Why is it so damn hard to keep a writing routine? In today’s episode, of Writer Unleashed, I’ll give you 3 strategies backed by science to break through your barriers so you can start and keep a consistent, thriving writing practice.
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Big Takeaways
The Power of Starting [3:15]
Getting started is often our biggest obstacle. Why? Because when we visualize the behemoth task ahead of writing a book, we feel overwhelmed. That’s because we’re focusing on the the end result rather than on the smaller steps it takes to get there. We have this fear that it won’t be good enough. Or, we’re flooded with too much material. Too many associations.
This is where we’re most apt to default on less generative tasks. Like de-cluttering our desk, updating our social media platform or author website, or designing our book cover. And while these are indeed important tasks, they generally distract us from the real work of writing.
The Ziegarnic Effect [5:42]
Getting started kicks off a series of chemical reactions in our brain that compels us to finish something we’ve already started. If we don’t finish, we experience the Ziegarnic effect — a low-grade dissatisfaction with ourselves that follows us around and creeps into every area of our life.
Slow Down [7:45]
I know this sounds counterintuitive. When we think of productivity, we think of hitting a certain amount of pages or word count per writing session. But productivity isn’t really about getting more done, it’s about producing more quality. Always go for quality over quantity. When we slow down, when we put all our focus on one sentence, one scene, one moment, we reach a state of flow and a higher state of creativity. Probe those moments that may have been too painful to write the first time. The idea is to write deeper, not longer.
Set Deadlines [12:47]
Make yourself accountable. Join a writer’s group. Work with a writing coach. Take a writing workshop. Submit to journals. Put your submission dates on your calendar. If writing isn’t on our schedule, we’ll keep putting it off till tomorrow, someday, if, when…
Inspirational Quotes:
“When you start writing, you’re turning on a faucet. And when you turn on a faucet, the water’s brown and it’s full of whatever’s just been in there and clogged up and waiting to come out. And then you just keep writing and writing until the water’s clear. And that’s when you find your own voice.” Lin Manuel Miranda
“Done is better than perfect. Because there is no perfect without being done.” Laura Vanderkam