Break the Habit of Checking

Are you a checker? Do you constantly check your email, check Facebook, check Instagram?

Me too.

Well, I did...before I found a way out of my obsessive checking. I knew I was spending too much time looking at my phone and not enough time engaged with the people I love or in my writing, but before I would even realize I was doing it, I was scrolling through another of the endless feeds.

I tried several things. Making rules for myself such as only check at certain times of the day or only after my work is finished, but nothing worked. I was addicted to the high of anticipation I got when I clicked on an app on my phone. But the constant checking left me feeling numb and drained of energy.

In the book The Power to Get Things Done, Steve Levinson explains that knowing why we should or shouldn't do something is an important step, but it often isn't enough. Sometimes we have to do things to trick our brains into cooperating. Because I need to be socially connected so that I can market the books I write, I couldn't simply delete all of my accounts.

So I finally found a few ways that have helped me break my habit of checking.

1. I removed all the social media apps and my personal email account from my iPhone.

This has definitely had the biggest impact on my checking. I left my work email and "Pages" app so that I could update the professional Facebook pages I manage. I also left my Kindle App, which means that when I'm bored, I often read instead of falling into mindless checking. I still have access to all my social media accounts on my iPad and computer, but because the phone was the biggest part of the problem, this cut down on the automatic checking.

2. I blocked Safari (the web browser) from my phone.

After I removed the Facebook app from my phone, I would still check it by typing it into Safari. To remove the temptation, I blocked it within my phone's restrictions. To do this, go to Settings - General - Restrictions - Enable Restrictions - Allow (Disable Safari). I could always turn it back on if I needed it for work, but it's a lot of steps and a lot of trouble, so I usually don't.

3. I unfollowed a lot (and I mean a lot) of people on Facebook.

Note that I didn't unfriend them. I can still see their pages and usually if something big happens I'll see a notification that other friends have liked or commented on their status. But this means fewer unimportant updates like quiz results or memes show up in my newsfeed. For Twitter, I created a list of my favorites. This dramatically reduced the time it takes me to scroll through my newsfeed when I do check these sites.

4. I stopped having my phone and computer remember passwords.

Sometimes the small step of having to enter a password can give us enough of a pause to realize we might be checking something out of boredom or fear of working on an important project. As a writer, I've learned that a lot of procrastination comes out of a place of fear that my writing isn't good enough or that I don't have anything to say. But seeing that login page now reminds me of what I'm doing and makes me question where my priorities are.

Everyone has different triggers, so this plan may not work perfectly for you. If that's the case, look at when and how you're checking and put barriers into place to keep you focused on what's important.

How to Focus

It seems so easy, doesn't it? You need to write that term paper, edit the chapter of the novel you're working on, or finish your taxes. It has been on your to-do list all week. But things keep getting in the way. You get busy, someone interrupts you, or you sit down to work on it and you just get stuck. What do you do?

1. Use the timer on your phone. Tell yourself you're going to work on it with complete focus for 5 minutes. Don't allow yourself any distractions for the full five minutes. If the doorbell rings, ignore it. Turn your phone off. You can do anything for five minutes, right?

2. When the timer goes off, congratulate yourself. Getting started is by far the hardest part. You did it!

3. Do you have another five minutes in you? Yes? Reset your timer and do another five minutes.

4. You hit a point where you feel that tug that tells you to stop. You want to check your Facebook, refresh your email, get a snack. You have an unexplainable urge to google the song lyrics you've been wondering about. Take a deep breath and identify what triggered that feeling. Did you just run into a question you couldn't answer? Are you experiencing self-doubt? Once you recognize what's causing you to want to quit, it has less power over you. If you have a pen and paper nearby, write it down.

5. Keep going. Can you press through the rest of the five minutes despite the resistance you feel? Yes! And every time you overcome this resistance, you're making it a little easier to overcome the next time.

6. Do you think you can do more? Reset your timer for 10 minutes or 15 minutes, but try to keep the intervals short enough that they seem easily attainable. We want your brain to think - Pshaw! That's easy. I can do that. Not - Whoa! Let's go watch those cat videos on youtube again.

7. Keep going. You've got this.

Making a To-Do List

To-do lists are great. Writing down our plans for the day is useful, but is it enough?

Have you ever made a to-do list and then only accomplished the easy stuff, leaving the two or three big, important tasks untouched.

Here's one tip for a good to-do list:

Make your list the night before. Make sure you put some kind of limit on each item. If it's small, like paying your electric bill, you can complete the whole thing. If it's editing your novel, you'll need to put a limit on it such as, spend 30 minutes editing or edit one chapter. Make it small enough that you can do it in one sitting. If you need to, sprinkle several of these smaller tasks throughout the day.

Then number your list in the order you plan to do it. Do this the night before. We tend to be more optimistic about how we'll feel the next day and will put the more important tasks up front. If you wait until the next day, they easily get pushed further down on the list. Make sure to mix some easier tasks in with the bigger, more difficult tasks to give yourself a break.

The next day, you don't have to come up with the willpower to convince yourself to work on the important stuff. Just start working on your list in order.

Guest Post: Procrastination

I've over at Writer Interrupted today where we're talking about procrastination. Stop by and see me...right now...don't procrastinate!

Writing Productivity: Guest post by Jennifer Shirk

I'm so excited to host multi-published author Jennifer Shirk. If you're not familiar with her blog, go check it out today! It's full of fun stuff.

Hi, all! Jennifer here!

Julie was kind of enough to have me on her blog today so I could talk about 

WRITING PRODUCTIVITY.

I’ve noticed lately that perception has been a key factor in me writing more. 

What does that mean exactly?

Well, one of the things that I learned when I took The Fast Draft class earlier this year was how much more doable page count sounded than actual words. For example, if I set a daily goal of “2 pages” that sounds like nothing, right? (For some it is. But 500 words for me is decent unless I have a few hours to write)

But… when I sit to write “500 words” instead of “2 pages” (same exact thing), I tend to agonize over each word to make sure they all add up. And if I end up writing 490 words instead of the 500, I feel like a failure and it actually DEPRESSES ME.

However, if I pledge to write 2 pages, I don’t get hung up on writing the individual words and I actually tend to write faster and sometimes even more. Before I know it, I’ve written 2 pages and I have the rest of my day to myself. I made goal and I’m done. 

What happens more times than not is that after I write the 2 pages, I go and do errands or clean and because I have the time, I can sit and write another page or two not worrying if I do or not because I already made my goal anyway.

See? Mind over matter.

It’s funny that I need to resort to tricking myself. But it seems to work for me and I don’t get stressed about writing or not writing enough.

Try changing your goals to page counts instead of words and see if it works for you, too!

By the way, I have a new sweet romance out with Entangled today called 

KISSING KENDALL. 

I’ll be happily giving away an ebook copy to some lucky commenter!

Here’s a little bit about it: 

Kendall Grisbaum is finally taking charge of her life—pouring her heart into opening a new bakery business and even allowing her best friend Georgie to play matchmaker for her. Trouble is, the one guy she secretly wants is Georgie’s older brother, Brad.

Brad can’t seem to get his little sister’s best friend out of his mind. He and Kendall used to be close friends, too, though they drifted apart years ago. But as a local policeman, Brad can’t help but play protector, looking out for Kendall. And when he offers to help her renovate her new bakery space on the side, their attraction flares back to life.

Amid the temptation of doughnut muffins and blueberry cobbler, a new temptation draws them both closer. Can two friends take a chance on love when it means risking everything?

How do you set your writing goals? By page count or word count?

Productivity Tools

Recently my favorite tool for getting more done is the stopwatch on my iphone. I start it every time I'm working on my manuscript and stop it any time I get distracted or sidetracked. It gives me a clear measure of how much I'm spending in my work in progress each day. It has been eye opening and keeps me accountable.

What's your favorite trick or tool for getting more done? 

Writing Process, Romance Writer, Alison Stone

I'm excited to introduce you to romance author, Alison Stone.

Thanks so much, Julie, for hosting me. I’m very excited my second book, Too Close to Home, will be release on August 7^th in eBook format. Before I get to the short blurb and excerpt, I’d love to share a little bit about my writing process. 

Years ago, when I first started writing, I would haunt writers’ websites to learn more about how they actually got to the business of writing books. I was looking for some magic formula. I soon learned each writer’s process was as different as the writer. 


I’m still fascinated with the writing process as I continually hone mine. Some days, my time “at work” seems to include a vicious cycle of checking e-mail, Twitter, and Facebook. (Lather, rinse, repeat.) However, somehow along the way, a germ of an idea grows into a full-length novel. It’s amazing really when I consider all the time I invest in the sport of procrastination.


However, I find procrastination to be more draining than just getting down to the business of work. Usually opening the file and getting started is the most difficult challenge of the day. But once that is done, the ideas (usually) begin to flow. I still struggle with this, but I find it helps to set a time limit on the Internet.


The organized half of my brain longs to have a detailed outline of the entire novel before I write the first word. I used to let this stop me in my tracks, causing me to go days without writing because I didn’t want to write the wrong thing. Then gradually over the course of writing many books and through trial and error, I realized the best ideas come during the creative act of writing.  I have to allow myself the freedom to write garbage to get to the good stuff. Before, I was allowing perfectionism to stop me from writing because I was too afraid my writing wouldn’t be good enough. But good enough for whom? I’m the only one reading the first rough draft. I can fix that, right?


Now, I find if I have a general story idea and a few plot points, it’s enough to get the creative juices flowing. From there I’ll write a few scenes and I’m amazed at how the creative mind works. I’ll write as far as I can. When I hit a roadblock, I’ll start free writing in a separate document and see what I come up with. The ideas never fail to amaze me. I certainly wouldn’t have come up with these ideas if I hadn’t sat down and put my fingers on the keyboard.


I can’t claim to write “clean” first drafts. No, my work requires a lot of revisions. I enjoy the revision process because now I have a true sense of the characters and the plot because I sat down and did the work. I got the story down on the page. There’s no magic formula.


If you’re a writer, are you ever surprised by the turn of events in your story when you finally just sit down and let the story flow? I’d love to hear about it in the comments section. Happy writing!


BIO: Alison Stone graduated with a degree in industrial engineering from Georgia Tech. After working in Corporate America for a number of years, she retired to raise her young family. Soon the writing bug bit. After years of conferences, critique groups and writing, Alison achieved her dream of becoming a published author. She claims it was easier to earn her engineering degree. Too Close to Home is her second novel. To learn more about Alison Stone please visit www.AlisonStone.com. She’s also chatty on Twitter @Alison_Stone.

I’m thrilled to announce my second release, Too Close To Home, due out August 7^th. Here is the blurb: 

They say you can never go home. If you do, better watch your back.

Ten years ago, after her father’s gruesome death was ruled a suicide, Kathryn McNabb left her hometown, vowing never to return. And never to let anything—business or personal—break her heart.

Now an overachieving manufacturing engineer, she thrives on order, control and solitude. But an unexpected inheritance makes her the co-owner of the company her father founded, forcing her to face the ghosts of her past. Including Ben Nowak, childhood friend, secret crush, and son of the man who ruined her father.

Ben hadn’t planned on returning home either, but with his own father’s death it falls to him to continue the family legacy. When he learns Kathryn plans to sell the plant out from under him, his quest takes on new urgency—Midport Industries is the main source of jobs in town.

Butting heads strike sparks of attraction that entangle business and pleasure into a hopeless knot. And someone is watching. Someone with a darker reason to prevent the deal from going through. Someone desperate enough to kill…

Warning: Beware of the shadows, disgruntled employees, and childhood crushes all grown up.

Amazon Link

Barnes & Noble Link 

A Baby Turtle

This is what it feels like to edit my latest novel.



How's your week going?

Procrastination Nation

Hello, my name is Julie, and I’m a procrastinator.

I’ve blogged about it in the past. It’s something that I struggle with often. I have a short attention span, which isn’t helpful when you’re writing novels.

In college, I was great at cramming for a test all night the night before and doing okay. Now that I’m a mom to a toddler and have a full-time job, if I procrastinate, I’m not going to get it done. I was doing all of my writing at night after the little guy went to bed, but now that it’s light outside longer, he stays up until 9:00pm. I get up at 5:15am. That means I either don’t have much time for writing or I don’t get enough sleep.

It has forced me to teach myself to stop procrastinating and work on my writing during the small spaces of time I have available throughout the day. Here are some of the tricks I use to get things done:

1. I use a timer. A kitchen timer would work, but I use the timer on my iphone. There are also online timers you can find through a search on google. I choose the project I want to work on, set the timer for 15 minutes and commit to not getting off task until the timer is signaling that time is up. Usually, I end up working much longer than 15 minutes, but the short amount of time keeps me from making any excuses.

2. When I sit down at my computer, I always start with 15 minutes of writing or editing (or if I’m at work, I start with an important project.) If I let myself ease into writing by checking blogs or my email, I can lose half an hour without even noticing. Then when I do start writing, I’m still thinking about everything I’ve just seen on the web. If I start with writing, I allow myself to do whatever I want after the time is up, but I find that I usually want to keep writing.

3. I track how much time I’ve actually spent writing. But there’s a catch. I can only record the time if it is more than 15 minutes of continuous work. I don’t stop and restart the timer to go get a cup of coffee or text someone on my phone. If that happens, I have to start my time over again. It’s motivation to focus on the task at hand.

4. In the morning, I write down a list of three things I want to accomplish that day. I also have a longer, master to do list so I won’t forget all the things I want to do over the next week, month, year, but my list of three is what I’m going to focus on that day. The things on my list of three must be small and specific. For example:
• Send a chapter to my critique group.
• Write and post today’s blog.
• 30 minutes of editing on my YA.
Hopefully, I’ll get more done than that through the day, but the list of three keeps my main priorities top of mind.

Now that I've shared my steps for avoiding procrastination, I better get back to work!

I'd love to hear how you fight the inner procrastinator.

I should be editing...

Because Jessica Patch doesn’t want me to finish my editing before she does, she gave everyone a list of questions to answer. Thanks a lot, Jessica! 

1. Chocolate or Vanilla and why?

Chocolate. I don’t trust anyone who answers vanilla.

2. Have you ever shoplifted? Ever thought about it? 

I’m a rule-following, guilt-ridden kind of person. If I had ever shoplifted, I would probably turn around and tell the cashier the truth before I got out of the store. 

3. Colored polish or French manicure? 

My fingernails are always either unpolished or half covered in chipped polish. They never seem to look good.

4. Where's the last place on earth you'd want to visit and why? 

Antarctica. I hate for my feet to be cold.

5. What's your least favorite food? 

Tomatoes. I’ve never been a fan. I’ll eat brussel sprouts and any kind of weird animal my husband shoots and brings home, but no tomatoes.

6. How many licks do you think it really does take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop? 

7. Hotels or camping? 

Camping...as long as someone else is there to do all the hard work like setting up the tent and starting the fire. Plus, I’m a germ-a-phobe, and hotel rooms weird me out.

8. Which celebrity that is alive (there is no Jesus loop-hole here, people) would you like to meet and why? 

Anne Lamott. When I read her books, I pretend we’re BFFs.

9. Do you have a smart phone? Can you live without it? Be honest...okay you can. Would you want to? Be honest. 

I can’t live without it. It’s sad.

10. If you could be any animal which one would you be and why? 

A zebra because they have really cool black and white mohawks. What do you think? Do we look alike?

11. Home cooked or 5 star meal? 

Somewhere in between. I love going out to eat, but I don’t like stuffy restaurants. My favorite places are usually local (not chain) restaurants. And my husband and I love trying new restaurants when we go on vacation. 

I’d love for you to play along on your blog or pick a question and answer it in the comments!

Interview on ACFW's Fiction Finder

This week, I'm over at the ACFW Fiction Finder blog where Anita Draper interviewed me about NaNoWriMo, procrastination, bucket lists, and my debut novel, Canyon Walls.

Ten Ways to Procrastinate

In honor of week two of NaNoWriMo, I’ve made a list of ways to procrastinate instead of writing. I’ve even added justification for the procrastination in the parentheses. Bonus!

If you’re not participating in NaNoWriMo, I’m confident you can use this list to learn new ways to procrastinate on all kinds of things. The sky is the limit!

1. Write a post about how to procrastinate (Blogging is marketing.)
2. Sign up for Pinterest (For inspiration, of course.)
3. Clean the house (This will help your spouse forgive you for all the time spent on your novel.)
4. Create a new Pandora station (You need music to write, right?)
5. Visit the NaNoWriMo forums (75,000 other NaNo participants are on there right now. Why shouldn’t you be there?)
6. Go to the store and buy more chocolate and coffee. (What will you talk about on twitter and the NaNo forums if you don’t have these things on hand?)
7. Check Twitter and Facebook (Because you need to make sure no one else is procrastinating.)
8. Check your email (Someone important may have emailed you at 11:32pm or 11:34pm or 11:37pm.)
9. Go shopping on Zappos.com (Research! You need to accurately describe your character’s shoes.)
10. Check your word count again (Maybe it magically increased while you were reading this)

How do you procrastinate?

I know something you don't know...

Thank you, Brandi Boddie for giving me the “Tell Me About Yourself Blog Award.” If you haven’t already, you should definitely check out Brandi’s amazing blog. You’ll love it!

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7 things people probably don’t know about me:
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1. When I met my husband, I was the “lunch lady” at a church camp.
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2. I read way more non-fiction than fiction books.
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3. A lot of people in my “real life” don’t know I’m a writer.
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4. I’m a terrible singer and a terrible dancer.
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5. My family and I sing and dance around the house a lot!
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6. I was a big speech and drama nerd in high school, and I loved it.
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7. I have a pretty thick Oklahoma drawl. When I go to my hometown, it gets even more pronounced.
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Bonus: When I was in high school and college, people began telling me I sounded like Patti Mayonnaise from “Doug” on Nickelodeon.

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I’m breaking the rules of the “Tell Me About Yourself Award,” but instead of awarding it to 15 other people, I’d love to hear about YOU in the comments. Tell me one or two things about you that I probably don’t already know.

Ten Reasons to sign up for NaNoWriMo

1. It’s fun to see the look you get when you tell someone you’re writing a 50,000 word novel in a month.

2. Those characters who have been talking in your head will finally have a purpose.

3. Writing fast and furious can release creative juices you never knew you had.

4. It gives you an excuse to procrastinate on things like cleaning the toilets.

5. It’s the perfect opportunity to write that weird time travel, pirate, romance novel that has been plaguing you.

6. You’ll have something to do while everyone else is taking a nap on Thanksgiving afternoon.

7. At the end of the month, you can say, “I wrote a good book!”

8. It’s a great way to get to know other crazy writers.

9. For years, you’ll know that 50,000 / 30 = 1,667 (because that will be your daily word count goal).

10. You don’t have to edit or work on a synopsis for an entire month.

Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo? Do you plan to in the future?

It Doesn’t Get Easier

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. ~ Thomas A. Edison

A few weeks ago the company I work for had a motivational speaker at our monthly staff meeting. One thing he said really stood out to me.

He said, “It doesn’t get any easier. Accept the process.”

What a great lesson for our writing journeys! Writing (or whatever your dream is) is going to be hard work now, and it’s going to be hard work in five years.

It’s never going to be easy. It’s never going to be the right time. The book is never going to write itself.

It’s time we accept writing for what it is––a demanding, difficult, amazing process. Stop fighting the journey and embrace it. Get over the idea that the writers you admire sit down and write a masterpiece on the first try. The writing process can be ugly and grueling, but if you really love it, it’s worth it.

It’s never going to be easy, but you and your writing will be better for it.

Procrastination Nation

Hello, my name is Julie, and I’m a procrastinator.

I’ve blogged about it in the past. It’s something that I struggle with often. I have a short attention span, which isn’t helpful when you’re writing novels.

In college, I was great at cramming for a test all night the night before and doing okay. Now that I’m a mom to a toddler and have a full-time job, if I procrastinate, I’m not going to get it done. I was doing all of my writing at night after the little guy went to bed, but now that it’s light outside longer, he stays up until 9:00pm. I get up at 5:15am. That means I either don’t have much time for writing or I don’t get enough sleep.

It has forced me to teach myself to stop procrastinating and work on my writing during the small spaces of time I have available throughout the day. Here are some of the tricks I use to get things done:

1. I use a timer. A kitchen timer would work, but I use an online timer I found through a search on google. Whether I’m writing or working, I keep one open on my desktop. I choose the project I want to work on, set the timer for 15 minutes and commit to not getting off task until the timer is signaling that time is up. Usually, I end up working much longer than 15 minutes, but the short amount of time keeps me from making any excuses.

2. When I sit down at my computer, I always start with 15 minutes of writing or editing (or if I’m at work, I start with an important project.) If I let myself ease into writing by checking blogs or my email, I can lose half an hour without even noticing. Then when I do start writing, I’m still thinking about everything I’ve just seen on the web. If I start with writing, I allow myself to do whatever I want after the time is up, but I find that I usually want to keep writing.

3. I track how much time I’ve actually spent writing. But there’s a catch. I can only record the time if it is more than 15 minutes of continuous work. I don’t stop and restart the timer to go get a cup of coffee or text someone on my phone. If that happens, I have to start my time over again. It’s motivation to focus on the task at hand.

4. In the morning, I write down a list of three things I want to accomplish that day. I also have a longer, master to do list so I won’t forget all the things I want to do over the next week, month, year, but my list of three is what I’m going to focus on that day. The things on my list of three must be small and specific. For example:
• Send a chapter to my critique group.
• Write and post today’s blog.
• 30 minutes of editing on my YA.
Hopefully, I’ll get more done than that through the day, but the list of three keeps my main priorities top of mind.

Now that I've shared my steps for avoiding procrastination, I better get back to work!

I'd love to hear how you fight the inner procrastinator.

Too many ideas

Since I started my first draft a week ago, I’ve changed much of my plot that I spent weeks perfecting. I’ve also had a great idea for a different book. Although, I have to admit that many ideas sound great in my head but aren’t as great when I get them on paper. I’m ready to start plotting this one to find out. I’ve also had an idea about how to revise a book I wrote several years ago.

I’m resisting all my urges to push this work in progress aside to work on something else, and I’m still on track with 1,000 words a day! I just need to stick with it.

Why is it that you get a great idea for a different book when you’ve just started a first draft? Is it because the creative juices are flowing? Is it because I’m so good at procrastinating that I don’t even realize I’m doing it?