Productivity Tools for Writers... and a New Release!

Missy Tippens

I have a couple of cool new things I wanted to share today—tools that might help you with productivity. For the first one, you may need to open your mind a bit. :) But stay with me and don’t shut out the idea until you’ve tried it.

Tapping.

Have you heard of it? I recently heard about the The Tapping Solution app and decided to check it out. You can read about it—click here. They do have several sessions you can do for free, which are the only ones I’ve tried. The website says: “Tapping, also known as EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), is a powerful holistic healing technique that has been proven to effectively resolve a range of issues. It is based on the combined principles of ancient Chinese acupressure and modern psychology.” Basically, in a session, you tap different parts of your body, like areas of your head and face, while working on moving your thoughts from the negative to focus on the positive and your potential. It helps get the “junk” out of your brain (kind of like morning pages, if you’re familiar with The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron). I’ve found that it really does help me move past anything that’s distracting me. I’ve also found tapping helpful for dealing with tension headaches. You’ll find tapping sessions for a variety of purposes. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Dictation.

Last summer while at a conference, I sat in on a late-night session where authors discussed using dictation to help increase their productivity--not only for writers who use dictation because of physical limitations, but also just for a quicker way to write. One writer said once she got past the rather steep learning curve (like having to say “new paragraph,” etc), she produced 30% more words using dictation. Here are some quick tips I jotted down:

•    Don’t use your computer’s dictation app. Do dictation on a good MP3 recorder (Sony was recommended by one author).

•    Get a recorder that cuts background noise

•    if you use a phone, don’t use the Notes app. Get a voice recording app.

•    Don’t edit during dictation. It’s too slow.

I searched and found this article where they list some of the best software (free and pay). I really would like to try this method to find out if I can be more productive. I admit that so far I’ve only played with the dictation built into my Mac, and found it very difficult! Yes, the learning curve will be steep, but possibly worth it.

Here are some tried and true productivity tools I thought I’d mention again:

Planner.

Last year, I recommended my Panda Planner. Now this year, I purchased My Brilliant Writing Planner from Susie May Warren’s site. This planner includes much more than a calendar—it includes life activities, book and career planning, and spiritual activities. Find a planner that works for you—even if that’s just jotting deadlines on a calendar or in your phone calendar app. Writing down goals and keeping a calendar will help you remain productive.

photo credit: DevelopGoodHabits.com

Accountability.

This takes many forms. Critique groups/partners, Facebook groups (like 1k1hr), publicly posting your goals, word count trackers on your website…

Challenges.

This would include challenges like National Novel Writing Month and other Finish the Book programs.

Timer.

Several bloggers over the years have mentioned using a timer to help them with productivity. The Pomodoro Technique is one that uses a timer that you’ve probably heard of. There are many specialized timers out there, but a regular old-fashioned kitchen timer will do. The point is to set a block of time and write straight through without interruption. And speaking of blocks of time…

The Chunky Method.

I did a post on this several years ago (click here). It’s based on Allie Pleiter’s book, The Chunky Method: Your Step by Step Plan to Write That Book Even When Life Gets in the Way. Allie’s book can help you figure out your prime writing chunk (are you most creative in small chunks or larger chunks?) so you’ll be more productive. Check out my post at the Seekerville Archives and also Allie’s book to find out more. 

Before we chat about what helps your productivity, I’d like to celebrate the new release of the third novella in my Home to Dahlia, Georgia, series! To celebrate, I’ve put the first and second novellas on SALE. So please check them all out at my Amazon author page!

Her Valentine Reunion is here just in time for Valentine’s Day!

What happens on the very day Abbie Rogers makes a preemptive strike against Valentine’s Day funk by declaring herself content to be single? Why, Victor Wallis, the man who broke her heart, comes crashing back into her life, of course. Not only that, he declares himself a changed man, and he truly seems to be. She even finds herself falling for him again. But when he makes a move to take over her family’s business, Abbie’s not certain she’ll ever be able to trust the only man she’s ever loved.

After more than 10 years of pursuing her dream of publication, Missy Tippens, a pastor’s wife and mom of three from near Atlanta, Georgia, made her first sale to Harlequin Love Inspired in 2007. Her books have since been nominated for the Booksellers Best, Holt Medallion, ACFW Carol Award, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, Maggie Award, Beacon Contest, RT Reviewer’s Choice Award, and the Romance Writers of America RITA^® Award. Visit Missy at www.missytippens.com, https://twitter.com/MissyTippensand http://www.facebook.com/missy.tippens.readers.

30-Day Writing Habit Challenge!

Missy Tippens

Are you looking to develop or maintain a writing habit? This post is for you! Whether you’re writing madly right now with NaNoWriMo and want to continue the habit, or you’re not writing at all, I hope today’s post will help. PLUS! I have a challenge for you at the end to assist in forming your new habit.

When researching how we develop habits, I checked out the Psychology Today blog. I’ll be sharing my takeaway from these two posts and will include some tips from the articles:

The Habit Replacement Loop by Bernard J. Luskin, Ed.D., LMFT.

Stop Making New Goals--Create Habits Instead by Marcia Reynolds, Psy.D.

In Dr. Reynolds’s article, she quotes a study by Neal, Wood and Quinn that says we humans are creatures of habit—and in fact, nearly half of what we do each day is out of habit (repeated behavior). So I think we need to choose wisely what we make into a habit rather than just falling into a pattern by default.

Want to be in the habit of watching TV? Watch TV daily.

Want to be in the habit of checking email? Check email daily (or 45 times a day!).

Want to be in the habit of writing daily? You get the picture. :)

But often we’ll set a goal of getting up early and writing each day (or of writing after dinner or during our lunch break or while in the carpool line or at soccer practice with the kids). And then we’ll jump into that new schedule we’ve committed to. But before we know it, we hit the snooze figuring we need the sleep more. Or we get caught up in a new series on TV that’s all the rage. And quickly, that new goal goes by the wayside (New Year’s resolutions, anyone?). Before we know it, we’re back to our old habits.

Dr. Reynolds says, “You must take deliberate, consistent actions repeatedly over time to defy your brain if you want to achieve the results you desire.” She says we basically have to trick our brain into accepting that the new habit is “achievable and worth the effort,” so we don’t start rationalizing (I need sleep more than I need to get up and hit the gym).

Crazy how our brains work! That’s why working gradually, and daily, will help us change our habits or form new ones.

In his article, Dr. Luskin says: “The good news is that we now know that, through repetition, it's possible to form and maintain new habits.  Enter ‘The Habit Replacement Loop (HRL)’.”

He talks about habit memory as if it’s similar to muscle memory. And says repetition is the key to creating an automatic habit response.

Luskin specifically mentions the 3 components of habits:

1.  A trigger/cue (for me, this would be finishing my devotional/prayer time, and then sitting down at the computer with my coffee and opening Word).

2.  The behavior (the actual writing—aiming for attainable goals repeated over and over).

3.  A reward which causes our brain to remember (keeping track of and cheering my successes as well as reminding myself that I’m doing something positive that is helping my productivity)

This reward fits in nicely with Reynolds’s idea that we need to demonstrate to our brain that what we’re doing is GOOD and something we can succeed at.

We can do this! We can replace old habits with new. We can train/re-train ourselves to consistently write.

To help you do that—should you choose to accept this mission!—I’ve come up with a 30-Day Writing Habit Challenge! I’ve created a tab at the top of the blog. Click it and you’ll find a daily writing prompt for the next 30 days. Some are short and fun, some will make you think, some will help you with craft. I tried to come up with a variety to keep you interested and writing each day. And I hope that by the end of 30 days you will have tricked persuaded your brain that writing daily is a good thing and you’re going to be great at it!

Feel free to check in to encourage each other in the comments section on the Challenge tab (comments only, not your writings). Then we’ll celebrate at the end. Even if you don’t take the time to comment daily, I hope you’ll let us know if you finish the challenge! And if you’re NaNo-ing, feel free to join us any time you can.

So, do you think daily repetition with rewards can help you change or create habits?

While we're chatting today, let's be sure to remember our Veterans. I'm grateful for them and their families who have sacrificed so much for our country! I hope you'll thank a Veteran today.

Missy has a recently-released Christmas novella! His Perfect Christmas.

Unlucky in love, police deputy Hardy Greenway has spent his life in the friend zone. But now he’s fallen hard for the girlfriend of his nemesis. Dori Blanchette has been waiting for a proposal from her boyfriend, but how can she say yes when she has feelings for Hardy? With Christmas tree ornaments playing spontaneously and secrets being revealed, there’s no telling who will end up together at Christmas!

Welcome to Dahlia, Georgia, where everyone feels welcome!

 Bio:

After more than 10 years of pursuing her dream of publication, Missy Tippensmade her first sale to Harlequin Love Inspired in 2007. Her books have since been nominated for the Booksellers Best, Holt Medallion, ACFW Carol Award, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, Maggie Award, Beacon Contest, RT Reviewer’s Choice Award, and the Romance Writers of America RITA^® Award. Visit Missy at www.missytippens.com,

https://twitter.com/MissyTippens and http://www.facebook.com/missy.tippens.readers.

7 Tips for Getting That First Draft Done

by Guest Lindsay Harrel

I’m a planner, through and through. Call me Type A, Uber Organized, whatever—that’s me. I love lists and calendars and scheduling myself to the brink.

But then, inevitably, life happens: a kid gets sick, I get sick, I don’t have the energy for writing, my dog eats our dinner right off the counter (true story), my husband has a work emergency and can’t come home to watch the kids. Et cetera, et cetera.

And I fall further and further behind on my oh-so-lofty goals.

It’s then I’m tempted to say, “What’s the point? I can’t do this! There just isn’t enough time.”

I’m guessing you’ve been there a time or two (or fifty…who’s counting?). But I’m here tell you that it IS possible—you CAN get that first draft done. I’ve written three books in the last three years as a work-from-home mom (I currently have a 3 year old and an 11 month old), so if I can do it, you can too.

In fact, I’ve compiled a list of tips to help you work toward completing that first draft.

1.     Understand your weaknesses—and plan against them. We all have those writing pitfalls we fall into when it comes to procrastination and not making progress on our first draft. Do you get too tired to write if it’s past 7 pm? Try waking up early and writing at 5 am. Is your problem getting distracted at home because of all the unfinished chores you see piling up around you (or because of the TV)? Don’t let it be an issue; change up your locations and see where you write best (the library and Starbucks are a few of my faves).

2.     Commit to smaller writing sessions if you have to. I usually write during my children’s naptime and I can hammer out a scene if I write fast enough (and my kids sleep as long as they’re supposed to!). But there are days when things don’t go according to plan—and that’s okay. Train yourself to think in smaller chunks. Can you find 15 minutes before dinner to write the dialogue for that important scene you’ve been ruminating over? Or maybe you can’t manage to get up a whole hour before everyone else in your household, but you COULD manage a half hour. Remember that any time spent writing is forward motion—and all of that time adds up in the end.

3.     Think creatively when it comes to your schedule. Just because you’ve always done something one way doesn’t mean you have to continue to do it that way, especially when you’re trying to write a first draft quickly. For example, if your family is used to fancy dinners that take an hour to prepare, throw in a few crockpot meals here and there. Or, use Evernote to dictate your story into your phone while you fold laundry or are driving to the school pickup line, doctor’s office, or wherever you’re going. Things don’t have to be as black and white as you sitting at your desk in complete silence writing one whole scene at a time. Get creative and make more time in your busy schedule for writing.

4.     Remember that you are only one person. Something’s gotta give—you cannot be Superwoman (or Superman, if any guys are reading this!) all the time. Inevitably, you’ll falter in some area and will feel guilty (even when you shouldn’t). It’s okay to ask for help. Get the kids to do more chores. Ask a friend or family member to babysit. See if someone else can volunteer at church just this once. Of course, you don’t want to shirk your duties in other areas, but there’s a beautiful balance that’s possible when you remember that you don’t HAVE to do it all—and you shouldn’t expect yourself to.

5.     Keep your editing hat far, far away. If you’re a perfectionist like me, it’s really difficult to write a bad scene and be okay with it. But I have learned over the years that if I don’t just write during a first draft WITHOUT editing, then I’ll never make any progress. If I write something particularly cringe-worthy, I tell myself, “You can fix that later.” Having that knowledge in the back of my mind helps me to pound out the story without worrying so much about the final outcome.

6.     Make sure God is part of the equation if you’re a believer. I recently finished what will be my third published book, The Secrets of Paper and Ink, which won’t release until next February. I have always prayed over first drafts, but not like I did with this book in particular. This time, I felt God calling me to write with Him. That idea came from a session by Allen Arnold I attended a few years ago at the American Christian Fiction Writers conference. In this case, “writing with God” meant that I put aside my need for reassurance from critique partners and just relied on Him while writing my first draft. And you guys, I felt such a peace throughout the drafting process. There would be times when I’d question whether I was crazy to do it this way, but when I’d pray about whether to send the story to someone, it just didn’t feel right. I’m not saying you need to do this—critique partners are VERY important!—but just remember to immerse yourself in prayer and ask God for direction as you write. He may lead you to a theme or a story plot you hadn’t anticipated. Just keep yourself open to what He has for the story, even if you had something else planned.

7.     Remember—you and your calling are worth it. It’s easy to let other things in our life take priority over our writing. Sometimes, they should, no doubt. But other times, it’s just an excuse. I firmly believe that if God’s called you to it, He will equip you and give you the time you need to do it. There’s no way I’d get it all done with two little boys and a husband if that wasn’t the case. I have a dear friend who likes to say that she’s actually a better mom because she writes. It doesn’t take away from her life—it adds to it in so many ways. It is worth the time and energy it takes to write stories that will bless others.

Don’t let fear, indecision, unpreparedness, or anything else become your excuse for not getting that first draft done. You CAN do it. Don’t allow anyone—including you—tell yourself differently.

YOUR TURN: What is something that’s held you back from writing in the past? What can you do to overcome that? Is there some way we can be praying for you in this regard?

Thanks for having me today, Seekerville! To show my appreciation to all of you lovely readers and fellow writers, I’m giving away a copy of The Heart Between Us (U.S. residents only), which releases TOMORROW! This book is a testament to the fact that anyone can get a book completed, as I wrote it with a toddler running around trying to eat up all my attention and edited it when I was seven months pregnant with my second son. J

Please let us know in the comments if you'd like to be entered.

About Lindsay

Lindsay Harrel is a lifelong book nerd who lives in Arizona with her young family and two golden retrievers in serious need of training. She’s held a variety of writing and editing jobs over the years, and now juggles stay-at-home mommyhood with writing novels. Her debut novel, One More Song to Sing, was an ACFW Carol Award finalist in 2017, and her second, The Heart Between Us, releases this month (March 2018).

When she’s not writing or chasing after her children, Lindsay enjoys making a fool of herself at Zumba, curling up with anything by Jane Austen, and savoring sour candy one piece at a time. Connect with her at www.LindsayHarrel.com.

About The Heart Between Us

Megan Jacobs always wished for a different heart. Her entire childhood was spent in and out of hospitals, sitting on the sidelines while her twin sister Crystal played all the sports, got all the guys, and had all the fun. But even a heart transplant three years ago wasn’t enough to propel Megan’s life forward. She’s still working as a library aide and living with her parents in her small Minnesota hometown, dreaming of the adventure she plans to take “once she’s well enough.” Meanwhile, her sister is a successful architect with a handsome husband and the perfect life—or so Megan thinks.

When her heart donor’s parents give Megan their teenage daughter’s journal—complete with an unfulfilled bucket list—Megan connects with the girl she meets between the pages and is inspired to venture out and check off each item. Caleb—a friend from her years in and out of the hospital—reenters her life and pushes her to find the courage to take the leap and begin her journey. She’s thrown for a loop when Crystal offers to join her for reasons of her own, but she welcomes the company and the opportunity to mend their tenuous relationship.

As Megan and Crystal check items off the bucket list, Megan fights the fears that have been instilled in her after a lifetime of illness. She must choose between safety and adventure and learn to embrace the heart she’s been given so that she can finally share it with the people she loves most.

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