Cultivating Writerly Discipline by Regina Buttner
I’m excited to share a special guest post from Regina Buttner, author of the psychological thriller Down a Bad Road.
Any new skill that we set out to learn requires practice and discipline. As an amateur runner who once ran the Chicago Marathon (never mind how long it took me!), I approach my physical conditioning in the same way that I approach the craft of writing. No one sits down and bangs out a novel in one go, nor does anyone finish their first road race without completing the necessary training. It takes months of hard work to prepare your muscles for the rigors of long-distance running, and even when you’ve reached your mileage goal, there’s always room for improvement. It’s the same with writing. You have to spend a tremendous amount of time refining your work, and reaching your word-count goal doesn’t mean you’re finished—there’s always more editing and proofreading to be done.
When I started working on my first novel, I hadn’t written anything more complicated than a simple business letter since college. In need of guidance, I signed up for a beginner writing class called Time to Write. The instructor was a wise and wonderful woman who introduced me to the 21/90 rule, which maintains that it generally takes 21 days to form a new habit, and 90 days for it to stick.
The first assignment the class worked on was our morning pages, a 15-minute exercise in free writing that I commenced promptly at 6 a.m., before my children got up for school. As the first three weeks passed, my words began to flow more easily, and after three months I often found myself writing past the 15-minute mark because I was enjoying myself so much. I continued the habit of scribbling my morning pages for several months after I’d completed the class, and it formed a strong foundation for a disciplined writing routine.
Once you’ve established a daily writing habit, you need some way to hold yourself accountable, so you don’t give in to the temptation to skip it. I’ve found the most effective strategy for maintaining accountability is finding yourself a writing partner. I teamed up with a friend I’d met in my class. We made a commitment to meet every other week at a favorite coffee shop, to share our latest stories and critique each other’s work. Having this standing writing date on my calendar forced me to budget my time and strike a balance between my family and work obligations; and knowing that my writing partner was counting on my feedback kept me focused.
Our partnership continued for several years, until I moved out of state. I was deep into work on my second novel, and trying to write without my partner there to rely on made me feel like a kid trying to ride a bike with no hands. My writing faltered for a time, wobbling and swerving all over the place; but the discipline I’d so carefully cultivated in the past eventually came through for me. I went back to my morning pages, filling them with random scribbles and fragments of last night’s dreams. Each day, I wrote for a few minutes longer, until the words began to flow again. I set a firm routine for myself. After walking the dog each morning, I sat down at my desk and got to work. I used certain rituals to center myself: brew fresh coffee, sharpen a #2 pencil, cue up a Hans Zimmer movie soundtrack. Those familiar, repeated actions awakened my five senses and nudged my brain into writing mode.
I have to admit that my resolve still wavers at times, as it naturally will for anyone. It’s tempting to linger over the news, or get distracted playing with the dog, or start scrolling through Facebook or Instagram. But that book isn’t going to magically finish itself! You’ve got to take a deep breath and focus, because it’s time to write.
About Regina Buttner
Regina is a registered nurse-turned-writer who was raised in beautiful upstate New York, where she spent many happy years exploring the winding back roads and scenic hiking trails of the Adirondack mountain region. She recently traded the snowy northern winters for the tropical breezes of the Sunshine State, where her favorite pastimes are kayaking among the mangroves, strolling the gorgeous beaches, and attempting to teach tricks to her boisterous corgi.
Learn more on Regina's website or follow her on Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads or BookBub.
About Down a Bad Road
Jealousy can be deadly.
Longtime bachelor Ron Burley has a rule against messing around with married women in his rural upstate New York town, but sassy, lovely Lavender has convinced him to break it. Their steamy affair sets someone off, but it isn't Lavender's clueless husband-it's Marta, Burley's clingy childhood friend and ex-lover.
Marta knows Burley is on the verge of going broke, so she secretly tries to lure him with a lucrative job offer and some enticing fringe benefits. Although he's sorely tempted, Burley's afraid to trust Marta due to the sketchy circumstances surrounding their bitter breakup years ago; but this might be his only chance to get back at her for what she did.
Suspicious of her boyfriend's romantic history, Lavender visits a psychic for a tarot card reading in a creepy cabin in the Adirondack woods. Watch your back, the psychic warns her. Burley and Marta aren't the innocent people they're pretending to be. Someone's out for revenge, and this love triangle could turn deadly.
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
ISBN-10: 1685131883
ISBN-13: 978-1685131883
ASIN: B0BSN7F7KT
Print length: 298 pages
You can read more about the book (and read a preview!) by going to: https://www.amazon.com/Down-Bad-Road-Regina-Buttner-ebook/dp/B0BSN7F7KT.
Add Down a Bad Road to your Goodreads TBR list or purchase a copy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Bookshop.org.
Check out the Down a Bad Road blog tour!
May 29th @ The Muffin
Join us as we celebrate the blog tour launch of Down a Bad Road by Regina Buttner. You'll have the chance to read an interview with the author and win a copy of the book.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
May 30th @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog
Stop by author Anthony Avina’s blog to read his review of Down a Bad Road by Regina Buttner.
http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com
May 31st @ Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews blog
Join Lisa for an interview with Regina Buttner.
https://lisahaselton.com/blog/
June 1st @ World of My Imagination
Stop by World of My Imagination to read Nicole's review of Down a Bad Road.
https://worldofmyimagination.com
June 4th @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog
Revisit author Anthony Avina’s blog to read “How a Corgi Supercharged My Writing Life” by Regina Buttner.
http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com
June 5th @ A Lit Life
Stop by A Lit Life read Stephanie's review of Down a Bad Road.
June 7th @ Sue Edwards’s blog
Visit Sue’s blog to read an interview with author Regina Buttner.
June 8th @ Michelle Cornish's blog
Read a guest post from Regina Buttner about cultivating writerly discipline.
https://www.michellecornish.com/blog
June 9th @ Reading is My Remedy
Check out Chelsie's Instagram where she'll review Down a Bad Road.
https://www.instagram.com/reading_is_my_remedy
June 10th @ World of My Imagination
Stop by Nicole's blog where Regina Buttner is a guest for "Three Things on a Saturday Night."
https://worldofmyimagination.com
June 12th @ Reading is My Remedy
Stop by Chelsie's blog to read a guest post by Regina Buttner about disguising your friends and family in your stories.
https://www.readingismyremedy.wordpress.com
June 13th @ Michelle Cornish's author blog
Join Michelle as she reviews Down a Bad Road.
https://www.michellecornishauthor.com/blog
June 14th @ Create Write Now
Visit Mari's blog to read a guest post by Regina Buttner about growing up old-school Catholic and daring to write about it!
June 15th @ The Knotty Needle
Join Judy for her review of Down a Bad Road.
http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com
June 16th @ Mindy McGinnis’s blog
Stop by Mindy’s blog to read “A Humorous Look at NOT Dating After 50” by Regina Buttner.
https://www.mindymcginnis.com/blog
June 16th @ From the TBR Pile
Join Kari as she reviews Down a Bad Road.
https://fromthetbrpile.blogspot.com/
June 18th @ Lady Unemployed
Stop by Nicole's blog to read "How Joining a Professional Writers Organization Transformed My Writing Career" by Regina Buttner.
June 21st @ Life According to Jamie
Join us as Jamie reviews Down a Bad Road.
http://www.lifeaccordingtojamie.com
June 22nd @ Sue Edwards’s blog
Return to Sue’s blog to read "From Nurse to Writer" by Regina Buttner.
June 23rd @ Nikki's Book Reviews
Read Nicole's review of Down a Bad Road.
https://nikkitsbookreviews.wordpress.com/
June 24th @ The Faerie Review
Stop by The Faerie Review to read a spotlight of Down a Bad Road.
https://www.thefaeriereview.com
June 25th @ A Lit Life
Return to A Lit Life to read a guest post from Regina Buttner about how a visit to the Stillwater Hotel in Upstate New York inspired the setting for Down a Bad Road.