I am a writer who has been having a difficult time staying productive. Any tips for me?
2007-09-03 08:39:47 · 6 answers · asked by Surf Dude 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Establish regular hours to write. Call them your office hours. Teach yourself the discipline of writing every day between those hours. Hemingway had a little building at Key West. He had his manservant lock him in there every day between specific hours. NO phone, no tv, no IM's -- just work. Gradually increase your hours. I also avoid caffeine during those hours. It may be stimulating but in the long run it is a depressant and will make you crash. Stick with water - keep your body hydrated - it keeps the mind sharp.
Also if you are the type of a person who has difficulty focusing, a formal outline is the best way to get that focus back. I recommend one color for the main plot - the spine of the story and different colors for the different subplots and backstories. Add that to detailed character analysis and you should be ready to start writing during your "office hours"
If you are interested, I have starred many great Q and A in my profile regarding writing and publishing. Feel free to use them. Print them out and study them. Some are actually making notebooks as reference for themselves. Add me as a fan and you will get updates when I add more. Pax - C
2007-09-03 08:47:24 · answer #1 · answered by Persiphone_Hellecat 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Make up deadlines. Do you have someone who will read your work? Tell that person an exact date that you will have it printed so they can read it. Preferably, make it a person who is eager to read it and who is good at reminding you: "So, when am I going to get to read this book, anyway?" Then you're guaranteed to have a first draft (no matter how much revision it still needs) done by a certain date.
If you can't find such a person, make up a deadline anyway. But post it everywhere, so you're constantly reminded. Plan some kind of celebration if you get done.
Good luck.
2007-09-03 15:55:41 · answer #2 · answered by Roald Ellsworth 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Like the previous guy said, just sit down and dedicate a set amount of time to it everyday. Allow no interruptions and NO EXCUSES!!!! Even if it's only an hour a day, the routine will help.
2007-09-03 15:44:59 · answer #3 · answered by Bryce 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
give yourself a set amount of time or words that you HAVE to write that day. It doesn't matter if in the end you end up not using any of the stuff you wrote that day, but keeping to a schedule.
2007-09-03 15:46:28 · answer #4 · answered by Lorreign v.2 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Hemingway, Faulkner, and those boys wrote for 4 hours every day, whether they wanted to or not.
2007-09-03 15:43:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Forget about writing. Do something you enjoy and when the ideas start coming back, get back to work.
2007-09-03 16:07:26 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋