What the FLY LADY taught me about writing...

Have you shined your sink today?

Are you dressed to lace-up shoes?

And what does this have to do with my writing anyway?

If you know what a "Room Rescue" or a "27 Fling Boogie" is, chances are you have visited Marla Cilley (AKA The Fly Lady)'s website. Perhaps you're like me and organization does not come naturally to you.

I'm here to share what FlyLady has taught me about the way I write and how to improve my writing. In hopes that some of these tips might help someone else. 

Go shine your sink.

OK, hold that Ajax and come back to the computer. I don't mean literally. But think about it.

FlyLady tells you to first shine your sink. This is the only step for the first day. 

She knows the POWER of ONE THING.

What's your one thing? What do you most need to add to your writing? Working on one area, keeping in mind it will never be perfect, can make such a difference whether its focusing on a single scene or a single aspect of your novel. Sometimes we can get overwhelmed (or at least I can) with all the improvement I would like to make in so many areas of my writing. We can get paralyzed there. So work on that one thing. One character. One scene. One page at a time. Then slowly add.

Its about "baby-stepping" and not "obsessing."

Getting dressed to  lace-up shoes.

When I first found the FlyLady website I hated the idea of wearing shoes inside all day. But it works (at least for me). The idea is that we move faster when we're wearing shoes.

Just as we get prepared for the day, are you preparing yourself for your writing time? I find when I just sit down I don't always do my best work. 

For me praying first and closing my eyes and spending a few minutes getting back into the scene are musts. They help me prepare for writing and actually help me to accomplish more, just as putting on your lace-up shoes motivates you to get your day started.

Harness the power of routines.

"Born Organized" people do this naturally. Others of us have to force it. What is the routine to your writing life? I discovered writing wouldn't just "happen", I needed to schedule it in my busy life. 

Is your writing at the best possible time? If you are scheduling your writing early in the morning, are you able to get enough sleep to write your best? If you write during an afternoon nap for your kiddos are you finding that time gets pushed off...or maybe you get irritated when they wake up as you barely start your scene?

Where do you write? Does this allow for the atmosphere you need to get your best writing done? I realize this isn't always possible, especially if you have young children in your home. But is there a way you can make your writing area feel like a retreat?

What do you do before and after your writing? Can you take a moment today to reflect on what is and isn't working in just today's writing?

Do you have a good routine to the rest of your day? I know if chaos seeps into my house or another part of my life, it has a tendency to slip into my writing life. 

What is one small change you can make today to impact your writing life? 

Julia enjoys writing women's fiction whenever she can find a chair free of smushed peanut butter sandwiches and lego blocks. She is a wife and homeschooling mama of two littles. She also enjoys reading and reviewing books for The Title Trakk, a Christian review site.