The 30-Minute Writer

I'm currently revising my WIP during Bridget's 30-40 minute nap every morning. It's going all right: I have good ideas about where I want to take the book, and I'm making teeny tiny bites of progress each day. But having only a half an hour or so to write means that I can't sit down at my laptop and diddle around online for awhile to get my brain warmed up (which I used to looooove to do). I've got to get crackin' as soon as my butt hits the seat!

So, here are some tips I've found to warm up for brilliant writing in just five minutes:

*Find a song that captures the mood and tone of the book or main character. Listen to the song as you make your tea and get ready to sit down and type. (For my WIP, I've chosen "Realize" by Colbie Caillat. It's filled with longing. My MC is also filled with longing.)

*Close your eyes and picture your main character. Imagine her doing something, even if it's just brushing her teeth. Imagine her talking to her best friend for a minute. Listen to their voices. Picture them in your setting. Transfer the MC's voice into your head.

*Upon starting up your computer, IMMEDIATELY open your Word doc. Do not check your email, not even for a second. Do not scan the news headlines. Do not check your blog (sorry Longstockings). Open your Word doc and skim the last two pages you wrote. Then put those fingers on the keyboard and TYPE LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!!


If you have more tips, please send them. I'm hoping to get through this revision before spring. Eeeek.

*caroline hickey

Finally - some good news about reading!

From Monday's Washington Post:

For the first time since the NEA began surveying American reading habits in 1982 ... the percentage of American adults who report reading "novels, short stories, poems or plays" has risen instead of declining: from 46.7 percent in 2002 to 50.2 percent in 2008.

The gain, it states, came entirely from prose fiction. The article goes on, however, to mitigate this jump by saying that "percentage of American adults who report reading any book not required for work or school during the previous year is still declining. "

Check out the article. It's pretty interesting.

*caroline hickey