Tips for Writing More

Steal writing time from the checkout line

If you’re waiting on line, taking the bus, or between the meal and the check on your lunch break, pull out your phone and start typing. It could be a hundred more words for your manuscript, or notes for later chapters. Either way, it’s far better than five minutes on social media!

Wake up early and write

Humans are their most creative immediately after they wake up because our brains are still part in dreamland. Use that time to your full advantage. Grab a quick cup of coffee and start typing while it’s still hot. In the time it takes to finish your mug, you’ll have done better work than many “full-time” authors who don’t start until they’ve done the laundry.

Write more words by tracking your output

When you sit down to draft new work, mark your start time, duration, and the number of words you wrote. Calculate the words-per-hour and the words-per-day. Make it your goal to increase both metrics, and don’t be surprised when you find out how easy it is to improve.

Write at least one word per day

Your life may be busy, but one word a day takes no more than seconds. Write on your cell phone if you have to, but get at least one word in. Every. Single. Day. If that’s all you can muster, at least your story will stay on the top of your mind, warm for when you can dive back in.

Set weekly writing goals, not daily

If you miss your goals too many times, you’ll stop paying attention to them. Don’t set daily goals, because you never know what will happen in a day. Instead, set comfortably weekly goals. With a weekly goal, a bad day or two won’t keep you from winning that week, and you’ll have the option to put more work in early on to take a few days off later.

Delay social engagements to write

When scheduling your next social event with family, friends, or co-workers, delay the start by at least half an hour. The trick is, when you put that event on your calendar, also add a block of writing time right before you’ll need to leave for the event. You’ll be more likely to actually write, and more relaxed during your social engagement.