Keeping the winter blues away!

January ends tomorrow and my writing has moved forward significantly during the month. Writing several pieces at various stages of story development has kept me on my toes. Most helpful has been designating specific days and times for each project. Two days a week I write/revise with my writing colleague. One day I work on my Dubious Grief material and this keeps my memoir project moving along even without the writing class I usually participate in. In the evening I ponder new story ideas and file them away for a later time. I have also taken up watercolor painting - so nice to have a truly free creative activity outside the structure of writing. All in all this month has confirmed my belief that variety in my writing and other creative activities is key to keeping the winter blues away.

Writing together using the internet

I am collaborating with another writer on a novel. Since it is winter and the weather can be terrible, we are using the internet to write scenes together and organize our materials. This method has worked great for us. In the past we'd meet at either my or her house and write once a week. Now using the internet and Google's gmail allows us to store and share materials and write together several times a week on our novel. It's great to be able to write and edit the same document together. No need to deal with the cold, frigid weather. And we are making better progress on our novel than meeting once a week in person. Love this method of collaboration!

Self Motivation

I usually start the new year by taking a memoir writing class at the local community college. Because the tuition has nearly doubled, I skipped enrolling this year. Instead I will proceed with my writing as if I am enrolled, cranking out my words and reorganizing Dubious Grief. I dug out my class notes from the previous four years and will do the exercises, pump out the word count, and see where it leads. Since the class meets on Tuesday evening, I have dedicated my Tuesday writing to my memoir, Dubious Grief, to strengthen the illusion and hold myself accountable. Another year, another challenge.