Is Your Writing Career Missing This Single Most Crucial Element?

A guest post by Josh Sarz of Sagoyism

I read a story a while back about a farmer who was sowing seeds by hand. He would bring his pouch of seeds, go out and start sowing. The farmer threw the seeds everywhere. At first, one would think that he is losing so much because he throws handfuls of seeds on the ground. To the extremely hungry, those seeds could make a decent meal. Why would he be throwing them away like that? But when you look at the big picture, the farmer really does lose handfuls of seeds, but in time he gains bounties more.

I was reminded of this story when I was out fishing with my girlfriend and her family. I’m not good at fishing, but I love the quiet atmosphere of the place.

The rules of the park were that you throw some type of bait that they provided in order to get the fish to come closer, and then you can then hook them with your fishing rods.

My girlfriend’s niece, was a little girl by the age of 4. When she got a hold of the bag of fish bait, she tore it open and got handfuls of the stuff and threw them out to the water.

A lot of us told her that throwing handfuls of bait was not the right way to do it. She then said that the reason why she threw a lot of the bait on the water was so a lot more fish would come closer and every one of us would catch one. She said the more bait, the better.

Wisdom from a 4-year-old

Do you really want to be a writer?

If you do, then you should be open to the fact that you’ll need to throw away lots of seeds. This means you need to be prepared for a lot of sacrifice on your end.

You should be ready to sacrifice money. As a writer, one of the best tools to have at your disposal is a blog. Getting your own domain name is going to cost money. Certain tools to market your blog cost money. Writing courses cost money. Getting professional web design can be costly, unless you’re willing to learn how to do it on your own.

Then there’s time. Time is golden, but you’re going to have to be ready to sacrifice a lot of your time to work on your writing. Say goodbye to long nights of sleep. Say goodbye to spending all day every day with your family, or hanging out with friends. You can still do these, but not as much as you would want to.

There’s a significant amount of sacrifice that you have to make if you want to be a writer.

So, do you really want to be a writer?

You’re not alone

But one thing that you have to know is that you’re not alone in this.

Writers everywhere also learn that they need to sacrifice time and money for doing what they love. They understand that they have to sow their seeds.

But it’s not just writers. Every one is involved. In order to succeed at something, everyone has to sacrifice some part of their old routine. Their old lifestyle. Their old habits.

I know a lot of people who had to sacrifice spending time with their families to work on other countries, to get jobs good enough to pay for their family’s needs.

I took up a  bachelor’s degree in Nursing when I went to college. I personally know hundreds of fellow nursing graduates who had to leave the country to work in greener pastures. Their biggest sacrifice is that they can’t spend as much time with their families as they want to.

How many seeds are you willing to sow?

With sacrifice done wisely though, comes great rewards.

Like the farmer who throws away handfuls of seeds across his farm, he earns bounties more in time.

So would all your hard work. All your sacrifices will bear more fruit than you’ve ever dreamed possible. You just have to make a few wise sacrifices at first.

This  will be your big dream reward. Whatever you want, a book deal, thousands of subscribers and readers, a teaching course that will let you earn money, anything. Not just a goal, but a dream that you would work your ass off for it to come true.

I also heard a passage from the Bible related to this.

He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

No seeds to sow

I loved reading stories as I was growing up. I’ve read books from Robert Ludlum, John Le Carre, Franklin W. Dixon and a whole lot more. I got back to my roots. I loved reading books as a child, and come high school I was writing my own fantasy/adventure short stories. Ten of them, actually. I titled them ‘Hollow Dreams’. That’s why I decided to get back to writing again.

But I had a problem.

There are lots of writing courses on the Internet. Courses that I couldn’t afford. My current writing job could only provide for food and rent, and some little savings.

But I wanted to learn more. I wanted to write better. I wanted to tell stories. The same stories that inspired me as a kid growing up surrounded by paperback novels. I decided to start sowing some seeds.

I tried learning how to write by reading and studying a lot of writers’ blog posts. I’ve also got back to reading A LOT of old books that I haven’t read yet. It may not be the easiest method, but it’s what I could obtain at the moment.

Journey to be a great writer

We’re all on our journey to achieve writer immortality.

Whether we take writing courses, or dissect other people’s writing, or read books, we’re all sowing our seeds. And the more seeds we spread across the soil, the more rewards we get, in time.

A writer’s job isn’t easy. There’s a lot of sacrifice involved. But these sacrifices help us grow and improve our trade, in order to give us the opportunity to live out the dreams we had as children.

How do you sow your seeds as a writer? Let’s share our experiences and struggles in the comments section below.

Josh Sarz is a Freelance Writer, Blogger and the founder of Sagoyism, which talks about Epic Content Marketing and Storytelling . He also likes punk rock and metal, among other things.

Categories: Craft, Habits, Productivity

Writing Secrets of Prolific Authors

A guest post by David Masters of inkably: tell better stories.

Isaac Asimov, one of the big three science fiction writers of the twentieth century, published over 500 books including novels, short story collections and non fiction, making him one of the most prolific writers of all time.

Asked by Writer’s Digest magazine for the secret to his prolific writing, Asimov said:

“I guess I’m prolific because I have a simple and straightforward style.”
~Isaac Asimov (500 books)

Could it really be that easy?

Write clearly, in a conversational voice

Writing clearly, in a simple and straightforward style allows you to write fast.

At the same time, when you write fast, you don’t stop to process your thoughts . You put them straight onto the page, in a simple and straightforward style.

Best of all, writing clearly should be the goal of every writer. Clarity is the cardinal rule of nonfiction writing, and it will almost always improve your fiction.

Write fast, and you’ll have a conversational tone. You’re writing as fast as you can put the words together, just like when you’re speaking.  This gives your words power and immediacy, engaging the reader.

Literary critics dismissed Asimov’s writing as colorless, with functional dialogue and a transparent style.   Readers disagreed, buying his books in the millions.

In response to the critics, towards the end of this life, Asimov wrote:

“I made up my mind long ago to follow one cardinal rule in all my writing—to be clear. I have given up all thought of writing poetically or symbolically or experimentally, or in any of the other modes that might (if I were good enough) get me a Pulitzer prize. I would write merely clearly and in this way establish a warm relationship between myself and my readers, and the professional critics—Well, they can do whatever they wish.”
~Isaac Asimov (500 books)

Try to get your first draft down in 5-10 minutes

Writing fast improves your motivation to write.  If you know you’ve only got to sit down for five minutes to get a draft down, you’re more likely to sit at your desk and put pen to paper.

When you’re writing a first draft of a blog post, article, or scene, try to get your first draft down in five minutes.

Sean Platt, author of “How to Write an Article in Less Than 20 Minutes” has published 11 books in the past nine months.  He sets the following exercise:

“Get a timer and set it for five minutes. Think of a topic and write three prompts, these can be as short as a word or as long as a question. Start writing. Don’t stop until the timer goes off. Now read over what you wrote. Your writing is better than you thought it would be, right?

“This won’t seem easy until it finally is, but it will happen almost immediately. Again, don’t concern yourself with quality. You can always go back and edit, though you won’t need to clean up nearly as much as you think.”
~Sean Platt (11 books since March 2011)

Start with a question

Choosing a question to write from is the key to writing fast.  Get down the question, then focus on writing the answer.  No need to edit as you go, just write, as though you were giving your best possible answer to a friend.

How do you come up with a question?  If you’re writing a how-to article, make it the question you’ll be answering.  How do I find a holiday home in the Algave? How do I get an Angling license for the Grand Union Canal? How do I train a dog to sit on command?  The more specific the question, the better.

If you’re writing fiction, use the story question for your scene.  Or choose three words as the pith of your scene, and write from there.

Use established structures and plots

When you start writing fast, use established structures for the form you’re writing in.  Writing what you enjoying reading will help here (Asimov read science fiction from the age of 10).

As you learn to write fast in an established structure, you will gain the knowledge and experience you need to create your own structures and plots.

Romance novelist Barbara Cartland holds the Guiness World Record for the most novels written in a single year, having written 23 novels in 1983. She says:

“You can’t lose if you give them handsome highwaymen, duels, 3-foot fountains and whacking great horses and dogs all over the place.”
~Barbara Cartland (280 books)

Treat your writing as a craft

Anyone who knows how to do something well can work faster than those who are still learning.  Devote time to learning writing skills. Read books and blogs about writing. Attend writing classes.  Apply what you’ve learned to you writing. The more you learn, the faster you’ll be able to write.

Writing is a craft, so take time to edit after you write.

“I have always tried to write in a simple way, using down-to-earth and not abstract words.” ~ Georges Simenon (500 books)

Know your motivation for writing – and keep it with you as your write

You will only write if you enjoy writing.

Writing fast makes writing more enjoyable. Rather than wrenching out words, you let them flow from your fingers.

Knowing why you write will also increase your motivation. Do you love telling stories? Do you want to earn a living as a writer? Are you driven by the search for truth? Or is fame the name of your game?

Whatever your reason for writing, even if you have mixed motives, search it out, and keep it close.  It will come in handy on those days when you need an extra boost to get you sitting at your writing desk.

“Infatuated, half through conceit, half through love of my art, I achieve the impossible working as no one else ever works.”
~ Alexandre Dumas (277 books)

Write Every Day

When you’re motivated, you’ll write every day.  When you write every day, you’ll increase your motivation to write.

Some writers find they lose momentum if they don’t write every day.  Others find it better to take a break from writing every so often.  I find I lose energy to write if I don’t let myself take a break from writing one or two days a week. I usually take my break at the weekend.

“How many words a day do I write? Between six and seven thousand. And how many hours does that take? Three on a good day, as high as thirteen on a bad one”
~ John Creasey (564 books)

Never Give Up

Children’s writer Enid Blyton published over 700 books.  Like Asimov, she was criticised for her simple, earnest style.

Her writing was an immediate hit with the British public, yet BBC executives banned her work from being dramatized for radio from the 1930s to the 1950s, describing her style as “stilted and longwinded”.

Blyton continued to write and publish books until her death in 1968.

“The best way to treat obstacles is to use them as stepping-stones. Laugh at them, tread on them, and let them lead you to something better.”
~ Enid Blyton (753 books)

In the decade up to 2010, she remained in the top-ten best selling authors, with sales of nearly 8 million copies in the UK worth £31 million ($48 million).

How Much Do You Need to Write?

To write 100 books (75,000 words per book) over the next 30 years, you need to be writing 1,000 words per day (writing 5 days a week, 50 weeks per year). At a brisk but comfortable pace, that’s an hour a day.

If you want to write 100 books in the next 10 years, that’s 3,000 words a day.

Being prolific is closer to possible than you might have believed.

David Masters is a freelance writer and storyteller helping the world tell powerful stories at inkably.

Categories: Habits, Productivity

Seven Easy Steps to Much Faster Writing

Faster and faster

A guest post by Ali Luke from Aliventures.com.
If you can write fast (and well), you’re set for success.

You’ll be able to pump out blog posts, newsletter content, free ebooks and more – without killing yourself in the process. You’ll be able to meet deadlines. You can price by the project, and make a great hourly rate.

But … chances are, you’re not yet able to write as fast as you want.

Maybe it takes you two hours to complete a 500 word blog post – on a good day. Maybe you just can’t find time to get that ebook finished.

Here’s how to massively increase your writing speed, in seven easy steps.

Step #1: Find Your Best Writing Time

This is crucial. Don’t kid yourself that all hours are equal.

You need to know when you’re most productive.

For me, it’s mornings, around 8am to 11am. If I’m lucky, I’ll also get an afternoon spurt, maybe 2pm – 4pm.

For you, it could be morning, noon or night. You probably have a gut sense already of your best hours. Now, real life might be getting in the way – perhaps you have to drop the kids off at school at 8.30am, or you’ve got a day job. But you can still use your best hours at the weekends, or look for ways to shift other obligations.

If you’re not sure what your best writing time is, experiment! Try out different time slots and see what feels best.

Step #2: Minimize the Risk of Interruptions

So, you’ve got two golden hours set aside to write – 10am – 12 noon on Saturday. You sit down at the computer, ready to type.

And the phone rings. It’s a sales call.

Then your partner comes in and asks if you want to go out to lunch later.

Then a chat window pops up on your computer, from a friend you’ve not talked to in a while.

Is it any surprise that you don’t get much writing done?

Instead of snapping at your partner and moaning about sales calls, here’s what to do:

  • Turn off your mobile. Unplug the landline (or make sure that your partner/kids/roommate knows that it’s their job to answer it).
  • Tell people in your household that you’re going to write. Explain that you’ll be free to chat at 12 noon, but you’d appreciate not being interrupted before then.
  • Work in a room on your own, and close the door. If you’re sitting downstairs in the kitchen, you’re much more likely to get interrupted.
  • If you really can’t get any peace at home, grab your notepad or your laptop and head out to a coffee shop.

Step #3: Cut Out Distractions

Reducing interruptions helps a lot. But distractions are death to writing, too.

They look like this:

  • You decide that you really must tidy your desk before you start writing.
  • When you get stuck, two whole sentences into your piece, you find yourself opening up your inbox to see whether there’s anything exciting in there.
  • After writing 200 words, you tweet your word count. You then click on a link to an amusing YouTube video, and remember a blog post that you wanted to read. An hour later, you wonder where your time went.
  • Half-way through your piece, you realize that you need a particular statistic. You stop immediately and look it up. While you’re doing so, an advert for cheap laptops catches your eye, and you can’t resist checking it out.

Some distractions might seem legitimate. After all, your desk is untidy. And you do need to know that statistic.

The thing is, you don’t need to tidy your desk or look things up right away. All of that can wait for an hour or two.

There are plenty of ways to cut out distractions. You might:

  • Unplug your internet cable (or switch off your wireless).
  • Use a program like DarkRoom (PC) or WriteRoom (Mac) so that you’ve got a plain, clean, full-screen writing environment.
  • Clear away any distracting objects from the room. Do you really want to spend two hours trying to solve that Rubik’s cube?

Step #4: Write an Outline

One huge mistake is to leap into your piece without planning ahead. If you do that, you’re going to end up writing for a few paragraphs, then getting hopelessly stuck.

Outlining doesn’t need to be complex, especially if you’re writing something short (like a blog post). This post, for instance, started out as a title and seven subheadings. I spent less than five minutes on the outline – and it’s saved me a ton of head-scratching time.

When you write an outline:

  • You can spot (and fix) any obvious flaws or problems. Perhaps it becomes clear that you’re trying to tackle too much, or that your topic isn’t very well thought out.
  • Your subconscious immediately starts coming up with ideas for each point. Once you start to write, it’s a lot easier to get your thoughts down onto the page.
  • The whole project looks much more manageable. You’ve broken it down into small steps.

As you write, the outline continues to help, by keeping you motivated. You can see exactly how far you’ve come – and how far you’ve got left to go. It’s easy to keep on writing when you know you’ve only got three points left to cover.

Step #5: Set a Timer

I’ve come across a few writers who hate using timers, so – as with any advice – feel free to ditch this if it doesn’t work for you.

Having said that, I think timers are brilliant. When I know I’ve only got 20 or 30 or 45 minutes, I stay focused. I write faster. I don’t succumb to the urge to check emails – they can wait till my writing time is up.

Timers help you to write for short bursts. At the moment, I’m trying out a system where I write for 20 – 25 minutes then take a break to exercise for five minutes. It’s been great for my energy levels, and I’ve been getting more writing done in less time.

You can use your phone or an alarm clock as a timer, or use a site like Tick Tock Timer or e.ggtimer – whatever works for you.

Experiment with different timed bursts: try just five or ten minutes if you’re new to this, and gradually work up to more. While that timer is going, write. No excuses.

Step #6: Start Wherever You Want

You do not need to start off by writing the introduction or Chapter One.

In fact, it’s often a good idea not to. Instead, jump in to the middle of your piece. Write the first subsection – or the third.

That way, you’ll get moving much faster … and by the time you’ve finished the bulk of your piece, you’ll have a better sense of what needs to go in the introduction. Since you have an outline (see step #4), you won’t need to worry about getting off track or writing something that doesn’t fit in.

Conversely, if you like to start at the beginning and work through to the end, that’s fine too. There’s no “right” way to do this.

What matters is that you don’t spend twenty minutes staring at a blank screen, wondering how to begin. Just get moving!

Step #7: Don’t Edit While You Write

Hmm, I didn’t phrase that very well. And should that comma go there? Maybe I’d better split the sentence into two. Would “gigantic” be better than “huge”?

If your thoughts go something like that when you’re writing, then you need to switch off your internal editor.

Write. Then edit.

Keep repeating that to yourself until it sinks in. Because it’s really important.

When you’re writing, you’re creating something. You’re putting words onto a formerly blank page, and you’re telling a story or explaining an idea or sharing your thoughts in a coherent form.

Don’t make this even harder than it needs to be. Don’t demand instant perfection.

Once you’ve created something, then you can start to be critical about it. You can look at whether your paragraphs are in the right order, and whether you need to add more transitions. You can tweak your subheadings to make them snappier. You can reword any clunky or confusing sentences.

I’m not going to suggest that you tie yourself in knots over this. It’s fine to hit the “delete” key occasionally, if you type something wrong. It’s okay to change your mind and restart a sentence if you need to.

Just make sure that most of the time, you’re making forward progress. And don’t stop half way through to edit paragraph one – that can wait until the end.

If you follow all the steps here, you could double or even triple your current writing speed. So give them a try – and let us know how you get on! The comments are open…

Ali Luke is a writer and writing coach. She’s got a free mini-ebook, How to Find Time For Your Writing, with ten short chapters and ten exercises to help you get your writing done – however busy you are. Find out more – and get your copy – here.

Categories: Productivity

How To Reduce Technology Frustration and Write Distraction-Free

A guest post from Ethan Waldman of Cloud Coach

Part I – Getting Un-Frustrated

Let’s face it. Using your computer to write can be so frustrating.  There’s error messages, software updates and bugs. Plus, with new iThings coming out practically every month, how do you keep up?

Have you ever noticed how there are people who never seem to have trouble with technology? Regardless of what’s new, they always ‘get it’ immediately without any no lead time. Unfortunately, we’re not all lucky enough to count ourselves in that group.

Let’s forget about those “technology natives” for a minute and explore the source of your frustration- when you’re trying to get something done, and technology stands in your way.

Technology as a Means to an End

For all intents and purposes, your computer, iPad and Smart Phone are just means to an end. That end could be communicating with loved ones or customers, creative writing, or designing something that will eventually be a physical item like a poster or business card.

The reason those technology natives are so good at getting it is that they not only realize that technology is a means to an end, but they understand that there are always multiple pathways to solving a single problem. Their seeming ability to do anything on the computer is just an illusion.  Rather than trying to scale every mountain, they simply try a different route

Here’s the good news. This isn’t something you’re born with. You can build this skill. The more practice you have, the more intuitively you’ll navigate through technology problems.

So, you’ve run into trouble.

Here are some things you can do to refocus and find your way around the problem:

  1. Don’t thrash. If you’ve been trying at something for more than 15 minutes, stop. You’re probably getting frustratedand frustration leads to haste and missteps. Work on something else and come back to what you’re trying to do later.
  2. Define the problem. Ask yourself: “what am I trying to do?” Now, rephrase that as a question. Say you’re trying to print a spreadsheet with borders from Microsoft Excel.  The question form of that would be, “how do I print with borders from Microsoft Excel?”. Now you’re going to practice one of the skills that technology natives have mastered: searching. Go to google (recommended) or your favorite search engine and type in the question form of your problem.  9 out of 10 times, the correct answer is within the first 3 search results.
  3. When you find the answer, follow the instructions. Be thorough, and don’t get intimidated. There’s a big misconception that you’re going to ‘break’ something if you deviate from what you’re used to.  It’s highly unlikely that any one thing you do will irreparably screw things up.
  4. Monitor self-talk. When I coach clients on their technology skills and am approached with a problem, I ask them to show me what they’ve tried and talk out loud through the problem. You’d be amazed how much negative self-talk I hear. Things like “I’m so bad a technology”, or “I can never understand this” are frequently in the vocabulary of those who are struggling. If you’re always telling yourself that you’re bad with technology, you will always be bad with technology. Be kind to yourself.
  5. Learn how to ask for help. The internet is a vast resource, and there is bound to be someone who can help you solve whatever technology problem you’ve run into. Unfortunately, there can be a strong communication barrier between those seeking support and those offering it.  Learn how to ask for help the right way online so you can benefit from the all of the combined generosity and goodwill that exists online.

Part II – Removing Distractions

Not all software is created equally.  If technology is a means to an end, you can choose to use software that is as transparent as possible when it comes to turning your input into an output. These tools are designed so that the software itself is as minimally involved as possible.  And when it comes to writing, minimizing distractions is absolutely crucial.

Writing:

For the first 15 years I used a computer, when I needed to write something I would fire up Microsoft Word and type away. Of course, 3 minutes later I would be messing with font spacing, margins and formatting. The result was that I didn’t get much writing done.

The solution? Distraction-free writing environments.  These programs usually operate in full-screen mode, so you don’t get distracted by email, web browsers or instant messenger.  They usually come sans-font selection, formatting, and other niceties found in your average word processing program. The result is that you can focus on what you need to do: write. There are a lot of similar programs available, here are the ones I like:

WriteRoom - The original distraction-free writing program with their signature matrix-like green on black screen. WriteRoom lets you customize the look and feel of your full screen environment. Signature green on black color palate is customizable.

OmmWriter - I used OmmWriter for a while as well. OmmWriter is meant to be a full sensory experience, so it has gentle background sounds (designed to help you forget what’s going on around you) and three different ‘typing’ sounds you can choose from. This is also a good option if you’re on a PC. You can get  free versions for PC and Mac.

IAWriter – This is my current favorite. I find the writing environment to be really clean and easy on the eyes, plus the innovative focus mode grey’s out everything except the sentence you’re currently writing. (I wrote this article distraction free, in IAwriter).

Web Browsing

I find the default browsers that come with computers (Safari for mac and Internet explorer for Windows) to be bulky and less user friendly.  I don’t want the browser I’m using standing in the way of the internet.  For that reason, I highly recommend switching to Google Chrome.  Not only is Chrome the speediest browser you’ve ever used (seriously, you’ll notice how fast it starts and loads pages), but it also has a very clean, minimalist interface that is intuitive and stays out of the way.

Email

If you’ve gotten fed up with Outlook one time too many, you should consider making a switch to Gmail.  This is Google’s free email service, and has really been pushing the email ‘envelope’ in the last few years. Both in terms of innovative features, and ease of use.  Accounts are free, and they have a number of migration tools to help you make the switch as seamlessly as possible.

Here’s another email tip to reduce frustration. Don’t use your personal email for business. Why?

  • Using Gmail for your personal email is great, but for any kind of promotional communication with customers, you will have much better results working with a real mailing list provider.
  • Your email list is the single most important piece of your online presence beyond your website. It’s what enables you to mobilize your customers and fans to take action.
  • It’s not technically difficult, but knowing the right provider to choose and how to set things up will save you a lot of time.  
  • If you’re a business owner without a rocking email list, Cloud Coach has a free course. Learn how to build a profitable and responsive email list here.

Let’s wrap things up.  The next time you’re having technology trouble the first thing you need to do is stop thrashing.  Define the problem, find an answer, and try it out. Keep an ear open for negative self-talk, and learn to ask for help when you can’t find the answer yourself.  With decreased frustration from using technology, you’ll find that you’re more productive, faster, and happier when using your computer. Choosing to use software that is designed with usability in mind will also help reduce distraction and frustration when you’re trying to create.

How do you reduce frustration when technology gets in your way? What are some areas where you need to improve? Share your tips and comments!

Ethan Waldman helps offline business owners create an online presence to get more customers. Right now, many people are using his free 4-day course, Pre-Sold & Hooked, to build a profitable and responsive email list for their businesses.

Click below to get Leo Babauta’s insanely useful report


Categories: Blogwriting, Productivity

How to Finish What You Start: A Five-Step Plan for Writers

A guest post by Ali Luke of Aliventures.

Do you have a bunch of first chapters tucked away in a drawer – for seven different novels?

Is there a folder full of abandoned short stories on your computer?

Have you left a trail of abandoned blogs around the internet?

Did your ebook fizzle out after a few pages?

Most writers have been there … again, and again, and again. When I began writing, I spent plenty of time starting stories. The problem was, I pretty much never finished them.

Maybe it’s the same for you. You’ve got plenty of great ideas, and you just can’t resist throwing yourself into them. Unfortunately, your motivation seems to vanish … and you’re left with a bunch of notes, outlines and first drafts that aren’t going anywhere.

No-one’s going to buy a half-written novel. No-one’s going to read a blog post that stops short after two paragraphs. So whether your writing aspirations involve hitting the New York Times bestseller list or living from the passive income from your ebooks, you need to finish what you start.

Here’s how:

Step #1: Stop Starting New Projects

Believe me, I know how tempting it is to grab that new idea and run with it. But now’s the time to stop. Resist the urge to begin anything new – however cool it sounds right now. After a few days or weeks, that shiny new project is going to lose its appeal and end up in the unfinished heap along with everything else.

Do it:

Decide, right now, that you won’t start anything new until you’ve finished something off. Find a notebook, or create a document on your computer, to store any awesome ideas that crop up – you can always come back to them in the future.

Step #2: Assess Your Current Projects

Take a long, hard look at all your current works-in-progress. If your writing life looks anything like mine, you might well need to grab a sheet of paper and make a list – you may even want to hunt through your desk drawers or your computer’s folders.

Is there anything that’s just not worth completing? Maybe the novel you started ten years ago isn’t the one you want to write now. Maybe that blog post draft was never going to go anywhere.

Rather than keeping old projects hanging around, ditch any that have died on you:

As with all dead things, holding onto it won’t keep it alive or change the fact that it’s useful time has come and gone. Hanging onto dead stuff has a higher psychic cost than most of us realize; in time, dead stuff does what trash and dead things do – it stinks.

(Charlie Gilkey, Don’t Leave Your Trash On The Stairs, Productive Flourishing)

Do it:

Make three lists:

  • Active projects that still excite you and have a purpose
  • Dead projects that you’re ready to let go (even if you feel a little bit reluctant)
  • Dormant projects that you might come back to in the future

 

Step #3: Choose One Project to Focus On

Now it’s time to pick one project. Just one. Because, when it comes to down to it, something has to be your priority.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t work on anything else. It just means that this particular project – whether it’s a blog or an ebook or a newsletter or a novel or a poetry collection – is the one that’s going to win out if you’re short on time and energy.

So what should you choose? You might like to start with:

  • Your smallest project: aim to finish that 2,000 word short story, not that 100,000 word novel.
  • The project that you’ve put the most time into: it’s probably getting close to finished.
  • The project that will have the biggest impact for you: if selling an ebook means you can cut down your hours at your day job, that might be a higher priority than getting a brand-new blog off the ground.

Do it:

Choose a single project as your priority – one thing that you’re going to see through to finished. (And tell us about it in the comments.)

Step #4: Decide What “Finished” Will Look Like

How will you know when your project is done?

This might seem like a rather stupid question – but it’s worth thinking about. Many writing projects don’t have a totally clear end point.

If you’re working on an ebook, for instance, “finished” might mean that you’re ready to launch after:

  • You’ve written an ebook that has a start, middle and end
  • You’ve written an ebook that’s 50 pages long, and you’ve proof-read it
  • You’ve got feedback on your ebook and revised it

Any of those could be right for you, depending on your goals. A short, free ebook is obviously going to require a very different level of polishing from an ebook that you hope to sell for $49.

Without a clear definition of “finished”, you risk your project dragging on … and on … and on …

Do it:

Write down, clearly, what needs to happen in order for you to check off your project as “finished”. Feel free to share this with us in the comments.

Step #5: Set Some Milestones (And Start Hitting Them)

Some small writing projects don’t need milestones: write a blog post, for instance, is something that you could realistically accomplish during one or two writing sessions.

Most projects, though – especially ones that have been hanging around unfinished for ages – are more complex. You won’t be able to finish them in a day, in a weekend, or even in a week. You’ll want to set some milestones to keep you on track.

Good milestones could be:

  • Completing a major section of a novel
  • Completing the first draft of a short story
  • Getting the outline for your ebook finished off
  • Writing a certain number of posts before your blog launch

I’d suggest having between two and ten milestones for your project (though you can break these down further if you want). It’s often useful to set a deadline for the nearest milestone, too, and hold yourself accountable.

Do it:

Write down several milestones that will get you from where you are currently to the finished project. Give yourself a deadline for your next milestone – e.g. “Finish first draft of ebook within the next three weeks.”

Over to you … I’d love to hear about your writing projects (whatever state they’re in). What’s currently languishing in your project-pile? And what will you pick to see through to completion?

 

Ali Luke is a writer and writing coach. You can find posts from her all around the web, but her home base is at Aliventures. If you want to take your writing further, start by reading the most-tweeted post on her blog, 7 Habits of Serious Writers.

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Categories: Productivity

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