Update! :-)

It's been awhile since I've updated my blog... Life often seems to grab you by the throat and soon enough, you find e-mails piled in your inbox from months ago, stacks of papers to organize, phone calls to return, and deadlines that never end.

Such is life at the office.

I've heard that Tolkien wrote his stories at work, and I'm sure many other authors' famous books have been born pieces at a time, not necessarily all at once while feverishly typing away at the keyboard. So for eveyone who bemoans that they can't find time to write while balancing work and everything else that life throws at them, here are a few creative tips for keeping intact with your writing side:

1) Lunch breaks or in between the constantly ringing telephone, keep a personal notebook at your desk. If you have any down time, grab that cup of coffee and jot down an outline or character descriptions you can use later.

2) Keep focused by rewarding yourself when you do write. This could mean finding a paying market to submit your writing to (trust me, it'll keep you motivated if you can find a paying market), or with chocolate for every x amount of chapters you finish. Yes, I know that late night t.v. show is tempting once you get home from work, especially after a tiring day. However, you could always watch your favorite shows later on Hulu or Youtube, after you've finished your writing project.

3) Tell others about your writing projects. This way, they'll ask you about them and you'll feel obligated to keep on track, rather than slack behind. :-)