It can actually be dangerous though, I am a painter and always strive to be better. The next painting must surpass my previous ones and honestly it lead to a long moment of stagnancy for like 3 years where I hated the work I was putting out because they weren’t as good as my best one. In the end, I almost gave up on painting due to paralysis, and procrastinating because of the expectations and the competitiveness I had against myself. You can easily become your worst enemy.
@@Tran809 perfectionist who had survived many years of procrastination here, and I would say they are different things. You can be competitive without being a perfectionist. And if your current self is unproductive, then you’re not in real competition with your past self because otherwise you’d refuse to let that past self produce more than you are now
I can see this too. In the beginning I think it is healthy just to try and one-up yourself. But most of us hit plateaus where it becomes harder to feel like you're leveling up and that can get verrry frustrating. At this point I think it's better to shift toward thinking about the deeper motivation behind your work and staying true to that core, and letting go of perfectionism and competition as much as you can.
Unfortunately being competitive with my past self means competing with someone who didn't have reduced mental (and physical) energy and focus due to long COVID.
Just a stray comment. I'm a piano tuner, and tuned Neil Gaiman's piano while he was living in Santa Fe. His writing set-up was very minimalistic--a card table, a couple of legal pads and some pens. The light was one of those clip on lights you'd use in a garage.
21:05 I love how you specified what a break should actually be; something that replenishes or rejuvenates you, and not get yourself even further into that negative spiral “doom-space.” It seems like it should be so obvious but it really isn’t once you’re too much in your head. Everyone else around me is like, “but you were doing nothing this whole time…shouldn’t you feel better?” and I would be like “I…guess?? :(“
Yes. I think for a while I struggled with the idea that if I actually just stepped away from the computer and read a book or turned on my Switch, I was giving up on working, but if I just mess around on the internet? I'm still working! This is just a quick break! But those breaks can add up to HOURS. Hey self, just step away and take a REAL BREAK!
darkly funny ✅ realistic ✅informative ✅non prescriptive ✅ Glad I found this channel! It feels like having a smarter, funnier creative friend to listen to while I figure out my day
If you have a spouse and/or children you might need to establish that even though you are at home and you are right there... you are AT WORK. Maybe set up a special office so when in there "do not disturb unless house is on fire" or maybe it is special times a day or maybe when you have that particular laptop out. In any case the family needs to respect when you are working.
This is such an important one - my partner used to be in and out of the room keeping up a constant stream of chatter, and I would wonder why I could never focus to get anything done! Since I set better boundaries, made my own little space that I can block off, and got some good noise cancelling headphones, it's been so much better 😂
This is a SUPER good point. I didn't think of it because Dade is also a creative type and we pretty much entered the relationship with boundaries, but it can definitely be a very common issue. (The cats, meanwhile, have NO respect...)
My writing office is my work-from-home office AND my bedroom and no one in my household (especially my 80 year old mother) has any boundaries. Sometimes I go out to my car to write.
Very VERY important. If your family doesnt respect what youre doing, you have to put your foot down. As harsh as it sounds. I wrote my first draft mostly at night, since its the only time when its QUIET and I dont have to worry about someone interrupting me. There is also not enough space in our current apartment, but we will move into a house in August that has a room that will be our office. A corner for my husband and his business stuff and the rest is for me and my creative stuff. And I will rather chop my own foot off then letting anyone come in there and interrupt my writing. Your family HAS to respect your boundaries. And writing IS a time consuming thing that requires a quiet enviornment. It is what it is.
I've done the "second part time job in your free time" thing since 2012, and I'm so exhausted. I'm just going to live like any other human now. I don't care about being a success, I'm happy just to create what I want when I want. It's very freeing to get older sometimes, I think.
just want to say that i just discovered you today and you are such a bright light of grounded and true energy. thank you for making these videos and sharing your knowledge.
I'm only half way your video, but I need to add something that made all the difference for me: don't get hung up on daily targets. There will be days when I won't write a thing because I'm simply editing, some days when I write very little because I'm half-editing half-writing, days when I either don't write or write very little because I'm fine-tuning the plot or doing some last minute research. Sometimes, the day when I write 3000 words will feel like a waste of time because it feels I've been writing nothing but rubbish, while the day when I wrote 500 words feels great because it feels like gold or I overcame a hurdle in the plot. I ended up realising that monthly goals work much better. I also keep in mind that some months are naturally more productive than others because the year is a set of cycles and some months are just busy-busy (Christmas preparations), while others are smooth sailing (months with lots of bank holidays). Another tip is not to look at the best 'marks' but to see them as records and outliers that may or may not be overcome (I once wrote 5000 words in a day; I don't expect to repeat that feat any time, but it still makes me proud). Focus on your average and how it grows overtime (but don't beat yourself up when life gets in the way or your muse demands you to take a day off and rest your creative muscles).
I just remembered, I love watching Hello Kitty and other kids shows as a break, because they don't require brain power and I can easily draw during this. It's really a mind cleanser and I think everyone should at least try watching a kids show.
You are so sweet and realistic, it's so hard to find a youtuber who is just open and honest about everything they do. Thank you so much for your lovely videos and tips!
Two things from another author nerd: 1. A lot of the tips you give are similar to Michael Moorcock's 3-day novel method. It's kind of insane but it's hard to argue with the books he wrote using the method 2. The Chrono Trigger reference made me literally lol, well done
😂 the computer offering to the river goddess is such a mood. I get the feeling of "something's not quite right here" when writing, recently realized this is something I need to pay attention to. Thanks for sharing!
One thing that helps me a lot is Scrivener. It does an amazing job of keeping all your notes, scenes and everything all together. It helps for outlining, keeping notes on characters and so on. It probably doubles my productivity all on its own.
" I *only* wrote 1 book a year" you absolute madwoman, aside from being insane writing 10 books a year, the fact that 1 is like your low point is ridiculous. I adore you, I hope I can be at least the tiniest bit as prolific and successful as you are. I am also working on my first novel and taking writing seriously at 23, hopefully this is a good omen (?
I just love your broadcasts. You are so honest and refreshing and non-market. This broadcast soooo important to me as tomorrow I begin editing my novel MS which I just got back from my Editor, and I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I WANT to make this all happen by end of August, so giving myself a month. Will be following your tips and report back at the end of the month. Thank you.
In the latest video I acknowledged that this might have sounded really fast, I was probably biased by doing most of my sprinting with people who are already career writers, and I'm sorry for not thinking about that and implying that everyone needs to be that fast!
I used to be so bad at time management. What helped me was setting up a digital calendar and basically treating my day like an appointment book. I block out times of day for thing that need to be done daily and add more in as needed. It's helped me establish new routines and see how much time I'm actually wasted doom scrolling. Also, the cats being cats at the end 😂😂😂
I LOVE your videos. Thank you for these tips and your wisdom. It's my first anniversary (next week) of being a published author. I've published 8 books and have plans for more next year. I am now a full time author. Never saw my life taking this turn (at age 46) and it's been quite a journey. But now, I can't see myself doing anything else.
yeah, i didn't expect the river to be the turning point and make this a villain arc XD "if you live near a beautiful river..." you'll want to play in it and be distracted "..you'll want to sacrifice your writing technology to the river goddess" oh, i was not even a little bit close LMAO actually, i am one of those horrid people that does better w/o an outline, BUT! i typically know how it'll start and end, and i have 2-3 really cool scenes i know will happen between the 2. But i also make a habit of pausing every 10k-20k words (depending) and go back to the beginning to read through and make sure it's consistent, there's no glaring plot holes, be reminded of subplots, realize a bit of foreshadowing would work better here vs there, no scenes are accidentally repeated, ect.
I've tried multiple times to be a plotter. To my brain, it's apparently the same thing as actually writing the book, so trying to sit down and actually write the thing is an issue. Even when I have forced myself through it, I couldn't make my brain actually engage. The end result was absolutely flat and boring.
I don't have a beautiful river by my house but I do have a sad and decrepit stream, I wonder if it has a Goddess I have to worry about tempting me to sacrifice my laptop too 😂
I'm sure it is common. I feel like art and music are even MORE immediately frustrating than writing because it's easier to see the entire piece in your head and then realize exactly how you are failing at it! Writing has a many-tentacled quality where I, at least, tend to feel more uncertain as to whether I succeeded or failed, but with art I know immediately that it's like...NOPE
Thanks for reminding me of all the things I KNOW but forget when I get all swept up in hustle and start to beat myself up over not achieving all the massive word counts I unrealistically planned. I'm going to save this video to watch again. And possibly again and again and again.
Your outfit is so cute! Thank you for making these videos and sharing them with us! I'm slowly learning how to get over the fear of wanting to be a writer and your videos have been of great comfort to me.
It really all depends on how much you have to say. I usually get good ideas, and then they germinate for a time in my brain. Then I see more scenes, hear more good dialogue. I learn more about my characters - who they are and what they want and why. Then, when ready, I can crank out a story. I could do a 5000 word chapter in a few hours and then refine it a few more. But I must say this notion of writing stream of consciousness for speed effect - quite foreign to me. Would you consider yourself a 'pantser?'
If you have the time and inclination, I'd love to hear about how you approach marketing as an independently published author, and any guidance or advice you might have for writers who are not as established.
That was actually the topic my Patreons voted on for a bonus video this month so unfortunately it'll probably be a while until I circle back around to it for a full video, but my favorites are Self Editing for Fiction Writers, Writing the Breakout Novel, Take Off Your Pants, and for commercial writers, 7 Figure Fiction.
Thank you, these are all great. I have a Freewrite Alpha, which is the thinnest and most affordable of Freewrite devices and loving it so far. I identified a few bad habits in my writing routine. Indecisiveness - from which of my projects to work on, to character arcs, there are too many decisions a writer has to make along the way. This can feel overwhelming and paralysing (especially if you have perfectionist tendencies). The way I get unstuck is to be gentle with myself and just write whatever feels good in the moment. If I can't find it in me to work on my main WIP, then it's ok to write a short fanfic, just to cleanse palette and ensure I'm not putting myself off writing. Keep it fun! Another bad habit of mine is over-researching. It goes hand in hand with the indecisiveness. I can't decide what should happen next, so I begin researching real history to get some inspiration for the world or characters, and it spins out of control. Research and inspiration are great, but the only way it works is if I do it in the evenings, when I have no energy to do anything else.
These are both VERY good and identifiable points I wish I'd thought to bring up in the video, haha...I suppose it was long enough already. I once spent over an hour researching how people washed dishes in the 18th century to write ONE SENTENCE...in a fantasy world, not even a real historical...probably not necessary. =P
@lidiyafoxgloveauthor I feel this one in my soul 🤣 it is so easy to try to make everything seem so accurate, but I try to remind myself...when it's a fantasy world everything I write is accurate to my world, because I say so 😅
I keep each step of the process as easy as possible psychologically; so, first I just jot down notes as they occur, until I have a stockpile. When it is large enough to sort, I often come across forgotten gems, which is good for morale. Next, I divvy things into plot, dialogue snippets, and scene ideas, so I can assess how complete a storyline they make, and where the gaps are, which are then easier to fill in, especially if I have a template. There's a method of novel writing that knocks out the dialogue first, with just quick sketches of location and whatnot as standins until later. I love how fast this method goes, and what a clear overview of the storyline and character. dynamics it gives, which keeps something as big as a novel manageable. Hand in hand with this, it's critical to have the end of your story already in mind--this caps your project, makes it finite, and therefore less scary and never-finished. Good luck, everyone!
One of the people in my local fantasy group does that same outlining method with all the dialogue. It always sounds like a great idea, but I'm one of those people who feels like they have to get everything "right" the first time (even though this is actually impossible). But I think it's a fantastic idea if your brain can work that way.
'it's critical to have the end of your story already in mind' ABSOLUTELY this. I think this is the most important rule I follow, having an ending always lets you move towards a specific goal and keeps me motivated to reach that finish line.
Before I say what I want to say, I am not making fun of you, I just think it's kinda cool, That you remind me of Wednesday Adam's. You made a great video, And I like your personality.
I do 1000 words a days minimum Monday to Friday and have succeeded in doing that for over a year now. I want to have the habit already built for consistent writing if I get to the point of being able to be a writer. The weekend breaks have helped when I need them. I have a Freewrite and loving it for writing before work because I don't have those extra distractions before work. After work I like using 4thewords. It fills the part of me that likes gaming and finishing quests without actually gaming. If I get stuck I move to another WIP story and then go back later because sometimes being stuck is temporary. Other times it needs more work but needs to step back to work it out. Thanks for the video :)
This reminds me of progressive overload in exercise. Basically, every week you add a little more weight to your split (how you organize your workouts) and suddenly you’re lifting really heavy!
Is this the one that starts playing automatically when you click on a channel page? I don't know if it does that on the app, but when I look at YT on the desktop I find it SO annoying when anything starts to just make noise out of nowhere...especially when I forgot that I had my speakers turned up for a Zoom chat or something...
This was a great video on how to do something for a long time. Thank you! :) Dropping the boring and making it fun for both parties makes the entire process better. I liked that part! Planned breaks matter too. I'm leaning this now. hehehe
I used to write everything longhand as a kid and into my teens to some extent, but once I had regular access to a computer instead I can't say I ever looked back. I do outline on paper though. I think through outlines and notes better if I write them by hand.
Being able to set a hard goal of x hours of work without distractions or the excuses you might make to yourself I'd say is how you get the word count to go up. The problem today is that the writing machine is also the unlimited entertainment machine and social interaction machine. It's like trying to stop smoking while you have a pack laying around or giving up drinking with a shelf full of opened half full bottles. It's not actually hard like cutting your own leg off that was trapped under a boulder then walking to a road to be rescued, but it is hard like most people fail hard to keep being focused and on task. Maybe facing fiscal ruin might be a good motivator. Which is also predicate on being reasonably sure your efforts will be compensated for. What's the saying? No farmer ever starved to death because he was too lazy to work his land.
Chrono Trigger! I was struggling to think of a good time travel clip to put in there and I was like oh hey there's a whole game about time travel, bingo!
I'm so impressed by people who can write every day. After three days straight of writing, my brain just dies and I'm like. Trying to write after that is like trying to hold your hand on a hot stovetop. Doesn't matter how much you want to, you can't. I've learned that I need to give myself breaks in between writing days, which I felt bad about for such a long time! But I've come to accept that it's just never going to happen for me. The upside though is that when I *do* write, I bang out multiple thousands of words in a day. So, you know. Lose some, super win some!
Honestly, you probably get the same amount of words that a lot of people who write daily get, you just write more words per day, buy less days overall. I'm like you. I need breaks, but I can sit down and write 5-6K words in a day if I need to. I find that on my off-days my brain is still working on my story and coming up with ideas. So when I sit back down again, the ideas pour out. I prefer a weekly word count goal instead of a daily one. This works so much better with my personality.
I'd never thought about this until listening to this video, but I also do that thing where I focus a lot on one thing and then take some time off later. The problem is that it takes forever for that break to end LOL, but once I get back on productivity mode, it's... a lot. It'd probably be better to have an actual schedule and consistency over extended periods of work/nothing, but I'm not sure how to do that. Will definitely try the 'treat your writing as a job' advice, though. If I don't write, it's like missing a day at work, and I'm tired of getting fired ykno
Noice. The distractions while writing are very real. Most times I write the first draft long hand. Other times I use cold turkey on my laptop to block TH-cam.
Thank you so much. Every point you make in this video either resonates or sounds 'realistic'. I either never take a break or take too many because of health or, (not good enough reasons in my head anyway) like, for example, somehow my brain says... "Hey if you don't answer that email as soon as you hear the 'boop' sound, it may somehow disappear"... At the mo, I do a lot of unpaid work/research, so I get a ton of emails...I have often wanted to offer some of the research in question to the River Godess BEFORE anyone has read or 'judged it', which from a logical POV makes no sense at all...
This is going to sound strange, but I think that you have that author look. You look like an established author in my opinion. Maybe it’s a combination of the glasses and your style. I also wanted to say that I like your setup! Also thank you for the tips 🤍 I’m literally the kind of writer you’re talking about. Been writing more consistently the past couple of years on and off. I’ve decided that my current WIP is the one I’m gonna finish 🎉
You aren't the first person to tell me that. By age 5 I was already radiating that "voted most bookish child" vibe and I haven't changed much at all, haha. As for your WIP, you can do it!!! 🎉🎉
This is super validating lol I thought I was crazy for saving up for a second computer, but it seriously helps to have one laptop for fun and games and another one dedicated to productivity
Awesome advice! All of them. Mostly the “fun” things to write about, that’s just brilliant. I often get stuck thinking that describing things would be boooring. But making it more fun for myself and the reader is basically a cheat-code😂 thank you!! Also was happy to hear the word “discipline”, something a lot of people forgot about. Love your videos😊
Hi lydia! I just had a thought in my head, not related to this video but a different topic. Would you be able to explain how you get the covers for your books made? How do you find an artist? How much do you pay on average? How much input are you really able to put into how the cover will look? I read some books where the representation of the characters is nothing like what the book describes them and I always wondered if the author even knows what their own characters look like. Of course, knowing what I do now, most authors don't make their own covers it just seems like something gets lost in translation when the author is speaking to the artist. Has anything like that every happened to you? What covers did you commission that you loved the most?
This is on the video topic list but I probably won't get to it for quite a while. If you're traditionally published, most people get little to no input. Self published, you get quite a bit, especially if you've hired a good quality cover artist who can work a lot of Photoshop wizardry. Sometimes it can truly be hard to match a model, though. A LOT of stock photos come from Russia and Eastern Europe so the bulk of the models available are not just white people but even a very specific sort of beauty ideal! When I wanted an Asian model for Kingdoms of Sky and Shadow for example, there were SO few to choose from, especially since we needed three good faces for the trilogy. Black and plus size models are the most difficult to find. Although Hispanic/Latina isn't easy either since there's a wide range, they're often not labeled well, and inevitably your designer will just find a girl with darker hair and be like "she looks like she could be Latina!" and you're like "...I mean maybe but..." (And yet you feel your designer's pain, because if you try to find someone yourself you are not having better luck...) Also, a lot of covers are sold as pre-mades, and you might grab a pre-made that doesn't quite fit your character just because the cover has a great look overall. Demons in the Bedroom is probably one of my favorite covers, it just looks so fun and perfectly nailed the tone. The model's face looks just like how I imagined Helena. However the outfit is NOTHING like how Helena dresses in the book! She'd never be flipping a house in like, leather pants and a crop top, LOL. However, it fits the style for the genre so well, I didn't ask the designer to change her clothes.
I've tried Grammarly and I felt like it took a lot of time for not much improvement. I just read a bit about ProWriting Aid and it does seems like kind of a different vibe though, so I'm curious now. My editing passes are pretty intense already though...
@@lidiyafoxgloveauthor I use it and it does take time. I read that you need to do a line by line edit before sending it off and I needed help with the edits so I chose Prowriting aid. I really like the software. Thanks for answering my question.
I have 2 Alphasmart Neos (1st one I bought new way back when, 2nd one bought for the price of a song on ebay) and they've been crucial to writing without distraction. How do you like your Freewrite Traveler? Love what you said about competing only with yourself. During my most productive year (2020), I wrote 5 books. But I'm comfortable with 1-2 books a year, but I took a huge break due to burnout so I kind of feel like Rocky right now, training to run back up the steps... except, the way I feel now, I'm a former athlete with a giant potbelly😅who can only crush a beer can. Btw, I also have wrist and back pain from writing! Do you work on a standing desk?
I was about to pull the trigger on an Alphasmart when the Traveler's Kickstarter was announced, and I was one of the first backers, I felt like I really needed a little more on the display than the Alphasmart offered and it would be worth the money. And I think that was true, for me at least. The original run took so long to deliver I started thinking I was being scammed, so I'm SO glad it was real and the company is still doing well (and the Traveler has held up very nicely). I don't have a standing desk. Actually, I don't even have room for a desk. No home office deductions here, that's for sure. But I don't think I could write standing up. Yoga and my foam roller are my friends, but I'm also consigned to becoming a hunchback at this point...
Y'know, when I first read the title of this video I was about to dismiss it as previously I've seen schizophrenic people who claim to have written hundreds of books when in reality they are unreadable (and now same thing with AI), but I stand corrected - I've checked your Amazon and the books have hundreds of positive reviews each, which is no small feat - I've now subscribed to your channel in hopes of learning more.
Yes. I've outlined in quite a number of different ways. I'm posting a video tonight going through the whole process of writing my latest! But they're all a little different.
I’m someone who’s neurodiverse and physically disabled and so focusing on solely writing can be difficult for me. This was helpful, even if I’m not sure I’ll be able to fully follow it 😅
Yes...I tried to acknowledge that in the video, not everyone can manage this even if they want to! Mental and physical health come first, and the older I get the more I have to take care of myself too.
What a lot of non writing folks think how it works: you have an idea, you sit down and write it. Piece of cake. It's not that hard. How it actually works out for most: They sit down, start writing, discover it's hard work. Most of them quit. The rest finishes the book. Want a pad on the back. Get critique. Most of them quite when they realize they have to rewrite. (More than once.) I've published some books now I write for my enjoyment. I manage two books a year and some short storys. Training between those. I'll write fulltime when I'm retired.
I have a tip that some may not like but if you are writing as a job and need to do it fast it will help a lot as it does with me: use AI. And not to write for you mind you, but as a better searching tool than google, you can ask ideas for spells, a side character sheet, a list of folk stories to help you have that sparkle, I even used it to act as my villain and respond as him and started asking him how he as the villain would react, it was quite funny haha
The question, in my opinion, is not how many books this woman has written, but how good this book is and whether it is worth reading. That is the question.
I guess you can't see my gray hairs on TH-cam yet! But the day is coming! I suppose I have been fortunate with the wrinkles for my age because like any good nerd I never go outside, haha. I'm 42.
@@lidiyafoxgloveauthor How are you older than my mom?! Also, I can't judge people by grey hairs considering my grandma started getting those at age 21. Either way, you look very young for your age and I loved your video, just like all of your other videos.
@@readingdino711 I don't know how I am old enough to be anyone's mom, and I am almost as old as my Grandma was when I was born, which really blows my mind. It's terrifyng to think that I could blink and just be a crazy 80 year old lady with a manga collection and a bunch of dresses with little puffed sleeves
@@lidiyafoxgloveauthor My mom had me at 19, so my current age, that's one way you could be older than her. But she definitely looks much older than you (aka she looks her age).
"set a goal, a *reasonable* goal, A REASONABLE GOAL" honestly, i laughed but you're right it can't be stressed enough.
Being competitive with your past self instead of others is so much healthier for your brain!
100%
It can actually be dangerous though, I am a painter and always strive to be better. The next painting must surpass my previous ones and honestly it lead to a long moment of stagnancy for like 3 years where I hated the work I was putting out because they weren’t as good as my best one. In the end, I almost gave up on painting due to paralysis, and procrastinating because of the expectations and the competitiveness I had against myself. You can easily become your worst enemy.
@@Tran809 perfectionist who had survived many years of procrastination here, and I would say they are different things. You can be competitive without being a perfectionist. And if your current self is unproductive, then you’re not in real competition with your past self because otherwise you’d refuse to let that past self produce more than you are now
I can see this too. In the beginning I think it is healthy just to try and one-up yourself. But most of us hit plateaus where it becomes harder to feel like you're leveling up and that can get verrry frustrating. At this point I think it's better to shift toward thinking about the deeper motivation behind your work and staying true to that core, and letting go of perfectionism and competition as much as you can.
Unfortunately being competitive with my past self means competing with someone who didn't have reduced mental (and physical) energy and focus due to long COVID.
Just a stray comment. I'm a piano tuner, and tuned Neil Gaiman's piano while he was living in Santa Fe. His writing set-up was very minimalistic--a card table, a couple of legal pads and some pens. The light was one of those clip on lights you'd use in a garage.
21:05 I love how you specified what a break should actually be; something that replenishes or rejuvenates you, and not get yourself even further into that negative spiral “doom-space.” It seems like it should be so obvious but it really isn’t once you’re too much in your head. Everyone else around me is like, “but you were doing nothing this whole time…shouldn’t you feel better?” and I would be like “I…guess?? :(“
Yes. I think for a while I struggled with the idea that if I actually just stepped away from the computer and read a book or turned on my Switch, I was giving up on working, but if I just mess around on the internet? I'm still working! This is just a quick break! But those breaks can add up to HOURS. Hey self, just step away and take a REAL BREAK!
darkly funny ✅ realistic ✅informative ✅non prescriptive ✅ Glad I found this channel! It feels like having a smarter, funnier creative friend to listen to while I figure out my day
If you have a spouse and/or children you might need to establish that even though you are at home and you are right there... you are AT WORK. Maybe set up a special office so when in there "do not disturb unless house is on fire" or maybe it is special times a day or maybe when you have that particular laptop out. In any case the family needs to respect when you are working.
This is such an important one - my partner used to be in and out of the room keeping up a constant stream of chatter, and I would wonder why I could never focus to get anything done!
Since I set better boundaries, made my own little space that I can block off, and got some good noise cancelling headphones, it's been so much better 😂
This is a SUPER good point. I didn't think of it because Dade is also a creative type and we pretty much entered the relationship with boundaries, but it can definitely be a very common issue. (The cats, meanwhile, have NO respect...)
My writing office is my work-from-home office AND my bedroom and no one in my household (especially my 80 year old mother) has any boundaries. Sometimes I go out to my car to write.
My dogs don't respect me at all 😭
Very VERY important.
If your family doesnt respect what youre doing, you have to put your foot down. As harsh as it sounds.
I wrote my first draft mostly at night, since its the only time when its QUIET and I dont have to worry about someone interrupting me. There is also not enough space in our current apartment, but we will move into a house in August that has a room that will be our office. A corner for my husband and his business stuff and the rest is for me and my creative stuff. And I will rather chop my own foot off then letting anyone come in there and interrupt my writing. Your family HAS to respect your boundaries. And writing IS a time consuming thing that requires a quiet enviornment. It is what it is.
I've done the "second part time job in your free time" thing since 2012, and I'm so exhausted. I'm just going to live like any other human now. I don't care about being a success, I'm happy just to create what I want when I want. It's very freeing to get older sometimes, I think.
just want to say that i just discovered you today and you are such a bright light of grounded and true energy. thank you for making these videos and sharing your knowledge.
10:20 me, using this video to procrastinate on writing: surprised pikachu face
I'm only half way your video, but I need to add something that made all the difference for me: don't get hung up on daily targets. There will be days when I won't write a thing because I'm simply editing, some days when I write very little because I'm half-editing half-writing, days when I either don't write or write very little because I'm fine-tuning the plot or doing some last minute research. Sometimes, the day when I write 3000 words will feel like a waste of time because it feels I've been writing nothing but rubbish, while the day when I wrote 500 words feels great because it feels like gold or I overcame a hurdle in the plot. I ended up realising that monthly goals work much better. I also keep in mind that some months are naturally more productive than others because the year is a set of cycles and some months are just busy-busy (Christmas preparations), while others are smooth sailing (months with lots of bank holidays).
Another tip is not to look at the best 'marks' but to see them as records and outliers that may or may not be overcome (I once wrote 5000 words in a day; I don't expect to repeat that feat any time, but it still makes me proud). Focus on your average and how it grows overtime (but don't beat yourself up when life gets in the way or your muse demands you to take a day off and rest your creative muscles).
Thanks for your great advice. You are very generous in sharing your knowledge.
I just remembered, I love watching Hello Kitty and other kids shows as a break, because they don't require brain power and I can easily draw during this. It's really a mind cleanser and I think everyone should at least try watching a kids show.
I will absolutely get the next installment up soon! Thank you so much for the encouragement!
You are so sweet and realistic, it's so hard to find a youtuber who is just open and honest about everything they do. Thank you so much for your lovely videos and tips!
Two things from another author nerd:
1. A lot of the tips you give are similar to Michael Moorcock's 3-day novel method. It's kind of insane but it's hard to argue with the books he wrote using the method
2. The Chrono Trigger reference made me literally lol, well done
3 days? Dang. I'll have to look his up, but my hands would never let me...!
@@lidiyafoxgloveauthor It's absolutely wild! I tried it but I only got like 3.5k words lol
@@carmillachoate And he did it on a manual typewriter!
@@carmillachoate As slow as my typing is, my mental creation process is slower still.
😂 the computer offering to the river goddess is such a mood. I get the feeling of "something's not quite right here" when writing, recently realized this is something I need to pay attention to. Thanks for sharing!
Also, I'd love to hear more about your outlining process in another video!
One thing that helps me a lot is Scrivener. It does an amazing job of keeping all your notes, scenes and everything all together. It helps for outlining, keeping notes on characters and so on. It probably doubles my productivity all on its own.
I'm sure it at least has a local deity! 😂
5:40 - to quote a meme, "Never Before Have I Been So Offended By Something I One Hundred Percent Agree With "
" I *only* wrote 1 book a year" you absolute madwoman, aside from being insane writing 10 books a year, the fact that 1 is like your low point is ridiculous.
I adore you, I hope I can be at least the tiniest bit as prolific and successful as you are. I am also working on my first novel and taking writing seriously at 23, hopefully this is a good omen (?
Well, I can assure you at 23 I was not writing more than one book a year!
Thank you for using "fun" instead of "better" 😊
I just love your broadcasts. You are so honest and refreshing and non-market. This broadcast soooo important to me as tomorrow I begin editing my novel MS which I just got back from my Editor, and I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I WANT to make this all happen by end of August, so giving myself a month. Will be following your tips and report back at the end of the month. Thank you.
*has spent the last hour looking at the Freewrite Traveler and chewing my lower lip*
A thousand words in an hour??? For fucks sake 👀 I’m not close
In the latest video I acknowledged that this might have sounded really fast, I was probably biased by doing most of my sprinting with people who are already career writers, and I'm sorry for not thinking about that and implying that everyone needs to be that fast!
I used to be so bad at time management. What helped me was setting up a digital calendar and basically treating my day like an appointment book. I block out times of day for thing that need to be done daily and add more in as needed. It's helped me establish new routines and see how much time I'm actually wasted doom scrolling.
Also, the cats being cats at the end 😂😂😂
I LOVE your videos. Thank you for these tips and your wisdom. It's my first anniversary (next week) of being a published author. I've published 8 books and have plans for more next year. I am now a full time author. Never saw my life taking this turn (at age 46) and it's been quite a journey. But now, I can't see myself doing anything else.
That's awesome!! I do love a good midlife pivot.
😮 I didn't know free write traveler is a thing
Ironically mine just broke and now I'm not sure I recommend it anymore... 😭
Libbie Hawker's book, yay! Great tips Xx
The Chrono Trigger easter egg took me by surprise! Love your videos!
yeah, i didn't expect the river to be the turning point and make this a villain arc XD
"if you live near a beautiful river..." you'll want to play in it and be distracted "..you'll want to sacrifice your writing technology to the river goddess" oh, i was not even a little bit close LMAO
actually, i am one of those horrid people that does better w/o an outline, BUT! i typically know how it'll start and end, and i have 2-3 really cool scenes i know will happen between the 2. But i also make a habit of pausing every 10k-20k words (depending) and go back to the beginning to read through and make sure it's consistent, there's no glaring plot holes, be reminded of subplots, realize a bit of foreshadowing would work better here vs there, no scenes are accidentally repeated, ect.
Yeah, we pantsers will never be the 10 books a year type. ::sigh::
@@5Gburn i was just figuring it's because i have 3 other jobs and seasonal depression. But maybe being an 80% pantser is a factor too 🤔
I've tried multiple times to be a plotter. To my brain, it's apparently the same thing as actually writing the book, so trying to sit down and actually write the thing is an issue. Even when I have forced myself through it, I couldn't make my brain actually engage. The end result was absolutely flat and boring.
@@katendress6142 SAAAAME
Wow, as a fellow planner, I love all of your tips!
You’re awesome, this was super helpful for me. As soon as you mentioned making a “fun things” list for when you get stuck, I started one!
I don't have a beautiful river by my house but I do have a sad and decrepit stream, I wonder if it has a Goddess I have to worry about tempting me to sacrifice my laptop too 😂
Down, down, down to the river. Not really a writer currently, but I feel the same way with my art supplies sometimes.
I'm sure it is common. I feel like art and music are even MORE immediately frustrating than writing because it's easier to see the entire piece in your head and then realize exactly how you are failing at it! Writing has a many-tentacled quality where I, at least, tend to feel more uncertain as to whether I succeeded or failed, but with art I know immediately that it's like...NOPE
Love this. Thank you so much. My one absolute break advice for all writers…..outside walk.
Yes! I read a book on famous creative people's routines and the largest commonality between everyone mentioned was long walks outside.
loll re: offering to the river goddess
So tempting, sometimes.
Thanks for reminding me of all the things I KNOW but forget when I get all swept up in hustle and start to beat myself up over not achieving all the massive word counts I unrealistically planned. I'm going to save this video to watch again. And possibly again and again and again.
Your outfit is so cute!
Thank you for making these videos and sharing them with us! I'm slowly learning how to get over the fear of wanting to be a writer and your videos have been of great comfort to me.
It really all depends on how much you have to say. I usually get good ideas, and then they germinate for a time in my brain. Then I see more scenes, hear more good dialogue. I learn more about my characters - who they are and what they want and why. Then, when ready, I can crank out a story. I could do a 5000 word chapter in a few hours and then refine it a few more. But I must say this notion of writing stream of consciousness for speed effect - quite foreign to me. Would you consider yourself a 'pantser?'
If you have the time and inclination, I'd love to hear about how you approach marketing as an independently published author, and any guidance or advice you might have for writers who are not as established.
It is on my list!
Can u let us know what books you read to study writing craft
That was actually the topic my Patreons voted on for a bonus video this month so unfortunately it'll probably be a while until I circle back around to it for a full video, but my favorites are Self Editing for Fiction Writers, Writing the Breakout Novel, Take Off Your Pants, and for commercial writers, 7 Figure Fiction.
I love my Freewrite Traveler. It's the best. I love that I can just pull it out wherever, and whenever.
Thank you, these are all great. I have a Freewrite Alpha, which is the thinnest and most affordable of Freewrite devices and loving it so far.
I identified a few bad habits in my writing routine.
Indecisiveness - from which of my projects to work on, to character arcs, there are too many decisions a writer has to make along the way. This can feel overwhelming and paralysing (especially if you have perfectionist tendencies). The way I get unstuck is to be gentle with myself and just write whatever feels good in the moment. If I can't find it in me to work on my main WIP, then it's ok to write a short fanfic, just to cleanse palette and ensure I'm not putting myself off writing. Keep it fun!
Another bad habit of mine is over-researching. It goes hand in hand with the indecisiveness. I can't decide what should happen next, so I begin researching real history to get some inspiration for the world or characters, and it spins out of control. Research and inspiration are great, but the only way it works is if I do it in the evenings, when I have no energy to do anything else.
These are both VERY good and identifiable points I wish I'd thought to bring up in the video, haha...I suppose it was long enough already. I once spent over an hour researching how people washed dishes in the 18th century to write ONE SENTENCE...in a fantasy world, not even a real historical...probably not necessary. =P
@lidiyafoxgloveauthor I feel this one in my soul 🤣 it is so easy to try to make everything seem so accurate, but I try to remind myself...when it's a fantasy world everything I write is accurate to my world, because I say so 😅
I keep each step of the process as easy as possible psychologically; so, first I just jot down notes as they occur, until I have a stockpile. When it is large enough to sort, I often come across forgotten gems, which is good for morale. Next, I divvy things into plot, dialogue snippets, and scene ideas, so I can assess how complete a storyline they make, and where the gaps are, which are then easier to fill in, especially if I have a template. There's a method of novel writing that knocks out the dialogue first, with just quick sketches of location and whatnot as standins until later. I love how fast this method goes, and what a clear overview of the storyline and character. dynamics it gives, which keeps something as big as a novel manageable. Hand in hand with this, it's critical to have the end of your story already in mind--this caps your project, makes it finite, and therefore less scary and never-finished. Good luck, everyone!
One of the people in my local fantasy group does that same outlining method with all the dialogue. It always sounds like a great idea, but I'm one of those people who feels like they have to get everything "right" the first time (even though this is actually impossible). But I think it's a fantastic idea if your brain can work that way.
'it's critical to have the end of your story already in mind' ABSOLUTELY this. I think this is the most important rule I follow, having an ending always lets you move towards a specific goal and keeps me motivated to reach that finish line.
Before I say what I want to say,
I am not making fun of you,
I just think it's kinda cool,
That you remind me of
Wednesday Adam's.
You made a great video,
And I like your personality.
I love Wednesday Addams!
I do 1000 words a days minimum Monday to Friday and have succeeded in doing that for over a year now. I want to have the habit already built for consistent writing if I get to the point of being able to be a writer. The weekend breaks have helped when I need them.
I have a Freewrite and loving it for writing before work because I don't have those extra distractions before work. After work I like using 4thewords. It fills the part of me that likes gaming and finishing quests without actually gaming.
If I get stuck I move to another WIP story and then go back later because sometimes being stuck is temporary. Other times it needs more work but needs to step back to work it out.
Thanks for the video :)
THIS IS THE ONE I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!!!
This reminds me of progressive overload in exercise. Basically, every week you add a little more weight to your split (how you organize your workouts) and suddenly you’re lifting really heavy!
Is there a way to pin your first 40 books semi viral video on your channel so that people see it when they click your channel: 👀
I believe TH-cam allows channels to set a featured video on the profile page, one for new viewers and one for subscribers.
Is this the one that starts playing automatically when you click on a channel page? I don't know if it does that on the app, but when I look at YT on the desktop I find it SO annoying when anything starts to just make noise out of nowhere...especially when I forgot that I had my speakers turned up for a Zoom chat or something...
This was a great video on how to do something for a long time. Thank you! :)
Dropping the boring and making it fun for both parties makes the entire process better. I liked that part! Planned breaks matter too. I'm leaning this now. hehehe
Oh damn! I already liked the video before the chrono trigger scene should I unlike and like it again????????
Also this is great stuff, keep it up
Thanks for the tips..
Have you tried longhand writing
I used to write everything longhand as a kid and into my teens to some extent, but once I had regular access to a computer instead I can't say I ever looked back. I do outline on paper though. I think through outlines and notes better if I write them by hand.
Being able to set a hard goal of x hours of work without distractions or the excuses you might make to yourself I'd say is how you get the word count to go up. The problem today is that the writing machine is also the unlimited entertainment machine and social interaction machine. It's like trying to stop smoking while you have a pack laying around or giving up drinking with a shelf full of opened half full bottles. It's not actually hard like cutting your own leg off that was trapped under a boulder then walking to a road to be rescued, but it is hard like most people fail hard to keep being focused and on task. Maybe facing fiscal ruin might be a good motivator. Which is also predicate on being reasonably sure your efforts will be compensated for.
What's the saying? No farmer ever starved to death because he was too lazy to work his land.
Was that time travel clip from Chrono trigger or secret of mana wow. Such helpful advice I needed this so much
Chrono Trigger! I was struggling to think of a good time travel clip to put in there and I was like oh hey there's a whole game about time travel, bingo!
This is very sound advice thank you.
Im also curious, how did YOU manage to write 40 books in 4 years?❤
What were the books you recommended in this video?
I'm so impressed by people who can write every day. After three days straight of writing, my brain just dies and I'm like. Trying to write after that is like trying to hold your hand on a hot stovetop. Doesn't matter how much you want to, you can't. I've learned that I need to give myself breaks in between writing days, which I felt bad about for such a long time! But I've come to accept that it's just never going to happen for me.
The upside though is that when I *do* write, I bang out multiple thousands of words in a day. So, you know. Lose some, super win some!
I think that's pretty normal! You only have a certain capacity, however you slice it.
Honestly, you probably get the same amount of words that a lot of people who write daily get, you just write more words per day, buy less days overall.
I'm like you. I need breaks, but I can sit down and write 5-6K words in a day if I need to. I find that on my off-days my brain is still working on my story and coming up with ideas. So when I sit back down again, the ideas pour out. I prefer a weekly word count goal instead of a daily one. This works so much better with my personality.
@@bunny_0288 ooo weekly word count is so smart! I'm gonna try doing that :D
I'd never thought about this until listening to this video, but I also do that thing where I focus a lot on one thing and then take some time off later. The problem is that it takes forever for that break to end LOL, but once I get back on productivity mode, it's... a lot. It'd probably be better to have an actual schedule and consistency over extended periods of work/nothing, but I'm not sure how to do that. Will definitely try the 'treat your writing as a job' advice, though. If I don't write, it's like missing a day at work, and I'm tired of getting fired ykno
Noice. The distractions while writing are very real. Most times I write the first draft long hand. Other times I use cold turkey on my laptop to block TH-cam.
Very good information and setting up a schedule to write has been my main problem. I’m going with an hour a day and no word count cap.
Thank you so much. Every point you make in this video either resonates or sounds 'realistic'. I either never take a break or take too many because of health or, (not good enough reasons in my head anyway) like, for example, somehow my brain says... "Hey if you don't answer that email as soon as you hear the 'boop' sound, it may somehow disappear"... At the mo, I do a lot of unpaid work/research, so I get a ton of emails...I have often wanted to offer some of the research in question to the River Godess BEFORE anyone has read or 'judged it', which from a logical POV makes no sense at all...
This is going to sound strange, but I think that you have that author look. You look like an established author in my opinion. Maybe it’s a combination of the glasses and your style. I also wanted to say that I like your setup!
Also thank you for the tips 🤍 I’m literally the kind of writer you’re talking about. Been writing more consistently the past couple of years on and off. I’ve decided that my current WIP is the one I’m gonna finish 🎉
You aren't the first person to tell me that. By age 5 I was already radiating that "voted most bookish child" vibe and I haven't changed much at all, haha.
As for your WIP, you can do it!!! 🎉🎉
@@lidiyafoxgloveauthor As an old soul in a young body, I think it’s endearing 🤍 and thank you! I’m so close to 20k 😮
This is super validating lol I thought I was crazy for saving up for a second computer, but it seriously helps to have one laptop for fun and games and another one dedicated to productivity
Helpful, Lydia!
Awesome advice! All of them. Mostly the “fun” things to write about, that’s just brilliant. I often get stuck thinking that describing things would be boooring. But making it more fun for myself and the reader is basically a cheat-code😂 thank you!!
Also was happy to hear the word “discipline”, something a lot of people forgot about.
Love your videos😊
So glad I discovered your channel. Great analysis and advice. Thank you so much!
👍 👍
"Are you sure you time traveled to the right person?" 😂😂😂
Hi lydia! I just had a thought in my head, not related to this video but a different topic. Would you be able to explain how you get the covers for your books made? How do you find an artist? How much do you pay on average? How much input are you really able to put into how the cover will look? I read some books where the representation of the characters is nothing like what the book describes them and I always wondered if the author even knows what their own characters look like.
Of course, knowing what I do now, most authors don't make their own covers it just seems like something gets lost in translation when the author is speaking to the artist. Has anything like that every happened to you? What covers did you commission that you loved the most?
This is on the video topic list but I probably won't get to it for quite a while. If you're traditionally published, most people get little to no input. Self published, you get quite a bit, especially if you've hired a good quality cover artist who can work a lot of Photoshop wizardry. Sometimes it can truly be hard to match a model, though. A LOT of stock photos come from Russia and Eastern Europe so the bulk of the models available are not just white people but even a very specific sort of beauty ideal! When I wanted an Asian model for Kingdoms of Sky and Shadow for example, there were SO few to choose from, especially since we needed three good faces for the trilogy. Black and plus size models are the most difficult to find. Although Hispanic/Latina isn't easy either since there's a wide range, they're often not labeled well, and inevitably your designer will just find a girl with darker hair and be like "she looks like she could be Latina!" and you're like "...I mean maybe but..." (And yet you feel your designer's pain, because if you try to find someone yourself you are not having better luck...)
Also, a lot of covers are sold as pre-mades, and you might grab a pre-made that doesn't quite fit your character just because the cover has a great look overall.
Demons in the Bedroom is probably one of my favorite covers, it just looks so fun and perfectly nailed the tone. The model's face looks just like how I imagined Helena. However the outfit is NOTHING like how Helena dresses in the book! She'd never be flipping a house in like, leather pants and a crop top, LOL. However, it fits the style for the genre so well, I didn't ask the designer to change her clothes.
Sudden Chrono Trigger was a pleasant surprise. Also, good tips!
Do you use software like Prowriting Aid to edit your books before you send the book to an editor?
I've tried Grammarly and I felt like it took a lot of time for not much improvement. I just read a bit about ProWriting Aid and it does seems like kind of a different vibe though, so I'm curious now. My editing passes are pretty intense already though...
@@lidiyafoxgloveauthor I use it and it does take time. I read that you need to do a line by line edit before sending it off and I needed help with the edits so I chose Prowriting aid. I really like the software. Thanks for answering my question.
Thank you.
Giving your writing device as an offering is also a thing when you live near the sea 😂
What a great video!! Thank you.
Just got a Freewrite as well!
Thank you so much!
I have 2 Alphasmart Neos (1st one I bought new way back when, 2nd one bought for the price of a song on ebay) and they've been crucial to writing without distraction. How do you like your Freewrite Traveler?
Love what you said about competing only with yourself. During my most productive year (2020), I wrote 5 books. But I'm comfortable with 1-2 books a year, but I took a huge break due to burnout so I kind of feel like Rocky right now, training to run back up the steps... except, the way I feel now, I'm a former athlete with a giant potbelly😅who can only crush a beer can.
Btw, I also have wrist and back pain from writing! Do you work on a standing desk?
I was about to pull the trigger on an Alphasmart when the Traveler's Kickstarter was announced, and I was one of the first backers, I felt like I really needed a little more on the display than the Alphasmart offered and it would be worth the money. And I think that was true, for me at least. The original run took so long to deliver I started thinking I was being scammed, so I'm SO glad it was real and the company is still doing well (and the Traveler has held up very nicely).
I don't have a standing desk. Actually, I don't even have room for a desk. No home office deductions here, that's for sure. But I don't think I could write standing up. Yoga and my foam roller are my friends, but I'm also consigned to becoming a hunchback at this point...
Y'know, when I first read the title of this video I was about to dismiss it as previously I've seen schizophrenic people who claim to have written hundreds of books when in reality they are unreadable (and now same thing with AI), but I stand corrected - I've checked your Amazon and the books have hundreds of positive reviews each, which is no small feat - I've now subscribed to your channel in hopes of learning more.
Do you outline?
Yes. I've outlined in quite a number of different ways. I'm posting a video tonight going through the whole process of writing my latest! But they're all a little different.
woah she's super cute
I’m someone who’s neurodiverse and physically disabled and so focusing on solely writing can be difficult for me. This was helpful, even if I’m not sure I’ll be able to fully follow it 😅
Yes...I tried to acknowledge that in the video, not everyone can manage this even if they want to! Mental and physical health come first, and the older I get the more I have to take care of myself too.
Content begins at 7:20.
What a lot of non writing folks think how it works: you have an idea, you sit down and write it. Piece of cake. It's not that hard.
How it actually works out for most: They sit down, start writing, discover it's hard work. Most of them quit. The rest finishes the book. Want a pad on the back. Get critique. Most of them quite when they realize they have to rewrite. (More than once.)
I've published some books now I write for my enjoyment. I manage two books a year and some short storys. Training between those. I'll write fulltime when I'm retired.
I have a tip that some may not like but if you are writing as a job and need to do it fast it will help a lot as it does with me: use AI. And not to write for you mind you, but as a better searching tool than google, you can ask ideas for spells, a side character sheet, a list of folk stories to help you have that sparkle, I even used it to act as my villain and respond as him and started asking him how he as the villain would react, it was quite funny haha
😅I feel like George Martin should watch this and the the other video.. get some tips to speed somethings up
The question, in my opinion, is not how many books this woman has written, but how good this book is and whether it is worth reading. That is the question.
I just have one more question, how old are you, because you look like you're in your early 20s and that confuses me so much.
I guess you can't see my gray hairs on TH-cam yet! But the day is coming! I suppose I have been fortunate with the wrinkles for my age because like any good nerd I never go outside, haha. I'm 42.
@@lidiyafoxgloveauthor How are you older than my mom?! Also, I can't judge people by grey hairs considering my grandma started getting those at age 21. Either way, you look very young for your age and I loved your video, just like all of your other videos.
@@readingdino711 I don't know how I am old enough to be anyone's mom, and I am almost as old as my Grandma was when I was born, which really blows my mind. It's terrifyng to think that I could blink and just be a crazy 80 year old lady with a manga collection and a bunch of dresses with little puffed sleeves
@@lidiyafoxgloveauthor My mom had me at 19, so my current age, that's one way you could be older than her. But she definitely looks much older than you (aka she looks her age).
Yes, her face is like an optical illusion, her face is very young, but her eyes are mature. It's so confusing but cool too. 😂
1000 words in an hour!? I miss those days. Now I’m lucky if I write a sentence a month 😩🫠
I also wanted to say thank you for your advice and this channel. I’m a brand new subscriber and I can’t wait to go back through your video library 📗📚❤
16:45
That explains why so many literary novels bore me - not enough donkeys! 🫏🫏🫏🫏🫏
Thank you for the tips
Ok but the main question is - are they good.
I’m a pomodoro girlie!