When Iâm responsible for churning out a certain amount of words every day (coughNanowrimocoughfastdraftcough), it can sometimes be tough to get up-and-at-âem immediately. This is why I have a handy list in my writing journal which I go through every day to force myself into sitting down and getting stuff done.
It starts by asking: Have you written today?
If yes, then good job. Congratulations. You can now keep writing or do something else.
I must then answer this question. If I donât immediately realize the solution just by recognizing the problem, thereâs a list of items for responses I may encounter, and methodical routines that will get me into the writing process.
These items should be taken as a complete whole, going down the list one-by-one and completing each to satisfaction.
If You Need Help Getting Started
Go to a desk, or a library, or a cafe. Move to a different room in the house. Take a notebook and pen outside. Go wherever you want, as long as itâs somewhere other than where you were just procrastinating.
2. Queue a music playlist.
Any music playlist. Donât MAKE one. Donât waste time on that. Find one (quickly) online, or use one you already have on your Spotify.
(If youâre at a loss, go search the #writing tag on 8tracks, or check out my favorite epic music playlist on youtube.)
Fine. Make or buy a cup of tea or coffee. Energy drinks only under extreme circumstances. Okay, okay. Line your pockets with candy if you must. Just as long as you get writing done. (Reward systems get rescinded if abused. No writing today, no espresso drinks tomorrow.)
4. Set a 20 minute timer.
Pomodoro it up and participate in some word sprints and word wars. Use the forums or twitter hashtags or chatrooms to engage with other people for an extra challenge. Otherwise just set a timer or open Write or Die.
5. Still not quite in the mood?
Put on a literal thinking cap. Display a writing totem nearby. Chant an invocation to a muse. Burn incense. Light a candle. Ritualize and romanticize the shit out of it.
1. Look back at notes and outlines.
Where did you leave off? Where are you going next? What can you do to get from Point A to Point B?
If youâre totally stumped, set a 10 minute timer and brainstorm a list of AS MANY next-steps as possible. Youâll come up with a lot of bad ideas, but also a lot of fantastic ones that will make any lightbulbs above your head flash in strobe.
Forget plot, just think about the little guys for a second. What are their motivations and aspirations? What do they want and why? Flesh out their back-story, complicate their goals, or just think for a minute about their personality and their stunning blue eyesâŚ
3. Write something outside the main story.
Take your characters and put them somewhere else. Write about a typical evening in the life. Or about an event in their past. Pretend to interview them. Yank them into an unrelated scenario. Write something that explores your world and your characters, knowing that itâs unrelated to your plot, and thatâs okay.
4. Accept a dare or a challenge.
You can find them in the Nano forums. Add it into your story whenever you stall.
I like challenging myself by going on a dictionary website and incorporating their word of the day into my daily word count. Itâs like a little mini prompt or a challenge, trying to figure out how to shape your story to include that word. You can always take it out later, and you might discover something new about your story along the way.
See above â âNeed an incentive?â
But really, do you want something more? Will that help? Okay, fine. What? What is it? What do you want?
Write up a contract with yourself outlining the terms of the agreement (If I write 2000 words today, then I agree to buy myself the new book I really want), then sign and date it. And then write.
2. Pictures of notebooks.
I keep a tumblr blog of pictures of notebooks for a reason. If I see pages covered in pen and ink and doodles, I get this itch to fill up the nearest blank page.
You know. The one where your book is published and itâs received stellar reviews and you are adored by critics and fans alike.
OR you can visualize a future where you havenât written a damn thing, your electricity has been turned off for months, and youâre about to get evicted from your bug-infested apartment. Both are pretty effective.
