Featured Author Kelly L Stone

Ladies, it is my pleasure to let you know that one of our own, Kelly L. Stone, will be the Featured Author of the Month beginning April 15. Since Dotsie and I both are out of town (or will be) for a few days, we decided to have Kelly begin April 15 and run through May 15.

Kelly ( www.kellylstone.com ) started a successful writing career while holding down a full time job. Her articles and essays have appeared in Family Circle, Writers Digest, Cat Fancy, and half a dozen Chicken Soup for the Soul and Cup of Comfort anthologies. Her novel, Grave Secret (Mundania Press, Sept 2007) was called "powerful" and "well-written" by Romantic Times Book Reviews.

Kelly is a frequent presenter at writer's conferences around the country; she will be presenting her workshop titled "No Matter How Busy You Are, You Can Find Time to Write" at the Romantic Times Convention in Pittsbugh on April 17, 2008. So if any of you are in the Pittsburgh area, you might want to attend and meet Kelly. I wish I could be there!

Kelly holds a master's degree in counseling from Florida State University; she is a licensed professional counselor and a national board certified counselor. She lives with her family in northwest Florida, where she works as the director of a children's counseling center after watching the sun rise over the bay while she writes.

I'm so jealous! I watch the sun coming up over the cotton fields....

Anyway, Kelly latest book, Time to Write was released January 2008 from Adams Media. In this book, Kelly interviewed more than 100 professional writers (including yours truly) and they reveal how to fit writing into your busy life.

If you’ve ever thought or said…

• Someday I’ll write the great American novel...when I have time.
  
  
• If I were independently wealthy, then I wouldn’t have to work, and then I could write my book.
  
  
• I’d love to write for national magazines, but don’t you need an ‘in’ to get started?

....then you want to see inside this book!

Kelly will be answering all of your writing questions and beyond...we're really excited to have her! So watch the forums next week and join me in welcoming Kelly. It promises to be fun, informative, and educational.

I've read her book and can't wait to talk with her about it.

Hello everyone!

I am sooo excited to be a part of this forum as the Featured Author! What an honor! I've been a member of Boomer Women Speak for several years, so I'm thrilled to be able to participate in this way.

I am really looking forward to everyone's questions about writing. I love talking about writing.

If you've read TIME TO WRITE, I hope you'll let me know what you think of it. I cover a lot of ground in this book, everything from Writing Schedules of Bestselling Authors to how to create an individualized Writing Action Plan to how to make headway toward your writing dreams in as little as 10 minutes a day! Plus, in the back of the book is a character checklist developed by bestselling novelist Sabrina Jeffries that she graciously allowed me to reprint in my book as a bonus for my readers.

You can read a review as well as a short interview I did about TIME TO WRITE at this website: http://www.marybethwhalen.com/, and I hope you'll sign up for my TIME TO WRITE newsletter, a fun and informative tip-filled newsletter delivered to your email inbox once a month. Sign up on my website at www.KellyLStone.com

Thanks for having me, and I look forward to an exciting month!

Best wishes,
Kelly

Kelly, I want to jump in and ask you what you think a person's biggest obstacles are when they are wanting to go for the goal and write that novel they've put off for years. What do you think stops them...and maybe you could give some insight or suggestions for combatting those obstacles??? I'm always wanting to know what stops other people. I know I have my own list of "why I can't" things! ha!

Great question! I think one big obstacle is that writing a book seems (and is) a daunting task! That's why you need writing goals. In TIME TO WRITE, I teach readers how to create an individualized Writing Action Plan. In that plan, you break down your goals into reasonable, achievable objectives with do-able time limits that carry you, page by page, toward your completed novel. For instance, you might write 500 words 3 days a week, or write 3 pages every Saturday and Sunday, and so forth. The key to success is consistently writing toward the long-term goal of finishing your book, and you need intermediate goals to get you there.

Another obstacle is the idea that time will magically appear at some later date and THEN you'll write your book. And guess what? The time never appears, so that manuscript just collects dust in your bottom drawer. To combat this problem, use a Writing Schedule. There are 7 of them to choose from in TIME TO WRITE that the professionals use. All of the successful writers I interviewed for my book-- all 104 of them-- use a writing schedule. Using a writing schedule helps you form the writing habit, and it makes writing time a permanent space holder in your day-- just like going to your job is, just like taking your kids to school is, just like making dinner every night is-- you do these things automatically because they're a habit. So you want to make writing a habit, and to do that you have to work a writing schedule.

Great question!

Kelly

Hello Kelly, it's great to see you here. You and I have conversed over the years. You especially are an expert on time to write given that you are a counselor, as well. Yesterday a woman at work told me she wanted to write a book about parenting brain damaged children. However, she says she never ever reads. Not anything, except, "Feel the Fear and do it Anyway." (that says a lot.) Do you think that those who want to write might want to read what they want to write?

Thanks for your question P. L.! I am happy to see you here, too.

Yes, I think reading is important for an aspiring writer. In fact, being an avid reader in childhood is one of the common characteristics of successful writers that I discovered in my research for TIME TO WRITE. The 104 professional writers I interviewed for my book were all avid readers.

Reading books that are similar to ones you want to write helps you learn the craft of writing because you see how the writer presented the story (or information if it's non-fiction), and you can speculate as you read as to why she put one thing in and left another out. You get to see her choice of words and feel how those words impact you as a reader to get a hint for why the writer used them.

But you've also got to go one step further if you really want to use reading as a way to help you become a better writer-- you've got to study the book. So after you finish reading it, write a one-page synopsis of it. Do profiles on each of the characters and then compare them to see how they compliment/contrast with each other. Identify how the writer used those traits to move the story's plot forward. Write a chapter by chapter outline to get an understanding of how the writer may have developed her story. You can also do this with nonfiction books.

So yes, reading is an important aspect of becoming a writer. There's a writing conference I go to every year, and it's also attended by a particular bestselling author. Whenever I see her, she's off by herself in a corner...reading.

Best regards,
Kelly

Kelly, today I gave a speech in a nearby town and I received one question that I routinely get and that was, "Ah, excuse me ma'am, how do you write a book?" (This blows my mind). I have my answer(s) that I give, but I would love to know how you answer that to ones that ask.

Hi Kelly, thanks for the response. I have done this you suggest: "you've got to study the book. So after you finish reading it, write a one-page synopsis of it" which is why I like to do book reviews. But I never thought about turning the book inside out as a compare/contrast exercise. That is a great way to learn about writing! And doing an outline on another book is great practice for doing an outline on the book you are writing. Great answers I never thought about! Thanks

Thanks P.L. Glad it was helpful.

Jawjaw, I've gotten that question too. I usually recommend that they read a couple of good books on the craft of writing and then study the books similar to ones they want to write as I suggested above.

The question is kind of funny though. There is so much mystery surrounding writers and the act of writing. That's partly why I wrote TIME TO WRITE, to help dispel some of those myths. There's a chapter in TTW on how the professional writers overcome writer's block, and it was comforting to me to know that even professional writers still get stuck. I humbly admit that I used to believe, before I started writing myself, that good writers could just sit down and gleefully whip out their books in one draft. Ha! If only!

Anyway, I thought a little poll of what you do when you get stuck in your writing would be fun...

Best, Kelly

Kelly, I voted, but another one I recommend is reading what others in your genre are writing about. This can serve to inspire or motivate you.

I would LOVE to know what inspired YOU to write this book. Do tell!

I wrote TIME TO WRITE because after I started getting published, people began asking me where I found the time to write since I also work full time and have a family, etc. I tried to find out how successful authors had found time to write before they were published and couldn't find that info anywhere out there. So, that's when I decided I would interview successful writers and learn how they juggled writing with family, jobs, and so forth and share that insider info with others through a book. Hence, TIME TO WRITE was born.

I also wanted to give aspiring authors inspiration that your writing dreams don't have to flounder just because you have to work or have small kids at home or have other obligations that are demanding. As I say in TIME TO WRITE, writing isn't a life, it's a lifestyle. You weave writing into your busy day by using a schedule and setting small goals to push you along.

Cordially,
Kelly

Very cool...this advice could apply to any dream, too...not just writing. Thank you Kelly!

I certainly did not follow a structure. I went with the flow. And some days I was focused, and sometimes not. I'm eager to see what Time to Write offers in terms of structure. Kelly, do you think that some aspiring writers use the phrase "no time to write" as an excuse that everyone will understand? What I mean is, I hear people say they want to write a book about this or that but they have no time. Sometimes I think they are really afraid to write. Can you expand on what I am trying to say more articulately please?

Princess...that is EXACTLY what one "would-be" writer told me just yesterday after she told me she wanted to write a novel but didn't have the time. I said, but honey, you have the same 24-hours as everyone else! Do it now. She then admitted she was afraid...afraid of the unknown and also afraid of not being ALL she could be. You know? I felt so bad for her. But get this....she has cystic fibrosis as well....NOW is the time!

Yes, now is the time, or there will be no time. Breast cancer was my motivation to get the book done. I did not want to be on the death bed wishing I had written that book. But fear is a motivating factor as well; motivating us to talk our minds out of something our hearts inspire us to do! Kelly, has the fear factor been addressed by any of the 100 writers? What are the fears? How did they overcome them? Fear is a waste of time, so perhaps the subject of fear fits into the Time to Write concept (well, more than a concept.) Oh, sorry so long, but the author of Seabiscuit has extreme chronic fatique. Did you notice that she did very few interviews, and when she did they were from her home? I hope your friend, JJ, is able to conquer and bring her dream to fruition.

Yes, fear is something that the authors in my book address. I think everyone is, on some level, afraid of failure. Every one has to battle the "I can't do it" demon in some form or fashion. It takes courage to write a book in my view. It's a huge undertaking. Just finishing one is a major accomplishment, even if it never gets published.

There's a chapter in TIME TO WRITE called "The Inner Critic and Other Goblins" that addresses fear and fear of failure with regards to writing, as well as ways to write through it. Even the bestselling authors I interviewed still struggle at times with this issue. One creative way to tackle this voice of inner failure is to give it a pen and paper and let it write for 15 minutes, then crumple that paper up and throw it away, then get on with your writing.

~Kelly

What is your Writing Process?

I was wondering what type of writing schedule people are using to get their writing done, and also if you set a word or page goal to reach during your writing session. Do you plan your books out, chapter by chapter, or are you a "seat of the pants" writer and let the writing take you where it wants to go?

Kelly

Thanks for asking us Kelly. I am a "seat of the pant's" type writer, and I let the writing take me where it wants to go for the first draft only. I put everything into it, meaning every word, phrase, sentence, story, that comes to mind. It is not until subsequent drafts that I develop the characters or scene. I was so focused on TEARS that phrases would fly at me literally out of the blue, and sometimes I could not get them down fast enough. Or they would come at inconvenient times, like when watching a movie in a theater, and I'd have to dig for pen and pager in the dark. I don't have the luxury of being able to start writing at 9 am and keep going until 11pm, 12. (once I get started I don't stop.) I have a full time job now. Now I need to write as you are suggesting here, and , like I said, I need structure. I'd like to see the answers others give in terms of their writing schedule. To answer your question, TEARS was not outlined or planned, but my next book does have an outline. I need to give it daily attention. And I don't.

I am always amazed at the different ways writers write. It's great when that creative flow kicks in, though, isn't it, and you find yourself digging in your purse for a pen in a movie because a missing piece of the puzzle just came to you? That's one of the key benefits of writing regularly, is that you build that momentum.

Next question: what is stopping you from giving your next book daily attention as you say? Or for anyone, what stops you from working a writing schedule?

Kelly

This is such an interesting topic. First Kelly, I loved your book and underlined quite a bit that I will eventually begin commenting on.

Right now, I have a publisher that is interested in a book from me. It's a nice publishing house. I've spoken with the editor (the head honcho), I know my topic, but can't seem to get my act together. My fear is that I don't have the time. I have become so busy with my sites/association that it is going to take a huge effort on my part to get it done.

I really need to spend time in prayer to see if this is what God is calling me to do. The scary thing is that I think it is what God's calling me to do, but I don't want to listen. Not a good thing.

hi Dotsie,

Congratulations! That's wonderful that you have a publisher interested in a book from you.

If you decide to do it, I'm sure that you will make the time. Just use one of the 7 schedules I present in TIME TO WRITE.

Best wishes,
Kelly

Kelly, thanks for the vote of confidence.

I love how you took soemthing you wanted to learn more about and chose to write about it. It proves we don't have to be experts to write a book. Writing the book made you the expert. I find that fascinating.

Thanks Dotsie.

I wanted to show people how I had started a successful writing career while working a full time job. So many said to me, when they learned my novel was getting published, that they wished they "had time" to write a book, as if I lounged around in my PJs all day eating bonbons. I wish! I wanted to show people that even if you work full time, like I still do, and have a family and other typical obligations that you can still get your writing done. All of the 104 successful writers I interviewed for TIME TO WRITE are busy people, both before and after publication.

Kelly

Dotsie, I dare say you might have to forfeit one thing for a while to take on the task of writing. You support writers here. Remember what Julia Cameron says about "shadow artists" for example those who own a gallery but don't paint even though deep inside they want to but they are afraid. You've got to start on a writing schedule. I think you already decided, but you are stalling. I know that stalling tactic very well! I think I made a terrible mistake by substituting other activites to avoid finishing a second and third book.

Substituting other things to avoid writing is also what is known in psychology as resistance. For whatever reason, it's human nature to put off or totally avoid doing things that are good for us or our lives. There's an exercise in TIME TO WRITE about resistance to writing and managing resistance to writing that helps combat this issue.

Kelly

Ladies,

I will be on Book Talk with Gail Cohn, Sandy Springs Radio, tomorrow (Wednesday April 23) at 12 noon EST, 11 CST. I'll be discussing TIME TO WRITE and how you can find time to write no matter how busy you are! Click below to listen via live streaming:
http://radiosandysprings.com/booktalk.php

Hope you listen in!
Kelly

I hear you ladies talking about me. I am stalling and can't figure out what I'm afraid of.

Kelly, I came here to post the above announcement, but am glad to see you've already posted.

Kelly, what process did you use to get your book done in spite of everything else you were doing?

Hi Dotsie,

If you mean how I found time to write despite working full time, I started getting up at 3:30 AM and writing for 2 hours before work every day. Then on Saturdays, I wrote for about 3 hours. I took a break on Sundays.

Is that what you were asking?

Kelly

Hi Kelly, so nice to meet you. I think this is a fantastic topic, and I know I can learn from it. Actually getting up at 3 in the morning and writing is a brilliant idea. That is a time when no one can interrupt you. It means going to bed at 9:00, though. Doesn't it? How else is it possible?

Thanks for all the inspiration!!!!Wooeeee...I'm jumping on this train!

Edelweiss

Hi Edelweiss! Glad you are joining the discussion.

Actually, 9 is late for me! I am in bed usually by 8. But, going to bed earlier is a small sacrifice to make in exchange for being able to get up before dawn and get my writing done for the day.

Kelly

Hi Kelly. You're doing a wonderful job and have already answered some of my questions. I'm so happy you're here. Glad my new password worked.

Thanks, Dotsie. Brilliant choice of guest.

Hi Saundra! Glad you checked in! How is your writing going?

Kelly

Kelly, I'm at the opposite end of the time spectrum as you. When I need quiet writing time, I'll stay up till 2 or 3 a.m. In the mornings (anything before 10am) I'm grumpy and brain-dead. By the evening, my head is cleared of the have-to-do's so I can sit down and concentrate.

Hi Meredith,

You are an After Hours Writer then. Lots of bestselling authors got started that way!

Kelly

Kelly, thanks for asking. Today I received a gift. My 20-year old next door neighbor (computer whiz) stopped in to fix my computer and my mouse.

I'm back. Technology got in my way for way too long. Lousy excuse. Shakespeare wrote with a quill and a bottle of ink and nothing stopped him. That was my lesson today.

Hi Saundra, glad you are back online. I recently got a laptop so that I could write while I am out of town since I travel a lot with my new job. Some of the authors I interviewed for TIME TO WRITE also use an Alpha Smart. Sometimes I write long hand, too, if the process calls for it.

One thing I am glad about though, is the word processor! Can you imagine revisions in Shakespeare's day, having to go back and re-write the whole thing even if you just wanted to change one word! Good grief! That would definitely call for persistence!

Kelly

Kelly, I read a review on the Alpha Smart and it said it will only hold 8 files. That seems low, but then again, I suppose it is for short trips and travels, where you wouldn't have that many files, reports, or stories...right?

Are there other products out there on the market for writers that you have found useful and might recommend?

Hi JJ

Yeah, writing on an Alpha Smart would be for if you want to sit outside one morning, or write in a cafe, or at the beach, and so forth. You would have to download your day's work into your computer each time. But some of the writers I interviewed did that as a way to get going if they got blocked or wanted a change of scenery for writing.

I don't know of any products necessarily that I could recommend. I tend not to use things like that. I once bought this very expensive software program that was to help with plotting in a novel, and while I'm sure it was useful for some, what I discovered is that I spent so much time trying to learn how to use it, and then plugging in my information that it took away from my writing time, which is quite limited to begin with. I think the risk here is that you can feel like you're writing when you're really not. Products can become a distraction from the actual work.

The only "product" I tend to find useful to my writing process is a chair-- with my rear end in it.

It would be helpful to hear from others though who may have had a different experience with writing-related products.

Best, Kelly

Ladies,

Here's a sample of my Time to Write newsletter that I put out about every month (or so). If you'd like to sign up, send me an email at kelly@kellylstone.com. And if you send in a time to write "dilemma" by May 12th that I can use in a future issue of my newsletter, you'll be entered into a drawing to win a complimentary copy of Cup of Comfort for Mothers and Daughters, featuring my favorite essay "Heart Choices." It makes a great mother's day gift!

Sample newsletter:
http://kellylstone.com/docs/TIME%20TO%20WRITE%20NL%20April%2008_3.pdf

Kelly

Hi again,

I'm sorry, I forgot to post these two things with the post above this one.

First, if you missed my interview with Gail Cohn on Book Talk Wednesday, you can hear it via their archives at this link:
http://www.radiosandysprings.com/booktalk.php

Click on the 4/23 show.

Also, I was invited by bestselling author Brenda Novak to participate in an auction to benefit juvenile diabetes. My paternal grandmother was insulin dependent diabetic all her life, so I was glad to participate in this worthy event.

There are some really awesome items up for bid-- I'm offering a free copy of Time to Write plus a review of a fiction or nonfiction manuscript (1st 3 chapters). The bidding starts May 1st. Here's the link:

http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/B...101EE954813274E

Best wishes,
Kelly

You know Kelly, not only do I need time to write, I need time to read, but that's another story,...or another book?
Haha That would be cool Time To Read...you open it up and nothing is in it.

Your newsletter is easy and fast to read. By the way the colours are fun. I liked your comment on "...the only person preventing you is you."...You hit the nail on the head there..

And what a good idea about auctioning off your services! Got to read more. Just want to say I'm enjoying the thread.
Edelweiss

Thanks Edelweiss!

Reading is something that I do at night for 15-60 minutes before bed. I plan for it. The times I don't do that and I don't get to read, I really miss it. Granted I don't read as many books as I'd like to in a year, but I do try to carve out time each day to read. I try to alternate an inspirational, self help book with a book of fiction. I will often re-read books from my "keeper" shelf, too. There are a few books that I have read as many as 4 times.

JJ was asking earlier about products for writers, and it occurs to me now that books similar to the types you want to write are tools of the aspiring writer. Reading is important as both an aspiring and a working writer I think.

Thanks for reading my newsletter. And have fun with the auction. I'll be bidding on some items myself.

Kelly

Maybe you could a series? Time to Read....Time to Publish...etc? Just a thought.

Hi JJ!

Hmmmm.....not sure what would go into a book about making time to read. I guess you can just reverse all the advice in Time to Write and substitute "read" everywhere there's a "write". :-)

I do have a sequel of sorts to Time to Write coming out early 09. I will make an announcement soon about it.

Best, Kelly

That JJ is always thinking. Love that idea of a series.

Congrats on getting such a great publisher.

DO you want to share how that happened?

Hi Dotsie,

Sure. I got an agent first who then marketed the book proposal for me. This second proposal was submitted to the same publisher. People on this thread probably know that with nonfiction, you write a 30-60 word proposal first and the book is sold on that. With fiction, you write the book and then try to sell it. The nice thing with nonfiction is that if the proposal doesn't sell, you haven't put all that time into the manuscript and can move on to something else.

Kelly

Kelly, you make it sound so very easy. I know your time is up and I thank you, but do you mind sharing for others how you got your agent?

Hi Dotsie, sure. (I think I am supposed to be on until May 15th so I've got a couple more weeks.)

I basically queried agents that represented the type of work I was doing in batches of 12 at a time. Whenever I got a rejection letter, I'd mail another query out the next day to the next person on my list. I used Jeff Herman's guide to literary agents to get the names.
http://www.amazon.com/Hermans-Publishers...9699&sr=8-1

He updates the book every year and it's well worth the money.

Kelly

You are right Kelly. You're here until the 15th. Don't mind me. I have several deadlines fo the 1st.

I know the book you speak of and have used it. It's excellent and well worth it if someone is serious about pitching.

I think most libraries carry that book, too, so it doesn't have to be an every year purchase. I found it was a useful investment, though.

Kelly

Kelly, I would be interested in knowing if you like to write fiction, or non-fiction better? Just curious.

Hi JJ,

It depends on what I'm working on at the time. When I am focused on writing nonfiction, that's what I prefer, and when I'm focused on writing fiction, that's what I enjoy. I think this is because it's the act of writing, not necessarily the content, that creates the good feeling and satisfies what I call in TIME TO WRITE the Burning Desire to Write.

When I get into that zone where the writing is flowing, it doesn't matter what I'm writing, it only matters that I'm writing. I suspect a lot of authors are like that. That's why one of the pieces of advice I give in TIME TO WRITE is to not get distracted by email, blogging, and so forth, because it 'feels' like writing when it's really not and that can take away from your writing time.

I thought it might be useful to have a discussion about distractions and what the major distractions to writing are that the people on this list deal with...here's a poll to get us going:

Kelly

I wanted to comment on your 24 hour time budget that you mentioned in your book (page 32&33). Do you want to tell everyone about that. I think it's most helpful in finding time to write, or do just about anything you've been putting off.

Hi Dotsie,

The 24 hour time budget is a great exercise that I created to figure out where you can squeeze writing into your day, even if it's just 15 minutes (and a lot of bestselling authors got their start that way, by writing in 10, 15, 20 minute increments.)

Here's what you do: keep a time journal of how you spend every minute of your day for 7 days-- just a typical week and weekend. At the end of the 7 days, look at how you spent your time and scrutinize it for any place you can compress, eliminate, or delegate an activity in order to write instead. For example, if you're spending 2 hours in the morning getting ready for work, can you compress that into an 1.5 hours and write for the other 30 minutes. Can your kids set the dinner table at night so you can write while the casserole is cooking? Can your spouse take over the laundry on Saturday afternoons so you can write instead?

Or, are there things you can get rid of totally? I read a statistic recently that said that between TV, reading newspapers/magazines, and surfing the Internet, most adults spend an average of 4 hours per day immersed in media.

Can you give up your weekly pedicure and write during that time, or write while you're getting your pedicure.

This is the purpose of the 24 hour time budget. It's similar to writing down every penny you spend so you can see where your money really goes. It's a useful exercise for people who feel super busy, and it's how I nailed the hours of 4-6 AM as my own writing time.

On the poll above, I see where email is the biggest distraction so far. Not surprising. Email is a huge time zapper for me too. What are some ways people manage this distraction?

Best wishes,
Kelly

The only way I can find to get around the glut of email traffic is to avoid opening that site on my computer at all costs before I go into word to do my writing. Then before shutting down for the day, if I even remember is to go back and check my email. Actually the biggest deterent from my writing time is coming here, this place is a real time stealer for me... Will I avoid coming here? FAT CHANCE!!! LOL....
BWS should be on your poll above.

Hi Chatty, thanks for your comments. Isn't that weird how if you open email first thing, it sucks you right in, but if you delay it and open it after you do your important tasks for the day, it has less hold over you? I have had that experience too. Email is my downfall in terms of time wasting. I have to really watch the clock and I usually give myself a deadline to get off line and into the writing. I also have been working to limit the number of times I check email throughout the day.

Kelly

Email is also my time killer, but since I have a virtual business, all my connections and contacts come via email.

I loved that idea of the 24 hour time budget. I think I'll get my daughter to do it. HA! She just got home from college last night. That's not fair. I'll give her a couple weeks before I slap that one on her. She is so releived finals are over. She deserves a break for now.

Kelly, you also talk about writing goals, an action plan and holding yourself accountable. Want to share a little about that?

I really enjoyed hearing how other writers make it work which is a good protion of the book. I always learn by example, or at least try to.

All of the 104 writers I interviewed for TIME TO WRITE set writing goals. I recommend people use the SMART format, which means goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time Limited (i.e., give yourself a deadline.) Have overarching goals, such as "I will write my novel within 12 months" then work backwards and break down the goal into smaller goals that will move you along steadily toward the overarching goal-- for instance, "I will write three pages of my novel five days a week for the next year." You can break this down as far as you need to to get the work done-- you can include mini-action steps, such as "go to the library and do research after work every day this week," "finish my synopsis on Saturday", and so forth. This is your Writing Action Plan. In TIME TO WRITE, I include very detailed templates that you can use to create your own goals and your own writing action plan. It's important to set goals if you want to succeed as a writer.

To hold yourself accountable to your goals and writing action plan, reward yourself each and every time you follow through on those goals. So when you get your three pages done for the day, use one of those distractions that is always pulling you away from writing to pat yourself on the back-- take a nap, check your email, surf the internet, watch TV, etc. Whatever motivates you to get the job done, use it as a reward for writing.

This is how you establish positive feelings toward writing and generate positive reinforcement, which strengthens the chances that you will do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, and so on. It helps the momentum build and pretty soon, 12 months have passed and your novel is written!

Kelly

Kelly, this sounds like the perfect plan. Now all I have to do is institute it.

Kelly, everything you've given us has been good solid, sound advice. It seems to me that anyone that buys your book will keep it close for a reference. So much good material there and as I said, solid advice.

Can you please tell us all where is the best place to buy your book? I know you're time with us is coming to a close, and I just want to make sure that anyone who wants a copy, knows the best method for getting it, and especially if they want an autographed copy. Can do?

Hi JJ,

I hate that my time here is drawing to a close! I have really enjoyed this thread. Well, since I'm a member of this board I will definitely stick around, and if there's additional questions I don't mind answering them at all.

The book is available everywhere books are sold. It's in all bookstores, and if they're out of copies they can order it. The ISBN is 978-1-59869-438-3.

It's also available online at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Time-Write-Profess...3038&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Time-to-Write/Kelly-L-Stone/e/9781598694383/?itm=16

If people would like an autographed book plate, they can contact me off list at kelly@kellylstone.com and I'll arrange it.

Also, I hope folks will pick up a copy of my novel, Grave Secret, which is a murder mystery based loosely on true events
http://www.amazon.com/Grave-Secret-Kelly...3380&sr=8-2

And I have a second nonfiction book coming out next year that's on writing and generating unlimited creativity.

Best wishes,
Kelly

Oh KELLY...do tell us a bit more about your novel, Grave Secrets, maybe give a synopsis? And about this new book, can you give a hint or two about it?

Hi JJ, here's the synopsis of GRAVE SECRET taken from back jacket:

Twenty-one-year-old Claire Bannister has just been released from a Florida mental hospital, where she spent over three years on the forensics unit for arson and murder-crimes to which she pled "not guilty by reason of insanity." The trouble is, Claire's innocent. She knows who really set the house fire that killed her siblings on that balmy night in Pensacola, but she can't tell. And she knows that her stepmother and lifelong nemesis, Sisley, will be watching her every move. Sisley never believed that Claire set the fire that killed her children, and now Sisley will stop at nothing to get to the truth. Claire flees to Tampa, unaware that Sisley is having her followed. Claire is on a mission to find her boyfriend, Billy Powers, who disappeared the night of the fire with a briefcase full of cash extorted from Claire's powerful father, Judge Oren Bannister. Will Billy still have in his possession the one item that Claire must get back from him? Confronted by one dead end after another, Claire finally marries Richard Quenell, a handsome and wealthy attorney with a few secrets of his own. Claire conceals her past from her new husband, a decision that has disastrous results. When Claire, Sisley, Billy and Richard finally square off, the consequences will be devastating, and Claire will be faced with a decision that could change her life-again.

My sister posted a review on Amazon about the book which gives some clues about the true parts.

The new book will be about writing and how to generate unlimited creativity. It's sort of a sequel/companion book to Time to Write. It should be out in mid 09.

Kelly

Good grief! Wow! That sounds like one action-packed book. I bet it has a new corner to turn on every chapter. Thank you for that!

Thanks! It was fun to write, and I've gotten a lot of positive feedback on it. It got a 3-star review from Romantic Times Book Reviews, who called it "powerful" and "well written."

It does have a happy ending, but Claire has to go through the wringer to get there, and it's not your traditional "happily ever after" which I think makes Claire a stronger person overall.

-Kelly

Ladies, just want to say THANK YOU for having me as the featured author on this forum. It's been an honor and I have really enjoyed it. I will continue to monitor this thread in case anyone has additional questions, and I'll keep you posted on my next book which is about the secrets of generating unlimited creativity!

BTW, if you haven't signed up for my newsletter yet, please do so, and receive a free copy of my article "6 Secrets for Breaking Into Nationals" that was originally published in Writers Digest magazine.

Happy writing!
Kelly

Thank you Kelly, we have enjoyed having you. You were a fountain of information!

God's speed on all that you do!