3 Ways to Avoid Distractions and Keep Writing

3 Ways to Avoid Distractions When Writing by Jill Kemerer

I’m currently writing the first draft of a new book. I’m working on one of those in-between chapters, and, needless to say, I’m distracted. How to fight distractions when writing?

Well, first let’s look at why I’m distracted.

I’ve reached a spot in the book where I’m not certain what will happen next or even what needs to happen. And instead of figuring it out, I avoid it.

I don’t even think I fight the distractions! Anything is better than the hard work of figuring out the best path forward with the plot.

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Trying a Makeshift Standing Desk

Trying a Makeshift Standing Desk by Jill Kemerer

Writers sit. A lot.

This writer certainly does! But I’m trying something different–I put together a makeshift standing desk to avoid sitting so much.

Some writers (and other work-from-home professionals) buy special stands to convert their desks from sitting to standing. Others have invested in treadmill desks. Then there are those who walk and dictate. I’ve tried dictation. It works in a pinch, but isn’t a long-term solution for me personally.

All of these methods to get out of the chair intrigue me, but I’ve never been motivated enough to try them.

Well, last week I was exhausted. I’m talking tired every day to the point I barely got anything work-related done. Part of it was a disruption in my routine (I had appointments every day). This week, I decided something needed to change.

For one week, I’m working while standing for at least an hour every day.

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Let’s Set Goals {May 2021}

Let's Set Goals May 2021 by Jill Kemerer. Writer Productivity

My writer productivity skyrockets when I set monthly goals. At the beginning of each week I break them down into daily tasks that will work within my current schedule. Do you know how great it is to finish projects? Of course you do! For me, setting monthly goals makes it all possible…

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Slowing Down This Week

Slowing Down this Week by Jill Kemerer

My husband is off this week working on our deck, so I'm slowing down, too. It worked out perfectly since I have a lot of time before my next book is due. I'm working on a nonfiction writing project I plan on indie publishing. If I get a chapter written,…

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One Healthy Choice can Completely Change Your Day

One Healthy Choice can Completely Change Your Day, Jill Kemerer

Has this ever happened to you? You wake up, moderately ready for the tasks ahead, but by the time you have your coffee and get ready, your motivation has dissolved to nothing? A feeling of dread creeps in, and excuses march through your mind. One healthy choice feels like too much work. What started as a decent day now seems impossible to get through.

Lately the birds singing outside my window wake me up before my alarm. Not every morning, mind you. But yesterday I woke up a full hour and a half before my alarm went off, and I could not get back to sleep.

I didn’t fret. Just got up, made some coffee, did my Bible study, and scrolled through my phone for a bit. I had my workout planned–a DVD in our basement–and I was already dressed for it. I just needed to put on my shoes and get my butt down there.

But did I get my butt down there? I think we all know the answer to that!

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How I Distribute Digital Review Copies

Distributing Digital Review Copies. Jill Kemerer

Distributing digital review copies–where to start? One of the many struggles authors face in today’s publishing world is how to get advance copies of our ebooks to reviewers.

In the early days of having my street team, I would put out a call for anyone in the group willing to read/review my book. I would then gather their email addresses and send them a digital copy of the book. As the group grew, it became more difficult.

A street team is a group of readers who help promote your books by reading/reviewing ARCs, sharing book news/graphics with their social networks, or by generally getting the word out about your book.

An ARC is an advance review copy or can be referred to as an advance reader copy.

Distributing digital review copies. Jill Kemerer

Problems with individual distribution of ARCs:

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Let’s Set Goals {April 2021}

Let's Set Goals April 2021, Writer Productivity, Jill Kemerer

My writer productivity skyrockets when I set monthly goals. At the beginning of each week I break them down into daily tasks that will work within my current schedule. Do you know how great it is to finish projects? Of course you do! For me, setting monthly goals makes it all possible.

Every month I share how I did the previous month as well as my new goals. Let’s get to it!

How Did I Do? Jill’s March Goals

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Is Improvement Automatic {Aspiring Writers}

Is writing improvement automatic? Jill Kemerer

Way back when I submitted my first novel for publication, I was certain getting published would happen quickly–a year, tops. I believed talent would take me places.

Confidence is a good thing. It pushed me through a lot of hard times.

But reality came knocking quickly, and with it came humility.

When I realized getting published might take longer–much longer–than I thought, I questioned if I had any talent at all. Had I been lying to myself?

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Building a Cushion into Deadlines

Building a Cushion Into Deadlines by Jill Kemerer

You’re crushing your goals, on track to meeting your deadline when disaster strikes. A week later all you can think is well, that didn’t go as planned.

I lived this last week. On Sunday, I woke up with a killer migraine, and I didn’t feel better until Friday. A five-day migraine might be a record for me (and not one I particularly wanted!). Anyway, I had to throw my goals for the week out the window. I do not like missing my goals. I really don’t like missing them AND being sick.

Meeting Deadlines

It wasn’t catastrophic for me. I try very hard to work ahead, and I always build a cushion into my deadlines. Migraines can hit me out of the blue so, in order to meet my deadlines, I have to be smart. I cannot wait to the last minute to finish a book, especially since that last minute might be spent on the couch with a cold cloth over my eyes.

Meeting deadlines is easier if we plan for the unexpected.

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Maintenance Marketing for Writers

Maintenance Marketing for Writers by Jill Kemerer

Promotion and marketing are ongoing tasks for writers. What’s the difference between them? I’m not a marketing major, but I’ve been doing my own marketing and promotion for years. I have my own way of defining them.

I promote my books. I market my author name/brand to build my platform.

For me, marketing is the overall strategy of building my platform. Promotion, on the other hand, is the overall strategy of selling a particular book.

There isn’t anything technically accurate about this definition. It’s just the way I separate the two in my mind.

There are things I do on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis that I call maintenance marketing for writers.

The goal of these tasks is to provide content to my platform on a regular basis as well as attract new readers to find and follow me. Then, when I’m promoting a new book, the additional book-centric content is a natural continuation of what I’m already doing.

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