Andriana BoyrikovaLast year you promised yourself you would start writing a book or get back to blogging. You added the same new year’s resolution to this year’s list. Now, three weeks later, you are juggling working from home while homeschooling your children, doing the household chores, spending some quality time with your family, maintaining some social life (mostly online), and catching your breath in between. Writing is the last thing that you have time for. But this year you can make a difference to yourself: this year you can become the writer you want to be.
I am fortunate that writing is not only my true vocation but also my profession and hobby. However, this wasn’t always the case: I haven’t been scribbling stories all my life. I have made writing a habit because I wanted to do so.
In my ongoing battle with my internal critic, impostor syndrome, and regular writer’s blocks, I have come up with six practices that have given my writing a boost and I believe can pave your writer’s road to success too. They are just as suitable if you are a professional writer exercising your creative writing muscle or if you are only dabbling in writing.
1. Set specific, measurable, and achievable writing goals
“I will write a novel this year.”
This isn’t a goal towards which you can work.
- Specific: I will do all research for my novel until the end of March and then write a first draft by the end of December.
- Measurable: You will need to do some math. If you want to have a first draft ready by 31 December and you start on 1 April, you have 39 weeks in total. If you do three one-hour writing sessions a week and you write about 500 words an hour, you are able to write a first draft of approximately 58,500 words.
- Achievable: I will spend one hour working on my novel every Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday.
“I will spend three months doing research, mind mapping, and outlining my novel. Then, I will write three hours each week until the end of December.”
This is a goal towards which you can work.
You can attach a motivating photo to your goal: that way, you can visually connect it with someone or something that inspires you and helps you stay motivated.
The same principle of setting a feasible goal applies to any other writing project: poems, a collection of short stories, experimenting with your writing style, or keeping a journal.
2. Create a healthy writing schedule
Do you believe in the magical moment when you are curled up in the perfect writing space, your writing juices boiling, impatient to be poured out, story ideas racing in your mind? Well, you can experience such a moment. Once in a blue moon.
There is no perfect writing moment. You just have to show up, put your fingers on the keyboard, and start typing.
This is why you need regular time slots to write: squeezing in a few minutes here and there won’t do. It is crucial that you create a healthy writing schedule: I mean a schedule that is aligned with your other commitments (work, family, chores, friends, hobbies). Even though I highly recommend writing every day (if you are an aspiring writer), carving out two hours a week is also enough as long as you know you are able to do it.
Writing is your commitment to yourself: it shouldn’t feel like a chore but like something you are able to do. And something you want to do. You have to want it, otherwise it is a lost cause.
Don’t forget to put your writing sessions in your calendar just like you do with important appointments you don’t want to miss: add the time and duration and set a reminder. And when something else (like the final season of Homeland) or thoughts like “I am tired, there is no use writing now,” “I will write more tomorrow” come up, knock them down by opening your laptop or notepad and writing down one sentence. And then one more.
3. Find a comfortable, quiet writing space
Where do you feel most comfortable in your home? What distracts you? Find a cozy writing spot, for example, your reading nook or the opposite end of the dinner table from where you usually eat (unfortunately, a coffee place or a library isn’t an option these days), and then make sure you have your tools ready: a fully charged laptop, your notepad, extra pens, an extra layer, or a blanket in case you get cold.
Make yourself a cup of tea or cappuccino and play your favorite writing playlist. Ask your family/housemates not to discuss dinner ideas with you until you have finished writing. I encourage you to use a noise-canceling headset or earbuds to mute any disturbing noise (like kids fighting, dog barking, or a spouse’s loud voice).
Before you dive into writing – and this is a must – leave your phone in another room and if you are writing on a device, block all your social media apps (I use 1Focus app). When you are writing, you should really only be writing: peeking at your phone notifications or scrolling through your LinkedIn feed won’t make you the next J.K. Rowling.
4. When writing, just write
Remember – the most important thing is to get words on the page. You don’t write a novel. You write words that turn into sentences, sentences that turn into paragraphs, paragraphs that turn into chapters, chapters that turn into a novel.
Try to get as many words written down as possible. If your inner critic isn’t letting you do so (my inner critic is very active and I know how difficult it can be), shut it down by repeating this positive affirmation:
“Critique comes later. Now it is time to write.”
Leave editing and spell-checking for later. If you focus too much on finding just the right word, getting that factual information exactly right, or putting too much thought “Is that really what I want to say?,” you will lose track of where you are in your story. Leave typos. Leave things blank. You will edit later. First you need a draft that you can edit.
It is useful if you have some basic understanding of the five main writing stages: that way, you can make it crystal clear to yourself what exactly you will be doing during your writing session.
- 1. Prewriting: you focus on thinking and taking notes about your writing project, you are brainstorming.
- 2. Research: you make a list with all sources you need, evaluate the sources, do research, and make an outline to organize your research.
- 3. Drafting: you write continuously even if your sentences and paragraphs aren’t perfect; your goal is to flesh out your story, so keep writing, and then write some more.
- 4. Revising: you improve your text by rearranging words, sentences, or paragraphs, taking out and adding whole excerpts or chapters, and doing more research if it is necessary.
- 5. Editing and proofreading: you focus on grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation and polish your text so that it is ready to get published.
5. Find writing buddies
Writing is a very solitary pursuit, but it shouldn’t always be so. If you join a writing community, you will be able to talk with people who are facing the same issues as you are: writer’s blocks, lack of motivation and discipline, no time to write, copying with the internal critic.
Your writing buddies will encourage you and keep you more accountable to your writing goals. You can also share useful tricks with each other on improving writing productivity or developing a story mind map. When writing seems scary and you are convinced that what you have written is garbage, your writing buddies can cheer you up and lend you a helping hand.
Because only a writer can truly understand another writer.
However, you shouldn’t expect your writing buddies to chase you after your word count. Neither should you compare your writing speed, progress, or ideas with them. Remember: you write with others but you write for yourself. Your motivation should be intrinsic, it shouldn’t be confined to the group of people you are writing with.
6. Use a writing software
I have been using Ulysses for almost two years and I know I don’t ever want to use another writing tool. One of the things I love the most about Ulysses is that it organizes all my projects in one place: one-line random notes, work projects, journal, blog posts, novel, short stories, everything is in. I am at ease when I know I have one place for all my writing projects.
Next to that, Ulysses’ intuitive library design allows me to search across all my files with just a few clicks. My favorite features are the distraction-free Typewriter mode that mimics the behavior of a typewriter and the ability to set goals and deadlines. I love Ulysses’ minimalist interface that makes it so easy to use. Ulysses simply lets me write and I love that.
Give Ulysses a try or check the tons of other writing softwares and apps and pick the one that works best for you.
Conclusion
This year you can become the writer you want to be. Adding these six practices to your routine will definitely bring you closer to your writing goal. You only need to:
- set a specific, measurable, and achievable writing goal
- create a healthy writing schedule
- find a comfortable, quiet writing space
- learn and practice the when-writing-just-write rule
- find writing buddies
- start using a writing software.
Happy writing!
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What is your writing goal for 2021? Let me know in a comment.
Featured image: Art Lasovsky, Unsplash.
