When your goal is “Getting to the End,” it doesn’t matter how much analysis, prioritization, and organization you’ve done if you’re not willing to take the next step and discipline yourself to write.
I know, I know. No one likes the word “discipline,” so let’s call this the “Just DO It!” step. It’s not necessarily easy, but this is a case of practice making perfect.
8 Suggestions
Here are eight suggestions I’ve found useful when trying to get to “The End.”
- Schedule a time to write every day and then WRITE during that time. It may seem difficult at first, but like exercise, the more you do it, the easier it becomes.
- Remember that five minutes of writing is better than none. No matter how busy we are, every one of us can find five minutes each day. I challenge you to find those five minutes and use them. Chances are, you’ll write far longer than five minutes, but even if five minutes of writing is all you accomplish, you’ll have taken the first steps toward making daily writing a habit. And that’s a habit we all need.
- Remind yourself that writing is your #1 priority. Now’s the time to dust off those signs that you developed during the prioritization step and post them everywhere you’re likely to be distracted. It may seem juvenile, but visual reminders are powerful.
- Do whatever it takes to meet your weekly goals. Again, this sounds difficult, and it may be at first, but the more often you meet your goals, the more energized you’ll be and the closer you’ll be to reaching “The End.”
- Optimize your research time. Writers tend to fall into two camps: those who love research and those who hate it. It doesn’t matter where you are on that spectrum. The key is to spend the minimum amount of time gathering the information you need. One technique I use is to avoid doing detailed research during the first draft of a book. Instead, I keep a list of the questions I have – things like “how long does it take to ride a horse from San Antonio to Austin?” When I finish the first draft, I have a better idea of whether I really, really, really need to know that. And, if I do, I can look for the answer to that question at the same time that I’m researching all the other points I listed during the first draft. That’s more efficient than stopping to investigate each point and possibly heading down the proverbial rabbit holes.
- Remind friends that you are working. I doubt your friends would stop in for a visit or want to have a lengthy chat during the workday if you were at an office, but the fact that many writers work at home makes us more vulnerable to friendly distractions. Now is the time to politely but firmly tell friends and neighbors that you’re working and can’t be disturbed.
- Use voice mail. This is a corollary to the previous point. I consider answering machines and caller ID among the essentials of life and answer calls during my working hours only if they’re from my publisher. Sorry, robo calls. You don’t get answered EVER, but you do get reported to the Do Not Call Registry.
- Consider email, texting, and internet surfing a reward. Again, the goal is to keep your focus on the manuscript and avoid everything that prevents you from writing. A number of my writer friends have discovered the same thing I have, namely that if we check email before we begin to write, we’re much less productive. The reason is simple: whatever was in those email messages, no matter how trivial, is competing for space in your brain and lessening your focus. Don’t lose your focus on what’s important: your manuscript.
I won’t sugarcoat it. Discipline is hard, but the rewards are worth the effort. Just DO it!
(c) 2019 Amanda Cabot
Amanda Cabot is no stranger to getting to “The End.” She juggled a
sixty-hour a week job with nonnegotiable deadlines and building a house
long-distance at the same time that she wrote two books a year. Whether
or not she kept her sanity during that time is debatable. Amanda is
the best-selling author of over thirty novels, eight novellas, four
non-fiction books, and what she describes as enough technical articles
to cure insomnia in a medium-sized city.
Her most recent release is A Tender Hope, the third in the Cimarron Creek trilogy.
You can find Amanda at:
www.amandacabot.com
https://www.facebook.com/amanda.j.cabot
https://twitter
Thank you, Amanda.
Writing for 5 minutes is indeed better than not writing at all. Too often, we want to wait until all the “writing” planets align; that perfect moment to create arrives. It rarely does. Better to dive in when those planets are all over the sky, half hidden by clouds…etc. The Nike method of 5 minute writing – Just Do It.
Karen, loved the dog silhouette with a pencil.
Great post, Amanda. Discipline is a fruit of the Spirit, so for those of us who may have a tough time with discipline, we’ve got extra divine strength to draw upon. And am I grateful! Excellent points. Cheers