Part of the Becoming a Writer Series

Being a writer. It sounded so glamorous, didn’t it? Until you sat in front of the blank page. Or until you dealt with 10 interruptions before 10 a.m.

I’ve been a writer for over 15 years, and I have a few tips to help you be more productive (without stressing yourself out).

First, clear everything else off the deck when you’re going to write. No, before you’re going to write. Jot a list of all the errands and to-dos you’ll need to deal with later. I find that getting them out of my head and onto a notebook or app makes it a lot easier to do my writing.

If you’re extremely visual, or if it’s bothering you – get everything off your desk, too. Except the things that pertain to your project.

Second, buckle down and work. Just do it. If it’s “writing time,” you should be clacking away at the keyboard. Lots of interruptions? See this article for some tips.

Third, deal with distractions before they happen. Put the phone on silent. Better yet, put it in another room. Check in with the family to let them know it’s writing time, and you shouldn’t be interrupted. Close the blinds. Shut the door. Do whatever it takes to give yourself the gift of writing time.

I’m truly interested in how you handle your productivity. Do you have a word count goal? Do you shut everyone out, or are you one of those people who can write in the middle of a crowd? Let me know!