The Discipline of Reading

Almost every day someone approaches me about reading their book and then they want me to write a review. I get these approaches from publishers, from publicists and from authors. Many of them I respond and appreciate the offer but turn them down and point to a free resource such as this one.  The truth is each of us have limited time to read. Yet for writers reading is (and should be) a consitent part of your daily life. Is it?

In this article, I'm going to give several ideas how to use the discipline of reading. Most of us don't like the word “discipline” yet from my experience, reading has to be in your daily plans or it simply does not happen. I repeatedly read about how the volume of reading for many adults continues to drop—like one book a year for men after they graduate from high school. On the other end of the success scale (millionaires), I read these people are continually reading for their own personal development and growth.

While my reading varies throughout the day, I do have a number of routine times when I consitently read. the first period is in the morning. I am an early riser and will breeze through my email then I begin to read my Bible.  Each year I select a different version and this year I'm reading The Daily Message by Eugene Peterson. Each day includes a Bible passage along with a short reading from the Psalms or Proverbs. After completing my Bible reading, I read the newspaper cover to cover. As a journalist, it is a long-term habit to read a real newspaper. Because I live in Colorado, I read the Denver Post cover to cover.

I have a comfortable chair in my office where I read in the evenings. Often late at night I spend an hour or more reading various books. As I read or listen to a book, I track my progress on Goodreads (one of the tools they provide). Because I have 5,000 friends on Goodreads, even my reading progress gets reaction from others (and I can see their reaction and comments).

Besides reading physical books, throughout the day, I am also reading blogs and other information which comes into my email box. Many of these blogs are focused on publishing or books. If they have relevant information for my social media, then I will put them into my Hootsuite feed for future social media posting. I learn a great deal from others reading these articles as I curate the content for my social media followers.

Besides reading in the morning and evening, I also listen to audiobooks if I am in my car (even for a few minutes) or exercising. I've mentioned in the past that I use Overdrive for these audiobooks (free from the public library).  There is a wide selection of books on Overdrive but I tend to gravitate toward history, self-help, how-to, personal development, and memoir. The majority of these books are nonfiction. I do read some fiction but my fiction reading is limited to a few titles a year. It is not surprising that I've written many nonfiction books and continually read in the nonfiction area. It's what I recommend to you as a writer. If you write fiction, then you should be reading your particular genre of fiction. If you write nonfiction, you should be reading in this area and aware of the trends, bestselling authors and other such activity.

You can see how reading permeates my day. What happens after I have finished reading a book? As I read the book, I will mark a couple of passages which capture the essence of the book or I deemed significant. Shortly after I finish the book, I will write a review in a Word file. This Word file is where I write my rough draft of the book. In general I quote something from the book in my review (shows I actually read the book) and my review is typically 150 to 250 words (not just a sentence but more substantial).  Over the years, I've written hundreds of print magazine reviews. In recent years I've written over 900 reviews on Amazon (see my profile) and over 550 reviews on Goodreads (see my profile). This volume of reviews did not happen overnight but is something I've been doing consistently for years. It's one of the reasons people frequently ask me to review their books (and if I have the time and interest, I may do it).

Writers are readers. What does your reading schedule look like? How are you practicing the discipline of reading and incorporating it into your day? Let me know in the comments below.

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Daily Word Count: A Key to Consistent Writing

It’s not profound but true: writers write. A common bit of writing advice is to write every day.

Some people fill this daily need with a journal practice. They consistently write every day about their activities. I understand such a practice but I’ve never created or written such a journal.

I’ve interviewed over 150 bestselling authors about how they practice their craft of writing. It is rare but I found one writer who used a timer in his writing process. He set a timer and sat at his computer until the timer sounded. To me, this process did not make sense. Anyone can spend time staring a screen but that does not mean you are creating words or telling stories during that time. You could be simply staring off into space.

A much more productive and common practice among writers is to have a daily word count. The amount of this word count will be different for each writer. Some writers are on deadline and to meet their deadline, they have to produce a certain amount of words each day. Other writers have created a personal goal and the word count keeps them on track. If the writing comes quickly, then they achieve the goal in  short amount of time. If the words do not come, then they spent much more time and energy at their keyboard or computer.

Like prolific novelist Bodie Thoene told me, “No little elves come out of my closet to write 650 pages. Some mornings I don't feel like writing but I do it out of obedience to God.” Severely dyslexic, Bodie could not read her own name in the Third Grade yet she writes riveting 500 page historical novels. Her talent and importantly her discipline as a writer are an example to each of us.

A daily word count goal is a way for you as a writer to move your project forward. For example, I have a book manuscript under contract that I need to finalize and get off to my editor (yes every writer has an editor—even one as experienced as I am). Currently this manuscript has not been happening but I’m committed to working on it little by little and moving it forward. Without consistent effort, it will not happen.

You have to do the same sort of effort for your own writing. I have busy authors who struggle to complete their manuscripts. I encourage them to set even small daily word count goals and keep moving forward. Even if they commit to writing 500 words or two double-spaced pages, with consistent effort, a month will yield pages of results. Notice the word consistent and regular. That constant effort is what helps you complete the work. Thinking about it without action doesn’t do it.

Where are you stalled in your writing? Would a daily word count writing goal help you move forward? Let me know in the comment section.
  
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Three Ways to Get Your Writing Moving

Are you stalled with your writing? I understand how it can happen. One of my Morgan James authors wants to write her book but is crazy busy with her occupation. She asked me for some ideas and strategies to get the book written. Many writers have this challenge of a full-time occupation but dreams of other things in their life. Yet without action, those dreams stay just ideas and do not turn into anything concrete for their writing—like magazine articles or books or information products or ebooks or anything. Their writing is in stall and not moving ahead.

Whatever you want to create or write—including for my book author who can't seem to get her book finished—is to figure out what you can do. Then make an action plan to do that action over and over until the writing is completed. I know these words sounds simple but it is how any goal is accomplished. You do it in bite-sized pieces. No one sets out to write a 50,000 word nonfiction book or a 100,000 word novel. The thought can overwhelm you and throw you into a stall so you don’t get it done.

How do you accomplish your goals? The first step is to break the task into a smaller size. Can you write a page a day?  A manuscript page contains about 200 to 250 words. Or can you write two pages a day? That would be 500 words. Create a plan to write consistently.  If you are consistent, you will be shocked how much material you can accomplish in a week or a month or two months.

The next part of the goal setting is to figure out when you can consistently write and set a time in your schedule. Maybe your best writing is early in the morning or you have a few minutes at lunch time or maybe it is late in the day. Block this writing time into your schedule and do it over and over. Eventually one session turns into more words and you finish the book manuscript from the beginning to the end.

What is something you want to accomplish in the next few months? Here’s some of the steps:

1. Write down your goal and put it on a post-it or note card where you can refer to it. This concrete action will show your intention.
2. Plan your action steps and break your goal into bite-size pieces.
3. Take regular action and move forward to accomplish your goal.

No one likes or enjoys the discipline of working on your book. Yes, some of the storytelling and work is fun but most of it involves simple obedience and doing the work. For example, The Writing Life contains over 1300 entries and I’m moving toward 1400 entries.This volume of material did not happen in a single day or week or month. It was done bit by bit and consistently over days, months and years. I began writing these articles in 2009 so it has taken some consistent time and energy to accomplish. 

I have more details about goal setting and how to accomplish your dreams in Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. It contains several dozen ideas about how to accomplish your publishing goals.

Be encouraged and you can do it too. Take action and write your book and accomplish your dreams. If I can help you in this process, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

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Build A Body of Work

I want to return to a basic of writing—any type of writing. Whatever you write, are you writing consistently? Are you continuing to work at building relationships with the gatekeepers (magazine editors, online editors, book editors, literary agents and other professional writers). I know it is basic but consistent writing and working at this business is critical. It rarely comes easy or quickly to any of us. In fact, we often fight the discipline and consistency of writing.

Occasionally someone will look at the volume of my own writing and exclaim, “How do you do it?” It’s just like eating an elephant, one bite at a time. As writers, we write one sentence then one page at a time. Over seven years ago, we moved to Arizona and I sorted through a lot of materials in this process and threw away unnecessary papers. I kept my magazine clips—and there are literally boxes of them. Some days I’m amazed that I’ve written over 60 books and the first one. When I Grow Up was published in 1992. In these years, I’ve been able to build a body of work. The concept of consistency and building a body of work may be new to you.

Years ago on the way to a writer’s conference, I chatted with a literary agent. I was just beginning my writing work and he encouraged me to continue building a body of work. It’s not a single book or a single magazine article but the sum of your work in publishing that eventually makes an impact. What are you doing to build a body of work? Are you writing consistently? Are you growing in your understanding of the publishing business? I confess that I learn new terms and new aspects constantly.

Some days I don’t feel like cranking out some words but I do it. As I’ve traveled the country and worked with different writers. I know some writers are inspirational writers. They only write when they feel the story in their fingers and put it on paper. Others are journeymen and professional writers. They pound the keys day in and day out—whether they feel like it or not. I fall into that latter category (most of the time). It’s helped my consistent writing.

As a young journalist training in news editorial, one summer, I interned on the Peru Tribune, a small town newspaper in Peru, Indiana. I’m fairly certain anyone I knew isn’t at the newspaper any longer. We had no computers and the typesetting was done with a Linotype machine in the back of the building. We had our story meetings at 7:30 a.m where the managing editor talked with the reporters about the stories to be written that day. In that short meeting we received our particular assigned stories, then hit it with the full knowledge of our 11 a.m. copy deadline. Our stories went quickly through the editor and appeared in the printed afternoon paper at 3 p.m. We had no time to sharpen our pencils or hem and haw about writer’s block. We had a deadline to meet—which we met day after day.

I’m committed to writing consistently. I want to keep my fingers on the keyboard and keep them moving to write articles, chapters for books and book proposals. I’m committed to building a body of work. It might not pay off immediately but in the long run, I know consistency counts.

The Pain of A Writer's Fame

While reading my local newspaper, I spotted a story about mega-bestselling author Danielle Steel that I found fascinating. In the last few days, she's been out on book tour to promote her latest novel. If you check out this story, you will note that Steel has a strong preference to be sitting in her office working. Yet as a writer, she knows the importance of getting out to the public and telling them about the new book. This story paints an interesting look at Steel's feelings about promotion--yet notice that she does it anyway.

As I read this article, I noticed this author isn't chasing after the latest technology or using the newest program or gadget. Just look at her work habits as a writer, when Mark Kennedy writes, "Steel pounds out all her novels in a tiny office in her San Francisco home, where she lives half the year. (The other half is spent in Paris, where she refuses to work.) All the books are written on a 1946 Olympia manual typewriter, and first drafts are usually done in a punishing 20-hour shift while 'dressed in my nightie with my hair sticking up straight.'"

"'There are people who show up nicely dressed; they work from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. I can't do that,' she says. 'Sometimes I don't leave my house for two or three weeks.'"

"In person, Steel is far more approachable than the woman whose regal photograph appears on her book jackets. She's a mix of elegant and down-to-earth."

Looks to me like years ago Steel discovered a writing formula that works for her and she's sticking with it. That old manual typewriter works just fine for her writing habits and she's sticking with it. Of course other people can take those pages and keyboard them into the computer but they can't create the stories which come from her creative mind.

Also notice those 20-hour writing stints to get her first draft in place. Wow what an effort for each novel--and she does that three time a year--and year after year. Before you feel too bad for those choices we also notice the article tells us that she spend half of her year in Paris, France where she refuses to work.

Looks to me like this author is trying to have some measure of balance in her life and time to celebrate her success yet is committed to a strong work ethic and discipline.

I know now I did it--use that word discipline. Most of us want the rewards of a writer without the pain of discipline.

Just yesterday I was talking with one of my agency clients about a situation where a publisher is considering his work. In the middle of his conversation he said, "If we get an offer, that means I have to write the book? In what sort of time frame?"

It's a question that I've been asked repeatedly as an editor and now a literary agent. I can't answer that question about how long it will take you to write the book. I do know that whatever deadline this author chooses to take for the book is critical to the success of the book and has to be met (even completed ahead of the deadline if he wants to be a rare author).

Because inside the publishing company, whenever you sign a book contract with a specific deadline, it sets off a chain of events that the author doesn't know about. If you miss your deadline for turning in your manuscript, you potentially delay or at times sabotage your own possible success with the book.

For example, if you miss your deadline by a month, will publicity have your manuscript at the expected time to write their press releases and catalog copy and send out advanced review copies of your book? If you miss that schedule, it may never be replaced because of the pressure of other books. Then a year down the road, you wonder about some of the lack luster or missing publicity efforts for your book.

Once again the key returns to taking responsibility for your own writing life and efforts. You can certainly see the drive and regularity of it in this short article about Danielle Steel.

A Different Look At The Book

The most recent issue of Publishers Weekly that I received (October 15) had a Bible and the cover story words, "The Bible’s New Versions, From Manga to DVD, the Oldest Story Enjoys New Tellings." The article highlights audio and video Bible products from different publishers.

The opening sentence of the article implies these products are a new trend to help people from every persuasion to use the Bible. From my many years of writing about Bible products, I understand publishers are constantly producing new Bible product and in every category--print and audio. Like other areas of book publishing, the publishing houses are eager to meet the needs of new generations and new readers. It is nothing new. Publishers are always looking for a way for more people to read and absorb the words of Scripture. I think it's one of those stories where people in the church know they "should" be reading their Bibles but will they take the time and effort to do it? Sadly few people invest the energy in this direction toward a book which can change their daily lives. Yes, intellectually they may know it but will they carry it out with consistency.

Over 15 years ago, I wrote a little magazine article which has been reprinted in a number of different publications called "Listening Through The Bible." I wrote it in the days before CDs and referred to the Bible on tape. Here's a startling fact that I've known for years: if you listen to the Bible for 20 minutes a day, then you can make it through the entire Bible text from Genesis to Revelation in four months. I love the Bible on audio and have a number of different versions which I use from time to time. Yet for me, I continue to be committed to reading the printed Bible. This year, I've been reading through The Daily Message by Eugene Peterson and I've completed 298 days toward reading the entire text.

Let's apply this consistency to your writing life. Do you have a plan or a goal? Are you consistently writing toward that goal? Break it into bite-size chunks and continue to move toward it. You will be surprised how much can be accomplished with this consistent action.

The Tricky Balance

With increasing frequency I hear this little statement, "Talking about writing is much more fun than actually writing." It's true in some respects. Carefully crafting words on paper is hard work. It's disciplined work and something you have to focus on and make happen. I know these elements firsthand because of the writing deadlines I'm facing--doing and completing all the time. For example, in the last week, I've completed a new Ebook which you will be hearing about in the coming days (now in the production process).

Often the first step for many writers is to learn the craft of writing and regularly practice their craft through magazine articles, articles for websites, book proposals and books. It's one part of the process. Also I listen as some writers ignore another key part of the process--the personal marketing, platform building and promotion. Call it what you want but there is also a necessity to devote a certain level of energy toward this process. You can't delegate this process to your book publisher or you will likely be disappointed with the results. This result is particularly true if you are a beginning writer and new in the process or in the middle-selling part of the pack.

Today I read a fascinating article from Marisa D'Vari who is one of my colleagues in the American Society of Journalists and Authors. We've met at our conferences. In the January/ February issue of Pages, D'Vari wrote "Platform Shoe-Ins, How Does Savvy Marketing Build A Bestseller?" This article isn't available online--and I just found the reason (Pages is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy). Here's a couple of relevant paragraphs to this discussion from D'Vari, "Victoria Moran, author of the bestselling Creating a Charmed Life: Sensible, Spiritual Secrets Every Busy Woman Should Know, takes a spiritual view of what it takes to create a bestseller, despite the fact she spends several hours a day building buzz for her books and hosts a radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio's Martha Stewart Living channel. "I do the footwork--the website, the online newsletter, working with speakers' bureaus--yet what has really made magic for me is just showing up,” she says. "By believing in my message and that there's a place for it in this world, great stuff has just come to me."

"Media attention can create awareness of the author's name, but what makes a bestseller is the right book at the right time with the right buzz. A large promotional budget can help launch a book, but it's self-defeating for a shy author to appear on Good Morning America or embark on a book tour. Making a personal connection with readers can go a long way to building a readership, but in the end, Moran may be right--all an author can really do is believe in her message, promote the book as well as she can, and leave the rest to the universe."

Notice the huge "footwork" Moran is doing to get out in front of the public. Also the way she believes in her message then is waiting for the right book at the right time. It's a tricky balance.