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Once upon a time, a discussion over at ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
buymeaclue's place on avoiding flamewars centred around that sometimes useless maxim of write every day led to some people idly speculating that discussion how one does this might be more useful than repeating the same old advice.
It's something I get asked from time to time, too. So, we're going to have that discussion, I think -- based in very little but my own iffy experience, but feel free to take up the topic yourselves. *g*
My personal schedule's pretty full: currently I'm working five days a week at two jobs (it was six days while writing Claire de Lune), taking two high-workload classes, editing for Ideomancer, critting for friends (although I've been very bad about this of late), reading a share of new releases for the bookstore's shelf reviews, trying to keep my apartment clean, and trying to also get some downtime to myself and have a social life. I do benefit from not having things like cable TV (dubious -- I never watched it anyway), dependents that aren't plants, and friends and family that are fairly aware/accomodating of the fact that I'm, well, busy.
Things that have helped me find time to write regularly (when I have a project upon which to write regularly, and that's a whole other discussion) include:
-- Setting reasonable goals. My usual is 1000 words a day (four pages). That's reasonable for me mid-project, when I know where things are going and don't have to do heavy plotting work. When I'm at the beginning of a project, 250 words a day is reasonable. There's a lot to be said for knowing your own work habits and limits, and how they change.
-- Setting routines. This doesn't mean a writing routine, but routine in other parts of my life. I know exactly how many minutes I need to get from my apartment to the subway to work, or how long it'll take me to shower, or make and eat my lunch. I have a few tactile habits that get me into a working frame of mind (unfortunately, one of them is a hot cup of tea in my hand, and thus I have a caffeine addiction). When you can get enough of your daily functions nailed down like that, you can sort of know when it's time to sit down and get words.
-- Writing when there's mental energy. If I tried to write after work all the time, it'd all come out as dribble. I sort of have the luxury of doing it before work, since I work an evening job four days a week: so words in the afternoon when I'm fresh, and vegging after work. This helps with the routine too: dividing up the day into discrete functions. This, of course, depends on when you feel most sharp personally.
The flip side to this is that when I'm stressed out, upset, or in the middle of major life turmoil, I don't write. Period. So I've found general things one does to maintain sanity also maintain wordcount.
-- Judicious use of the guiltmonkey. My guiltmonkey is powerful, and sometimes evil, but they can be bent to good use. Especially when you really don't want to write that last 100 words and need a way to make yourself do it.
-- Judicious use of the reward monkey. Because you need a carrot as well as a stick. Even little things: chocolate, a new book, permission to goof off -- things like that.
-- People to nag you. Which we more gently call a Support Group. *g* One of the best ways to get oneself writing is watching all your friends announce their wordcounts and having nothing to say. Mutual support/peer pressure does wonders.
-- Accountability. When I was into the 1k-a-day routine, if I was short a day or skipped a day, I'd have to make it up before the end of the month somewhere. If I went over, I'd count it against that deficit, but not all the time: the point is to get more words, after all. The whole origin of my LJ metrics and the Subs & Stats bit on the webpage was to keep myself accountable: it's nice to see those numbers pile up.
And finally...
Spending every second you have. When I'm working on a project, I'm thinking about it all the time. On the subway home, I'm thinking about that book. At work, between calls or shelving the bookstore, or walking from class, or making my lunch, or in the shower, or washing my dishes, or falling asleep, I am thinking about that book. There is very little time I spend not thinking about that book.
And so when I sit down at the keyboard, in the hour I have to write that day, I'm ready to write.
So there's my tactics. What are yours?
buymeaclue's place on avoiding flamewars centred around that sometimes useless maxim of write every day led to some people idly speculating that discussion how one does this might be more useful than repeating the same old advice.It's something I get asked from time to time, too. So, we're going to have that discussion, I think -- based in very little but my own iffy experience, but feel free to take up the topic yourselves. *g*
My personal schedule's pretty full: currently I'm working five days a week at two jobs (it was six days while writing Claire de Lune), taking two high-workload classes, editing for Ideomancer, critting for friends (although I've been very bad about this of late), reading a share of new releases for the bookstore's shelf reviews, trying to keep my apartment clean, and trying to also get some downtime to myself and have a social life. I do benefit from not having things like cable TV (dubious -- I never watched it anyway), dependents that aren't plants, and friends and family that are fairly aware/accomodating of the fact that I'm, well, busy.
Things that have helped me find time to write regularly (when I have a project upon which to write regularly, and that's a whole other discussion) include:
-- Setting reasonable goals. My usual is 1000 words a day (four pages). That's reasonable for me mid-project, when I know where things are going and don't have to do heavy plotting work. When I'm at the beginning of a project, 250 words a day is reasonable. There's a lot to be said for knowing your own work habits and limits, and how they change.
-- Setting routines. This doesn't mean a writing routine, but routine in other parts of my life. I know exactly how many minutes I need to get from my apartment to the subway to work, or how long it'll take me to shower, or make and eat my lunch. I have a few tactile habits that get me into a working frame of mind (unfortunately, one of them is a hot cup of tea in my hand, and thus I have a caffeine addiction). When you can get enough of your daily functions nailed down like that, you can sort of know when it's time to sit down and get words.
-- Writing when there's mental energy. If I tried to write after work all the time, it'd all come out as dribble. I sort of have the luxury of doing it before work, since I work an evening job four days a week: so words in the afternoon when I'm fresh, and vegging after work. This helps with the routine too: dividing up the day into discrete functions. This, of course, depends on when you feel most sharp personally.
The flip side to this is that when I'm stressed out, upset, or in the middle of major life turmoil, I don't write. Period. So I've found general things one does to maintain sanity also maintain wordcount.
-- Judicious use of the guiltmonkey. My guiltmonkey is powerful, and sometimes evil, but they can be bent to good use. Especially when you really don't want to write that last 100 words and need a way to make yourself do it.
-- Judicious use of the reward monkey. Because you need a carrot as well as a stick. Even little things: chocolate, a new book, permission to goof off -- things like that.
-- People to nag you. Which we more gently call a Support Group. *g* One of the best ways to get oneself writing is watching all your friends announce their wordcounts and having nothing to say. Mutual support/peer pressure does wonders.
-- Accountability. When I was into the 1k-a-day routine, if I was short a day or skipped a day, I'd have to make it up before the end of the month somewhere. If I went over, I'd count it against that deficit, but not all the time: the point is to get more words, after all. The whole origin of my LJ metrics and the Subs & Stats bit on the webpage was to keep myself accountable: it's nice to see those numbers pile up.
And finally...
Spending every second you have. When I'm working on a project, I'm thinking about it all the time. On the subway home, I'm thinking about that book. At work, between calls or shelving the bookstore, or walking from class, or making my lunch, or in the shower, or washing my dishes, or falling asleep, I am thinking about that book. There is very little time I spend not thinking about that book.
And so when I sit down at the keyboard, in the hour I have to write that day, I'm ready to write.
So there's my tactics. What are yours?
