Increasing Writing Productivity

[BWFoster78]

Recently, I've been thinking a lot about writing more productively. Even read a book on the subject.

Seems to me that there are two components:

1. Getting your butt in a seat to put words on the page.
2. Increase efficiency while in the seat.

The book really focused on the second part, but it also convinced me that the main way to become more productive is to analyze what works for you and what doesn't. Since I've been struggling a bit with the first part lately and another thread on this forum brought up the subject, I thought I'd share what I think my problems are and what I hope the solutions will be:

Problem 1 - Doubt

By far, the biggest reason that makes me want to avoid sitting down to put words on a page is the little voice in the back of my head that says, "No one is going to enjoy what you're writing. Anywhere. Ever. It's pointless to continue."

The solution, as far as I can tell, is to find what excited me about the story in the first place. I go over the story in my mind and let myself dwell on the really cool scenes. That seems to reinvigorate me.

Problem 2 - The scene is going in the wrong direction.

I know exactly what the scene needs to accomplish in terms of conveying plot and character. I know in general terms the character's scene goal and opposition. I start writing. And I come to a screeching halt. Nothing I write seems to work. Later, after getting some distance, I realize that I'm writing myself into a dead end or what's happening doesn't fit the character/plot or whatever the problem is. Once I make that determination, it's pretty easy to fix and move forward, but I wasted a lot of time getting to that point.

I tend to be very rigid in my writing (I know, I know. All of you have so much trouble believing that I'd be rigid about anything regarding writing, but it's true!). My goal for the day is to finish the first draft of Chapter Y and then revise Chapter X. The solution to the problem, I think, is for me to change my routine. If I'm not feeling Chapter Y, go ahead and move to Chapter X. It feels so, so wrong, but, ultimately, I think it's the way for me to move forward much more efficiently.

Problem 3 - Losing my momentum.

Prior to Christmas, I was working pretty steadily, getting a decent, if unspectacular, daily word count done. Then I went on vacation for 3 weeks. Didn't write a word. When I got back home, I found it extremely difficult to get started again. Wasted pretty much the entire month of January.

The solution? IDK. Stop going on vacation?

Anyway, not sure if anyone else will get much use out of this, but there it is. What kills your productivity and what are you going to do about it?

Thanks.

Brian

 

[Incanus]

Thanks Brian. We don't have to have the same tastes in style or content to talk about technique or 'approach'.

So for me, #1 on the list is not much of a problem. I've arranged things so that I have the time every night to sit down to write, and I've been sticking to that pretty well, even when I've been in a 'blah' mood.

#2 is THE problem for me. I'm a scatter-brained space-cadet of the highest order. I can't seem to stay focused. My mind wanders and wanders. Even mid sentence sometimes.

My solution--when I start my novel (a few months hence), I plan on employing a new approach. I will give myself permission to be super sloppy with the first draft. Just the basics of each scene. I think I'll even use placeholders for long descriptions or anything else that will need to be elaborated on. Something like: "description of laboratory here", with maybe a list of details to include or whatever I think I can get away with that doesn't take up too much time. Then later I can look at how the scenes work together within the larger structure, and build them up accordingly.

This has got to be better than what I've been doing. Part of the reason I worked on shorts and a novella was to get more comfortable with my 'writing voice'. Though not awesome or anything, I trust it a little more now. That's one reason why I think this new approach will be more appropriate for my next project.

By the way, what book on productivity did you read?

 

[Addison]

#1 isn't a problem for me. At least not when I'm deep in the story. But if I'm still in the first act then I'll keep going back and forth, rewriting, hitting and hating myself. Once I'm past it, I'm good.

#2 This is more of a hiccup than a problem for me. A story can go all sorts of ways and sometimes I can't really listen to the characters telling me what happens in the best and clearest way so instead I start telling them what they're doing.

#3 This is more of a physically-striking disease for me than mental. I can write until I run out of steam. Whether it's actual stories, little articles that no one will read (they're mostly about my annoying family) or just open rants about any problems I'm facing int he story. Writing about the problem, like an open rant or a story roasting, is hugely therapeutic.

The only problem, which has hit me again recently, is that just when I think I'm done. That golden moment when I'm ready to send it to an editor then agent, one of the character coyly tells me i forgot one itsy bitsy detail. Like a plot element, a name, something that's actually hugely important that sends me head first into the manuscript gloved up and prepped for surgery.

 

[BWFoster78]

By the way, what book on productivity did you read?

Write Better, Faster

It wasn't bad, but if you're looking for "do this!" you're not going to find it. Her approach is more, "experiment and see what works for you."

 

[skip.knox]

My big challenge is getting tangled up in my own plot threads. I find I can outline until the cows come home, have been fed, watched a program, and got settled in their stalls. Then when I write the story, the outline almost immediately become irrelevant.

So I tried just charging ahead. Full speed and don't worry about those torpedoes. I reach the other shore with a boat full of holes. Rewriting such a manuscript is beyond laborious, it's disheartening.

So I took a respectable short story of about 5500 words, one that had been critted once and I knew could stand a re-write, and I did this: start reading until I hit something that needed fixing. Fix it. Go back to the beginning and start reading until I hit something that needed fixing. Fix it. Repeat. Grimly, ploddingly (not to say plottingly) until the last page.

The urge to jump forward was overpowering at times and I confess to skipping a scene or two, but I was able to guilt myself into backing up. The end result, though, is presentable. So, next time, I'm going to sketch out the overall story, make some character and setting notes--a high-level outline, if you must--then start writing. But I'm going to use the Hemingway technique. Every day, I go back and read from page 1 until I either hit something that needs fixing or get to where I start writing.

I think this approach is the best way for me to get to a finished manuscript in the least amount of time.

Making time is no longer an issue for me. It's making the *best* time that's the issue.

 

[Penpilot]

Problem 1

I deal with this two ways. One, I tell myself, that what I write may suck now, but I can make it better. And along the way I will learn, and I will get better. Two, I ask myself if I'm serious about writing. Do I want to write? If the answer is no, then I should just go watch some TV and not feel guilty about it. I tell myself not everyone is cut out to be a writer, but if it's important to you, you will make the time for it and go do it, not because you'll get published, but because you like telling stories, even if the only audience is yourself.

Problem 2

I go into each scene knowing where my characters are coming in and knowing where they should be when they go out. When I'm not feeling it, I push through making sure my characters end up where they should, even if they stumble there. I find that this allows me to move on and come back when I have a better feel for the scene and prevents me from getting trapped in a corner. This is because I know the connecting points at the beginning and end. Generally, knowing this allows me to freely change up everything in between without affecting the rest of the story.

Problem 3

I had health problems that prevented me from writing for almost six months. And you are absolutely right about killing momentum. It is incredibly hard to get back, at least for me. But I figured out something that works for me. Just the act of sitting down for a few minutes and doing something writing related helps to maintain momentum.

For example your vacation. During it, you don't have to sit down and write for a few hours. You just have to every day sit down for like 5-10 minutes and either write a few words, doesn't matter how many, OR you can just read through what you have and do some minor edits/jot notes down. What matters is you're jumping back into the writing head space and feeding your habit/routine enough to keep it alive. It helps to keep your story fresh in your head, but can still give you distance enough to come up with solutions to problems you're stuck on.

 

[skip.knox]

Specifically for vacations, I keep a journal. It keeps the writing hand in. Also, I turn the journal into a narrative, which family members like (or say they like!) to read.

 

[acapes]

One thing for motivation I use is basically a psychological ploy on myself, adapted from a Chuck Wendig post. (the image is a good summation of his post)

I set a small daily word count goal (300 words) and I hit it each night.

Then, when I invariably go over 300 words for the session, I feel like I've done really well. So I stay happy with my writing and the progress and my motivation stays high. On the odd day where I only make 50 or 100 words I don't feel bad because the night before I probably did 500 or 1000.

Again, it's just a silly trick but having that achievable minimum helps me feel like I'm on track.

 

[Micheale]

I'm the total opposite. It takes me forever because I enjoy the rhythm and the syntax and creating the perfect illusion, metaphor, and description. I will sometimes sit for 2-3 hours and only create one beautiful sentance or paragraph. It has to be beautiful for me. If I sat down and just tried writing words for the sake of words I'd just end up deleting it all anyway.

I use the Hemingway method stated above where I always restart at the beginning again. I can do this though because I don't have a deadline. I can take 16 years if I want.