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Cynthia Morris

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Resources for writing a novel

I feel like I shouldn’t say “I’m writing a novel.” The truth is, I am learning to write a novel. It’s been a long time since I wrote my first novel, and the world, and I, have changed.

There are so many resources for writers. I’ve been reading books and taking classes. Working through a novel gives me the chance to practice what I am learning immediately. It’s challenging, and I am grateful for all the resources that are helping me. A few of them are:

Books for novel writing

Jane Friedman hosts online classes for writers featuring different teachers.

Intuitive Editing by Tiffany Yates Martin has been super helpful as I go through my first, super rough draft.

Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody offers a template for character arcs using beats.

Story Genius by Lisa Cron gives another method for ‘looking under the hood’ of the character arc.

Story Wheel is another character arc resource

What resources are helping you learn and create this summer? Share them here.

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Staying on track while writing a novel

I’m plugging away at my Lisbon novel. Like most of us, I always want to do more than I actually do. Sigh.

As a coach, I know how to get things across the finish line. But that doesn’t mean that wrangling focus is easy.

My deadline for a completed draft (that I can send to an editor) is October 14. That’s when I go to Europe to lead Paris Sketchbook and do a reconnaissance trip for Capture the Lisbon Wow. A trip makes for a strong deadline/motivator to keep working.

coffee and notebook in LisbonBut that’s months away. I need a shorter deadline for real focus. My commitment for this summer is to make the novel my #1 priority. ‘Summer’ seems endless and long. But when reality check the calendar, I have only nine weeks. This excludes the weeks when I am leading my Vermont and Montana retreats. (We have a few spots in those if you need a break from your routine to uplevel your joy.)

Some weeks have more client meetings than others. Like you, I have to squeeze my passion project into the spaces around paid work. Here’s how I have shifted things to honor my #1 priority:

No new work projects. This is harder than it might seem; I love to tinker with the systems that make my work work. My focus is my clients, my retreats, and my novel. That’s it.

I’ve set aside my non-fiction book for now. It was okay to work on two projects earlier this year. But I am highly motivated to get this novel done and into the world. Hopefully by 2025!

Reduce my subscriptions. I love reading others’ newsletters. The trouble is, I am easily distracted and think I need to know about/do/take on the thing they are talking about. This week I unsubscribed from a lot of newsletters that I don’t really read. It was hard to let go of hearing from people I love, but I can go back when I don’t need such focus.

Put the novel first. On non-client days, I usually write my newsletter and work on my creativity retreats. Now, I start the workday with the novel.

Join a writing challenge. Jami Attenberg has her free #1000wordsofsummer challenge. Can I write 1,000 words a day for two weeks? Indeed I can, and this will add an extra layer of focus. Check it out and join us. 

I’m fortunate to have a flexible schedule. These measures help, and I still have to deal with the insecurities and cluelessness about writing a novel. It helps me a ton to write about this in my author notebook.

I’m sharing more about how to stay focused in my newsletter, Impulses. Get your subscription here.

What are you working on this summer and how is it helping you focus? Share in a comment below.

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How to Pursue Your Creative Impulse While Honoring Your Desire For Stability

So, how do you handle the dance between wanting lead with your creative or artistic side, and earning a grown-up worthy living?

Cynthia Morris Sparked podcast Jonathan Fields LinkedinIn the past few years, we’ve all been through a lot of upheaval. At the same time, this moment has reawakened a burning desire to pursue creative passions. It’s a recipe for big life transition and potentially transformation.

And that is certainly the case for our advice seeker today, Helen, who asks how can she make a meaningful living from her art and writing, pursue further studies and honor her value around financial security?

After recently ending a long marriage and spending the past few years working to make ends meet, Helen has rediscovered her passion for writing. After spending two decades studying human behavior and helping others through her work, Helen is now ready for a change—if she can figure out a way forward that satisfies both her soul and her practical needs.

In today’s episode we’re in conversation with:

LISTENER: Helen – Sparketype: Maker/Maven

SPARKED BRAINTRUST ADVISOR: Cynthia Morris

Cynthia is the founder of the Original Impulse creative studio and atelier and coaching program for writers; she’s also an author, workshop facilitator, trusted advisor and coach.

YOUR HOST: Jonathan Fields

Jonathan is a dad, husband, award-winning author, multi-time founder, executive producer and host of the Good Life Project podcast, and co-host of SPARKED, too! He’s also the creator of an unusual tool that’s helped more than 650,000 people discover what kind of work makes them come alive – the Sparketype® Assessment, and author of the bestselling book, SPARKED.

So what is your Sparketype? Turns out, we all have a unique imprint for work that makes us come alive, this is your Sparketype. When you discover yours, everything, your entire work-life- and even parts of your personal life and relationships – begins to make sense. Until you know yours, you’re kind of fumbling in the dark.

How to submit your question for the SPARKED Braintrust: Wisdom-seeker submissions

More on Sparketypes at: Discover You Sparketype | The Book | The Website

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Organizing a novel

Writers are lucky – we don’t require a lot of tools for the job. We can use a simple notebook or an app like Word, Google docs, or Evernote. 

Yet there are more complex systems out there for writing. I have avoided things like Scrivener. Most people I know who use it are fairly savvy when it comes to using complex apps. The trouble comes when people spend more time learning how to use the system than doing the writing. I have seen this happen, and it’s a shame to waste so much time setting up the ops. I get suspicious that the helpful app is functioning more as a procrastination ally. 

But with my current novel in progress, this time I needed to lay out the scenes in a different way than index cards. I leaned toward Scrivener. Then the learning curve loomed. What do I already have that could work, I thought? 

Notion! I have Notion, and have invested considerable time and energy into using it to run my business. I poked around and found a template online ($10). It took less than 3 hours to set up my scenes and chapters. Scriborg is simple yet has everything you would need to organize your novel. It has a lot of features I don’t use for productivity. But seeing the three acts of my novel laid out, with each scene having its own card, is so useful.

Do you use an app or program other than basic word processing for your novel? Leave a comment below! 

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Anniversary of Busy Woman’s Guide to Writing a World-Changing Book

I cannot believe it’s been four years since I published The Busy Woman’s Guide to Writing a World-Changing Book. 

(Oh, yeah, that pandemic short-circuited the world and we went into a time warp.) 

The great thing about books is they live on and on. They don’t expire and with print-on-demand books published by the author, they don’t go out of print. 

I love reading reviews like this: 

There are many books out there on how to write a book and I’ve read almost all of them. For me, what makes “The Busy Woman’s Guide to Writing a World-Changing Book” different is that as I kept reading, I felt seen, heard, and understood as a woman who writes while juggling multiple projects, navigating a business, and taking care of a family and home. CK

Cynthia’s book is the best friend beside you, cheering you on with a few hits of honesty along the way to keep the fire burning within your belly and encourage you to keep going. BT

I love this book! Cynthia has taken a daunting process and broken it down into simple, small steps. Writing in 15-minute segments adds up over time. I have a journal half-filled now with thoughts and ideas. Her suggestions for tucking away writing into our busy lives really work. I have many how to write books on my shelves, but this is one of the best. It’s practical. MM

Have you had a chance to read The Busy Woman’s Guide to Writing a World-Changing Book? If it’s helped you write your book, I’d love to hear about it. 

I invite you to celebrate this bookaversary with me. 

Pick up a copy today for yourself or a friend. Paperback, ebook, or audio. 

If you’ve read it, help me and other writers. Recommend it to others. Best yet, write a review here or here. This only takes a few minutes and makes a difference for authors. 

Thank you for being part of this book. I wrote it to help people get their non-fiction books out of their heads and hearts and onto the page.

Leave a comment below!