Smatterings: A Little Productivity Pep Talk

"Smatterings" with a snowy background with park benches and snow-capped trees.

Happy Sunday. I hope you’re safe and warm with a good book close by.

I had a conversation with a writer friend recently that I thought salient to this week’s note. This author is highly motivated and extremely creative. She regularly juggles multitudes of projects—quite successfully, I might add—writes quickly, is used to immersion into the worlds she creates. She was having an off day and was resisting the urge to beat herself up over the lack of productivity. Hyper-productive authors don’t do well with moments like this. I know that for a fact, because I too have these days when I can’t seem to move the chains no matter what I try. The words just aren’t there. Those days are rough, and it’s very easy to fall into the I am screwing everything up when you don’t hit your goals. Here is my response:

“Paradoxically, I think this is what makes us great creators. It's the same emotional diligence that keeps us coming back to the page and trying to create, even when there are bad days. It's tied to our self-discipline. So if you reframe it like that, it might help. Also, look into Cal Newport’s new ideas about slow productivity. It deemphasizes the micro in favor of the macro. I had a crap day Thursday, but looked back and realized I'd written 25,000 already for the month. (Last year I only wrote 140K, so this is a BIG leap forward for me) You'll be okay. You have a ton of projects you're juggling, and brains sometimes need a little rest from the incessant adrenaline spikes we give them.”

I stand by this advice for her, and for you. Those artists who suffer from extreme emotional frustration when they can’t produce are the same ones who, over time, accrete an impressive body of work.

Slow productivity is a real thing and is especially appropriate to writers. Very few of us can toss off 100,000 words in a month. It takes time to write a book. I’ve always equated writing novels to an ant eating an elephant. It takes thousands of small bites every day, day after day after day, to consume the whole thing. 

The next time you’re feeling frustrated that you need to lie fallow for a day or two, keep the faith. It’s just your brain recovering from the adrenal strikes. Over time, you’ll see that one or two bad days don’t matter at all.

And with that in mind, onward! 


Links 🔗


Season 7 of our literary television show A WORD ON WORDS begins airing this week, and a huge Nashville welcome to my new co-host, the divine Alka Joshi, who digs deep into Jessamine Chan’s THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD MOTHERS!!! #keepreading


Publishing has been plagued by a scammer, and he’s finally been unmasked: The Talented Mr. Bernardini


My life coach has some advice for you: Savoring! 3 Ways to Squeeze More Sweetness out of Life


I’m sharing because it’s cool but also I call dibs: The Woman Who Can See 100 Million Colors


Who wants to be the master of their domain?


Some superb editing advice…


Reads 📚


I had a momentary reading block earlier this week trying to conquer the paradox of choice that is my To Be Read pile. I finally settled on Sarah Pinborough’s amazing BEHIND HER EYES, and also watched the adaptation on Netflix, which was stellar, and Liv Constantine’s excellent THE WIFE STALKER, which helped me jump right into the proposal for my next book. Thanks, ladies, for the great books!

What are you reading this weekend?

J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

A Word On Words: Richard Russo

 
 

Mary Laura Philpott sat down with Richard Russo in Chances Are… on A WORD ON WORDS. #KeepReading

J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

A Word On Words: Oyinkan Braithwaite

 
 

Mary Laura Philpott sat down with Oyinkan Braithwaite to discuss MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER, the duplicitous nature of people, and more in the new episode of A WORD ON WORDS. #KeepReading

J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

A Word On Words: Ann Patchett

 
 

On this week’s A Word on Words, the incomparable Mary Laura Philpott sits down with Nashville’s own Ann Patchett to discuss her wonderful latest novel, The Dutch House. #KeepReading

J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

A Word On Words: Jeremy Finley

 
 

Season 5 of A WORD ON WORDS kicks off with a trip to the dark side with the superb Jeremy Finley in The Dark Above. #keepreading!

J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.