I have been busy recently getting my ducks in a row, which means I’ve gotten behind on some of the extras I’ve promised to do here. I’m getting to everything, but the paying work has to come first, else there will be no extras because I’ll have to go back to working a real job instead of getting paid for having fun!
I’ve decided to concentrate on the word HARD for the first few issues of my writing life newsletter. (Here I am talking about “issues” when I’m still working on the first one, snort.) That, and the first chapter of the round robin, as well as the first of my freebie ebooks are all underway, but the completion dates are lagging. Time management and I need to have a come to Jesus meeting; I figure I can dispense with the politeness and get straight to the threats. Or, I can do something more positive by sharing with you something that works for me. One of the most helpful books I have in my inspirational library is Way of the Cheetah, by Lynn Viehl. In the introduction, Lynn says:
I wrote Way of the Cheetah to help writers make the most of their writing time. By removing doubt and hesitation, taking care of whats important to the writing process and discarding what isn’t, I believe that a writer can create the ideal physical and mental environment to produce more marketable work and write better, faster, and cleaner.(…) Following the Way of the Cheetah does not guarantee youll write five books a year. All writers are different, and what works for me may not be the best method for you. However, by following the way you may identify some of the problems that impair your productivity, and that self-awareness can help you create your own unique solutions.
Although Im writing this book primarily with writers in mind, you can apply the philosophies from Way of the Cheetah to other areas in your life where youd like to be more productive. I’ve used these techniques for everything from more efficient housecleaning to motivating myself to exercise, and they still work. Maybe thats why the cheetah has been around for four million years; it knows exactly what its doing.
The book is a practical guide as well as offering inspiration. And it’s not about writing like the wind, or speeding through manuscripts, cranking out one after another. Not at all. It’s about being the efficient writing animals we need to be. It covers:
* Proper Motivation
* Sharpening Focus
* Establishing Self-Discipline
* Creating the Ideal Work Space
* Writing Through the First Draft
* Efficient and Effective Editing
When reading through again yesterday, I actually set the picture on the right as my desktop wallpaper as a reminder of the need for motivation, focus, and self-discipline. Clicking will give you a larger 1024 x 768 version if you’d like to download it for your own use. And if you want to read more about Lynn’s book, click the cover above to check it out at the Holly Shop for Writers.
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I’m looking forward to the new newsletter Alison.
by Cathie January 31st, 2008 at 1:22 pmCheetah is fantastic. Actually, I need to reread that one and whip my butt in gear.
by Eva Gale February 5th, 2008 at 10:43 am