How To Be An Effective & Efficient Writer
Many writers that I know write inconsistently. Why? Life gets in the way. Procrastination rears its ugly head. You’re waiting for The Muse to feed you ideas. Do you want to change? Do you wonder how to be a productive writer? I have tips that you can use to be a #30MinuteWriter as well as a #30MinuteSoloprenuer if you’re a business owner who needs to write for his or her business.
Your memory is not your friend!
Don’t rely on “remembering” to write. If you write down, “get my writing done” you’re more likely to follow through.
As with any of your solopreneur tasks, writing needs to be a priority and because of that it should be on your to-do lists and it should be on your schedule. If you don’t prioritize your writing, it will become an unimportant part of your day until it becomes a distant memory.
How To Be An Effective & Efficient Writer
Schedule blocks of writing time on your schedule. Hold your writing time sacred. Make it a non-negotiable part of your day.
To be a productive writer you need to schedule your time and get into a writing routine. Commitment is part of being a productive writer.
Here are three ways to become a more productive writer:
Add “write” to your to-do list
Write your writing appointment in your calendar and stick to it
When you show up for your writing appointment, be prepared to write. Don’t waste time pondering what to write
Write it down, make it happen
I find that when I don’t write down “work on novel” in my calendar, I don’t work on my novel. When I don’t write it down, I find that a week could easily pass without my having written a word. Ugh.
When I’ve taught writing classes I found that not many writers put “writing” on a calendar. They don’t believe they need to be that structured. They also realize they aren’t getting any writing done. See the connection?
Your days can easily get away from you and your novel or blogging will suffer.
You don’t have to use any specific type of planner or calendar. You can use an electronic or paper planner – whatever works best for you. As long as you write down your writing appointments you will be on your way to being a productive writer.
Keep your appointment
It’s easy to let life get in the way of your writing and to tell yourself that your writing appointment isn’t that “important” as compared to other items on your calendar.
If you don’t value your writing appointments, no one else will. Write your appointment down and keep it. Don’t cheat yourself out of writing time.
Plan to be an effective & efficient writer
When you’re scheduling your writing appointments, make sure you know what you will write and plan for that project. Don’t lose valuable writing time by procrastinating and staring at the blank screen.
If you’re working on a novel, leave your writing at a cliffhanger moment so when you sit down you’re inspired to jump back in and get your characters off the cliff.
If you’re a solopreneur who needs to write, have an editorial calendar and have your blog topics planned. This makes it easier to just get writing when your allotted writing appointment arrives.
How To Be An Efficient & Effective Writer
#30-Minute Solopreneur Tip