When the last school bell of the year rings, one of the first things to go in my life is my routine. My friends and I have been talking about this lately -- and expressing our overwhelming gratitude that the beginning of the school year is only a few more weeks away. For a writer, these topsy-turvy summer months can wreak havoc with a writing schedule and make it really hard to get back on track, even when you have the time to write again in September. As with anything, once there's a break in the routine, the best-laid plans go out the window, sometimes never to return.

But, it's important to still find a routine, even when it seems impossible. Why? Because it's easier to train yourself to write and produce if you're on a schedule with it.

Before I sold my first novel, I had a dream of selling a novel. I didn't, however, have an editor or agent waiting with unbridled anticipation for me to produce a literary masterpiece. The ONLY person who cared about whether I got a book done or not was me. The only person who had the publishing dream was me.

So, in order to achieve that dream, I had to put myself on a schedule. Otherwise, it was all too easy to let one missed day turn into one missed week, one missed month, and before I knew it, years could go by without much being written.

I decided to write, mostly every day. It became a habit. In the summer, I had to change my schedule to accommodate for the kids, finding my writing time under a shady tree while the kids played at the park, but overall, I kept up that schedule.

Even now, with contracts and advances in hand, I have days when I don't want to write. When I'd rather do ANYTHING but work. And from time to time, I do take a day off. Or I take a nap in the middle of the day. Play hooky and go to the mall or get my nails done. I need that recharge as much as anyone, to help keep myself energized. But once that moment of relaxation is over, I get back to my schedule. It's easier for me to turn on the creative process if I know I'm going to work from six to three, for instance, or if I'm going to be taking the kids to the park and writing while I'm there.

Now, a few words of caution you have no routine at all and are thinking about starting one:

*  Don't immediately try to block out every hour of your day. It's a quick way to fail. If you go from having a lackadaisical approach to writing to a very rigid approach, you're undoubtedly going to be met with failure. Try to ease into the routine, a little at a time, adding to your schedule week by week. Before you know it, you'll be on a schedule that fits you -- and your writing will be the biggest beneficiary.

*  Write down your schedule, too. If it helps you, keep it in Outlook and make sure the reminders pop up to remind you it's time to write, time to take a break, etc.

*  Tell other people. If you are trying to keep to a schedule and keep getting interrupted by neighbors or family members, tell them this is your time to write. Or ignore the phone. That's what Caller ID and Voice Mail are for, you know. :-)

*  Create a manageable To Do list for yourself so you can have daily goals to accomplish, too.

*  Work in rewards. If you make your goals, be sure to take some time to reward yourself. All work and no play makes for a very dreary writer life, and can sap your creativity!

If you have any tips or tricks for keeping to a routine, feel free to email them to me or post them in the comments section of the blog. Also, if you want to share some writing news, go ahead and let me know and I'll post that here, too!

Until next time, may all your words be good ones,

Shirley