Posts Tagged ‘On Writing’

Lessons from an Underground Coffee Jam

5 ways to add 5 hours to your writing day

February 19, 2010 |  by KSK  |  Creative Process, On Writing  |  ,  |  12 Comments

When I first started writing, my biggest complaint was the chronic shortage of time during my day. I mean, come on, who has time to torch brain cells all day at work, be a dad and husband (or mom/wife, student, fill in the blank), pay the bills, do all the normal things that “normal” people do and still have time to slog through creating something from nothing one agonizing word at a time?

I used to think there wasn’t enough time. Truth is, I still think that on most days until I remind myself that I’m wrong. Actually, I just look at my friends who have proved me wrong time and again–people who live much “busier” lives than I do, but somehow found ways to outproduce me.

When I drilled down to how they did it, the answer became clear: they just had a better handle on their time than I did. Somehow, they squeezed more out of their 24 hours (the same 24 that I had) than I did. And it drove me crazy. I mean crazy crazy. Like, I began to suspect my friends were cyborgs crazy. Then I figured out that they weren’t and began experimenting with how to do it for myself. And I’m going to share some of these tricks with you because they just might help you reclaim hours of your day.

So, here we go. Here are a few ways to recapture your time and make it work for you instead of the other way around:

Read More Post a comment (12)

February 4, 2010 |  by KSK  |  On Writing, Quotes & Inspiration  |  , ,  |  3 Comments

“If you want to write for yourself, get a diary. If you want to write for a few friends, get a blog. But if you want to write for a lot of people, think about them a little bit. What do they like? What are their needs? A lot of people in this country go through their days numb. They need to be entertained. They need to feel something.” – James Patterson, in a recent article on NYTimes.com.

AYTNTD? Results Show

January 18, 2010 |  by KSK  |  Creative Process, On Writing  |  ,  |  2 Comments

We Are the Thin Places

January 16, 2010 |  by KSK  |  Creative Process, On Writing, Videos  |  ,  |  8 Comments

The Collaboration Called You

January 14, 2010 |  by KSK  |  Creative Process, On Writing  |  ,  |  7 Comments

I have a friend. We’ve been through a lot together, both good and bad, and have the scars to show for it. Now this friend, he’s an artist and spends extended amounts of time in solitude creating his art. He’s quite good and, generally speaking, has the confidence to match.

But a few times a year, as we talk about the creative process and what it’s like to work through it, one of us will slide off into a funk that usually begins with the words, “I feel lost and can’t seem to figure out what comes next. My art is trash, I don’t have what it takes, so maybe it’s time to just call it quits and see what’s on TV.”

We had this conversation recently. It was his turn to slide.  Normally I listen, offer a word of encouragement, and try to pat him on the back as a way of saying everything’s gonna be all right. But as we talked it dawned on me what was really going on. My friend had lost sight of who he was because no one was there to remind him.

Read More Post a comment (7)

AYTNTD Update

January 12, 2010 |  by KSK  |  On Writing, Ted Dekker  |  ,  |  3 Comments

OK, so I know there are lots of people out there ready to hunt me down. You’ve turned in your submission for the AYTNTD and have been waiting patiently by your computer wondering, “Did Kaiser read it? Why haven’t we heard anything? Has he been abducted and brainwashed? Assassinated by the CIA?” Well, the answers my friends are yes, because, no (I don’t think, but how would I really know?), and not yet.

Believe it or not, I am just now finishing up the last of the submissions this week. It’s taken me almost two months to get through them since I decided to read them all personally. Originally, my plan was to solicit the help of some colleagues and spread the work around. That felt too Wal-Mart-ish to me. You deserve better so I have read each one. Every. Word. And there are a lot of them, which is impressive. Impressive on your count, not that I read them. It’s exciting to see so many writers who are developing their craft patiently and consistently. I feel honored that you were willing to share your work with me. Seriously.

Where to from here? Well, I’m going to post the results on Monday. I know, I know—more waiting? It’ll be worth it. There isn’t time or space to give detailed feedback on individual submissions, but there are several comments I can make that apply across the board. I’ll outline the hits and misses that I came across and share how to tighten up your submission and focus your writing a bit more. Fair enough?

So, keep an eye out on Monday.Oh, and to the guy who put up a tent in the woods behind my house (yeah I’m talking to you). You can go home now. Even if your manuscript was awesome I just can’t represent a stalker in good conscience. It’s just–weird. Besides, I think my neighbor’s considering shooting at you.

Wanna be an expert?

January 6, 2010 |  by KSK  |  Creative Process, Motivation, Videos  |  ,  |  2 Comments