Sneak peek
I’m not one of those people who has a tried-and-true writing process, one that works every time. That said, today I want to talk about two strategies I use regularly to help me keep my writing process on track: setting deadlines and setting hourly limits. These strategies can be used independently or in conjunction with one another.
A general note about both of these strategies: I use them because I’m a perfectionist who, given free reign, would never finish any piece of writing ever because I’m constantly changing – my personality, my writing skill level, my sense of aesthetic – and could rewrite and edit anything to death several times over.
The assumption I’m currently working under is that nothing is ever done, but at some point I have to stop working on it. At least for a while. I can always go back and revise again if I really, really want to and I have nothing better to do. Even my published stories. But I’m beginning to expect that the key to becoming the writer I want to be is to write things, “finish” them, move on to the next thing and never look back....Read the full article to learn how I use deadlines and hourly limits to stay motivated on my writing projects.
Like you, I'm a perfectionist. At some point in every story I've ever written, I've come to the conclusion that the story was doomed. But those times when I kept writing anyway, when I brainstormed and problem-solved and found my way out of whatever corner I'd written myself into have been the biggest learning moments for me. I suspect that I learn more when I'm nearly tearing my hair out trying to solve a story dilemma than I do when the words are flowing smoothly.
ReplyDeleteI'll be sure to head over to the ROW80 website and check out the full post!