{"id":1424,"date":"2017-07-05T14:31:28","date_gmt":"2017-07-05T18:31:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/?p=1424"},"modified":"2017-07-05T14:58:47","modified_gmt":"2017-07-05T18:58:47","slug":"writing-productivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/writing-productivity\/","title":{"rendered":"Being a More Productive Writer"},"content":{"rendered":"

I don\u2019t consider myself to be an especially fast writer, but I do manage to be fairly productive with the time I dedicate to writing. So, here are a few things that work for me:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Don’t beat yourself up when things don’t go as planned.<\/b> For instance, almost every writing book ever written includes the bit \u201cWrite every day!\u201d It\u2019s good advice, sure. But it\u2019s not always feasible. I have a full-time job and an adjuncting gig and so I just don\u2019t have the juice to write every day. I used to see this as a sign that I was a Terrible Undedicated Writer Who Would Never Ever Make It, and much angst ensued. And that, my friends, was a complete waste of spoons<\/a>. If you set yourself a quota, and don\u2019t make it, don\u2019t waste a single bit of your precious energy beating yourself up over what didn\u2019t happen today or yesterday. Take a deep breath and focus on the next round tomorrow.<\/li>\n
  2. Figure out what work environment works for you, and consistently create that environment.<\/b> I figured out that I am a binge writer. I can\u2019t make good use of fifteen minutes here and there. I need an unbroken expanse of at least four hours to really get in the groove \u2013 and once I\u2019m there, I can write thousands of words in a sitting. So, I figure out where I can have that time, and I block it off on my calendar so that I and my friends can see it there. I also need coffee, comfy pajama pants, and instrumental music. The little things do count; they tell your brain, \u201cHey, time to get to work!\u201d I find it a lot easier to slide into the right mindset if I save certain playlists for when I intend to write.<\/li>\n
  3. Work with your mind, and not against it.<\/b> This goes hand-in-hand with \u201cDon\u2019t beat yourself up.\u201d We human beings have a finite amount of willpower<\/a>. The more time and energy you spend wrestling with yourself, the less ability you\u2019ll have to wrestle with that tough plot problem. So, if you have that day when you know you have a short story deadline, but your brain really wants you to work on that scene in your novel? Go with your creative impulse, at least for a little while. I have gotten a surprising amount of work done by allowing myself to do that \u201cguilty pleasure\u201d writing I wasn\u2019t \u201csupposed\u201d to be doing.<\/li>\n
  4. Sleep is critical.<\/strong> I’ve certainly pushed some deadlines to the absolute limit and pulled all-nighters to finish something (or to just take advantage of an especially productive creative burst). But. I don’t make it a habit to short myself on sleep, because I know that my brain just won’t work very well in a state of chronic sleep deprivation. Figure out what you need sleep-wise, and make sure you get it.<\/li>\n
  5. Recreation is critical.<\/b> Your creativity needs to be fed, your brain needs to recharge, and your body needs exercise. Once upon a time, I got it into my head that I had to spend every last bit of my free time working on my writing craft. I\u2019d get invites to go out with friends and turn them down because The Work needed to be done. Problem was, this led to me becoming grumpy, depressed, and creatively stunted. I was allocating more time to writing, but getting less and less done. In the past two years, I\u2019ve spent more time going out to concerts and going out hiking, and I\u2019ve allocated less time to writing. And yet my writing output is better than when I was holing myself up like a medieval monk.<\/li>\n
  6. Don’t get stuck in the revision phase.<\/strong> This is a big one. Some level of revision is critical, but I’ve known too many people who keep working a single story or poem over and over and over, sometimes for years. Stick to two or three careful revision passes and get it out the door. Move to something new. If a story comes back to you with a good suggestion for revision from an editor, by all means, act on it. But keep your focus on finishing new work.<\/li>\n
  7. Finish what you start. <\/strong>This may seem obvious. But if you’re the type of writer whose brain is bursting with ideas, and the idea you woke up with this morning always seems shinier than the idea you had yesterday … you might need to focus on finishing.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    I hope these bits are helpful. What it comes down to is, figure out what makes you<\/i> creatively engaged and productive, and do your best to arrange your life so you have those things.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I don\u2019t consider myself to be an especially fast writer, but I do manage to be fairly productive with the time I dedicate to writing. […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":166,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[6],"class_list":["post-1424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-writing-advice","tag-writing"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/binge.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8qT6f-mY","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":478,"url":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/advice-fiction-writers\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":0},"title":"Advice to beginning fiction writers","author":"Lucy A. Snyder","date":"June 16, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Everyone who sets out to become a writer wants to be seen as a \"real\" writer, not a wanna-be or never-gonna-be. It's basic human nature to crave acceptance, status and respect. And even the crustiest, most jaded authors -- despite their protestations to the contrary -- are human beings who\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "writing"","block_context":{"text":"writing","link":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":420,"url":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/sprinting-for-the-deadline\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":1},"title":"Sprinting For The Deadline","author":"Lucy A. Snyder","date":"April 25, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by. - Douglas Adams \"C'mon, pencil! Make words!\" - SpongeBob SquarePants Many of us, when faced with a deadline, tend to push it. For some writers, there's a certain creativity-enhancing rush to be found in putting a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "writing"","block_context":{"text":"writing","link":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/1860757.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/1860757.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/1860757.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/1860757.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/1860757.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/1860757.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":158,"url":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/friends-for-your-fiction\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":2},"title":"Friends For Your Fiction","author":"Lucy A. Snyder","date":"February 23, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Very few writers are at a place in their craft and career where they can write in complete isolation, finish a story, send it off to an editor, and have that work see print. The vast majority of us need feedback on our work before it\u2019s ready for an editor\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Writing Advice"","block_context":{"text":"Writing Advice","link":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/category\/writing-advice\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/reading-e1488329074776.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/reading-e1488329074776.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/reading-e1488329074776.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/reading-e1488329074776.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/reading-e1488329074776.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1853,"url":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/more-advice-to-beginning-writers\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":3},"title":"More Advice to Beginning Writers","author":"Lucy A. Snyder","date":"April 4, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Several years ago, I posted some advice to beginning fiction writers. I still field regular queries\u00a0from aspiring writers. Lately, the questions I've received have fallen into three general categories. How to Keep Writing\u00a0When Things Get Tough I\u2019m a binge writer at heart, so I set aside large blocks of time\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Writing Advice"","block_context":{"text":"Writing Advice","link":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/category\/writing-advice\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1280px-Power-of-words-by-antonio-litterio-creative-commons-attribution-share-alike-3-0.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1280px-Power-of-words-by-antonio-litterio-creative-commons-attribution-share-alike-3-0.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1280px-Power-of-words-by-antonio-litterio-creative-commons-attribution-share-alike-3-0.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1280px-Power-of-words-by-antonio-litterio-creative-commons-attribution-share-alike-3-0.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/1280px-Power-of-words-by-antonio-litterio-creative-commons-attribution-share-alike-3-0.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1389,"url":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/most-difficult\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":4},"title":"The Most Difficult Part of the Story: Beginning, Middle or End?","author":"Lucy A. Snyder","date":"June 30, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"What\u2019s the most difficult part of writing a fiction story? The beginning, middle, or end? The answer to that question will vary widely depending on the writer and his or her particular fiction project. Most of us start writing a story or novel for a particular reason: we had a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "writing"","block_context":{"text":"writing","link":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/1674852.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/1674852.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/1674852.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/1674852.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/1674852.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/1674852.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":451,"url":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/how-do-you-find-time-to-write\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":5},"title":"How do you find time to write?","author":"Lucy A. Snyder","date":"September 14, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"When Random Person discovers that you're a writer, odds are that he will ask you any of several basic questions: How long have you been writing? Where do you get your ideas? Where have you been published? (If Random Person is a jerk, he'll just grunt \"You're a writer? Never\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "writing"","block_context":{"text":"writing","link":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1424"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1424\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1427,"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1424\/revisions\/1427"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}