When it comes time to write, I invariably suddenly want to do something else. Something that does not make me want to engage in self-destructive behaviors like drink heavily or overeat or try to shop at the KMCC, or just generally destructive behaviors like throw the netbook through the TV. I know I'm not the only one who struggles with this. Writing is hard. Anyone who says otherwise either isn't any good at it or is trying to sell you something. So here are some of my favorite tips for productivity.
1. Set a specific time for writing.
During the day, I write whenever I can: while the kid plays, those last few minutes before the dryer stops, during dinner. But when the kid and the husband go to bed, I kick the writing machine into gear. From 10:00 pm to 2:00 am, the house is quiet, no one needs anything from me, and I can focus. And I do. Most of Cass Gets Her Kicks was written during that four-hour span.
2. Stick to it.
If I don't write, I feel like a miserable excuse for a human being. So I do my best to stick to that specific time. There are some nights when I crash pretty much as soon as the kid does, some nights when she refuses to go to bed and I have to play with her, but if I can't get in my four hours then, I get in four hours some other time, or I double up. If I don't write, how can I expect to finish anything?
3. Eliminate distractions.
Turn off the TV, turn off the music, turn off the wireless (I've gone so far as to unplug the router from the wall), turn off the lights, chase everyone out of the room, and focus. You really have to be self-disciplined to write.
4. Set a goal. Meet the goal.
The last few nights, I have not allowed myself to go to bed until I've finished editing one story. Each of the three stories in Cass Gets Her Kicks are just over 4,000 words, so it's not unreasonable to expect myself to complete an editing pass in four hours. Sometimes I set lower goals: write a page, write a summary, write an action draft of one scene. Setting the goal and then meeting it helps me feel like I'm staying on track.
5. Reward yourself.
So I've mentioned Supernatural a few times. Dean Winchester is a pretty, pretty man, and the Impala is probably the sexiest car on TV right now. I also love to bake, like a Jack and Coke, and love my Kindle like it's my bastard child. When I meet whatever goal it is I've set, I reward myself. When the writing itself isn't the reward, something else has to be.
6. Stay accountable.
Every Saturday, I post a situation report entry in which I summarize what I accomplish that week. It keeps me accountable. If I don't want to humiliate myself or look like a lazyass in front of my blog readers, I have to be productive. Fear of public embarrassment can be a powerful motivator. Don't underestimate it.
7. Remind yourself why you write.
I write because I love it. (I am a masochist in that way.) I write because one of my two fondest dreams in life is to be a published author. (The other, if you're curious, is to be a practicing archaeologist in the American Southwest.) I write because I have all of these stories living in my head, and the only way to get them out is to write them down. I write because I don't ever want to go back to working in an office with bosses. (Not that I've ever had a bad boss--all of mine have actually been beyond awesome--but I just don't want to do it.) I write because I want to affect someone the same way I was affected by my favorite authors.
8. Look at your bank account.
We're a single-income family and I am a stay-at-home-mom. I miss my old paycheck. Our bank account could definitely use some padding. Writing, and achieving even the most modest success, might help me acquire some padding.
9. Imagine being successful.
It's going to feel so good when I'm selling books, when people are reading me, and when I can write comfortably knowing that someone, somewhere, is going to enjoy my words. I know this is silly, but whenever I imagine being a successful writer, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
10. By any means necessary.
Sometimes I bully myself. Sometimes I let my muse bully me. Sometimes I deny myself things until I accomplish my goals. Do whatever it takes to write. Lock the family out of the room, don't sleep, unplug the wireless router, shut off the electricity in the office, download Write or Die, tell everyone you know and then imagine what they'd think of you if you didn't deliver... Whatever it takes. I choose to write. I damn well better be prepared to suffer the consequences.
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