It always happens. When the Christmas holidays roll around or client assignments drop in my lap, my writing practice suffers. I haven’t looked at any of my personal writing projects in nearly six weeks, haven’t picked up a pen to draft any new stories or blog content. It frustrates me that I can’t be more productive. But that’s what happens when you’re trying to do too many things at once.
Now that it’s January, it’s time to “get back in the saddle,” as they say. With the decorations put away and assignments completed, I need to get back to work. My work. My writing practice. So how do I reset my routine?
Fortunately, Reedsy offered a timely webinar about productivity, and their experts provides exercises and pro tips that may be helpful in jumpstarting my routine.
Tip 1: Set a year-end goal. Close your eyes and imagine that it’s next Christmas, you’re with your family and friends celebrating some milestone with your writing. Perhaps you finished a draft of a new novel. Or you finally signed on with an agent. How do you feel about what you accomplished? What does the end result look like and feel like? Where do you want to be with your writing? If you can imagine it, you can accomplish it.
Tip 2. Begin with small steps. With the larger year-end goal in mind, think about how to get there. What small step can you take within the next week or month to reach that goal? What small step can you take in February, March, and so on? That small goal might be something like writing for 30 minutes each day, or a word count goal, like 500 words or one page a day. When you put one foot in front of the other, you eventually reach your destination.
Tip 3: Be consistent with your practice. Make time to write, and write every day if you can. Writing every day sets up a new habit. When I got a batch of assignments in November and December, I neglected that daily habit, and lost momentum. Now it’s a struggle to get back to where I was before the holidays. Don’t let that happen to you. In hindsight, I should have simply scaled back on my writing routine rather than give it up altogether.
Tip 4: Create a ritual before beginning each writing session. The ritual will get you in the proper mindset. It could be something as simple as closing your eyes to imagine the words on the page, saying a short prayer to your creative muse or lighting a candle. However, don’t check emails or the internet before your session, or you will get lost in the mundane details of work and quickly lose your focus.
Tip 5: Be aware of the obstacles and distractions around you. Some obstacles are external and can be easily addressed. Maybe there’s a stack of dishes in the sink or an important phone call you need to make. Reedsy suggests taking 10 minutes to tidy up the kitchen and make that important phone call, otherwise it will bother you enough to prevent you from writing. If the dog needs to go for a walk, maybe have another family member or a neighbor take them out. There are internal distractions too, such as negative self-talk. In those instances, it might be helpful to talk to a friend or write in a journal. Find a way to release those negative thoughts before they poison your writing practice.
Tip 6: Deal with procrastination. This is my own bugaboo problem. Procrastination can kill any brilliant story idea you might have. What is procrastination really but an avoidance tactic? So ask yourself–what are you trying to avoid? Why are you trying to avoid it? Is it the fear that what you write will be horrible (bad news: the first draft usually is). Is it because you have no idea what to write about and you don’t like staring at a blank page? The easy fix for that is writing prompts which can jumpstart your imagination and get ideas flowing again.
I’ve been procrastinating on a novel I’ve been editing/rewriting for the fourth time. It’s been a long slog, and I’m tired of looking at the story. So I’ve been avoiding it because I hate the editing process—of cutting copy and moving scenes around. I’d much rather be writing something fresh and new. My point is procrastination happens to every writer, and it’s usually a sign that you’re avoiding something in your practice that you’d rather not do. Figure out a way to work through what you need to do, then do it.
Tip 7: Change the narrative of your writing life. So what that you may never have been published before. You can be published this year if you work toward that goal. Don’t let past disappointments and failures define who you are as a writer. Focus on your successes and build on them. Focus on the things you can do rather than what you can’t. For example, if all you can do is write 100 words a day, then write 100 words a day. Don’t berate yourself for not writing 1000 words like most other people you might know. You know your circumstances best, so work within those parameters. As Tim Gunn always says, “Make it work!”
Hope these suggestions help you re-set your writing practice. Here’s to a productive and successful 2024. Happy writing!
The Regal Writer 