How Time-Saving Is This?

I always try and save time.

One of my pet peeves is wasted time because of inefficiency.

That’s why I try and have my own systems and wicked ways of how I do things.

The rest of my family laugh and say I have OCD.

But it’s not.

I’m just efficient with my time.

I have set ways of how I complete tasks whether it’s household chores, online work, or writing.

You see, I figured out a long time ago that successful businesses have efficient systems.

For instance, when I used to work in an office, we had a system for filing physical files so that if someone needed a file, they knew exactly where it would be in the filing cabinet.

There were also rules and systems for how we handled everything, with processes to go through and everything was kept exactly where it was supposed to be so that no time was lost looking for something.

And if a customer came in with a query, we knew exactly who to send them to and that person knew exactly what to do.

See? Efficient systems.

And if someone new started working there, they were quickly shown what we do, how we did it, and where everything was kept.

And it’s the same with a writing business.

Just imagine if you were hiring an assistant and you had to explain your work-flow to them and show them how you file everything on your computer and/or in your office.

Could you do it?

Do you have simple systems and work-flow patterns that you could easily explain to someone else?

For instance, if you wanted to explain how you handle your email, could you say, “If I get an email from this company, I deal with it this way,” and show them exactly what you do with it?

Or explain the exact process you go through to research and outline a book before you write it?

If not, then you may need to re-organise how you work to save more time for your writing.

------------------------

Accelerated Learning & Productivity: The Compact Guide
Learn Faster and Smarter. Productivity Hacks. Stop Wasting Time and Get Things Done.
https://www.udemy.com/accelerated-learning-productivity-the-compact-guide/

Productivity Hacks for Writers (Writing Mastery)
Simple strategies and proven techniques to be more productive and get the most out of every writing day
https://www.udemy.com/writing-mastery-productivity-hacks-for-writers/

The Miracle of Tidying

A few months ago, my daughter wanted me to find something in her room.

It was some important papers that she’d left behind when she went out, so she needed me to photograph them and email them to her.

The problem was that she didn’t know where she’d put them.

So there I was on the phone with her, and she’s saying, “Look in my bottom desk drawer,” and “Maybe it’s in that box in the top of my cupboard.”

She had me looking everywhere.

But what I couldn’t understand was how she didn’t know where she’d put them.

I’m just the opposite of that.

If she’s looking for something in the house and asks me where it is, I say, “It’s in the chest of drawers next to the window. Second drawer down, on the right-hand side at the back.”

I know EXACTLY where my things are.

I also keep my digital files the same way, so when I need to bring up a file I haven’t used in years, I still know exactly where it is.

And do you know what I gain from this the most?

Time.

I save hours every week by being tidy.

Whenever I finish using something, I store it in its place.

A place for everything and everything in its place.

That’s time management 101.

———

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Fighting Resistance to Writing

Resistance.

I fight it nearly every day.

I love to write and yet I have to fight resistance to do it.

And just because I beat it one day, it doesn’t get rid of it.

When it comes to sitting down and getting my writing done, I always seem to have an excuse -

~ Too tired

~ Too busy

~ Too hot

~ Too cold

~ Not feeling creative enough

~ Too worried

And then one day I realised what the real problem was.

It wasn’t resistance to writing.

It was resistance to sitting down and getting started.

Once I start working it’s easy to keep going.

I just have to start.

And it works with everything.

Once I fight the resistance to begin, it’s easy to keep going.

All it takes is to stop making excuses.

And just start.

-------------------------


The War of Art : 
Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
by Steven Pressfield
http://viewbook.at/warofart

Instant Idea Overload

A few days ago, I sat and brainwaved for new ideas about writing and moving my online business forward.

It was a really great session that went on for hours (I had a lunch break and an after tea break during it).

I sat taking notes and more notes and even more notes and then wrote them all out in more detail and re-arranged them into the order that they need to be done.

It began with me mulling over just one idea.

Then I put in my earbuds and started listening to my 'Creative Spark' audio.

And before I knew what was happening - Boom!

The ideas started to flow and a plan was hatched.

I kept replaying the 30-minute audio and kept writing.

Creative Spark is one of the tracks on the Brain Salon audio collection.

There is also Super Razor Focus, Ultimate Deep Sleep, Happy Pill, Power Chill and High Energy Expresso.

At the moment, Creative Spark is my favourite.

I know that I've talked about Brain Salon before, but it is just so great.

It's not cheap to buy, but it really is worth every cent of the price, and I can use the tracks on the go, unlike some audios that you have to close your eyes and stop everything you're doing to use them.

I just plug in whichever I need and get to work.

I've been using Brain Salon for years and I use it almost daily.

But like I said, it's not cheap to buy, but nothing worth having ever is.


Try a free sample of Super Razor Focus for yourself, or learn more about this audio collection. Click the link below:
http://ruthiswriting.com/links/brainsalondemo.html

Write a Book That People Want To Read

Before you write a book there’s one thing that you need to have first.

And you must have it before you even write one word.

Do you know what this one thing is?

Readers.

You need people who want to read your book.

So how do you make them want to read it?

You answer the question that they’re all thinking:

“What’s in it for me?”

No one will buy anything, not even a book, if it doesn’t benefit them in some way.

They don’t care how good your book is. They only care about how it can help them.

So why should they read it?

You need to answer this question when you market your book.

And it’s also what you need to put in every chapter.

You need to tell them “why” they need to keep reading what you’re going to tell them.

In my ebook “The 7-Day Ebook Writing and Publishing System” putting a “why” in every chapter and in all your marketing is discussed in detail.

And that’s just one of the ways it will help you write and sell more books.

Just think of how many books you could write in a year and how much money could you earn if you knew how to write and publish a book in just 7 days?

The 7 Day Ebook Writing And Publishing System:
How to Write and Publish an Ebook and Start Getting Sales in Just One Week

http://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/7day.html

Writing Doesn’t Get Easier. You Get Better.

No matter what you want to do in life, you can only get good at it with practice.

This is why writing every day is SO important, because the more you write, the faster and better you get which makes it feel so much easier.

Think of it like a bricklayer learning to lay bricks.

If you’ve ever watched them, they’re really fast at what they do and so precise.

It’s amazing to watch how they slap down bricks and scrape on mortar so quickly and yet the bricks are spaced apart perfectly and the thickness of the mortar between them is so even.

Yet they seem to be slapping it on haphazardly.

But that’s how practice helps them to be so efficient and skilled.

They weren’t born with that ability. It took years of practice and apprenticeship.

And it’s the same with everything we do.

Remember the first time you ever tried to drive a car?

At first, it seemed so hard with so much to do at the same time with gears, accelerator, brakes, indicators, steering, and mirrors. Not to mention all the other traffic on the road, and watching speed signs, road signs and traffic lights.

But then after much practice, driving seemed so much easier and you no longer had to think about what you were doing. And now you just get in and drive.

And it's the same with writing because the more you do it, the easier it seems and so the faster you get.

But it’s not because the writing is easier to do. It’s the same. Just like laying bricks or learning to drive a car.

None of those things change. It’s just you that gets better.

And if you have a writing system that you use over and over again, it will soon seem as though the books write themselves.

That’s why I published my 7 Day Ebook Writing and Publishing System that takes you from idea to finished ebook - AND sales -  in just 7 days.

And you can use it over and over again.

Once you have a system that works, you just have to use it for all your books to get them all written fast.

Plus you’ll also receive the bonus ebook, How to Write a Short Report in 2 Hours.

It makes writing books SEEM easy, but it’s just helping you to get better.

The 7 Day Ebook Writing And Publishing System:
How to Write and Publish an Ebook and Start Getting Sales in Just One Week
http://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/7day.html

Writing Articles Quickly

The Following is an excerpt from my ebook "How to Write an Article in 15 Minutes or Less: Including research, proof reading and editing." - -

15 minutes is a generous amount of time to research and write an article. With practice, you should be able to do it in 10 minutes, so instead of writing 4 articles an hour, you can write 6. That’s a 50% increase in production.

When you’re earning money per article, time is money, so the faster you can write, the better.
Your own articles, with good keywords and useful information, could earn you $20 to $100 in consistent sales, depending on what you’re selling and how hungry your market is.

You can use article writing to build an online business and start earning money straight away.
You could, if you wanted to, spend half a day ghost writing for clients - for instant money, and the rest of the day writing for yourself.

Or you could spend half a day writing ebooks and the other half writing articles to promote them.
But you need to start writing so that you can quickly get into the habit of writing fast.

So don’t just passively read this ebook. Take action. Start writing articles straight away and by this time next week, you’ll have written your first 100 articles.

Or even if you achieve only half that amount, it’s 50 more articles than you wrote this week.

And 50 articles in one week is a lot. You could upload the best ones to your website and use the rest for online marketing. 50 articles means you’ll have enough content for your website straight away.

Some people set up a blog or website and then sit there scratching their head because they don’t know what to do next.

So they upload one or two pages of content, have no idea how to move forward from there and get bored and say that making money online is impossible.

How different would it be if they had up to 100 pages of content already written in just one week because they’d used the 15 minute article writing system that you’re about to learn?

If you can write up to 100 articles a week, you’ve got the ability to set up as many niche websites that you want or ghost write articles for money consistently.

You can also set up an email campaign to sell more products or produce short ebooks to sell or to use for marketing.

And it all starts with being able to write articles quickly.

I hope this chapter has given you some idea of how many articles you can write and different ways you can use them to earn money.

But you must start writing articles. Today! And every day after today.

Build up your article writing habit now.


I hope this short excerpt has inspired you to want to down load the ebook and the 2 bonus products that come with it: "10 Ways to Make Money Writing Articles" and "How to Write 1 Article in 7 Different Ways."

These ebooks will get you up and writing fast. Plus with the bonus ebooks, you can take one article idea, write it 7 different ways and make money from it in 10 different ways.

And if you already own these ebooks, why aren't you writing more articles?

Time is money my friends.

Get Your Novel Written

Is there a novel you’ve been meaning to write but just haven’t gotten around to it?

Or have you started writing a novel a really long time ago but just haven’t finished?

Well here is an easy way to get that novel written.

The first thing you need to do is plan what you’re going to write. I find that writing is much more fun when I have a plan to work from. That way all the hard thinking work is done so all I need to do is write.

The first part of your plan needs to be an outline which includes the main plot, two to three subplots, main characters and supporting characters. And also a few hooks to keep your readers reading. Hooks are things that are hinted at but won’t be revealed until later in the story.

You also need to decide how many chapters you’re going to write and how long each one will be. It’s important to know these things so that you can stick to your word count.

Next, you need to decide how much you can realistically expect to write every day. Don’t over estimate this otherwise you’ll feel disappointed every time you don’t reach your daily word count. On the other hand, if you set your expectations low, every time you achieve it or do much more, it will make you feel motivated to keep going.

Then you need to do the writing. Just make sure you meet your word count every day. Tell yourself you can’t go to bed until your word count is met.

And then do just do it. Show up every day and get your novel written.

But don’t do it instead of the other writing you should be doing.

You can still earn income from your other freelance writing and affiliate marketing while writing your books at the same time.

And every day you’ll feel like a winner AND you’ll be earning money from your writing.

It’s a win-win.

Are You Writing Enough?

One of the biggest complaints I hear from writers is that they don’t get enough writing done every day.

This is the topic of my latest article called “Where Does My Writing Time Go?”

And this problem happens every day.

You get up in the morning with high hopes and great intentions of getting plenty of writing done - writing a few articles, finishing your latest book, submitting a couple of freelance proposals.

But all of a sudden - BANG!

The day is over and although you’ve been busy all day, jumping from one task to another, you’ve barely touched your writing.

So you promise yourself that tomorrow will be different…but it never is.

If you’re experiencing this phenomena, one of the reasons for it could be that you haven’t established your preferred writing time.

We all know that having a good writing routine is important, but it wont’ help you if you're doing it at the wrong time of day.

You see some of us are morning writers, some work better in the afternoons while others are happier working in the evenings, burning the proverbial midnight oil.

I know one person who settles down to write at 9 or 10 pm every evening and keeps going till the early hours of the morning.

Admittedly he’s a late riser every day, but it doesn’t matter because he does whatever he wants all day before settling down to write again in the evening.

In the best selling book 2k to 10K, author Rachel Aaron explains how she tried different times to write and recorded her progress. To her amazement she found she was most productive in the afternoon, even though she was sure she was a morning person. And that’s how she increased her writing speed from 2,000 words/hour to 10,000.

So if you’re not getting enough writing done every day, try out a few different times to write and see if you are really a morning, afternoon or evening writer.

And if you do need to change the time of day (or evening) when you write, be prepared because it will take you out of your comfort zone and you will have to make sacrifices.

But before you know it, your new writing routine will be of such a benefit to you (as in, how much more you can get done) that you won’t mind at all.

Read more about how Rachel Aaron went from writing 2,000 an hour to 10,000 words.

The Real “Secret” To Writing Success

In the title of this post I’ve used quotes around the word “secret” because there is no real secret to being a successful writer.

It just takes work.

But it’s good work.

And if you do the work you WILL see results - no matter what your situation.

So if  you’re not currently seeing the success from your writing that you want, then you need to take a step back and look at what you’re doing.

What is it that’s holding you back?

What have you been putting off?

What is it that you know you need to do?

What is it that you’re looking for?

Are you looking for an excuse?

Or are you looking for success?

Whatever you’re looking for, you WILL find it.

But what it all comes down to is whether you’re willing to do the work.

Because that is the real “secret” to becoming a successful writer.

http://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/LLS.html 

Why I Hate Writing

Being a writer isn’t always easy.

In fact, most days it can seem really difficult.

People think it’s easy to sit at home and write. Some even say it’s “Not a proper job.”

But I earn all my income from my writing so it is a proper job.

Not only that, but no one ever sees how much I actually write because not everything gets published, for various reasons, including projects I abandon part-way through and things I delete completely and start from scratch.

And if those two things aren’t soul-destroying enough, there are three other reasons that make it hard.

1. It’s a Solitary Job. When I write, even when I collaborate on projects with another writer like The Wealthy Writer and Copyright Infringement, I still work alone. I don’t answer the phone or the door and I can’t sit with anyone else because if they say just one thing to me it breaks my train of thought.


2. I Can’t Think of Anything Else. When I’m writing I can’t think of anything else because I have to stay focused on what I’m doing. So when other thoughts jump into my head, “I wonder what the time is? What will I make for dinner? Do the plants need watering? Why did I stay up so late last night? I wish the neighbour’s dog would stop barking,” I have to chase them away.


3. It Requires 100% Focus and Concentration. Sometimes I’m completely enthralled in my work and can spend hours in a huge window of inspiration and creativity. Other times I have to force myself to focus on what I’m doing but it’s difficult and the words simply won’t come. But I know that if I keep trying, it will get easier.

And with no one to tell me what to do and no boss standing over me cracking a whip, staying focused and getting work done is twice as hard.

So why do I write for a living if it’s so hard?

Because It’s equally (if not more) a great way to earn money.

Being a writer is just something that I’ve wanted to do all my life so when I decided to make it my career, it didn’t come as a surprise.

I couldn’t imagine not being a writer.

I just couldn’t.

There really is nothing else I want to do.

——————————

Want To Be More Focused?

Want to be more productive, not just with writing but with everything you do?

Download a free demo MP3 of Nitrofocus and listen to it as you work.

It’s so amazing the difference it makes.

You really need to try it for yourself to see what I mean.

Click the image below, download the free Nitrofocus MP3 and start writing as you listen.

It will have you speeding effortlessly through everything you do.

Always Check Your ROI

In any business, ROI is important.

But I think it’s important in everything I do.

If you don’t already know, ROI stands for Return On Investment. Or as I think of it, “What’s in it for me?”

In other words, what are you getting out of what you’re doing, what you’re investing your time in?

Usually ROI means what you invest your money in, but time is also a huge investment and shouldn’t be wasted.

So whatever you’re doing, consider your ROI.

For instance:

  ~ Watching TV for hours gives you slothfulness and an expanded waistline.

  ~ Gossiping with other people makes you unpopular.

  ~ Writing an article and publishing it on your website/blog, gives you advertising revenue, affiliate commissions or book sales.

  ~ Writing another chapter of your book takes you closer to publication.

Always thinking about your ROI will help you make better decisions about what to do with your time.

And the bigger the ROI, the bigger the feeling of satisfaction. 

And if you spend more time writing, the more money you’ll earn.

——————————

Want To Be More Focused?

Want to be more productive, not just with writing but with everything you do?

Download a free demo MP3 of Nitrofocus and listen to it as you work.

It’s so amazing the difference it makes.

You really need to try it for yourself to see what I mean.

Click the image below, download the free Nitrofocus MP3 and start writing as you listen.

It will have you speeding effortlessly through everything you do.

New Year Writing Resolutions For 2017

This is the time of year when most people (and especially writers it seems) are making plans of their goals for the coming year.

And I'm no different.

A few days ago I went to one of my favourite stores, Office Works, and salivated over all the notebooks, pens and other office supplies. There are so many things you can buy in these huge stores including office furniture, toasters, kettles, coffee and big bags of lollies (candies). Yep, everything you could possibly want for your office.

I didn't buy much because I was really only there to ogle the stock but I did buy a few things (eraser, pencil sharpener, other just-as-exciting office supplies) and one thing that I did buy was a new diary.

Usually I have an A4 diary but I've decided that it's too big to keep open on my desk while I work. So this year I bought one half the size - A5.

It still has one day to each page (see image above of the first page of the year) plus a calendar for 2017 and 2018, and pages of useful dates (school holidays, public holidays, etc). It's much less space for writing in than I'm used to so I will just have to tighten up my word count in my new diary. I'm sure it will be fine.

But just having my new blank diary full of possibilities of what I'm going to be working on next year, fills me with new hope of achieving more from my writing.

The last few years I've increased my writing income and I'm hoping to increase it ten-fold in 2017.

In fact I'm so sure of my potential earnings that I'm currently looking at renting a local office to work from.

It can be extremely hard sometimes to separate my working life from my private life because I'm at home all the time. And more often than not, people are overstepping my working boundaries (because their lives are oh so busy and so they only have time to talk to me during my working hours).

I try to write mainly through the day so that I can keep my evenings free for other things. Sometimes the two blur together and sometimes I get no writing done at all because other things keep cropping up, especially with other people.

So to alleviate this I've decided to work more away from home whenever I can, because I know that I can write much more when I'm out every day. And the easiest way to achieve this is to rent a small office and go and work there, that way I can be left alone to write. Plus I'm far more productive away from home.

The only problem with this plan is that there are very few small offices to rent around here, so I may struggle to find somewhere. But I'm already looking and trying to arrange viewings. Hopefully I'll find my writing oasis soon.

I'm also considering renting out the extra space in my new yet-to-be-rented office to other local writers so that they can hire a desk to write at on a monthly basis. These are known as 'co-working spaces.' The image in my mind is so idyllic of how this is going to work. Or perhaps I'll keep my office private and shut myself away to get more writing done.

At the moment I don't know what's going to happen, whether I'll find a suitable office or not, or maybe I'll rent a bedroom in someone's house and use that as my office instead because there are plenty of rooms to rent for around $100 a week which is much cheaper than renting an office.

But one thing I know for sure is that I will be writing more in 2017 than I ever have before and my income from my writing will be higher than it's ever been.

So no matter what happens, I know I'll make it.

My writing 'to-do' list is waiting for me and so is my new 2017 diary, so I will be scanning the former and filling in the latter over the next few days.

And tomorrow is Christmas Day (I don't celebrate this day I just have a day off from doing anything that I don't want to do) which is probably the best day for me to make my plans and start finishing up what I'm currently working on and fill in my diary so that I can start my new work in the New Year.

I also don't think I'm the only one who plans to write more next year because currently my best selling ebook is How to Write an Article in 15 Minutes or Less - including research, writing and Proof Reading.

It's this month's best seller. :)

How to Write an Article in 15 Minutes or Less - including research, writing and Proof Reading.

Click Here to learn How I Earned Over $4,000 Writing Articles 
In Just One Day

I did it using my simple 15 minute article writing system which Includes Research, Writing and Proof Reading

7 Ways to Make Writing Easier

Guest post:

 By Ben Settle


A few weeks ago, I received an interesting comment from someone who wanted to hire me to write an ad, and one of the things she said was I make writing seem "effortless." Which I found kind of ironic.

Why?

Because the reality is I don't find writing effortless at all. I find it extremely hard. I actually HATE writing. In fact, to quote the late, great copywriter Sir Gary of Halbert: "Writing sucks!"

But... since it pays the bills I do it anyway. And thank God there ARE ways to make it easier (and even fun). Below are just a few of these ways...

1. Write every day

Hey, it may sound corny, but it really is true the more you do something, the easier and more "routine" it gets.

2. Write like you talk

If you can talk, you can write. I know of one person who writes entire BOOKS just by reading into a recorder while driving around and then transcribing it.

3. Don't try to impress anyone

Forget pleasing other writers or copywriters or whatever. Say what needs saying and let the chips fall wherever they may. Yes... some people WILL whine and complain. Might as well expect it. But most will love you for it and even become your biggest fans.

4. Be "real"

Be YOU and not a warmed-over version of someone else. Frankly, it makes writing easier, faster and more persuasive.

5. Keep it pithy

When in doubt... snip it out.

6. Tell stories

This is the EASIEST way to write. It's also the easiest way for people to remember your message. Even memory training experts teach putting everything in story format because it makes it easier for peoples' brains to remember and "process" information.

7. Respect peoples' time

This is a biggie. One reason ads, emails, blogs, etc are ignored is because people are too busy to be bothered reading them. And if you simply respect your readers' time (like for example, by being pithy), they'll be FAR more likely to hear you out (and, yes, buy). Anyway, those are some "tried and true" ideas for making writing a lot easier.

----------------------

For more ways to make writing easier check out the free tips at: http://bensettle.com

A New Writing Article and a Product Review

This is just a quick note to let you know that I have recently added a new article to my website at RuthIsWriting.com and a new review of a writing product.

The article is called "Are You A Writer? Assessment Test."

So I guess you could say it's not actually an article but more of a really short assessment test.

You can find the article at http://ruthiswriting.com/articles/2016/assessment.html.

I also wrote a review of the Nitrofocus MP3 program offered by Inspire3.

I don't always go a bundle on these types of products but this one is really good.

And one of the best things about it is that you don't have to take time out of your busy day to listen to it. You just put on your  headphones and get on with your writing (or any other task you have to do) while you listen.

And you can download a free 15 minute demo to try it out for yourself.

I started with the demo and put it on a loop to repeat to an hour and it worked really well.

You can read my review called "Nitrofocus: "Get More Done in Less Time" at http://ruthiswriting.com/reviews/nitrofocus.html.

Sit back and enjoy them both.

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.

The Importance of Having a Designated Writing Space

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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Take a Break From Writing

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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The Importance of Writing Every Day and How To Do It

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.