Hmmm, small changes in my writing life? Well, I have a 'full-on' part-time job now which curtails my writing time a little bit. The good news is my job is in the world of writing, so I still get to think about writing all of the time - but the bad news is now I have 'just' two clear weekdays to write the new WiP. Instead of 85% of my week being dedicated to "my stuff" I now have 45% (I realise how privileged I still am btw!), so my 2025 change has to be in the category of firm, disciplined, prioritisation of 'bum in chair, fingers on keyboard' over all other life-admin stuff that will inevitably crowd into those 2 free days if I let it. All references by family members (the creators of life-admin-work) to my writing days as being 'days off' have been banned forthwith and any instances are jumped on and suitable bloodthirsty threats and castigation's issued. I will write between the hours of 10am and 12:30, then 2pm and 5pm at the very least. Within those hours I will aim to write at least 500 words overall - an old psychop on myself to relieve pressure; keep the target small and viable so that I can begin. I often sail past this target, once I'm in the groove. I've also been working on my plotting and planning skills - so this WiP will be the first test of how well that pre-work fares when it comes to actually writing! These are my minor-mickles :)
Thank you for this. A good reminder of things I already know. The staying inside my head is the thing I have always found the hardest, but that is why I want to write. I have always escaped the inside of my head by reading novels, and getting inside the heads of others!
I am studying (very slowly!) for a creative writing degree, and have been following you for a while after a recommendation from a tutor. I quote you in some of my reflective commentaries, fully referenced , of course!
So my New Year's resolution is to become a paid subscriber!
I’m so glad these are useful - and thank you for supporting the Itch. Lovely to know the Itch is also making it into commentaris, and respect!: referencing online sources can be tiresome. At least on Substack the permalinks are obvious!
Reading the non-fiction I bought last year to inform my historical novel for 30 minutes, drawing out arcs and flows to visualize what cause and effect needs bridging. Joining my noon “Golden Hour” silent writing group an average of four days a week to start the year.
I've always loved writing and been told I was half decent at it but never really gave it the time and attention it deserves. That's why I made the decision to go part-time at my day job this year and devote more energy to my muse. Some of these suggestions will surely come in handy!
Both the lead characters in my current novel (set in 1289) write poetry. Anselm is translating the psalms from Hebrew to English - I’ve done this so occasionally we can add fragments of his translations - & Alice becomes a major Middle English poet writing Sir Orfeo amongst other pieces (& we’ve done a translation into modern English verse). While waiting for edits on our current draft we worked on a Lay giving the sad tale of the murder that is at the heart of Novel #2.
From my experience the cross-fertilisation between poetry & prose is v valuable.
I love the idea of reading poetry to inform one's prose writing with its precision and specificity. I also love the trees of life you featured, especially the ones depicting Noah's ark. I own some myself and enjoy both the brilliant colurs and the symbolism. Thanks for sharing :).
Those trees of life are glorious, aren't they. The first time I was in Mexico I only saw the little ones you can buy in the nicer kind of tourist shop - so encountering this display in the museum blew my mind. I do find that writing poetry, either on a course or on your own, is even more powerful for your writing. You don't need to have an ambitions for it as poetry, or show it to anyone, it can just be yoga.
A pencil sketch every day. After only a few days, I am becoming much more aware of my surroundings, even though I am a terrible sketcher. I'm not much cop as a writer either (I was a reasonable translator) but a lack of talent has never stopped me from pursuing my various passionate interests (writing, music-making, vegetable gardening,...).
Aha! Yes, exactly - that's very much what's behind my "appointment to write" post: what such a practice does for you more widely, regardless of the output.
Hmmm, small changes in my writing life? Well, I have a 'full-on' part-time job now which curtails my writing time a little bit. The good news is my job is in the world of writing, so I still get to think about writing all of the time - but the bad news is now I have 'just' two clear weekdays to write the new WiP. Instead of 85% of my week being dedicated to "my stuff" I now have 45% (I realise how privileged I still am btw!), so my 2025 change has to be in the category of firm, disciplined, prioritisation of 'bum in chair, fingers on keyboard' over all other life-admin stuff that will inevitably crowd into those 2 free days if I let it. All references by family members (the creators of life-admin-work) to my writing days as being 'days off' have been banned forthwith and any instances are jumped on and suitable bloodthirsty threats and castigation's issued. I will write between the hours of 10am and 12:30, then 2pm and 5pm at the very least. Within those hours I will aim to write at least 500 words overall - an old psychop on myself to relieve pressure; keep the target small and viable so that I can begin. I often sail past this target, once I'm in the groove. I've also been working on my plotting and planning skills - so this WiP will be the first test of how well that pre-work fares when it comes to actually writing! These are my minor-mickles :)
You're right on point! Be gone inner-Calvinist! That'll have done it, I think.
Thank you for this. A good reminder of things I already know. The staying inside my head is the thing I have always found the hardest, but that is why I want to write. I have always escaped the inside of my head by reading novels, and getting inside the heads of others!
I am studying (very slowly!) for a creative writing degree, and have been following you for a while after a recommendation from a tutor. I quote you in some of my reflective commentaries, fully referenced , of course!
So my New Year's resolution is to become a paid subscriber!
I’m so glad these are useful - and thank you for supporting the Itch. Lovely to know the Itch is also making it into commentaris, and respect!: referencing online sources can be tiresome. At least on Substack the permalinks are obvious!
Reading the non-fiction I bought last year to inform my historical novel for 30 minutes, drawing out arcs and flows to visualize what cause and effect needs bridging. Joining my noon “Golden Hour” silent writing group an average of four days a week to start the year.
Oooh, these are really interesting - thank you!
I've always loved writing and been told I was half decent at it but never really gave it the time and attention it deserves. That's why I made the decision to go part-time at my day job this year and devote more energy to my muse. Some of these suggestions will surely come in handy!
Oh, good for you! That's a brave move. It's easy to forget that one doesn't only need time: energy has to come into the equation too!
Both the lead characters in my current novel (set in 1289) write poetry. Anselm is translating the psalms from Hebrew to English - I’ve done this so occasionally we can add fragments of his translations - & Alice becomes a major Middle English poet writing Sir Orfeo amongst other pieces (& we’ve done a translation into modern English verse). While waiting for edits on our current draft we worked on a Lay giving the sad tale of the murder that is at the heart of Novel #2.
From my experience the cross-fertilisation between poetry & prose is v valuable.
Yes, working on poetry does tune one's ear - very obviously in hist fic, but not only there.
I love the idea of reading poetry to inform one's prose writing with its precision and specificity. I also love the trees of life you featured, especially the ones depicting Noah's ark. I own some myself and enjoy both the brilliant colurs and the symbolism. Thanks for sharing :).
Those trees of life are glorious, aren't they. The first time I was in Mexico I only saw the little ones you can buy in the nicer kind of tourist shop - so encountering this display in the museum blew my mind. I do find that writing poetry, either on a course or on your own, is even more powerful for your writing. You don't need to have an ambitions for it as poetry, or show it to anyone, it can just be yoga.
Your yoga for writers article is absolutely fantastic. Teeming with extremely inspirational ideas.
I'm so glad it's useful! It's easy for us to forget that not all writing has to be, as it were, a writing project.
A pencil sketch every day. After only a few days, I am becoming much more aware of my surroundings, even though I am a terrible sketcher. I'm not much cop as a writer either (I was a reasonable translator) but a lack of talent has never stopped me from pursuing my various passionate interests (writing, music-making, vegetable gardening,...).
Aha! Yes, exactly - that's very much what's behind my "appointment to write" post: what such a practice does for you more widely, regardless of the output.