Never Be Afraid

If what you want to write today doesn't fit into the grand scheme of things, write it anyway. Maybe we're currently working on our novel, but there's an idea for a short story that just screams to be released. Never be afraid to take a break from that major project to write a mini project. This is how some of the great pieces happen.

We do need breaks from time to time to prevent ourselves from burning out. This is true no matter what we do. Maybe we need to write a rant. Maybe a poem would help. Whatever the diversion, remember that a diversion is okay. As long as we know that we will get back to the main project, we're still on track.

It may well be that this mini project takes longer than we expect. Maybe it takes us a week before we can get back to that novel. As long as we go back, we're doing okay. That break might be just what we need to get the novel moving at a good pace. We only have to be disciplined enough not to let the diversion takes over our lives. Procrastination can use up a lot of valuable time.

I still think it is a good idea to have a list of accomplishments that we want to see. Ideally, it should be in the form of a calendar or to-do list with dates. If we keep only a half an eye on this list, with discipline, we are not going to get too far off track. Say we want to finish this chapter by the end of the week. In the meantime, a short story insists on being written. Then, we need to do the editing thing and the refining thing. We are now more than a week behind schedule.

All is not lost. Unless we have an editor breathing down our necks, our schedules are self-imposed. Be flexible enough to adjust the dates. Be flexible enough to allow for diversions. Be disciplined enough not to toss out the big project because the little ones are throwing us off. We can do it all. We can be successful in doing it all.