“Write every day” doesn’t work for everyone
If your schedule doesn’t allow you to write every day, or even every week, how do you ensure you keep making progress on your story? Try carving out an entire day just for writing.
Hosting your own mini “creative retreat” can make a world of difference, giving you undistracted time to reconnect with your story. It doesn’t have to be a lavish vacation; it’s simply about spending time with your words.
Just you and your manuscript
Whether you book a cabin in the mountains for a night or write at home through a quiet holiday weekend, having that dedicated alone time with your story just might give you the boost you need.
In today’s interview, author Rachel Eve Moulton shares her love for the revision process, the importance of setting time aside for writing, and the connection that led her to her agent.
OUR SPECIAL GUEST TODAY IS…
Rachel Eve Moulton
Author
Available Now: Tantrum
What part of the writing process brings you the most joy?
Revision! I love going back into a work and finding out what it really means. I generally begin writing from an image. It is either an opening image or an ending image. If it is an ending, I write toward it. Once I find it, I have to go back through the work and see if the trail is really there. This is my favorite part.
What is the most memorable writing tip or technique that you have heard, and how did it influence your process?
For a long time I struggled with plot. I loved language and creating a strong sense of setting. Plot came last. I am a fiction editor for Narrative Magazine now. In reading other people's short fiction and working alongside editor Tom Jenks, I have learned that the narrative arc is attainable and essential. Tell a story. I've dug into this advice and clung to it.
When life gets busy, how do you protect your time to write?
When I was working full-time as an educator, I always made sure I blocked off vacation times or a weekend day to write.
There has been a lot of time in my life when I could not write daily or even weekly. Taking spring break on my own saved me. I would often book a hotel room or rent a space for those days and truly disappear into my work. I'd stop for meals and exercise but otherwise isolate. I still rent a space when I need a couple days of full focus.
What’s one thing you do (creatively, mentally, or physically) that helps you stay in it when writing gets hard?
I take a hike. I live in the mountains, and so it is easy to get out in nature for 45 minutes or so. Doing this allows me to reflect passively on my work. By the time I get back to my desk, I find I've solved the problems that seems unsolvable.
How did you get your literary agent? What was the querying process like for you?
I found my literary agent through a fellow writer. I had sent out work for many years with positive responses but no matches. When my writer friend offered to connect me with her agent, I was thrilled. This match stuck. The combination of a personal connection and a novel that was very polished helped me find my current agent.
ICYMI…this week, I asked writers: “What was your biggest regret on your first draft?”
You might be surprised by the top reply.
https://substack.com/@mrjamesgreen 👋🙂
Love this- I’m also very feast or famine when it comes to writing time- has been so nice to let go of the pressure to produce steady daily word counts