by Jenna | Dec 5, 2016 | Writing Articles
One of the biggest challenges I've seen for writers working on long-form writing projects (like books and scripts) is losing heart along the way, mostly because we get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work left to do.
It's not easy to keep our energy mustered toward completion when we've got pages and pages more to write... or harder, pages and pages left to revise (and potentially additional revisions left to go).
Here are three tips designed to help you keep your spirits up as you battle the forces of writing resistance:
Tip #1: Create a Plan
For every stage of your writing, make a plan for it. A plan for the outline, a plan for the first draft, a plan for the revision. For example, if you're writing the first draft, identify the milestones you're aiming to hit, like scenes from an outline or turning points from a beat sheet. Create a timeline for those milestones so you know if you're on track, and if you need to make any adjustments as you're moving through the project.
Even if you're a total pantser, you can still make some estimates for word counts, major turning points, or numbers of chapters.
Make your milestones big enough to be inspiring but not so big that they're overwhelming. I love to use 15-page chunks of a script as a milestone, usually the number of pages between each major script turning point because I know approximately how long it takes me to write or revise a section of that length. (You can see me putting a simple form of this in action here.)
Tip#2: Track Your Work
Once you have your plan and start implementing it, make a point to track your work so you can see how your plan is progressing. I like to use spreadsheets for tracking my writing (there's one in my Ultimate Writer's Toolkit if you want a jump-start with your own tracking).
The core idea is this: Track your time and your word or page counts so you can SEE the progress happening. It's one of the best antidotes I know for project overwhelm. There's nothing quite like seeing your counts climb and knowing you're making progress to help you focus on the progress you are making, as opposed to the work you have yet to do. And this is one of the biggest challenges we face as writers.
We tend to be an intuitive, conceptual bunch (at least the crowd I hang out with) so we can easily see the final, finished product in our minds' eyes -- and then despair when we see how far it is from here to there. But when we learn to use baby steps, and track those steps, we shift our focus from what's yet not done to what is already done, and it's an incredible relief.
Another amazing benefit of tracking your work is being able to see how long each stage and type of work typically takes you, and then you can project approximately how long it'll take to hit each milestone. Such as, how long it takes you to write 15 script pages or 2,000 words in your novel. Or much writing you can do in 60 minutes. Or how long it typically takes you to outline. Knowing your own innate pacing is a big confidence booster, and helps you build trust with yourself as a writer and believe in your ability to complete a project. Knowledge is power.
Plus, when you track your work you'll have the evidence you need to help you stay on track with your writer's schedule. If you've set aside 60 minutes a day for writing, and see every day you're adding 750 words to your manuscript, you'll be more motivated to keep your next writing appointment with yourself because you know in your bones those minutes count.
Tip #3: Keep Your Head Down
And at the same time, let tracking your work be enough of the big picture. Learn to keep your head down and focused on the work at hand rather than on the overall timeline.
Here's what I mean by "keep your head down." Once upon a time, I worked as an intern doing digital 3-D modeling (I made digital houses for virtual architectural walkthroughs and elephants for an animated dictionary, super fun). After I went back to grad school, my boss told me about someone they'd hired. "She keeps her head down," he said.
I wondered what he meant, and he explained that she focused well on doing the work that was in front of her, without looking up and around, chatting, or getting distracted. It clicked for me. And I find that the more I "keep my head down," once I've established the plan for my work, and just do said work, the better off I am.
As a general rule, the time to question and design the plan is not in the middle of implementing the plan, unless something has gone horribly wrong and a course correction is required. But if things are moving forward and no major trains have gone off the rails, stay focused on putting one foot in front of the other and logging the time and tackling the items on the writing to do list.
It's when we stop and question that we flounder. I've seen more than a few writers dropping in and out of the game for reasons like this, and it's just not worth it. The only way out is through. Don't spin your wheels asking "Why is it taking so long?"Just do the work.
Plan the Work and Work the Plan — And Track It!
So if you're looking for ways to keep your energy up while writing your epic book or script, remember: Plan the work and work the plan -- and track it along the way. You'll be amazed at how motivating it is to see your body of work building and building over time.
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by Jenna | Dec 3, 2016 | Writing Articles
Many people think writing is something that happens when we're inspired -- struck by a lightning bolt of ideas, if you will. That when we're inspired we just naturally "find" time to write.
And in a perfect world, that'd be true. (And in a perfect world we'd all have mentors and patrons supporting us to fulfill our creative callings!)
The truth is though, most of us are busy with day jobs, families, and other commitments in addition to our writing, so we have to take a different approach.
Creating Your Writer's Schedule Is About Intentionally Making Time to Write
We don't find time to write. We make time to write.
And making time to write requires being intentional. Writing doesn't "just happen."
When a writer comes to me with a book or script to finish, first I find out about their deadline, and whether it's a self-created deadline or an industry deadline. Then I ask about when they have time write.
Sometimes they have answers, sometimes they don't. Usually it's in the form of some general notions about when they could write or how and when they are already writing (if they are), which is a terrific place to start.
From there I ask a lot of questions about their ideal writing times, other habits, routines, and obligations and we co-create a weekly Target Writing Schedule. We use a weekly schedule because it's a repeatable model writers can carry forward with them throughout the whole year, adjusting as needed when major schedule changes or variations occur. (My Ultimate Writer's Toolkit includes a simple step-by-step process to walk you through creating your personal Ideal Writing Schedule and Target Writing Schedule.)
We call it a target schedule because we know that sometimes life goes awry and we don't hit our targets, but this way we know what to do when that happens -- just flow back into the plan the next day or at the first available opportunity. It's like having a regular work schedule. You get sick and miss a day, and then go right back to work when you get better.
The Magic Happens When You Make a Writer's Schedule
So much magic happens when you make your writer's schedule:
- You become more intentional about writing, and more aware of any choices you make that stop you from writing.
- You make writing a priority in your life, and validate that priority as you put it into action.
- You have an easier time keeping writing appointments with yourself when they're planned into your day.
- You raise the bar on the professionalism you're bringing to your writing. There's a chasm between hoping to write and scheduling writing, and putting it on your calendar helps you bridge that gap. It's about turning pro.
- You become far more likely to protect your writing time from scheduling other meetings or events during those time slots.
- You create a container for your writing, so when you have a project you want to complete, you know just how and when you'll do it.
- You become much more likely to stay on track with finishing your project without getting burnt out, or ending up in binge-writing mode struggling to meet a deadline at the last minute.
- You know when and how to reboot yourself if you get off track one day -- you go back to the schedule the next day.
If you're looking ahead to writing seriously in 2017, start by setting up your writer's schedule, so you'll be ready to hit the ground running when the clock turns.
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by Jenna | Dec 1, 2016 | Writing Articles
It's the holiday season, and the crunch is on! We're busy with everything. Shopping, holiday parties, family gatherings, end of year deadlines, kids off school, and more. That makes it a prime time of year for our writing habits slip by the wayside, but I'm here to help with seven easy ways you can sneak writing in, even in the midst of the chaos.
7 Easy Ways to Sneak In Writing Time Over the Holidays
When you're looking for easy ways to get more writing in, try these ideas:
- Write early. You've probably heard me talk about the virtues of early morning writing before. During the holidays, early morning writing will save you. You can write before your kids get up and your spouse leaves for work, even when the kids are off school for Winter Break. You can hide out in the guest bedroom at your aunt's house and write in bed -- no one will even know you are awake! You can write before you tackle other projects or head out shopping. Whatever else you have on your plate for the day, when you write first, your heart and spirit will be lighter, knowing you've met your most important commitment to yourself first.
- Set a special holiday daily target. When you're writing during a busy season like this one, you'll want to tweak your daily writing goals. Maybe you're someone who has oodles of time off over the holidays, and you can set higher goals, but if you're like the rest of us with day jobs and kids and a plethora of social commitments, now's the time to figure out your daily holiday writing targets. They're probably lurking somewhere between what I call your "rock bottom minimum" (the absolute minimum amount of writing you want to accomplish on a given day) and your optimal amount of writing during a busy time. Here's what I mean: Normally I aim to write for about 60 minutes a day, more when I'm stretching for a big goal. My rock bottom minimum is 15 minutes a day. So my holiday target is 30 minutes per day.
- Scan your day for potential pockets of writing time. When you get up in the morning, if you're not going to write first thing, mentally scan your timetable for the day to see if you can spot little pockets of writing time. Maybe you can go early to that dentist appointment and write in the waiting room. Or write a bit in the car on your mobile device while your spouse is driving to the holiday party. Or take a writing time-out at a café while you're out shopping for holiday gifts. While I'm not usually one for cramming writing into every available moment of my life, intentionally identifying and using one writing window in a day can be a beautiful way to make space for writing.
- Streamline your other activities. My holiday life has gotten so much easier since I do most of my shopping online these days. I shop in batches on Amazon, which saves me an enormous amount of emotional wear and tear and saves my energy for writing. I also carefully balance the number of events we attend over the holidays and try to keep the number manageable (I have a threshold of one social gathering per weekend if I can keep it that way and I make exceptions only with careful forethought). When you purposefully design for sanity, it's much easier to then make time to write, also.
- Write light. There's a tremendous advantage to writing regularly, which is quite simply that it makes it easier to keep going... and that's what gets us to the finish line with our books and scripts. But sometimes, keeping your head in a script or novel is just too hard when there's so much crazy going on. In that case, you may want to try lighter writing -- journaling, morning pages, brainstorming, writing outside your project (freewriting within the story but outside the primary document for it). This way, you're keeping the words flowing onto the page and holding the space you have in your life for writing, but also making it easier on yourself.
- Write late. If you aim to write in the morning but don't, or just don't want to, considering writing in the evening just before bed. You can even sneak off to bed early when you're staying with your relatives, or go to that office party early and duck out well before last call to make some time for writing. Think of it as your own secret time, just for you. You feed your soul's calling when you write, and there couldn't be a better gift to give yourself for the holidays.
- Have fun! The holidays can be delightful, but they can also be quite stressful. Emotions get stirred up; there's more pressure to perform and feel a certain way, look a certain way, etc. So giving yourself a pet project might just be the ticket for some extra writing inspiration and energy, or bringing the spirit of play to your work can help you make a point to enjoy it. You can even make a game out of creating writing time for yourself. Make it feel like you are getting away with something, and you will be. :)
Here's Why It's Worth It To Sneak In the Writing Time Now
When you write now, you'll position yourself well to take advantage of that big burst of writing energy you're going to have come January 1st. You know it's coming, right? Remember, a body in motion has a tendency to stay in motion, so writing now helps you write later. (Whereas not writing now means it's harder to write later -- the body at rest tends to stay at rest... It's all about inertia, baby!)
The good news is that it doesn't have to be hard to write even during this busy season. Use these tips to make writing easy through the holidays so you can jump in with both feet when January 1st rolls around.
Got other holiday writing tips? I'd love to hear about them in the comments!
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by Jenna | Nov 10, 2016 | Writing Articles
It's been an intense week.
Regardless of your political affiliation, here in the U.S. and worldwide we've been through the wringer and come out changed. We're all going through a lot right now. There's much to process, contemplate, and recover from.
In the midst of all this, the important thing is to remember who we are. That we each have a purpose to fulfill.
A calling.
If you're hanging out with me in this little corner of the Universe, you're called to write. To create with words, pen on page, fingers on keyboard.
A tremendous gift, writing is.
It has the power to open minds and hearts.
To express deeper truths.
To shine lights into the recesses of our humanity and unearth hidden gems and wounds.
To heal, inspire, strengthen, catalyze, and change.
To heal us individually as writers.
And even though it may be tempting to turn away from your writing right now, please don't.
If not for others, for yourself. Because writing will remind you who you are, and what you were put here to do.
When my mother in law died in 2015, I clung to my writing as if it would save my life. It was my constant in a sea of pain and turmoil.
If you find yourself in that place now, as I do, let writing be the raft that carries you to shore.
I know that not everyone is hurting right now. It is likely that some among us are happy with this week's outcomes. And that is your right.
But let us keep the focus on the larger vision. Our writing. Our truths. The messages we each have to share with the world. Because that's why we're here.
Keep writing.
With love,
by Jenna | Oct 12, 2016 | Writing Articles
In a recent post I wrote about what "counts" as writing. I promised to share some of the story development steps I take before I'm willing to begin writing actual new pages; hence this post. This is a work in progress for me; I'm constantly working to hone and improve my writing skills, so I'm sure it will continue to evolve as I evolve as a writer.
Here's what I currently like to have before starting to write, in approximate order:
- Goals, Motivation, and Conflict (GMC) for Main Characters: The goals, motivation, and conflict for each of my primary characters so I stay in touch with what they're doing, why they're doing it, and what gets in their way over the course of the story. (This link will take you a more detailed article about GMC.)
- Character Profiles: I write character profiles for my primary and secondary characters detailing their personality traits, flaws, character arcs, and more. (This link takes you to the same place as the one above, where you can also download a free character profile template that includes GMC.)
- Logline: A twenty-five word summary of the story, including its best hook.
- Premise Line: A longer summary of the story, using Jeff Lyons's method for mapping the core structural story elements to a premise line template.
- Theme and Message: What's this story about? This is one of those things I'm usually guessing at when I first start —it often doesn't become clear until I've written one or more drafts, but I like to take a stab at it before I begin. More on this in the future.
- Internal and External Content Genres: I like to use Shawn Coyne's The Story Grid* to get clear on the external and internal content genres of the story to help me make sure I'm staying in touch with the theme and intent of the story I'm aiming to tell.
- Key Story Values: I also like Shawn's approach to identifying the key values at play in the story (as indicated by the content genres) and make sure (to the extent of my current abilities!) that I also understand their gradations along the spectrum from positive to opposite/contrary to negative/contradictory to the negation of the negation that I'll be exploring over the course of the story.
- Primary Plot Points: I detail my primary plot points, using a cobbled-together version of the many variations I've learned over the years. These tie in well with the mini-movie method I use (developed by Chris Soth) and help break a story down into smaller chunks.
- Opening
- Inciting Incident
- End of Act I, Lock In, Plot Point #1
- First Pinch Point
- Midpoint
- Second Pinch Point
- End of Act II, Cave Moment/All Is Lost, Plot Point #2
- Crisis
- Climax
- Resolution
- Plot Backstory: I like to write out a summary in prose of what's happened leading up to the story. Who was doing what before we enter this story world's timeline?
- Scene by Scene Outline: I also like to have a scene by scene outline before I start writing scenes. I identify their location (with a slugline, since I'm writing scripts), the essence of what happens in the scene, and several other elements. I use a scene template that I'll share with you at some point.
- Treatment/Synopsis (Optional): I may also write a treatment or synopsis for the story, knowing it will likely change as I write the actual story, just to give myself a little more guidance about what happens. Usually I'll do this before a scene outline.
- Query Letter (Optional): Sometimes I'll even take a stab at writing a query letter for the project to help me identify the hooks for the story and what to focus on building strongly.
- Timeline or other organizing structural tools (Optional, if the story demands it): If needed, I'll create a timeline for the project (particularly valuable for time travel stories!) or create other project specific organizational systems if the story requires it. This is one of those gut-level things for me.
Once I have all these pieces of the puzzle assembled, that's when I'll feel more confident about starting pages. Sure, some may change, but it gives me a road map and greatly streamlines the writing process for me. I'm also finding that I'm asking myself to stay longer and go deeper with each element, in order to feel more solid about it before diving in.
What do you like to have before you start writing pages, if anything? Or are you more of a pantser when it comes to writing pages? I'd love to hear about your approach in the comments.
* Affiliate link
