President's Corner

MAY 2006

NTRWA President, Sherry Davis

Ah, May. It seems like the year just started but here we are, nearly half way through. And so many of us have been busy writing! I’m inspired and encouraged by the sheer volume of pages written and edited every month and by the number of submissions going out to editors and agents. The list grows longer every time. Amazing, truly amazing.

I want to encourage everyone who hasn’t taken the opportunity to utilize this tool to do so. Every page counts. Especially if you don’t meet regularly with a critique group, the lists offer an accountability to continue forward momentum on the work.

May is also around the time the juggling act of life becomes a little more complicated. Weddings, graduations, baby showers, your teen’s prom, end of year awards banquets, family vacations, reunions--I could go on, but you get the picture. All of these things take time away from the writing. But you don’t have to let it derail the entire project, if you plan ahead. Here are a couple of tips to keep you on track.

Take a small, spiral notebook and stuff it in your purse to have on hand when your muse strikes. You know those inventive scenes or dialogue strike hardest when you’re miles away from the computer!

If you have a handheld recorder, you can tape ideas or revisions on your commute to work, or while watching soccer practice or dance rehearsal.

If you like to read during lunch, take a chapter of your WIP to revise, instead. This will keep your mind focused on the WIP and the change of scene from your regular writing position can give you a new perspective on problem areas.

The point is to keep moving forward. No matter what. Make the writing a priority within your own mind. When we take our writing seriously, those around us take it seriously, too.