a small warning

[dichroic]

Guess what? I’m about to be a pain in the ass.

Not a major one: after all, you’re under no compulsion at all to read anything I write here, much less to answer my questions. Also, Google is my friend and I promise to JFGI before asking the easy questions. Still, there are a lot of cases where opinions from those of you who write would be awfully

Comments

[blythe025]

Currently, my most useful tool for inspiring productivity was joining a writing group. Having living people who are looking forward to a next chapter or story is what keeps me writing when I really, really don't want to. And since we meet about every two week, I know I'll have a steady flow of words going.

[tudorpot]

MS word does word count, nods re joining a writing group

[navhelowife]

On the library issue - might be worth seeing if a local university or college has a way for you to use their library as well.

[sartorias]

So much depends on the person, what makes them feel productive (entirely subjective!) and fulfilled.

[merriehaskell]

My understanding is that yes, non-fiction is the world where all books are written on proposal, not on spec. However, unless you have a platform, I believe that more written is probably better. (Unlike fiction, which really does not require a platform, and I just sort of want to bang the heads of all the new young fiction writers who keep asking me about platforms.)

[dichroic]

Uh.... what's a platform?

If you mean something like a bully pulpit, where you're already in a position for people to listen to you, I have job titles and solid experience that I hope will provide enough credibility but not the sort of fame that means automatic acceptance. (It worries me a bit that one of the other books on the topic is written by senior management at Accenture, a well-known consulting firm on this stuff.)