Tech and Science

City

Tech and Science

City

10 Tips for Maintaining the Discipline of Writing

Jul 8, 2016, 10:00:00 AM Creative

Where do you find time to write so many books?

In 2014, I declared that I will bite the self publishing bullet and publish at least one of my manuscripts each month. I did not publish not one self published ebook or paperback in 2014, because I was dealing with an illness that would have me in surgery by year's end. However, in my recovery bed January morning, I enacted my commitment. I have since made good on that promise.

February 2015 - Recount Jamaica
March 2015 - Sophie's Place: Examining Career Development for the Disabled
March 2015 - Learning Management System Efficiency vs. Staff Proficiency
April 2015 - The Philosophy of Education and Work
May 2015 - Be Lifted Up
May 2015 - Examining Career Development in Jamaica and Australia
May 2015 - The Island Journal (2nd Ed.)
June 2015 - Thieves in the Workplace
July 2015 - 101 Jamaican Love Poems
August 2015 - Empowering the 21st Century Worker
August 2015 - A Heart Staged in Pain, Anger and Denial, A Heart Staged in Depression, A Heart Staged in Acceptance (3 of the 4 book series)
August 2015 - Is the Registry Happy: Examining Career Development within Learning Organisations
October 2015 - A Heart Staged in Grief (The complete book)

Now that I am importing in my self published paperback books into Jamaica and sharing them with my co-workers, acquaintances and friends; I am asked this question a lot. Where do you find time to write so many books? My answer is ready and waiting.

Remember that quote, about there being 24 hours in the day, the same 24 hours that you have, so too did Picasso, Albert Einstein and many of the greats? But what did they do with their seconds, minutes, hours and days? What are you doing with your seconds, minutes, hours and days?

So, it is simple to answer the question, Where do you find time to write so many books?

The Discipline of Writing

I am always writing, editing or proofreading; along with working 9 hours a day and attending school 4 evenings a week for 3 hours. Not to mention the hecticity of teaching practice for 4 mornings at 7 a.m. and one session on Sunday evenings for 3 hours. (I am so glad that is over). It requires being organised, proactive and focused. My phone has seen many a poems for my books, chapter sections for my books and articles for my blogs. My mind is tightly and finely attuned to every experience I face on a day to day basis and how I would incorporate that into a self published book.

The biggest ace that I have got on my side is God. I am obedient to His will, His leading and His way. I don't watch TV so I stream my shows online. This summer, I am on a TV show fast. They are forbidden for Summer 2015; as such, I have a lot of time on my hands, more than ever. And remember, I don't watch TV, that means I am not engaged in mindless activity for hours on end. Those would be wasted hours for me, because I could be drafting a new book, editing a complete manuscript or getting it ready to self publish on:

Kindle self publishing website
Lulu.com self publishing website
Createspace self publishing website
Smashwords self publishing (they have a tedious and discouraging process, recommended for the tech savvy)

This summer, I also got many book. Numerous. Sometimes I wonder when will I be publishing those manuscripts. Those I already have and those not yet written; but God is the author and finisher of all things. I have nearly 20 manuscripts waiting to be published and just as many book ideas, if not book covers of books not yet written.

So, if you are interested in following your passion; all else must come second, except God of course.