Getting Your Writing back on Track
by Heather Weidner
What have you written lately? The day gig has been a little
crazy. I’ve written performance reviews, several proposals, emergency
announcements, and a couple of policies. There are days when my book marketing
and writing projects don’t get as much attention as I’d like to give them, and
sometimes, there are days that I just don’t feel like writing after work.
Stuff happens. Life and work often throw your writing off
schedule. Here are some ideas to get your writing back on track.
1. If
you’re an early bird or a night owl, capitalize on that. Start your day earlier
or stay up later to build in some extra writing time.
2. Turn
off the TV or electronic gadgets and use that time for writing.
3. Use
your lunch or mealtimes to build your word count. During the pandemic, I
started writing during my normal commute times, and I was pleasantly surprised
at the progress I made by adding two hours to my writing time. I still do that
on my work-from-home days.
4. Print
out chapters and use waiting time to proofread or edit.
5. Set
a reasonable schedule or goals for the week and try to stick to it. You’ll be
surprised how much your word count will grow when you write every day.
6. Find
a writing buddy or someone who’ll tell you if you stray. I have two friends on
Facebook who remind their writer friends publicly that they should be writing.
That’s always a good motivator.
7. Don’t
beat yourself up if you neglect your writing. Life happens. Get back to it as
soon as you can.
What helps you stay on track?
What keeps me on track? Contractual deadlines mostly. These are all good tips, Heather!
ReplyDeleteUnlike Annette, I don't have external deadlines (unless I do something like committing to a launch date and promise material). For me, it comes down to reminding myself what my motivation is -- and why it is higher than other things I could be doing.
ReplyDeleteOr not -- in which case the other things should win and writing takes a back seat for a while.
My best motivation is a deadline. Otherwise, I create to-do lists. Unfortunately, when the muse isn’t with me, I tend to cross off more frolic and detour items and then deal with your seventh point.
ReplyDeleteI have a weekly goal. If I've achieved it by Friday noon, I take the afternoon off. Otherwise, I work through Friday and Saturday. Sunday afternoon is for planning and goal-setting the coming week.
ReplyDeleteRight now, the best suggestion I have is don't move across the country and stay in AirBNBs for three months while your house is being built. LOL. Seriously, though, my problem is balance. I work tirelessly and burn out. That's my cycle, and I'm searching for ways to break it!
ReplyDeleteDeadlines are the only thing that work for me. Thank you for the ideas - I need to get back on track.
ReplyDeleteAh, such organization & efficiency. I'm sure I'd get a lot more done if I adopted some of your smart moves.
ReplyDeleteA closed door and selective deafness! Actually, I’m my own worst enemy, as I allow interruptions. You’ve given me an idea for my blog this month, Heather. Thank you! And kudos for balancing a day job and a writing life so successfully. It is not easy.
ReplyDeleteSo now I know how you get all those things done, Heather. Great suggestions!
ReplyDelete