Yes, I’m reblogging today so I can spend some quality time with the family over Christmas.
Let me preface this post with a disclaimer. These are things I think are important. You might not. Though how anybody writes without a beverage of choice nearby, is beyond me. But, to each his own. By-the-way, that was not the first thing.
From personal experience, because I didn’t have them with my first book, critique partners and beta readers are fundamental for every writer at every stage of your writing. I’m convinced I’d have had much less rewriting with my first novel had I had critique partners.
A writing schedule is important too. How many hours a day or days a week can you commit to writing? And, do you make sure to get that word count in before tootling over to Facebook or Twitter, which brings up my fourth thing; a time limit for marketing and social media. Both will suck you dry, and what you really want to be doing is writing.
Though Pinterest is so much fun…
Okay, let’s switch to practical for a few minutes. A good chair. I’m only saying that because I’ve been sitting too long today and my tushy is getting sore. I know some of you write curled up on the couch or in an armchair or on the floor, but this gal needs her desk and computer which means an office chair. Oops, just slipped in a couple more and you didn’t even notice.
Sly, huh? *Wink*
I need sticky notes. At any given time, there are several plastered on the edges of my computer screen— I only have eight up right now. That’s a slow day for me. I jot notes to myself constantly while writing. I have my writing Bible, character questionnaires and several references books within arm’s reach too. My favorite is The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.
Shoot, I just went over the allotted ten. Well, I’ll count critique partners and beta readers as one, so I’m good.
Just out of curiosity, what can’t you write without?
