Methods for Maintaining a Writing Schedule
If you’re like most writers, one of the biggest challenges we face is how to maintain a regular schedule? How do I make myself sit down in the chair and produce? Below are some of the most helpful methods I’ve used over the years.
1. Set a regular time to sit down to your computer daily, preferably the same time everyday. If it can’t be a regular time, figure out the night before when it will be for the following day. Sleep on it to help solidify your commitment, subconsciously. In the words of Winston Churchill: He who fails to plan is planning to fail.
2. Do not put excess pressure on yourself to produce. Instead, put pressure on yourself to assume the position. Sit down on the chair and open the document or page you were working on and just read it over. That’s all you have to do. Nine times out of ten, when I do this, I find myself starting to edit, without thinking about it, which leads to more of the same and it isn’t a strenuous process. In fact, it’s usually an enjoyable one.
3. When you leave your writing each day, quit in the middle of a sentence or thought. That way when you come back to your desk for your next session you know where you’re going and you’re immediately putting down words without thinking about it. Ernest Hemingway was famous for this method.
4. Remember that all bad writing can be fixed. Instead of focusing on the quality of the work, focus on getting the words down. All writing is simply laying down one word after another. Focus on that word, that sentence and the here and now, rather than condemning yourself thinking its not good enough. You’ll have plenty of time for revising later, a whole ‘nother subject. See Ann Lamott’s book “Bird by Bird” for a wonderful read on this subject.
5. Don’t give up.
Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.
