How to create a writing schedule and actually stick to it.
Hello from my porch!
I find myself in what should be perfect writing conditions: wide expanses of free time, quiet, occasionally punctuated by bird song or rustling leaves, and endless cups of hot, strong coffee to keep my hands in motion. Except, I haven’t written much of anything in the past month.
A ping from an editor, a reminder to SEO my website (I did! Check it out!), work deadlines, friends’ birthdays, that course I never attended that’s sitting on my emails—the possibility of creating something out of nothing taunts me from the blank page, and I avoid it. I hear the same fear from my writing students all the time.
The other week, one of my students brought me the first chapter of her novel. It had sat in her Notes App for years, untouched. An excellent start. I encouraged her to keep at it, but she spoke the words that plague so many writers, “I don’t have time to write.”
Fearful of sounding like a Pollyanna, I’ll skip the motivational cliches and the real-life stories of writers who scrapped it together in cafes to become multi-millionaire successes. Instead, here’s what actually works for me: it gets my bum in my seat and my fingers writing.
Set SMART goals: this acronym is Specific, Measurable, Achievable/Assignable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Breaking down a big, nebulous goal like, I want to write a novel. Into: I will write 300 words daily, immediately giving a starting point and action item. When I’m bogged down, getting specific about the goal and the timeline helps me figure out my next step.
Make writing a habit: I’ve written about how writing routines are kind of bogus before, but when you build a writing habit, it becomes part of your day, just like brushing your teeth or showering. I set an alert on my phone to go off every day at 7:30 to write for half an hour. Was the system perfect? Absolutely not, but after a week or so, I started to remember that 7:30 is writing time and anticipate that moment in my day.
Treats for good progress: This works when training pups and kiddos; a little reward for a job well done can motivate. On the flip side, a negative incentive may be more powerful. An ex used to donate to the rival political party when he didn’t meet his goals in time.
Accountability buddies: Whether you have a friend, a writing circle, or work with a dedicated writing coach (Hi! Slide into my DMs 📬), accountability buddies are a valuable way to keep you on track and help solve problems as they come up. Working with a writing coach (Hi Hannah!) was a great way for me to get out of my head and have some third-party feedback about what worked and what didn’t.
So, I’m back to basics now, making writing a habit and rewarding myself with a newsletter written with an ice cream date. How are you finding time to write?
All my best,
Allie xo
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