Writing Tips and Techniques (Writing Help)

How to Write Consistently

Be Nice to Yourself

I've always gone in and out of writing, being good about writing for a few weeks or a few months before going months to years without writing at all. 

I feel like writers are so quick to beat up on themselves for not being consistent about working on their stories. I don't know a writer who hasn't wished they could be disciplined or has shamefully complained about how bad they are at writing every day (myself included).

Over the past few years, I've been learning to be kinder to myself, and I think that really is a key component to being a consistent writer, which might sound a little crazy but stay with me.

I am easily overwhelmed, and it takes a lot of maintenance for me to function on a daily basis. Add on top of that heaps of anxieties and pressure from family work, school, etc...it's way too much. I shamed myself for not writing when I was completely drowning in schoolwork, working a job, and so depressed and anxious that I have no idea how I'm sane. And I expected myself to write in what little free time I had when my mental state was in tatters. I know I'm not the only one.

If you're totally exhausted mentally, physically, and/or emotionally, don't force yourself to write. Rest. It's okay. It's what you need, and you deserve it. When you get all the rest and recovery you need, you will naturally gravitate towards writing again. If you have ideas for your story and it feels good to think about those ideas but stressful to actually write, that's okay. Take notes of those imagined conversations between characters, plot points, and scene snippets so you don't forget, and leave it. 

Do the Bare Minimum

So far, this is the only thing that I can get to stick: Write at least one sentence per day. That's it. That's all you have to do. On days when it's too hard to go further, you've done your part. More likely than not, if you sit down to write one sentence, you're naturally going to write more. 

Allowing one sentence to be your cut-off point takes the pressure away. You're not sitting down expecting yourself to write a thousand words, so you're not going to be intimidated, and you're not going to beat up on yourself if you don't reach that quota. 

I was resistant to this one at first because I still felt like I wasn't doing enough. But at the same time, if I put too much pressure on myself, I just won't write at all. Maybe that's because I'm neurodivergent, but I feel like other people can relate to that too. One sentence per day is more than going weeks or months without writing anything because I'm avoiding shame and frustration. 

Writing a story is a slow process and takes a lot of work. Don't expect yourself to have it done right away. Any progress is progress. 

Make Writing a Game

I watched a TED Talk by a guy talking about making chores into a game, and it gave me the inspiration to create a score sheet for writing. If you're interested in using it, I put the share link in my profile description. 

It multiplies the time you spend writing by the number of words you write, and every day you write consistently, you get to add a bonus thousand points.

Give it a try. It might work for you. And if it's too stressful, dump it.

Last Updated 2022