4 ways to boost your writing productivity

Those productive writing days are brilliant. They make us remember why we love to write in the first place and, when we’ve got deadlines to meet, are utterly wonderful. However, those days when we want to be productive but simply aren’t are practically the opposite – depressing, annoying and frustrating. With this in mind, here are some ways you could boost your writing productivity.

 

Write one-line descriptions of scenes/chapters when planning your novel. This way, even if you feel stuck when you get to the bit in question, you’ll still have something to go on, which can be much more helpful than a blank page and brain freeze.
Remember that productivity doesn’t always mean you have to actually write. Some of our best progress is made when we’re not writing at all – sometimes we just need a bit of space to think things through and get plots and other issue straight in our heads. It’s still productive, and it will also help our future productivity when we actually get down to the business of writing.
Eliminate distractions. We all know about getting rid of physical distractions, such as the internet and the urge to make cups of tea every twenty minutes. However, it is often mental distractions that really hamper our writing productivity. At the start of your writing session, take five minutes to think through and/or write down everything that’s currently on your mind. Then put it all to one side and get on with your writing, free from distractions but knowing you’ll be able to come back to everything else later.
Set regular, small targets. Having one big target – ‘write book’ – is all well and good, but it can often seem hard to achieve and end up affecting your progress. By contrast, regular, smaller goals – ‘write chapter’ or ‘think up character names’ are infinitely more achievable and, as you tick goals off your checklist, you’ll see your progress and productivity increase.