Amanda Jane Sincavage
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"Everything in the world exists in order to end up as a book." - Stéphane Mallarmé

​Finding A Writing Rhythm

1/20/2019

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After a year of poor sleep with a nursing infant, my body is trying to make up for lost time! Waking at 5 a.m. to hopefully get one hour to write feels unrealistic and insufficient. Plus, the kids sense mommy is stirring and wake even earlier! Though my kids’ wake time is earlier than I would like, their bedtime is now early enough to provide me with 2.5 hours of writing time at night. The only problem is … I am not a night owl. My eyes are fluttering by 8 pm after a full day with the kids. Throw in some tantrums, intense emotions, and major clinginess, and I am wiped of all motivation.  
 
Some quick research revealed that (1) early bird vs night owl productivity is genetic, (2) there is more information available on increasing morning productivity rather than evening/night productivity, and (3) there is no “best” time of day to write. This article compares the advantages of morning vs. night writing:

  • “Advantages of an early start: clear head, fresh mind, high energy and a full tank of willpower.
  • Advantages of the late night session: out of the box thinking, ideas and inspiration from the day, quietening your inner critic, and a relaxed attitude to working.”
 
Sounds like writers need both! A little research led me to the following strategies to maximize my writing time whether night or day.

  1. Establish a Routine. My kids have a routine to signal bedtime – dark room, white noise, Roman chamomile, a song, and book (for the oldest). They fall asleep within 2 minutes most nights. Clearly, I need a writing routine to signal BIC (butt in chair) time …  
    • Listen to “Paperback Writer” by the Beatles for motivation.
    • Breathe in doTerra Motivate or a citrus oil for energy.
    • Work at the kitchen table for consistency - until I get a chair for my desk.
    • Turn up the lights at night for alertness.
    • Have materials and task list ready for ease - see below.
  2. Plan ahead & prioritize. Finish each writing session by plotting the next day’s tasks. One article suggested stopping in the middle of a task so you’ll want to pick it right back up again the next day. Drawing from a suggestion in Happy You, Happy Family by Kelly Holmes, I am recording 3 writing tasks on a post-it note so I have a plan of attack for the day – both my evening writing time and any spare moments during the day. I’m a sucker for lists!
  3. Meditate to create “conditions for insight.” Meditation is something I have used in the past to help with sleep, but I would like to incorporate it into my daily routine each morning. Check out this post for more on “The Benefits of Meditation: For Writers and Other Creatives.”
  4. Nap. Though I am all for a 20-25 minute nap during the day if it supplies the energy needed to get past the early evening exhaustion hump, I have not found them to change my energy levels in the evening. Perhaps more testing is needed to confirm!
  5. Take a break. If a nap won’t help, I may just need a mental breather. On the nights my eyes glaze over staring at the screen and my brain goes into auto-off mode, I take a break and watch a show or read a book. Then I jump back into writing afterward with a webinar, research, or other relatively easy task.

I have found that writing brings writing. When I feel a sense of accomplishment or get in the flow, it is easier to make the most of my time the next day. Last night was one of those nights that I found it difficult to focus on even the simplest tasks. I put on a movie and afterward, was able to get some work done and prioritize my 3-task post-it list for the next day. I woke up after about 7 hours of sleep and set my timer for 10 minutes to write morning pages, another 10 minutes to meditate, and another 10 for a writing prompt. I felt amazing all morning and looked forward to the writing time I would get later in the day. 
 
If you have any tips on increasing productivity for writers, please share! 
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Goals Met & Made

1/4/2019

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2018 Goals Met (and Not)
​
I fell short on a few goals in 2018. I did not submit 20 queries. I did not publish 18 blog posts. I did not write 12 drafts – that’s the one that hurts the most. Here's what I accomplished: 
read 350 new picture books
reviewed 52 books on Amazon
participated in 15 webinars
submitted 15 queries
drafted 11 manuscripts
wrote 9 blog posts
entered 2 writing contests
read 2 craft books
attended 1 writing retreat – Big Sur!!!
2018 Realizations
  1. I love deadlines. I need deadlines. It truly pains me to miss deadlines. I need 12X12 to push me to write monthly drafts, even if I never intend to revisit those drafts again. I need a critique group to keep me on task and productive each month, even if I have no new work to share. And I need self-imposed goals like writing daily, even if it is for a mere 5 minutes.
  2. I am more creative when I write daily. In 2017 I attempted to write each and every day – daily reflections, a poem, character interviews, 60-second prompts, anything. Though I did not fully achieve this goal, I did feel a boost in creativity, which led to stronger revisions.
  3. I am an AM writer and reflector. I need time to myself each morning to write, reflect, and prepare for the day. Carving out time for myself in the morning allows me to be present with my family the rest of the day. Now that my son is *mostly* sleeping through the night and I am catching up on long lost sleep, it is time to set that early morning alarm again … or is it?
  4. I need to rethink optimal writing conditions. I envision myself waking early, writing at the breakfast nook, drawing inspiration from the birds chirping and the dawn painted sky, while I feverishly write. But the reality is, I don’t have a breakfast nook table and I can’t control my children’s sleep. Early morning productivity is not an option at this time. I need to fit writing into the schedule the children’s sleep dictates, which may be a 2-3 hour window after they go to bed. I am finding this to be easier said, than done. More on this soon.
  5. I need to adjust my writing expectations. There is no balance between writing and family. At this point in my life with my kids so young, the scale is tipped toward family. I am shifting my writing expectations and daily priorities so I can appreciate the writing time I do get AND not stress about the writing time I do not get.
  6. I love bullet journaling and have no idea how I survived without it for so long! It is an amazing tool to stay organized and focused, and I plan to continue using my low maintenance, not-at-all-pretty version of this practice.​ Check out Kate Messner's post on bullet journaling for writers. 
2019 Goals Made
I struggled with goals this year. I want them. I need them. But, I also want to give myself the flexibility to adjust my goals throughout the year based on what I need. I don’t want to specify a number of picture books to read, webinars to attend, queries to submit, or reviews to write. My priority is establishing new writing routines so I can get back to the writing, specifically, new drafts that excite me, rewrites to breakthrough revision slumps, and exercises and prompts to spark creativity.

​My 2019 goals include:
  • Write daily & establish new writing routines to make writing a priority.
  • Read picture books and chapter books.
  • Write an Amazon review most Tuesdays #ReviewsDay.
  • Participate in 12X12 and write 12 drafts.
  • Publish 1 blog post monthly – explore author study interviews and writing exercises.
  • Join another critique group for accountability or build new critique partner connections.  
  • Participate in at least 1 conference (Rutgers) and various local events.
  • Query … eventually. 
  • Outline a chapter book series idea.  
  • Read 3 craft books from the following list:
    • Julie Falatko’s Writing in Small Doses
    • Christina Katz’s Writer Mama
    • Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat
    • Matthew Dicks’ Storyworthy
    • John Truby’s The Anatomy of Story
    • Lousise DeSalvo’s The Art of Slow Writing
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2018 Halloweensie Writing Contest

10/29/2018

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It's Time for Susanna Leonard Hill's 8th Annual Halloweensie Contest!
This contest has special significance for me. After posting last year's entry about a new sibling surprise, I went into labor and delivered my son! I look forward to actually reading other entries this year. Thank you Susanna for a wonderful tradition! 
2018 Prompt: Write a 100-word Halloween story appropriate for children 12 and under using the words shiver, cauldron, and howl. 
Tricky Treats
When we moved on Halloween, nobody warned us about the house on the hill with blue shutters and a white picket fence.

Purple lights blinked and pumpkin grins glowed. The doorbell howled like a wolf. A witch with a cauldron opened the door.

“Trick or treat!”

We reached into the cauldron for a treat, but got a trick instead. We shrieked and shivered at the horror in our hands as we sprinted home.

“Did you get any candy?” Mom asked.
​
We shook our heads and opened our hands. Instead of sweets, the house on the hill gave out…carrots.
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