So, to be fair, I am not working right now (due to some health problems which affect my ability to drive, get comfortable, stay in one place for a long period of time, stand for a long time, and often has me at doctor appointments at all hours…
So- these tips may not always work for you.
However, many of the things I am dealing with currently are things which are relatively time-consuming, or cause discomfort- so they are a drain on my time and energy, so I think there is some importance to what I have to say…
- Get up at approximately the same time every day that you plan to work on your writing/ reading/ art-form.
- Schedule time to look at any social media/ emails/ texts on your phone or device… such as right before a meal, or possibly if you have somewhere else to be and need to start getting ready.
- If you don’t already pay for premium or plus on music streaming services such as Pandora or Spotify, on Pandora they have this feature where you can look up a song, watch a short ad and then it gives you a Premium session for about a half hour I think without ads. I use that because it means I am stopping and relaxing in between sessions- which prevents burn-out. It also allows me to assess my needs during the interim.
4. Do writing sprints. Possibly do a free write at the beginning and then set a timer on your phone for like five or ten minutes. I usually do more than that because I hate being interrupted constantly and find it distracting. (That’s me though)
5. Either have all your household chores done before you write, or schedule your day around it. Example: I know I have two loads of laundry to do. I wake up at 8:30 or 9:00, bring first load of laundry downstairs. Pop it in the washing machine after breakfast (mostly because I am usually really hungry in the morning and need my coffee…) Then, I go upstairs, change into real clothes, bring down my other load of laundry, switch over, and then I do something like free write or I do a blog post or perhaps record a clip for my YouTube channel. I do a few paragraphs of writing, maybe a page or two, and eventually stop for lunch. I switch laundry while I’m downstairs, and I check notifications/ watch videos/ listen to an audio book or podcast while I’m eating. If there are any dishes I need to do, I do it then. I go back upstairs, write for a while- as long as I can, and then when I get up to perhaps open the garage door for someone, use the restroom, or whatever- I fold and put away that thing of laundry. If it’s been hours, I may eat a snack. I may also fold the second load of laundry or unload the dishwasher if I’m already downstairs. I hate making extra trips. Generally, I do most of my real writing between 7 and 11:30 at night because I am a night owl more than a morning person.
The trick is with this- to divide my efforts. I write a blog post. I write a little of my main project. I do prepwork for a future story. I do the boring, semi-pointless chores when I’m already in between tasks.
6. Listen to music that inspires you. Or, if you for some reason don’t like music, try white noise machines or videos on YouTube… they help you drown out all the pointless nonsense that’s keeping you from concentrating.
7. If you have roomies or a family, then perhaps schedule a time of day to write- even if it’s just an hour or two- or even fifteen minutes where they don’t bother you unless someone’s dying or something.
8. Take care of yourself. In case of airplane failure, they tell you to put your mask or whatever on before anyone else’s that might SEEM selfish, but how are you going to help anyone if you can’t help yourself?
9. If you aren’t inspired to work on your project and it’s stressing you out, figure out why that is. Perhaps consider writing a different part of the plot first. Maybe try brainstorming for another project… edit previous chapters… whatever. Then, if you’re not on a strict deadline for getting something to a publisher on time, perhaps temporarily shelf the project and work on something else. It’s not a crime. Many times, I write seasonal stories around Halloween or Christmas. Or I might write fanfiction if I am feeling dead inside (creatively speaking)… Just know your limits. Don’t be constantly slacking just because you’re not feeling like everything is going well. Sometimes you just need to work through it. Or, sometimes you need to have a day where you do nothing but rest, and watch Netflix. This isn’t a crime- just know when to stop.
10. Set realistic goals. Check in often to see how they’re working out in whatever amount of time you feel is right. (Monthly, Quarterly- whatever)
11. Set mini-challenges, “If I get past this really hard chapter, I get to go to Starbuck’s and have a latte with my friend.” Or perhaps say it’s the 21st of March, I am at 20,000 words. By May 21st, I want to be at or past 40,000… (I was able to do that between February and March 14th). If you meet that, you can reward yourself by working on this other project which is rolling around in your brain… You can spend a day watching your favorite show… eat a Zebra cake… whatever floats your boat.
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To close out, at times, I will read a book if I am stuck on a project. It’s generally a different genre from whatever I’m writing… it calms me.
I don’t always succeed, but I have gotten relatively good at knocking out words lately.
Have a lovely day (even if it’s rainy and disgusting outside like it is here in southwestern Ohio…)
🙂
Cindy Says: Let's Brainstorm 