Hi, it’s me. Did ya miss me?
Two posts in a week? 😲 Unheard of, right?
Let’s get right into it!
7 Tried & True Ways to Get Writing
1) Don’t Wait for Motivation 💥
Motivation is a fickle friend. It comes and goes at the snap of a finger.
Instead, change the language. And I’m invoking my therapist here: “See if using the word ‘devoted’ changes how you feel about a task that’s important to you.”
Personal Story Aside Starts Now:
While I’m not on my writing game at the moment (remember, editing and writing are different skills), I use this sort of language to get back to my body and find my athleticism again. Once the pandemic hit, my tennis career was sidelined and I pivoted into writing and editing.
Which means, my ass was (and is) sat in a chair for hours on end. I lost myself a bit, I wasn’t working out or hitting every day. That was in 2020. And I’ve struggled to find a routine since—because there was no point to it (?)
The ‘point’ now is to move my body as much as possible in whatever form that’s fun. I’m not waiting for motivation (although I don’t mind when it strikes). I’m not aiming to lose a ton of weight. My aim now is the picture I have in my mind of ‘old, healthy Kourtney.’
All that to say, the language switch switched something in my brain. And made my approach to working out feel lighter. And maybe it’ll work for you with your writing (or for whatever your goals may be).
So, if writing is important to you instead of waiting for motivation or passion to ⚡strike⚡…ask yourself: “How can I devote myself to my writing?”
This can take any shape or form you need it to.
2) Outline First (If it helps you!) 📝
An outline doesn’t have to be anything serious or pretty. And for my fellow black-and-white thinkers, an outline isn’t set in stone. It can change. It’s a fluid document.
At its core, writing is just (effectively) communicating your ideas.
Create an outline that works for you. It doesn’t have to be the buttoned-up version we were all forced to create in high school. You know what I’m talking about:
Introduction
ABC
XYZ
Body
ABC
XYZ
Conclusion
ABC
XYZ
That format doesn’t work for fiction readers. (It could; I can’t say, I haven’t personally used it. Most of my writing is throwing noodles at a wall to see if something sticks.)
I’ve filled notebooks with potential scenes and dialogue one-liners along with a shit-ton of worldbuilding work and research. I like doing all the background first (probably too much) before I even open a new Word document.
When it comes to outlining or whatever prep you need before you sit down and write a whole book, do it!
However it makes sense to your brain, honor that.
But if you’re new to writing or outlining, here are some ideas to get you started:
Find a beat sheet or structure you like (e.g., Save the Cat, Romancing the Beat, Three-Act, Hero’s Journey, etc.)
The Promise, Progress, and Payoff Method - This is technically an outlining format, but Brandon Sanderson talks about this a lot in the recordings and I find it a really helpful way to view or conceptualize story creation.
And if you need help—shameless plug—I offer an outline critique service to help ensure you’re on the right track before writing your first draft.
3) Break Up Big Goals ⛏
The goal of writing a book can be daunting. It’s a big task no matter what the word count goal is!
Find a way to break that big task (or any task, really) into smaller pieces. Especially if writing for hours on end leaves you exhausted and uninspired.
Writing is a creative art.
No one’s process looks the same.
Test things out. Change things up. Break things up. And, most importantly, make it fun!
An example: When I start a new edit, for the first read-through, I look at the total number of pages and divide by how many days I want the first read to take me (and this fluctuates depending on what shape the manuscript is in!)
4) Practice Daily ✍🏼
Perhaps the “practice daily” advice triggers you at this point, and I understand why, but I’m not saying: 📣 “YOU MUST WRITE EVERY DAY!”
I mean something a bit different here.
Yes, write every day. But not necessarily on your WIP or improving your writing craft. Write in your journal, write an email or a blog, write an Instagram caption, or write fanfiction.
Writing is a fundamental human skill. And it takes many forms—all of which are valid and have a chance to spark inspiration or give you a new take on something you’re struggling with.
P.S. Reading also counts as practice. So does typing out scenes from your favorite books (this can help you get a feel for how your favorite authors crafted a scene).
5) Fuck Perfection ❌
Full transparency: I am a “recovering” perfectionist. I struggle with perfectionism and imposter syndrome weekly.
Can’t write?
Worrying about being perfect while writing your book?
Is someone watching you and giving you a grade to write your draft? (Dear god, I hope not 👀)
Don’t let the fear of being imperfect stop you from your dreams. Why?
Perfection doesn’t exist.
The editing stage exists for a reason. 😉
Creative arts are simply a human expression (and we’re imperfect beings).
6) Focus on the Reader 📚
After your first draft, take some time off and return to the self-editing stage looking through the lens of your reader.
This doesn’t mean playing fan service or jamming every single trope that’s well-loved into the book. (But go ahead and go offffff if that’s what calls to you!)
This means: Look at your work from an objective reader standpoint who knows nothing about the ideas or images in your head when writing it.
Is this an easy thing? Nope. Not at all. That’s why developmental editors, alpha readers, beta readers, and critique partners are part of the process.
This sort of objectivity toward your writing is hard; which is why so many of us advocate for taking time off between drafts. Time away helps you see your writing more objectively; it creates distance!
But here are some things to look out for:
Where your attention drifts
Where you’re tempted to skim
Where you’re bored
Where you (your readers) may get lost in the flowery language, metaphors, or extraneous detail.
7) Don’t Forget About Yourself 💅🏼
Charging full steam into your goals is a great thing, but we can lose ourselves in them.
Don’t forget to take days off and take care of yourself and your space. Try to implement these things before you burn out or grow tired of a project.
Some self-care basics:
Get plenty of sleep
Feed and water yourself
Get some movement in
Discover or rediscover a hobby (other than writing)
Don’t forget to be social!
I’d love to hear about your favorite productivity tips. They don’t have to be geared towards writing either. As a girl with ADHD, I’m always looking for new things to implement and try.
Keep the pen moving,
Kourtney ✌🏼