When your writing schedule doesn’t work, when you consistently fail to write like you planned, don’t take it personally. It is not personal. It is procedural. You need to experiment with the process.
I’ve been tracking my writing sessions for the last two weeks. I get an O when I write as planned, and an X when I don't. Wanna see the last two weeks?
That’s four successful writing days… and ten fails.
TEN FAILS!
Now, to be clear, this is for my personal writing project. When I write for clients, I’m all over that shiitake.
Like you, I have a day job AND a writing project I want to squeeze into my life somehow, somewhere. (Even if you don’t have a traditional job, I know you have commitments, kiddos, a partner, or something else that means you can’t go full-hog on writing your book. We’re all trying to make it work around life.)
So what do we do when we set a writing schedule and consistently FAIL to follow it?
Do we:
Give up and go drink gin. Clearly we weren’t meant to be writers/our ideas suck/it’s too hard.
Keep pushing. If we can blackmail, berate, or torture ourselves enough, we should be able to stick to the stupid schedule. And we can drown our pain in gin.
Try something new. Experiment. Ditch what doesn’t work and figure out a new schedule. And still drink gin.
Clearly, the answer is…
… try something new! (And gin. Gin is always the answer.)
Sure, giving up is easier, but it leads to regret and chronic grumpiness.
You could beat yourself into submission and force yourself to write. But this is both science and art, and brute force is not conducive to artistic expression. It will feel hard and miserable.
So let’s experiment with something new. The opportunities are endless. Ideas include:
A new time.
A new location.
A new type of tea while typing.
A new format: computer, phone, pen and paper, chisel and stone.
A new expectation: 20 minutes instead of 500 words, or whatever sounds interesting instead of that opening chapter.
A new accountability buddy and coach. (Ahem, like me! If you’re reading this in real time, I have a spot open if you want to get serious about your book now. Details here.)
The Grand Experiment
I call this approach The Grand Experiment!
Sounds grand, huh?!
And here’s the key concept behind it:
If you’re not writing like you wish, it doesn’t mean you suck or your idea sucks. You just haven’t found the method that works for you yet.
We have to stop taking these writing fails personally. They are not personal. They are procedural.
Change the process.
But since I can’t tell you the exact process that will work for your personality, project, time constraints, or mindset, you’re going to have to experiment.
And that’s okay! It’s a legit part of the process.
Experiment. Keep experimenting. Find what works for you.
Me? Instead of trying to write for 30 minutes a day, I’m going to experiment with a four-hour session once a week. There isn’t any data that suggests four hours is some magical, optimal time. It just sounds appealing to me, so I’m gunna try it. That’s all.
Email and let me know what appeals to you for your own Grand Experiment. I’d love to hear.
Thanks,
Liz “Let’s Just Try” Green
Editor, Book Coach, and Ghostwriter
Green Goose Writing
P.S. If experimenting on your own sounds hard and you’re reading this post as it was released, I have a spot available for you and I to work together in the Write and Edit Intensive. Click here for details.
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