Welcome to Nothing but the Words.
I’m your Author Coach, Candice L Davis.
This episode wasn’t a part of my original podcasting plan, but given everything going on in the world, I’m publishing it as a bonus episode. In this episode, I want to give you some specific things you can do to keep writing when you’re under stress. Writing a book is a marathon, not a sprint. But it’s easy to get off track when life throws up obstacles. These solutions will keep you writing through the most challenging times.
As I’m recording this, like millions of other people around the country and the world, we’re self-quarantined in our home.
My older daughter is in New Orleans with her family. She’s a resident in a hospital and seeing Coronavirus patients come into the ICU.
My younger daughter flew home from the San Francisco Bay area just hours before her town implemented stricter quarantine requirements. Because she’s a dance major, her senior year in college is pretty much over, and there’s a better than average chance that she won’t get to walk across the stage to celebrate the hard work she put in over the last four years.
My husband who’s usually on the road every weekend is home for the duration.
Most of you are at home just like us.
While we’re all safe and healthy and our pantry is well stocked, the uncertainty and the barrage of frequently changing information from government health officials is enough to cause anyone stress.
Ideally, being forced to stay home should be a great time to make progress on your book.
But for many people, it’s hard to focus with so much going on.
Keep in mind that, while events have been canceled and many businesses have temporarily closed their doors, this is all just temporary. At some point, we’ll be back to life as normal, even if it’s a new normal, and there will be people waiting for the book you’re supposed to write.
Get your book closer to the finish line while you have this extra time at home. Even if you’re working from home, you’ve got the extra time when you would be commuting to work, taking kids to activities, or running errands. Use it to create the future you want to have when we’ve gotten past all this.
I want to share with you several of the ways I keep writing even when the world is going crazy around me.
Focus on serving. (When your thoughts run to fear, choose to think about the transformation your book will bring to the world. –Barbara’s call this morning.)
Consume less media and social media. (Keep up with what you need to know but counter it with positive, productive podcasts, documentaries, and books. Create moments of silence in your day to allow your mind to make connections and come up with new ideas.)
Set a daily writing goal. (Choose a time goal or a word count goal, whichever best suits your personality.)
Make writing a part of your new daily routine. (If you have kids home from school, choose a time before they get up in the morning or after they go to bed at night.
Read before you write.
Free-write to free your mind. (Set a timer for 10 minutes and release all your thoughts and worries on the page.)
Create a writing ritual. (Tap into all the senses. When you sit down to write, light the same candle. Put on the same instrumental playlist. Make the same cup of tea. Train your brain to know that, when we do these things, it’s time to write.)
Up-level your self-care. Eat well. Minimize alcohol consumption. Get enough sleep. Get some exercise every day. Take a shower.
I hope these suggestions will help you keep writing through the corona crisis and whatever else comes along to challenge you in the future. There will never be a perfect time to write your book unless you create that for yourself.
If you’re just getting started on your book, I have a free resource that can help you. Visit CandiceLDavis.com/jumpstart (Candice with an i-c-e).
Or find it in the show notes at candiceldavis.com/8. That’s the number 8, which is the episode number.
Thanks for listening to Nothing but the Words. I’m your author coach Candice L Davis. Stay safe. And I’ll see you next time.