eight Confirmed Methods to Write Extra and Be Extra Productive
What Makes a Long-Time Professional Writer a Long-Term Professional Writer? Take the time to work and practice the craft.
People sometimes get the idea that professional writers come completely out of the mind of Zeus and start pumping out content, but it takes years of practice and dedication to build a career as a writer. And there are virtually no successful writers who haven't started out with jobs, families, and a series of life challenges that require their time and attention.
I want to make it clear that there is absolutely nothing wrong with writing as a hobby, just for fun and when you feel like it. It's a fantastic pastime and very rewarding. In this post, however, I'm going to target those who want to embrace writing as a career.
It's not easy, but if writing is your passion and you want to be a long-term professional, you can find a way to make it happen. This article will give you some effective strategies to use on your journey.
Writing productivity is not an isolated incident
Keep in mind that the techniques I'm sharing here are meant to keep you motivated and increased productivity, but there is no magic bullet that will last forever. You need to re-evaluate and recharge regularly.
You can employ a strategy and find that it works great. Be aware, however, that it is likely to wear out and eventually lose its effectiveness. Don't worry, this is natural because you are changing and growing. Take the opportunity to re-evaluate and choose a different method of driving down the road.
Don't fret – reset yourself.
8 Strategies for Writing Like a Professional Writer
At the end of this article, I'll share the key that makes everything work. First, let's take a look at eight strategies to consider, starting with the fundamental element that all of those strategies are based on and one major problem that may get in your way.
1. Enter the time
Time is not a renewable resource. One way or another, it's a challenge for everyone. Before we get into strategy, I want to address an important problem with finding time: fear.
A great many people feel that they have at least one book in them that they would like to write one day. But if they ever got around to writing it, they'd have to show someone and be ridiculous. When they finish a story they have to send it to an editor and they are rejected.
Never finding the time to write is the easiest way to deal with this fear. Putting your work ahead of others can be scary. So if fear is holding you back, find a way to deal with that fear. The Writing Practice has several articles like this and this to help you overcome your fear of rejection.
2. Carve out the time
Assuming you've overcome the fear factor, let's talk about working out time.
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If you don't spend time actually writing, there is no strategy in the world that will make you a professional writer.
This is Job One and it's a sucker. Here's how my mentor, Dean Wesley Smith, suggested getting a handle on my time:
He had me record how I spent my time for a week, write down all of my activities in 15-minute sections, and then rate where I could cut activities to gain time to write. He claimed that if I only had fifteen minutes a day off and could write 250 words in that fifteen minute period, I would log over 90,000 words over the course of a year.
And if I could double it to half an hour a day, that would be more than two novels worth writing a year.
3. Get the support you need
When you've figured out where to save the time, get your family on board. Show them your plan and explain how important it is to you. Ask them to help you protect the time you devote to writing. They can help you defend this commitment if they know and understand your goals.
Don't promise wealth or best-seller status. Just explain what you want to do and how you want to find the time. Family members may not appreciate your intentions at first, but your consistent efforts will help win the day.
There are many ways for writers to maximize their time. I once had a wonderful conversation with Kevin J. Anderson about walking near his home in Colorado while dictating stories on a tape recorder. He also explained how, with practice, he got to the point where he could pick up exactly where he left off without wasting time, a skill I haven't yet mastered.
You don't need a lot of time to upgrade your writing journey. Writing Practice has several articles on how to find time to write. Check out these here and get started with this article on how to steal time for writing during your busy day.
4. Use the power of the strips
Next, my mentor told me to use the power of the strips. I am currently learning German with Duolingo and the power of the stripes is real! Establishing a running series and keeping it going is very motivating, a psychological trick that can be very effective.
As he was just starting his writing career, Dean stepped on a challenge with Nina Kiriki Hoffman to produce and submit a new short story each week. If either of them fell on the deal, they owed the other a steak meal. As two artists just starting to starve, both couldn't afford a steak dinner, so they all got through it – for two and a half years!
That's a lot of short stories, a lot of practice, and ultimately led to two full-blown, successful writing careers.
5. Create deadlines and production plans
All publications are on time. Get used to meeting deadlines and get motivated. Make a production plan for your work and stick to it. Deadlines will drive you, but they have to be real with ramifications for lack of them.
I remember Tim Grahl talking about a technique that he sometimes uses to make sure he meets an important deadline. He writes a donation check to a political person he despises, seals it in an envelope, and gives it to a friend with instructions that the check will be mailed if it's not ready on time.
This is how Joe Bunting, founder of The Write Practice, writes his books. And it's the foundation of the 100 day book program here at The Write Practice. Would you like a deadline and a written incentive that actually works? Take part in the next semester of the 100-day book!
6. Take on a challenge
Challenges are a great way to increase productivity. Think of NaNoWriMo.
Connect with other writers on a similar energy level and develop challenges to nurture the entire group. Writing practice is a great place to do this, and the 100 Day Book is designed for just that.
These things can be very fun and often very satisfying when you look back on them in the years to come. You never know who will be the next J.K. Rowling.
7. Sacrifice
The definition of sacrifice to which I subscribe is, "Giving up on something good now to achieve something better later." Sleep is good; Relaxation is good; Game time is good. But I'm willing to give up some of this to invest time in my writing.
There is a price to be paid to a successful writing career. It includes the obligation to practice, the willingness to face rejection and ridicule, the ability to shoot down the critical voices – inside and outside. The harder we work, the happier we get.
8. The nuclear option
This is not the recommended course of action, but in some cases it may just be the ticket. As my mentor puts it, blow your life up.
Moving to a cheaper house, less time consuming work, lowering costs, downsizing. Simplify and rearrange to allow time for serious application to your writing.
The key to writing productivity
Do you remember how I said at the end of this article I would share the key that makes everything work? Well, this is the end of the article, and here is the key: provide your spelling value.
You have to believe in yourself, believe that your work, your art form is valuable and valuable.
You create intellectual property, and that's a real thing. Protect this value and decide: "If (fill in the blank) can, I can!" Act like your writing has value and you will find respect for it.
Writing is a real job, the best there is. Give him the consideration he – and you – deserve.
How did you find time to write? Let us know in the comments.
WORK OUT
Enter your spelling value. Take five minutes to think about a story, topic, or idea that is important to you. What motivates you to write? What kind of thing is that that you have to share with the world?
Now take ten minutes to write about it. You could write a fictional scene or tell the story of your own experience. You could write an essay or blog article or tweet. The form you choose is less important than the reason you are writing.
When you're done, share your writing in the comments. And give feedback to your co-authors. Your work has value too!
Joslyn Chase
