Writing is hard. Writing is work. Anyone can write, but not everyone can see a project through to completion. How you keep yourself going and what you do to motivate yourself on a daily basis is vital to getting you working and keeping you working. This can apply to any writer (or any creative person, really), whether you’re just starting out or you’ve got a handful of published books under your belt. So for anyone feeling stuck, here are my 6 writing tips to help you finish what you started.
#1 Write Every Day
First among these essential writing tips is to maintain consistency and get some work done on a daily basis. Can you write for at least one hour a day? And can you do it consistently every single day of the week?
Not everyone can — I certainly have trouble with this.
If you’re like most independent authors or aspiring writers, then you likely have a whole other job that you do for eight hours a day (or more).
And you might even have a 30-45 minute commute each way.
And you might have kids you need to take care of and dogs to walk and meals to prepare and chores that need to be done.
And there are plenty of other things in your life that can get in the way, so, yeah, maybe carving out an entire hour a day to write is unsustainable.
But how about writing for 30 minutes during your lunch hour? Or waking up a little earlier and writing for 20 minutes?
You’d be surprised where you can find the time to write, especially when you’re committed to and passionate about a project.
#2 Schedule Your Writing
There are certain people who swear by writing at the same time every day. Some folks write whenever they have time. Of the list of writing tips here, this may be the one to keep you the most consistent.
Are you able to schedule your writing every day? Regardless of whether you sit down to write once or twice a week or you have pockets of time to write every day, do you sit down and crank out works at the same time every day?
I am someone that would absolutely write every day at the same time of day, but I also have other things like work and kids and life responsibilities that can get in the way of that.
So chances are I’ll either be writing for an hour in the morning from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM (on certain days of the week) or 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM (on other days).
If I can write during both of those times (and beyond), then that’s a great day.
Side note — I wrote the entire first draft of Naughty Week between the hours of 5:00 AM and 6:00 AM before my daughters woke up because once they were up that was it — I had no chance of sitting down and concentrating on work until after bedtime. But by then I was exhausted.
If you can, I highly recommend scheduling a time to sit down and write. And if you are like most, then you peak in the earlier hours of the day, so I’d recommend scheduling your writing time in the morning if possible.
#3 Treat Yourself
If I’m working in the morning, then I always save a cup of coffee for my writing time. If I’m working in the afternoon, I’ll treat myself to a granola bar or cookie… also with a cup of coffee… or maybe an Arnold Palmer depending on the weather.
And if I decide to actually leave the house that day, I might to a coffee shop to write, and I’ll treat myself to a latte or a pastry.
It might be a little thing and completely insignificant, but it’s something to look forward to and it helps me enjoy the process.
Writing is work, and it can be hard to get started. So if you sometimes find it difficult to force yourself to sit down and write, just consider treating yourself.
#4 Start Writing
There’s no such thing as writer’s block, so the good news is you don’t need any writing tips that recommend how to avoid writer’s block.
Because the only thing blocking you from writing is yourself. No more excuses, just start writing. The only way you will ever finish is if you start. The most guaranteed way you will FAIL is if you do nothing.
Maybe you’re stuck on a scene, maybe your story structure isn’t as strong as it can be, or maybe you have two very similar characters and you need to combine them. And maybe you just need to think about it a little more.
Fine, do that.
But I also challenge you to start writing. Write about what you did this morning, write about a distant memory, find some random item nearby, and write about it in very specific detail — write about anything. It will trick your brain into action and prove that writer’s block is a myth.
Just start writing.
#5 Stop in the Middle
“Stop when you’re going good.” That’s what I’d consider to be Ernest Hemmingway’s greatest writing tip, and it’s great advice.
What he actually said was, “The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day, you will never be stuck.”
It’s one of the most effective ways to make sure you can pick up writing tomorrow where you left off today.
And it’s another way to be proactive and avoid blaming that mythical monster called writer’s block.
So if you’re about to finish writing for the day and you’re in the middle of the chapter or in the middle of a scene, don’t bother finishing the scene. Just stop and pick it up tomorrow.
#6 Reward Yourself
Incentivizing yourself can be a great way to get you writing and keep you writing. And the reward doesn’t have to be huge. It can be as simple as putting your phone away in a drawer for an hour while you write and then your reward is that you get to look at your phone again.
Or if you love reading and you’ve got a book that you just can’t put down, let that be the reward. Get the writing work done and then when you’re finished working, reward yourself with some reading time.
The reward can be anything.
You’ll be surprised at how a little incentive can go a long way. So reward yourself for your hard work and keep writing.
Keep Writing
The most important thing I’ve discovered is consistency. If you can remain consistent and inch closer to your goals, then you will finish one day.
Are you employing any of these writing tips? I’d love to hear from you. Reach out on TikTok or send me a message. And, as always, keep writing!
