I believe that we make things happen through the actions we take. Sometimes those actions are big—huge risks that either pay off or don't—but sometimes it's the smallest actions that have the biggest impact. We choose our paths through the seemingly insignificant decisions we make every day. Do we choose to spend an hour writing or working out, or do we spend that hour watching television? Do we get enough sleep at night? Or do we down a couple cups of coffee and hope that's enough?

All these small choices will eventually determine our futures. But today, I want to talk about just one choice:

​Picking up our toys.

If you've ever lifted weights or been in a room with someone who does, you know there is one thing that everyone loves to do and talk about. Whether we're talking about Olympic weightlifters or powerlifters, they all love max days and hitting PRs (personal records). They love pulling heavy deadlifts and massive snatches. In other words, lifting heavy shit. It feels great, and there's nothing like that adrenaline rush. But guess what? PRs don't happen overnight or by accident. They happen because of hard work and hours spent doing the stuff no one really wants to do. In other words, PRs happen because of rep days.

​But we're not talking about weightlifting. We're talking about writing. I've compared writing to working out many times, and I hold that there are tons of similarities. In both disciplines, hard work = awesome gains. Whether the goal is to lift heavier or write captivating words, the only way to achieve goals is to put in the work.

This July, I'm participating in Camp NaNoWriMo. But unlike most, I didn't set a word count goal.

If you're not familiar with Camp NaNoWriMo, it's just like November's National Novel Writing Month, except instead of setting their sights on 50,000 words over the course of the month, participants set their own goals. They may want to write 20k words—or 80k. It's all up to the writer.

This July, my novel is not my main focus, for a few reasons. I'm spending a lot of time building my business. I'm in the early stages of house hunting. I'm spending more time in the woods, hiking and backpacking (which has been a huge contribution toward my continued sanity). I'm also querying a previous work. And I'm taking care of a new puppy and spending as much time as possible with him.

Oh, you haven't seen pictures? You must not follow me on Twitter.

Last month, Jade asked a fantastic question:

I thought this question deserved more than a 140-character answer, so here we are. Let's toss betas and critiques into an arena, let 'em fight it out, and see who wins.

First of all, what are these things?

We all know the first draft is shit. (Hemingway said it, not me.) But does that make it any easier to put those stomach-churning sentences to the page? Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn’t. For those days when you can’t seem to do anything but stare at a blinking cursor, here are five ways to smash through the wall of self-doubt and convince yourself to write that first draft—in all its typo-riddled, repetitive, ambiguity-filled glory.

Originally published at StuffWritersLike.com

​Writers see ourselves everywhere. That’s partially because we’re narcissistic, but mostly because our lives consist of writing and thinking about writing. Buffy the Vampire Slayer may not be about writers per se, but it has its moments.

Whether we’re trying to network, sell books, share expertise, or simply connect with other writers and readers, many fiction writers turn to blogging. It’s a natural move. We write—it’s what we do. (Anyone else read that in the GEICO voice?) But fiction writers face an unexpected challenge when it comes to blogging: writing in our own voice.

Originally published at Stuff Writers Like

Writers write, right?

Then why is it so hard to carve out time to follow your passion and to do what you do best? Why does it seem that your time is always being pulled in ten different directions? Why is it being intruded upon—by family, friends, and your own tendency to procrastinate?

We all need help protecting our writing time, like a pirate guarding stolen treasure. Here are 12 tips to make sure your writing time remains your writing time.

This blog post was written in Scrivener.

I think you’re all well-aware of my Scrivener addiction by now. I’ve posted reviews of both the mac version and the iOS app, and a YouTube series devoted to the topic is in the works. But today, I’d like to talk about a very specific use for the program—and one often overlooked.

I used Word files to organize my blog posts for a long time. Why? I have no idea. I thought about using Scrivener, but I didn’t want to take the time to switch my files over and start a new system.

Don’t be like me.

Switch to Scrivener now. Even if you don’t transfer your old stuff into the program, make the switch and worry about that later. Organizing my posts in Scrivener is so much easier. I can keep track of everything, and all my posts and ideas are easily accessible in the binder. I never have to worry about sifting through folders full of random files. Plus, it’s reliable. If Word crashes one more time…

Instead of telling you all the reasons Scrivener is amazing—fan girl status—I’m going to give you a look at how I use the program to organize my blog posts. Keep in mind this is in no way the only system you could use. One of the great things about Scrivener is its flexibility. You can adjust to fit your personal needs.

Expletives can tell a reader a lot about a character and a story. Use them wisely, and they can strengthen the overall depth and impact of your tale. Use them poorly, and they can turn off readers more quickly than improper semicolon-use. Here are three things to remember when dealing with expletives.