Guest Blog Entry - The Importance of Routine

[ldfrech]

As a writer, I am constantly reading fiction to help me with my writing; I also read a lot of non-fiction. Sometimes I choose non-fiction books to help me with a particular subject I'm researching. I've been reading some great books about the craft of writing that are already helping me in my quest to become a better writer. One of the most simple, and profound, lessons I've learned about plot and action is that plot and action are derived from an interruption in the character's routines. Most character action is then centered around restoring that routine in their lives.

I just finished reading Rainwater by Sandra Brown How timely it was for me to discover how the main character's life in a small, Depression-era town is disrupted by the arrival of Mr. Rainwater. And yes, true to my writing lessons, the entire novel is dedicated to the restoration of order in Ella's life.

My personal life routines have been interrupted the last ten days as well. The disruption in my home routine has certainly caused some "conflict" in my writing life these past ten days. Transition from one job to another left me without Internet access at home for about ten days. Now that it's restored, it feels so much easier to complete writing tasks such as working on A Place to Call Their Own and my personal blog.

So the lesson I learned that I want to share with you this week is that no matter what quest you're currently pursuing, make sure that you are following the routines you've set out for yourself. I know that for ten days, my routines were disrupted. I've been working very hard over the summer to establish some aggressive writing routines to achieve some aggressive writing goals. And have a back up plan in case those routines get disrupted

Have a great week!