Keep Writing Despite Rejection

I'm watching my 10-year-old daughter draw in front of me at the dining room table while I'm writing on the laptop across from her. She is critical of her flowers, but to me they are beautiful. They are nothing like anything I could ever do. I am no artist for sure. But she has talent and is so hard on herself. And I tell her, "I could never do that. You are so amazing. Don't stop because you will only get better and better with practice."

Sometimes in my Facebook writing group, there will be someone who just isn't getting articles accepted. And I ask some questions like, "Are you sending to just a few at a time or doing a BLAST to like all 200 regional parenting magazines on the list? (it's a numbers game) Are you following the general submission guidelines? Don't stop because you will get better and you will get a piece accepted and then the snowball will start."

How to Stop Being Self-Critical

And I wondered ... how do you get someone to stop being self-critical? How do you convince them to keep going? Then I realized that the same things I say to my kids and to my writing group members to be encouraging, I should also be saying to myself.

My Love-Hate Relationship with Scrivener

I got Scrivener in 2020 when the lockdown was first in effect and was surprised/happy about the reasonable price. Many of my favorite writers raved about this program, so I had to try it.

While I love how I can organize and move chapters around easily without much scrolling, I hate a few things even more, which are huge time-wasters in my writing career:

1. I can't make the screen bigger without making the font bigger like you can in, say, an Internet browser when you increase the screen print size.
   
   
2. I can't do a search. At least I could never get it to work, so trying to find one magazine market in a sea of several hundred market names was not possible.
   
   
3. When I compiled it into a Word document so I could do final proofreading, Scrivener randomly smooshed words together and randomly messed up the formatting, which wasted a lot of time. So my text might look like this:

The Pomodoro Technique: Focus for ADHD Writers

I'm reading The Art and Business of Writing by Chris Jones on my Kindle and it's full of helpful advice. I'll review it in a later post. For now, please take this gem I got in there (then, interestingly enough, I also found the same gem the next day in a speed-reading ebook I was proofreading on Fiverr, which tells me the Universe wants me to try it).

Basically in the mornings, I put my butt in my seat after getting my coffee and something to eat. Focusing after that is hard. I want to check email, Facebook, my ebook sales, Fiverr, blog stats, do some blog social media, and more. Back and forth and then I've wasted an hour! That is no way to make your dreams come true of moving to the country, traveling the world with your family, and writing a bunch more books! 

15 Great Links: Working from Home as a Writer

It's true that working from home can bring special challenges, and working for yourself brings even more interesting situations! Further, being a writer takes real focus and brain space. 

Please enjoy my writing roundup of fabulous posts about working from home as a writer!

6 Essential Things to Make Your Writing Session More Productive

7 Steps to Freelance Writing Success

Dads Can Write for Parenting Publications Too!

AdvancedWriters.com: Book Review Service with Expert Writers

7 Time Management Ideas for Writers at Home

Tonight I was doing random household tasks and thinking about how much writing and proofreading work I still had to do. I thought about all the laundry, dishes, meals, phone calls, errands, and details I handle or take care of every day and how friends and family often express their amazement that I can crank out articles and ebooks while homeschooling my kids.

And it came to me.

We all have the same amount of time every day (see Laura Vanderkam's book, 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think). The difference is what we prioritize and how we spend our time budget.

Here are 7 tips for fitting it all in:

Working from Home During a Pandemic: Perspective, Positive, Productive!

Writer friends, it has never been a better time to work from home! When all this COVID-19 stuff hit, my life didn't change all that much. We have been homeschoolers since 2006, and I've been working from home since my first child was born in 2001. Still, there are challenges for me as well. I hope this post helps you keep things in perspective, stay positive, and remain PRODUCTIVE, where you have kids and/or a spouse at home during the time or not!

My family went from 60 to 0 in a matter of days. My husband had been working in Kuwait (non-military) for 7 weeks, and we were ready for him to come back on March 19. However, on March 12 some big changes started happening, and he had to get on a flight fast. So by Friday night we had my husband home on self-quarantine for who knows how long, and you know the rest (everything is cancelled or closed!).

I found myself checking for updates and closings CONSTANTLY instead of using all the glorious free time to do all the things I had always wanted to do as far as writing, organizing, reading, playing games with the kids, going on nature hikes with the family, etc. Instead, the biggest thing on my mind was, "I don't own hand sanitizer but we have enough toilet paper; should I buy more canned goods and why?"

STRUCTURE is important! I am not that mom who has the perfect daily schedule going on, but there is a sort of laid-back structure to our days, meaning after each kids wakes up, they have breakfast and chill before I start the homeschool day. The time might change every day, but it's a routine at least. My family knows lunch is around 1-2 (and we read at the table) and dinner is around 6-7, so we plan everything else around that, including my work.

Now that schools are closing all over the place, you'll want to get some structure/routine going for your kids so you all know that, for instance, from 7-9 every morning it's WORK TIME FOR MOM OR DAD. And that at 7 p.m. dinner is over and the kids can have screen time while you get another couple of hours of work in.

Here's some Help for the Non-Homeschooler!

PLAN your days. I recently got my first Passion Planner and it really helps me stay on track. I try to plan things in 30-minute or 1-hour increments. I write in pencil, though, so I can easily change things, like if the kids are up for an impromptu game of One Night Ultimate Werewolf. Planning includes creating a MEAL PLAN, a HOMESCHOOL PLAN (my kids are older so I can assign them things in Homeschool Tracker and print out a sheet per kid, clipped to a clipboard), and a CHORE CHART. Here's my homemade chore and toothbrushing chart from back in the day. The more independent your kids are, the more you can get done during your work day.

BE UNINFORMED and AT PEACE part of the day. Turn off the news and all social media for a set period of time daily. Checking on your computer, on your television, on your phone, etc. every five minutes doesn't do anything but fuel anxiety and depression. I consider myself to be a very happy person, but this thing has got me depressed just because of all the changes that are happening so quickly. I'm sad for those who are stuck inside, sad for those who are lonely, sad for those who won't have a lot of contact with anyone for quite a while other than getting groceries.

EXERCISE and FRESH AIR. Take a walk with or without your family. Meet up with a neighbor and walk on opposite sides of the street.

READ a book you've been wanting to read for a long time but were too busy to dive into. Read a book to your kids. Check out Read-Aloud Revival! This is a great way to relax your brain and get ideas for writing projects! Same goes for watching a MOVIE. Check out Scribd for a free trial of ebooks and audiobooks. We love the audiobooks for when we're in the car and also bedtime when I'm just too tired to read. It's also a great way for the kids to learn independently while you're trying to work.

Go for a DRIVE. Is there a drive-through open where you can maybe get a quick treat, a soda, something comforting? You went for a walk, so you get some extra comfort calories! (I'm on Weight Watchers, so I'm an expert LOL)

STAY CONNECTED. Get the Marco Polo app and encourage your loved ones to do the same. It's like FaceTime meets messaging. With the time difference from Kuwait to Kansas City being 9 hours, my husband and I used this quite a bit. And with my parents and grandparents being in self-quarantine, it's nice to be able to see their faces when it's convenient for everyone.

BE ALONE. If you're feeling nutty or salty, get out for a drive alone to catch up on Marco Polo messages, listen to podcasts or audiobooks, sing along to loud music, pray, hunt toilet paper.

ORGANIZE. If it makes you feel more in control, set a timer for 30 minutes or an hour and just organize/declutter an area that has been bothering you. Check out my Linen Closet Door Organizer and my Sheet and Pillowcase Storage in a Linen Closet.

REST. Yes, it's okay to rest. You can't work 16 hours a day; it's not healthy (and our health is even more important right now)! I used to feel sooo guilty when I would lay down with some Netflix for half an hour or lay by the pool, but it's perfectly fantastic to take some time off each day to rest body and brain. When you have time to just THINK, some great writing ideas come up! Also, it makes you a nicer, happier person in general.

My hope is that some of these ideas make you feel better (less anxious, more hopeful, better rested), as well as more creative. Stay healthy :-)

*This post contains a referral link for Passion Planner.

Have files of article reprints that you own but have no clue where to start reselling them? Have ideas for some fantastic new pieces but no idea who might want them? Check out my thick 441-page print book of tips, tricks, and insider information, as well as 384 paying parenting and family markets! You can order "How to Get Published (and Paid!) Writing About Your Kids" on Amazon here.

Your Writing Journey: Keep Driving by Patrick Hempfing

Keep Driving

By Patrick Hempfing

http://patrickhempfing.com

            In June 2011, I attended Southeastern Writers Association’s (SWA) annual conference on St. Simons Island, my first writers conference.  A little over an hour into the trip, about halfway to my destination, Mr. Doubt visited. 

What are you doing?  Don’t you know you’ll be surrounded by writers with talent?  Catch the next exit and go home? 

            After a 20-year career in banking, accounting, and auditing, with college degrees in accounting and management, I had traded in my business suit and briefcase for an apron and diaper bag.  When my daughter began Pre-K, I, a stay-at-home dad since her birth, attempted to turn my writing into a career, while having flexible hours to maximize time with family.

            Prior to attending my first SWA conference, I had completed a manuscript, but was unsuccessful in landing a publisher or literary agent for it.  I should have attended the writers’ conference sooner. 

In addition to a fantastic learning experience and meeting new friends, I left the conference with an idea for a monthly column.  My hopes of earning a few publishing credits turned into a little business.  From September 2011 to January 2018, my monthly column, “MoMENts,” was published over 500 times in regional parenting magazines across the United States and Canada, and Tribune publications, including the Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, Carroll County Times, and Capital Gazette.

To date, “MoMENts” has been published in 23 states and two Canadian provinces.  In addition to attending writing conferences these past years, another source that helped me publish my columns was Kerrie McLoughlin’s Make Money to Write About Your Kids.

            But the story gets even better.  In 2016, I compiled my monthly columns, added new material, and published my first book, MoMENts:  A Dad Holds On, a great gift for mothers and fathers.  At the 2018 Royal Palm Literary Award Competition, a contest sponsored by the Florida Writers Association, MoMENts:  A Dad Holds On took Second Place in the General Catch-All Category.

            Since my book’s release, I’ve also spoken at libraries, my daughter’s school, and the SWA conference.  Another highlight of my writing career occurred this past September in Orlando when I was honored to be the closing speaker at the National At-Home Dad Network’s annual conference.

            Could the journey get more exciting?  When my daughter was nine, one of my writing friends (Yes, I met her at SWA) suggested I write a column with my daughter, with each of us sharing our perspective on a topic – Dad’s view versus the tween’s perspective.  Up to this point, my “MoMENts” column had shared the joys and challenges of being a stay-at-home dad from the father’s perspective only.

            Last February, my daughter and I debuted our co-authored column, “Tween Daughter and Dad.”  After one year, our joint column has been published 38 times in 11 publications, spanning 7 states.    

Will my daughter and I make a lot of money from our co-authored column?  Though she negotiated a sweet deal for how we split revenue, our chances of earning a ton of money aren’t great.  However, “national columnist” will be a nice item to add to her college application in a few years.

            Where will my writing journey take me?  Only time will tell.  But I know it’s been an exciting “drive” so far, one that wouldn’t have occurred had I turned my vehicle around in the summer of 2011.  I even became SWA’s Treasurer in 2014.

            Drive.  In my opinion, even with writers’ conferences, investment in resources like Kerrie’s book, and some good fortune, one of the key ingredients to success is drive.  Drive is needed to finish a tough column or that challenging manuscript.  Drive comes into play when publishers pass on your work.  Drive is required when book sales are disappointing, yet book two needs written.

            Will a career in writing have speed bumps?  Indeed.  Pot holes?  Many.  Times where you’re running low on gas?  For sure.

            Fill your tank and keep driving.  And remember to cherish the moments during the journey. 

Can You Consistently Write 500 Words a Day?

THE DREAM
Imagine if you could crank out 500 words every single day. Let's say you were working on parenting magazine articles. You could easily get one article done every week (1,000 words is a long one) with time to edit, research, then submit. Every. Single. Week. That's 52 articles a year working for you as passive-ish (you still have to send invoices)/residual income in the form of REPRINTS.

This could also translate into several blog posts per week (one day to get those 500 words out and one day to edit/research/create graphics).

This could also mean 50 days to 25,000 words of a book. Even if you then take another 50 days to work on a cover, get the book proofread, make sure it is all coherent, etc., you have a book in 100 days.

Let's say you're a blogger AND a magazine writer AND a book author. In just ONE YEAR, how many books, blog posts and articles could you knock out if you could just make sure to sit down and get 500 words written every day?

THE PROBLEM
Time. Time is always the problem. And interruptions. And life in general, intruding with its obligations like laundry and dishes and cooking and hygiene and weddings and funerals and parties and errands and clogged toilets and car problems. Oh, and sometimes also those cute children running around and also sometimes that pesky little thing called a full-time job that pays the bills while we chase our writing dreams. And yes, I do realize that even when my kids are grown and gone from the house, I will still have lots going on pertaining to them.

THE SOLUTION
Have you tried dictation using your smartphone? Not some fancy machine and not even some fancy app. I'm just talking about maybe using the Notes app on your iPhone that comes pre-installed. I am a huge fan of walking outside for my FitBit steps while writing at the same time by dictating my articles and books. I feel super amazing on those evenings when my 8-year-old has soccer practice and I can walk the track ... he's happy and I'm getting exercise while getting work done.

I also dictate while driving, which I know might be controversial, but before I got a phone I was writing all my notes long-hand in my lap on a notebook. Tell me which is more dangerous! I don't actually look at the screen while I'm dictating, which often makes for some funny untangling of words later on, but I can just talk and talk stream of consciousness style, and end up with something I can work with later.

When the file is done or when I get home, I just send the note to my email box. Then I grab it and put it in the correct project file on my laptop (you might be more progressive and use Google Docs).

You could dictate while nursing your baby, while making dinner, while folding laundry or waiting for your kid to get out of a drama rehearsal.

*This post was 511 words and I cranked it out super fast over our Homeschool Lunch Break, then edited later.

I would LOVE to hear how this works out for you or if you already do it!