Write Time

Working Full-Time and Writing
(or for any busy writer)

As always, remember that these tips won't all work for everyone, so pick and choose what's right for you.

How to keep learning when you're crazy-busy, part two:

Invest in workshop CDs and tapes. These can get very pricey, but if money isn't as much of an object to you, this is a perfect way to learn oodles of information. Also, the prices of workshops are going down. Many conferences offer all the workshops on MP3 for about $100-$150, which is a deal.

I have bought recordings of workshops I've both attended and not attended at writers conferences, so that I can review what I had sat in on, and learn something new from the workshops I couldn't make it to. Listening to a workshop several times can take the place of writing down notes.

It is also possible to order workshops from conferences you haven't attended: go to conference websites and check if the recording studio sells recordings after the conference ends. Most do.

For example, American Christian Fiction Writers 2006 conference in Dallas, TX has all their workshops still available for sale through the recording studio, Conference Media, at http://www.cmc-net.com/docs/conferences.html.

With the advent of iPods and other MP3 players, an audio recording of a workshop or an MP3 file of a workshop can be brought with you wherever you go. There are lots of inexpensive MP3 players and accessories to allow you to take your player with you no matter what you’re doing..

I’ve listened to workshops while standing in line at stores and the post office.

I have also hooked up my iPod to an FM transmitter so that my MP3s can be heard through my car radio and I can listen to workshops while I drive around. This is great for whether it’s a short trip to the grocery store or a long commute to and from work.

An MP3 player is small enough to be able to wear while doing housework or washing dishes.

On the rare occasions I actually exercise, I listen to workshops while I walk the dog.

If you’re into scrapbooking, knitting, or any other solitary crafting activities, workshops on MP3 are terrific to listen to without distracting you from the task at hand. I listen to workshops while I make cards.

Be creative! You could probably think of many places and situations where you could listen to a workshop on an MP3 player.

Next month: Learning from blog articles.

Camy Tang lives in San Jose, California. She previously worked in biology research, and she is a staff worker for her church youth group. She runs the Story Sensei critique service, and her Asian chick lit novel, Sushi for One?, releases in September.