Eat Dessert First

My novels pose the deepest and most earnest work effort in my writing career. I have to dive into them, going completely under the surface, surrounding myself with all the characterization in order to pull the chapters off with credibility. Once I'm there, it's nirvana. Getting there is another story.

I make myself do my chores first. Chores that consist of blogging, writing editorials, and researching resources for FundsforWriters. I answer email and note comments on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads. Then I give myself permission to write on the novel.

Guess I see the novel as the dessert after a full-course meal of nonfiction. Why is that?

I'm not saying it's right. The only right aspect about it is that one earns me a living these days while the other is still trying to prove itself. But to earn a living at novel writing, I need to give it the attention it deserves.

Maybe you aren't writing full-time. You'd love to, but the other obligation keeps calling your name, and after all, you are a responsible individual.

Maybe you are writing technical work, or magazine features, or government papers, but you have this novel . . .

Why is it we want one thing but constantly work to achieve something else?

Try switching your agenda. Do that project you WANT to do first, and see how productive and creative you can be when you use your fresh energy on your favorite project instead of pushing it to the end of the day, the week, the month, or more.

Try eating your dessert first, and see what that does for your writing career . . . and self-esteem.