A Relaxed Way to Get Yourself Writing
Skyler Kane
As a creative writing major, it’s almost a given that I have the pipe dream of becoming a published writer myself. Of course, it’s only a pipe dream if you don’t follow through with your ambition. So this summer I really started pushing myself to write more and more and it’s worked really well so far. And so, for my fellow aspiring writers, writing majors or not, here are some tips and tricks that worked well for me.
Location, Location, Location…Doesn’t Matter
I’ve always been a laptop writer from the isolation of my bedroom, usually on my bed, like how I’m typing this exact article right now. However, this summer I had an erratic and long work schedule that often didn’t leave me much time or energy to write once I was home. However, I had down time at work where I wasn’t allowed to be on my phone or even bring a book to read. So I decided to try to force myself to do some hand notebook writing during work and I got so much writing done by not limiting myself to where or when I wrote. It also kept me thinking about my story more frequently, giving me the writing bug more than ever before.
A Little Goes a Long Way
Not every writing session has to be ten pages in one sitting. I started writing in my notebook during work breaks that were less than 15min long. Sure, it wasn’t much, but if I have seven breaks a shift and I write two paragraphs a break, it adds up. And like I said earlier, it’s another great way to keep the story present in your mind and keep you motivated.
No, You Won’t Remember That
If you have a good idea or a good line or anything that you want to remember for later, write it down. I don’t care where, your notebook, a messy google docs notes page, or you phone notes app. I’ve literally used all three of those because trust me you will not remember that cool thing you thought of. I recently reread my google docs notes page and found a ton of cool lines and ideas I have absolutely zero memory of writing, but I’m glad I have them! It doesn’t have to be neat and you can find the idea’s exact place or purpose later, just find someplace to scribble down your idea because you’ll thank yourself later.
Don’t Put Expectations on Yourself
Okay, other people might disagree with me. I hear a lot about “Write one page a day” or “One chapter a week” or “A novel in a month” and I don’t know. It’s never worked for me. Inevitably I miss the goal and I get discouraged and it suddenly doesn’t seem worth it. This summer I just made it my goal to write as much as I can, whenever I can, and to at least not go too many days in a row without writing. This worked for me because I could forgive myself for missing one day, but if I missed two or three I would naturally feel myself go, “Oh I need to write soon, I haven’t done that in a while!” It was completely self motivating with zero pressure. And, sure, if you’ve got a book deal and you have a deadline, this easy breezy method may not work, but for budding writers like most college students who aspire to be writers, maybe low key is the right way to just get something done.
All in all, find what works for you. It might not be what others say, it may not be what I say, but always remember that you’re writing because it’s what you love to do.