Reset Your Writing Life

 

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

As writers we are creatures of habit and routine. Everyone is wired this way. Most of these days I write in my home office on my desktop computer. Today I’m writing on my AlphaSmart 3000 in a hotel room near Asheville, North Carolina. Yesterday I traveled across the United States to arrive for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. The faculty meets later today. This blog post didn’t get written before my travels but following my regular pattern I wanted to get this written for you to consider for your writing life. Admittedly this article is different from my location but also related to the topic: reset. 

Several years ago, I wrote about working oon my physical weight. The men in my family have been known as big for generations. They use big as another word for being overweight or fat. In The Writing Life, I wrote about making radical choices to change my weight. I dropped over 30 pounds and I’m glad to report I’ve managed to keep that weight off. Every meal and day is a battle and a choice in this area. I’ve eliminated carbs and sugar from the bulk of my diet. It’s not 100% but much of it.

A key part of my weight loss routine is to monitor my weight and keep accountable with my wife and a few close friends on how it is going. I understand it takes consistent action on my choices to stay the course.

In the last few weeks, my weight has been creeping upward. It was less than 10 pounds but something I did not want to ignore. As a key step in my reset, I talked it over with my wife and chose to reset my eating pattern.

For example, I learned tomatoes have sugar content. I love tomato bisque soup but learned it has 20 grams of sugar in it. In my reset I’ve returned to my basic foods of protein and vegetables. This reset has been a hard choice for me but necessary. Right before this trip I got on my scale again and my weight had dropped back to my original goal. The challenge on the road is to continue to choose wisely every day.

I give you these personal details because I want to bridge these choices to our writing life. Take an honest look at your writing life. What steps do you need to take for a writing reset?

For your writing reset, what steps do you need to take for your growth as a writer? Maybe you have been writing books and need to write in a different area such as magazines.

I encourage you to schedule a trip to a writer’s conference (follow this link for some ideas). Make a point to explore a new area of writing. Many years ago, I was surprised to see a bestselling novelist at a conference with her daughter. I learned these two women wanted to write for children. It was an area they knew nothing about but wanted to explore through the faculty at this conference.

Or maybe your writing reset involves meeting some new people and forming new relationships. If you go to a conference, then you have this opportunity. Of course, you need to create and carry your business cards. Then during your conversations exchange them with whoever you meet. 

For example, this morning on the way to breakfast, I met a pastor It was the final day of his conference. We ate together and my limited Spanish got huge workout. We exchanged stories and information. It is what we do at these events, and the Lord uses it in ways we can’t see or understand. With this pastor, I got his mailing address but not his email or phone. As other people were leaving the conference, I found someone who had this person’s phone and email address. I added it to my phone and reached out to him in follow up.

How will your writing be used in the days ahead? Do you have the right connection? What steps can you actively take to act and build that connection? Like my weight, there are many choices but you can choose to have a writing reset and move in a new direction. Let me know what choices you are going to make in the comments.

 What does a writing reset look like for you? None of it is easy or simple but can be done and you can do it--if you don't quit.

Tweetable:

Does your writing life need a reset? This prolific author and editor made a reset in his life and gives the details for you to follow here.  (ClickToTweet)

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