It’s been almost a month since I started my Year of Writing by implementing my 2x2x2 Daily Writing Method — 2 hours of working on The Devil Particle, 2 hours of marketing, and two hours of reading every day. So far it’s working.
To be honest, I don’t do this plan every day. I had to cheer on the Packers and the bathrooms and dirty clothes won’t clean themselves, but I do manage to complete the Method five days a week.
What I found, and what I’ve known but for some reason forgot, is that writing each day makes me happy.
I’m calmer, more relaxed, less stressed. Writing is like yoga for my soul.
Once I’m wrapped in my robe and afghan, cozy on my yellow couch with my laptop open, tea or water nearby, I set my timer for two hours and get started.
Some days, after forty minutes in, I want to quit. The words aren’t flowing, the ideas are lame, my characters are stubborn. There are dishes to wash, bills to pay, GamePigeon games to win, all tempting me to stop writing. But I force myself to keep at it the full two hours.
Within minutes of working through the glitch, my writing takes off, and then what seems like seconds later, my timer goes off.
The two hours of marketing a day have been surprisingly less of a struggle. Right now my marketing involves querying agents. I’m shooting for two queries a day which means the two hours allotted to marketing often turn to three.
I also work on my newsletter and homeschooling blog, respond to emails, and submit my books to contests or workshop proposals to conferences. I’m getting a lot done.
If anything has fallen by the wayside in my 2x2x2 Daily Writing Method, it’s reading. Reading is a guilty pleasure for me. I have no problem binge-watching “The Queen’s Gambit” or “Bridgerton”, but lounging on the couch reading a good novel for two hours seems decadent. I feel guilty doing it.
I know, I have to get over it. Reading is part of my job. Oftentimes, I’m able to get two hours of reading in by listening to books while walking through my neighborhood. But the frigid temperatures and snowdrifts have delegated me to my treadmill and watching cooking shows.
So, I have to work on reading two hours a day with the understanding that this is part of my job. Did I mention I love my job?
While doing the dishes and folding laundry (since I’m not out walking), I’ll listen to The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton (she’s the founder of the young adult genre). I’ve started the book and Ponyboy, the fourteen-year-old protagonist has won me over.
At night, I’m reading Jess Walter’s The Cold Millions and even though I’m halfway through I’m not convinced I like it. The writing is excellent, as expected (Walter wrote one of my favorite books Beautiful Ruins), but the storyline is heavy-handed with class warfare. Next in my fiction queue is Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell — which I’ve never read!
In nonfiction, I’m picking up Blake Boles’ Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids to School. It’s a good read and Blake has agreed to be a guest on my homeschooling blog! I’ll also read Lisa Cron’s Story Genius because she’s a master at the craft of writing.
I’ve got lots of great reading to get to and now that I’ve finished this newsletter (my marketing for today), that’s exactly what I’ll do!
I would love to hear about your New Year’s Resolutions.
Have they worked for you or are they long forgotten? Let me know!
Join Me!
Sunday, March 7th at 4:00 p.m. – Cocktails and Conversation with Samantha Hoffman of the Chicago Writers Association. Samantha and I will be talking about the research I do when writing my novels. If you check out this month’s Cocktails and Conversation on February 7th at 4:00 p.m., you’ll meet my editor Tim Storm!
For Homeschoolers
Be sure to check out my blog: Seize the Day – Homeschool! In the latest edition, I explain why I decided to unschool my children.
I had a bit of a delay working on my resolutions, because of the concussion I suffered on Dec. 6. This week I’m probably working at 70%, but each week that goes up.
I’m in the process of completely redesigning my writing business, so I joined a business planning group for authors. Lots of work, but necessary. I’m also starting on a new book project, a hybrid of my previous series, updated for the pandemic. Other things, too.
Kristin, I completely identify with the need for reading. All of my reading right now is work or book-related. So I’m hoping to add some reading that, for want of a better phrase, ‘sparks joy’.
Hi Victoria:
It’s good to hear from you. I’m so sorry to hear about your concussion. Keep healing!
I’d love to hear more about your business planning group for authors–that’s definitely something I need. And I’m glad to hear you’re working on a new project.
Cheers to sparking joy!
Kristin
Dear Kristin, I enjoy your newsletters – do they get budgeted to “marketing?” In this case I can count this comment in my marketing time slot. I am actually busy writing my book “Seeing Particles” (with personal stories) most days now. I decided it should be my priority this year (apart from the monthly columns). I am using Scrivener. Perhaps in six months I might have a zero’th draft for you to look at?? But way before then we must have another lunch. I am old enough to get in the queue for a vaccine (Feb? Mar?).
Dear Mike:
My newsletter definitely got budgeted into my two-hour slot for marketing. It actually took three hours Friday morning to get it just the way I liked, so maybe I should get some extra credits?
I’m glad to hear you’re busy writing away. How do you like Scrivener? I’d be happy to look at your draft, as long as my workload permits. I’m really hoping to get the first book published by year’s end.
Lunch would be great–throw out some dates!
Kristin
It took a diagnosis of terminal breast cancer for me to take my writing and reading seriously. The deadline of a lifetime you might say. Just found your blog and plan to check in often. Good on you for your 2x2x2 plan!
Hi Donna:
I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but I’m glad to hear you’re tackling your writing and reading. What do you write? What are you reading?
Kristin
Thanks for the neat idea, Kristin. I’m balancing day-job deadlines and a second draft right now, but I work from home and think this approach — or perhaps a 1x1x1 Daily Writing Method, for starters 🙂 — might work for me once I’m ready to send out queries.
Stay safe, be well, and good luck with everything.
Hi Michael:
It’s good to hear from you. Yes, a 1x1x1 Daily Writing Method would be a great place to start. You might find that those 1 hours turn into 1 1/2 or even 2 once you get going. What’s the book you’re working on?
Kristin
I’ve been working on my first novel since I attended the 2017 UW-Madison Writers’ Institute and wrote about that event for Isthmus. It began as a short story in the late Nineties and is about a former musician seeking redemption after his most regrettable act — which happened 30 years ago and broke up his college band.
That sounds great! Have you read David Mitchell’s “Utopia Avenue”? It’s about a fictional band that formed in the sixties–kind of the reverse of your story. How far along are you in the process?