5 Tips for Increasing Your Writing Productivity

1.     Write at the same time every day

If you write at the same time every day you create a habit. This habit trains the brain and your muse to be prepared to do a specific activity at the same time each day. So when you sit down to your computer at 10.30 every night for 21 days (the time it takes to form a new habit) and demand that your brain let you introduce Harry to Sally, then that’s exactly what you will get.

2.     Schedule your internet

Most people head straight for their inbox first thing in the morning and start freaking out. By the end of the day you may end up with an empty inbox, but it's likely that you’ll have accomplished nothing else.

3.     Stop multi-tasking

Switching rapidly from task to task decreases your IQ by an average of ten points. That's a greater reduction than if you were strung out on drugs. We all have to do multiple things during a day, but when you can, you should focus on one activity at a time. Don't try to empty your inbox, talk on the phone, iron and defuse a bomb all at the same time, because something will blow.

4.     Write while you sleep

You can literally "sleep on it" by guiding your mind to work on writing problems while you rest. The hypnagogic state occurs between wakefulness and sleep. Some writers take power naps and focus on a problem with their WIP as they drift off. This is when the ideas come. James Scott Bell also recomends using the dream state to assist with writing. He suggest writing down any questions you may have regarind your WIP right before you go to sleep. Then before you do anythign else in the morning write down as many answers as you can to those questions.

5.     Track your success

When are you at your most productive? Do your write better in the morning? At night? On a train? With a gun to your head? If you can write 5K in an hour in the morning but only 500 words over five hours late at night, then it makes sense for you to be writing in the morning. To work out when you’re at your most productive keep a log for a week, including the time you start writing, the time you finish and how many words hit the page. By the end of the week you should start to get an idea of what your optimum writing times are.

Happy writing!

Author Spotlight - Chantelle Shaw

We're delighted to welcome Mills and Boon Modern author, Chantelle Shaw, to the minx blog today. Here are Chantelle's answers to the minx inquisition! (I must just add that I'm totally with her on the ironing...)

What is your writing process?
I aim to be in my office by 9 a.m. five days a week. My office is actually a glorified garden shed – with carpet! I used to have my desk in a corner of the bedroom which wasn’t great, especially as my youngest son used to sit on my bed and watch TV while I was trying to work.
After checking emails I write until lunchtime, which sounds good but I get up and make endless cups of coffee. I’d like to say that lunch is something healthy involving lettuce, but I’d be lying! In the afternoon I write until 3 when I pick my son up from school. At the beginning of a book I then go back and write until 5 or 6, but as a deadline approaches I often keep going until 8pm with a brief break to serve something burnt and inedible to husband and kids. It sounds like I spend a huge amount of time writing, but actually I stare out of the window a lot!

Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?
It’s my job, and apart from the odd day when I want to throw a brick through my computer screen it’s a job I love and feel very lucky to have. The way I see it is that my husband can’t decide to give work a miss one morning so why should I? Having said that, some days are much more productive than others, but if I’m not writing my conscience says I should be doing housework or dare I mention the ironing word! Trying to force a story out of my head is better than that!

Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?
Hysterical laughter! I really wish I did. I don’t like the gym but love walking and I do try to go for a brisk 30 min walk every day – but it doesn’t always happen. Life, kids and deadlines mean that some days I don’t do any exercise, hence spreading bottom!

Do you believe in writer's block?
Not exactly writer’s block, but there’s no doubt that some days the words and ideas flow and on others writing feels like wading through treacle and I’m lucky if I manage to produce a couple of hundred words. I think the best thing is to write something, even if you know it’s rubbish, just to keep things moving along. And try not to panic!

Have you ever used an incident from real life in a book? If so, did it get you into trouble?
No – I write about sexy Alpha-male billionaires and sadly there aren’t any in the tiny Kent village where I live. Everything I write is from my imagination, but sometimes a newspaper or magazine article will trigger an idea.

In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?
It’s even harder work than I imagined. I write 3 books a year for Harlequin M&B. So far I’ve always met my deadline, but usually there are revisions and the process of the book being accepted can take up to a month, which leaves 3 months to come up with a proposal for the next book, convince my editor it’s a great idea and then get the book written. The shortest time I’ve had to write a 50k word book is 6 weeks and I felt pressurised, but actually it turned out to be a great book – maybe because the story was constantly in my head and there was no time to faff about!

Promotion is no longer a dirty word. In what ways do you strive to reach more readers?
I have a website – www.chantelleshaw.com and I’m in the process of setting up a blog on the site so that I can update my news more regularly. But this is the difficult bit – nothing ever happens to me! I don’t live a jet-setting lifestyle; I write, wash football kit and cook very badly. So far I’m not on Facebook or Twitter because to be honest I’m not the most sociable person and I’m quite happy living inside my head, with occasional forays into the real world! I think I should come out of my cave and promote myself more, but I’m worried that more distractions could lead to less writing getting done, and if I don’t produce books there’s no point in promotion. I guess it’s all a balance.

What is your top promo tip for other authors?
Do more than I do! Setting up a website seems a good start.

What did you learn while writing this book?
BEHIND THE CASTELLO DOORS is set in Sardinia, so I learned a lot about the island. I always do more research than goes into the books, but I need to be able to see in my head the country or place a story is set in and Google images is great for that. I think with this book I also learned (or am trying to learn) that my plots don’t need to be so complicated and to focus even more on my characters and delve deeper into their emotions.

What was the most fun part of writing this book?
It’s slightly gothic, set in a castle and I just let my imagination fly. (Had to curb it slightly at the revisions stage)! My excuse is that I wrote it shortly after watching all three Lord of the Rings films and I was (am) totally in love with Aragorn, played by gorgeous hunk Viggo Mortensen.

And just for fun: what would your hero’s honeymoon destination of choice be?

Cesario is quite a solitary person – the strong, brooding type, so I think he would take Beth somewhere remote and beautiful where they could be alone – maybe he would rent a private Tahitian island.

And here's a little more about Chantelle's latest release...

BEHIND THE CASTELLO DOORS

Torment on his doorstep - Cesario Pira, brooding master of the Castello del Falco, wasn’t prepared for the visitor who turned up on his doorstep during a raging storm – or for the little bundle bearing the Piras name she had in tow. Cesario’s head screamed Run, but his damaged heart began to betray him. Beth Granger knew the moment she knocked on the castle door that there was no going back. She had a job to do. But the moment Cesario looked deep into her pleading eyes her faultless plan crumbled around her…

Behind the Castello Doors is available here: www.millsandboon.co.uk/ &  www.amazon.co.uk/

Thank you for being minxy today, Chantelle!

Notebook Nirvana

I am a totally sucker when it comes to pretty notebooks, I have to have them when I see them, and they are always top of my Christmas & Birthday list. (Just above fancy pens, pretty paper, coloured paperclips, personalised stickers... okay, you got me. I'm a complete stationary whore.)

Here's the pick of my current lusts...

I love butterflies, and this journal just sings summertime...

Or this luscious trio, perfect for the romance writer...

No post about notebooks would be complete without mentioning  Moleskine, I especially like the pale blue Volant notebooks just now...

These are uber fab, bright and colourful patterns, easy to spot in your handbag!

Or this is fabulous, with a nod towards the Queen's upcoming Diamond Jubilee...

I am utterly in love with these from the USA, personalised and just lush, lush, lush. Someone tell my husband that my life would be so much more organised if he brought me one?

Now, I know what you're thinking. It's all very well having these gorgeous notebooks (and pens, and notelets, and stickers..), but what am I going to carry them all in?

Fear not, minxettes. 

How about this swoonsome satchel? Isn't it just a thing of beauty? It's available in a zillion different colours and designs, all equally delicious. I want one! I want this one!

Fast Drafting

I came across this course on the forums at EHarlequin. It sounded like an awesome idea so I signed up for the class.

The very idea of writing as much as 5k in one day filled me with two very different emotions: complete and total fear coupled with excitement. I decided to go with the excitement and read the class notes.

Candace Havens is the course instructor and let me say that straight away I was impressed by her positivity and the clear way she presents the course.

Okay, but does it work? I would have to say yes. Based on the messages that are coming through the loop with some awesome totals being posted. Does it work for me? Yes, definitely. I love the accountability of having a group of people all striving for the same thing. And the overall premise of the course is that the more you immerse yourself in your story, the better it flows. That is something I already strongly believed in before I started the course and think is crucial.

Candy doesn't allow any negative talk on the loop. "I couldn't reach my goal because ..." or "I would have reached my goal if only ..." are not allowed. And that makes all the difference. Negativity breeds negativity. Positivity about your work breeds more confidence and the desire to reach the same word count you managed the day before. You see the words stacking up and it feels great.

The only difficulty I have had is reaching my goal in the two to two and a half hours it says you should set apart each day. Three separate #1k1hr sprints on Twitter will usually get me around 3k words which has been my best total this week. I'm not sure if that's because I spend too much time thinking about what comes next or faffing around to find the very best word to go into a particular sentence. But I do know that this course is pushing me to do the very best that I can in the time that I have available :-)

Does anyone have any courses they can recommend or tips that they would like to share this weekend?

Author Spotlight - Jennifer Probst

We're delighted to welcome New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Jennifer Probst to the minxes today! Here are her answers to the minx questions...

What is your writing process?

I get lots of coffee, put one child on the bus, drive the other, come home and write. Pick up second child, get him lunch, write. Serve child’s needs for several hours and try to write. Pick up first child from school, serve snacks, write. Get dinner, greet husband, pour wine, write. Homework, baths, cleaning up, watch hubby settle down in front of tv with a relaxed expression, and I write! There is no other process I believe in then something to drink, my Ipod, and something to type on. The rest is all extra!

Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?

I go shoe shopping first, then write! Balance is always my target and my goal. I do my best day to day – some are better than others due to family demands, but I write every day without fail. How? I groan, complain, tell my hubby to kick my butt, sit and stare, change my songs, but at the end of the day, I make sure I know it’s my job to write. That’s the only way I can do this full time.

Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?

Walk back and forth to the kitchen for more coffee? (Hangs head in shame) Sorry. Umm, to be totally honest, I used to go to the gym three times per week, and then my schedule got nuts and my physical regimen is suffering. Your question has inspired me to go back to the gym. After all, I’m still paying membership fees! I adore doing yoga too and believe it’s wonderful for clearing the mind.

Do you believe in writer's block?

Absolutely. I’ve had it and it sucks. Sucks big time! But I get through it by gritting my teeth and forcing my way through the hard stuff. Eventually I get out of the block and burst out the other end!

Have you ever used an incident from real life in a book? If so, did it get you into trouble?

Yes, I’ve used something that happened and twisted the situation into a fictional story. It did get me in trouble, a tiny bit, when a family member recognized the incident – lol! But it worked out fine in the end and we all laugh about it now!

In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?

It’s just as exciting as I always thought, especially when a reader tells me how much he or she enjoyed the book. Having my name in print and finally being able to share my stories with someone other than my desk drawer or close friend is a dream come true. I don’t think I realized the extent of the business part of writing, and how busy your schedule can become. I laugh when people say I work from home so I must have plenty of free time! I think I work harder now writing full time than when I had my day job, but I’m much happier because it’s like having my own business. It’s also quite overwhelming to realize you don’t just write one great book and sit back with a smile. You have to keep writing great books and that can cause a muse to go on strike with fear – lol!

Promotion is no longer a dirty word. In what ways do you strive to reach more readers?

Promotion is key in this business besides writing a great book. I do social networking and I did it way before my books were published. I started slow, gained friends, supported people and followed blogs. I was a friend – not a writer yelling “Buy my book!” Who wants that type of friend? When the book released, I had a blog tour set up, some advertising , and sent it to many reviewers.

What is your top promo tip for other authors? 

The most important is to have a platform. You don’t have to be good at everything, but make sure you are either steadily blogging, twittering, using facebook, youtube, pinterest, or a combination. You do need a great website – that’s a basic. And be generous– I am a true believer in karma!

What did you learn while writing this book?

I learned to trust my gut. I knew this was a great story and I never let myself give up. I believed there would be the perfect editor/publisher out there that would believe in this story like I did, and finally it came true!

What was the most fun part of writing this book?

The characters! They took over the book for me, and I couldn’t wait to see what they would say or do next. I laughed out loud when I wrote it and shook my head at their antics, so the book came alive for me. How much fun is that!

And just for fun: what would your hero’s honeymoon destination of choice be?

Rome. I think he’d love taking Alexa to Rome to view the architecture and enjoy the scenery. Nick’s not the island type to just sit on the beach and sunbathe – he needs to be doing something engaging. He’d also know Alexa would love the romance of such an ancient city. Of course, when they get back to the hotel, that will be a whole other part of engagement for him – lol!

The Marriage Bargain

A marriage in name only...

To save her family home, impulsive bookstore owner, Alexa Maria McKenzie, casts a love spell. But she never planned on conjuring up her best friend's older brother—the powerful man who once shattered her heart.

Billionaire Nicholas Ryan doesn’t believe in marriage, but in order to inherit his father’s corporation, he needs a wife and needs one fast. When he discovers his sister’s childhood friend is in dire financial straits, he’s offers Alexa a bold proposition.

A marriage in name only with certain rules: Avoid entanglement. Keep things all business. Do not fall in love. The arrangement is only for a year so the rules shouldn’t be that hard to follow, right?

Except fate has a way of upsetting the best-laid plans…

Website and Blog

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

Amazon

Barnes & Noble