Tiny Tricks for Eventual Success
Writing a book can be scary, but this isn’t just a post for writers. Doing anything which requires an extensive time commitment can be intimidating. It’s also hard to see the end result at the beginning. These are tips I use for writing novels, but they will work for big homework projects, research papers, nonfiction books, small projects and papers, and even housework and daily tasks.
Find the root of the problem
This is a philosophy that has served me well all areas of my life. Often when we attack a problem in our lives, we end up attacking a symptom of that problem instead of the cause. For example, calling ourselves “lazy” or “unmotivated” at work, when our real problem is that our health habits make us tired and lethargic. For me, this has meant cutting down carbs early in the day, and adding walking to my middle of the day routine. My health goes up, but suddenly my energy and creativity do, too!
If you consider a writing problem, one that plagues a lot of writers is fear. Fear of failing. Fear of succeeding. Fear of not knowing what to do. But we channel those fears into things like procrastination, avoiding writing so we can deny the problem and not face it. Fear is never fun, but it is something we can face. Nothing will happen to us if we don’t publish a book, so why not write it anyway? Write it for fun. Write it for yourself. Worry about what you’re going to do with it when it’s done. If you’re really concerned about quality, there’s nothing wrong with changing things later, hiring people to help, and getting support when the time comes. After the first draft is done. Take each step one at a time, and face the other steps when their times come.
Make it a game
Life is so much easier when you don’t take it seriously. As a writer, I’m always imagining different characters, so why not imagine myself as one, too? I use HabitRPG as a to do list, a fun, fastasy roleplaying-based take on task lists. Another alternative I haven’t used but heard good things about is LifeRPG, which has its own reddit. A lot of people enjoy Fitocracy for fitness-based tasks, and it seems like a great app.
Focus on one tiny bit at a time
I find it too easy to get focused on ALL OF THE HUGE SCARY STUFF that I get scared and my mind starts wandering and then I give up and go have a Diet Coke… Doesn’t sound familiar? Well, on the chance that it does, it helps to think as small as possible. A single sentence. A single paragraph. Tell yourself you can just write one sentence, and then go off and do whatever. The kicker? I never end up writing just one sentence.
Do a little bit every day
This pairs nicely with the one above. I put one sentence/one paragraph tasks or very short timed tasks on my to do list, including writing on my blog. By the time I want to post my blog, I just need to fill in a little bit, proofread, and it’s finished! Some examples of things I do a little of each day are writing on short stories, editing, practicing viola, and cleaning.
Take some time to brainstorm
Brainstorming is an easy way to increase both our awareness of the problem as well as possible solutions. I use several different methods to brainstorm. One is just to list things at the top of chapters in Scrivener or in a notes file for that book when I think of them. That way I can come back and have ready-made ideas when I get to that point. I also keep a Google Drive document for each book where I throw notes from my phone when I’m away from my computer.
When I want to brainstorm on a particular problem (and it doesn’t have to be a writing problem), I get out a whiteboard and Post-it notes. I write whatever comes to mind on the Post-its and just stick them on the board. I’ve found the best time to do this for me is during the commercials of a TV show I really want to watch. I usually challenge myself to come up with one idea per commercial.
Skip the beginning
I write about skipping the first chapter in this blog post. This can be extended to other projects. Just start something, even if you start in the middle, or even if you start with one section or idea. I think humans naturally invest so much anxiety in having things perfect from the beginning that we never end up starting them at all. If you don’t have a beginning, that’s okay. Start with the idea you do have. You can always do the beginning later.
Related Posts:
Writing the End: How it should have ended
Plot Inspiration from Korean Dramas
Avoiding First Sentence/Chapter Dread
Original article: Tiny Tricks for Eventual Success.
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