Have you ever spent an hour working on your manuscript only to realize you haven’t really accomplished anything? You only wrote one line when you meant to finish one page. You were struck with writer’s block and spent the whole time playing on your phone. Or you got distracted and never wrote anything at all.
If that sounds familiar to you, the good news is there’s a solution. It’s all about optimizing your writing time so you can make clear progress on your manuscript. Here are some key steps you can take to make the most of each writing session:
It may not seem like a big deal, but having a particular spot where you devote yourself to writing can make a huge difference. When you sit down at your dining table, the desk in your home office, a table at your favorite café, or some other writing spot, you signal to your brain that it’s time to get to work. It’s all part of the routine.
It’s a lot easier to get into the groove of writing when you’re physically and emotionally relaxed. So put on some comfy clothes, settle into a comfortable and ergonomic seat, and perhaps put on some familiar music that helps energize you to write. You might even pour yourself a glass of wine if that’s your thing. The point is that you can get yourself into the right headspace by doing whatever makes you feel good in preparation for writing.
Okay, this might be tough if you have kids, but the best way to make sure you’re productive is to cut out all distractions. Retreating to your designated writing space is a great first step, but you also need to put away your phone, turn off the notifications on your computer, and silence any other devices that could lure you away from writing. Then, close the door to discourage disruptions or at least put noise-canceling headphones on to help you concentrate.
In fact, when you’re about to dive into a writing session, it’s a good idea to tell anyone in the vicinity that you need uninterrupted focus time for the next hour or however long. It’s all about creating and maintaining boundaries. (Of course, your kids may or may not respect that, but you can always schedule your writing time for after they’ve gone to bed.)
It’s hard to know where you’re going with your writing if you don’t have a plan ahead of time! So make sure you know what you want to accomplish during your writing session. For instance, you might commit to writing five hundred words, finishing a particular scene, or simply mapping out the remaining plot points in your story.
The goals you establish are totally up to you and may vary based on your schedule and the part of the project you’re working on. Just make sure you’re picking goals that are reasonable and realistic. Keep in mind the other priorities you have in life and be aware that your mental energy may ebb and flow over time. You can adjust your goal for each writing session to reflect what’s going on in your life and in your head so that you can actually achieve it.
Overall, creating incremental goals is a great way to track your progress and keep moving forward with your writing. So be sure to set out specific targets for each writing session so you can eventually cross the finish line with your project.
Have you ever written a sentence or a paragraph, then gone over it again and again, tweaking here and there until you realize you’ve spent thirty minutes without getting much done? If so, you’re not alone. Writing is very personal, and, of course, you want to make sure you’re doing your best work. However, if you’re a perfectionist about every tiny thing and try to revise your work as you write, you’ll end up frustrated with very little to show for your efforts.
The trick here is to separate “writing” and “editing” in your mind. “Writing” is for pouring thoughts onto paper without judgment; “editing” is for examining your work with a critical eye and honing the content to make it as strong as possible. These are two different stages of the process, so when you’re in “writing” mode, don’t let your inner critic hold you back. Just let the ideas flow and get the words on paper without considering how “good” they are. You’ll have plenty of time to edit and refine your manuscript later.
Believe it or not, people follow through on things when theyshare their commitment with someone else. Something about putting yourintention into words and telling someone else about it creates some sort ofcontract in your head. It’s a pretty cool psychological trick that can help youstick to your writing goals over time. Even if you don’t end up followingthrough, you’ll have someone coming along to remind you of your goals and getyou back on track!
A lot of what we’ve discussed so far ties back to routine, which is generally a good thing, but sometimes you may feel like you’ve fallen into a writing rut. When that happens, it’s time to change things up to get those creative juices flowing again.
For example, if you usually write in your office late on weeknights, try going to the library on a Saturday morning instead. If you consistently set a goal of writing one chapter per session, pick a different goal, like knocking out some tricky dialogue or revising the very first chapter you wrote. You might be amazed by all the wonderful content you come up with by just shaking up your routine.
All this being said, it’s important to know when to give yourself a break. Writing is supposed to be an enjoyable and fulfilling pastime, not a chore. If you find that you’re miserable or hating every second of writing, take a step back. What are your overarching goals for the project? What inspired the story and made you excited enough to start writing? How can you reconnect with the “why” that was motivating you at the beginning?
It may take a little bit of time to find the right headspace again, and you shouldn’t necessarily force yourself to keep writing if you’re not feeling it at all. Instead, evaluate your situation and consider what steps you can take to rediscover the passion that will keep your writing sessions both rewarding and productive.
So what are you waiting for? Now’s as good a time as any to get writing! If you’d like a professional accountability partner or even a writing coach to help you finish up your manuscript, be sure to reach out to a Ballast Books acquisitions editor. We’ve got you covered!