#5 Pop-Up... Remaining Focused

The Pop-Up Format.

Over the last number of years, topics and fun things had come up that Kris and I wanted to talk about, but we had had no structure to do so. But now we do with these Pop-Ups.

These Pop-Up topics will just appear when something strikes us. No regular order or timing, but we hope to do more than one per month at least. In fact, the first three will all appear in the next two weeks.

Each Pop-Up will consist of from 10 to 15 videos on the topic. Maybe some extra stuff if the topic needs extra. And then one short story assignment.

The Short Story Assignment

Each Pop-Up will also have a short story assignment to a specific topic associated with the Pop-Up. If you decide to write the short story, send it to Dean at [email protected]

Instructions for each will be in the assignment video.

Dean or Kris will read your story and give you feedback as soon as they can.

We will suggest markets if we know of any. Also, if the story fits something either of us are editing at that moment and we like it, we might ask for you to send it back for that project. To send it back or not will be your choice. You are not submitting a story to anything by sending the story to us for feedback. You are just getting us to read it like a first reader. Only we are experienced editors.

Why would we do this? Because, honestly, we love reading short fiction and we would love to see what writers could do with some of these topics at hand.

Pop-Up #5...

How To Stay Focused on Your Writing for an Entire Year

Writers can get enthused about their writing for short periods of time, Usually around the first of the year and then also in the fall. But to avoid being disappointed when you look back at your writing year, it takes a regular focus on the writing that needs to last every month of the year.

And that year-around focus is possible to learn. It just takes an understanding of how a writer gets derailed, what to do about getting off track when it happens, and how to even wake up and recognize when you have lost track of the writing. Deadlines, challenges, streaks all help some writers. But those are short-term fixes for a long-term problem.

This Pop-Up talks about how to work toward the ability to stay focused on your writing for twelve months per year. Tricks, techniques, and even a few secrets of long-term professional writers.

And yes, there is a really fun short story assignment with this one.