Help me welcome prolific writer Morgan Mandel. Morgan is sharing her "don't" writing list. Leave a comment and share your list of writing don'ts.
Don’t Do
What I Do by Morgan Mandel
I’m a
disorganized author, and not proud of it. I know better, yet I continually
break so many
common sense writing rules, I wonder how I get anything done. By
some miracle, somehow I seem to muddle through and my books happen. Maybe
they’d happen sooner, though, if I followed what I know I should be doing.
Here are
some of the don’ts that I do:
1.
Don’t start the day (your free time if
you have a day job) by reading and responding to e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and
other online sites before proceeding to your Work in Progress. I confess to not
applying discipline, and goofing off way too much, when my energy should be
focused on writing.
2.
Don’t begin writing a book, stop and
start another without finishing the first. I am so guilty of this. To my
horror, I now have five works in progress, and my brain keeps inspiring me with
new ideas. Aren’t five enough? Last year I decided to get my books done in the
order I’d started them. I did finish one that way.
Since then, I discovered a thriller I’d not finished five
years ago, and it’s already got 15,000 words to it. Should I complete it first,
or the western romance NanoWriMo I didn’t get done three years ago? Or, Always
Young, the last of the Always Young Trilogy which I’ve already promised and
must deliver? Then there’s the sequel to my romantic comedy, Her Handyman,
which one of the secondary characters insists I write. Also, over the summer I
started a controversial political thriller, which I’d love to get done. I’m
wondering which one will win the race. At this point, they’re all tied.
3.
Don’t edit your manuscripts first,
instead of writing them. One reason I lag behind is my inner editor keeps
telling me to get everything as perfect as possible on the first draft. I need
to shut that inner editor into a dark closet and not let it out until I’ve
reached the end of the first draft.
4.
Don’t forget to get out of your comfort
zone. I find it exceedingly easy to invite guests to my blogs, and promote
them. What’s really difficult is to be a guest on someone else’s blog and tell
people about myself and my books. Well, I’m here today, and that’s a good
start.
What about you? Do you follow one or
more of my don’ts, or maybe you apply others which delay the completion of your
books?
BIO:
The versatile Morgan Mandel, former President of her local RWA
chapter and once Library Liaison for Midwest MWA, writes thrillers, mysteries
and romances. Her most recent release is the Blessing or Curse Collection of short stories, which is the sequel
to her full length thriller, Forever
Young: Blessing or Curse. While
the first of the trilogy focuses on the dangers to one main protagonist, the
sequel studies the relationships of five test subjects taking the Forever Young
pill.
Morgan’s ever popular Girl of
My Dreams, is a reality show romance; and her
more recent romantic comedy, Her Handyman, features
a handyman, a crazy canine and a rich, quirky artist.
Morgan’s romantic suspense, Killer
Career, about a lawyer’s dangerous career
change, and Two
Wrongs, Morgan’s debut mystery, are both set
in Chicago.
For more about Morgan and her books, check out her website, blog, Facebook
Page, and Twitter at @MorganMandel.
Labels: #romance #suspense #mystery #shortstories #writingadvice
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