A Dash of Words with Loleta Abi Romance Author

The Writer’s Wheel 12/1/19: Seeing Things Through

Loleta Abi

Do you give up at the first sign of struggle? Do you crumble when it comes to putting in the time? Maybe it’s time to look at things and make a plan.

Getting Organized.

It might not sound like much but staying organized can really have a positive effect on your outlook. Consider: when you walk in the house and everything’s a mess, do you feel like sitting down and getting into your WIP or do you plunge straight into housework? If you look at your desk, does the clutter overrun it? That might halt inspiration. Break things down into simple tasks. Do twenty mins. at this, twenty at that. Pause for some writing. Go back to your tasks. Do a little editing if you’re at that stage. Repeat your tasks. Keep on until you break as much as you can down. Go on to another day.

Making Writing a Priority.

I know you’ve heard it said by famous authors: you’ve got to make time for your writing. You may not have to write EVERY day but at least get a regular routine running. Try ten to fifteen mins. if that’s all you got. From here, you can either increase the time or stick with it. Every writer is different in their needs. Some need to keep writing every day to keep the flow going. Some write in spurts. It’s all about how YOU work. Just don’t be a tease to your Muse. Commit. Do the work. It’ll reward you.

Rejection Hurts, but You Can Get Through It.

Believe me, I know. I continuously receive rejections on poems and short stories. The only difference now, is I get nice notes with the rejections. I get asked to submit again. If you don’t give up, it’ll happen. It’s about persistence. If you want it bad enough, things will fall into place. But don’t hang your life on acceptance. The truth is, we won’t all make it. Don’t let yourself get so low that you feel like ending things (literally). Nothing is worth your life. You’re unique and wonderful on your own. Getting published is great, yes but this business holds a lot of heartache. Any writer can tell you that. And if you’re thinking you’re going to get rich, well, best of luck to you.

Strive to Improve.

Writing, editing, learning your craft, there all ways to improve your work. Don’t ever think you know everything. There’s always something new to learn. Something to explore. A new road to go down. I’m learning to write a form of poetry called Haiku right now. I’ve always written free form before this. I’m improving, the more I practice. The same with short stories. I’m working with another writer to improve those. I do prompts to help me with my set of tools.

Getting Where You’re Headed.

It may take years; it might be longer. Sooner or later, if you keep at it, you’ll reach your goals. It certainly helps to write in the right environment. Having what you need within reach. The ability to do your work on equipment that works as well as you’re able to. It helps to have a computer, I’ll be honest. And believe me, I’m strapped for funds too. Most editors these days want queries or submission sent via email. A few still take snail-mail but it takes a LOT longer to do things that way. If you want to stand a chance, ask a relative for their old one if they’re trading up. If nothing else, go to your local library. They have computers there plus printers.

You really can get further than you think just by pushing yourself. Clean that workspace. Borrow a computer. Read those books! They’ll give you more tools you need. Scratch the surface, and see how far you can go!