Are You a Chunky Writer?

Missy Tippens

Photo credit: Crestock/Danabeth555

No, this post is not about writers who reach for chocolate chunk cookies every time they stress. It's not about the sedentary lifestyle of a writer, or about our spreading middle if we don't do something about it. :) Believe it or not, I want to talk about our writing styles today. And I got the idea from reading Allie Pleiter's book, The Chunky Method: Your Step-By-Step Plan to WRITE THAT BOOK Even When Life Gets in the Way.

Let me back up a little. Several years ago, I attended the Southern Kentucky Bookfest and Writers Conference. I attended a workshop that Allie taught about using her Chunky Method and was very interested in the material. And I found it helpful since I am bad about comparing myself to other writers.

Do you get bummed when you hear about writers cranking out 6000 words in a day? Do you know without a doubt that there’s no way you could write that many words without short-circuiting your brain? Or, on the other side of the coin, do you hear about writers who take their notepad or laptop everywhere they go, writing while in the carpool line or during their lunch break, and question how anyone could get their brain in gear so quickly throughout the day? Or, hey, do you feel like maybe you’re something in between or a combination of both depending on the circumstances?

WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT WRITING STYLES. AND THAT’S OKAY.

In Allie’s book, she recommends asking ourselves: How much quality writing (where creativity is at its peak) can I get done in a single sitting if not interrupted? That amount is our chunk. Allie says this amount is pretty consistent for each person. We can average out our best writing sessions and figure out our chunk type. And once we know what it is, then we can more effectively plan our writing schedules.

Do you often write for a period of time, and then feel exhausted and as if your brain won’t work any more? That’s probably the end of your ideal chunk.

Here’s a great quote from Allie’s book: “The important thing to remember here is that such a point is not writer’s block. It’s simply the end of your chunk. You haven’t run out of ideas, you’ve just run out of them for the time being.”

That mindset can help us overcome discouragement! If you’ve been comparing yourself to another writer…STOP. Just don’t do that. I know I have that tendency, especially after a month of Speedbo (the Seekerville book in a month challenge). During March, I would hear stories of amazing word counts (and celebrated each one!) but would let it get me down--especially since I was revising critiqued chapters, which goes even slower for me. Since I tend to write better in larger chunks with long stretches of uninterrupted time, I get envious when I hear of people who can write 1k in an hour in several sittings throughout the day. I also get frustrated whenever my normally uninterrupted time slots have been interrupted. While reflecting on my Speedbo month, I remembered Allie’s workshop and pulled out her Chunky Method book for ideas on how to improve my productivity.

Knowing our chunk size can help us plan our writing schedule. We can actually plan for writing in chunks instead of writing a certain number of pages or words per day/week. And if we need to increase our productivity, we can try to add an extra chunk to our work day/week! For me, at this time in my life, that may mean adding a chunk early in the morning or late at night after everyone is in bed (like in the olden days when my kids were little!). I think it will also mean moving my online time to periods when I have interruptions around me. I doubt y’all will mind if I’m commenting on the blog while my husband bangs around in the kitchen. :)

I only shared a little from Allie’s book. I hope you’ll check it out for yourselves, or will attend one of her workshops. [FYI: If you’re going to the ACFW conference this year, Allie will be teaching her Chunky Method!]

And remember, do not compare yourself to others! Just try to find your best method and use it to your advantage.

Today, I’ll be giving away a Kindle copy of Allie Pleiter’s Chunky Method book. Please let me know if you’d like to be entered. Now…let’s talk writing styles! (Or if you're not a writer, your style for accomplishing your projects.) Are you a sprinter or a marathoner?

www.missytippens.com

Seeker Writing Spaces: A Virtual Tour

Good morning, Seekerville! Myra here. Having just moved into (and I use that phrase loosely!) a new house (new to us, anyway) AND attempting to get my home office organized enough to be usable, I’m too brain-dead to think very deeply about composing a writerly Seekerville blog post.

Here I am, in makeup and earrings, no less, to show you  my new office!

So today, instead of witty words of writing wisdom, I offer up a sampling of Seeker writing spaces. Some may inspire you.  Some may leave you with a renewed sense of pride in your own working arrangements.

Others may make you wonder how a particular Seeker gets any writing done with all the cleaning and preening she must be doing 14 hours a day to keep her office (and herself!) looking so good!

Let’s begin with Missy’s writing space. Here’s how she describes it:

“I have taken over a bookshelf and some storage space in my college son's bedroom. But I actually do my writing on my laptop in the family room. My family tries to be patient as I spread out over the course of writing a book! It becomes a battle of the couch cushions. :)”

Missy and her MacBook on the sofa

Hmmm, doesn’t look like much of a battle to me. Missy looks like queen of the family room with her nifty little MacBook. And she’s dressed and wearing makeup! Who writes with makeup???

Next up we have Sandra. Oh, my, if this doesn’t make you envious, nothing will! Sandra has this to say about her workspace:

“I write best while traveling in my motorhome. Too many chores at home. I put my computer on the dash and hubby points the window toward the best view.  ‘Here is your lakeside office.’ or ‘Here is your beach office.’ or ‘Here is your mountain top office.’ Am I blessed or what?”

Sandra enjoys the view from her motorhome office.

Let’s just hope hubby doesn’t put the motorhome in gear and then go racing around any sharp curves while Sandra is in creative mode!

Next we have two views of Janet’s office. For the first photo, obviously Janet straightened things up so her office would show well in the picture. At least I hope so, because if this is how it usually looks when she’s hard at work, the rest of us are WAY outclassed!

Janet in designer office and designer zebra top!

Now be honest, folks. Don’t you like the next photo best? It shows a much more normal-looking workspace with papers strewn haphazardly across the desk. However, Janet looks too gorgeous and put together for an average writing day!

Janet looking sharp as usual but with a much messier desk!

Oops, here’s another super-neat office. Cara welcomes you into this epitome of organization. What a clever storage unit, and we can’t help but admire those gorgeous Ladies of Summerhill book covers on display! I don’t see any signs of a computer, however, so Cara must be out working in her sunroom.

Cara's home office--too neat for words!

Julie provided pix of two work areas--her “real” office and her “nature” office.  Typical of a Julie Lessman novel, she was somewhat more verbose when providing her descriptions:

“I share an office with the love of my life, who sits about two to three feet behind me in a tiny 11'x12' room, so it gets REAL cozy ... especially whenever I put lip gloss on because I always share with a kiss!! Keith is an artist who needs music, and I am a writer who needs quiet, so he's kind enough to wear headphones, but the finger drumming about sends me through the roof. Consequently, I've taken to writing in the lounger in the hearth room in front of a fire during the winter and outside on the lower deck in the spring/summer/autumn.”

Julie at her "real" desk, obviously waiting for a kiss from hubby!

“In my official office, you will notice the essentials: pictures of Rhett and Scarlett, pictures of my hubby, Kleenex (a MUST!!) and a candle. This office picture was taken in the evening, so no hazelnut coffee, but come morning, my feet are up on an ottoman outside on the lower deck, and I have hazelnut coffee, Kleenex, lip gloss, a mirror (to capture those facial expressions, don't you know!) and the phone. Keith and I visit throughout the day, when he comes down or I go up for more coffee, and it's not unusual for me to be working in the dark on the deck with fireflies and the sound of locusts. All in all, a WONDERFUL writing environment!!”

Now this is the life! Lookin' good, Julie!

Okay, Julie, you had me at “fireflies and locusts.” Our new home has a lovely screened porch overlooking a forested backyard. I may be doing a LOT more writing “out of office” in the coming months!

Except . . . here we go with the makeup thing again. What’s with writing and makeup, gals???

Okay, okay, I get it! For the picture, riiiiiight? But another MacBook girl--you and Missy are women after my own heart!

Next let’s visit Tina’s office. Now THIS is a woman I can relate to! Let’s call it “creative organization.” Everything within easy reach, and I’m guessing Tina knows how to instantly put her hands on whatever she needs. Tina chose to let the photograph speak for itself, and so shall I.

Tina's office, a place for everything, and everything . . . somewhere!

Next stop on the tour is Debby’s office. She almost chickened out of sending me her photo because she feared her office would be the most cluttered of them all. I assured her it definitely is NOT! Like Tina, she can probably lay her hands on anything she needs with minimal shuffling. We’re creative right-brainers, right? Normal people could not begin to understand our organizational systems!

(Notice Debby’s “Writer’s Prayer” is right there on top.)

Debby's office. Creative genius at work!

And now, without further ado, we step through the hallowed doors of my own home office. It’s still a work-in-progress, but at least I have the essentials in place. Books galore, including another bookshelf across the room that’s even taller (and, right now, MUCH messier). Notice several shelves are dedicated to my dear Seeker sisters (which could someday require an entire room, at the rate things are going). 

Myra's bookcases. (At least the ones you can see.)

And here’s my computer desk. Mouse pad with homemade ergonomic wrist rest.  Coffee mug warmer. Reference books within easy reach. Supplies close at hand. Character photos next to the computer. Plus an enticing treetop view of our forested backyard.

Myra's desk with backyard view.

Then there’s the treadmill and treadmill desk just waiting for me to leap from my padded chair into calorie-burning mode (could be a looooong wait). Oh, and lest I forget, my two faithful writing companions, Gracie and Shadow, always underfoot. Literally.

Gracie and Shadow, Myra's live-in muses.

Comments, anyone? Care to describe your own writing space? Include a link to a photo if you dare!

One lucky commenter on today’s post will receive a copy of Organizing for the Creative Person: Right-Brain Styles for Conquering Clutter, Mastering Time, and Reaching Your Goals, by Dorothy Lehmkuhl and Dolores Cotter Lamping. (Winner’s choice of paperback or Kindle edition.)