Tamera Alexander: Ready for some transparency? I recently needed to revisit—and recommit to—5 truths that have proven enormously helpful in my 20-plus year writing career. Commitments are essential to accomplishing our goals, but commitments can wane over time due to overcommitment or simply to life crowding in and devouring our time.

Revisiting these 5 truths has helped me to stay focused on the goal. Hopefully they’ll be of help to you, too.

Disconnect . . . and be disciplined about it—
Easy to say, so hard to do.

In my early years of writing, there weren’t nearly as many distractions as there are today. Yes, we did already have cell phones and email back then (I wrote my first novel in 2002—I’m not that old!). But phones and email and social media weren’t the “great commanders of time” they seem to be now. The number of ways to communicate with each other has increased exponentially, which, in turn, has contributed to a general lack of concentration and ability to focus.

Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, podcasts, blogs, and the list goes on and on. An author could easily spend the majority of her time just fielding social media, staying connected with readers (which is an absolute blast!), and sorting the rest of “life stuff” that always crops up—and never write. Or at least never finish a novel.

The best way—and really, the only way—I’ve found that works for me is to turn it off. Literally.

Close your email. Silence your phone. Turn off notifications. Turn off the wifi connection on your laptop. Set aside a block of time when you’re not multitasking like a banshee. Give yourself permission to do that (and gain agreement from family members, if needed, to respect that time, too). It’s transformative!

Something else helpful is to set a timer for 30-45 minutes. For that block of time all you do is write. Just. Write. If you come across a question you need to research, write it down on the pad of paper beside you—which is vital!—and move on. Don’t allow distractions.

Inevitably, disruptive thoughts will come to mind—people you need to reach out to, an errand you need to run, that quick email you intended to write yesterday that you would “just take a second and you might as well do it right now.” But don’t! Make a note of it and then move on! Writing those things down (instead of simply trying to dismiss them or making a mental note) really helps to let go, clear the deck, and keep powering forward.

Instrumental music also helps me get into—and stay within—the flow. I have a playlist entitled Music to Write By, and—for whatever science there may be behind the therapeutic aid of music—this works for me.

Read—

The old adage “If you want to be a great writer, you must be a great reader” still holds true. Read broadly. Read books outside your normal go-to zone. Stretch yourself! Join a neighborhood book club and LISTEN to what your neighbors are saying about the novels. Talk about a learning experience.

Set realistic deadlines—

Deadlines are great motivators, but unrealistic deadlines are utterly defeating. Been there, lived through that. Too many times. If you’re writing for a publisher, be communicative and honest with your editor about needing more time on a manuscript. Don’t wait until the last minute to tell them that. It messes with their schedule and chips away at your integrity. Be honest with them—and yourself.

Write what enthralls you— 

If you don’t feel passionate about the story you’re writing, neither will your readers as they read it.

When writing A Million Little Choices (November 2023), I routinely found myself immersed in that dual timeline world even when I wasn’t at my laptop. I would still be thinking about Claire and Charlotte, the two women from different centuries who lived in the same historic Atlanta house and who share strikingly similar journeys.

I adore Southern fiction (both writing and reading it) and first had the idea for this story almost fifteen years ago. I’m so grateful the right time finally came to tell it!

Remember Who you’re writing for—

As a follower of Christ, everything I do—my writing included—is a form of worship to him. Spending time in the Word of God is essential. Years ago, a dear friend suggested Bible Study Fellowship to me, and this is my fifteenth year to take part in that study. “Life changing” doesn’t even come close.

Remember, if God calls you to write, he’ll also equip you to write. Lean into the eternal confidence of the One who’s called you, not in your own ability to complete the task. He’ll see you through.

Thanks for sharing your time. It’s a gift I never take for granted.

Tammy

The novel “A Million Little Choices” releases on November 7th, 2023.

Learn more about Tamera Alexander by visiting her official website, TameraAlexander.com

A Special Thanks to Tamera Alexander and Tyndale House Publishers for the images and exclusive article.