My Crazy Writing Life - Day 11: It's the Novel, Stupid!

When I first got serious about writing, the first thing I did was write a 77,000-word draft of my fantasy novel The Key of Neverhence, which still has yet to be published. Afterwards, I made a strong push to write my vampire thriller Enura, but got sick of it after 45,000 words and never returned to it (to be fair, I overdid it with the editing). Then, by a combination of curiosity and circumstance, I began writing shorter works, which were profitable for a brief period of time, but ultimately sank to the current levels today. These days, my children’s books and short stories don’t pull in much—certainly not enough to live on even though I have 118 titles to my credit.

If I continue this way, I might be able to reverse my fortunes, but I suspect that sales will eventually slide back to where they currently are. Without a true novel, sales will falter and never reach the level that I hope to achieve.

For some time I’ve heard that novels are the way to go. Joe Konrath has mentioned this numerous times, and backed it up with sales data. I’m also seeing this bear out with my friends’ numbers, so perhaps it’s time to reevaluate. With shorter works comes short-term success. Perhaps it’s time for the main course. (Besides, when is the last time you’ve heard someone rave about a short story? For novels, this happens all the time.)

That’s not to say that I’m abandoning children’s books or my other short stories. I just won’t expect to make money off of them anymore. The fact that I’ve put all of my effort into short works and none into novels is troublesome. The smartest thing to do (yes, I’m challenged in that area) is to finish one of my incomplete novels or flesh out an idea in my head.

One such idea that I accidentally stumbled across yesterday is a science fiction action adventure called Dunderwhlep. Essentially it’s a comedy, featuring a reluctant superhero that can’t be killed (at least, not easily) and bumbles through life, getting himself into heaps of trouble, and perhaps, the girl in the end. It’s the very definition of pulp fiction and will be written under my new pen name Rockenweiler Gulch.

Why am I reluctant to start such a project? First off, I don’t have a cover and can’t think of a piece of stock imagery that would be suitable for it. I may need to find an artist, and that will cost money. Second, the pen name isn’t established. I don’t have any other works associated with it or a backlist to fall back on. And even though it will be filled to the brim with action, it very comic book-oriented in nature. It’s going to require a huge leap of faith on my part.

There’s no telling who will take it seriously. It’s not a detective novel per se, and although it is set in the future, it could turn off many diehard science fiction fans. What it does have is personality, foul language (which got me in trouble with Netherstream) and humorous situations. “Take a chance on me!” it screams. Would I be a fool not to take a chance?

Remember what I said about just writing and not worrying about the money? If I see it working in my head, I should just write it, right? Eventually I’ll need to establish the Rockenweiler Gulch brand name. It may as well be now.

But it’s different with novels. Unlike short stories, there’s a large investment of time and energy, and I don’t want to choose the wrong project and only earn one sale per month versus 50-100 per day. Some thought has to go into it.

I know, I know. Stop thinking about money!

Let’s take a step back for a moment. How long is your writing career? From today till the day you die, right? So what are you worried about? Regardless if it’s a failure or a success, as long as you give your best effort, you’ll do fine. Have some faith in yourself! If you like what you’re writing, keep going. In the end, there’s no guarantee that any of it will sell, and projects that I thought would sell in the past were total busts. You may as well choose something enjoyable.

And what if it’s successful? Wouldn’t it be fun to write a sequel to Dunderwhelp? There are worse things that you could get stuck writing. Like a cookbook. Or a basket weaving guide. Or a basket weaving cookbook. Don’t get stuck writing something you hate. Are you willing to tell your readership that there won’t be another book in the series if it succeeds? Worse yet, will you have a choice?

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed everything that I’ve written thus far and would be honored to follow up a successful work. For me, that’s not a problem. On the other hand, I have an acquaintance who writes what’s popular at the moment. He’s willing to write anything and everything, from children’s books to erotica, scruples me damned! There are things he’s written that I wouldn’t dare write in a million years.

Unless it were a comedy.

That’s the one exception I will make. With humor, you can get away with anything and the work is always more enjoyable because of it. Comedic works also tend to be written faster and readers are more forgiving when it comes to mistakes and logical errors.

That doesn’t mean that you can write bad. No, I’m afraid the angry mob of the literary elite will have your head for it. But it does illustrate a point: First, you must entertain. Although your story may be putrid with cardboard characters and clichés galore, if you entertain, you might just convince them that you did it on purpose, further elevating your legendary status. It’s a strange irony that also carries over into other art forms. Entertain them with something that is uniquely you and that they can’t get anywhere else and they will look for you next time they’re in Amazon.

This also takes me back to a previous discussion about editing. If you want to produce something that’s authentic, is it in your best interest to polish it mercilessly? Would it be better if your writing remained rough so that it didn’t sound like everything else out there? I’m not suggesting that you ignore mistakes and write poorly. I’m just wondering if it’s beneficial to scale back the editing a bit.

For this, I’m afraid I don’t have the answer. I’ve always been the type who writes something over and over again until I get it right. I wish I would be one of those writers who writes something once, does a few minor edits, and gets it out the door. I guess I write in a perpetual state of writer’s remorse, so scared that the reader will find an error that I pour over it in an apologetic eye until I convince myself that everything is as it should be. Of course, what I could be doing is making my work more cliché (i.e., it has the same ring to it as something I’ve previously read).

Novel writing is something that should be taken seriously. The majority of an author’s income is generated from it (just not mine yet). While it’s good to be productive, it’s better to produce something that pays the bills. If you’re struggling, try something new. You have no choice!

Also consider the reader’s expectations for a moment. If you were the reader, wouldn’t you prefer a novel to a 2,000-word short story? Sure, there’s nothing wrong with short stories, but it’s hard to justify when you can purchase an entire novel for the same price. Readers want novels, not one of the millions of short stories available today. Focus on novels exclusively and write a short story whenever you need a break.

Of course, if I had all of my free time back, I’d seriously consider writing more than one novel at a time. It’s kind of like writing multiple columns in a newspaper. When your motivation languishes in one, jump to the other. I’m sure if you told yourself to write a thousand words for Novel A and then another thousand for Novel B each day, you could do it. Juggling multiple projects keeps the writing fresh and makes it feel like less of a burden.

Many prolific writers recommend this approach for maximum productivity (oh no, here I go again). If your goal is to write as much as humanly possible, then this technique could be the goose that lays the golden egg. But it isn’t for everybody—just erratic authors who like to take on far more than is wise.

Ok, that’s all fine and dandy. Is there a point to this long-winded post?

Oh yes, it’s all about the novel, stupid!

Write one, then another. Mix in a few short stories to keep readers interested, but make novel-writing your primary focus.

This does not change my focus on children’s books. It just means that I must expand upon my original plans. So why not make Secret Agent Disco Dancer and My Little Pet Dragon full-fledged novels? For once, I might find success that sticks.

Day 1: 1,035 words
Day 2: 1,045 words
Day 3: 1,035 words
Day 4: 1,560 words
Day 5: 1,193 words
Day 6: 1,157 words
Day 7: 1,102 words
Day 8: 1,643 words
Day 9: 2,057 words
Day 10: 1,038 words
Day 11: 1,560 words
Total: 14,425 words

Sweet Sacrifice: The Value of Hard Work

Despite what you’ve read, and despite what you think is the source of your problems, one thing towers above the rest. It can cure many of your symptoms just by acknowledging it.

Ask yourself, are you willing to work hard?

Want better things in life? Then work hard for it. There’s no way around it; if you’re not willing to work hard, no other words will suffice. In that case, what you’re looking for is a cheerleader, not advice, and when the spark of inspiration fades, you’ll be searching for something else to prompt you. In the end, you’ll be right where you started, struggling to scrape together enough motivation to face the disappointing road ahead.

If you’re willing to work hard, say it aloud, and then prove it to yourself. How will you embody those words today? Choose a task that’s been lingering, and attack it with all your might. Before you doze off, ponder the fruits of your labor. No one can give you the success that you desire but you.

So when you work, work hard. Get everything that you came for. Stay up till 4:00 a.m. if you must, but be careful not to sabotage the following day. You need sleep; lack of sleep makes you stupid (a scientific fact). Reduce mistakes by giving your body adequate time to recover. By giving your best effort, objects that once seemed immovable can now be cleared from your path.

When it comes to writing, the hard work lies in editing, not the initial draft. In the beginning, you start with a blank slate; it’s the world of all possibilities, and nothing is out of reach. Getting your ideas onto paper is only the first step; making them work is a different matter.

As you delve deeper into the manuscript, the writing tends to increase in difficultly, especially if you haven’t invested the time to plot it out. I’ve seen authors get stuck on a sentence for an entire week. That’s right, an entire week! When you hit the wall, take a step back. Put down your thoughts, focus on the big picture, and keep moving forward. Problems that have stumped you will resolve themselves once you obtain a clear understanding of how things fit together.

That’s why some writers keep starting new projects rather than finishing old ones. Once they reach the point of pain, suddenly inspiration strikes, and they shoot off in a new direction. I did this myself until I realized what I was doing. Was it laziness or did I just need a break? Perhaps both. Either way, scale back your expectations, silence your mind, and work through the problem rather than throwing in the towel. Take baby steps if necessary. The sooner that you can get this project off your plate, the sooner you can move onto other tantalizing prospects. But finish what’s on your plate first; trust me, plenty of surprises are in store for the project at hand.

If you were hoping for a nice, cushy job, you’ve chosen the wrong profession. Everything is built with words here, one at a time. Sometimes we put down 50,000 before we can say that we’re done, and often times more. Characters, emotions, dialogue and settings are all erected from the soil of simple words, one after another. Writing is a workingman’s craft, and it takes effort to see a book to its fruition.

When challenged, don’t retreat; dig in. Solve the problem, give it your best shot, and do the finest work that you are capable of. Avoid reworking poor prose due to shoddy effort; invest the time and effort necessary to do it right. Make sure that your process is repeatable, and you can recover in time for the next writing session with the same vigor.

At times, writing a book can feel like passing a kidney stone; but if you don’t do the work, it will never get done. When you run into trouble, give yourself a small task, something that you can complete in 10-15 minutes, and build from there. Snare the minnow first, and then work your way up to the bigger fish. It can all feel overwhelming; don’t allow yourself to get overwhelmed.

Remember, the only way to the next project is through the existing one. Although it’s fun to keep tinkering with your manuscript, don’t take it to the grave. Give yourself a deadline, and once it passes, move onto the next project. You will become a better author by the number of projects that you complete, not by how often you polish the same bit of text.

If you constantly challenge yourself, working hard comes naturally. In fact, you may not view it as “work” at all. It’s something that you must do, like breathing. Once it becomes habit, your body will be more receptive to supporting the long hours necessary to succeed.

Dump any negative inclinations that you harbor, and put a positive spin on everything you do. By choosing a positive outlook from the start, the workload never seems overbearing. As you invest more time on this higher plane of thinking, new worlds will reveal themselves to you, and the quality of the experience will sharpen. Fear not how you will exert yourself, but what you will miss if you don’t.

Now is your opportunity, and through hard work you will make the most of it, each and every time.

Sweet Sacrifice: Consistency is Gold

Organization. Discipline. Consistency. I can already hear you cringe.

These are the most difficult words for a person to hear who is chronically disorganized, sporadic or easily distracted.

Yes, I’m talking about yours truly.

Is it surprising that things are so chaotic when we allow piles of paper to become mountains, relying on our fine memory and intellect (or lack thereof) rather than a well-conceived plan, and working only when we feel inspired? No wonder nothing ever gets done.

Perhaps you dream of a day when you’re in total control, churning out books effortlessly due to your tireless work ethic and flawless writing system? Me too. But rather than dream about, let’s think of a way to make it happen. It all starts with belief, a belief that one day you could be that person.

Consistency is a trait that everyone needs to work on, especially published authors. Challenge yourself to write better novels with each successive work and you will grow along with your writing.

There are plenty of things in our personal lives that can derail us if we let them. The trick is not to make writing more difficult than it already is, or give up when we hit a rough patch.

If you don’t feel like you have enough time to be a writer, give yourself a reality check: you don’t write because you have to, but because you choose to (although some of us self-absorbed neophytes believe that we are chosen). Think of the smiles on people’s faces when they read your novel, and stand in line for you to sign their copy. Writing is not a chore; and if you can’t see past the inherent labor resident in all tasks, how are you supposed to be any good at it?

Instead of focusing on your shortcomings, take action. If you’re truly passionate about writing, engage in it every chance you get. By writing every day, eventually it will come easier. And don’t worry about running out of ideas; by silencing your mind and listening to your inner voice, you’ll be amazed at what begins to surface.

It’s not surprising that our minds take a little while before they’re capable of composing good prose regularly. To a small degree it’s physiological in nature: the human brain needs to form new connections and fire up old ones so that it can operate efficiently. Life experience and repetition also factor in; both of which you have control over. In a nutshell, we shape ourselves into what we choose to be through action, determination and repetition, which can be summarized in one word: consistency.

By consistently working hard, you will learn how to deal with problems as they arise. You will get better at making the most of your time, and by pushing through obstacles, you will gain confidence that you can overcome anything in your path.

You may also find yourself fighting with your spouse or family members who don’t take your new profession seriously. Sadly they cannot see their actions for what they are: sabotage. To them everything’s critical, and up until now, they’ve had no reason to think otherwise. “Sorry, what’s that you’re doing? Writing a novel?” They ask. “You’re just screwing around. That doesn’t take any real effort, does it?”

Welcome to the club. Unfortunately, it comes with the territory. It will take some time before your family learns to respect your writing time. While you may not be able to change their initial perceptions, all is not lost. They can be trained. And bribed. And smacked. (The latter doesn’t always work so well.)

Rather than learning to do things for themselves, people often depend on others out of habit rather than need. You’re a convenient distraction, a selfless servant, and your time didn’t seem valuable until now. Your family must learn to become more self-sufficient. Teach them to honor your time and only engage you when absolutely necessary. Or else.

Once you find your quiet little nook, make your words count. In your reader’s eyes, you’re only as good as your last book. If you consistently give your best effort, you’ll never have to second-guess yourself, and neither will your readers when they fork over their hard-earned cash.

The more consistently you produce, the more consistently your customers will buy your work and recommend it to others. You’ve got a real chance to succeed when you deliver consistent, high-quality results.

When you get right down to it, consistency is gold. The more you produce, the more gold will find its way into your bank account. Instill good habits now; otherwise it will cost you. Be proud and productive, consistent and unyielding. Let your passion inspire others, and they will open their hearts and wallets to you.

And that, my friend, is as good as gold.

Sweet Sacrifice: The Sky's the Limit

If I said you could, would you believe me? Not one or two projects, but every last dream and desire. Would you entertain the notion, just for a moment?

All problems can be broken down into smaller tasks, and if you do a little each day, you’ll eventually finish that 10,000-line poem or 200,000-word epic. Working to a plan, even a loose one, can help you chart your course through the wilderness of the unknown, and keep you honest each day. Nudging forward, even at a crawl, will help you realize your goal in a few months time. There’s little magic to it: stick to the plan, be consistent, and you’ll arrive. Guaranteed.

Certainly you don’t plan to write just one book. Besides, what fun would that be? Take a fresh sheet of paper (that horrifying blank slate that sends shivers down the spines of wary authors, and prompts them to run for the hills) and write down all the books that you’re planning to write. Some may not have names yet, so give a mock title or short description for each one. Keep jotting them down until you’re grasping at straws, trying to determine if you’ve overlooked any. Hopefully you’ll have no trouble filling the page, if not several (some of us are too ambitious for our own good).

Now that you have your list, grade it. For novels that absolutely must be written (as in you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, and only have a few months to live), give them an A. Books that can wait until you clear out your inventory deserve a B. For all those books that would be fun to write if you have the time, give them a C.

I would hope that you would strike any item from your list that would earn a D or an F. Typically these begin as good ideas, but are quickly abandoned or shelved as one digs deeper. Eventually you may discover how to fix them; so don’t discard them entirely. For now ignore them, and focus on your best ideas first.

At a glance you can see what’s important, and what’s a few years off. Pour over your list, and select your top three, marking them with an A+. This will give you a good idea of what you’re in for, and it may surprise you what’s snuck into the top of your list.

Now comes the hard part: number your projects in the order that you intend to write them. If you’re writing several books in a series this might be easy, except if you’re having trouble picking the right series.

While numbering your list, consider the following:

• What has the best chance of succeeding?
• What’s vivid in your mind right now?
• What books are dependent on others?
• Are there any holidays you can take advantage of for your release window?
• Is it better to get shorter books out of the way first before burying yourself in an epic?
• Are any projects similar? Would it be beneficial to mix things up?
• What are you really dying to work on?

Next, determine the desired length for each novel, where 1 page = 250 words. If you’re writing a 50,000-word novel (which many consider the minimum length for a novel), you will produce approximately 200 pages.

If you’re not sure what category your book falls into, consider this chart (these are the guidelines I use, and are not necessarily official):

Type	Page Count	Word Count
Epics	400+ pages	100,000+ words
Novel	200 – 399 pages	50,000 – 99,999 words
Novella	80 – 199 pages	20,000 – 49,999 words
Novelette	40 – 79 pages	10,000 – 19,999 words
Short Story	4 – 39 pages	1,000 – 9,999 words
Flash Fiction	< 4 pages	< 1,000 words

Now that you have an estimate for all of your works, determine how long each will take to write. Do this by dividing the total length by your daily goal. For example, if you intend to write 1,000 words a day until your 50,000-word novel is completed, it will take approximately 50 days:

50,000 / 1,000 = 50

Keep in mind that this number only takes into account the initial draft. You may find that it takes multiple drafts until you are pleased with the result. Let’s assume that you’ll need two more drafts: a rewrite and a polish. If you keep the same daily goal for editing, it will take a total of 150 days or 5 months before you have something publishable.

With this information in hand, iterate through your list and determine how long each will take. Are there any advantages to putting shorter works first? Take another look at your list and reevaluate.

Now it’s time to schedule each of your books. Start with this year and plan accordingly. If there are only four months left, is it possible to squeeze in a novel? Perhaps you can write more than 1,000 words a day, or shorten your novel—only you know what’s realistic.

If writing is your full time job, you should challenge yourself to write more than just 1,000 words a day. By doubling this amount, you could write a book every 75 days, more than enough time to write a novel and a few short stories before the end of the year. And if you can sustain this rate, you could easily write four novels a year. Insane, right? Can I really write four books a year? Yes, you can.

Once you’ve filled up this year and the next, keep going until you’ve filled up the next three (keep going if you like, but your plans are more likely to change the further out you get). Don’t forget to schedule breaks in between; it’s not realistic that you can maintain this level of productivity without getting burned out. Give yourself a week off in between to recover and sharpen your mind.

Remember, all of this goes back to what you think is sustainable on a daily basis. If you’re not sure that you can recover in time for your next writing session, do a trial run. Work earnestly for a week or two, and keep a running tally of your daily output. If it’s too much, scale back. Live to write another day.

In addition to daily goals, you may want to add weekly goals to encourage yourself to produce more. If your objective is to write 50,000 words a month, then you need to write at least 12,500 words per week (slightly less than 2,000 words a day) with two additional days left over for make up sessions. If you find yourself struggling to write 1,000 words consistently, you may want to set a more realistic goal.

So how do you feel about your roadmap to success? Excited? Intimidated? Or perhaps you think you would be better off without all these long-winded estimates?

If schedules aren’t your thing, look over your list, select one, and dive in. Give yourself a deadline for each project, incorporate lessons learned, and cram in as many as you can until you’ve crossed off every item on your list or you run out of time. This may inspire you to do more rather than knowing that you have x-amount of time to complete a task. Ultimately, the goal is to get as much done as possible before the year runs out. Find out what works for you and go with it.

Whatever you decide, be honest with yourself. Maintain your roadmap and keep your goals in sight. When people ask you how you get so much done, tell them:

I declare what I want and I get it. That’s the secret to drawing the things that we want into our lives.

Get a few successes under your belt, up the ante, and challenge yourself further, and the sky’s the limit to what you can accomplish.

Sweet Sacrifice

Perhaps you've heard of Nora Roberts? In case you haven't, she's one of the most prolific authors of our time. On average, she releases 5 books a year, and has done so for the past 30 years. Currently she's written over 200 books, and shows no sign of slowing down.

Any author would die to have her productivity. So how does she do it? While Nora is gifted, it's her discipline that sets her apart. Nora works 8 hours a day, every day. No exceptions. On weekends and holidays, you'll find her at the computer, and she rarely takes a day off. Due to tight deadlines and edits from her publisher, there are days when she works longer. It's hard work, and she does it every day.

In a typical year, Nora works approximately 3,000 hours (8 X 365 = 2920 + additional hours worked). Her average book takes approximately 500 hours to complete, enabling her to produce six titles a year. Now that you see it in this context, is it really surprising that she churns out so much so often? And what happens when things don't quite go according to plan? "Keep beating the square peg into the round hole," she advised my mother one fateful evening.

While we're at it, let me throw another name out there that you might not know. His name is Ryoki Inoue, and he's world’s most prolific author (Guinness World Book of Records). Currently he's written 1,100 books, the bulk of which was produced in a ten-year span.

Over the years, Mr. Inoue has developed a system that allows him to write up to 3 books a day. At the height of his creative powers, he averaged 6 published titles a month or a new book every 5 days. There are stories of him writing whole chapters on bathroom breaks and entire novels while at the beach or having his car fixed. It's extraordinary what Ryoki Inoue has accomplished, and he's still going strong. "I like doing one book in three days, rather than three books in one day," he told a reporter.

Excuse me while I pick up my jaw from the floor.

When journalist Matt Moffet heard about Ryoki Inoue's exploits, he was immediately skeptical. Against Ryoki's objections, Moffet flew down to Brazil to see Mr. Inoue work firsthand. True to his word, Ryoki turned out an entire novel in one evening (Sequestro Fast Food) between the hours of 11:30 pm and 4:00 am. A week later it was published. Amazed by Inoue’s prolificacy, Moffet wrote an entertaining piece for the Wall Street Journal, which was published on May 2nd, 1996.

Ryoki's advice to aspiring writers? Abandon inertia, rely on organization and discipline to succeed, juggle multiple projects to keep productivity high, use dynamite to solve plot conflicts (I’m not even making this up), and don't stop until you finish.

The messages that Ryoki and Nora are relaying are quite similar: it's all about working hard and maintaining discipline. More importantly, it's about personal sacrifice.

What are you willing to give up in order to succeed?

Certainly there are times when Nora or Ryoki prefer to surf the Internet or take a day off. Perhaps they give themselves a treat here and there, but the other 99% of the time, they're hard at work. Do these prolific authors buy cases of superglue to keep them in their chairs? It wouldn't surprise me.

Now I'm not suggesting that you devote every waking moment to writing, nor am I expecting you to become a prolific author of the likes of Ryoki Inoue or Nora Roberts. If you take something from their example, let it be this: set your hours and honor them voraciously. Eliminate distractions (sorry, family doesn't count), and most of all, be willing to work hard.

Nothing's impossible when you're willing to work hard.

In order to reach your goals, you'll need to make a few sacrifices. Some of them are easy: instead of watching a movie, read a book, or better yet, write. Reduce your television time, gaming, and Internet browsing. Actually, I would suggest that you work on a computer that doesn't have Internet access so that you're not tempted. Indulge in your hobbies as a reward, and you will appreciate them more afterwards.

Also take your nutrition into account. When working long hours, it becomes quickly apparent when you're running on bad fuel. Remove soft drinks from your diet, and replace them with water instead. Snack on fruits and vegetables instead of potato chips and cookies and you will work longer with better focus. Nutrition directly affects mood, and you won't want to do anything (much less write) if you feel terrible.

A month from now you won't remember how important it was to read the latest gossip, beat a videogame, or that you wolfed down a Cinnabon (ok, maybe that last one), but you will remember the sweet taste of success when you publish that novel you've been toiling with for the last few months. Indulge later; don't make play time your full time. Instead, do something meaningful with your time!

When it's time to work, work. No excuses. If you need to step it up, invest the time and energy. No one wants to hear about how tired you were; they want to hear about how you overcame obstacles. Put everything into your writing. Become great. Recognize and eliminate bad habits. Force yourself to read and write more. Create an environment that fosters productivity. Put in the time, maintain discipline, and make the necessary sacrifices. By removing obstacles that encourage failure, all that's left for you to do is to succeed. And succeed you shall.

Let your sweet sacrifice speak for itself.

Sweet Sacrifice: Grains of Time

Five minutes. You can give five minutes, can't you? Today? Every day? Of course you can; it's just a matter of reminding yourself that you can make a difference, even with the smallest grains of time.

The possibilities are endless. Go full speed, all out, no holds barred. Every morning, every lunch break, and just before dozing off.

Just five minutes. You can do it!

How much can be produced in five minutes? A page can be written in this short sprint, perhaps even more; granted, it may need a fair amount of editing when you’re through. Even if you can only salvage an idea or two, you’ll find yourself invigorated and closer to your goal.

And what will you find while performing this mini brain-dump? Typically things that you wouldn't have considered otherwise, or ideas that you've had trouble expressing. Original ideas materialize out of thin air when you nudge yourself, if ever so slightly.

So next time when you find yourself with a moment to spare, remember this. String together enough of these brief writing sessions and you’ll have a book; all this that wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for your small sacrifice.

Many times in our lives, it’s the small things that make a difference. Put aside a few moments right now, and set the page on fire.

Sweet Sacrifice: Touched

I met a young man today, far worse off than I. A tall, dark-skinned chap who reluctantly disclosed that he was homeless. When I greeted him back he was overjoyed that someone would take the time to hear his spiel. I wasn’t one of the vagrants hustling the streets like him, but a workingman—one of those busybodies filing to and from work that usually don’t give him the time of day.

Often I have been that person: hurried and miffed that someone would try to wring another dollar from me. I have my own financial problems to deal with; you don’t see me skulking the streets and asking for a handout. And when one does fork over a buck or two, where does the money go? Booze? Drugs? Hopefully hunger gets the better of them first.

While I’d hate to think that I’m funding their addictions, I cannot entirely blame them for wanting to escape their plight. Besides, where did they come from? How did they become homeless? If I endured the same misfortune, would I also be tempted to drink my problems away? Most of us would never believe that we could become the person standing across from us, but didn’t we say the same thing about our parents when we were younger?

Though I typically resent the position that they put me in, today I felt different. I could see a bit of myself in the young man, even though he towered over me and wore the stench of the alley.

At first he had difficulty making eye contact, and when he did, I realized there was something else at play. I could sense his vision was poor; perhaps he was partially blind. I also noted some mental impairment while our conversation unfolded, further explaining why he seemed a bit distant.

He smiled briefly, showing me his vacant gums. Most likely his teeth had been knocked out, but it was hard to imagine that he wouldn’t yank them out himself if he needed a root canal.

“I was an athlete at AU,” he told me. Not one of the stars that made it to the Olympics or professional leagues, but one of the hopefuls who was good but not great, and now warming our streets.

From his physique, I could tell that he had been a track star, and perhaps even a basketball player. And the letters he blurted out meant something to me, not because I had gone to American University, but because it was the metro stop that I commuted to every morning. I had gotten an education and was now working near AU, while he had gotten an education at AU and had no hope of working, here or otherwise. With both of us staring down different ends of the same spectrum, I found the connection odd, especially since I had done track and field in high school, and could appreciate the steep level of competition at the collegiate level. For some reason I was supposed to talk to this gaunt, impoverished man, and the more I recognized his ailments, the more my heart warmed to him.

But let me clear about one thing: this isn’t a critique of American University or any other school featuring college athletes. As previously stated, I’ve never enrolled there, and believe that everyone must take responsibility for his or her own actions, especially in regard to education. Certainly he had a hand in his own demise; we all do. It’s not always clear how deeply we’re affected when we falter, and it’s important that we don’t use it as an excuse to give up.

For the first time in a long while I decided not to shy away from the problem, and took a good look at the burden he shouldered. At very least he was homeless, jobless, penniless and in need of a bath. In addition, he appeared to be in poor mental and physical health, had limited skills, and most importantly, did not have a family to turn to. Any of these problems can make life unbearable, but what if they hit you all at once? I don’t think I’d last long, either.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” He backed away as a bus pulled up.

“It’s ok,” I assured him. “That’s not my bus. It’ll be another 10 minutes before it comes around.”

“Bless you, sir.” He showed off what few teeth he had. I thought he was going to cry right then, but he held himself together well. “You’re going to have to give me a hug when I get done with you.”

“All right.” I was wary of the thought, but cracked a smile nonetheless. “So what did you want to talk to me about?”

“This is for you.” He handed me a narrow strip of paper with the words ‘D.C. Lotto’ printed on it. Even though I don’t play the Powerball, I thanked him and took it anyways.

“And because you took the time to speak with me, I’m going to give you this as well.” He handed me a set of 10 pens.

Ironically he had no way of knowing that I’m a writer, or that I frequently run out of pens. “Thanks, I can use these. I’m a writer, at least that’s what I aspire to be.”

“Well how about that?” he grinned. “All I ask is that you make a donation. A few dollars…anything will do.”

It was hardly a surprise. I knew where this was leading all along, and appreciated that he was trying to be useful, and more importantly, feel useful. Without hesitation, I reached into my wallet. Typically I do not carry cash on me, not even a dime. “All I have is a twenty. Can you break a twenty?”

His eyes lit up, and I knew right then that I wouldn’t be seeing much back of it. “Sure, sure. I got fourteen right here. Is it ok if I give you back fourteen?”

“That’s fine.” I nodded.

“Oh, thanks man. And don’t think that I forgot about that hug.” He dug through his pockets, and handed over three crumpled bills and a pocketful of change, well short of $14. Again it was to be expected, and I could sense that he was having trouble counting. “My bad. I’m afraid it’s going to be a little less.”

“It’s ok, my friend. Put it to good use.” I straightened out the dollar bills, and put them in my wallet.

“You really touched me. No so much with the money, but with your words.” He finally scraped together enough courage to look me in the eyes. Before I could say anything, he embraced me, and then joined a female friend hidden among the scaffolding nearby.

Certainly my critics will admonish me for feeding the problem rather than addressing the underlying root causes; but if he weren’t genuinely in need, I wouldn’t have lent him an ear. In the end, the homeless man left me with more than I had begun with:

Words change people.

Your words.

As I peered down 14th street, waiting for the bus to arrive, the homeless man looped back around and handed me a second pack of pens. “Set the world on fire.” He patted me on the shoulder and walked away.

Sweet Sacrifice - Writing: A Timeless Celebration

Do you know how it feels

When your spirit soars?

You do?

Good

Then you’ve probably written before

This isn’t some crackpot theory

Or unscrupulous form of chicanery

You can go anywhere

Do anything

Know what it’s like

To be alive

A vibrant dreamscape awaits

This private universe inside

Come

Join me now

Let yourself go

You are always welcome

Always cherished

And your words mean something here

Why would you

Even for a second

Think of going away

Leaving the fruits of your labor

To die on the vine

This kingdom

Built of dreams

Unlike any other

Abandoned      

Falling back into the void

From whence it came

Do not cower from destiny

There are no mistakes here

Evolve

As other creatures have

In this vivid, wondrous land

If you’re worried

About being yourself

Swallow your fear

For you are your words

And your words are you

Together

Inseparable

One

The world wants to know you

Not some rehashed tale

Or soulless tripe

Churned out

By the ivory towers

And paper mills

Of the northeast

Your readers love you

Because you are you

Unique

Real

Someone they can relate to

You are their hope

For better things to come

Validation

That the human soul exists

Let your voice

Desires

Dreams

Be heard

This is your world

Share it with others

In turn

They will gladly share theirs

Go forth

But be quick about it

Come back soon

So that we can hear about

All you’ve discovered

And revel

In this timeless celebration

Of the human spirit

Known as writing

Cover for Sweet Sacrifice, My Self-Help Book for Writers

Writing Every Day

Writers need to write every day. I know this, as does everyone else who would dares to call themselves writers.

So what’s going on here? Why do I find it so difficult to get started?

This isn’t good. My goals are set; I’ve got an ocean of books I want to write. If I don’t take that first step, none of this will happen. Might as well kiss these dreams goodbye.

All of this is falling apart just because I didn’t bother to push myself each day. Not even a little. No progress = no dreams. As simple as it gets.

First off, is it wrong to assume that a writer needs to write every day? Obviously this is ideal, and in some cases not entirely feasible, but I believe the latter happens less often than we care to admit.

I believe a writer needs to write at least once a day, multiple times if the opportunity presents itself. If you set your goals low, so will be your yield, and if you’re only writing a few times a week, it’s easy to disconnect from your work in lieu of more exciting ventures (social media, anyone?).

It is my belief that writing every day is about professionalism. You say you’re a writer? Ok, prove it. Show up to work every day, even if you don’t want to. Give your all. Show something in exchange for your time. And most importantly, move forward, if only an inch.

Like any athlete, a writer needs their reps. There is a physiological connection between mental and physical work; the more frequently you do it, the more you can handle, and the easier it is to complete tasks. Also, the mental effort expended while writing is unbelievable. Without proper nutrition, you can find yourself fading fast even if your body doesn’t need rest.

In some ways, writing 1,000 words is like running a mile. After a long layoff, I’m not good at first. 1,000 words feels like 10,000, and I tire quickly. But after a week, it’s easy to keep going until I reach my 1,000-word goal. Without a doubt, all of us need to write every day, at very least, to get our mental workout.

The biggest hurdle I’m trying to clear these days is balancing social interaction with productivity. It’s easy to blow off a writing assignment to talk to fellow writers on Facebook and Twitter. After all, you are networking, and will need their help if you get stuck or launch a book. You can’t simply abandon your friends, but you do need to set hours.

I’ve also tried rewarding myself with an hour on Facebook after completing my tasks. Thus far, it hasn’t worked out, but I am getting better.

I believe the issue here is more about addiction than focus. It’s easy to get addicted to positive reinforcement. After awhile, you get in a pattern of foregoing the work just to get the affirmation, and nothing gets done.

So how does one break out of this?

I’m still struggling with this myself.

First of all, start your day off with writing rather than socializing. Disconnect yourself from the network. Do not give yourself any Internet access until you absolutely need it. When I first started writing 5 years ago I did this, but slowly gravitated away from it.

Well, not anymore.

Disconnecting yourself from the Internet is one of the best ways to improve your productivity, and rediscover your love of writing. It would be ideal for you to have a desk just for writing without any Internet access and another on the other end of the room (or house) with all the connectivity you need. That way you’re not even tempted to browse the Internet. You go there to do a job and you do it, no needless obstacles thrown in your way.

In fact, I’m going to unplug right now. Join me in disconnecting from the Internet for a few hours each day. It’s time to reclaim our productivity, and become the writers we always wanted to be.

A Much Needed Declaration, from One Writer to Another

You are meant to succeed.

Yes, you.

This is your moment, the moment where you learn to believe in yourself.

Your eyes were meant to grace these words, just as I was meant to put them down. What separates this moment from the last is that in this moment, you chose to believe.

Are you doing yourself any favors by heeding your doubts? Would you bother mulling these scant, few words if you did not have an inkling of faith in yourself?

“But how do I break through?” you ask. “How do I begin achieving the level of success I am capable of?”

First, believe.

Second, and most importantly, trust yourself.

Yes, trust! For many this is a slippery word. Life tends to beat us down when we let it; every negative thought and emotion chipping away at our self-image, taking our confidence and dreams with it.

“But how do I learn to trust myself? After all my failures, isn’t it best I not get my hopes up?” you ponder.

Clear the baggage of the past. Instead, arm yourself with the sword of belief, and cool steel of trust. We’ve already determined you a success; why bother arguing?

For the failures of yesterday, yours and mine alike, you are hereby absolved. Leave the shackles by the door. For even if you stray from the path, the experience of the journey holds true, and will help you find your way back. Isn’t experience what is relayed anyways? With the burden lifted, the only thing left is to listen.

Through listening, we act; nothing could be truer for a writer. Instead of wasting your energy on doubt, instead use it to discover what you will say when you cast the final die.

So go ahead and put your thoughts down. What do you have to lose? Get it all out, and keep going. Foster that connection, that inner trust, so that you become a better listener, and learn what it is you’re pouring yourself into. There is always room for scrutiny; learn to use it effectively.

There is no shame in writing about a story before entering it, just as a builder demands a blueprint. Find out what best works for you. Design your discipline in a manner that allows you to achieve goals on a daily basis. In all things, seek balance, so that you continue inspiring thought, and cultivating your yield before sharing the harvest.

Go now, and move forward with confidence, for today you are a success.