One of the Writing Secrets
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One of the writing secrets isn’t really a secret at all. This is how you become a productive writer — BICFOK. I learned this from the great Alan Orloff. It’s Butt in Chair; Fingers on Keyboard.
It’s true. If you want to be a writer, you need to write. And you need to limit the distractions. Here are some ideas that may help you along your journey.
Find the best place for you to write. Figure out what works for you. I am fortunate to have an office with a door that closes. And when that doesn’t work, my noise-cancelling headphones do.
Figure out what time of day works best for you and your life. I am a morning person (a really early morning person). I like to write when the house is quiet, and this is when I’m most productive. I have found that if I start early, I can usually have my word count done before I have to go to the day gig.
When you are writing, don’t stop to do additional research. Make a note and keep writing. Do all of your research or lookups later. When I stop to check on something, I end up watching cute dog videos.
Set your writing goal and/or word count for each day and try to meet it. If you have busy days ahead, make sure you adjust your goals for that day (or plan to skip a day). If I know something is coming up that will affect my writing time, I try to write more on the days leading up to it to bank some extra for a skip day.
You will see progress if you write regularly. The longer you are away from a project, the more time you spend trying to get back to where you were.
Figure out a writing calendar that works for your schedule. Stuff happens. Don’t beat yourself up when you get interrupted. If you can plan your writing time around the other stuff, you’ll be more productive. If not, just try to get back to it as soon as you can.
Procrastinating, too much research, or doing anything other than writing keeps you from your goals. You may have to remind yourself to focus on your WIP (work in progress). It may take a few times before it becomes a habit.
I create a fairly detailed outline for each chapter before I start my first draft. I’ve found that that keeps me on track. I don’t get stuck in the middle, and I know where the story is going.
These ideas have helped me be much more productive in a world where work, family, friends, and volunteer projects all vie for my attention.
