tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post8190818247250210348..comments2023-05-24T08:06:43.882-04:00Comments on Romance Writer's Revenge: Scapegoat's ABC's for Writers: B Stands For BalanceTerri Osburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176989488447450585noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-19643729009173417952012-05-09T14:26:22.272-04:002012-05-09T14:26:22.272-04:00Yeah, Pat...lowering the expectations to what is r...Yeah, Pat...lowering the expectations to what is real...that goes a long way toward getting unburied because it lowers the bar to where it should have been all along!Maureenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01517092592545660754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-81256091857339337592012-05-09T13:51:20.710-04:002012-05-09T13:51:20.710-04:00I'm still getting unburied, but...
A big thin...I'm still getting unburied, but...<br /><br />A big thing for me lately is admitting that I can't do it all; that being Super Woman is overrated; and that the world won't end if I don't get everything done today.<br /><br />It's hard because I've been a control freak all my life.<br /><br />Yesterday afternoon, after work, I just sat in front of the computer with a favorite book to read and my manuscript open. Did a bit of productive fiddling with the first chapter; brainstorming for later chapter and wrote part of a missing chapter. Didn't do any marketing or online stuff, but, uh, screw it. There's only so much time in the day.P. Kirbyhttp://www.patriciakirby.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-87492538791975558402012-05-09T13:21:52.144-04:002012-05-09T13:21:52.144-04:00Chance - sounds like Pat has been a big help!
Aw...Chance - sounds like Pat has been a big help! <br /><br />Aww - simplifying. Yes, that is part of finding balance that many don't want to face. Especially me. I keep adding on instead of taking away...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08207269714279481677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-16629639545105347562012-05-09T12:10:55.658-04:002012-05-09T12:10:55.658-04:00That's "WOULDN'T" be writing. St...That's "WOULDN'T" be writing. Stupid fingers.Terri Osburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17176989488447450585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-53063375399353820702012-05-09T12:10:31.678-04:002012-05-09T12:10:31.678-04:00Balance. Ha. HA!
*giggling totally out of contro...Balance. Ha. HA! <br /><br />*giggling totally out of control<br /><br />What is balance? My life is so out of balance I'm too busy dancing that knife edge to figure any of it out.<br /><br />For me, balance is letting go of emotional distractions. I'm prone to chronic depression, so the best I can do is stay aware and prepare for those times. I just recently figured this out, the preparation stuff.<br /><br />I do best when I simplify.<br /><br />*she says with such confidence, ignoring the chaos that is her living quarters<br /><br />Writing? Words on the page and let it rip. Initially, the balance with what I write comes in the editing/revision side of things. Pat recently did a phenomenal job of reading a few chapters for me and wowser...her words snapped me back into the 'balance' I needed with my opening.<br /><br />So...balance comes with the help of my friends?Maureenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01517092592545660754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-54218146729598533682012-05-09T12:10:30.769-04:002012-05-09T12:10:30.769-04:00And it's ironic since if I hadn't gotten O...And it's ironic since if I hadn't gotten ON the internet back in 2006, I would be writing nor would I have met any of you. :)<br /><br />Scape - I believe it's Margie Lawson's EDITS system that does the color coded for balance. (Could be wrong, but the color coded is real somewhere.)<br /><br />You take your MS, maybe a scene or a chapter, and highlight everything in different colors. Say dialogue in blue, internal dialogue in green, action in red and so on. Then you look to see where you have too much, too little, or just right.<br /><br />Sort of the Goldilocks approach to editing. <br /><br />Since I haven't actually used this technique, I'm not sure I have any balance at all in my stories. I know I have way less internal dialogue than most. And my pacing is quick, partly due to less descriptions. So, uhm, I think it's fair to say I've yet to strike a balance!Terri Osburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17176989488447450585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-33552609133425662302012-05-09T12:03:52.347-04:002012-05-09T12:03:52.347-04:00Terri and I are talking about getting off the inte...Terri and I are talking about getting off the internet, but it's at a Mexican standoff. "You go first." "No YOU go first!" --that sort of thing.<br /><br />The internet is like the best and worst thing that's happened for writers.Hellie Sinclairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03933713255844695337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-85249932610923501902012-05-09T11:52:30.440-04:002012-05-09T11:52:30.440-04:00We all need to find balance Hellie!
So, anyone h...We all need to find balance Hellie! <br /><br />So, anyone have any tips for Time Management?<br /><br />What about tricks you've learned to discover where you need to layer in something in your MS to balance it out?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08207269714279481677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-78972704044875655992012-05-09T10:16:07.663-04:002012-05-09T10:16:07.663-04:00I spend a lot of my "free time" recooper...I spend a lot of my "free time" recooperating from being stressed out and tired and upset. This is not productive for writing. I need to balance that more; and I could do it with classes and craft, which would help work in #2 more. :) <br /><br />And yes, I definitely need balance in having such a meandering book and have more action and focus! *LOL*Hellie Sinclairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03933713255844695337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-37504318430870867612012-05-09T10:00:36.013-04:002012-05-09T10:00:36.013-04:00So Ladies - what about balance in your writing...So Ladies - what about balance in your writing...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08207269714279481677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-16421573300140789762012-05-09T09:57:50.419-04:002012-05-09T09:57:50.419-04:00Terri - I'm glad you figured out what was in y...Terri - I'm glad you figured out what was in your way for writing. Sometimes it's hard to let go of things we enjoy, but I've found I slip them in other ways. <br /><br />TV for me NEVER happens when anything is on. It's always DVR'd or watched during lunch on hulu. I love Hulu.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08207269714279481677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-16049215978452929642012-05-09T09:56:39.005-04:002012-05-09T09:56:39.005-04:00Janga - Oh I feel you. When the words don't wa...Janga - Oh I feel you. When the words don't want to come the bookcase calls to me like a siren.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08207269714279481677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-51724142787295305482012-05-09T09:31:11.013-04:002012-05-09T09:31:11.013-04:00I've never been good with balance but I'm ...I've never been good with balance but I'm better thanks to pushing myself way too hard a few years ago. My brain thinks I'm Wonder Woman but the rest of me knows differently. We've been trying to convince the brain and I think she's catching on.<br /><br />You're exactly right that feeding our souls and making ourselves happy makes the words come more. Even if it's a sad scene, if I'm in a good mental place, that scene will be better. And easier (relative term) to write. <br /><br />Prioritizing is important if you want to find balance. Bottom line, I had to give up my addiction to television. I can't write with the TV or radio on. I need silence. That meant turning everything off and putting my butt in the chair. My daughter has always been my top priority and spending an afternoon with her doing something fun charges me up for the second priority - the writing.Terri Osburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17176989488447450585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-77901587352110860552012-05-09T09:30:05.974-04:002012-05-09T09:30:05.974-04:00Since I'm semi-retired, I have fewer demands o...Since I'm semi-retired, I have fewer demands on my time than most of you do. I have days when I feel pressured, but I no longer have weeks or months when I feel pulled in a dozen different directions. I do struggle to balance my reading and writing time. If the writing is not going well, it's really tempting to become all reader/reviewer/on-line commenter about books.Jangahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15128188159653860806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-55156692686520710632012-05-09T09:04:49.597-04:002012-05-09T09:04:49.597-04:00I love your comment so much Marnee. It shows that ...I love your comment so much Marnee. It shows that when the things pulling you in a million different directions are things you love, then it's all worth it. :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08207269714279481677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-33546710217977619932012-05-09T07:12:39.202-04:002012-05-09T07:12:39.202-04:00Wow. Balance. Yeah, about that....
My balance i...Wow. Balance. Yeah, about that....<br /><br />My balance issues always seem to spring from time management. Mostly that I don't have enough alone time. I'm not always rushing around, I'm just never by myself. It's hard to write with the sound of "I want juice!" and "can I have a banana?" in the background.<br /><br />When I do get time without kids, I need balance quality time with the hubby with my quality time writing (alone). Sometimes it can feel like I'm pulled in a lot of directions. But I'm not stressed about it, really. These are all blessings--my kids, my DH, and my writing. I try to keep that in mind when I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. :)Marnee Baileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01533816213473440342noreply@blogger.com