Rose City Romance Writers

How I Keep my Uhmm...Butt In The Chair

by: Susan Lute

Currently Working On: Querying agents on my non-fiction project, and I’m in the beginning stages of a new single title contemporary romance.

Mood: Exhilarated. Cocky. Hopeful.

This is a funny subject. Not ha-ha funny, but oh-s*%&t-how-do-I-make-this-interesting-funny. Hold on a minute while I go make some tea.

Okay, I’m back. I’ll pretend we’re talking about the chair in my office, and not all the other places where I might decided to write for the day. I’m only going to name three things that could keep your butt in the chair. Wait, let me take a picture...of the chair.

That worked out well. You can’t see how really disreputable the office is (I share it with the hubby, who’s never in there except to use it as a dumping place for the things he’s going to “get to” one of these days).

Hang on. I’ll download the pics onto my computer while I continue to write.

Okay, it’s downloading. So, back to our subject. How do I keep my butt in my chair? I wish I had a good answer to that. First, I think you have to LOVE the project you’re working on. One of my projects, I’ve been working on for seven years. I REALLY LOVE that one. Currently, I’m waiting to hear back from an editor on the revised proposal...

Hold that thought. Transfer complete.

Alright. Pics found. We’ll see at the end of this challenging writing assignment if I can attach them to the completed blog. I’m always so envious of authors who can write AND add pictures to their cyber dialogues.

Where was I? Yes, you have to love the project you’re working on. Otherwise, I don’t know how you can talk your butt into staying in the chair for more than three minutes.

It’s absolutely imperative you have many goals in mind. Your daily writing goal. Your weekly goal. Your monthly goal. A three month goal. A six month goal. And, a yearly goal. Maybe, you should write it down and tape it to your computer...or even better, onto the seat of your chair. Otherwise, how can you convince yourself to write in the first place? Wait the phone is ringing!

Okay, false alarm. The ringing stopped after two rings. It was probably someone from one of the political campaigns.

I’m going to write the third reason to keep your butt in the chair really fast, because now I’m starting to get very curious about how I’m going to download those pics. I figure that’s going to take way longer than it’s taken me to write this blog :)

You have to have determination. You have to be like a horse heading to the barn. Single minded, with only one thing on your mind. Telling your story. You have to want to finish telling that story...or writing your blog...more than you want to sleep, more than you want to go out with your friends, more than you want to go shopping for that fabulous new bag. You have to want it more than you want your Bailey’s and Cream on the rocks tonight before you go to bed.

And, there you go. I've finished :)

Ciao!