writers to actually sit down and write every day.

He also made the point that even once we sit down to write, after just a few hours, it's hard to keep going.

Even well-known authors like Stephen King admit that they only write for 1 to 3 hours a day and then they're finished.

And like me, they find it easier to write early in the day rather than later. Although, sometimes, if I'm in the middle of a big project and I want to keep working on it, I will sit down in the evening and work for a couple more hours if I can.

So while I do love being a writer and wouldn't want to do anything else, I find it easier to work for a few hours every day than to sit and write for one full day.

There are people who tell me that they don't have time to write because they have a full time job, but even if they didn't, they wouldn't spend all that time writing. None of us do.

And it's probably a good thing too because I find that my best ideas come when I'm away from my computer. Usually when I'm doing what I call "busy-hands-empt-mind" jobs like weeding, showering, cleaning, sweeping, walking. Those jobs where you're physically busy but you've done them so many times you don't have to think about what you're doing any more.

So don't let a day job hold you back from your writing because you don't need all day to write.

You just need an hour or two a day.



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Friday 18 March 2016

How To Get Out of Your Own Way

Over the past couple of weeks I've been slightly neglectful of posting to this blog.

One of the reasons is that I've been busy working my way though the latest book I bought (and I buy and read many).

This one has really got my attention in a big way, even though it is more than a simple read.

The book is called "How to Get Out of Your Own Way: A Step-by-Step Guide for Identifying and Achieving Your Goals."

I bought it as a paperback book from Amazon.com because it seems that this is the only place I could find to buy it. I wanted it to find out why I never seem to get as many things done as I want to (especially with my writing) and why so often I don't finish projects that I start.

I was intrigued after I listened to the audio version of it which I borrowed from my local library.

Once I began listening to it, it didn't take me long (about an hour I think it was) to really want to own my own paperback copy of it so that I could work my way through it for myself.

This is what Amazon says about the book:

"Tired of losing... and suspecting YOU are your own worst enemy? This is what you've been looking for! This book is full of expert, pragmatic advice for unraveling and breaking through self-defeating behavior. It uses a combination of interactive questionnaires and exercises to help you turn around your career, your relationships, and even your very own personality. This book shows you 27 self-sabotaging characteristics, how your family background effects your career, how to escape negative patterns of the past, how to form positive personal and business relationships, the 9 rules for defining success, and the importance of "imagineering."

It's written by Daniel G. Amen, M.D. who is a clinical neuroscientist, psychiatrist, and brain-imaging expert.

The book is set out (in it's 295 pages) in a question and answer format. It has hundreds of questions that you have to answer and then it tells you what your score means before diving into what your "self-sabotaging" habits are and how to overcome them.

I am totally engrossed in this book at the moment (even though so far it's telling me that I have adult ADD and slight depression which really isn't what I wanted to know).

The good thing though, is that I'm now up to the part where I'm starting to learn the steps I need to take to make the changes in my life that I need in order to become more productive, both in my work and at home.

Every day there are so many things I want to do, but rarely do I achieve them all. The whole process just becomes one big round of frustrations for me.

But I'm hoping this book will change all that. In fact, so far, I have high hopes.

I'm actually already learning a lot about myself which, although isn't good, is fixable.

It turns out that I am the nutcase that I always suspected I was. But luckily, with this book, I have the means to change that.

So if you are having recurring problems in any area of your life, I highly recommend "How to Get Out of Your Own Way: A Step-by-Step Guide for Identifying and Achieving Your Goals."

It's a new book and so far has a 100% 5 star review rating on Amazon.

By the time I've finished working my way through it, I'll be an extremely prolific and incredibly high earning writer. Better than I've ever done before.

So here I go.

Join me if you dare (finding out the truth about ourselves isn't always pretty) and if you want to have success in all areas of your life.

It's fun. And life changing.

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Tuesday 1 March 2016

How to Start Writing Every Day

“Man Writing In Notepad” by tiramisustudio
Now I know that I’ve often talked about the need to write every day.

And it’s true. You really do need to sit down and write daily.

But what if you don’t know what to write?

Then sit down with a writing pad and pen and copy out, by hand, the kind of writing you want to do.

If you want to write fiction, find a great author and write out their work.

If you want to improve your copywriting, write out a sales page that inspires you.

If you want to write inspirational articles, find some that inspire you and copy them out.

There are three reasons to do this:


  1. It will make sure you never miss a day of writing.
  2. It will give you a great insight into how the great writers put their words together.
  3. It will help you to start lots of ideas of your own.


So never say “I’ve got nothing to write.”

There is ALWAYS something that you can write.

Being a writer means you never stop learning.

You never stop practicing.

So get out some great writing and get to work.








Friday 22 January 2016

How to Write More Books Without Needing Extra Time

“Man With Laptop” by Ambro
Finding enough time to write is a problem for many writers.

It's bad enough when you have other commitments like a full time job and/or a family, because these things can't really take a back seat when it comes to your time commitments.

But what do you do when you want to write books but you don't seem to be able to find the time to do it?

This is often a major dilemma because even when you do find time to write there are other things to take care of like website updates or blog posts to write or email waiting to be answered.

Well, I found a way to get more book writing done without needing more time to do it.

What I do is I write my books first.

When I sit down to write every day, the first thing I do is my book writing for an hour or two.

After that, I'll look at doing other things like checking my emails (ALWAYS a big time suck) and writing blog posts.

That way, I still work for the same amount of hours every day, but no matter what else comes up, I know that my book writing is done for the day.

And it's amazing how much writing I can do in just an hour or two a day.

No matter what time of day I sit down to work, as long as I do my book writing first, I know that my books will get written no matter what.

It's all a matter of prioritising.

Which is usually a lot easier said than done, but not when you commit to doing it.

Wednesday 20 January 2016

The Secret to Having More Time to Write AND a Higher Writing Income

“Time For Change Representing Different Strategy Or Varying” by Stuart Miles
Today I want to share with you a simple way I've found over the years that allows me to have more time to write and helps to increase my writing income.

And what's so simple about it, is because it means you spending less time doing something you're doing now rather than start doing something that you're not used to.

In a nut shell, it's being selective about who you're spending your time with and ditching those that are toxic to you.

You see, they say that you become the average of the 5 people that you spend most of your time with, and this doesn't only mean people in your physical presence. It can also mean those you spend time with online as well as the authors whose books you read and the TV programs and movies you watch.

Online it's important to notice who you interact with on FaceBook and Twitter and the social media sites as well as the blogs you follow and the articles you read.

What I've come to realise is that most of the things we do online are a complete waste of time and some of it can be toxic too if you spend your time responding to trolls.

A few months ago I decided to block everyone on social media who was negative and nasty. I don't mean anyone who disagreed with me about something, but those trolls who are downright derogatory and hateful. So I began blocking anyone who I considered a troll or a waste of my time because I don't want to read anything they post and I don't want them to see anything I post either.

And this has turned out to be a significant time saver.

This same principle can be applied to everyone you spend time with whether it's in person, on the phone, or online.

So I began to be more selective about who I was spending my precious time with.

I unsubscribed from quite a few emails, purged my RSS reader of feeds, stopped reading books that were a waste of time and instead started looking for a few inspirational and informational books and blogs. And it's surprising how few I actually found. Most of the sites online either aren't informative or they contradict what they say all the time so I'm uneasy that they're always telling the truth.

Next I stopped watching certain programs on TV because they just weren't of any real value to me. They were just my excuse to slump on the couch and do nothing.

I also stopped spending time with people I didn't really want to be with. I think we all have people in our lives that we spend time with just because we think we "should" or because we've been associating with them for so long that it's hard to stop.

I stopped by cutting conversations short either in person and especially on the phone. If the conversation started to get gossipy or what the other person was saying was of no interest to me, instead of feigning interest, I just excused myself and left.

Anyway, the upshot of it all was that reading became more fun, I was following less people on social media, I didn't have to spend time with people I didn't want to be with,  watched a lot less TV, and so I gained a whole lot more time.

And then I used that time to write more and my writing income increased because I was working more and being inspired by my new associations. I also found I had more time for other things that I wanted to do like walk my dogs and work in the garden.

So if you have people in your life who are wasting your time, either online or offline, purge your relationships and spend time only with those you want to be with and free up more time for the things you want to do.

It's really amazing how those small pockets of time we waste add up to hours and hours.

And you're new found time can be used for doing  more writing and increasing your writing income too because not only will you feel freer, but you'll also feel more in control and more inspired.




Monday 18 January 2016

How to Focus Like a Zen Monk

“Image Buddha” by Witthaya Phonsawat
Being a writer is often hard because self discipline is a problem.

It's easy to say you'll sit down and write every day, but it's quite another thing to do it.

And I'm no different than anybody else because I struggle with staying focused all the time too.

Thankfully, though I found a way around it and it works for me every time.

I used to sit down at my writing desk and begin my day with wasting a couple of hours checking email and clicking on links and reading articles.

But now I've found a way to actually sit down and get straight to work.

The thing I started doing every day to get more work done was to use a timer.

I use the timer on my iPhone, but any timer will do.

When I sit down to write I set it for 35 minutes and then I open my diary, see what I have planned for the day and get straight to work.

And because I'm working against the clock I have to keep going and do as much as I can in the short time that I've got.

The reason for using such a small amount of time to work is because it's a psychological trick on the mind because I try to do as much as I can because I know I don't have much time to do it so I stay focused. If I had too much time, I'd just start wasting it.

When the timer sounds, I tap to stop it and then I have a 5 minute break away from the computer. Sometimes I get a drink or go to the toilet or hang out a load of washing or I give the dog a 5 minute pat.

Then I sit down again, set the timer, for another 35 minutes, and get back to work.

I repeat this about 6 to 8 times and then I'm finished working for the day.

Even while I'm writing this blog post, the timer is counting down.

I learned this trick from one of the great, late copywriters, Eugene Schwartz. He liked to work this way and said using a timer was an old Zen trick.

You just set the timer and then tell yourself you have no other obligations during that 35 minutes and you cannot do anything except the work you're supposed to be doing. No checking emails or FaceBook or getting up to get a drink.

Nothing. Nada. Zip.

You either have to begin working or sit and do nothing.

And if you repeat the 35 minute cycle at least 6 times a day, you'll get thousands of words written without trying too hard and without feeling like you should be doing other things.

Once the timer starts you forget about the car payment that's due, or the shopping that needs doing or that you haven't checked your FaceBook page in a while. Once that timer starts, your only obligation is to start writing and keep going, no matter what.

Working this way sounds so easy to do and so it sounds like it won't work or that it won't make any difference to how much writing you do every day.

But it does make a huge difference, and on the odd few days that I don't use a timer, I get far less work done AND I work for much longer every day too.

If you haven't tried this old Zen trick of working with a timer, give it a try and see how you go.

And if you want to write more but don't know what to do or where to start, use The 7 Day Ebook System.

You can download it and start working through it today, and by this time next week, not only will you have written and published an ebook, but you'll already have made sales too, because this system is guaranteed to work.

Wednesday 6 January 2016

Productivity Deals For Writers to Help You Kick Start 2016 The Write Way

I just wanted to let you know about some amazing deals and offers that will help you to really kick start your productivity in 2016. But be quick because some are time limited offers with just a few days left.

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Wednesday 23 December 2015

Want to Do More Writing? Get Lost!

“Business Lady Using Laptop In Park” by adams FreeDigitalPhotos.netI find that one of the hardest things about working from home is distractions.
So far today, it’s only 1pm but I’ve already had 3 phone calls, one visitor, several frantic emails to answer plus I have to call someone later who insists on speaking with me.
See?
Distractions.
This is why it’s good to get lost if I want to write.
But I don’t get literally lost.
I’m just lost from other people.
I go out to a park or to the library and ignore everyone.
Sometimes I go and sit at the back of my garden because it’s far enough away so that no one can be bothered to disturb me (I have quite a big garden).
I don’t have an internet connection on my computer when I’m ‘lost’ and I don’t answer my phone.
I write without looking up and I have my earbuds in and I listen to audios so that no one will stop to speak to me.
The audios are not only entrainment audios that help me stay focused and creative, but also help to block out all other sounds so I can get ‘lost’ in my own little world for a few hours, get amazingly creative and astound myself with how much writing I can get done when I’m left in peace to do it.
So if you want to get more writing done, first of all you need to get lost.


Looking for some brain entrainment audios to help you focus too? 
Download a free demo from Brain Salon. http://writeaholics.net/links/brainsalondemo.html.  
It’s the audios I use all the time.

Monday 21 December 2015

Using The Write Tools For the Job

“Hand Using Laptop And Write Note Inspire Idea On Wood Desk” by blackzheep FreeDigitalPhotos.netWriting fast is important, but so is writing well.
I don’t feel creative writing straight to the computer.
I’m much more comfortable sitting and writing with a pad and pen.
And it’s not just any old pen. It has to be a fountain pen because I find it so much easier to write with. The ink flows easily onto the page with no pressure required.
Of course the only problem is that I then have to sit and type up my work.
That’s usually not a big deal because I can type fast.
But my chair needs to be at the right height so that my arms are comfortable.
Working this way may be slower than writing straight to the computer but it works for me because it keeps me writing.
Writing straight to the keyboard makes me not want to write and the creative process in my brain is slower.
So I write the way I want to because that makes me want to write.


Write the way you want to and find the product you need to help you achieve your writing and publishing dreams at http://cheritonhousepublishing.com

Wednesday 2 December 2015

Gain An Extra Month Of Writing in 2016

“Two Thousand And Sixteen On Laptop Shows Year 2016” by Stuart Miles FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Now is the time of year when we all start looking ahead to the New Year and start planning all the things we'll be doing during those 12 shiny, new months.

But why have 12 months when you can have 13?

Do you know how much more writing you could do if you had an extra month? A lot. In November every year, thousands of writers complete a whole novel manuscript during the 30 days of  NaNoWriMo.

But how can you gain an extra month in a year? That's not possible is it?

It is if you start now.

Don't wait until January to start working your yearly writing plan.

Start now in December, and by January you'll be a month ahead.

Of course, this will only work if you're serious about your writing.

If you aren't, you'll wait till January (as usual), begin with good intentions, and then repeat the year before with all its lack of focus, never-ending stream of excuses, and no writing done.

Don't waste another minute (or another month).

Start your New Years writing plan today.





Tuesday 24 November 2015

How To Earn A High Income Writing Ebooks

If you want to earn a high income writing ebooks, then you have to know how to do it consistently.

Being an ebook writer and publisher is a real work from home or work from anywhere career.

Ebooks are a great way to earn passive income because they are fast to write, effortless to format and quick to publish.

You can write a short report or small ebook in just one 2 hour sitting, if you have a system for writing.

Ebooks are also effortless to format because you only have to do it once, if you have your ebook writing and publishing process set up correctly.

I use Pages on my Mac Book Pro and I've set up styles for my articles and ebooks. That means that I set them up once, saved them as templates, and now I only have to click on the template I want to use (article or ebook) and the formatting is already taken care of.

Ebooks are also quick to publish because all you need to do is upload them in just one click.

But if you want to earn all your income from your ebooks then you also need to look at the math.

Most writers and authors want to earn a six-figure income from their ebooks, which is a minimum of $100K a year. This equate to $400 a day, 5 days a week (so you get the weekends off).

So if you write and publish a $20 ebook, then you need to sell 20 copies a day to earn $400.

And if you sell your ebook on Kindle and only earn $2 in royalties for each copy sold, you'd need 200 daily sales.

Now while that may seem like a lot of ebook sales, it's not all bad.

You see, it's easier to sell less copies per day of more books, than more copies per day of just one ebook.

So achieving 20 or 200 sales a day IS difficult if you only have one ebook written and published.

But what if you were selling 20 ebooks? That would mean you only have to sell one copy of each ebook per day (at $20 each) to earn $400. That's just one copy.

And if you were only earning $2 then you'd only need to sell 10 copies of each per day.

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And if you're a focused and prolific writer, there's now reason why you couldn't write and publish 50 ebooks a year, if you can write and publish one ebook a week. Or you could still write and publish as many as 25 ebooks a year, if you write and publish one every 2 weeks.

That would mean that in just 1 year you'd have 50 ebooks selling all over the world. So that would mean, that you'd still only need 20 daily sales (at $20 each) to earn $400 a day, so you don't even need to sell one copy of every ebook a day. Just one copy of less than half of your ebooks.

And if  you were selling them and only receiving $2 in royalties, you only need 4 daily sales of each ebook to earn $400.

So if writing and selling ebooks is something you've always wanted to do, this would be the week to start writing your first-of-many manuscripts.

All you need is a good 7 day ebook writing and publishing system.

This will quickly build into a great daily writing habit, and your new process plus the focus and determination to make it work will give you the writing career you've always dreamed of.


Just choose a way that works for you and get started.