The U. of Iew

I’m sure that most of us have been there. Some refer to it as writer’s block, others just shrug it off as laziness, apathy, or a general lack of inspiration. Whatever the cause, not being able to write is certainly a thorn in the side of any great writer. After all, what are we if we’ve been stripped of our craft?

Personally, I’ve had to fight this battle many times throughout my life. It’s even worse now that I’m working full-time, raising a family, and trying to go back to school. Believe me, I know what it feels like to be pulled in several directions, to be so tired at the end of the day that you can hardly fathom writing a sentence, much less a short story or an article. What I came to realize, however, is that this is simply another hurdle I must cross if I’m ever going to achieve the writing goals that I have set for myself. Now, what works for me might not work for everyone, but I’d like to share a few strategies/thoughts that have really helped me out with my writing. Hopefully these will be of use to someone out there.

First and foremost, I’ve made it a point to write every day. I don’t care what I choose to write about, I just make sure that I sit down and work on my writing for a set period of time. I adjust the time spent on my writing based on my schedule for the day; some days I am able to devote several hours to my writing, other days I am only able to devote 30 minutes to my writing. The time is not the issue; the routine is. I really think it’s important to get yourself into some sort of routine with your writing. If you let it slide, then you’re going to fall into the trap of constantly putting it off. I realize that if you’re sick, or if a personal/health emergency pops up, then you’ll probably have to postpone your writing until things are taken care of. That’s an acceptable decision; blowing off your writing in order to watch a marathon of Friends re-runs is not an acceptable decision. Not even if you’re the biggest Friends fan there is. Personally I can’t stand that show, so I have no idea why I even used it as an example…

Another thing to consider is your work area. Where do you like to write? Do you need to be alone in order to write? Are you easily distracted? I have ADHD and am easily distracted by, well, anything. Thus, I’ve made it a point to clear my work area of any distractions. If I’m able to focus, then I can generally accomplish quite a bit where my writing is concerned. If you have children (or roommates), then you may need to schedule your writing time based on the level of activity in your household. I can’t focus on anything when my little girl is running around and being crazy. Ergo, I confine my writing to the evening/early morning hours. Looking back on it, I’ve always done my best work during this time. My point is, you need to determine what time of day is going to be the most conducive to your writing and go from there. Maintain a professional, distraction-free work area. Your productivity will thank you for it.

Finally, I would recommend a little organization in order to increase your productivity level. Try to keep a calendar or planner handy; use it to write down any deadlines or goals that you need to meet. Don’t take on too much at one time; your writing is going to suffer if you spread yourself too thin. Believe me, clients and readers will notice this and their response will not be kind. Instead of trying to accomplish everything in one day, try to prioritize your tasks and keep them manageable. If something does not get finished one day, make sure to give it a higher priority the next day. Personally, I find that deadlines can provide a great source of motivation where my writing is concerned. Knowing that something needs to be accomplished by a certain date provides me with a greater incentive to complete that task. If you find yourself slacking, consider setting your own deadlines based on short-term (or long-term) goals that you would like to achieve with your writing.

I could say a lot about this subject, but this will suffice for now. Again, I hope that it will be of use to some of you. Writing isn’t always easy, but it’s definitely fun and rewarding!