How to be a Productive Writer

Lots of people talk about writing books, but most of those people never do. How do you become one of those writers who breaks through and gets stuff done? Here are a few tips to help:

1. Create a schedule

If you really want to crank out some writing, you should be prepared to make a routine of it. Start by setting yourself a goal. How much do you want to accomplish in a day? Do you want to write for one hour each day? Or do you want to write 500 words per day? Pick something that works for you and stick to it like it’s your job. Also, decide on a place where you’ll do this writing without distractions. Don’t try to work on your living room couch if Netflix or your kids in the next room are going to distract you. Go to that coffee shop you love, sit at your kitchen bar or board yourself up in your office even if it’s only for 15 minutes a day. As writer Jeff Goins says, “Don’t set out to write a book. Set out to become a regular writer.”

2. Set deadlines

Set deadlines big and small to remind yourself that you’re working toward something. Writing (or most projects, really) never gets done without a deadline. So mark those calendars, and work toward those deadlines with diligence.

3. Find your methods

Find the methods and systems that work best for you when it comes to writing. What way do you like to research? Do you brainstorm before you start to write? How do you go about revising? Where do you collect all your ideas and thoughts about future writing? Find the things that work best for you and stick with them!

4. Take a productive break

If you’re stuck in a writing rut, don’t be too hard on yourself. Instead of getting flustered, try going outside and getting some air, and then perhaps read something that isn’t your own writing. Okay, so maybe I stole this tip from author Virginia Woolf, but I think it’s great. She said, “The way to rock oneself back into writing is this. First gentle exercise in the air. Second the reading of good literature. It is a mistake to think that literature can be produced from the raw.”

With just these few tips, you can become a more productive writer. It’s not always easy, but the end result is always worth it!

Anyone Can Write

I have a confession to make: my muse for this post is the 2007 Disney Pixar film, Ratatouille, which I recently rewatched whilst babysitting. Inspiration can come from anywhere, right?

There’s a particular scene in the movie that struck me as interesting (though all of it is thoroughly entertaining). Main character Remy, a rat, has traveled to Paris and is looking in the window of a restaurant founded by his hero, chef Auguste Gusteau. Remy, despite being a (cute and lovable) rodent, dreams of being in a chef, a rather rodent-phobic profession as it turns out. When staring into the restaurant, Remy starts to speak with the Gusteau inside his head who’s been giving him advice along his journey. Gusteau sees a young man walk over to the boiling pot of soup, and asks Remy who he is.

“Oh him?” Remy says. “He’s nobody,”

“Not nobody,” Gusteau says. “He’s part of the kitchen.”

“He’s a plongeur or something,” Remy says. “He washes dishes or takes out the garbage or something. He doesn’t cook.”

“But he could,” Gusteau prods.

“Uh… no” Remy shuts him down.

“How do you know?” Gusteau says. “What do I always say? Anyone can cook.”

This scene stuck with me even after the credits rolled. If anyone can cook, I would go as far as to say anyone can write. This is a bold statement with which many will disagree, but hear me out. I refuse to believe that writers are simply born, that those who are destined to write great novels and scripts are ordained by God himself. Yes, perhaps some are born with a knack for stringing words together, but the truth is as simple as this: Writing is a learned skill. Just like cooking or painting or playing piano. Some may be naturally talented, but that doesn’t mean they are naturally skilled. Because they had to learn it at some point. They had to work hard and put in tons of hours and perfect their skill.

So yes, anyone can write. But it takes work. It takes hours spent at your kitchen table, forcing yourself to put down words when you don’t feel like it. It takes getting feedback and listening to critics. It takes lots and lots of editing and rewriting. It takes voracious reading of the greats, past and present.

The greats didn’t get to the top by divine intervention. They were famous because they spent months if not years on their manuscripts, and they spent years if not decades honing their skill. Even if you don’t believe you’re talented, don’t give up on writing if you truly love it. You’re not nobody; you’re part of the kitchen, and anyone can cook.

Also during the film, Gusteau says: “Brave cooking is not for the faint of heart. You must be imaginative, strong-hearted. You must try things that may not work, and you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul. What I say is true: Anyone can cook, but only the fearless can be great.”

Likewise, brave writing isn’t for the faint of heart. You’re putting pieces of yourself out there for the world to rave about or rip to shreds, and that’s no easy task. However, I agree that your only limit is your soul. Be fearless, work passionately, and keep on writing.

How To Start Writing Your Book

Like most writers, you’re probably an avid reader. Maybe you have your own story percolating your brain right now! But how do you sit down and start writing that story? How do start a task as daunting as writing a book?

Jeff Goins, author of The Art of Work, says book writing is best accomplished in three phases: Getting Started, Doing the Work, and Finishing. I’ve added my own tips below within these three phases:

1.  Getting Started

Sounds simple, right? Wrong. This is often the toughest part. You’re probably wondering how you’ll transfer the vibrant story in your head to the blank page in front of you.

First, pick a genre, and decide what the story is about. Do you like crime? Memoir? Nonfiction? Historical fiction? Romance? What is your basic storyline?

Map out your characters. Characterization is one of the most important parts of writing, so don’t cheat this one. Roughly map out your characters, their traits and their transformations in your story. Even go as far as writing biographies for your characters. If you don’t truly understand them—and you created them—how will your audience understand them?

Start from the end. Endings can make or break your story. Decide how you want to tie up your story in the end, and then work from there. This way, you’ll be able to craft your plot with the end goal in mind and not end up with the dreaded Deus Ex Machina (unless you’re going for the M. Night Shyamalan thing).

2.  Doing the Work

Now, it’s time to get down to business.

First, we need to make an outline. I’ve always hated making outlines, probably since I first learned to write essays in elementary school. It’s a step I always want to skip, but I know I’m so much more productive when I have a map to follow later on. You don’t have to include every single detail of your book either! Make it easy on yourself, and type up an outline that works for you. I’d suggest including a brief overview of each chapter, the main struggle of your story, important character interactions and plenty of room for improvisation.

Set a total word count. And while you’re at it, decide how many words you plan on writing each day. Come up with a schedule, and stick to it!

Write, edit, rewrite. As Hemmingway said, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” I wouldn’t go as far as saying there’s nothing to writing, but this should be the fun part! This is the part you love, after all.

Find some friends. Get feedback as early as possible, just so you know your work is making sense. You don’t want to have to go back and do a massive rewrite, do you? Feedback can be scary, but sometimes nothing propels you further in your craft like critique and validation.

3.  Finishing

It’s time for final edits. This is the nitpicky perfecting and polishing that will really make your book shine. It seems tedious, but is crucial to the process.

Commit to publishing. Please, please, please don’t go to all this trouble to let your manuscript sit in a drawer. I know it’s daunting to release your story to the world, but if you don’t, what’s the point?

Celebrate and start planning the next one. Take some time off if you need it, but start thinking about what you want to write next. Don’t let this project zap you of your creativity and keep you from future writing.

If you’re still struggling with creativity, inspiration and motivation, I highly suggest reading Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. Liz, author of Eat, Pray, Love, is an incredible writer and knows a thing or two about writing books. The thing that sets apart Big Magic from other writing self-help books is her focus on living and enjoying a creative life. She taught me how to truly love my work and not fall into tortured artist persona that so many adapt. It’s a quick read, but I promise it will change your work, mind and life.

I’ll leave you with a Big Magic quote from Liz herself: “The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.”

Go find your jewels, and write your story.

Writing Dont's

As aspiring authors, many of us fall victim to a few "Writing Don'ts" that may ultimately diminish the amount of writing we get done. Let's explore a few writing don'ts that we can learn to prevent for future writing projects.

Don't Fall in Love With Your Words

Now, it's ok to enjoy your own writing. After all, you have poured your heart and soul into the words produced on that piece of paper. But do not let your love for your work hinder you from constructive criticism. As writers, we must become our own editors. If we cannot look at our own work with a more "critical" eye, we may miss many things in our work that need to be changed or altered. Try writing down levels of edit that you want to go over before revising a manuscript. For example, if you want to look for spelling errors and punctuation problems in your manuscript, spend the first run through of your manuscript only looking for spelling errors. Then spend the second run-through looking for punctuation errors. This method ensures that you look at your work with a technical eye.

Don't Heavy Edit

This sounds a bit contradictory to the first Don't, "Falling in Love with Your Work". Although analyzing your work is a must before submitting a finished draft of a manuscript to a publishing company, you must also remember that during the drafting process of your manuscript, focusing too much on editing will hinder the amount of content you develop. To avoid editing too much during the drafting process, you must attempt to jot down all your ideas as you get them. In other words, JUST FREE-WRITE! It's ok to do so. 

Don't Doubt Yourself

If you are thinking about writing a book, there is no room for doubt. Many writers doubt their abilities which in turn discourage them from writing any new material. The best way to overcome doubt is to persevere. Write as much material as possible despite any negative thoughts you have. As a side note, you shouldn't doubt yourself when it comes to writing. Everyone has a unique style of their own. Embrace yours!

For a FREE Book Publishing Consultation, Contact US!

J. Kenkade Publishing

info@jkenkade.com

(501)482-JKEN

Creating an Author Budget

Planning an author budget is one of the most important tasks an author can consider. A lot of developing or newly published authors forget that budgeting is absolutely necessary in order to effectively market their material to the world.

Consider budgeting for the following:

•Book Publishing

•Ordering Copies

•Book Signing

•Marketing

•Professional Photography    

All the listed subjects are important to consider to avoid over/under-spending for your newly published book.