Leslie, Author at MUSE • Leslie Keenan

Time Management and Writing

Are your time issues blocking you from having success as a writer? A writing student came to me with a dilemma. She had a book contract, and the summer off to write it, and she was terrified that she wouldn’t be able to do it. She has struggled all her life with time. She procrastinates, gets focused on small details and neglects the bigger picture, and she hides out in research without writing. To top it off, she was intimidated by the sheer size of the project. Sure, she’d written…read more

6 Steps Professional Writers Use to Complete Their Books

Are you serious about getting your book done? It might be time to do as the professionals do and create a schedule. Many professional writers have a contract to finish their books, and therefore a real deadline with an outside source, and a schedule in place to meet that deadline. This is where beginning writers, or self-published authors, need some assistance. If you don’t yet have a contract, or if you are doing it yourself, how can you be sure you will actually get it done? If you are ready…read more

Using a Timeline to Get Your Book Done

Have you ever completed a writing session and thought, at this rate it will take me 10 years to finish this book? I see this all the time and it’s based on a fallacy. The fallacy is that each writing day is like another. The truth is, every day is different. Creativity is like that. Sometimes ideas just come, and flow right out onto the page effortlessly. You might end up with five pages. Other days, you can feel at a loss and struggle just to get a few paragraphs…read more

Surprising Facts About Publishing Today

Posted by Leslie in Publishing, Writing

I eavesdropped on Digital Book World’s 2016 conference on publishing today (by following the hashtag #DBW16 on Twitter) and found much fascinating and useful information for writers. The first overarching point, reinforced by @dataguy (the numbers guy behind the site called Author Earnings), is implicit in the conference itself. Started seven years ago, by Michael Cader of Publishers Marketplace and Mike Shatzkin of The Idea Logical Company, it emphasizes the data that the Big Five publishers tend to ignore. (Think of it as the Moneyball of publishing— stats and numbers are…read more

How to Prepare for a Writing Conference

So you’ve finally decided: it’s time to go to a writing workshop. You’ve committed the big bucks and are ready to take the plunge. What do you do now? TWO QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ANSWER FIRST If the answer is no to either question, you should definitely not attend (**with one exception below). Are you ready? That is, do you have a draft of the manuscript that is ready to go? When you attend a conference it is highly likely that someone will ask to see it, so you need…read more

4 Questions To Answer “Yes” to Before Attending a Writers’ Conference

It’s easy to get caught up when reading an attractive conference website and realizing all the great people who will be there and how much you can learn (there’s always more to learn). But is it the right thing for you at this moment? I tell my students there’s really only one reason to go: you want to make connections to people who can help you publish. That’s because I think workshops can be risky if you are not fully prepared and in marketing mode. If you are still nurturing…read more

Time “Management?” …Try TimeShifting Instead

Sign up for TimeShifters Teleclass starting June 23rd 2016. I met a former student in a café recently, who sheepishly confessed, “I don’t have time to do your time class!” Her business is thriving but it’s taking all her energy. I promised her I’d write a blog post to explain why this actually means she desperately needs to take the time to shift her relationship with time. This is the magic secret of TimeShifting. Right now the only thing you see is the long to-do list, or the endless tasks…read more

Writing Your Book: Working With an Editor

When you don’t have issues with the process of writing, but want help with the writing itself, that’s when to hire an editor, not a coach. You don’t need to check in weekly or every other week, you want someone else to read through your manuscript and focus on improving the structure, or carefully line editing. What is it like to work with an editor? A good editor is very experienced working with writers and should treat you with respect and professionalism. Most editors will be able to give you…read more

How to Work With a Writing Coach

When is the best time to work with a writing coach, and what can you expect? You’re working on a writing project – whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, one book, a series of books, an article, etc. – and you wonder, would working with a writing coach be of value to me? You may not have considered this, or, you may have, and felt scared, intimidated, not sure if your writing is good enough yet, or if you will really get value for your money. Here are a few times…read more

Your Ideas for Writing a Book Deserve Your Respect

Do ideas for your writing project come to you at odd or unexpected times? Like in the shower, or while driving? On a hike, or just before you fall asleep? Do you intend to write them down when you can, but then find you forgot to, and now don’t remember what the great idea was? Successful writers treat these ideas with respect. They recognize them for what they are: creative gold. When they just come to you, your writing can become effortless—if you create a place to put them. This…read more