Wish List

1. Hours of uninterrupted writing time

2. Plot twists that surprise even myself

3. Characters who behave exactly how I want them to

4. A killer theme that connects to reader's hearts

5. Words that flow like a gallon of spilled milk all over the kitchen floor

If these 5 little wishes came true, what a happy writer I'd be, especially at this time of year. Reality is, though, that I'm currently standing at the crossroads of Sluggish and Overcommitted. And unless I find a magic genie somewhere amidst the Christmas wrap and piles of dishes in the kitchen from cookie baking, those wishes probably aren't going to happen.

So, how to cope with the ol' crazy-busy schedule and make headway on a work-in-progress? Here's a more realistic list...

Apply Critiques

These are super easy to do in bits and pieces.

Spit Shine

Go back and polish up a paragraph or two. Slash and burn the fluff then replace with some killer prose.

Write Just One

Paragraph, that is. You might be surprised that two or more will follow.

Read it Again, Sam

Do a quick read through of what you've already written for coherency. Highlight places that snag you to go back and fix later.

Gain a Hat Size

Expand your brain cells by grabbing a new book on the writing craft and sneak in a page or two. While this isn't directly adding to your word count, it is improving the quality of your future word count.

These handy dandy tips might not make all your writing dreams come true, but they'll sure help keep your manuscript on track.