Writing and Publishing News

It really, really works. Have you tried it? Simply put stacks of books back on the shelf, file piles of receipts and research notes and organize the other scattered papers, sticky notes, etc. in neat stacks and just see how much better you feel. Your cluttered mind will clear. Your writers block may even be cured. And your cat will have a place to sit and look out the window—although my cats seem to prefer lying on an open book or a messy pile of paperwork—especially if that’s what I’m trying to work on at the moment. Sigh!

This morning, I did some de-cluttering of my desk. I also made room in my office storage closet for two cartons of books I hadn’t put away yet and a new shipment of bubble mailers. Now the cats even have room to romp and play in my office. Ahhhh, it’s like a breath of fresh air. But then I like order and elbow room.

What physical or environmental conditions are most conducive to your best work? Are you like me—you prefer open spaces and order? And, like me, do you sometimes find yourself buried in paperwork, research material and important notes stuck here and there? What does that do to your productivity? For me, if it’s coupled with a list of details I need to handle, I can change from an organized thinker to a rather scattered, less efficient individual.

Maybe you do your best work when you are surrounded by clutter. Why do you think this is? Or do your surroundings simply not matter to you? If you feel that your surroundings don’t matter to you, let me ask if you are also oblivious to aesthetics in buildings, stores, hotels, homes, etc. I mean, can you truly enter a lovely home, hotel lobby or beautiful poolside patio that is impeccably organized and well-decorated with exquisite lighting features and soft music in the background and not feel the ambiance? Heck, I’m affected by the much nicer atmosphere in our newly remodeled and decorated grocery store in our neighborhood. Most people react in some way to their environments—by buying more fresh vegetables because they look so good in the lighting, relaxing in certain surroundings and even getting caught up in the excitement when entering a colorfully, creatively decorated hall.

Some people actually believe that a messy desk indicates a busy worker. But, for the home-worker/writer, it isn’t about what other people think. It’s about creating and maintaining the area so that you feel like working—so that you can be creative.

Have you been a bit lax with your latest writing project? Maybe you aren’t suffering from burnout. Maybe you just haven’t created the best working environment for yourself, yet. Take a look around you. Make some changes and then report back to me at this blog as to the results.

What does writing mean to you? What do you feel like when you are writing?

Most hobby writers or writing enthusiasts happily write what they want. They write for pleasure when they have the opportunity or when they feel inspired. Writing is a relaxing process for them. They do it to de-stress—as a form of meditation. Some use writing as therapy—to work through an emotional glitch, perhaps. I remember those carefree writing days.

I carried a pen and pad with me everywhere and pulled them out at the slightest inspiration. I remember writing about the sad life of a majestic elk in Yellowstone Park after watching a family taunt it. I once pulled out my pen to capture my thoughts when I saw a silver jet cut through the blue Nevada sky one summer day. And I have fond memories of the hours I spent creating personalized poems for greeting cards to give family members on special occasions. But things have changed.

Maybe you can relate. Once you become a working writer—you write for publication—everything changes. Writing is no longer relaxing; it is even sometimes stressful because you’re usually attempting to write to someone else’s specifications. There are deadlines to contend with. There’s pressure to come up with the right story, article or slant for the right editor at the right time. And you live with the constant fear of rejection.

You no longer write for yourself. You don’t write from the heart. Now, your head is involved. You must try to follow guidelines and please others. There are editors criticizing your work, asking for rewrites and putting you on strict deadlines. You get to write a lot! Writing has become your life. But where has the joy gone?

Is this pretty much your story? Or are you still dreaming of becoming a freelance writer or published author? Do you still experience the joy in writing?

I read this morning about a young man who has a passion for math. That’s a hard one for me to wrap my brain around. How can anyone be touched by numbers? But I guess, as members of the human race, we can become excited, enthusiastic or passionate about anything—bugs, the stars, cars, building, soccer… even math. And I have to admit that I am still passionate about writing and words and the way words fit together (or not) and how you can manipulate them to communicate a point or a thought.

Even though I write as a profession, I am still in love with the process. I can look back on thirty-seven years of writing for publication and recall so many joyful moments. It is a lifetime of writing that I would not change one iota.

I still have an occasional burst of joy while I’m writing. Does this ever happen to you? I’ll be writing away, when all of a sudden, I feel such a strong and delightful sense of overwhelming glee. The words are flowing as if through (not from) me and I am so enjoying the process that I feel giddy. I catch myself smiling. I want to share this moment with someone, but I don’t want it to end. No one would understand, anyway—except maybe you.

People (even writers) are often shocked when I tell them that I post to this blog daily. They ask, “How do you come up with something to write about?” And I tell them that I have this condition—many writers do. It’s a sort of obsession. The truth is, I can’t not write. How about you?

As many of you know, I’ve been writing for publication for over 35 years—actually it has been 37 years and counting. I did a lot of writing even before deciding to establish a writing career. I wrote stories for my three daughters when they were small, kept travel journals and was an avid letter writer, list-maker and poet. My dream, however, was to write articles for magazines and, in 1973, I began writing and submitting articles to a variety of magazines. I earned my living through article-writing for a number of years and I am also now the author of 31 books (number 32 is in the works).

I’ve found writing to be an interesting lifestyle. While I attempt to teach through my writing, I also learn. And I’d like to share some of the things I’ve learned over the years.

1: The process of writing is more for me than for others. Sure I write to be read—like most writers and authors, I believe I have something of value to share. But it is the joy I derive from the process of writing that keeps me writing.

2: Writing, while my profession, is often also my escape.

3: Writers have different writing schedules for a reason. We really do have a natural rhythm that dictates when we are at our best/worst. Although, sometimes, when we’re working to establish a writing career or we’re writing a book while living a full life, we have to write when we’re not at our best.

4: Writers want to be heard/read. While some of us are natural communicators others have other reasons for writing—they want to make a difference—create change in the world.

5: Not all writers were born under the sign of the communicator, Gemini. There are other motivators that cause people to write. For years, anytime my astrological sign (Gemini) came up or I had a reading (for fun), I was told, “You should write,” or “You will become a writer,” or “You were a writer in a past life.”

6: Most writers and authors are not good promoters. We just want to write, thank you!

7: Most writers don’t take well to criticism. It’s painful when someone criticizes our writing or our ideas. Often, it seems as though some people just don’t understand you and that’s hard to take when you feel as though you’ve bared your soul through your writing. Don’t you hate it when someone nitpicks one minute point or idea in your book? Some reviewers or critics seem to miss the whole point of your story or your nonfiction book and focus on something they personally take exception with. Authors, stay far, far away from people who like to criticize just for the pure pleasure of it. But don’t ignore valid critique. If you’re not sure which is valid and which isn’t, spend a few days getting familiar with an editor’s comments, for example. You may eventually realize they do enhance your work.

8: A beautiful day can pretty much ruin an otherwise promising writing schedule. Good thing we have laptops that we can take outdoors with us on those delicious early days of summer.

9: Cats are more conducive to the writing life than are dogs or small children. Cats are generally calm. They love having someone around all the time. And if that person is sitting down, all the better because that means there is a lap that needs warming.

10: Cat fur is not conducive to writing equipment. Just this weekend I learned a nifty way to clean cat hair from the keyboard. Periodically, I turn my keyboard over and tap it on the desk ever so lightly in order to loosen and remove dust, etc. that has settled between the keys. This weekend, when I wasn’t writing, I was reading. I came across this tip—use the sticky side of a Post-It to clean between the keys. I tried this and you should have seen the cat fur that I pulled out of my keyboard.

Special Prices for Patricia Fry’s Online Courses
We’re closing in on summer and it’s a good time to sign up for one of my on-demand, online course. Also, June is my birthday month. So I’ve decided to drop my course prices for the entire month of June. Sign up now through June 30, 2010 and get 20% off. That’s a $40 discount for the following courses:

• Self-Editing Course (NEW!)
• Memoir-Writing Course (NEW!)
• Book Promotion Workshop
• Book Proposal Workshop

It’s $32 off the Self-Publishing Workshop and $25 off the Article-Writing Course.
Learn more here: http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm

Questions? PLFry620@yahoo.com