Before you write, write! I have been guilty of sitting down with little more than a burning idea and a vague notion of who my characters were. It showed. I spent hours writing, deleting, and staring at my computer screen. It was counter-productive and resulted in hit and miss writing. Some things came out great and others…not so much. Despite my reluctance to do it, I have found that writing a fairly detailed outline not only helps me to capture those fleeting gems of dialogue and description but to avoid staring at my screen with no idea where the hell this story is going. I do not subscribe to the three-act structure, but I do write “beats,” quick scene descriptions that show me where I am going. If you are usually a pantser, or (like me) have characters that tend to do what they want and not what you tell them, writing an outline can help you direct your story back on track when it all falls apart, and you have no idea what to write. If you write non-fiction outlines are doubly important because they help you ensure that your readers know where you are going and get there safely.
Its’s a marathon, not a sprint, stupid! You may spend all day writing, but you cannot write all day. One of the biggest mistakes is to schedule long writing periods with no breaks. What I mean is actually “writing” where words go onto paper. Not the writing that involves a fair amount of “research” and climbing out of Wikipedia holes or diving into YouTube vortexes. Those things are very necessary for the writing process for reasons I will explain in another post, but are not “writing.” The amount of time you spend “writing” should be moderate so that you don’t exhaust your creative juices. Adding 1500 words a day for a month is better than writing 10K furious words and then spend the next three weeks screaming at your computer screen and weeping uncontrollably because not one more word will come.
Get moving; it’s good for you and your writing. Writers spend a lot of time sitting on our asses. It’s unavoidable unless you are one of the lucky bastards who have one of those walking desks…in which case, I hate you. But, what we often overlook is the significant benefits to mental function and acuity that exercise provides. Yes, getting up and walking away from your desk will make you more productive once you return to it. Many creatives find that they have breakthrough moments in the middle of a run (or brisk walk, in my case) or after a workout. Not only will you be MORE energetic, have increased focus and mental agility, you also lower your chances of dying from a stroke brought on by your sedentary lifestyle and stress over not being able to write a single thing worth printing.
Break out your hobby chest, or camera, or whatever the heck you do other than write. In short, do something creative that isn’t writing. You have other talents and hobbies, hopefully. Explore them. Sometimes allowing yourself to be creative in other areas acts as both a source of inspiration as well as a pressure valve for the looming deadline and complete lack of manuscript.
Relax, it’s okay to suck! Sometimes every word you write is SHITE! In fact, most days I feel that almost every word I write is complete garbage, but other people seem to think otherwise. The truth is that you have to wade through the drivel to get to the good stuff. Give yourself permission to write bad dialogue, sketchy scenes, descriptions where you may occasionally confuse the character’s names, etc. It’s all part of the process. It doesn’t have to be inspiring. That is why we have an editing process. Commit to the process, not the outcome.
Be somebody else! Write using a different voice or from the perspective of your tea kettle. When I was a little girl, one of my favorite books was written from the point of view of an old wooden doll. I read it at least a dozen times. Breaking free of your “voice” can be liberating and also can get your juices flowing. These little writing challenges can be just what you need to keep moving forward.
Read some of your old writing. Right or wrong, just read it. I like to read some of the things I am most proud of because they remind me what is unique and remarkable about my voice and style. Others like to go back and cannibalise old works, demonstrating how they have evolved. My point is that a look backwards may be just what you need to move forward.
Make “research” a habit. Read and watching television with purpose can be a great way to increase your story telling ability. Sometimes I will watch a show with my mother, and she will say “I didn’t think you would like this.” My answer is almost always, the writing is so smart and crisp. I am not just consuming; I am paying attention to the use of language, pacing, dialogue, and overall tone. I am watching from a writer’s perspective. Similarly, when I venture outside of my reading comfort zone, I do so with the intention to discover uses of language that I may have never thought of before. It looks like goofing off but it is research, and I do it daily. I not only get out of the echo chamber of my mind and offer my creative genius fresh meat to feast on, but I am also better able to be critical of my work.
Write something fun. For me, this blog is fun. It is my way of interacting with my readers. Ther is no pressure to be perfect or for this blog to “perform”. When I hit a road block and can’t seem to find my way around, I can write something silly, or fun and share it with the world. That sense of gratification reminds me why I chose this profession and the joy of writing. Sometimes what we MUST write is not fun. Sometimes we may find the subject stale or the project tedious. At moments like that, writing 500-1000 words about something you enjoy may be just what the doctor ordered. When you come back, you may find less mental resistance.
Think Pavlov. You ring the bell, and the dog salivates. Train yourself to get into a “flow” state when you ____. For me, it is the presence of a timer on my desk. I see the timer ticking away, and my mind knows that this is time to work. It will be rewarded in the end with a few minutes of relaxation, but the timer means work. For others, it is sitting at a workstation. Whatever your ringing bell is, use it. If you don’t have one, make one. Let that thing become the trigger that tells your mind when it’s time to work, and you will find less resistance.

I hope you have enjoyed my tips. Let me know in the comment is you have ay that I missed or if any of them work for you.