Fall Clean-Up – 3 Tips to Getting Your Writing Habits Ready for Winter

Edie here. Sometimes, I can't help it, I just get it wrong. Cindy sent me this post for November and somehow I managed to put up the post meant for December instead. It's a fantastic post, so I refuse to not share it, but I didn't want you to think she'd missed the timing on this. 

Fall Clean-Up—3 Tips to Getting Your Writing Habits Ready for Winter 
by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted

I swore I’d try to never write on a subject that is worn out. You know, the hundreds of devotions making analogies about gardening to their spiritual life? Well, guess what? I had an epiphany while cleaning out fall bushes and leaves that will not leave my creative desire to compare it to my writing life, alone.

For those who have difficulty working their writing life into summer, there are equally as many road blocks for us going into fall and winter. As the colder the weather grows, the more we desire nothing more than a hot cup of coffee and a warm blanket. Still, as professional writers we have to work around the things that eat away at our time.

Maintaining good work habits through the colder parts of the year are equally, if not more important than the remainder of the year. As the seasons wind down to rest and the holidays gear up, it’s easy to let our writing slip.

Here are 3 tips to get your writing habits stay on track for the winter:

• Rake regularly: When we fail to stay on top of raking our fall leaves, the small piles turn into massive heaps. The same goes with the blogs and articles you may contribute to regularly. There are times we grow lazy, assuming we’ll do that extra blog tomorrow, but it’s truly a lose-lose scenario. Deadline day arrives and you’re burning the keys on your computer up to catch up. Set up a blog/article writing day and stick to it. Keep working ahead on posts so you never find yourself behind. Carry a pad and pen in your purse or pocket to jot down good blog ideas. Doing this keeps staples in your cabinet and you’re never left at a loss what to write.

• Keep your tools in order: There’s nothing worse when you’re working in the garden than searching for necessary tools. The hoe is in the garage, the rake in the out building, the mower in the shed. It’s the same for writers when we our workspace and tools are out of order. Keep a spreadsheet to note the date, the post, and the blog that you’ve submitted. You’ll never send a duplicate post or forget a title if these are ready for you at a glance. Store posts, articles and manuscripts in individual file folders on your desktop and label and date the documents i.e. summerend9_22_17. Wasted time goes by the wayside when things are in order. Keep your workspace free of clutter – after all, you have to be able to find the keyboard to type.

• Trim back the bushes: It’s the dreaded pruning time, but pruning in the fall, brings a bright and beautiful spring. It works the same for writers. The number one job build up are those pesky emails, especially if you have more than one email address to tend. Carve out a few minutes daily to breeze through your emails. Mark the important things, delete the things that eat away at your time. Unsubscribe from ads and unnecessary blogs that fill your box and leave you overwhelmed. Prune and trim. You’ll be glad you did.

Keeping a neat and organized workspace will help you work smart and not hard. When fall makes you lazy, take time to look at your daily schedule. Mark out unnecessary items that not only draw you away from your writing, but also from your family. Prioritize and stay ahead of the game. 

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Fall Clean-Up – 3 Tips to Getting Your #Writing Habits Ready for Winter - @CindyDevoted on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Prioritize & stay ahead in the #writing game - tips to help get ready for winter from @CindyDevoted on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Cindy Sproles is an award-winning author and popular speaker. She is the cofounder of Christian Devotions ministries and managing editor of Straight Street Books and SonRise Devotionals, imprints of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Cindy is the executive editor of
www.christiandevotions.us and 
www.inspireafire.com. She teaches at writers 
conferences nationwide and directs The Asheville Christian Writers Conference - Writers Boot Camp. 

She is the author of two devotionals, He Said, She Said - Learning to Live a Life of Passion and New Sheets - Thirty Days to Refine You into the Woman You Can Be. Cindy's debut novel, Mercy's Rain, is available at major retailers. Visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com and book her for your next conference or ladies retreat. Also connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.