MUSE • Leslie Keenan

Time Management and Writing

Posted by in Time, Writing

Are your time issues blocking you from having success as a writer? A writing student came to me with a dilemma. She had a book contract, and the summer off to write it, and she was terrified that she wouldn’t be able to do it. She has struggled all her life with time. She procrastinates, gets focused on small details and neglects the bigger picture, and she hides out in research without writing. To top it off, she was intimidated by the sheer size of the project. Sure, she’d written…read more

May.28
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6 Steps Professional Writers Use to Complete Their Books

Posted by in Time, Writing

Are you serious about getting your book done? It might be time to do as the professionals do and create a schedule. Many professional writers have a contract to finish their books, and therefore a real deadline with an outside source, and a schedule in place to meet that deadline. This is where beginning writers, or self-published authors, need some assistance. If you don’t yet have a contract, or if you are doing it yourself, how can you be sure you will actually get it done? If you are ready…read more

May.25
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Using a Timeline to Get Your Book Done

Posted by in Time, Writing

Have you ever completed a writing session and thought, at this rate it will take me 10 years to finish this book? I see this all the time and it’s based on a fallacy. The fallacy is that each writing day is like another. The truth is, every day is different. Creativity is like that. Sometimes ideas just come, and flow right out onto the page effortlessly. You might end up with five pages. Other days, you can feel at a loss and struggle just to get a few paragraphs…read more

May.22
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Writing Your Book: Working With an Editor

Posted by in Writing

When you don’t have issues with the process of writing, but want help with the writing itself, that’s when to hire an editor, not a coach. You don’t need to check in weekly or every other week, you want someone else to read through your manuscript and focus on improving the structure, or carefully line editing. What is it like to work with an editor? A good editor is very experienced working with writers and should treat you with respect and professionalism. Most editors will be able to give you…read more

Nov.30
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How to Work With a Writing Coach

Posted by in Publishing, Writing

When is the best time to work with a writing coach, and what can you expect? You’re working on a writing project – whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, one book, a series of books, an article, etc. – and you wonder, would working with a writing coach be of value to me? You may not have considered this, or, you may have, and felt scared, intimidated, not sure if your writing is good enough yet, or if you will really get value for your money. Here are a few times…read more

Nov.27
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Your Ideas for Writing a Book Deserve Your Respect

Posted by in Publishing, Writing

Do ideas for your writing project come to you at odd or unexpected times? Like in the shower, or while driving? On a hike, or just before you fall asleep? Do you intend to write them down when you can, but then find you forgot to, and now don’t remember what the great idea was? Successful writers treat these ideas with respect. They recognize them for what they are: creative gold. When they just come to you, your writing can become effortless—if you create a place to put them. This…read more

Nov.23
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How To Start Writing A Book

Posted by in Publishing, Writing

  “Just get it down on paper, and then we’ll see what to do with it.” – Maxwell Perkins “Getting it down on paper” is the tricky part to beginning a book. Especially if the idea for a book has been floating around in your head for a while, it’s hard to know how to start. Many writers also worry about what the first line of their book will sound like. They put a lot of pressure on themselves to come up with just the right words to form a…read more

Nov.20
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Writing Your Book: Just Begin

Posted by in Publishing, Writing

Has everyone always said to you, “You should write that down,” or “That could be a book”? You know you have specific expertise, and perhaps extraordinary experience, in your field…well, why don’t you write it down? There’s no time like the present. Many successful books started just this way (think, Tuesdays with Morrie). Don’t worry if you’re not a writer. You don’t have to be. You just have to have a good story to tell or a special insight to share. All the rest–structure, grammar, punctuation, decisions about publication–you can…read more

Nov.17
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