T is for Time, and for Timers.
W. Somerset Maugham has been oft quoted as being asked if he
wrote at a set time or only when inspiration struck him. He answered, “I write
only when inspiration strikes. Fortunately for me, it strikes every morning
precisely at nine.”
I’ve written a lot in these hacks about ritual, with music
and software and playlists and so on, but perhaps there is no better writing
ritual than time. Sitting down at the keyboard at the same time each day
pre-programs the juices to flow in a way that few other things do. It’s
recommended in writing book after writing book after writing books (my favorite
being How to Write a Lot by Paul
Silva, which, while geared toward academic writers, does a great deal for
fiction writers as well).
The other T is for Timers. Setting a timer to try to write
for a set period is another way to push yourself to stay focused and to write a
reasonable amount. Twitter wars like #WriteClub can serve this function, or you
can set one yourself. I find that I can challenge myself to write my daily 750
words in one hour, which works out to about 13 words per minute, and I will
check up on my pace from time to time. The tick of the timer keeps my momentum
moving. Often I’ll use the PomodoroTechnique of writing for awhile and then breaking; there are online timer tools
just for its implementation.
This month I'm participating in the A-Z blog challenge. My theme is "writer hacks," or 26 shortcuts you can do as a writer to get the most out of writing and the journey toward and through publication. Find out more about it at a-to-zchallenge.com, and hop around to read the other cool blogs that are part of the challenge!
Yes, there's nothing like having a routine to make you productive! Mine is out of whack, but I'll be addressing that after April. :)
ReplyDeleteAmen to that, Nick! I'm looking forward to getting back to regular writing after April. :)
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