Gardens are not made by singing 'Oh, how beautiful!' and sitting in the shade. —Rudyard Kipling

Spring Cleaning

Longer days with more sunshine make me think about spring. In New England (where I live now), March is the moment before the real beginning of spring. Yes, we get a warm day here and there, but the buds are just beginning to break through the last layer of earth and the trees are only beginning to develop that look of pale green froth that is the very tips of the leaves. This is the moment to prepare for the real push of growth.

Are You Prepared?

In my experience, there are three different kinds of writers. The first kind starts on page one—this type bangs out a draft and then goes back to structure and refine their work later. The second type is a meticulous planner and outliner—these writers plan each scene and only then get to work on Page One. The rest are a little of both—diving in here, stepping back to plan, then diving in again, then reworking their plan in a flexible workflow.

The Best Way To Work

Which of these three writing styles is the best? Whichever one works for you, of course.

Which of these three writing styles is the best? Whichever one works for you, of course. But no matter which style is your comfort zone, there will be a moment when you must step back, plan what you will grow, and then prepare the ground by raking out rocks and pulling weeds. I created the guides and checklists in Bookflow to help writers focus on this spring cleaning in any season.

As I often say, not all writing looks like writing. If, this week, you want to step back and streamline your character motivations, scenes, or themes, please remember that this is writing, too. A little planning and weeding will give your words room to grow.

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