by Jenna | Aug 15, 2024 | ScriptMag Articles
In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m responding to a question about recovering a writing practice after a busy summer.
Hi Jenna, I’ve lost a lot of my writing momentum over the summer between travel and my kids being off school, though I’ve been able to keep working at a sort-of minimal level. What tips do you have for getting back on track with writing?
Great question! Many parent-writers are in a similar boat, including me.
First, good for you for staying connected even at a minimal level — that will make it much, much easier to regain your momentum.
In the article, I share some tips for getting back on track with writing when your writing practice has been disrupted by all the good stuff summer has to offer.
- Remember, it won’t take long to reconnect to writing.
- Update your writing schedule.
- Create supports to help you stay on track.
- Tap into the “back to school” energy.
- Set a target amount of writing time for each day.
There’s a convenient aspect to the fall energy of “back to school” we can all rely on right now — a sense of motivation and activation to recommit and move ahead with projects we’ve maybe let languish a bit. Give yourself permission to “start over” with this revitalized energy to take action and make writing happen. It can feel fun, empowering, and even exciting.
Don’t think of this as a slow, struggling reboot, but a fresh, happy restart.
Want the full scoop? Get all the details in the full article on Script Mag:
Image credit: Script Magazine / Canva
by Jenna | Aug 18, 2023 | ScriptMag Articles
With the start of school and fall on the horizon, there’s this energy many of us naturally connect to that feels motivating and inspiring to start new things, take action, get organized, and make things happen. Lean into this energy and let it buoy you toward the momentum and progress you’re wanting.
In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m addressing a question regarding getting back to writing after summertime.
“My kids are starting school again. (Whew! Ack!) Truth be told, it’s been hard to write this summer with so much going on between family vacations and organizing summer camps. How can I regain my momentum after a rocky summer, writing-wise?”
Hey, good question! Many screenwriter-parent types are asking ourselves similar questions right now. Whether you’ve been writing intermittently, or not at all, the good news is that as your kids head to their classrooms, you can tap into the “back-to-school” energy they’ll be experiencing too.
And this is true whether or not you’re a parent. There’s a natural activation energy that arises in the fall and spring in particular, so this is a smart time to revisit your writing practice and give it a refresh if needed.
Here are the 7 steps I discuss in my response:
- Remind yourself to treat writing like a pro.
- At the same time, allow writing to be fun and joyful.
- Lean into the back-to-school activation energy.
- Revisit your writing practice.
- Remember, you can ramp up gradually.
- Keep going to keep going.
- Be ready to adapt.
Want the full scoop? Get all the details in the full article on Script Mag:
by Jenna | Nov 19, 2022 | ScriptMag Articles
In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m responding to a question about prioritizing writing.
In the article, I talk about what prioritizing writing means, where we run into trouble, and then how to prioritize writing.
Here are some of the key points to give you a sneak peek:
- Think of writing as “important, not urgent,” aka something you invest in — taking action on writing is about being the leader of your own life.
- Craft a workable writing schedule that helps you make your priorities actually happen.
- Set writing goals for yourself so you know what you’re doing when you sit down to write.
- Set boundaries around your writing time with others — and yourself.
- Match your attention, intention, and action — so you’re being the writer you want to be.
Ultimately, prioritizing writing boils down to a collection of choices we make about ourselves and our lives that are reflected in our goals, actions, attention, and intentions.
Photo by Ann H on Pexels
by Jenna | Sep 18, 2022 | ScriptMag Articles
In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article I’m answering a reader question about how to build a consistent writing routine, even while managing work and family.
This is the high level view of the 7 tips I shared to help writers start to establish a consistent writing routine and rhythm. Each tip is described more fully in the article, but here’s the list to get you started:
- Begin with sustainability in mind.
- Study your own “resistance threshold.”
- Explore your optimal time of day for writing.
- Trim time from less fulfilling activities.
- Design a writing schedule.
- Build in writing associations or triggers.
- Implement and refine.
In order to be consistent, a useful strategy is selecting a sustainable level of effort for each of your writing sessions.
Photo by Tara Winstead from Pexels
by Jenna | Feb 19, 2022 | ScriptMag Articles
Welcome to the latest installment of my “Ask the Coach” column on Script Mag! This month I’m addressing a question about
being superstitious about writing:
“Do you ever feel superstitious about your writing time? Like you have to write in the same place, at the same time, after eating the same thing, to recapture the same success of a particular writing day that went well? Or do you find yourself giving up on a day’s writing because you weren’t able to do those things?”
This is an intriguing set of questions because whether or not a writer considers themselves superstitious about their writing practice, it speaks to underlying strategies and challenges around having a consistent writing practice, which is something I recommend for most writers. Let’s discuss. [more…]
Create a routine or container for your writing practice, but don’t be afraid to experiment and refine. Being a creature of habit is useful for writers, but we don’t have to be locked in.
Photo by Black ice from Pexels
