Category: Books!

Hello, everyone! Today I’m going to give you an update on my writing and book reading, and then share a few tips that will help you keep going on your writing.

Reading

So, right now I’m reading book five of Keeper of the Lost Cities (Lodestar) and book seven of The Mitford Years (In This Mountain).

I’m going along with other Keeper fans and rereading the series- one book each week. Last week was catch-up week, since we were in the middle of the series. I used the catch-up week to take my time finishing Neverseen and spend more time writing.

Here’s my reading schedule for the rest of the month.

July 14-20: Lodestar (Keeper Book Five), start In This Mountain

July 21-27: Nightfall (Keeper Book Six), and continue In This Mountain

July 28- August 3: Flashback (Keeper Book Seven), finish In This Mountain

My goal was to read four books this month, and if I follow that schedule, I should succeed, since I have already read two other books this month. August will probably be less books to read, since school will be starting back. I do online school, and this year we’re trying a different one than we did last year, so I’ll need plenty of time to adjust.

Writing

Right now, I’m revising my book. I’m just rereading, looking for mistakes, and changing what needs to be changed. This definitely isn’t my favorite thing to do, but if I eventually want to publish it, I need to keep going and push through.

My goal this month was to spend twenty minutes each day revising, which means about two hours each week, and about 10 hours for the month.

Here’s how I’ve done so far.

June 30- July 6: 1 hour 10 minutes

July 7-13: 2 hours

July 14-20: So far, I haven’t had any time to edit this week- I’ve been super busy. I haven’t been home much at all. So this week, I’ll probably only get one hour in.

Hopefully I will get my hours in this month!

Tips on Writing

1. Don’t think of it as “work” or something that has to be done by a certain date. Think of it as doing something you enjoy. Let your creativity take over and just write.
2. If you notice that you’re having trouble focusing and coming up with ideas, don’t force yourself to keep going! In fact, that will just make your writing sound bad. When this happens, it probably means you’ve been at it too long. Take a break! Or just be done for the day, if time allows.
3. Do it when you have no other distractions. No TV, loud music, or other distractions. It’s best to be just by yourself. Music with lyrics distracts me, so I usually just listen to soft piano music.
4. Think of the joy you’ll feel when sharing your work with others. You may feel a little freaked out about sharing your work at first, but after you get going, you’ll find that you’re excited to know what others think. Trust me, I’ve been there. If it helps, give them the paper, computer, or whatever it is your story is on, and leave the room. That way you won’t have to see their reactions until they’re done.
5. Only share it on two conditions. One, you’ve gone over it a couple of times, and you feel confident about it. Two, you trust the person you’re sharing it with. Like really trust.
6. Don’t kill off characters just to get your readers hooked, or to make them sad or shocked. Do it only if it is necessary for the story. You don’t want your readers to get mad at you for killing off their favorite character for no reason.
7. The best people to share your work with are your family and your close friends- especially if you’re sharing for the first time. They’ll be proud of you for trying and finishing what you started. This will make you ready to share with others as well.
8. Consider the feedback you get. You may not like it, but you have to consider it. Think about it, and if you think it makes sense, you can change something in your story if need be.
9. Ask for feedback, and don’t be upset when they give it to you. Feedback helps you improve your story, but sometimes it can also get you down and feeling like you shouldn’t have started writing in the first place. Don’t let that happen! Remember, they’re just giving you what you asked for!
10. Don’t give up after your first try. If you’re rereading your writing, and something just doesn’t feel right, try again. Rewrite the scene or sentence.

Well, I hope this was helpful! I know it helped me to come up with a plan for my reading and writing. Did you find the tips helpful? Can you come up with any tips? What are you currently reading? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading! Happy writing!

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13 ESV).