Showing Up As a Writer
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Writing is frequently a really daunting task. So often we have the perfect story conceived in our heads but when it comes to putting it down on paper, it's just not quite the same. That's a big reason why it can be tough for writers to commit to working on their project every day.
It's been said that 80% of success is just showing up. For writers, obviously, not showing up means not making progress on our books.
What exactly does showing up as a writer mean, though?Set aside a dedicated time to write. I'm a big fan for setting the bar low, too. It's more important for our self-confidence as a writer to have a series of “wins” every day than it is to rack up a big word count. But whatever your goal is…five minutes, ten minutes, etc…it's most important that you follow through with it. Think about making it a goal you think you can easily achieve, even if it's just once a week.
But also be flexible enough to grab time when you can. Sometimes we have an unexpected pocket of time. It's really almost like a gift. Instead of scrolling through social media, consider bringing a small notebook with you or opening a document on your phone and brainstorming some ideas for your project.
If something comes up and writing is impossible that day, reschedule the writing session and show up to that one. Sometimes life does get in the way. But try to make your writing time something that you can make: let others know that you're going to be working on your project. Try to protect your time. If the writing session falls through, never try to catch up…it's just such a dispiriting process. Better to reschedule your session for another day or time and show up for that one.
Stay focused during the session. My favorite way to do this is with a timer, but yours might be to disconnect your laptop from the internet or to turn your phone off. Whatever it takes to ensure you can be totally focused on your story.
Have some sort of plan or idea what you're going to write during the next session. I live by my outlines (I'm a reluctant outliner, but I do what works for me), but if you don't like outlining, at least try to have a one-sentence mini-outline to indicate where you want to pick up for your next session so you won't have to spend your writing time re-reading your story.
Set a goal for each session…either by time or by word count. This, again, really helps with focus. And, as I mentioned earlier, you don't have to have a big goal because small ones work just as well.
Spend some time daydreaming or brainstorming ideas for your story. This is something else that's good for those unexpected quiet moments…just letting your mind drift as you think about your characters and the story you're creating.
What are ways that you show up as a writer?
Photo credit: melusina parkin on VisualHunt.com / CC BY-NC-SA
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