I Don't Have Time to Write, Part 2 by Angela Arndt

Last week’s post was about time-stealers: the things people will do instead of writing. And I love that yesterday’s post was Nine Tips for Finding Balance from Kimberly Rose Johnson, who somehow published nine books in 2017. Can you imagine having that much time? 

Handwriting is a hard way to write a book.

I hope today's list of tools, apps and/or programs will help with that and finally put an end to the excuse, “I don’t have time to write.” 

Dictation

Wouldn’t it be great to have a personal secretary to dictate your novel just like all those authors in the movies? There are a few programs that can do that. However, in order to save time, you're going to have to invest it first. 

Did you know your computer may already be set up to take dictation? Most computers have accessibility settings to handle speech-to-text. I don't need to post it here, because someone's already written anything you want to know about speech-to-text here. 

Sometimes There Are Distractions

Distraction-Free Writing

Do you ever wish for a simple program for writing? TextEdit is always available, but it's hard to write with all the dings, rings and pings. Then there's Solitaire, Friends with Words, and Candy Crush calling to you when you're stuck.

Is there a program out there to help you focus? Yes, there are several. 

A minimalist writing program has a simple screen with little distractions. Some reward you with typewriters clicks for each letter, another lets you write to the sounds of a coffee shop. If this sounds like it would be helpful, check the links below or Coffitivity for writing in a coffee shop.

• 9 Apps for Distraction-Free Writing, or 
• 5 Best Distraction Free Writing Apps

Keep Your Notes in One Place

Have you ever had a notebook overstuffed with pieces of paper, envelopes, and sticky notes? Is your computer filled with chapters, scenes, research, and images related to your latest book? How can you keep them organized?

Too Much Information

Note-taking apps are great because you can take a photo of that article you see in the doctor's office and email it to an app. Take notes in a new document in the app or take a screenshot and import it. This post lists the app, price, and platform in an easy-t0-read chart.

The key to saving time is knowing what you need. You may not need to download a distraction-free app if you work from home in a quiet office. This afternoon, take a look at everything you accomplished today, identify your obstacles and figure out what you need to let you create more easily.

I hope these posts have helped. If you've used any of these programs and liked them, leave a comment and tell us how it helped. I'd love to hear from you.

Angela Arndt is a team member for Seriously Write. For more posts by Angie, click here.

About the Author

Angela Arndt

 Angela Arndt is Jesus-follower and God-lover. She loves to write women’s fiction with a thread of romance and tell stories of strong, independent women in difficult situations. Her biggest hope is that she will encourage others to overcome their own “back roads” to find their joy in the Lord.


She and her husband, Charles, live on a bee farm in the middle of a big wood with their three furbabies: Beau, Harley, and Buddy the Wonder Dog.


She's also team-member of Seriously Write. Click here for more posts by Angie. By the way, she'd love for you to join her on herwebsite, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. 

Finding Time to Write by Cindy Regnier

How many words could a writer write, if a writer could just write? Most of us will never know. We have homes, families, jobs and all sorts of other things that keep us from writing all day. The truth is, our writing would be dull and void of excitement if our lives were the same way. If writing all day in a secluded cabin in the mountains (with WIFI of course) Is your daydream, as it is mine, that’s great for dreaming. Reality is much different. God has called us to be writers and to make His voice heard in our world. He also equips us with the means to do so, in spite of all the other things that call for our attention in life.

Most of us would agree that certain things always take precedence over our writing, like our relationship with God and our families. If, like me, you have a regular job with a regular paycheck by necessity, that must also come before writing. So how do we find the time to write all those stories rolling around in our heads, begging to get out? 

I can’t not write. Pardon the double negative, but most of you reading this know what I mean, and share the sentiment. Put another way. A real writer doesn’t just want to write; a real writer has to write. I like the quote from Thomas Mann that says “A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” Perhaps, but it is also more rewarding.      

Sit down and write the book God puts on your heart. Give yourself permission to write badly. Done is better than perfect and someone needs to read it. You will want to give up before it’s done. Don’t. It takes a lot more time to not write a book than it takes to actually write one. If you’ve been writing long enough, you understand that rather odd statement. Nothing will get done if you wait until you can do it well.

Set attainable goals. For instance, write just one page. After that you can quit if you want to, but it’s possible, maybe even probable, that you won’t want to. Have you ever written a sentence, then reread it and thought, “Wow - I did not see that coming.” That’s God working in you. Go ahead and let Him amaze you with what flows from your fingertips. God has called you to serve others with your words. Anne Lamott says that very few writers know what they are doing until they’ve done it. 

My personal mantra when I’m finding it difficult to write is “Write like no one is going to read it.” That frees me to write the words in my head without the fear of what someone else might think of them. Find what works for you, then do it.

What about those times when you stare at the blank screen in front of you and can’t come up with one word? Yes, it happens to me too. What I do is seek encouragement from other writers. I belong to a group composed of other writers, some published and some not, who simply encourage each other in the writing process. I can’t even begin to explain how much my writing sisters mean to me, and how much encouragement I draw from this group. I’ve never met most of them in person, but I love them all dearly, and the best part? They love me too and want to see me succeed. Find an encouragement group or start your own. 

And finally, as the saying goes, don’t shine so others can see you, but shine so that through you, others can see Him. It will make all the difference in your writing. No matter how much you want to be published, that it not your main goal. Your goal is writing the words God gives you so He can use them for His purposes. So pursue that dream and remember that when God isn’t changing your circumstances, it’s probably because He’s changing you within those circumstances. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go make a scene.

Scribbling in notebooks has been a habit of Cindy Regnier since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Born and raised in Kansas, she writes stories of historical Kansas, especially the Flint Hills area where she spent much of her childhood. Cindy is married to her husband of 35 years, has two grown sons, a beautiful daughter-in-law and a son residing in heaven. Cindy is a member of RWA and American Christian Fiction writers.

A graduate of Kansas State University with a dual major in Agriculture and Business, Cindy works for her local school district as finance manager and is active in her church and community. She likes to crochet things for her family and collects recipes she’ll probably never actually make. Her experiences with the Flint Hills setting, her natural love for history, farming and animals, along with her interest in genealogical research give her the background and passion to write heart-fluttering historical romance. 

Find me at:
Blog: cindyregnier.blogspot.com
Instagram: cindyregnier1
Twitter: @cindysregnier
Facebook: Cindy Regnier

Writing In-Between by Angie Arndt

Image CC0, Public Doman

I know, I know! This is Monday. It’s not my day. Well, within the last week I have gotten some pretty cool advice from some of my friends. It’s so cool, I’m taking two days to share it with you!

It’s long been a part of my writing excuses to say, “I don’t have time to write.” Even now that I’m not working a full-time job, “life” just gets in the way. (I know you know what I mean.) Last week, my writing mentor and friend, Beth Vogt, challenged me to “write in-between.” By that she meant any in-between part of life that gets in the way of writing.

For example:

If you’re caring for an elderly parent or a young child who's sick, schedule their appointments on a certain day of the week, or if you are a morning writer, schedule them in the afternoon, then write in the waiting room.

If you’re a commuter, write while you’re driving. Use that uninterrupted time to develop your characters and bring along a micro-recorder or use the dictation app on your phone to record your thoughts or dictate scenes.

You can always gather up your interruptions as much as you can so you’ll have bigger chunks of time to write. Don’t think you have any free time? Write instead of:

• Shopping for yet another handbag. (Guilty!)
• Write while the football game is on (or replace the words “football game” with any sport or show that you consider dull-as-dishwater but your significant other can’t live without).
• Write during commercials.
• Watch your favorite show, but write during the next one.
• Write before your family gets up. This has become my favorite time to write. Everything is still and quiet.

I’m sure you have your favorite writing in-between moments. Take one of those and leave a comment for us here.

About the Author

Angela Arndt

Angie is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary Agency and is currently working on a series of novels set in small Southern towns. She and her husband live in the middle of a big wood outside a small town in South Carolina. She would love for you to visit her website, at http://www.angelaarndt.com.

Another Four-Letter Word by C. Kevin Thompson

C. Kevin Thompson

The very first blog entry I wrote for Seriously Write was entitled “How Many Four-Letter Words Do You Need?”  It was a tongue-in-cheek look at marketing. Most of the “four-letter” words didn’t actually have four letters, but they often feel it and roll off the tongue with the same air about them.

This month, I actually have a four-letter word I want us to address: TIME.

It’s a big deal. We’re so tied to it (and I’m not so sure that was God’s plan in the beginning). Every day is controlled by it. Our jobs. Our tasks. Our marriages. Our livelihood. All judged by some increment of time. As a result, it seems even our worth is inextricably tied to it whether we want it to be or not.

I’ve been struggling with this age-old dilemma (See? Even our phrases are tied to time!). As an assistant principal at a middle school, we are now four weeks into the school year. Time is literally of the essence these days. With the demands of education growing like amorous rabbits, it often feels like you can only be a good educator if you live and breathe it 24/7. Just ask a teacher you know. They’ll tell you. Doesn’t matter where they live in the U.S. The demands seem to cross all boundaries.

Now, I’m being strongly encouraged to take the next step and become a principal. Sit in “The Chair.” Having talked and worked with numerous principals I respect and admire, many of them being those encouragers of which I speak, I know what a pinch for writing time that move would be.

I, like you, am always trying to carve out healthy, productive blocks of time wherein I can do something I truly love. Sometimes, it’s twenty minutes here, forty minutes there. I often get up at 4:00 AM and spend upwards of two hours plunking away at the keyboard before getting ready for work. Writing in the AM is better for me. I’m fresher. My mind has had a chance to shut down and reboot. Conversely, writing at night is hard after a long day for me. The only time it works is when a lightning bolt of inspiration strikes, the adrenaline kicks in, and I have to get that “Eureka! Moment” down on paper before it fizzles out into a wafting rumble of thunder.

How about you? And no, I’m not going to ask if finding writing time is an issue for you. That’s like asking a dentist if he enjoys looking into the mouths of his patients. Some things are a given. They go with the territory, and you’d better enjoy dealing with it if you wish to be productive.

I’m asking the tougher question. What extremes are you willing to take to make time for your writing? I’m not advocating becoming a recluse and abandoning all family activities. So, don’t go and tell your spouse Kevin said you should stop mowing the lawn or cleaning the house or babysitting the grandkids because you have to write. Some sacrifices trump writing. But for those other activities you enjoy that have little or no eternal value, are you willing to enjoy them a little less for the sake of your writing? I find this to be the #1 reason why those who say, “I want to write a book!” never do. Like so many other correlations we could list here, writing “that book” will only be important enough to you if you make the time, sacrifice the time, and enjoy it along the way.

How do you sacrifice that precious thing we call time? What methods have you found useful? What works best for you?

The Serpent’s Grasp

The Serpent's Grasp

Something ominous lurks under the waters.

Dr. Evelyn Sims, a brilliant marine biologist, is being watched. Her husband's mysterious death at sea—with the only survivor of the Greenback telling a shocking, unbelievable tale—has thrown her personal life into chaos. Her scientific views are being scrutinized. Her husband's office and their home are investigated. Called in by the FBI to help solve the mystery, Evelyn is thrust into her toughest research project ever...and forced into a maze of deception and betrayal.

Micah Gregson, the Coast Guard captain who rescued the Greenback, is determined to find out why a special unit at the FBI—the one assigned to cryptozoological cases—is involved.

Together Evelyn and Micah will uncover a plot more deadly than anything the ocean could ever produce. One that will either save Evelyn's life and redeem her career, or destroy everything she—and myriad others—stand for.

C. KEVIN THOMPSON is an ordained minister with a B.A. In Bible (Houghton College, Houghton, NY), an M.A. in Christian Studies (Wesley Biblical Seminary, Jackson, MS), and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership (National-Louis University, Wheeling, IL). He presently works as an assistant principal in a middle school. He also has several years experience as an administrator at the high school level.

A former Language Arts teacher, Kevin decided to put his money where his mouth was and write, fiction mostly. Now, years later, Kevin is a member of the Christian Authors Network (CAN), American Christian Fictions Writers (ACFW), and Word Weavers International. He is the Chapter President of Word Weavers-Lake County (FL), and his published works include two award-winning novels, The Serpent’s Grasp (Winner of the 2013 Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference Selah Award for First Fiction) and 30 Days Hath Revenge - A Blake Meyer Thriller: Book 1, as well as articles in The Wesleyan Advocate, The Preacher, Vista, The Des Moines Register and The Ocala Star-Banner.

Kevin is a huge fan of the TV series 24, The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, and Criminal Minds, loves anything to do with Star Trek, and is a Sherlock Holmes fanatic, too.

Website: www.ckevinthompson.com   

Kevin’s Writer’s Blog: www.ckevinthompson.blogspot.com  

Kevin’s Educational Blog: www.thehelpfuleducator.blogspot.com  

Facebook: C. Kevin Thompson – Author Fan Page

Twitter: @CKevinThompson

Goodreads: C. Kevin Thompson

Kaleidoscope Writer by Linnette R. Mullin

Linnette R. Mullin

Writing Rule #1: WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!

Writers are told over and over to write every day even if for just thirty minutes to an hour. I agree. This is great advice, but I have to admit that for me it just doesn’t happen. I tend to write in spurts – not because I prefer to do it that way, not because I’m undisciplined (well, not totally), but because I’m a busy home-maker with four sons, dealing with chronic illness in the five of us. While home-schooling my youngest, I’m constantly running – running the older boys to school, running them to work, running them to drama rehearsals and choir practice, running them to the doctor…

My life is like a kaleidoscope.

There are patterns and there is randomness. There are shadows and there is color. There are blurred areas and there is definition. Like a kaleidoscope, my life is ever-changing.

So when do I write? I write in the cracks of life and once in a while I’ll take off to a book store or coffee shop to spend a few hours writing. I’d love to get away for a long weekend of writing, but I haven’t figured out how to pull that one off yet. The truth is there is no schedule in my life outside of two of the big boys going to school from 8:00-3:30. You would think that’s plenty of time to schedule in some writing, but its amazing how fast the time goes with my kaleidoscope of responsibilities. Did I mention I also run a local writer’s network? I do. So how, when, where… what do I do about my own writing?

I implement rule #1 at every chance I get, but I don’t let it run my life.

My family as well as my readers and writers are all important to me, but I cannot neglect my family in order to please my readers and writers. At the same time, my family has to understand that I have obligations to my writing business. It’s a tough balance to find and something I’m constantly working toward. It requires creativity and making intentional choices on my part - such as going off to Starbucks while I wait to pick up a son who gets off work at midnight. I have found, however, as long as I’m intentional I get the job done.

What about you? Do you struggle with rule #1 – write, write, write? Perhaps you’re a kaleidoscope writer, too? How do you deal with it?

About the Author

LINNETTE R. MULLIN is an author of life-changing romance. Married for over twenty years, she has been blessed with four amazing sons. Some of her writing credits include Charles Stanley's "In Touch" magazine, "101 Facets of Faith", Guidepost's "Extraordinary Answers to Prayer", and "Public Health Alert" - a nationally distributed newspaper for the chronically ill. A member of ACFW and HACWN, she is also the founder and coordinator of Palmetto Christian Writer’s Network (PCWN) in Lexington, SC, and she runs the “We Are Writers” group on Facebook. Her favorite things in life are her family, her church, reading and writing, and her Savior most of all. For more information including her social media links, visit LinnetteRMullin.com.

Finding Beth

Finding Beth
by Linnette R. Mullin

A run-away-bride-to-be and a southern-boy-next-door…

Trapped by the reality of past choices... lost in confusion and pain, Beth Gallagher must fight her way back to God. Just when she makes a new friend in Adam Blythe and finds peace with God, tragedy strikes. She faces new demons that steal her new-found peace and threaten to steal her future. Could she possibly find true love with Adam? Or will this crisis tear them apart? Will she ever find her way amidst such an emotional mine-field?


Purchase links:
LinnetteRMullin.com (autographed copies)
CrossRiverMedia.com (specials for book clubs/women’s groups)
Amazon.com

The Urge to Write by Becky Lyles

Becky Lyles

What is writing to you? And how does God fit in? Join Becky Lyles today as she shares some encouraging words to begin your writing week. ~ Annette

The Urge to Write

by Rebecca Carey Lyles

Some of us call the itch to put pen to paper (or fingers to computer) a hobby. For others, like my friend who’s a corporate writer, writing is a business. Many, if not most, writers fit into my category, which is a bit different. We write to make money, but we don’t make enough green stuff to quit our day jobs.

I’m privileged to serve as an editor for my day job. Helping authors improve their manuscripts is challenging and fun. However, as I edit, a nagging voice at the back of my mind says I should be writing the next book, creating a blog post, sending out a newsletter, ordering bookmarks, setting up a giveaway...

The same voice kicks in when I tackle other non-writing projects. This summer, I helped our daughter plan her fall wedding, played hostess to summer visitors, took on a new volunteer responsibility, and traveled. I also fielded contractor questions and made color, fixture and dimension decisions as workers remodeled a small area of our home.

While all that fun activity was going on, I formed a marketing plan to launch my latest book, Winds of Freedom, which I thought would debut in June. And then it was July. Finally, all the pieces fell into place in August. But now that it’s early autumn and additional duties have kicked in, I don’t have time to hit the marketing hard or write. Yet, God is in control, and time is in his hands.

He has a plan for me and for the book—and for you. Psalm 138:8a says the Lord will work out his plans for our lives. Several psalms tell of God’s delight in the details of our daily steps. He even rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17).

Although I provide the feet for God’s plan, his Spirit is the engine and the guide. All I have to do is pray for guidance, listen to his response (which can come through his Word, circumstances, the advice of others, or a Spirit nudge), and follow his leading. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3 NIV)

I’m not a theologian, but I have a feeling the “committing” is what makes God’s plans our plans. As a result, those plans will succeed. “Prayer is aligning ourselves with the purposes of God.” (E. Stanley Jones) “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13 NIV)

By God’s power and purpose, I will conquer—and so will you. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13 NIV) Lord willing, I will carve out time to market the current “Winds” book. And I’ll begin writing the third book in the series as soon as my daughter and her new hubby leave for their honeymoon (well, shortly thereafter J). “Do not despise these small beginnings. For the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” (Zechariah 4:10a NLT)

~~~~~

Rebecca Carey Lyles grew up in Wyoming, the setting for her Kate Neilson novels. She currently lives in Idaho, where she serves as an editor and a mentor for aspiring authors and as a coach for women transitioning from prison to life on “the outside.” Winds of Freedom is the sequel to the award-winning first book in the Kate Neilson series, Winds of Wyoming. Learn more at www.beckylyles.com.

~~~~~

Winds of Freedom

Winds of Freedom

Winter storms blast across the Whispering Pines Guest Ranch, and a cold wind blows through Kate Neilson’s soul. Despite her pain, Kate’s well-being takes a backseat to the needs of loved ones: her best friend, who’s been ensnared by evil; her failing great-aunt, whose dementia care keeps Kate guessing; and Laura and Mike Duncan, whose ranch and livelihood are threatened by a land-grabbing neighbor.