How to Keep Writing (or Stick to Any Other Project)

10/18/2016

For some writers, the hard part is coming up with an idea. For others, ideas are a dime a dozen -- the hard part is the actual writing, which is what I'll talk about in this post. I find that the key to writing is discipline. Set a routine and stick to it. Make it achievable -- perhaps just one or two hundred words per day. Sometimes you might not make it, whether due to your schedule or 'writer's block' -- but try every single day. Even if you just write a single sentence, you're making progress.

Many people hate routines. They feel locked in, or tied down -- they want the freedom to do whatever they want when they want it. But remember that writing is a choice -- you can choose to stick to a routine and make progress on your story, novel, or other project, or you can choose to do something else. You have the freedom to choose. But there are are consequences to your choices, and if you don't stick to a routine, you may find that months have gone by without any progress on your project. Perhaps you can tailor your routine to be more flexible -- maybe you write 4 days a week instead of every day. Maybe you set rewards for your goals -- no ice cream unless you meet your goal for a week. Even better, no beer!

The key to all this is discipline. I was lucky enough to learn discipline in the US military. Believe me, whether you like it or not you will learn discipline training and serving in the military! But you don't need military training to become disciplined. Anyone can learn discipline, but it takes effort. You can't decide to be disciplined -- you can only be disciplined, consciously, every day until it sticks.

When a chance comes up to write or put it off, you have a choice to make. You have the power -- everyone does -- to choose to write or to relax. Make the choice to write, at least once a day, or whatever else your routine demands. Get it done early -- do it first thing, or at your lunch break, or when you get home from work, perhaps. It's easy to say but hard to do -- but the choice is still up to you. Make the right decision for long enough, and eventually discipline is second nature. It really does get easy to stick to a routine once you've developed discipline.

Andy Crawford is the writer of two novels: the fantasy adventure Sailor of the Skysea, and the satirical fantasy The Pen is Mightier, which is perfect for fans of Game of Thrones. You can find his books in paperback or ebook on Amazon below.