Harness the Energy of Fall and Start Writing (for Real this Time)

September 4, 2019 / Tanja Pajevic / blog / No Comments

Now that it’s September, I’m raring to go. As a longtime teacher and lifelong learner, the start of the school year has always carried the possibility of a fresh start. With fall right around the corner, I’m guessing I’m not the only one. What’s the Writing Project that’s Calling to You? What’s on your dream list? Is this the year you’ll write a book? The year you’ll finally tell your story? When we have something that’s big on our list, something we want so badly, here’s how that tends to play out: We’re so inspired! Woo-hoo! I can’t wait! This is my time. This is my project. And then a hint of doubt creeps in. But I don’t know where to start. It’s such a big project … so overwhelming. We start to question ourselves, question that flash of inspiration. Is this the […]

Finding the Time to Write

August 15, 2019 / Tanja Pajevic / blog / No Comments

“How do I find the time to write?” This is one of the most common questions I get. It’s not an easy thing to figure out, especially when our lives are already so full with work, family, friends, caregiving, community obligations and everything else we have on our plates. Let me tell you about my friend Mandy. Mandy is a runner. She has four kids, a job, is heavily involved in school/community and gets up early every morning to run. She does a marathon every year with a good friend, and the other day, she told me she’s doing a triathlon (!) this weekend. I know Mandy from dance class, and I’m often blown away by how she does it all. At night, she reads and in the mornings, she runs. Those are her times for herself. In between, she works, parents, juggles […]

What You Need to Know About Word Count

May 1, 2019 / Tanja Pajevic / blog / No Comments

Today, I wanted to talk to you about word count. Like many others at the moment, I’m reading Rachel Hollis’ new book, Girl, Stop Apologizing, and one of the things she talks about is her super-human-powered focus when it comes to writing (as well as, um, pretty much everything else). She focuses on word count, cranking out something like 2500 words per writing session. (2500 words is 10 pages,) To do this, she removes herself from all distractions, writing in a coffee shop, and she cranks it out. To be clear, I’m not saying that you should be writing that much—not by any stretch. (More on this one in a sec.) I’m using her story as an example, since I’ve been hearing so much about word count lately, and I’m guessing you have, too. So what’s the skinny? Is focusing on word count […]