Prioritizing Tips: or Making the Mountain into a Molehill

Karina Fabian

Guest blogger Karina Fabian shares her advice on juggling multiple priorities, along with a video book trailer for her new release, Mind Over Mind.

Even though it's been a hot summer, I've had this impression for months that I'm staring up at an impending avalanche. No snow is involved, however; just a pile of tasks that could daunt the most skilled organizer. On days I feel more like running for my life than tackling my to-do list, I have to remember that only two things will save me from my self-imposed danger. Prioritizing and getting to work.

Prioritizing is what gets the important things done first; think of it as helping you get the worst of that snowdrift out of the danger zone so you can pick at the icicles later. How do you do this? Decide before you look at your list what is most important to you and why. Since I'm a professional writer--meaning I sometimes get paid for my work--I prioritize my tasks this way:

1. What do I have a contractual obligation for? If I have a contract for a book or story, it gets done before anything else.

2. What can I get paid for? If my publisher might like the next book on my mind, I put it higher on the list than one I've got no market for yet.

3. What will support my other books? Sometimes, I will stop and write a short story in one of the universes I have novels in to submit to magazines. This is both writing and marketing!

4. Is there an opportunity I need to jump at?

5. What's going to further my dream? Sometimes, this might have to force itself higher on the chain. For example, I have a trilogy I think has a good chance with one of the Big Six. I've not had time to write it yet, however, so I've earmarked several months in 2012 for it.

Here is my avalanche:

My publisher is interested in a second Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator book. Another publisher has the first in my Mind Over Mind trilogy, which came out in August. I had the chance to pitch a book I've been working on to my ideal publisher for it. I had three anthologies I want to write for. I have a book coming out in April (Live and Let Fly), and I have an idea for a book that I think could get me an agent.

It sounds like a huge, impossible mass of work--and avalanche ready to happen, right? However, because I have it prioritized, I could handle these in sequence:

--Mind Over Psyche, the second in the trilogy, went out in March

--April-June, I worked on Neeta Lyffe II, putting it aside in June to finish Discovery to pitch to Ignatius

--in July, while finishing Discovery, I also wrote a story with the main character from Mind Over Mind to send to the anthology. The other stories will wait until October

--in August, I am alternating between Discovery's polish and Live and Let Fly's edits

--I will finish Neeta II in September

--I start the serial stories in November (and they will be pretty automatic once I finish the set-up)

--I will write Damsels and Knights Jan-April

I conquer each task by priority, and while other things may pop up, they will get put in their proper spot (or disregarded if they don't make the priority list).

Sometimes as writers, we're tempted to give in to the stereotype that as creative people, we cannot bind ourselves to a particular task. That attitude gets you buried under the avalanche. You can identify your priorities, so before you take on the tasks, figure out what's important to you, set priorities, assign tasks and go!

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Cooking Up a New Career

The secret to happiness, it seems, lies in finding your passion. But sometimes, if you're lucky, your passion finds you.

I'd like to say there was a certain air of expectation hovering over the boardroom table that day in 1998, but I'd be painting the past with false colours. As the fund-raising committee geared up for another year of activities, I had no way of knowing that one of those activities would trigger a major change in my career aspirations.

At that point I'd been working for the same employer for more than thirteen years and had contributed my efforts to raising money for one of the company's preferred charities, the local children's hospital. That usually meant selling fifty-fifty tickets and co-ordinating weekly jean days. The cause was worthwhile, but the activities were starting to lose their appeal--at least for me. But I stayed because I'd been a patient at that same hospital in my youth and felt I owed them something in return.

Volunteering also helped break the monotony of what had become an unsatisfying work life. I spent my days sending form letters in response to unsolicited job applications and managing internal transfer lists. My nights were devoted to pursuing a university degree in English and Creative Writing. Of course I dreamed of getting published someday, but I had no illusions about earning a living that way.

"Most people spend their lives working at jobs they don't enjoy," my mother once said. "What makes you think you deserve better?"

I wanted to scream, "Because I know what else I want to do!" But that would have been rude, I suppose. And I was never one to be rude. I didn't stand up for myself or cut in line or ask for seconds. I always waited to see what might be offered or left over after everyone else had a turn.

Foods That Make You Go
...MMMMMMMMMMM!

That day in 1998, after all the usual moneymaking ideas had been discussed and assigned, something wonderful and unexpected happened. Two of the committee members pitched the notion of publishing an employee cookbook.

I don't remember much of what was said after that. I do, however, remember that I fairly flew across the boardroom table to offer my services. Finally, someone had come up with a fund-raising idea about which I could get excited. Not that I could have expressed my reasons then. I'd never really considered publishing as a career option. But there was just something about the words "publish a cookbook" that made my brain ignite like a Canada Day fireworks display. "This is what I want to do," I told a friend right after the meeting. "I'm going to be a publisher."

Tastes of the Tantramar

That humble little cookbook--complete with clipart graphics and sorely lacking an ISBN--led to another, somewhat more refined cookbook later that year. Buoyed by those early experiences, I started my own publishing company. And I waited. And I learned. And, little by little, I worked. I worked for experience. I worked for exposure. I even worked for varying degrees of money! I tackled anything that might lend itself to making me a better publisher.

Now I have a few books in my company catalogue, with many more planned for the future. I'm still writing, of course, and my own work has appeared in a handful of books from other publishers. They each hold a place of pride in my personal library alongside my own publications. First and most prized among them will always be that unexpected little cookbook that brought my passion to me.

Time to Stop Writing!

How many times have you heard the expression “Writers live a solitary existence” (or words to that effect)?

The fact of the matter is, most writers need to be alone in order to write. A quiet place, free of distractions from well meaning family and friends, is one of the most important tools in a writer’s arsenal. But what about when you’re not writing?

What writers also need is to find lives beyond their desks and computers. After all, fresh experiences feed the creative process. If we do nothing but sit at a desk all day, staring at a blank page or a flickering screen, we soon run out of ideas.

Here are just a few ways you can rediscover the world beyond your desk:

1.    Pick up a new skill by taking a course--and not online. Sign up at your local community college. Learn to make crème brulée or find out what an f/stop is and how it’s used.

2.    Go for a walk in the park, taking your time and taking in your surroundings with each step. With each visit, you’re bound to find something new.

3.    Make a lunch date with a friend. Try a restaurant that neither of you has gone to before. And order a dish you’ve never tried before, either.

4.    Join a bowling team or a book club or some other social group. Shy around strangers? Drag a willing (or even slightly unwilling) accomplice along for moral support.

5.    Now here’s the really scary option. Go on a date! If you’re married, make a date with your spouse. Just give yourself permission to take the evening off and have some fun.

The best part is, you don’t have to write about any of it when you get home.  But you can if you want to. Better yet, repeat any of the above and/or make a new list of things to do. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination--as a writer, you have plenty on which to draw.

Writing in 3-D: Discipline, Dedication & Drive

Want to know what it really takes to be a successful writer?

Talent doesn’t hurt, but talent alone won’t take you far—unless you throw in healthy doses of discipline, dedication, and drive.

There’s more to discipline than writing every day. You also have to spend time on the less exciting aspect of the writing business, like market research, submissions and queries, follow ups, promotion, networking, and research.

Are you tired yet? Just wait until I start talking about the financial side of things. You know, the bottom line. If you want to get truly serious about your writing, you have to treat it like a business. That means keeping track of revenue and expenses, sending out invoices, and filing your taxes. (Who doesn’t love taxes?)

This is where dedication comes in. If you’re not committed to your writing career, the business side of things will wear you down over time. It’s especially difficult to watch your profit margin ebb and flow throughout the year. Will you end up in the red again or finally cross over that magic line into turning a small profit—at least on paper?

If you’ve got the drive, you’ll press ahead through the financially lean times (a.k.a. years). Periodic financial dips will only spur you to work that much harder. One month’s loss is another month’s gain, after all.

Just remember, words on the page might be two-dimensional, but your writing career should be 3-D all the way.

The Writer Who Edits Herself...

I think you can fill in the rest. 

One of the worst mistakes you can make as a writer is doing the final edit on your own work. Frankly, you're too close to the material. You've slogged away over your precious sentences for hours, days, weeks, months and ‐‐ you poor soul ‐‐ even years. Not only have you formed an attachment to every word, you're also bound to see what you expect (or want) to see. 

A certain level of stupidity sets in after prolonged periods of writing. Just as we're feeling our most brilliant, turns out our brains are quietly failing us. I'm not talking about a misplaced comma or a misused semi‐colon here. I mean total logic breakdown. You could sail the Queen Mary into any one of those plot holes, but you're pushing the engines to full throttle ‐‐ kind of like a bad scene from Speed 2 (as if there's any other kind). 

Bite the bullet, swallow your pride -- just don't choke on the bullet) -- and admit you need help. If you don't already have a writing partner, find one. You're probably on a few mailing lists for writers. Post a request to one or more lists and choose the best fit from those who respond. The key is to share your raw work with another writer whose opinion and editing skill you trust. Should they happen to feel the same way about you then you might be on to a good thing.

The Top 10 Things Every Writer Needs (in no particular order)

1. A leak‐proof pen.

Whether in your pocket or on your pad, a leaky pen creates a messy distraction that few writers can afford. After all, we're so easily diverted from the task of writing. What could be more appealing than rinsing out an ink stain or searching for a better pen‐‐even if it means a quick trip to the store? 

2. A small notepad.

Writing is more than a job; it's a lifestyle. No matter where we go or whom we're with, we're always writing, if only in our heads. Random thoughts‐‐brilliant or mundane‐‐will never amount to more than flashes in the brain pan unless we record them as they occur. Once we write them down, however, we have the luxury of waiting for them to evolve into greater works. 

3. At least one honest critic.

Let's face facts. An honest critique is hard to find, especially among family and friends. If you find at least one person who'll always tell you the truth, no matter how painful, count your blessings. A person with some literary sensibility would be nice, but someone who simply enjoys a good read will do. 

4. At least one morale booster.

Who couldn't use a steady supply of positive affirmations? We're only human, and our egos love to be fed. Your supporter could feed you a varied diet, including glowing reviews and reminders of past successes‐‐whatever it takes to keep you in the writing game. 

5. A computer with Internet access.

Like it or not, we're living in a wired world. Most publications have an online presence, and many of them will accept queries and/or submissions by email. Even those that persist in using postal mail usually promote themselves on the Internet. Besides, you can become part of a community of writers and lessen the solitude that often comes with this craft. 

6. A day job.

The ongoing use of postal mail by some publishers means writers need to make copies of their stories and letters. Not to mention little things like food and shelter. Unfortunately, writing doesn't always generate lots of revenue. The truly creative writer knows how to reap the non-salary rewards of holding down the obligatory day job. If you have to give up one third of your writing time in order to pay the bills, why not throw in a few perks? 

7. A quiet retreat (or two).

A retreat can be as simple as a separate room in your home or as exhilarating as a seaside cottage. All that really matters is removing yourself from the demands of partners, children and pets whenever possible. Consider it a gift to your loved ones. As long as you get the time you need to write, they won't have to endure your fits of frustration. 

8. The fellowship of other writers.

Birds of a feather. Peas in a pod. Most people, regardless of their pursuits, enjoy the company of like‐minded individuals. Other writers understand us unlike anyone else. We don't have to explain that staring out the window is part of the creative process or justify our latest late‐night writing binge. 

9. A collection of great writing.

Everyone needs heroes. Whose writing do you most admire? Whose career do you most covet? Keep their works handy and refer to them often. Re‐read a favorite passage as often as it takes to fire up your tired brain. Give yourself over to the masters, and they will guide you through the creative journey. 

10. A selection of lousy writing.

Not every published writer is a master of the craft. If a particular story makes you shake your head in disbelief, clip the story and tack it to the wall over your desk. Whenever you feel your talent is gone and no editor will ever buy your work, look at the clip. If that hack could get published, what's stopping you?

Keeping a Journal

I’d like to say I still have every journal from a lifetime of writing. After all, I poured so many thoughts into those pages, secrets I couldn’t even share with myself.

My childhood diaries, however, have gone the way of my baby teeth. Just as well. Some things are better left forgotten.

More recent journals are scattered about my home: stacked on the floor, stuffed into the back of shelves, and hidden in boxes in the closet. I wouldn’t be surprised if some are propping up second‐hand furniture.

Does this mean I’m indifferent to the contents of those half‐remembered tomes? I prefer to see them as buried treasure. How much more poignant the words will seem when unearthed years from now. And perhaps their value will have grown during the passing years.

Consider the following description written during a morning free write at an oceanfront cottage:

     The way the foam dances ahead of the wave,

     it looks like nimble fingers on piano keys.

The line stayed in my head for years and eventually evolved into the following poem:

     water washed over

     cold crescent shore loosely keyed

     pebbled concerto

The basic concept is still there but expanded to include more concrete imagery. If I hadn’t captured the description in the moment, however, the poem never would have come about.

Journaling is a valid aspect of any writer’s life. Recording your observations on a daily basis provides practice and discipline. Try it for a week—just one page per day—and see if you’re not convinced.

You just might realize that there’s more to “keeping” a journal than choosing its storage location.

Rejection Lessons

My writing teacher warned me this would happen. One rejection letter after another piled on shelves and shoved into filing cabinets. There’s enough paper to cover my office walls—and ceiling and floor and some of the hallway. Well, that’s one solution. There has to be more to the rejection letter than dust collector and object of scorn. 

Most writers will say that the best way to handle rejection letters is to read them, file them and send the rejected piece off to someone else as soon as possible. It’s not bad advice, but it’s not good enough. Take a long, hard look at that letter. Has the editor tossed you a crumb of hope? Given you even the slightest chance to hang on to your confidence and self-respect? 

Yes, it’s a form letter—the same terse, soulless letter they send to every writer who doesn’t make the grade—but what else? Amongst all those stiffly typed words, is anything other than the signature handwritten? Quite likely. Editors like to add quick notes to writers who show some promise. If you can decipher the scrawl—editors are as inscrutable as doctors when it comes to penmanship—pay attention to the words. If you’re lucky, the editor will compliment one or more aspects of your story—then tell you exactly where he or she thinks you went wrong. 

Take the comments seriously but don’t take them to heart—unless they all start saying the same things. If nine out of ten editors say your ending falls flat, it probably does. Don’t sulk. Don’t get angry. Fire up your computer (or uncap your pen) and get back to the business of writing. Tuck your original version away—just in case—and start making changes. Use the suggestions you like. Dream up a few of your own. Throw away the rest. After all, it’s still your story. You can only make so many changes based on outside commentary before it becomes someone else’s story. 

Thicken your skin by joining a writers’ workshop (either online or in person). Everyone submits their work for critique. It won’t take long for you to realize that a single story can generate critiques that run the gamut from “this is absolutely wonderful” to “better luck next time.” Whether you’re hearing from fellow writers or detached editors, don’t take the comments personally. Except in rare cases, critiques are aimed at the story, not at the writer. 

Finally, accept the fact that—for most of us—the rejections will far outweigh any successes. Writing is a subjective art form. Standards of quality shift from person to person and from moment to moment. Remain as true as possible to your original vision. Somewhere amidst all those publications is an editor who sees life as you do—or at least appreciates the way you present your case.

Why Do You Write?

Don’t worry about the type of writing you do or how long you’ve had the creative bug. Focus on the reasons why. Some of you may feel an overwhelming need to express yourselves. Others feel a passion for the written word. In both cases, writing comes as naturally as drinking water to satisfy a thirst. You write because you must.

Perhaps you write for yourself, taking satisfaction from forming an idea into a finished piece. Perhaps you write for you family, preserving bits of history for future generations. Perhaps you write for publication, sharing your work with anyone willing to read beyond the first few lines. 

What about money? Wouldn’t it be great to be paid for your work? A fiction teacher once told me to consider my reasons very carefully. If I sought fame and/or fortune, I ought to give up writing in favour of more practical skills. 

Is it really that difficult to earn a living as a writer? 

In the world of creative writing—particularly literary fiction and poetry—proper compensation seems like a half‐forgotten dream. A select few literary journals offer high fees, but competition among writers is fierce. Smaller and less established journals may offer little or no monetary compensation. 

In order to earn a living, many writers turn to trade and specialty magazines for more lucrative deals. Feature articles tend to generate considerably more income than creative writing. However, most editors aren’t interested in reading unsolicited manuscripts. For the writer, that means extra time spent on research and crafting a convincing query letter. Why is your article unique? Why are you the best writer for the job? Why should the editor care? 

Ultimately, you have to decide if the benefits outweigh your efforts. If you’re making good money but hate what you’re writing, you’ve probably gone off track somewhere along the way. On the other hand, an old adage suggests that if you do what you love, the money will follow.