A post, a question and a prompt

In honor of my 100th post, I've decided to keep it short and sweet.

What is the deepest, darkest secret you have, or know?

Write (about it) soon,

Mary

Are limits helpful to creativity?

Do you have an empty room in your house? Do you have an empty drawer in your desk or file cabinet? Do you have empty hours in a day? Probably not. Human beings tend to fill space and time, and writers, especially, are good at it.

Today I’m going to ignore those messy drawers and stacks of books and papers and focus on time, and how to maximize your productivity in the time you have. Two keys to productivity are prioritizing your tasks and setting your goals. Deadlines help writers by forcing them to focus on one task, and complete it. Is it ever perfect? Probably not. But it’s finished. Check, please.

For me, a project takes as long as I have. If I have 30 minutes to work on Project X, then it takes me 30 minutes to complete it. If I have three hours to complete Project X, then I will finish it in three hours. (By the way, this theory holds true for household chores.)

I’ve read that creative people may need to work in short bursts to maximize their efficiency. That may mean setting aside only a few minutes to an hour each day to work on long- or short-term goals, and doing the same thing tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. This strategy accomplishes two objectives: 1) It creates a habit, and 2) helps make the most of the time you have.

How about you? Do deadlines and short bursts of creativity work for you?

Write soon,

Mary

Where the Sky Doesn't End

Ron Nichols, author of Where the Sky Doesn’t End, will make an appearance Saturday, June 9 at the Deer Run Library Branch in O’Fallon, MO from 2-3:30 p.m.

A former journalist turned marketing communications practitioner, Ron Nichols was born and raised in O’Fallon. He’s a graduate of Ft. Zumwalt Senior High and the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism. The author of two photography books, Where the Sky Doesn’t End is his inaugural novel.

He began writing the book with his then middle-school-aged daughter to help her with her own writing homework, and to convince her writing is fun. The story blends themes from history, race and friendship into a coming-of-age tale.

When you’re 13, shy and seemingly alone, a dream can be the one thing that makes life itself worth living. That dream for Brendan O’Brien, is to fly.

Where the Sky Doesn’t End is a story about hopes, dreams, disappointments, triumphs, sacrifices and friendships. It is a story that will touch your heart and make your spirit soar.

(Check out the interview with Ron from my Feb. 6, 2012 post. He's a very thoughtful writer.)

Write soon,

Mary