Write Better, Faster! Goals, Routines, And Deadlines
Tips for Consistent Output
How often should I write? When should I write? For how long should I write? How many words?
Many of you who have read my previous posts know I am a fairly consistent writer. I write for at least an hour a day most days. I post constantly, and I am pretty active all around.
How do I do this? Well, it isn’t easy. Right now I am sitting in bed with my laptop on my ermm lap and my son kicking me in the ribs while humming to himself and clapping a pair of extremely annoying plastic castanets in my ear. And it just took me three attempts to spell castanets! However, I usually get my work done, well eventually anyway.
A few tips and tricks that help me and I hope will help you.
Create Smart Writing Goals that Work
Having clear, and most of all realistic targets is keeping me going!
I keep to short-term goals because I feel overwhelmed if I am looking at targets six months to a year or more in the future. Long-term planning isn’t really my thing.
My goals are pretty clear, and they are also short-term enough and realistic.
Last month’s goals
500 followers. Finished on 504.
$200 earnings. $195 but will take the win.
40 published blogs. I managed 48.
This month’s goals
Today is the 10th Feb. Happy Chinese New Year!
1250 followers. Current count 853.
$500 in earnings. Current earnings $123. (I am not writing much this month as it’s Chinese New Year and a holiday so probably not going to hit $500)
Publish at least three posts a week.
Next month’s goals
2000 followers.
$700 in earnings.
100 published posts.
Three-month goals
$1000 a month in earnings
2500 followers.
200 published posts.
Building a Writing Routine for Peak Productivity
Consistency is all about routine. I write for one hour at a time. I even set an alarm for that one hour. All tabs on my computer are closed during my writing time except for the ones I need to write. This works for me. It might not work for others, but I am most productive writing in a one-hour block.
Sometimes like today, the words don’t flow and I can’t finish, so I will write the rest either later or tomorrow. At other times I can write, edit, polish, SEO the title, and submit it to a Publication all within an hour.
I get most of my work done in the morning. I know some writers prefer evenings or nights, but for me, I am fried by that time and nothing comes when I sit down to write.
Deadlines Don’t Have to Be Scary
Deadlines are powerful motivators. Setting your own deadlines can be just as effective as having a forced working deadline. Here are some ideas for personal deadlines you can use.
Daily word count goals
Set a target for the number of words you aim to write each day. If you do this, make sure the word count is reachable or you will get discouraged. I aim for 2000 words a day.
Weekly chapter deadlines
If you are writing a book, a useful trick is to deadline your chapters. One chapter a week is more than doable.
Submission deadlines for contests or Publications
The last time I entered a writing competition, I found the contest at the end of July and the last day of submission was September 1st. I didn’t win the contest, but I did write a whole story in a month.
And finally
Find what works for you. I avoid the hard-rule attitude. I must do this or that. This creates unnecessary pressure, which doesn’t work well for me. If I don’t hit a goal, I shrug and try again tomorrow or next month.
I know many writers flourish under pressure and have a set goal for their writing, which helps to motivate them. Some of us even don’t know that this is what we need to succeed. I would give it a try and see if it works for you.
Thanks for reading.
Paul